A/N: This is an AU Corpse Party story where the destructive events of Heavenly Host Elementary School never occurred. I'm pretty into the corpse party fandom atm so I'll try to update as frequently as I can. I hope you enjoy.

She had to do it. This was their final year of high school. Who knew where they would end up? Well, she knew for a fact that she was going to a university in the neighbouring city that specialized in visual arts, but he always shut down when the subject of further education came up. The thought of separating, never speaking again, and leaving her feelings to wither was unpleasant.

Rolling in her blankets, she clutched the silky fabric of her pyjama blouse. Was it supposed to hurt? These feelings were too unsettling. Sure, it paid off whenever he gave her the light of day, but she was sure it wouldn't last forever. People changed constantly, so did the environment, trends. She would be another craze, soon to be ditched and neglected if she didn't do something about it. Yes, something. A memorable thing that would withstand the phases of life. Something more than friends.

Friends. What a peculiar term. He was one of many, however when it came to him, it embodied more meaning — much more to the case where it felt odd to categorize him with other friends. Seiko's gaze never gave her chills; Morishige's greetings never made her giddy.

The thing was, she didn't hate it — she craved more. It added to the flame in her gut. A fire that burned vigorously, hungry for additional fuel, demanding for stronger concentrations.

Normally, she wouldn't soothe the itching desire in her stomach, but, eh, it was definitely his fault. Sometimes it felt like he was following along fittingly to her fantasies; saying the right things, or even surprising her with moves exceeding her expectations. Despite that, she felt as if there was a hypothetical border that he never dared to cross — well, that was her most preferred outlook. She bounced between his definite disinterest or his generous respect for her space. With hope for the latter, she decided that a push was appropriate.

And that's how she ended up in classroom 3-7, waiting for Satoshi and Naomi to head home so she could catch some alone time with Yoshiki. From the pace of actions, the conversation was near its end. Nevertheless, she began to feel uneasy, praying that time and space would just hurry up. Of course, that was all hidden underneath her exterior. She laughed along to their remarks whilst robbing quick glances of her hopefully-soon-to-be-more-than-friend.

"So it's getting late," Satoshi noted, picking up his bag. "Do you guys want to walk home together?"

Ayumi froze, searching through her mind for a plausible excuse.

"Ah, actually, Shinozaki and I have some business to do. You two can go ahead," Yoshiki informed, casually leaning before a desk. He shot Ayumi a knowing look.

Breath drew from her lips, leaving a relaxed smile. "Next time, okay?"

"Alright, see you tomorrow then." With warm eyes, Satoshi sent them a curt wave.

Naomi strode to the door and merrily called out, "Goodbye!"

Counting the thumps of fading steps, Ayumi turned to front Yoshiki, to finally face her fears. She had spent too many restless nights playing out different outcomes in her mind — the unfortunate ones, the miraculous ones. Hopefully, the gods would be in her favour.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked with folded arms, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"U-Um…" The fearful sensation in her stomach was unavoidable. Would he take her seriously? Although he was growing out of his crook habits, she couldn't help but feel wary. Sometimes he'd snap into virulent moods, throwing cusses and threats. Praying it wouldn't be the case; she formed her words slowly and carefully, "I wanted to thank you for helping me with the preparations for the cultural festival."

"It's no big deal." His voice turned darker. "It annoys me how those little bastards think they can get away without helping."

"It's not their fault," she defended. Crap, this wasn't where she wanted to go with this. Her face softened, "I just wanted to make it special cause it's our last one, you know?"

"I guess you're right…"

"Yeah…" The atmosphere felt slightly awkward. She swallowed the unnerving knot in the back of her throat. "A-Again, thanks. There were so many boards to be filled and, well, it was just… really thoughtful of you."

"Heh." A grin joined his features. "I never thought today would be the day that class rep would compliment me."

Slack jawed, she smacked his arm. "Don't get cocky!"

A chuckle rang out before he commented, "It's good to see you acting like yourself. You looked pretty awful earlier."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What? You don't say that to a girl!"

"S-Sorry…" He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Hmph!" With a stuck up chin, Ayumi crossed her arms. Why was she doing this in the first place? He was behaving so rude with those… smoky grey eyes, and his untamed platinum locks. How he managed to keep it messy and moderately attractive was beyond her. From where she was standing, it could pass as soft. She wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through it. Just a little bit. Her cheeks lit up as she realised her predicament. In a rush for redemption, she put some thought into what he had said. "Was I… noticeably different?"

His eyebrows rose. "W-Well… It wasn't bad or anything." He scratched the bridge of his nose, choosing to use his words gently, "I don't think it was too obvious. Don't worry about it too much."

The ground became of interest, even as she dug her shoes into the auburn planks of the floor. "Ah, okay… I think, I think I was just nervous."

"… About what?"

"Um." Gulp. "About what I really came to talk to you about."

