Hi, guys. I'm back with a Hakuryuu self-insert one-shot, which turned out to be a bit too long (11k). Hope you like it!
···
"You say love's a fragile thing made of glass
But I think your heart is a muscle"
~Your Heart Is a Muscle, Carly Rae Jepsen
···
Here I was, standing outside the entrance of Teikoku. I was completely lost. Where was I supposed to go? God, this was so pathetic.
"Why are you standing there like a loser?"
I turned around and saw Fudou smirking with amusement. What a jerk.
"What do you think I'm doing?" I rolled my eyes at him. "You said you'd give me directions over text messages."
"Did I, now?"
I crossed my arms and sent him a death glare. "Yes, Fudou. You did." I showed him my phone with his texts as receipts.
"Oh, I guess I did."
"I hate you. I've been lost for half an hour. And because you said this was some secret project at some secret spot in school, I couldn't ask anyone."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Sure you are. Will you lead the way, or are you lost as well?"
"You're grumpy as ever."
I glared at him, but all I got in return was a scoff. He started walking towards the entrance, so I followed him.
Fudou could really get on my nerves, but deep down I was very fond of him. He's been our neighbour for as long as I can remember, so he's grown on me throughout the years. He's always cared about me, although he's never shown it. Likewise, I also care about him. I'd go as far as saying he's the closest thing I have to a brother, but I'll never tell him. I mean, for the sake of the Universe and my sanity, he shall never know.
···
Once we'd reached the football facillities, I'd gone into the changing rooms try on my new uniform. I wasn't displeased with it, but I'd seen manager uniforms from other teams, and this one could look way better. Especially when it came to the colour palette. I guess it was related to the team Fudou would be training, but he hadn't told me anything about it. He'd been very secretive about it, yet that didn't stop me from signing up for the job when offered it to me.
I started sorting out the equipment and making all the needed preparations. From filling up water bottles, to assorting sanitary products for a first aid kit.
"Hey, it's nearly time to welcome them. You done?" I turned around and saw Fudou.
"Yeah. Coming." I wiped a bead of sweat off my left temple.
"You're sweaty. You should get cleaned up. Remember the first day of training is like an official ceremony" he complained.
I scrunched my nose up. "You're so dramatic."
"Whatever."
I turned away and went straight to the restroom. I knew how important this was for him. That was the only reason I'd humor him this time. But he better not get too whiny about everything.
I returned to the football pitch and stood near the bench, next to Fudou, who scanned me up and down, and smirked in satisfaction.
"Much better."
I only snorted back.
Finally, the doors to the pitch opened.
···
"You're all here." Fudou's voice was steady and stern. "I'm your coach, Fudou. From now on, you guys will be fighting Inazuma Japan." I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows in surprise.
"Inazuma Japan?" It was the one with the captain band on his arm who had spoken. He looked surprised.
"Why us?" That was Gassan Kunimitsu's foward.
"It was requested by Coach Kuroiwa." Oh, that was unexpected.
Hakuren's ace striker gasped.
"Destroy them" Fudou ordered.
"Let's do it, Coach Fudou!" It was that guy again. The captain. Who was he? I'd scanned all of the players' faces and immediately known who they were. How come their captain was nameless. Had he even played in the Holy Road Tournament? If he had I certainly would've known by now.
Lost in thought, I hadn't noticed my neighbour was introducing me to the team until his hand squeezed my shoulder painfully tight. The team stared expectantly for a second. Then I realised it was a good moment for a bow.
"Nice to meet you."
I could already see Fudou mocking me afterwards for this. Shit.
I gave a tight-lipped smile. All the players returned it. Well, almost all of them. Minamisawa Atsushi just couldn't stop looking at his nails for a change. And Mr. Mysterious Captain had the nerve to give me a judgemental look. Great. I could already sense we wouldn't be getting along quite well.
"Great. So now, let's start practice." Fudou decided to end introductions. "Hakuryuu, help her bring the equipment" he said while gesturing at me.
"Yes, Coach."
So that was his name. Hakuryuu. No surname. How strange. I glanced at him briefly and led the way to the equipment room.
As I opened the door, I felt a strong arm shove me aside. I turned in surprise and saw Hakuryuu go in first like nothing had happened. What was with his attitude? Man, had he really just shoved me to get past me?
"Was that really necessary?" I was still in shock.
He didn't even look at me. I was about to yell at him, but decided it wasn't worth it. He was just being an asshole. So, I settled with making a disgusted noise.
Once we were both carrying everything we needed, I noticed how he didn't even wait for me. He just left the room without a word. What was his problem?
I trailed behind, rolling my eyes and burning holes in his back. Fudou gave me a questioning look, which I answered with a grimace. I could only sigh and go on about my day.
···
Fudou was making me work really hard. And, damn, was he demanding.
He'd made me follow every single player during practice with a notebook to write down every single detail about them. From their flaws and fouls to their strengths and virtues. I'd been going from one place to another all day. I felt like I was going crazy. But everything had been tolerable, until it was his turn.
When I read his name on the list I'd been dreading the moment. I wasn't even getting paid for the job. I considered backing out for two seconds, but then I remembered how important this was to Fudou, so I complied once more.
I'd started out keeping a 5 metre distance to avoid any confrontation of any sort. It worked for the first 3 minutes, until he started running all over the pitch, which was understandable, as that's what you're expected to do at practice. The thing is, I had no other option but to run behind as well. But I didn't have his super speed nor his endless stamina. The struggle was fucking real.
I was trying to keep up with him, while keeping a safe distance, but near enough that I could see his movements properly. However, because he was too fast and agile, I wasn't able to predict that we'd both move in the same direction at the same time. So we ended crashing into each other. We both fell with a loud thud on the ground.
Shit, I could feel the painful sting on my hands from landing on them. I quickly got up and extended out a hand. "I'm sorry."
Hakuryuu glared at my hand and then back at me. What was he waiting for? Just take my hand.
"Man, it's not that hard. I'm just trying to help" I told him.
I could feel his burning glare on me. That must've really annoyed him. So he pushed my hand away and got up on his own.
"What's your problem?" I was not having it.
"Don't be so useless next time."
I was about to fire back, when Fudou came in a rush towards us.
"What's happening here?"
"He-"
"She fell down."
He just cut me off!
Fudou glanced at my scraped hand and narrowed his eyes. "Everyone, go back to practice while I go help her. I don't want any funny business while I'm gone."
"Don't worry, Coach. I'm fine. I can wash it on my own" I assured him.
I could have sworn I heard that rude bastard snort.
···
Practice was getting more intense with each passing day. They were all A rated players, they'd all stood out during the Holy Road. Except from Hakuryuu, of course, who hadn't participated. But I could notice that Fudou was pushing them to their limits and were starting to get even better.
