Indirect Kiss

'Good game, boys!' Mai yelled out cheerfully from the sidelines. She grinned. Her boys were getting better and better each day. They hadn't been able to organise a match today with another school so it had been seniors versus juniors. Both sides had created formidable iron walls against each other and the seniors had only just lost. They had put up an admirable fight and Mai knew that the juniors would make remarkable players very soon and uphold the noble title of "Iron Wall" that Date Tech had been entrusted with many years now.

Sakunami staggered off the court with a satisfied smile. He was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

'Mai, do you have any water? I'm too lazy to find my bag.' he asked.

'I've got a water bottle right here. I don't mind if you borrow it. You're not sick are you?' Mai asked.

'Nope. Healthy as a horse.' Sakunami replied.

'Cool.' Mai said and she handed over the water bottle. In the background, their team snickered but lately, they had found every interaction between the manager and the libero to be hilarious for some unknown reason.

And for another unknown reason, Mai found her eyes lingering on the bottle. Sakunami tugged on the cap with his teeth and Mai scowled. He really shouldn't be doing that – his parents paid good money for his teeth. But at the same time, she didn't mind. He licked his lips. She subconsciously mimicked. Her gaze was transfixed on Sakunami's lips. As well as the way water trickled over the peachy creases of his lips – did he use lip balm? Mai is certain that he's using lip balm.

She also is certain of the way his Adam's apple bobs up and down as he sculls most of her water. He's slick with sweat and he kind of smells but she's so transfixed that it doesn't matter.

Slowly, Sakunami pulls away and puts the cap back on the bottle; this time with his fingers. Mai loosens up and realises she's spent approximately the past twenty million years staring at her very good friend the first year libero.

'Here you go.' Sakunami says as he passes the bottle to Mai.

'Haha, thanks Saku-kun.' Mai replied with a nervous giggle. Without even thinking about it, she finds herself uncapping the damp bottle and taking a greedy gulp of her water. She doesn't really know why but she is so damn thirsty right now.

Now, Sakunami finds himself accidentally way too focused on the way his very good friend the second year manager drinks from her water bottle that she kindly, graciously allowed him to drink from. He notices that her big brown eyes hit the ceiling as she lifts the bottle up. She takes huge gulps at once and he finds himself worried that she will choke or inhale the water or something similarly nasty.

He also notices the way she lifts her pinkie finger as she holds onto the bottle. It's really kind of cute; the way she tries to be fancy. Sakunami also realises that Mai seems to use her tongue. He doesn't really know how to feel about that. He doesn't think she realises it but she does visibly press her tongue against the water bottle. Flecks of water congregate in the corner of her lips and it's when Sakunami sees them that he realises that he really needs to stop.

He tears his eyes away; a little bit of colour in his cheeks. Mai finishes her drink and smacks her lips together indulgently. She turned to Sakunami with a bright grin.

'Ice cold water is super refreshing after all this hard work – I know I don't seem like I'm doing much but chasing after all the balls you boys use can be hard!' Mai pouted.

'I-I would never accuse you of goofing off, Mai.' Sakunami replied.

'Are you sure?' Futakuchi asked.

'Coming up with witty one liners is a very important component of my manager duties. Haven't you ever read a sports manga? The cute manager character can't just be a pretty face; she's got to have some running gags too and Coach won't let me hit you all over the head with a paper fan or a shinai.' Mai retorted with her hands on her hips.

Sakunami chuckled and Mai found herself grinning widely. Her heart seemed like it skipped a beat and she also felt it swell and glow.

'Hm... Is it also important for a cute manager character to flirt with cute libero character? Is that also in your sports manga?' Futakuchi asked.

'Indirect kiss! Indirect kiss!' chanted

'Don't be ridiculous!' Mai barked back; face flushed crimson. 'Indirect kisses totally don't count.' She crossed her arms and scowled. She glared.

'Well...' Sakunami embarrassedly began.

'Indirect kisses don't count!' Mai huffed and she got into Sakunami's personal space for emphasis. She caught of a whiff of his musk and, although thoughts of scrubbing Sakunami down after that intense match crossed her mind, Mai was dauntless regardless. She dared to prove her point. Her eyes were aflame and Sakunami was vaguely terrified but curious as to what would happen next. This was probably her idea of a joke. It was probably supposed to be her idea of the game of chicken.

But apparently, Mai was completely and utterly fearless. She held her breath and drew in Sakunami's. She continued into his personal space until it was non-existent.

She kissed him.

In front of everybody in the club.

She really was fearless.

Her heart pounded in her ear. Her lips pressed against Sakunami's. There was the faintest sensation of lip balm. He definitely uses lip balm; Mai had definitive proof. Over all, he wasn't a terrible kisser despite having no pre-warning of her intentions. To be honest, kissing Sakunami directly hadn't been Mai's intentions either. She just wanted to make it look like she had kissed him.

Mai pulled back first. She was horrified by her actions; eyes wide, like she was a deer stuck in the headlights. She brought her hand to her face and her fingertips brushed over her lips. She paled drastically.

'I'm so sorry.' she said.

'Y-You don't have to be... I kinda liked it. War-Warning would have been good.' Sakunami stuttered. He was just as pale and wide eyed as Mai.

'I – I didn't mean to i-it was an accident.' Mai added.

'I know. I could tell.' Sakunami said. 'But like I said, I – I kinda liked it. Just like, I kind of, um, definitely actually, like you.'

'You like me? Like... like-like me?' Mai asked. Colour returned to her face and she went between two extremes. A moment ago, she was white as paper. Now she was as pink as a strawberry.

'Yes. I like-like you.' Sakunami confirmed.

His teammates whooped and hollered. The two tried their hardest to ignore them.

'D-Does that mean you would like to kiss again? Like, for real. With warning and everything.' Mai said.

'M-Maybe not now.' Sakunami said and he glanced at Futakuchi; giving him the evil eye.

'Did I steal your first kiss?' Mai asked.

'Yeah... Did I...?' Sakunami asked hopeful.

'Uh, yes, actually.' Mai replied, embarrassed. 'Why... am I like super good at kissing or something?'

'I don't know.' Sakunami replied.

Mai's eyes lit up. She couldn't help herself but something about Sakunami's reply made her cackle. She laughed for a good solid minute; terribly and loudly. Sakunami just stood there, stunned and scarlet. It was that raucous laugh that he had fallen in love with after all.

'You're so funny, Saku-kun.' Mai said with hearty breaths between her words. She held onto her belly. It ached.

Sakunami's reply was a simple, heartfelt smile. It was the smile that Mai had fallen in love with. Well, it and the fact that Sakunami found her hilarious even when no one else appreciated her jokes.