"Oh?" His eyes perked up, as did his tone. "So you didn't come to see me just to thank me for helpin' out with the festival?"

"Stupid!" she stammered, shooting him a fierce glance. "That too… It's just, there's more."

His lips curled up, amused. "Go on."

A quick refill of her lungs, and then she met his gaze. "W-Well, you see. I always thought… when, um, at that time, when you—"

Screech — the door was pulled open. In walked an aged lady, clad in a teal jumpsuit, bustling a stroller flush with bottled supplies. "Hey, what are you kids still doing here? Go home!"

Her body went stiff, hand grabbed and tugged. Crap. Cleaners generally arrived when the school was dark enough for quiet. Shock painted her complexion. They were caught! How long did they spend with Satoshi and Naomi? Did she chew up too much time with her stalling? She was such a coward. Didn't even have the strength to confess — to admit the core of her anxieties. Frustration boiled in the depths of her stomach.

"Shit! Did you see the look on her face?" He laughed, a real boyish one, in between gasps for air. Blond tresses tossed in the wind. They were outside; he took her out of the school.

When she had changed her shoes, she didn't know, but they were indeed on the perimeter of Kisaragi Academy. Sun was dangerously low, too. Dinner would be served by the time she got home — if she left now. Although irritation bloomed in her torso, she decided to give it a rest. Maybe this was a sign. The gods were enticing her to reschedule. She turned to Yoshiki, horror and distraught written on her face. "They're gonna be so mad. I told my parents I didn't have duties today! God, what time is it?"

"U-Uhm…" He focused on his watch. "6:24."

Broad eyed, she rushed to the entrance gate, voice travelling in the wind as she called, "I have to get home!"

Calmly watching her dart away, he exclaimed, "Are you just gonna leave me hanging?"

"I'll tell you later!" she replied as her form disappeared in the streets.

Releasing a prolonged breath, he ran a hand through his hair. "Damnit."

She clenched her fists; sweat lightly glazing her palms. An outstretched shadow cast on the stone of the pathway. All to be heard was the frequent patter of footsteps. Ayumi directed her overcoming adrenaline on reaching home quickly, whilst admiring her surroundings. The sky looked nice. Pink, coral and violet churned together as a mirage. It reminded her of a fire — blazing upon the edges of the horizon, the embers dusting over her back, leaving a warm, powder-like tingle. However, it was no match for the scalding buzz behind her ribcage.

Was it the right timing? The last thing she wanted to do was to scare him off. Ah, but he seemed to be his ordinary self. Well, as far as she could tell. His reputation stood for being a brutally straightforward person — even so, using her knowledge, he was frustratingly stubborn, and lacked the ability to articulate his honest feelings. Hah. She was such a hypocrite, being one to leave her confession until the final year of high school, chickening out at the last minute too.

She placed her hand over her breast, searching for that incessant beat; the one that perpetually consorted her antics like a never-ending accompaniment, pounding as drums, music. Even now, she was on an emotional high from her attempt to express herself to Yoshiki. Being with him was just… so pleasant. She liked his presence — the sarcasm, the bantering, and hell, even his bluntness. It was iconic; it was him.

He wasn't too bothered, right? Ugh. So worked up to reveal her affection, all for nothing. How pathetic. Slouched shouldered, she pinched the bridge of her nose. It was clear that tonight would coincide with unsettled shut-eye. Although her stress levels had diminished since leaving the school, she would be incapable of achieving absolute rest until she had confessed to him. That's right. She wouldn't give up. There was time for another chance, she had even promised it in her final moments of leaving.

She abruptly shook her head, gaining the urge to stop worrying about the inevitable. There were five or ten minutes until she would arrive at her doorstep. A scolding was presumably awaiting her. The usual: your sister was never this irresponsible, it's important to keep your grades up at this stage of your education, and so on.

Her lips perked up. It was definitely worth it; failed confession or not, she was one step closer.

What would her parents think of Yoshiki? Parents typically discouraged delinquents as their daughter's significant other, and even though he wasn't, he did have the authentic reputation for one. Sure, he swore from time to time, and on some occasions he openly spoke his mind — but that was the worst of it. He had good intentions. A rough past, but a kind heart. If they truly cared for her happiness, they would respect her decision. Looking closely, he was a loyal guy; he was brave and considerate towards his friends, especially her.

Back when they were outside of the school, she recalled the state of exhilaration on his face after they ran away from the cleaner. The thought ignited a tinge of scarlet over her cheeks. He looked so alive — his laugh that budded with delight, the way his hair flew in the wind, and the lighthearted glint in his eyes. It felt really good to see him happy. Hopefully, someday she'd be a source of his happiness.

She was determined, as long as she had a chance at it, she'd make him something other than a friend.

A/N: I'm not sure how long I'll take to update the next chapter. Please review, it will probably speed up the process. Thanks!