I was kept busy with preparing them lunch and doing some research for Fudou. I still had to monitor their improvement, but it was more lax and I could now do it from the bench. But like always, there was a problem. I was having trouble keeping a record of all the players' stats. And there was a cause to this. It was named Hakuryuu, how surprising. He was all over the place. He kept outperforming himself, he just got better and better every single time. And each time I noticed he'd made a mistake, he made up for it going for it twice as hard and and doing twice as good. I'd never seen anything like him.
Shit, I hated to admit it, but he was insanely good.
But he was very time-consuming. I spent too much time analyzing him, when I also had to make a report on the other players. But I was scared I would miss an even better move from him. So I refused to take my eyes off him.
"I want data on my other players, besides number 10, you know?"
I quickly looked to my right and saw an amused Fudou. "You startled me."
He leaned over to look at the tablet screen. "He's good, isn't he?"
"Undoubtedly, yes. I've never seen anyone play like that. How come he wasn't at the Holy Road?" I questioned.
"Well, I can't tell you everything, but he was a SEED" he told me.
"Really? I'm not surprised. But most SEEDs play in teams that participate in the tournament. That doesn't really explain it" I argued.
"Guess you'll have to ask him" he smirked.
"Ugh, as if" I scrunched up my face.
"You won't have a problem with that, given that both of you get along very well" he said sarcastically.
"Ugh, have you seen how he's treated me?" I said in outrage.
"Well, that's just Hakuryuu for you" he shrugged.
"I just don't get what his problem is."
He stayed silent for a second while staring into the air. "Who knows? I was once like that, you know? The harsh world really hardens you."
I looked up at him wide eyed. I'd never heard him speak like that. Only then I realised I didn't know my neighbour as much as I believed I did. I stayed silent until he left to give the players new instructions.
Huh.
I looked down at all I'd scribbled about Hakuryuu. He really was a rarity. Maybe I just had to make a bigger effort to understand him.
···
Once practice was over, I brought a tray with everyone's water bottles that I'd refilled before with fresh water. Not too cold, so that they wouldn't get sick. I started handing them out to every player. I was reaching out towards Kishibe, when the bottle was grabbed out of my hands.
"Hey!" I turned to look for the person at fault only to find Hakuryuu chugging the whole bottle. Unbelievable.
"What did you do that for?" I wasn't taking his shit.
To hell with making a bigger effort to understand him. He was being an asshole.
"You were being too slow" he glared at me.
"The nerve," I mumbled.
I was getting riled up. But when I saw him turn his back on me, I lost it. I grabbed the nearest bottle and spilled the water all over him. Served him right.
"Was that fast enough for you?" It had been childish, but I was already feeling better.
I put the bottle down and resumed handing out bottles to everyone. Meanwhile, I could feel his eyes piercing me through. He wasn't happy at all. I was expecting some sort of retaliation, but nothing happened. He just kept death-glaring until I was gone.
I went back inside to take the tray with the dishes out. I went back out to give them all their bento boxes. This time, I was never interrupted. I left him for last. Call me petty.
Once I reached Hakuryuu, I held out his lunch box tentatively. I looked straight into his eyes. His were watching me intently, ruby orbs boring into mine. I silently held my breath as I felt something creeping in the pit of my stomach. He was unreadable. I looked at the box expecting him to take it. He blinked for a second and took the box.
"You're welcome" I said, not expecting thanks from him, and sat on the bench back to revising the report I'd written on the players today.
When everyone was finished, I stayed back stacking the lunch boxes and throwing the left overs into a separe bag. As I stacked them all up in a pile, a box was placed on top.
Before I even got to look up, I heard a mumbled voice. "Thank you." That deep tone was unmistakeable.
I smiled to myself before looking up to see the number 10 on his back walking away.
During the rest of the afternoon, while I cleaned everything, I caught myself smiling for no reason, which ended in laughing at myself, while Fudou looked baffled. Maybe even a little bit worried.
···
The following weeks were full of activity and work. Fudou was really going hard on them. And, thus, on me as well.
Today, I'd arrived even earlier than ever. It was either starting earlier, or getting really stressed out during the day, trying to do everything at once. I'd rather go with the first. It meant skipping classes, which was a bonus.
I opened the door to the Teikoku football club only to find a very familiar platinum blond shooting the ball into the goal. I stayed there at the door as our eyes met. We stared for a second longer than necessary until he looked away.
"Good morning" I tried.
"Morning" he answered, uninterested.
I looked at him in suprise.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. I just wasn't expecting you to answer" I laughed.
"Tsk." And there we go again. That was about as much as I would be getting out of him.
I walked inside. I popped my earbuds in and started preparing the players' meals for the day while humming some American pop song. Afterwards, I 'd sat at the strategy meeting room and pulled out my tablet to continue with my daily reports, plus more assignments requested by Fudou. Once I decided I had done enough for the morning, I decided to go back to my homeroom.
I felt really productive. As I stratched my arms on my way back, I heard water running. I listened carefully and noticed it came from the locker rooms, which was weird. No one used the club facilities in the mornings. I made my way silently to the locker rooms. Suddenly, the tap was closed as the water stopped running. I approached the door on my tip toes. Who could possibly be here this early?
I heard more shuffling. Intrigued, I opened the door and entered the locker room.
"Is ther-"
As I was about to ask if there was anybody inside the room, I was met with an image I would have never expected. Right out fresh from the shower came none other than Hakuryuu. The team captain. Numer 10. The top scorer. The ace striker. Shit, I'd forgotten all about him. I was so immersed in my own work I'd fogotten he'd been practicing this morning when I had arrived. Because of that, I was now facing a shirtless, only covered by a towel, wet Hakuryuu. This was beyond embarrassing. And awkward.
There was a moment of silence between us, in which we both looked at each other in confusion, expecting something that explained the whole situation. But that never came. Instead, Hakuryuu's face started turning red.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" he asked, bewildered.
"Good question" I tried to joke. "Well, this is going to sound crazy, but I forgot that you were here. So, when I heard the water running, I came to make sure it wasn't a... beaver." Why did I just say beaver?
He looked at me in disbelief. I just forced a smile so maybe he would believe me. I wasn't lying. Well, only about the beaver part.
"Are you really expecting me to believe that?" He looked baffled. Understandable. I mean, I would too.
"I mean, it's the truth? Well, not about the beaver part" I explained.
"Huh?" he narrowed his eyes in thought.
""Huh", what?" I frowned.
"You actually followed me inside the locker room just to see me naked. Who would have thought?"
"Wait, what? Is that a joke?" I couldn't believe a single word I was hearing.
"I wish it were. I already have a hard time with my fans, only to have a stalker here as well."
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Just who do you think you are?"
"Come on, just admit it. You came in purposefully to see me showering." He was now smirking, and I was getting riled up with every passing second.
