[14] FACE TO FACE.
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THE ASSUMPTION OF of the night coming to an end was immediately dropped after Todoroki's risky reveal, the boy calmly sipping his beverage as his classmates bombarded him with questions. As everyone practically buzzed with curiosity and keenness, two out of the crowd dulled.
Hajime wasn't cuddled into Kaminari's chest after that, the boy never returning to her side. She could only hope that he spilled his drink which was why he was taking so long to return, his timing great for these deplorable moments she had a tendency to be involved with.
How could you forget your ever-so-lovely meet-cute at the coffee shop?
But, as the night revived itself, Hajime's mind snapped back to reality. Todoroki, her friend, had a crush on her. If it were any different, Hajime would've been elated; finally, her wishes of having a successful, handsome, celebrity boyfriend would have been complete! She would have seen their faces twist into ones of envy and praise—Mayami Hajime, the perfect girl with the perfect boy. They would've forgotten about him, forever. Throw whatever tainted reputation he had built for himself and come running back to her, the one they should've never left.
Her face falls to the thought, her insides twisting.
The entirety of Hajime's plan was to seek revenge for her two-timing ex-boyfriend, the sad excuse of a man contorting the truth into the ugly lie that the people of Shiketsu ate up like cake. He ruined her life, so much that she had to leave the school. Every day was a constant reminder of what he did, the sweet smiles of students turning sour just at the sight of her walking down the hallways. She only had Areum and Hiromi, the teachers the only ones who could've done anything to stop it. And they didn't... nobody did anything except for Areum.
"I need a drink," she groaned, Areum was too busy playing Just Dance to have stopped her.
Get a pretty boyfriend so everyone could see that Hajime was alright. Get a pretty boyfriend so Hajime could forget about that ugly bastard. Get a pretty boyfriend so they'll call him ugly. Get a pretty boyfriend so they'll leave Hajime alone... So everyone could move on and never give her that look of pity ever again.
Her body falls like a bag of rocks against the chair, her clammy hands reaching for the vodka bottle across the table as she poured some into a random empty cup. Hajime should've been happy to hear Todoroki liked her because that meant she'll finally get her sweet, luscious revenge.
After she looks over at the red cup, she can't help but remember what Areum had said to her all those days ago.
I just don't want your personal revenge to hurt somebody else. Hajime's lips parted from the cup as her features only wash over.
Hajime ignores the sound of somebody sitting next to her, her figure just slouching over the table as she was slowly being consumed by her devastating thoughts. A glass of water gets placed in front of her nose, Hajime's brows furrowing in distaste.
"Stop drinking alcohol, Hajime. You're smarter than this," he said.
"But I'm supposed to be dumb and pretty," you quipped. "Isn't that what everyone wants? A girl who sits there, bats her lashes and does what's expected of her?"
Hajime's drunken gaze peeks over to the boy next to her, his heterochromatic eyes dripping with sympathy. "Are you? Because I don't think you're any of those things," Todoroki states.
"You don't think I'm pretty, Todo?"
He deadpans. "Of course I do. You're more than pretty, Hajime."
A soft smile pulls at her lips, Todoroki's sincerity taking her by surprise once again. "You're just saying that because you have a crush on me," she snorts.
However, he seems indifferent about her dispute, even daring to chuckle at Hajime's display. "Where did you get that idea from?" he asks.
Her forehead wrinkles in annoyance. "The stupid prompt you gave—You were looking right at me!"
"And?"
"So you don't like me?" she huffs.
"No I do—" he pats her hair with a smile, Hajime's violet eyes scanning his face as if he had just taken several amounts of drugs—"As a friend, of course."
Her leaping heart rests easy, the conflicted thoughts dying down to a silent whisper when she heard those words fall off his tongue. Relieved, Hajime takes his hands in hers and sighs, not before flicking his forehead though.
"Don't ever pull that shit with me! I almost had a heart attack," Hajime scolded, the girl squeezing his hand for emphasis. She lowers her voice, "Why did you even start that whole mess?"
The boy keeps his attention on her, studying her behaviour for what he was about to say next. "I wanted to know if you liked Kaminari."
She froze and flicked her stare back up to her friend, trying to find any hint of teasing on his undisturbed features. "A crush on who now?"
Todoroki sighs, amused by her confusion. He takes both of Hajime's hands within his, a warmth being shared between them. "You're aware of what I'm talking about," he starts; Hajime's expression twists with a mix of emotions. "I don't know what your relationship is like with him, but... I know you care for him more than you'll like to admit."
