“Do you know you’re amazing?”
---
Yasushi helped Kiko in supporting Fujio’s weight while Todoroki helped Nozomi with Tsukasa. The two males were pretty heavy for the twins.
They went out of Senomon’s gymnasium with smiles on their faces. Aside from Monji and Kansuke almost fighting, and Yuken almost puking on Jinkawa’s back, they were quite alright.
“Rao told me…” Mercy began as he walked beside Nozomi, “That was the first time in his life someone asked him to be friends. You can’t tell but he’s really happy.”
Nozomi smiled. From what she observed from Rao, the twins knew he was a big softie.
“Give your leader our regards,” Mercy told Tsukasa.
“I will.”
“Ugh, you’re heavy,” Kiko grunted as Fujio purposely leaned his weight on her. The girl glared, swatting his arm away from her shoulders as he laughed, “You bastard! You’re doing it on purpose!”
Rao came up beside him, stopping the couple’s banter, “Fujio.”
He raised his fist and Fujio bumped it with his own, grinning.
“How did the two of you manage to take down Senomon’s reinforcements?” Yuken turned to his sisters, frowning.
He was pretty sure that there were a lot of Senomon’s backups from what Amagai had bragged about.
The twins glanced at each other, smiling.
“Of course, we didn’t take them down by ourselves,” Kiko laughed, “We’re amazing, but we don’t have the skills to beat those guys’ asses.”
“So, did some students help you?” Jinkawa asked.
“Someone did,” Nozomi and gestured for them to face the front.
Yuken took his glasses off, not believing what he was seeing.
“Sachio?” he muttered. The Housen students stopped and turned to look at their leader with Jamuo and Sabakan behind the male.
“Just got back and then this. Jeez,” Sachio said.
Fujio walked faster and stopped beside Yuken and the others, smiling, “Oh! Sachi!”
Sachio nodded at him with a smile but it faded once he saw Rao, “What the hell? Why is Suzuran here?”
“Uh, you told me not to, but… I had to meet Rao,” Fujio explained, sensing the tension between the two strongest. He smiled carelessly, “And now we’re friends.”
“Long time no see, Sachio,” Rao greeted.
Kiko stood beside her sister, crossing her arms over her chest, “This is interesting.”
Nozomi hummed in response, not even glancing at her sister as she curiously watched the exchange between Sachio and Rao.
Rao’s faction walked ahead first, passing by Sachio.
“Rao!” Fujio called and the said male stopped and turned to him, “Let’s fight one-on-one sometime soon.”
“Me, too,” Sachio added, turning to Rao, “I want revenge.”
“Oh! Let’s do a three-way battle! Without causing anyone else trouble,” Fujio excitedly said as if he didn’t fight someone just a few minutes ago.
Rao raised his fist and Fujio did the same while grinning. He turned to Sachio who was still hesitant about doing it.
The twins smirked in amusement as Sachio slowly raised his fist just like the other two.
—
Two days after the fight, Motoaki offered them soba noodles once again as he cooked the food at the pool area. Kiyoshi, Tsuji, and Shibaman got out of the hospital a day prior and they were now hanging out with them.
“This isn’t expired, right? I ate it but still…” Yasushi walked towards Motoaki who was still cooking soba noodles.
Motoaki smiled at him, “You don’t change. You really don’t.”
“So is it expired?”
“It’s not! You don’t change!” Motoaki exclaimed.
Nozomi who was sitting down in the middle of Tsukasa and Kiko glanced at them and chuckled. Beside Kiko was Fujio as they squeezed themselves onto the old worn-out sofa. Even the twins, Tsukasa, and Todoroki were eating the noodles just like the others.
“What did you say?!” Kiyoshi exclaimed, earning all their attention.
“Meiwa Girls’ High just sent an invite to a group date!” Nakagoshi said as they all cheered except Tsukasa, Todoroki, and Fujio.
The twins turned to Yasushi and frowned. He seems to be forgetting that he already has someone.
“Yasushi, Nao would punch you hard if she sees you right now,” Kiko told him, munching her food.
The said male turned to them and realized what he has been doing. He nodded, smiling sheepishly.
“She seems normal but, yeah, she can throw a punch,” Tsuji added, agreeing with the twins.
“Nakaoka and I are going…” Nakagoshi told them, “And there’s space for four more!”
Jamuo suggested that the guys who would get the four aces from the deck of cards would be joining the group mix. The others agreed as the twins, Tsukasa, Fujio, Todoroki, and Yasushi watched them in amusement.
The male threw the cards up in the air and the rest of them tried their best to look faster for the aces. The twins laughed at their desperation, Kiyoshi saw an ace card by the murky water in the pool and was about to swim and take it.
Tsukasa smiled, turning to Nozomi, “Come on.”
The girl turned to him in curiosity, “Where to?”