"First of all, I only came in because I'd heard the water running in the morning, when no one uses the locker rooms in the morning. Secondly, I'd totally forgotten about your existence. Which only comes to show how little I care about your presence."
"You forgot? I've heard it all before. Don't worry, check me out all you want." What a cocky bastard. I'd heard from other girls at Teikoku that he was very cocky. But I hadn't expected it would be up to this extent.
He was going to eat his words.
"Check you out? Why would I?" I got closer to him, 10 centimetres separating us, and hovered my hand over his stomach. I felt his breath hitch when my cool fingers traced the outline of his abs, creating a contrast with his damp skin. I could feel tingles on my fingertips.
I leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Why would I when I've seen better before?"
I was supposed to just move back, but something came over me that I ended up giving him a feathery kiss on his cheek. When I finally moved back, I could see the sneaky blush betraying him, covering his whole face and neck. He was speechless and unmoving. That should teach him. I turned around and left.
I was still perplexed at what had happened. Thinking it through, he might have just been joking about wanting to see him naked, but I'd gotten fired up way too easily to find out. In my defense, he was acting like a total jerk. It had been nice seeing him look so flustered. However, whenever I thought back on the memory, I could feel a rebellious warmth spread through my cheeks.
···
The rest of the day had gone by very slowly since that morning's little mishap. Shit, I'd not been able to stop thinking about what happened in class. And when I had been chatting with my friends, my thoughts had diverted to that morning once or twice. I didn't regret what I did. And I had seen better before. But I could still feel the tingling on my fingertips, and I could hear his breath hitch all over again. And if I focused a little harder, I could smell his shampoo. Fuck, he did have pretty nice abs.
Practice was awkward. I felt like we were avoiding each other, but it's not like we had ever spoken or been near each other before. It was as if we were trying not to acknowledge each other's presence. I was trying so hard not to look at him, but when my eyes skimmed over every once in a while, I'd catch him secretly looking, only to quickly avert his eyes. I felt the whole situation was very stupid. Nothing had actually happened, and I had a job to do, which actually required looking at him and the others.
During the water break, as I handed out everyone's water bottles, I felt his piercing gaze on me the whole time. When I passed him his bottle, he held onto it as he held my gaze. I could feel the tingles on my fingers were back, as I looked at my reflection that shone off his maroon eyes.
"You're welcome." I gave him a small smile and broke our eye contact.
I felt inexplicably shaken. I desperately tried to still my heart and steady myself.
I'd gone about the rest of practice like normal. Now, practice was over. I was tidying everything up while all the boys were in the shower and Fudou was in his office reviewing all of my reports and filling out more paperwork.
I'd been so engrosed in clearing up and finishing more assignments -I'd even completed my homework-, that I hadn't noticed everyone had gone home. Except for Fudou, otherwise he would've come to kick me out so he could lock the facilities. It was pretty late, so I had to get going. I checked I had turned all the lights off and that everything had been stored away.
I was checking the kitchen room, when I suddenly felt someone tap my shoulder. I let out a startled gasp as I jolted. I turned around and found myself looking straight into deep pools of scarlet.
"Oh, it's just you, Hakuryuu" I gave out a relieved sigh.
I waited patiently for him to explain why he was there. After what I'd done today, I shouldn't press him on. Otherwise, he would explode in anger or something worse, who knows.
"I came to give you this," he pointed at the water bottle in his hand. It was the water bottle from today. Had he forgotten to give it back? That was very unlikely as I had told everyone to give them back when practice was over.
I took the bottle hesitantly.
"You're welcome." His voice was low and deep.
"Thank you." Oh, the sweet irony. At the thought of this, I let out a small laugh. This, however, didn't sit well with him because when I looked at his face, he was frowning at me.
"I wasn't laughing at you" I quickly told him.
"Well, this morning it seemed like you were."
Damn, I was not expecting that comeback.
"Look, I'm sorry about this morning. You were getting on my nerves, but maybe I did cross a line." I actually felt a little bit bad about it. I still didn't regret it. His reaction had been priceless.
"Sure" he pursed his lips.
"Is that why you're here?" I asked, confused.
"No." He sounded smug.
"No? Then why are you here?" I asked in exasperation.
"Wouldn't you like to know" he smirked.
"I think you're getting a little too cocky for your own good" I answered back.
"Am I now?" he raised his left eyebrow, patronizing me.
"Have you already forgotten about what happened this morning?" I could play this game too.
"This morning? This morning when you threw yourself at me?" Suddenly, he was all too close. When had he gotten so close? I must've been trying so hard to come up with comebacks that I hadn't noticed at all. We stood only a few centimetres apart. "When you couldn't keep your hands off me?" So this was what all of this had been about.
He was doing a good job, because I suddenly couldn't speak. My mouth was dry and my throat was closed up, unable to make any sound. I was trapped between the counter and his body, so I couldn't run away. He leaned in and I could feel his minty breath near my ear.
"I don't know what any of that was about. But you certainly messed with the wrong person." His voice was husky and dangerous. As he spoke, I couldn't help but clench my insides as I felt the thrill spread through my stomach.
His hand was placed on my hip. "What was it that you said?". His hand started slowly moving upward. He slipped it under my uniform shirt and his warm hand made contact with my bare skin, making me flinch. "Oh, you said why would you check me out?" His thumb was drawing patterns on my waist, dragging the tip of his finger all over my flesh, making sparks fly wherever it touched.
Unexpectedly, he pressed his whole body to mine. His chest was completely pressed against mine, so he could probably feel my heart beating past the speed-limit. I could certainly feel his.
"Why would you, when you've seen better" he whispered in my ear. He grabbed my hips with both hands and pressed them to his. There was no space at all between us and all I could feel was him. Him and his body irradiating heat. I was astounded. I could only look at him and try to process what was happening. Whenever I tried to move, I found my body was unresponsive.
"Let me make one thing clear, then." He nearly growled it into my ear, as he gave my lobe a light nibble, making me flinch twice. "You may have seen better." His mouth traveled south, where it latched onto my jaw. Suddenly, I could no longer breathe. He gave the spot a long wet kiss. Then, he followed by giving it a light suck. Warmth spread through my whole body as I melted away in this new feeling. I shut my eyes closed until he was done. He then moved back to look me straight in the eye. His gaze was penetrating and predatory.
"But you haven't seen best. You haven't tried me."
I was taken aback at all of this. I was so turned on.
Finally, my senses were coming back to me. I could now notice how hard he was breathing and how badly he was blushing.
I looked at him. He was a breathtaking sight. His platinum blond hair was glimmering from the last rays of sunlight. His eyes were fierce, like two glowing gems. His cheeks were flushed red. And his plump lips looked like he'd been secretly chewing on them prior to this moment. I was trying so hard no to do what was coming next. I really was, but I just couldn't stop myself.
