Title: ...In Love and War
Characters/pairings: One-way Asaoka/Haruna, POV mainly Asaoka's
Words: 491
Rating: G
Summary: Asaoka wonders why it couldn't have been him.
Warnings: Spoilers for drama developments in later chapters, around the 30-somethings
Notes: My first non-Bleach fic, yay! Why? Because the whole thing with Asaoka and Haruna intrigues me. :) To people who ended up at this drabble only because I wrote it: if you haven't read High School Debut, you're really missing out. Go read it on Onemanga or buy it... NOW!
Also, I warped reality a bit so that all of them are in the same grade.
After school, Asaoka strolls over to the vending machine where the lovebirds are standing. "Hi, Yoh. Hey, Haruna-chan, I fell asleep in history." A lie. He had just laid his head on the desk, and he'd been listening the whole time. "Can I see your notes?"
"Eh? Oh…sure!"
"Okay, I'll be quick. Let's sit down in here and…" Asaoka leads her over to their empty classroom. As he slides the door open, he turns to flash Yoh a grin and a peace sign.
Yoh's mouth twitches. Some friend… Wait, why the hell can't he copy my notes instead?
But he already knows why. And he knows that Asaoka probably doesn't even need those damn notes. He's pretty smooth, Yoh's got to give him that. At any rate, though, he's a decent guy. Yoh knows he wouldn't try anything so blatantly.
Right?
Asaoka sits down and starts copying the notes, writing slower than he usually would, making his letters straight and precise, trying to stretch time itself. "You have good handwriting, Haruna-chan," he comments without looking up.
Haruna smiles, blushes. "Thanks! …You don't have to be so nice, Asaoka-san," she adds.
"What if I want to, though?" Asaoka replies. He stops writing and looks up at her standing in front of the desk.
He and Yoh are friends, he knows that. And he values that friendship. But as the saying goes, all's fair…
If it had been him and not Yoh…would she smile that childish smile of hers for him and only him? Would she run up to him bursting with energy and excitement and love the way she does for Yoh? Would he be able to hold her, like he so badly wants to right now?
He wonders. Then he stops, because it pains him to wonder.
But the words are already flowing smoothly from his lips. "You know, Haruna-chan…I could've been your coach just as easily, couldn't I?" There. He said it.
She stops smiling, thinks, then shrugs. "Maybe."
"I bet things would've turned out a lot differently, wouldn't they?"
She shrugs again. "I don't really know. I guess it's all 'cause of fate! Hey, where's all this coming from, anyway?"
"From my own twisted brain." Asaoka smiles good-naturedly. It's so easy to disguise the truth as harmless jokes. "Haruna-chan, remember how I said you could come to me anytime, and how I wouldn't mind being the second man?"
She nods. "Yup. Great acting back there!"
"Haha. Well, what if I wasn't acting?"
There's a pause. Then he sees Haruna's eyes light up as if she suddenly gets something, but no, no, she's got it all wrong. Maybe she never will get it.
"That would be weird, since you're not that kind of guy!" She starts laughing a little, and as always, he can tell exactly what she's thinking—her face is an open book. Silly Asaoka-san. He's such a joker, isn't he?
He chuckles to himself. Yeah. Silly Asaoka.