Disclaimer: I do not own Aoharu x Kikanjuu (clearly)
This is the first story that I submitted on here so please bear with me~
The story takes place before and after the last match in TGC (I'm not going to cover or write the actual fight since I'm lazy AF and this is an AU-ish type of story since the manga actually isn't at the last match yet in TGC) where both Mattsun and Haruki are planning to confess to Hotaru. Of course both HaruTaru and MasuTaru have moments but only one ship will make it on shore at the end of this fic~
PS: I'm sorry in advance if the characters go OOC cause I've been reading too much Shoujo lately
It took a while for himto admit it to himself, but, this time, he decides to fully acknowledge it.
"I like her." he murmured to himself, he glances from afar at the person he wants to be with the most. Although she was busy talking to someone else, she catches a glance of him staring and waves.
"Haruki-san!" she calls him over. Reluctant at first, Haruki made his way towards her direction.
"What is it?!" He grumbled. The girl suddenly took his hand and led him somewhere. After walking a bit, the two arrive at the place where both their team members were.
"Huh?!" Haruki let out, bewildered on the fact that their leader came back in time. Mattsun sat at the rest area table, with an ice pack still on his foot.
"I refuse to rest until I see for myself," he grinned as he apologized for burdening Haruki with his responsibilities as a leader.
"No, no….that's not what I meant, what are you doing here, stupid Masamune?! Aren't you suppose to be in the hospital?!" Haruki asked.
"I'm here to see our team win." he said with a completely confident smile.
"Mattsun was probably lonely...Did you miss me~" Yuukimura nearly purred as he spoke softly into his ear. Of course, the ero mangaka received a blow to the head right after putting his face Way too close.
"I wasn't gone for that long." Mattsun looked at Yuuki with a pretty pissed off expression. Regaining his cool, he returned to his conversation with everyone else.
"We are so close…." he had his fist clenched hard. Everyone looked at him with a solemn expression. Without even saying anything, everyone knew that it was all or nothing at this point.
"We have to win…." he spoke for everyone, Haruki who was biting his lip, Yuukimura who was tightening his grip on his gun, and Hotaru who had her head down.
'If we can't win, it's useless.' he kept repeating to himself like a broken recorder. 'Sending her off with nothing gained makes forfeiting in the first place much better.' his eyes lock onto Hotaru who still looked as if there wasn't any hope left.
/Out of everyone in his team, she was the one he didn't want to disappoint the most. He didn't want to win only for his own sake, nor for his team's title, he also wanted to win for her. He turns to face her with a clenched fist, he lets it out
/unconsciously:
"Hotaru, I promise you that you will not leave empty-handed." the girl looks over at him with an odd expression, and so did everyone else. Haruki felt something odd with what Masamune said.
"Don't you mean all of us?!" Tachibana corrected.
"Uhh-yeah, that too." Mattsun said as he panicked.
At that point both Haruki and Yuuki were starting to feel something odd about what Masamune was saying, along with his mannerisms. Yuuki didn't mind, but Haruki did. His eyes were fixed on the leader.
"It can't be, it's nothing." Haruki shook his head in response to his thoughts.
"Haruki-san, let's do our best on the next round!" Hotaru tapped his shoulder, sending a shock wave down his spine.
"Ya-yeah…!" he blushed as he looked away, hiding his feelings with an annoyed expression.
'This is going to be harder than I thought…' he thought to himself as he watched her walk away. Something inside him was telling him to not let his opportunities with her go. If he was going to confess, he better do it now.
Meanwhile.
The ero mangaka sat next to his best friend with a bored expression across his face. He gets straight to the point:
"Mattsun, what was that all about? I don't mean to pick on you that much, but, why was Mattsun muttering Tachibana-kun's name under his breath?" their eyes lock onto each other. Mattsun looked away with a nervous expression on his face.
"You-you heard?!" he purposely bangs his head against the table to hide his expression underneath.
"Mattsun is too honest~" Yuuki smiled "I don't have to spell it out at this point, but, good luck Mattsun!" he stood up and left his best friend alone, humming happily. Mattsun raises his head to see if the coast is clear. He scratches his head and
/tells himself:
"After the competition, I'm going to do it…." while on the other hand, Haruki had his back against the vending machine, thinking along the same lines. Of course, the two had the exact same intention.
"I'm going to confess."
Yuuki knew about both parties. But, in his heart, he chose no sides. It was all Hotaru's choice at that point.