"I haven't tried you yet. Why don't you give me a taste then?"
The last thing I saw were his widening ruby eyes, before I closed the gap between us and smashed my mouth on his.
I caught his lips with mine, moving them slowly against his. I felt him freeze on the spot. I think he wasn't even breathing. I couldn't help but smile against his mouth. But he must have thought I was laughing at him, because he suddenly woke up from the daze and grabbed the back of my head as he forcibly deepend the kiss.
I gasped in surprise. He was suddenly kissing me back with such fervor, I had to take a second to process it. His lips felt heavenly, soft and warm. But his kiss was devious, passionate and intoxicating. My breath mixed with his, as I tried to match his pace, but he was unforgiving and selfish. He was doing it on purpose. He was messy and hazardous, nearly impossible to keep up with. But there it was again. I could feel the electricity flowing through my veins, as his fingers ran through my hair and his hand wandered down my lower back.
I let out a low moan when I felt the lack of oxygen. I tried to part, but he'd heard my moan and now his relentless lips weren't releasing mine any soon. Dizzy, I decided I should try slowing his pace. I snaked my arms around his neck and threaded my fingers through his hair. He let out a breathy moan, and I took the opportunity to overpower him.
The kiss was slow, patient. Between every touch of lips I was able to steady myself a bit. He slowly broke the kiss, and as he gasped for air, he placed his forhead against mine. I watched his every movement, fascinated.
"I wasn't buying the water bottle thing."
He directed his gaze at me. For the first time, I think we saw each other eye to eye.
"I wasn't buying the beaver thing either."
···
That night I hadn't been able to sleep at all. I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. There hadn't even been any tongue, but it had been so intense, it made my toes curl at the thought. I'd been trying to clear my mind, but when I would finally start drifting to sleep, I would catch myself dreaming about his hands on my lower back, his fingers in my hair and his lips on mine. The nervousness in the pit of my stomach would wake me up every time.
I didn't know what to expect of the following day. I was a little scared.
The following morning, I decided not to come in early. I didn't want to see him so early in the morning in case he was doing some morning practice again. No, I would attend class like normal, and go to the football club facilities at the scheduled time. Then, I would act normal. I had nothing to lose, because worst case scenario, he'd ignore me. And I could handle that.
During class, my concentration had been scarce and sporadic. I'd been replaying the kiss on my mind nonstop, and I had come to the conclusion that he may act like an asshole that afternoon, but I would still want to kiss him after practice. I wouldn't let myself feel disappointed when he acted rudely towards me. I'd heard from the other girls' gossip that he's very prideful, which actually made sense. I really didn't know where these girls got their information from; Hakuryuu didn't even go to Teikoku.
The bell that signaled the end of last period finally rang. It was finally time. I couldn't help but feel anxious.
I made my way to the club entrance. Teikoku really did honor its reputation for being one of the country's best schools and one of the football powerhouses, because you could really see how much the school had invested in the football club. The facilities were so big, we were able to practice and have our own schedule without having to disturb the school team.
I closed the door behind me. I walked around the pitch, as I saw Hakuryuu practicing. Just like I'd predicted. He was always there, shooting the ball, dribbling, running... Did he even go to school?
He seemed to have seen me as well, because he stopped running and stared at me. I lifted my arm and waved at him. In response, all I got was a smug smirk, and he was back to running.
I dropped my things inside, changed my uniform and started preparing all their bento boxes. When I was finally done, it was almost time for the players to arrive. Many of them were staying at an inn because they came from other parts of the country. Therefore, they had different schedules to ours, due to online classes.
As I closed the fridge, I felt a hand on my shoulder turning me around. The next thing I knew was someone kissing me full force. I blinked twice. I recognized those lips. I had been dreaming about them all day and night. I still felt very confused, but I circled my arms around his neck and brought him closer, while I kissed him back. This encouraged him on, so he pushed me against the fridge, caging me once again with his body.
This time, his hands roamed my waist and my hips. His lips moved with so much firmness and motive I could sense a pattern he was following that helped me meet his mouth at the perfect moment. Was this what they called to be in perfect sync? It was magnetizing and I just couldn't get enough.
I lightly tugged at the roots of his hair. He let out a low groan and I took the opportunity to slip my tongue in his mouth. Just like how I'd dreamt of last night. But my dream hadn't prepared me for a wildfire. The connection deeper and intimate. Heart-stopping even. I couldn't help but slowly moan at the touch of my tongue with his. I couldn't describe how truly heavenly he felt.
I brought my hands to his firm chest, as he pressed me harder against the cold surface of the fridge, taking a firm hold of my lower back, just above where my ass started. But then, we heard voices. The others were starting to arrive. Shit.
We quickly broke apart. The magic was gone. He left wordlessly, going straight for the changing rooms, and I went to speak to Fudou like I normally would.
···
Practice had been difficult. There was a weird atmosphere within the team. It was as if everyone was being too agressive. All the players had been excessively competitive and very impatient regarding other's mistakes. There had been some insulting and some arguing. It had even gotten physically violent, and Fudou had had to intervene.
Hakuryuu had been involved in one of these altercations. I'd been actually quite surprised as he usually kept his anger under control, despite being cocky, arrogant and prideful. He'd been playing very selfishly during practice matches, running on his own, dribbling instead of passing the ball, making dangerous tackles, making agressive plays...He shot the ball at full power, the ball flying at full speed, cutting through the air in rotation. Yamato, the goalkeeper, was very fatigued from previous shots. This one somehow seemed even more powerful that the last one. Even I was worried for Yamato.
Yamato tried stopping it, but he was down after several seconds struggling. Hakuryuu huffed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. He then started yelling at poor Yamato who was still lying on the ground. Hakuryuu was relentless, calling out his incompetence and lack of talent, insulting him and humilliating him. The rest of the team seemed to be fed up with him after the selfish plays he had been pulling throughout practice. So they all started defending Yamato and arguing with Hakuryuu. Things escalated very quickly and many of them had ended up shoving their captain, who shoved them back even harder.
I had looked at Fudou nervously, wondering if he might stop them. Fudou observed everything intently in silence. He was waiting for them to sort things out on their own, until someone punched Hakuryuu, who delivered a harder blow back. This detonated a brawl that made Fudou stand up and step in. I was unable to see who punched who and who elbowed who, but when Fudou had managed to separate the players, Hakuryuu was bleeding from his nose and from the corner of his lips. At the sight, I was quickly on my feet, approaching the scene.
"We don't have time for this. Stop behaving like 5 year-olds," Fudou remprimanded them. "I know you're all frustrated eacause of the match. Even I was mad about Inazuma Japan's terrible performance." Fudou was dead serious. I'd never seen him like this. "But this is not the time to be playing like this. Like you have something to prove. Like you're going to get chosen for flaunting your skills like that. Because, let me tell you, none of you are that good. You were chosen this time for your potential and what your contributions to the team could be. But none of you are natoinal team level. Not until you work your asses off."
