FAULT LINES ━━ oikawa tooru [✓]

16 - A Friend's Comfort

      Himeko had always thought those two had something going on between them, but according to everyone she knew, they were simply childhood best friends who happened to be very close. She wasn't a possessive girlfriend; frankly, she didn't mind that Tooru talked to her about Misaki, about her not letting him do something volleyball related or force him to stop practice (Himeko would have to thank her for that).

      But yeah...Tooru talked about her too much and too often. That made Himeko wonder.

      Did Tooru actually like her? Sure they went on dates, though sometimes he had cancelled them for extra practice. Sure they hung around with each other at lunch; sure he had walked her home twice in the last week and they had gone out on a date yesterday, but somehow, their conversations would involve Misaki in some way.

      It hurt, and a lot more than Himeko would like to admit. That brought her to her big question. Was Tooru Oikawa in love with his best friend?

      In Himeko's mind, the answer was a big, fat yes.

      Tooru Oikawa was definitely in love with Misaki Katsuragi, though he himself may not have realised that. And that was why she had to do it. She did like Tooru and even though actually doing it was going to hurt, she knew it was the right decision to make. For her own sake and for his.

      (Himeko didn't think she'd ever match up to Misaki anyway)

      Today was Saturday and Himeko's day off from the art club. But Tooru would be here; the volleyball team practised rigorously almost all days of the week; as far as she knew, the only day they took an off was Mondays. Maybe it was a little petty of her to do this right before his practice started, but at that point, she was already a bit tired of constantly feeling the hurt whenever Tooru-no, Oikawa mentioned Misaki.

      Himeko waited for Oikawa near the isolated lunch spot of their school. Though it was considered to be isolated and was hidden by a small grove, it was still pretty famous as an area where confessions seemed to happen a lot.

      But today, it was also going to be the place where a relationship would end. It was strangely poetic.

      "Hime-chan!"

      Himeko perked up on hearing Oikawa's voice. She turned around to see him running up to her. He was dressed in his volleyball tracksuit and smiling towards her. And suddenly, her courage seemed to fizzle out; somehow, she steeled her nerves and smiled, hoping none of her turmoil showed up in her eyes.

      "There you are," Oikawa said, smiling brightly. It was a pretty smile, but a part of Himeko's heart really hurt on seeing it. "Good morning! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

      "No, you didn't," Himeko replied quietly. "I got here about five minutes ago."

      "Oh, that's good," Oikawa said. He brushed a few strands of her hair out of her forehead. The touch almost made her flinch, but she managed to control herself just in time.

      "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

       Himeko grabbed at the front of her shirt and took in a deep breath. "Please don't hate me for this. I've been thinking about this for a while now and I don't blame you at all."

      Oikawa looked incredibly confused. "What do you mean, Hime-chan? Why would I hate you?"

      "We should break up," She said in a monotone, her voice not faltering at all as she uttered the few, but harsh words. "Let's end this relationship."