Haruki returned to prepare his equipment back at the rest area, only him and Matsouka were there. He had his suspicions, but he refused to say.
"Hey, have you ever confessed before?" the leader asked out of the blue. Haruki glanced over at him and meekly nodded, thinking nothing of it.
"yeah, and so?" Haruki spoke as he counted the magazines in his pockets.
"I am going to do it." Masamune spoke, blowing a puff of smoke into the air. It didn't matter at that point, Haruki slams his gun against the table.
"You can't!" he yelled. Masamune dropped his cigarette and was taken aback.
"But you don't know who-" the leader was cut off again.
"You just can't!" Haruki repeated. Toy Gun Gun's leader sat there a bit in thought, but then, he glanced over at his underling, his eyes were not angered but seemeddetermined. At that point, Masamune knew what his teammate meant. He sighs and
replies;
"I see how it is." He locks eyes with Haruki and adds, "We are comrades for now, and will be as a team, but when it comes to this matter, I will not lose to you!" Masamune spoke in a low arrogant voice.
"Bastard, that's my line!" Haruki hissed. The two became rivals, but it was a rivalry only in one particular subject, love. It was at that moment they had no choice but be self aware of the others actions. Haruki and Masamune stared down onto each
/other for a while, but after the fighting spirit died down between the two of them, it just got awkward.
"I will see to it that I win!" Haruki half smirked, "I won't back down that easily!" he replied as he pulled away from his superior. Haruki knew, that even if it meant losing in the end, this battle was one he could not bear to lose easily.
"But in the end, Hotaru is the one who will determine the winner. Sometimes the winner isn't the one with the most work, but, with the most luck." Masamune answered in a solemn tone.
"In that case," Haruki furiously scratched his head, "I guess neither of us would win in that regard," the team leader caught onto this fast and let out a chuckle.
"Hahaha, I guess you're right."
Meanwhile….
"Hey, hey….Tachibana-kun~I want to ask you something?" the eromangaka poked the teen's shoulder as she was busy talking to the losing teams. She glanced over her shoulder and asked the man what he needed.
"I need to talk to you before the match starts," he simply told her, not minding the other teams at all. The girl waved to her friends saying that she is going to come back after a while. She follows Yuuki to the vending machines where none of the
/teams currently were at that moment.
"Listen, there is something I need to tell you," he inhales as she got a sense that what he was going to say,
"There's two guys that like you, and, I want you to be a perfect candidate for my next love triangle ero manga-" Yuuki flies straight at the wall before creating a large snow crater angel.
"Is that all?" Tachibana grumbled while having her fist still held high. Yuuki stood up, his nose bleeding again and proceeded, but this time, in a serious manner.
"I'm joking about the last part, maybe. But I'm serious about two people liking you. I normally wouldn't care if it were people outside our circle, but…." Yuuki couldn't finish his sentence as he saw someone approaching from behind her,
"I think it is best if Tachibana-kundecides for herself~" at that point, the eromangaka was nearly knocked out cold, but this time, by someone else. Despite his weak knees and poor agility, he miraculously escapes death again.
"What was that idiot Tooru talking about?!" an angry voice came from behind her.
"Ah, Haruki-San!" Tachibana nearly jumped since he seemed to have come out of nowhere.
"It's nothing that important, Yuukimura-San was just saying a bunch of unnecessary things." she answered honestly, still clueless about what's going on.
"Hm…" Haruki thought. He had previously thought that Yuuki was the type to spill the beans easily, however, given her recent greeting, she seemed to have no clue at all. In a way, he was both glad and disappointed. But this was his time to shine.
/Remembering what he read in some manga, Haruki took the initiative and took the girl's hand. She only thought lightly of it and said nothing, even though it was a short walk back, his hands were already clammy. He stops once they reach an outer
/area from the field. It was very close to the resting areabut a very good blind spot for everyone around them.
"What is it Haruki-San?!" She asked. He lets go of her hand and straightens his back in order to face her properly. And at that instance, their eyes lock onto each other. Haruki felt his heart coming out like it was going to rip through his chest,
/but he remained calmed.
"Tachibana, you better hear me out!" He blushed furiously as he gritted his teeth. She cocked her head sideways and listened.
"I don't like this!" He stomps, she nearly jumps from surprise. "I don't like us being friends!" He was so vague that it was kinda sad.