Everyone was quiet. Only silence could be heard among the palpable tension. The team looked ashamed. None of the players had liked his words, but his bluntness had woken them up. Hakuryuu, on the other hand, looked enraged. He was still breathing heavily, his cheast heaving, his face flushed. Yet he remained silent.
"I couldn't care less who started all of this. I don't care about your attitude. All I care about is that you play your best for me. I expected more from ALL of you. I always ask for more. I want no more of this," Fudou death-glared at all of them. "Now go back to practice." He the turned to me, "take Hakuryuu to get his mouth fixed."
So I did.
···
"What was that, right now?" I asked Hakuryuu, turning towards him as I closed the club infirmary door.
He was frowning and all tense muscles. His jaw was painfully clenched. I grimaced not knowing what was the right thing to say.
"Look, I understand things happen between teammates and you don't have to get along with everybody, but- oomph."
I was caught off by his angry mouth on mine. I opened my eyes in pure suprise. I hadn't expected him to do that. As I tried to process what he'd done, his lips moved fervently, annihilating everything in their path. I was still stunned. Nothing made sense. But Hakuryuu was getting impatient. He held the back of my head and tugged, making me crane my neck while he deepened the kiss.
The metallic taste of his blood invaded my senses, slightly waking me up. I slowly kissed him back, as I felt the desesperation in his movements. He needed this. His mouth moved at a relentless pace and I could feel his tongue marking every single spot in mine. It was completely different from our previous kiss. Although my whole body was beaming with excitement, like I'd catch fire at any given time, all he radiated was anger, hate, frustration and hostility. As addictive as his lips were, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by his aggressiveness. And by the oozing blood.
He backed me into the door and pinned me in place with his own body. His kiss was very consuming and demanding. I couldn't help falling behind. I wasn't fully recovered from my surprise so I was having a hard time keeping up with his unforgiving tongue. I just needed to breathe. Maybe if I could take a breath I'd be able to understand what was going on.
I placed my hands against his chest to signal him to pull away. But he just kept going. Harder and faster. His warm hand made its way to my hip, as the other was firmly placed on the door, caging me in place. I tried pushing harder, making him stumble a bit. But he was dead set. He held my wrists still as he resumed the conquering of my mouth. I tried making sounds so he could understand I needed to breathe. But all I got in response was the toe-curling feeling of his tongue swiping over my lips. I didn't want to act in resistance. He wasn't forcing me. I wanted his kiss. But I desperately needed to breathe. I was out of air. I suddenly felt him bite my lower lip, making my heart race by a thousand. But once he released it, I took the chance and shoved him off me.
All that could be heard heard in the room were my heavy gulps of air. Hakuryuu looked angry as he stared at me, the corner of his lips covered in blood. I looked back at him raising my eyebrows, pleading him to understand I hadn't rejected him, which was probably what he felt right now. As I took some tentative steps toward him, I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't stop heaving.
He straightened his back and approached the door, walking past me. I watched the scene in panic. Despite the lack of air, I urged myself to think of a solution quickly.
"I'm sorry" I let out.
I heard his hand turn the knob of the door. In a desperate attempt to make him stay and understand, I grabbed his wrist and slammed the door closed before he could even open it.
His steely eyes were placed on me. Imposing and intimidating.
"I needed to breathe."
His stance was still tense and aggressive, but I'd gotten him to turn around and pay attention to me. His eyes were harsh and unforgiving. Still I looked right into his red orbs looking for any sign, any tell, anything. His mask was inescrutable, but I saw something flash in his eyes. It was gone as fast as it had come, but I swear it had been something close to helplessness...
He was not okay. And making out wasn't the solution. Not a real one at least.
"Are you okay?" I whispered in concern. "Let's get your nose and lip fixed."
The only response I got was a frown from him. I sighed, I'd have to wait for him to let me treat his wounds. At least he wasn't storming out of the room like before. So I mustered up the courage to keep talking to him.
"What happened outside was..." His stare hardened, so I tried to approach the subject from a different perspective. "Look, I'm not here to tell you off. Coach Fudou already did that. What I'm trying to say is that you're not alone. Your team is also frustrated. We're all furious with the national team. Inazuma Japan is clearly a big mistake. You're all better players and all deserve to be representing Japan, unlike the current team."
"What do you know? Rude of you to assume I'm frustrated or furious," he retorted.
"Well, I'm not a football player and even I am outraged. I couldn't start to imagine how all of you guys must feel." I looked into his eyes. "And I should know best as my job is to run stats on your abilities. I spend every single practice observing you guys." Observing you. "I've seen you're better. I know you're the best and that you deserve it more than anyone," I confessed, hoping he'd see the sincerity in my words.
He was still staring at me. His expression blank, giving nothing away. I held my breath, waiting for something. Anything.
"I don't need you to tell me. I already know I'm the best in the country" He looked away. My heart faltered as I let out the breath I'd been holding. I mean, what did I expect?
His hand found its way back to my waist, he leaned in, eyes closed. "Hakuryuu," I stopped him. His eyes snapped open and glared in annoyance. As much as I enjoyed making out with him, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of hurt that he'd rather kiss me than open up to me. "What I wanted to say is that, whatever you're feeling, you can tell me. If you want. You can count on me, you have my support, which may not mean much to you, but I'll be willing to listen to anything you have to say."
He stared into my eyes for a few long seconds, as if looking for something. He suddenly let go of me and leaned back. "Yeah." I looked at him in perplexity as he reached for the door once again. Had I said something wrong? I stood there helpless.
I grabbed him by the shoulder at the last second. In my despair, I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips. I closed my eyes shut. The kiss was barely a kiss, shy and insecure. I was certain he'd be laughing at me for it a second later. But that was what he'd wanted from the start. If he walked away now, I'd want to die from embarrassment and shame. Maybe hurt too.
I felt him freeze for a moment. Just as I was opening my eyes to glance at him, his hands were placed on both sides of my face, bringing me closer to seal the kiss. This time, his mouth wasn't on an assault mission. I could still feel his anger, but it was contained. It wasn't overwhelming at all. In fact, it lacked the passion and the emotion of our past kisses. We weren't even french kissing.
Hakuryuu's mind wasn't here, with me. It was wandering elsewhere and kissing me was a way to distract himself and take his mind off of whatever had him so mad. I was somewhat glad that I'd contributed to calming him down and distract him. But I couldn't help feeling disappointed.