Hajime punches his shoulder a bit too hard, a look of disbelief written all over her flushed features. "Care for him? What gave you that idea?" she snorts.
"You look out for him," he says.
"Of course I do—" Hajime brings up her hand—"Kami doesn't know when to give up. I mean, somebody has to tell the guy when to take a break y'know."
"So when are you gonna tell him?"
"Tell him what?"
"To give up on you?" he says, his eyes shimmering inquisitively. "Or do you plan on confessing?"
Confessing to Kaminari? "I think you drank too much," Hajime mumbles, the thought tugging at her heart.
Todoroki disagrees. "So that little cuddling thing you had with him meant nothing?"
Her face turns red. "You saw that?!"
"How long are you planning to keep lying to yourself?" he comments, his demeanour calm and put-together which contrasted how she appeared.
Hajime would have never thought that Todoroki would have been the one to confront her, even aid her in figuring out the meaning of the knot wrapped around her heart. It was conflicting, the feeling she once had so long ago, misremembered. Except, this emotion was connected to the blonde idiot that crawled his way past her structured walls. Somehow, the idea of having somebody to trust wholeheartedly again didn't seem so farfetched anymore.
Her stomach erupts with the ticklish feeling of butterflies, the sensation causing her to become anxious. "But... How do I know that that's what I need? Todoroki— I'm not sure if he will be happy with someone like me," she murmurs, her eyes dropping down to the ground as she bit her bottom lip.
She perks up when he sqeezes her hands, Hajime's attention falling into his gaze. She's shocked as she follow his stare, Todoroki watching Kaminari sit by his lonesome sipping on a Marguerita that Mina had shoved into his hands.
"He's been sulking for the past half an hour," Todoroki reveals. "Same as you."
A pout. "More like having an existential crisis."
"Hajime—" He suddenly pulls her into a hug—"You deserve to be happy too."
Tears start to build up in her eye ducts, but she refuses to let them show. "You don't even know me, Todoroki. At least not well enough," Hajime says into his shoulder.
"I know enough to believe that you deserve someone that appreciates you for you." He tightens his grip around her, Hajime letting out a short laugh. "You should talk to him."
Never thought of Todoroki to be an affectionate drunk.
Hajime pulls away from him. "Huh? Why?"
"To tell him you like him too?" he responds blankly.
"But what if he doesn't feel the same way?"
Hajime holds back her scoff when he rolls his eyes, Todoroki pointing back to Kaminari on the bean bag. When the both of them turn to look at him once again, she awkwardly shuffles in her seat when her gaze meets his honey-coloured ones; Her heart clenches as he quickly looked away embarrassed. A pinch of pink stains her face, a soft chuckle leaving Todoroki's lips.
"He definitely likes you," he confidently claims, waving toward Mina and Sero.
She eyes him suspiciously. "But how do you know..."
The boy just looks at Hajime, smiling that simple yet elegant smile as she notices Mina and Sero skip towards them. She becomes nervous at the sight, something suspicious in the air as everyone seemed to be in cahoots with one another.
As the gears in her head slowly rotate, Todoroki lowers himself so he sees eye to eye with her, once again ruffling her hair with a close-eyed smile. "Because he looks at you as if you're the only one in the room," he reveals
Hajime's mouth hangs open, and the colour in her cheeks blossoms.
Then Mina and Sero take her from the arms, hoisting her up carefully to not set her off. "C'mon Mayami~ Let's go play a game," the girl chimes. Hajime's features pale to what her friend proposes.
"But we already played one," she replied, looking over her shoulder trying to find Todoroki. Hajime panics when she catches his figure next to none other than Kaminari, her soul leaving her body when she notices Areum there too.
The girl pulls her arms free from Sero and Mina's grasp, stomping over to Todoroki to stop him from whatever he was planning. However, Sero tapes her entire torso, Hajime's hands pinned to her side with Mina pushes her into a comfy little closet.
Before they shut the door, Sero tapes her mouth, an apologetic expression on his face. "Sorry, Hajime, we're just trying to help," he sheepishly adds.
Her brows snap together as she mumbles angrily against the tape, Mina popping her head through the door frame with a giggle. She places a bow on Hajime's lips, her tantrum growing worse.
"You're too cute, " Mina coos while pinching Hajime's cheeks. Thankfully, Sero pulls her away before she loses a hand; Mina's too drunk to have realized how angry Hajime was at the both of them.