"Did Tachibana do anything to make Haruki-San mad?" She stuttered as she slowly backed away"Tachibana still wants to be Haruki-san's friend. So~" she seemed a bit scared about what he meant. Did she do something wrong?
"No, I mean~" he bit his lip and cursed himself in his mind. There was no turning back at this point. He grabs her and pulls her to him. She was frozen in shock, it wasn't like Yuuki's protective motherly embrace that she could just not mind, it was
/one strong grip.
"Wh-what is it all of a sudden?" She let out as she just stood there locked in place in his arms. Holding her himself seemed different from when she hugged him. Her smaller and thinner body was wrapped up under his.
"Is this what Masamune felt when he held you like this?" He made sure to keep that thought in his head only. She wasn't moving or pushing away, she was completely still.
"Listen!" He pushed her arms length to look at him, "Im sorry if I can't hold it till the match was over but, I can't let him beat me to it!"he was gonna do it. "I like you! I'm just saying this once so you better give me a reply later!" He
lets go of her and runs at full speed who was left behind stood there dumbfounded at first, but sighed afterwards. Her expression was clear, her answer was already obvious. If seen a good distance away, one would know right away.
"He-hey…! I did it!" He clenched his fist, confused whether or not he should celebrate or perhaps run back and say that everything was a joke. But even before he can process what he did, the leader of the team stood up limping. His eyes meeting with
/his.
"I see," he simply said. From the looks of it, Masamune looked a bit disappointed andworried. "I'm not gonna wish you good luck, but, all I can say is that as long as there's no answer, there is also no winner." Haruki frownedand simply
shrugged,
"I'm not rooting for you either bastard!" But despite the aggression between the two, Haruki still helps the leader sit back down. Just because they are rivals, enemies, they are still nonetheless friends. The winner gains, the loser stays the same.
/They did not even consider the fact that they couldboth be rejected. It was about to start. Their thoughts had began to pause on that matter. Their time is up. The final battle.
"Toy gun gun vs Hoshishiro!" Two teams, both leaderless, stood at opposing sides. Uncertainty builds up between them, but one thing is sure, they both want to win.
"The limit is 15 minutes" toy gun gun held their guns tightly, their body's quivering but their minds resolute.
"Start…!" The horns go off.
"Huff...huff…" Haruki panted as he stood frozen behind his brother who was about to shoot at Hotaru. At this point, both snipers and the minigunner are out. Haruka stood there, frozen, His back turned. Haruki's gun was pointed right at him at point
/blank range. They stood at the boundary of the field, Hotaru was cornered, but with her speed, there was that chance alone. But with Haruki there, the winner has already been decided. Haruka realized that he was at a disadvantage and turned
around to raise his hands. He surrendered.
"Congratulations, Nii-san!" He glomps his brother.
"The winner, Toy Gun Gun!" The losing teams cheered. Hoshishiro's consecutive wins are over. Even the leaders who stood at opposing couldn't help but cheer as well in his heart.
Two men stood next to each other as the winners were announced. Both had a bittersweet smile, as if they have come to terms with each other. The shorter man looks over at the other and says:
"Congratulations, Masamune." The man named Midori smiled as he extended his hand for a handshake. Mattsun looked at him for a few seconds before gripping his hands.
"Midori-San….Thank you for letting me go." He releases his hand and turns the opposite way, "that is why, I'm going to go greet them now." He slowly walks away, but with assistance from a staff member working at the field. Midori watched as his former
/comrade grew smaller from a distance. He smiled and said to himself,
"If this is how it felt, then, I will take it as my punishment." He stood there in thought for a while before his team found him. Everyone apologized, but in the end, there was no need. To be undefeated, that goal was broken, but for him, it was the
/start for another one.
'Someone changed him….'
'I guess it is time for a change too.' He glanced over at his teammates and said:
"Good work everyone! We may have lost but that doesn't mean it's over, in fact, I think next TGC might be a little bit more fun than usual. Wouldn't you think?" His sadistic grin was not of defeat or bloodlust, but it was of newfound excitement.
"Kanpai…!" It was later in that evening after the end of TGC, Toy Gun Gun as well as others teams sat snug at Toy Gun Gun's complex. Everyone who lost insisted to join despite the limited space, but no one complained. In fact, everyone in Toy Gun
Gun used their apartments to host the party for several more people. The apartment complex was buzzing with life. Office Livestock, 11 dogs, Friendly fire, Nine Tails, and even Hoshishiro were there. Nine tails brought most of the food, but of
/course others as well brought other things besides themselves.