···
Fudou walked me home. With the whole brawl incident practice had been extended way past sunset. Fudou would've probably stayed to work some extra hours, he did nothing but work these days, as the deadline kept getting closer and closer. Despite this, he offered to walk me home, arguing it was too late and something bad could happen to me. Being honest, when he'd offered, I never would've complained. I'd been very worried that I'd have to walk back home alone.
We were walking in a comfortable silence, until he called out my name. I glanced at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but thought twice and closed it. I looked at him expectantly. It wasn't like him to bite his tongue.
"Be careful." I was puzzled by his final word choice.
"With what?" I questioned.
"I've seen you grow up throught the years. You've grown so much you even make me proud of you. I trust you're responsible enough to make your own decisions, but I don't want you to get hurt."
"You're proud of me?" I teased, but I saw he wasn't in any kind of joking mood. "Why would I get hurt?"
He sighed, "I've known him for quite some time, and he doesn't deserve you."
Who was he talking about? Could it be he'd seen Hakuryuu and me before? It's true that we'd taken a bit too long inside the club due to all the making out, conversation and wound treating. But I didn't want to jump into conclusions too soon, so I played dumb. "Who are you talking about?"
He rolled his eyes at me. "I saw you two yesterday, and this morning as well," he said matter-of-factly.
I was suddenly speechless. If this afternoon hadn't happened, I would've found myself feeling embarrassed that he'd caught us.
"I don't want to meddle in your llife, but I just wanted to tell you to be careful."
I stopped in my tracks and looked him in the eye. I'd never seen his teal eyes look so sincere. He waited for me to answer, but my only instinct was to hug him. After a few moments of shock, I felt him return my hug, wrapping his arms around me.
"Thank you," I whispered near his ear. This afternoon had left me feeling drained and devastated. Something was wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to comprehend what or why. Fudou could sense I was feeling down because never did he break the embrace, which I was grateful for.
···
The team atmosphere had cooled down the following days. Everything was back to normal and the team was getting along just fine again. Thank God. As for Hakuryuu... He was never involved in a fight like that again, but he did participate in some arguments once in a while, and he did take his frustrations out on the rest of us with his sour mood. Despite this, I tried my best to understand where he was coming from: Fudou was placing a lot of pressure and expectations upon him, and so did the rest of the team. It was as bad to the point that he was pushing himself way too hard, way past his capabilities.
I didn't think that was healthy, but all I could do was watch from the sidelines. I'd help him relieve stress and provide distraction. Just like that first time, every time he'd have an argument, every time he would feel too pressured and frustrated, every time things got to him too much, he came to me. He'd find me after practice, before practice, between breaks, during lunch in the Teikoku cafeteria (which he wasn't allowed to enter) and crash his lips on mine and kiss me until he'd had his fill. Until he'd forgotten his name.
I was unsure this dynamic was actually helping him. Last time I'd tried to get him to open up to me, it'd ended in him walking away. Still, when he came to me after practice with a scowling face, after Fudou had yelled at him for not pushing hard enough, I wasn't able to refuse his tormented gaze. While we made out, my mind kept running. A thousand questions kept popping into my mind about whether this was okay, whether he did this with someone else, and why he kept coming to me when we'd not gotten along in the beginning. But when he parted for air, I pushed those questions aside and asked insted:
"Would you like to come home for dinner?"
His eyes widened. None of us spoke for a solid minute. I'd left him speechless, too stunned to react. He'd been caught off guard and he didn't seem like the kind to take surprise well. His lips parted, looking even more perplexed. I was starting to regret having blurted it out like that. Maybe I'd overstepped the boundaries.
I started to feel anxious. "I mean, um..." Shit, how was I supposed to fix this? "My mum made fresh ramen today, but she tends to make more food than we can both eat on our own."
All I got from him was confused blinking. Shit, I'd messed up. "I'm sorry, Hakuryuu. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable by stepping out of line-"
"I'll go." I looked at him, pools of scarlet staring back at me. His eyes were the most sincere I'd ever seen him. I let out a shaky breath and gave him a small smile. Suddenly, he went back to his cocky-bastard attitude, "I've been invited over plenty of times by plenty of girls before, but I always say no. You should feel honoured that I'm saying yes, even if it's only because that free ramen sounds really good. I'll be expecting you to find a way to thank me for my presence."
My eye twitched. I couldn't believe this guy. "Are you for real now?" I rolled my eyes at him in disgust. "I can't stand you."
"Sure you can't. By the way, I was planning on practising some more by the riverbank. You'll have to wait for me if you really want my presence," he smirked.
"Sure thing. Whatever you say, asshole".
I layed down on the grass during the rest of the afternoon, watching him practise on his own. I hadn't been hable to take my eyes off of him in 2 hours. He was infuriatingly good. He was astoundingly beautiful. I'd never seen anybody play like him. He was as fast as light, and as wild as a hurricane. Unpredictable and untamable. Nothing held him down nor scared him. Hakuryuu was indomitable. Just like the first time, I was dumbfounded by him. Not just his playing style, nor his skills, it was his aura that hypnotised me to the point a little bit of drool came out of the corner of my mouth, which I quickly wiped off. How embarrassing.
I'd been rendered speechless for hours until he was done. I felt really lucky to have gotten to see his solo practise, where he'd let himself unwind and play his unruly football. He approached me, holding his football under his left arm, wiping his sweat off of his forehead with his right hand. The last rays of sun, kissing his platinum hair. He was glistening, looking like an angel.
I closed my eyes in a foolish attempt to break the spell. I felt his weight beside me, as he layed down on the grass. Eventually, I opened my eyes to stare up at the orange sky.
We stayed there in silence, as we watched the sunset. Was I falling for him?
···
"Hi, mum! I'm home! I brought Hakuryuu over for dinner," I said while we both took our shoes off.
My mum suddenly appeared before us. "Hi, dear!" She eyed Hakuryuu up and down with sparkly eyes. "Nice to meet you..."
"Oh, it's just Hakuryuu, mum," I explained. I'd been wanting to ask him about his damn surname since I'd met him.
"Oh, well, it's really nice to meet you, Hakuryuu".
He bowed respectfully as he said it was nice meeting my mum too with a stern face. I smiled to myself, knowing he wouldn't try to be excessively nice to adults. I'd been right not to expect any out of character smile. How predictable.
"He's training in Fudou's new team," I told her.
"Are you? Then you must be an exceptional player; Fudou doesn't coach mediocre players, he only settles for the best," she told him, surprised.
"He is the best player I've ever seen, mum. You know I know every single player that played at the Holy Road, and Hakuryuu can top all of them any day," I smiled proudly. I looked back at him to see a cocky smile plastered on his face. Though a subtle blush was now creeping up his face.
"Oh, did you participate in the tournament last year?" she asked Hakuryuu.
"I didn't," he answered dryly, until he noticed how disrespectful he had sounded. "I just might play in this year's Holy Road."
"Is that so? What team will you be playing in then, so we can go cheer you on!"
