"No, Mai don't." My foot hit a wall. I couldn't escape. I was cornered. The maddening grin on Mai's face grew larger. I draw my hands up in an attempt to shield myself. It was of no use. Mai raises her hand high above her head. She brings it down upon me quickly, with the paint drenched brush in her grip. A large gash of blue paint is left behind on my cheek. I let out a overly dramatic, overly fake gasp. She burst out in a fit of laughter.
"How." I take a step closer to Mai. "Could." I slowly reach for the brush in her idle hand. "YOU." I grab the blue brush and quickly attack, painting a thick stripe of blue across her forehead and run to the other end of the empty art room. The art room was often empty on Fridays but not as often as Mai would attempt a paint war with me. Empty Fridays or not.
She turns to me with her own gasp as I drop the brush into a cup of water, ending the war. The triumphant smirk is off my face when Mai stalks her way across the room, grabbing a new pain covered brush. "Mai wait. No more. Tsukki is probably at practice. I don't need to bother him with paint suddenly popping up on his face."
That argument just earns me an eye roll from Mai. "Your boyfriend can suck it up for a day. I'm determined to have the last laugh this time."
"What! He's not my boyfriend." I hasty deny.
"Keep telling yourself that. You didn't deny it last time I called him that." With her crosses arms and raises eyebrow, I knew she didn't believe me.
"That's because we didn't know what we were then. We had just met." The exclamation failed to put an end to her quizzical look.
"Well, what are you then?"
"We're just friends. For now." I quickly begin to wash of the blue off my face.
"For now?"
"We wanted to wait. To get to know each other first."
"Normally dating is just that. Getting to know each other. Seeing if you're compatible for the long run. Well you're soulmates, so it's a given that you are. So why the waiting and hesitation?"
"I don't know." Turning back to Mai (with my clean face) I sit on the table next to her, she joins me. "I though I would need to wait. Maybe wait for a time were I'm not focusing on school and my art, because those two things require a lot of my focus. And he's got volleyball. Now I can't get him out of my mind. I'm already focusing so much on him. He's not even my boyfriend. He's not even here! Everything is like a — like a pull. Everything leads back to him. Pulls me towards him. Gosh, I want to be with him." I confess more to myself than Mai.
"Why aren't you then?" Her eyebrow seemed to raise higher. If that was even possible.
"I'm not sure if he feels the same. We agreed to wait. This is hardly a wait at all. What if I'm going to fast?"
"Why don't you just ask?"
"What?" I can already feel my heart rate picking up the pace from just the though of the nerve wracking idea.
"Ask. Tell him how you feel and then ask him how he feels."
"Agk, no! That's way to embarrassing. And nerve wracking. What if he just wants to be friends? What if he rejects my feelings? What if—. "
"OK ok, you worry wart. Stop panicking. You said you want to be with him, right?"
"Yes." My answer was sure and quick.
"Then you can't just do nothing. Nothing will happen if you do nothing. You want something to happen, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then you have to take initiative and do something. No beating around the bush either. Straight forward and honest." Her voice was firm and convincing. I could do this.
"Ok, I'll text him and see if I can visit him tomorrow after club activities. Thanks Mai, I can always rely on my best friend." Full of newly acquired confidence, I pull out my phone to see I've already have a message from him.
>>You've got blue on your face.
I send a silent glare at Mai. She doesn't notice, she already gotten busy with cleaning up.
>I know. That was Mai.
>I was wondering if I could visit you tomorrow? I'll probably stay with my mom this weekend. She lives close to your school.
>>I'm free after my morning practice
>Sweet! Let me know what time it ends. I can meet you at the school gates.
We discuss the plans, but the conversation doesn't end there. I walk back to my room, phone in hand. Texting way. Meaningless conversation. We talk late into the night. Although at this point, it's pretty much routine. I fall sleep with the phone in my hand and a stupid idea in my head. I wont wait at the gate. I'll visit his practice, show up to see him just a practice is finishing. Will it embarrass him? A lot. Might I die at the hands of an embarrassed Tsukishima? Maybe. Is it worth it? of course it is.