"Why does all the food have to be in my room?" Yuukimura complained.
"I already told you, I don't want my work clothes smelling like food." Masamune complained. Haruki as well as Hotaru had to open up their rooms for more people to seat.
"Why couldn't you have rented a place out?" Haruki grumbled, Masamune caught what he said and answered,
"Actually...we didn't know until last minute. Everybody wanted to join us before Hotaru leaves." Haruki regretted that he asked since he as well forgot that she was leaving.
"Besides, I think she likes it when everybody can get together like this." He smiled, Haruki sighed and added, "I guess you're right…" both men had no answers given to them at that moment, but soon, their anticipation will end. They both chose to
keep their earlier conversation in mind as they knew that their answers were getting closer. Both looked across the table and simply looked over at her as if trying to get her attention.
While doing so, Hotaru herself was preoccupied mingling with the other team's. In particular she was talking to Captain Sagara who was chatting away about how she hoped that when Hotaru comes back, she would have grown her hair out. Eavesdropping
on their conversation, Takuma from Eleven Dogs put a fierce thumbs up in agreement. Hotaru seemed flustered but decided to silently nod her head.
"Besides, I think you would look cute Hotaru-chan!" Captain Sagara exclaimed as she rubbed her cheek against the younger woman affectionately. As she did that, her other team members still watched with a fixed gaze, they were rejected, but they were
/still persistent.
"I would be very sad if Hotaru-chan came back with a boyfriend~" Sagara pouted changing the subject abruptly. The range of eavesdroppers increased, this time including both Haruki and Mattsun.
"I will be very mad too, but I will probably steal her away!" Take added confidently. This just provoked the two Toy Gun Gun members. Both had their hands in a tight fist and were ready to attack the boy.
"Tachibana doesn't think that will be the case at all." Hotaru finally spoke up, "Tachibana will probably grow out her hair, but getting a boyfriend in America is impossible."
"Huh? Why do you say that-" before she could have been given an answer, the teen girl was suddenly dragged away. This caught the eyes of everyone in the room.
"Midori-San, should we help her?" Fujimoto asked while looking concerned. Midori on the other hand simply answered:
"No, It is better to sit out of affairs that have nothing to do with you."
"Affairs?" Fujimoto innocently asked, like a dog, he cocks his head to the side. Of course his other team members knew what Midorimeant. Instead of answering Fujimoto's question, he goes to face Haruka,
"Aren't you going to stop your brother?"
"No, I want Niisan to be able to achieve his happiness. Besides, it is said, if you love someone, you must let them go." He said ina monotone yet poetic tone.
'Die you bro-con..!' Ichi thought to herself before unconsciously chugging down a cup of sake.
"Besides, I don't want to interfere with Niisan's chances for victory."
"Victory? For what?" He asked, but his sly smile proved damn well that Midori knew what was happening.
'Good luck, Masamune.'
"Haruki-San and Matsouka-San? What is this all of a sudden?" Outside of the apartment complex,under the starry skies, three people stood together to determine their new fate. Hotaru was completely oblivious about what was going on, but did not
retaliate to voice out her confusion.
Haruki glanced over at Mattsun and waited for him to start. But as he did, he can already see the leader shaking in fear. He waved him off, and simply told him, it's fine. Mattsun leaves the two alone, but left where he is still nearby. Hotaru got
/a sense that maybe he was only there for moral support, but she quickly dismisses that thought once Haruki spoke up.
"You remember, right?" He didn't sound that firm but it was enough to get her to react.
"Yes." Hotaru replied, her voice was wavering all over the place.
"I need your response, I need to know!" Haruki almost yelled and nearly backed the girl up against a fence, "besides, I want you to leave me with an answer as a parting gift, I don't care if it's…"
"Haruki-San…" Hotaru cut him off right there.
"First of all, thank you for always supporting Tachibana and for believing that Tachibana is a girl." At that point both of their eyes were broke away from each other. Both parties were unsure on what to do next, but decided to stay. Hotaru lets out
/a mellow sigh.
"Sorry, Haruki-San. But Tachibana does not feel the same towards you…" Haruki instantly turned around and nearly ran off but due to her reflexes, Hotaru grabbed onto him and mercilessly made him stay.
"Haruki-San, Tachibana is very grateful for this but~"
"I get it, I get it! Geez. You bastard!" Haruki diverted eye contact with her and did not show the facial expression on his face. Suddenly, he feels her arms around him.