"Um, I've not enrolled in any highschool yet, so I don't have a team." This time, he didn't bother to explain any further.
I scanned his face. His features were tense and stern. "Well, you should consider Teikoku, we have the most number of wins. As we should," I suggested in an attempt to relieve the tension in the atmosphere.
"I might." He stared at me with an intensity my mum shouldn't have had to watch.
"Well, dinner's ready! Wash your hands first!" I loved my mum.
My mum's fresh ramen was delicious. Hakuryuu had eaten in silence, but he'd even complimented my mum's cooking once: "it was delicious, ma'am". I knew at that moment, he'd won my mother over by then. She loved it when her dishes were praised. She loved being praised, let's face it. Once we'd finished eating, I'd told her I was bringing Hakuryuu up to our balcony, where he had a table and 2 chairs we usually used during Summer. Hakuryuu had looked tense and a bit lost on what to do, but followed me regardless.
"I'm glad you liked my mother's ramen. Maybe you should be the one trying to find a way to thank me," I teased him once we were both sitting in the balcony. The night sky was beautifully lit by the silver moon and her own set of celestial jewels, sparkling, shimmering.
"You wish." He was supporting his head on his hand, with his elbow placed on the table. He turned his head, to look at me with his ruby eyes.
He was doing things to me. I was going crazy. His eyes shone line the gemstones they were, under the twinkling stars. I could see my own reflection in them. His hair looked so soft, looked like pure silver under the moon's glow. The night breeze in his long locks, moving like a dragon's tail, elegant and fierce. His milky white skin looked like the finest china, even though I knew he was anything but fragile. I was having a hard time breathing.
I pursed my lips in response. But he suddenly moved closer to my face and planted the softest peck on my cheek. "Thanks, I guess," he whispered with an eyeroll.
I snorted, but couldn't hold the brightest grin back from showing on my foolish face. Shit, my heart swelled.
We both went back at staring at the starlit nightsky. Blush all over my cheeks and a burning sensation right where his lips had touched.
"So, are you going to transfer to Teikoku?"
"Hm, who knows."
"You'll play in one of the best teams in Japan. Besides, it's one of the best academies in the country." I was hopeful.
"Yeah, but I've noticed too many fans in your school, which makes it very inconvenient," he gave me an arrogant look.
"Huh? Didn't you have any back in your previous school?" I tried to irk him.
He scoffed. "You don't need to beat around the bush just to ask me what my previous school was before and why I haven't participated in any official tournament before."
I widened my eyes in surprise at being caught. "Wow, you're now making me look very easy to read."
"That's because you are," he teased.
"Well, thanks for that." I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Will you... answer my questions then?" I asked tentatively.
He broke the eye contact and looked back at the sky. And after a moment of silence, he finally spoke up. "I've never really been in a proper school. I was trained by the Fifth Sector to become a SEED since I can remember. I lived in a secret training facility of theirs, called God Eden, with other people like me. You might know Tsurugi Kyousuke. The thing is, he was released by the Fifth Sector with an assignment, but many others were only released last year."
I gave him a very concerned look. "Why... why were you released last year?"
He sighed, and I was scared for a second I had pushed him too far, but he decided to answer. "We were beaing trained to become the strongest players ever. They wanted us to become the strongest team: Unlimited Shining. We were tasked to fight against Raimon, to prove the Fifth Sector's power. We obliterated them. But shit happened, and we were soon forming Zero, another team, supposed to be far superior. In the end, we were defeated by Raimon, who managed to destroy the Fifth Sector."
I'd listened to every word. It seemed like those weren't happy memories for him, but he looked like he wanted to talk about it.
"You know, at first, I thought being a SEED had made me strong, and I used to agree with the Fifth Sector. I thought only the strongest had the right to survive. But I'm glad it's over. The match with Raimon taught me a lot. I'm sad I spent so much time during my childhood to become stronger, to become the strongest. For a long time, I was frustrated that had gone to waste. But-"
He closed his eyes, I waited patiently.
"But when I was called for the national team preselection, I'd had hope again. That's why, Resistance Japan is so important to me. You said I was the best player you'd ever seen, and that hasn't come without a price. I've been working hard my whole life and traded my childhood for skills and talent, while Inazuma Japan is full of... They don't even deserve to be called players." He clenched his fists.
"I know I deserve to be there, and only 3 people in that team can actually play football."
"You said Tsurugi had trained with you at God Eden?" I asked quietly.
"We were rivals. He's now a really good friend, he's the one who taught me how to escape the Fifth Sector's belief system. He does deserve to be on Inazuma Japan."
"Well, you do too."
I smiled at him, and reached for his hand. I held it in mine, while stroking its back with my thumb, in hope of soothing his mood. He deserved it more than anyone else.
Now that I knew him a little more, I'd been able to glimpse behind that mask of arrogance enough to know that he was more than mad skills and dashing looks. He'd had it hard and worked more than anyone to be where he is. He actually does have the right to be cocky; he's earned his name.
"You know, when I saw your White Hurricane for the first time, I couldn't breathe because of how mesmerized I was. I'd never seen anything as breathtaking as that. Well, that is until you unleashed your kenshin, which was a very similar experience to respiratory insufficency. Despite that, I thought you were horrible. I asked myself: how can someone who can do so many astonishing things be so cruel? Now, I'm glad I got to know you better, because I got to find the real treasure you've kept hidden inside of you. It's not just the things you do, you yourself are mesmerising." I looked into his eyes, trying to pour out what I felt in the most sincere way possible. "Besides, you kiss wonderfully too," I lightly teased him, knowing I'd stroke his ego.
"Hakuryuu, I've never met anybody like you," I thought outloud, while squeezing his hand.
···
Some weeks had gone by. Everything flowed smoothly, nothing out of order. It had become some sort of daily routine: class, practise, class, practise, repeat... Though, some afternoons I would go with Hakuryuu to the riverbank and watch him train. Nothing had changed, really. But I felt like after that night at my balcony, we'd grown closer. I had to admit I'd felt really happy when he'd decided to confide in me. We'd not kissed at all that night, yet he'd still told me about his past and his growing concerns. I fought the thought, but he'd actually considered me trustworthy enough to tell me, instead of just some distraction he could kiss into oblivion.
I'd helplessly fallen in love with Hakuryuu. I didn't want to get my hopes up because, even though we'd grown closer, he was still this tough, arrogant hot-shot with many fans (as weird as it sounded). Yet, every time he kissed me, I couldn't help thinking it was different from our first kiss. Now, his kisses felt like he cared. Be that as it may, I'd been dying to invite him over again for dinner. I knew for a fact that Hakuryuu wouldn't be able to say no to my mother's cooking.
"Hey! Have you heard? Hakuryuu, the mysteriously hot football player who sometimes practises at school, just transfered to class B!"