The blonde male stood up and extended his hand for her to take, “Just come on.”
Nozomi smiled suspiciously but stood up as she took his hand.
“Ooh, where are you guys going?” Kiko asked in a teasing tone, “Have fun, you two~!”
The younger twin rolled her eyes and chuckled as Tsukasa pulled her with him to leave.
“Where are they going?” Fujio asked. He was following Kiyoshi earlier, egging him on to take a swim in the moldy water when Tsukasa and Nozomi left.
“I don’t know,” Kiko smiled and shrugged, “Just let them have a moment. They deserved it.”
“You’re right,” Fujio sighed as he put an arm behind the couch Kiko was leaning against, “I heard the omurice was good where Arata was working.”
Kiko grinned, patting him on the chest, “Now we’re talking, Hanaoka Fujio.”
—
Tsukasa took Nozomi with him to the shrine. The latter was still wondering why he took her there as they went to see their luck.
Tsukasa drew his Omikuji and Nozomi followed as she did the same. The male unfolded his paper and nodded, he turned to Nozomi who looked at her paper.
“What did you get?” Tsukasa asked. The girl smiled as she flipped the paper, revealing it to him. He smiled when he saw that she got a middle amount of luck.
“What about you?” Nozomi asked as she folded her paper. Tsukasa showed his, revealing the same writing as Nozomi’s: middle amount of good luck.
“Not bad, huh?” Tsukasa muttered, chuckling.
The girl nodded as she laughed. The two walked on the other side of the shrine where there was a bench and a railing. They could see the buildings and the orange sky as the shrine was at a higher altitude.
“You could see the sunset from here,” Tsukasa pointed at the sun that was slowly lowering down.
Nozomi smiled, “Yeah. It’s beautiful.”
The blonde turned to her with a gentle smile and muttered, “Yeah, it is.”
The couple went silent for a minute, admiring the view until Tsukasa decided to speak, “I’m sorry, Nozomi.”
She turned to him, frowning, “For what?”
“I got you involved…”
“Tsukasa,” Nozomi called, smiling at him, “It’s not your fault. Besides, I was the one who was stubborn to go with you, wasn’t I?”
The male looked down as he leaned his arms on the railings and shook his head, “Still, it was my fault. On top of that, you got hurt and worried because of me.”
“None of those was your fault,” she let out a scoff, “I should be the one apologizing to you. I couldn’t even do anything. I feel helpless when they took you.”
Tsukasa turned to the girl. Her lips were trembling as tears were threatening to fall in her eyes.
“Nozomi…”
“Now, don’t tell me that you should be the one protecting me and not the other way around. Because I care for you and I want to protect you, too. It’s not one-sided, Tsukasa,” she told him with a smile and sniffled as she wiped the tears falling down her cheeks.
The male approached her, cupping both of her cheeks and using his thumb to wipe the tears that were falling continuously.
“Do you know you’re amazing?” Tsukasa muttered, smiling gently.
How he ended up with this person right in front of him was a wonder. He was not the type to care about romantic relationships but when he met Nozomi, it all changed.
He was drawn to her. He tried his best not to get too close to the girl but he doesn’t have a moment where he wouldn’t think about her ever since they met.
Nozomi chuckled, leaning into his gentle touch, “Maybe.”
The blonde also chuckled in amusement, “You’re the most amazing person I’ve met, Nozomi. You’re smart, beautiful, compassionate, and not to mention, very brave.”
Nozomi smiled as he looked at her with adornment. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach as he said those words.
“I love you.”
Nozomi hitched a breath, her eyes wide as she tried to look straight into his eyes if he was sincere. He was smiling and giving her that look as if he was staring at the most precious thing in the world.
She never felt this kind of thing before. She didn’t know it feels good.
It was sending her warmth that she thought would only happen in fictional books she read.
With those feelings, she knew she was also falling and there was no turning back. Not that she wants to.
Tsukasa leaned closer to her face. The girl can feel his breathing through his nose. Her heart was hammering hard in her chest as Nozomi knew what was going to happen.
She placed her hands over his chest as the male closed their gap, his lips making contact with hers.
He was moving gently, afraid that she wouldn't like it and would pull away.
However, she slowly moved her lips even though she didn't know what she was doing.
It was her first time kissing someone. She can feel Tsukasa's loud beating heart against her hands on his chest.
The two slowly pulled away after a few seconds, staring at one another. Both of them were trying to see if they regretted it but no one seemed to be having that face.
“I love you, too,” she whispered, leaning her forehead against his.
The sun was slowly coming down and they both smiled at each other, engraving the very moment in their minds.
---
Hey, guys! I know I wasn't that active anymore because I've been so much busy.
Also, this is the last chapter draft I have and Idk when will I write again but this isn't the last chapter of Act 3!
I will come back and not gonna abandon this story so dw!
xxx. ♥