"Haruki-San, Tachibana wants our relationship as comrades and friends to grown, even when we're far away from each other. But,Tachibana cannot respond to your feelings, but neither does our friendship need to get damaged." He turns around and
hugs her as well.
"Dammit, you jerk! Why did you even do this…?" he was already sobbing but he couldn't hold back his tears, Hotaru stood there in silence with him until he breaks away from her and before leaving, says:
"Thank you, I guess…" before running off to the place where all the eavesdropper will come together and mourn for him. Haruka in particular has already prepared a handkerchief and the men of OfficeLivestockteam already there to empathize
and potentially mourn with him.
Outside, Hotaru didn't return right away, but simply stared at the stars in the sky. Her mind grazed over Harukis confession to her and straight into things that have been weighing down on her for a while. She pulls out her phone and calls her mother.
"Mother, we won."
"So she's leaving, huh?" Mattsun thought to himself while watching her from a distance after finding out that Haruki got rejected. In his heart he wanted her to stay, but other than that, he knew that letting her go was for the best. Moreso, he thought
/that confessing to her would just cause an unnecessary burden to her since she has been going through a bit with the sudden move and her dying father. So, hestood there debating whether or not he should just confess. But before he knew it,
she was already standing right in front of him.
"Huh?! How did you get here?" Hotaru looked at him intently and answered,
"Tachibanas call with mother is already done, Tachibana will be leaving in two days. So, will it be okay ifMatsouka-San helpspack?" She said in a sad voice. Of course, he'd help, so henodded.
"Also, Tachibana heard that you and Haruki-San were arguing and was worried that you got into a fight because of Tachibana..."
"No, no. It wasn't a fight!" He half lied, "But," he caught her attention right at that moment. He can't help himself at that point.
"It's true that I like you. No, I-I-love you…!" His confession sounded so muchlike a maiden'sto the point where it would sound cheesy to say out loud. Hotaru stared expressionlessly at him before turning completely red.
"A-as a friend?! As a comrade?!" She exclaimed. But he quickly denied it.
"No! I like you, as in…" he stops for a moment to prevent himself from collapsing from his rapid heartbeat. However,he stillcontinues, "I like you as a girl! So please, consider me…." he bows down but she tells him to raise his head. He
looks up at her and sees a calm yet happy expression on her face. Was this a face of merciless rejection? Or? She suddenly launches herself onto him and wraps her arms around him. Was he going to get rejected the same way as Haruki?
"Matsouka-San. Thank you...Tachibana feels the same." For a moment, he almost thought he did not hear that right.
"Huh? You like me?!"
"Yes." She smiled as she gripped him a bit tighter.
"Matsouka-San is soamazing, Tachibana is happy to have met you! Whether Matsouka-San is at his worst or his best, Tachibana will alwayswant to be by your side!" He pulls her away for a moment to look straight at her eyes.
"You-You mean it?!" He asked. Shenods. He turns completely red and hid his face for a moment before looking back at her. For a moment neither said anything, but in his mind, Mattsun had a lot to say. But instead, he pulls her back into a hug.
"Geez, I always wanted to say this, so, you're so cute!" he exclaims. For a moment he just stood there holding her.
"Eh?!" she exclaimed while blushing. "Cu-cute?!"
"Yes, cute. Actually Hotaru, I've been thinking that for a while, I just could never say it out loud." he was overjoyed to the point where he forgot that he was holding onto her a bit too tightly. Of course, as soon as he realized, he immediately
released her.
"Actually Matsouka-San, is it okay if you wait for Tachibana to return?" She vaguely asked him, but he knew what she meant. Of course he would agree to that. Just hearing her response was more than enough for him. To start and announce their relationship
/now would be too fast on their part, so instead, they both agreed to wait instead.
Mattsun takes her hand and nods.
"As long as your feelings won't change, I will be waiting." He gives her a reassuring smile.
"Besides I wouldn't be the only one to be waiting, everyone at TGC will as well. But one thing is for sure…"
"You will always be our comrade." Of course, even when far away, it won't change the fact that she is still a member of Toy Gun Gun.
"I, no, we will wait for you!"
From a good distance away, a man watches asthe two newfound couple embrace each other. His face was serene and a gentle smile crossed his face.
"Congratulations, Masamune…" he said again. And from the bottom of his heart, he truly meant it.
I will probably write more fanfics for this series later on depending on the feedback I get. But anyways, thanks for reading!