I immediately turned my head around after overhearing the girls in my class.
"Yes! He's so hot! We can now get a closer look at him more easi-"
"What do you mean he transfered?" I implored, interrupting one of the girls.
They gave me a weird look, "yeah, everybody saw him arrive today wearing the school uniform and going inside the class B classroom."
"Thanks." I quickly took off, leaving my perplexed friends and classmates behind.
I got to class B as fast as my legs allowed me to. My eyes eagerly scanned the room, although I was a bit skeptical. Had he really transfered to Teikoku? We'd only talked about it once, that night in my house. But it was never too serious. Still, I felt hopeful. I was anxious; I really wanted to find him in this classroom.
Class was about to start. Thankfully, my eyes landed on his face at the last minute. We made eye contact and I was about to walk up to his place, but the teacher was approaching class B, so I had to be fast. I could only wave at him and mouth "good luck" before I was dashing back to my own classroom for first session.
During class I hadn't been able to concentrate due to my glee at him actually enrolling in school, which happened to be my school. I was planning on giving him a tour, even if he'd already been given one. Second session had been the same, so had third... I couldn't wait for breaktime to actually talk to him.
Once the bell rang, everyone started taking their lunchboxes out of their bags, while chatting in groups. As I stood up from my seat to leave for class B, the class door was slammed open, and a fuming Hakuryuu barged in. Every single student stopped what they were doing to stare at him in bafflement. Including me. He scanned the room until he found me. As he approached me, I held my breath nervously. What was he doing here? Why was he so angry? Everyone was thinking the same. Although, when he stood right in front of me, I became the centre of their questions.
"Hakuryuu," I called him in a whisper. "What are-"
Next thing I knew, Hakuryuu was kissing me in front of my whole class. I stood there, frozen in place. Bewilderment took over the whole room, including me. I loved it when he surprise-kissed me, but I wasn't completely sure I wanted my whole class to witness it. Especially, when he was a new transfer with many fans fawning over him. Was it fair that his lips were now moving angrily against my mouth? It was only his first day and now everyone would be gossiping about me being a slut. On top of that, we weren't even in a real relationship. Not one everybody would understand. If only I knew he liked me back, all of this nonsense would be meaningless.
He broke away in haste. "I've been trying to find fucking class D for the whole fucking morning! Do you know how fucking difficult it was, because I didn't even know what class you were fucking in?" He was either oblivious to the stares, or he didn't give a shit.
I pressed my lips not knowing what to say. I was at a loss for words, but my classmates' interested glances were making me feel self concious. So I grabbed Hakuryuu's wrist and dragged him out of the class, all the while he yelled where we were going. I couldn't help but pray that my classmates and friends would forget about this. Class after breaktime was going to be hell.
I took him to a more secluded part of school, near the football facillities, where we could have more privacy.
"What the actual fuck was that?"
"Woah! I wasn't expecting you to drag me here. I knew you'd be happy to see me, so it makes sense you'd want me all to yourself, but isn't this a bit extreme? You could've just told me you wanted to make out," he teased with his usual cocky expression.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Are you crazy? Kissing me in front of everybody! Do you know what they'll be saying about me?"
"That you're the luckiest girl in school to be with someone like me," he smirked.
"God, no. Haven't you seen how possesive your fans are?" I was exasperated.
"Jelous much?" he said with a devious grin. I could've kissed that grin if I wasn't so anxious.
"Look, I'm serious. By next session, everyone will already be calling me a slut."
"Why would they call you a slut?"
"Because it hasn't even been 24 hours since your first day in school and everyone saw you kiss me. Everyone will ask my friends about us, who will say they didn't know I was dating anyone, which will lead into school gossipping and... and..." He was waiting for me to continue, but I couldn't look him in the eye for the next part. "And it's not like I can tell them you're my boyfriend," I whispered.
Neither of us dared to speak for a whole minute. The air was filled with tension, and I was going crazy on the inside. I'd fucked up bad. Why did I even say that? God, now he was bound to think I was catching feelings (which I was) and trying to force him to date me, which was not my intention. Even if I confessed my feelings, I didn't want him to think he was obligated to reciprocate my feelings.
"Look, I..." I looked up at his beautiful crimson irises. "I don't want you to feel forced into a relationship with me. I'm really okay with our current situation. So don't even try to feel pity for me. I value our friendship so much that I don't mind-"
Well, by now, I shouldn't be surprised. He'd kissed me mid-sentence, shutting me up. Did I really talk that much? His lips moved against mine passionately. He's always been passionate, but never like this. I was feeling dizzy and queasy. Just as I grabbed a fistfull of his uniform shirt in physical support, he broke the kiss.
"I..." he started off.
Our hard breathing was the only thing that could be heard in the deserted corridor. I could only stare into his eyes, expectantly. I noticed his pupils had dilated, to which I nervously bit my lip in response.
"I like you too," he determinedly admitted.
I couldn't believe those words had actually come out of his deep serious voice. I gaped at him whilst my heart kept on leaping beats. "What?"
He smiled without the smugness for once. "I like you. I thought you already knew, that's why I didn't think it through when I kissed you in class."
"You thought what?" There had to be a hidden camera somewhere.
"I thought we'd made it clear. I don't go kissing random people around." For once, he had the decency to look embarrassed.
"But, I'm not someone random. I thought we were friends..." Had he not thought of us as friends? Geez, that was embarrassing.
"Are you fucking stupid?" I was taken aback by his harsh words and hardened eyes, which reminded me of the first time we met. "Course we're friends. Just because we kiss, doesn't mean we're not friends. And just 'cause we're friends, doesn't mean I can't like you back." He rolled his eyes at me.
"So, you like me back? As in like like?" I still thought this was some cruel joke.
"As in really like you." He placed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. "I didn't ask you out 'cause I was okay with our own kind of relationship. We've been having this thing going on where I can rely on you and open up to you about everything and anything, and also get to kiss you. I was planning to go with the flow, but if you want to change our relationship-"
"No! Me too. I'm also okay with what we have. I wouldn't have it any other way. I just... wanted to know if you liked me too, because I was starting to go cra-"
My words were muffled by his relentless mouth. I lightly pushed him in anger, but soon gave in to his sweet breath and soft lips. Granting him access to my mouth, our tongues started battling for dominance in a very dangerous and passionate dance. The bell had probably rung minutes ago, but nothing mattered as his hands snaked around my own, releasing their hold on his shirt, and pinning them against the wall above my head, intertwining our fingers. I gave his lower lip a playful nip, before breaking away.
"You really need to stop interrupting me with kisses," I reprimanded him as he pecked my lips in between every word.
"You love it." Arrogant Hakuryuu was back!
"Whatever. By the way, my mum is making ramen again. Wanna come over?"