"What's going on?" Kaminari slurs, sipping his pink Margarita clumsily. Areum hums as she takes away his glass, the blonde pouting at the gesture.
Todoroki places a hand on his shoulder. "You're gonna be stuck in a closet."
"But I already came out like a year ago—"
"No, Kam. It's a game," Mina corrects. "And identifying yourself as homiesexual doesn't count."
Kaminari giggles. "That's not what Sero said last night."
The ravenette smacks his lips loudly, taking the blonde and pushing him into the closet. He waves goodbye and says, "Don't fuck this up, dude."
Areum shuts the door, a heavy sigh leaving her lips when she turns around to stare at Hajime's friends. "Do you really think they'll make up after this?" she asked, Mina, giggling to herself.
"Dontcha mean make-out—"
Sero pushes her away. "I think so. Kaminari's just being mopey again because of Todoroki."
The said boy comes back from his thoughts, staring blankly at the ceiling beforehand. "Me? What did I do?" he inquires.
Areum pats his back. "Macaroni—He's obviously jealous of how close you are with Maya."
"Me and Hajime... But she's my friend?" he comments, Mina, holding back her laughter.
"But he doesn't know that," Sero whispers, their little group walking away from the closet. "Kam's just nervous around her."
"But that's why we put them in the closet—" he points back at where they were— "So they can confess."
Areum leads Todoroki off to the kitchen, handing him some bread. She sees Midoriya in the distance, smiling back at him warmly. She can only hope that Hajime will listen to both her and Todoroki, that after everything that's happened, she wouldn't let this one guy get away.
Because Areum knew, like Todoroki, that Kaminari was the one she needed. Hopefully, Hajime's stubbornness and Kaminari's anxiousness would be overcome by the insatiable adoration they have for one another.
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Kaminari was mostly confused when he was shoved into a closet, only going off to a short explanation containing the word 'game' in it. He wasn't panicking, which was a good thing considering he hadn't yet realized that Hajime was there too. But, like most of her exchanges with the boy, they'll both come crashing into each other with shared chaos and disruptiveness. Something they both have a tendency to attract.
Lazily, the boy turns around after hearing some mumbling, a chill being sent down his back. Although thanks to the sweet, electrifying feeling that coursed through his body at this moment, he bravely reached out towards the sound. Except, instead of some creepy headless person spooking him, he was met with an unbalanced mummy figure with a bow over their face. Kaminari tries to stop them from falling, ultimately failing as he becomes their floormate.
He groans as his back hits the wall of the closet, his hands resting on a soft fabric he seemed to remember faintly.
"Mmmm!"
"What the hell?" he groans, looking down to see a head of hair against his chest. He raises his hand and touches it, a satisfying hum leaving his lips to how the strands fell off his fingers seamlessly.
His attention falls back to the figure pushing themselves off him, incoherent mumbles leaving their mouth. Kaminari nearly chokes when he recognizes the top half of your face, Hajime's brows snapped together in frustration; A look he couldn't help but compare to the one she made the day he met her.
Kaminari slaps his hand over his mouth, hiding his grin to see Hajime so messy.
"Hajime? How did this happen?"
She remains the same, giving the boy a dead-eyed look when her arms and mouth we're still taped together. "Miodt," she groaned, shuffling around the small place as she leaned into him.
He looks at her unfazed, his back against the wall as he simply gazed into her eyes. "You have pretty eyes," he says, his cheeks turning warm to the thoughts running around his head.
Trying to get his attention to take the tape off, Hajime gets closer, the boy noticing and sinking into the wall. He brings up his hands, a sheepish smile on his face as he dared to touch her skin. Kaminari hasn't been this close to Hajime, ever.
The air seems thinner as the boy's finger grazed her cheek, his hand grabbing the bottom of her chin as his other started to carefully peel the tape away. Eventually, he reached the corner of Hajime's lips, her breath hitching as she felt her heart stop. It was concerning, so much so that Hajime had to close her eyes until he finished.
Kaminari on the other hand was relishing the moment, taking in Hajime's swollen lips and smudged lipstick, his eyes hooded as he got lost in thought to how her lips would feel against his numb ones. They probably tasted like cinnamon from her drink earlier.
Nothing is said for a period of time, just the two of them awkwardly sitting in front of each other.
"Um... Can you... Just help me with this," she mumbled while clumsily getting up.
