A can of pepsi.

That is the beginning of what is known to be-

Love.

It isn't as if I can change my intimidating appearance, or my rough personality, and it's too late to change the latter even now right?

My name is Arakita Yasumoto.

I may be brusque, uncouth and slightly daunting, but my love for cycling and my passion for the club are genuine. I am deemed to be an unapproachable person by both the seniors and the juniors and the iron mask seems to be the only welcoming one.

Not that I am expecting much, anyway.

But, something unexpected has happened.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Toudou Jinpachi." The man with the white hairband and overly flamboyant gestures spoke gaily to me.

"Ah?" I had replied nonchalantly, feeling slightly nauseated by his obnoxious personality while he was giving me an inquisitive look over.

Toudou stared at me, albeit slightly long, and had murmured something along the lines as to why Fukutomi had invited someone like me to the club with my unfriendly appearance and unrefined manners. I frowned, glaring at Toudou in response, having heard all of his unpleasant words, and I felt slightly miffed when he recoiled dramatically at my expression.

My face wasn't that scary, or so I thought.

It was probably not a good first impression of myself but I wasn't there to flatter anybody. I was only there for Fukutomi.

I sat on the chair impatiently, waiting for Fukutomi to enter the clubroom, wasn't he supposed to be the one introducing me to the rest instead? Why was I alone in this pressurizing room?

"I'm sorry." The aforementioned man hurriedly entered the room, followed by another member.

Fukutomi greeted all of us respectfully, as did the red-haired man behind him. The stranger had a certain charm to him, I was suddenly at ease when we locked gazes.

Beautiful…

"My name is Shinkai Hayato." His hand was outreached for mine as he introduced himself politely. He was possibly the only one who had a kind smile plastered to his face as he tried to converse with me.

"I have heard all about you."

"Ah, Shinkai, that man is fierce." Toudou mumbled in warning when Shinkai was approaching me.

My voice was loud as I instinctively shouted towards Toudou, ""What do you mean?"

"Huh, really?" Shinkai's eyes had crinkled with amusement at Toudou's words, he was staring at me, his hand still waiting for mine. Instead of fear or disgust, Shinkai looked more and more interested in me. "Looks like Fukutomi likes the weird ones in the club… those with strong will."

Then he smiled, a dazzling, genuine expression.

"Welcome to the club."

That was our first meeting.

I had always seen Shinkai loitering near the bushes, outside of the clubroom, with a surprisingly soft smile on his face.

He had always seemed relieved as he walked out from that secret spot of his.

Was Shinkai meeting somebody there? A lover, perhaps?

One day, my curiosity got the better of me and I sauntered over to his spot, only to find that Shinkai was rearing a small baby rabbit in a metal cage.

"Oh? Yasumoto?" Shinkai raised his hand in greeting as he noticed my presence.

I nodded to him and saw that he was affectionately laying out vegetables for his rabbit, carrots and pellets, all neatly placed on a small tray.

"What is his name?" I had asked, the question surprising even myself. I thought I hadn't wanted to get involved with anybody in the club, other than Fukutomi the iron mask but there was something different about Shinkai. His charisma had allured me.

"Usakichi." He smiled, sadness suddenly flashed on his face.

I cringed unknowingly at that forlorn look of his and squatted down beside him, reaching to pet the rabbit that had come up to me, sniffing my hands. Even Shinkai had a story of some sort, too.

"Oh, you are actually pretty good with animals, huh." Shinkai noted, pleased to see that I had made acquaintance with his pet.

"I'm not." I replied gruffly, unsure whether to take it as a compliment or as an insult.

I continued to comb Usakichi's fur, feeling at ease playing with the rabbit, and with Shinkai's companionship.

"Does this rabbit have anything to do with the reason as to why you didn't participate in this year's inter-high?" The question just came up to me out from nowhere, my mind making the connections unknowingly.

I felt Shinkai shuddering slightly beside me.

"Yes." He sounded miserable and had a grave face on as he started to divulge his pain and his burden to me slowly. "My obsession with winning had caused pain."

That was when I started to notice that everybody had carried some sort of burden in their heart. Cycling was actually what united all of us as one, it was more than a sport, it had become a way of life.

That was also perhaps when I had begun to respect Shinkai as not only our ace sprinter but as a person too.

A person who was willing to face their mistakes and rectify their wrongdoings. A person of indestructible will.