The blonde nods, quickly following her up as her face crashes into his chest. Hajime huffs in annoyance, Kaminari chuckling as he helped her upright.
Dosed in silence once again, only the sound of their short breaths was exchanged, Kaminari peeling away the tape from her torso. It was strange to be so quiet around him, her thoughts ablaze and all over the place. Hajime could only think of the boy beside her; his cheeks pink and dreamy honey eyes staring at her lips so intently.
It was making her go crazy.
"Hey, Hajime?" She faces him, his expression skewed suddenly. "Can I ask you for some advice?"
"Sure? Are you sure you want some from me though?" He nods, his attention faltering between her face and the walls of the closet. "Alright. I'm all ears then."
"How do you get someone to like you?" Kaminari blurts out.
Hajime shakes her head to hide her disbelief. "What?"
"I'm serious!—" he leans against the wall behind him—"I want to have a chance too."
A sigh leaves her lips at his disheartened display, so Hajime grabs his shirt and pulls him down to sit on the floor in front of her. She pinches the bridge of her nose. "Okay— You're being overdramatic, Kaminari."
"I'm not! This girl's a handful I tell ya, but she's pretty amazing overall. And gorgeous ... so gorgeous..."
Hajime deadpans. "Shut up and tell me what's your problem."
"I like her. That's the problem," he says. "And she's... I think she's with some other guy."
"Are they official?"
"Uh, No?"
"So you still have some hope," she adds, scolding herself for even helping him in this situation. "How long have you liked her for?"
The boy purses his mouth in thought, looking over at Hajime for a brief moment as he tries to hide his curiosity. It was a question he didn't know the answer to either, the feeling he had just appeared one day and overtaken him completely. "I don't know—" he scratches his cheek—"I had a crush on her for a while now I guess."
She forces out a chuckle, the sound more low than usual.
That can't be me then...
"And how's that going?" she jests.
"Pretty badly, thanks for asking."
"Kaminari... Maybe you're—"
"I have a hopeless crush on someone I have no chance with," he announces, his eyebrows furrowed with his lips pressed together in a thin line.
His words bothered Hajime, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms. "How do you know that? Have you ever told her or even hinted the idea to her?" she conveys, Kaminari peeking over at Hajime with uncertainty. "You don't expect her to just know these things. Do you?"
Hajime starts waving her hands around with the subject. "Like seriously?! What's with you guys and expected us to make the first move? It's not that hard to just take charge—some girls are into that."
"And what about you?—" her voice silenced itself—"This cute act you have... That really worked?"
"It did—" a curt laugh left her lips—"But I don't think I'll ever go back to that tactic."
"And why's that?" Kaminari asks, his head propped up against his palm as he listened to her.
The corner of Hajime's lips tilts upward. "Aren't we talking about you right now? How is this important?"
"Because it is. So continue," he insists.
In all honesty, the topic of Kaminari's crush was more interesting. Never had he mentioned such a topic, and the possibility of it was strangely impossible. This past month, Kaminari had been stuck to Hajime, eager to befriend her. Hajime so desperately wanted to believe Todoroki, however, her brain was telling her that it was too good to be true.
It had to be someone he had met before Hajime. Maybe somebody from class 3-b?
She caught herself before heading into a depressing cycle, Hajime clearing her throat as she decided to amuse Kaminari. "Fine, Weirdo... It's because I don't need it anymore."
Her answer makes Kaminari perk up, his expression losing its enthusiasm slightly.
"Is it because you found Todoroki?" He stated.
Hajime's brows shoot up. "What?"
"You like Todoroki?—" he sinks lower against the wall, throwing his arms out—"You fell for him."
"Kaminari—"
"You fell for his handsome face and his cool quirk. He's perfect. Everyone likes him and everybody wants to be him," Kaminari ranted, blabbering as Hajime attempted to hold back her laughter when Kaminari tried to mock Todoroki. His imitation of him was priceless.
Yet, Hajime's efforts fail when she lets out a snort, her hand over her mouth as she looked away from the boy.
Kaminari deadpans. "Are you laughing at me?
"I'm sorry— But he sounds like nothing like that!" Hajime cries. She falls on her back in hysterics. Kaminari can't help but chuckle at her antics.
From the floor, she turns her head over to the side and peers over at Kaminari with a knowing grin. "Kami— Todoroki and I are friends. That's all, dummy."
He blinks, a series of ideas and thoughts clicking in his brain making his insides go rampant. "That's it?" he murmurs.