"Yo." Shinkai waved to me cordially as I stood in front of the clubroom, uncertain as to whether I should join the rest.

Both Shinkai and Fukutomi had invited me to join them for a study session, probably out of sheer goodwill. Toudou had outright cringed at my presence as I appeared at the clubroom in contrast to the other two.

"Come in," Fukutomi beckoned, he had a headband of "study!" plastered on his forehead, looking ridiculous as usual. His books were opened and he looked grim as he stared at them with irk.

Shinkai, meanwhile, made no attempt to study as he opened pack after pack of energy bars, devouring the food at an amazing rate.

"…" I awkwardly made my way over and started to unpack my books.

The silence was oddly stifling, and I paid no heed to the consistent chomping noise beside me as I tried to concentrate on my work.

"Oh, you know how to do all this?!" Toudou pointed to my finished work in shock as he looked at me incredulously.

He was probably astonished by the fact that I was smart, and I felt slightly insulted, I could be intelligent too, despite my looks.

Shinkai started to chip in, agreeing that I was better than him intellectually and Fukutomi began to check his answers against mine, deeming my work to be superior than his. Toudou started to gush about how I should hang out with them more often.

I didn't know what to feel, but perhaps a sense of belonging had begun to blossom in my heart.

Then, Toudou started to whip out a photo of this strange man with long curly green hair with red streaks. "What do you think about him?"

"Hah?" I raised my eyebrows at his random question, "pretty cool I guess."

Toudou's eyes shone with such intensity as he showed me a thumbs-up, "I approve of you now."

Shinkai began to laugh and Fukutomi murmured something about Toudou's weird obsession.

Shinkai clapped me on the back, "You know that you are a part of us ever since Fukutomi invited you to the club?"

He gave me a surreptitious smile as Toudou started to gush about how this Makishima of Sohoku was his amazing rival.

That was when I felt at home.

And maybe just like how Toudou had admired his Makashima, I was beginning to feel the same way towards Shinkai- admiration, awe and respect.

Shinkai's kindness was indeed what had made me felt at ease.

"Hey, Arakita!" Shinkai shouted my name and was waving fervently to me from a distance.

I nodded at him as I began to ride on my bicycle. I was about to ride around the school for practice when Shinkai came up to me, his lessons apparently ending late.

"Oh, wait for me. I will join you."

The two of us rode in a quiet yet pleasant atmosphere, side by side. We were simply riding around in leisure, neither of us attempting to overtake one another. His riding form was casual, and instead of the Legendary Demon Shinkai was supposed to be, it was the complete opposite. It was pretty uplifting to ride with Shinkai, it was peaceful.

As we came to a half of the long one round around the mountainous route of Hakone, Shinkai suggested taking a break.

"Hmm." He took his wallet out as we headed over to a vending machine by the roadside. "What drink shall I get?"

He was already nibbling on yet another one of his seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy bars as he contemplated his choice of drink.

"Oi, I will get first." I was reaching out to press pepsi, my usual favourite drink, already feeling impatience at his indecisive self.

"I shall get my favourite drink, pepsi then." Shinkai stated at the same time, our fingers colliding at the button, the touch suddenly warm and- electrifying.

I had retracted my hand quickly, feeling a slight jolt from the sudden moment of intimation.

"Y-you like pepsi too?"

I was surprised.

Shinkai laughed, and bent down to get the drink, being indifferent despite my erratic heart. "Yeah, you too? I try to refrain from drinking pepsi but it's just too good for me to resist."

He was smiling amicably as he held the can out towards me.

"Here, you take it."

I was absorbed in his intense gaze, his kindness. Shinkai's red hair was billowing in the wind, as a sudden breeze swept us coolly, his eyes was full of gentleness and his strong fingers were holding the can firmly, waiting for my response.

Suddenly, my heart thumped loudly.

"What, do you want the bottled pepsi instead?" He asked before adding on jokingly as I continued to stare at him in a reverie, "I doubt you will be able to finish it though. Here, take it first." He shoved the can at me.

"A-ah, thanks."

Why was Shinkai so selfless, so friendly and so kind?

"No problem."

He was laughing, his voice loud and clear, as he smiled dazzlingly at me.

It was then when I realized that I'm in love.

Shinkai Hayato, he was more than a comrade and a friend.

Someone special.