Hajime pushes herself back up. "Yes! Jeez... you're pretty bad at reading signs—"
In a span of a moment, Hajime finds herself staring at Kaminari, his face hovering above hers as he practically shut her up. It was brief and innocent, a single peck that left an impression she'll never forget.
Her back straightens when he leans away, Hajime's eyes full of question and limbs rigid in astonishment. She faces the blonde with her hair all over the place, lips moving as words evaded her completely.
"I like you," he just says; The butterflies that have been dormant in the depths of her soul erupt violently. "A lot."
"Kaminari—"
"Don't say no," he softly mumbles, taking her hand in his. "Let's just.... be together. I want to be with you, Hajime. You're all I think about and I want you to think about me too."
Her thumb rubs over the back of his hand, a jolt of electricity bouncing over the surface in dance. She grins to herself. "Who says you haven't been on my mind too?"
He seems taken aback. "Really?"
Kaminari sinks into her touch as she pressed her lips against his harshly, an eagerness implemented that made the blonde crane his neck as he deepened it. Hajime's arms went around his neck, Kaminari following her lead as he placed his hand on her hips, pulling her towards him. The gesture made a smile tug at her lips, her mouth dragging itself to the far corner of his as she chuckled.
Hajime pulls away from him, Kaminari pouting as he brings himself closer to her. "I need to say something to you—" Kaminari peers over at Hajime to how her tone changed, her eyes glued to the ground as she came up with what to say. "I want to apologize."
"You have."
"No. No, I haven't so let me say what I have to say," Hajime responds, Kaminari humming as she composed herself.
Hajime held his hands with tenderness, intertwining her fingers with his. "I used to trust so easily," she confessed, her voice cracking. "I really believe that everyone had each other's interest at heart. So all I ever did was help— I tried to help the people I shared my life with, my classmates, my friends... the people I gave my heart to. And yet, they never did the same in return."
She felt Kaminari's hand tighten around hers, reassuring her that he was listening to her every word. Hajime took in a deep breath. "No matter how much I loved Areum, I couldn't stay there anymore. That's the real reason why I applied to UA. I was filled with hatred and vengeance, I wanted to show those bastards how I was better off without them, that their betrayal didn't ruin my life.
"I was so obsessed with revenge that I didn't bother to take a look in the mirror. I judged you all the moment I entered that classroom, I even used some of you," Hajime admitted. Her eyes lock onto Kamanari, his expression matching her sullen one. "I hated you so much for trying. And because of it, I treated you the worst."
"But you always remained kind, and because of that, I'm thankful. I was able to connect with people again, good, wonderful people that are my friends now thanks to you." A chuckle leaves her lips "I don't remember the last time anyone's ever planned a surprise birthday for me."
"That wasn't me," Kaminari added. "It was because of you that you were able to come this far. I only helped. You wanted to change, so you did. And I admire that."
He brings up his hand and cups her cheek, Hajime sighs and leans into him. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Kaminari. If I were in your shoes I would've given up a long time ago," she admits, laughing a little to ease the tension.
"I've been told that before," he teased. He goes in and kisses her. "But why would I give up on being happy?"
"Happy?"
He nods, Kaminari pulling her onto his lap easily. "I know it doesn't make sense... but, with you around, I feel lighter on my feet. Even my heart does these crazy loops in my chest and makes me feel funny— a good funny though," he rambled. "You simply make me happier."
Hajime listens to the sound of his steady heartbeat, her breathing matching his. "What happens when you don't feel that anymore?" she asks. "What if that feeling goes away?"
"I'll catch it before it does," he replies without missing a beat.
"How are you so sure of that?"
He shrugs. "I just am. Will you do the same for me?"
From his chest, Hajime looks up at him with her chin resting on his chest; He watched her with adoration, a handsome lopsided smile on his face. He oozed confidence, a sight that Hajime wished to see more often.
His question made her think, her thoughts aligning with the messiness along with her heart, a rosy cheeky grin stretching across her lips. "I would," she responded, Hajime retreated back into his arms. "I trust you with my heart, Kaminari."
He kisses the top of her hair, humming soundly as the night continued. "And I promise I'll keep care of it."
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> bonus
this took way longer than i expected. BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!!
also, next chapter is a bonus scene (kinda like in distraction) but this chapter is already 4000 words long so yup.
read it because there's some rare fluff.
luv ya !!
*screams* the angst that is this book keeps me alive.