A/n: Too much happening at once has never been very good for Sakura's health.
"It was you…."
There was no way she could ever say that.
.
.
Sakura Chiyo had always loved to draw. That is why it wasn't a big problem for her to work for Nozaki-kun, the manga artist no one believed him to be.
Her friends had once (out of the blue) asked her if she worked for a manga artist, to whom she had hastily replied: "I wouldn't say 'work', uh, I fill in the beta markings and… inking, you know? That's more of what I do."
Certainly, she knew what she did, but it would have been easier to say it had she contacted Nozaki-kun purely on professional basis. As the situation was, there were… feelings involved from the very beginning. And that too, one-sided.
"So, Sakura, tell me more about this guy you confessed to."
Sakura had seen him fidget from across the table, had seen him draw things and crumple up the pages, had seen him sit back and tap his finger on his chin, but she had never thought that Nozaki-kun was character designing.
She had meant to ask him about it, but as The Question was posed to her, Sakura's brain kicked into over-drive mode at warp nine, and all that came out was nonsense even she couldn't decipher: "W-w-w-what are you talking about, N-n-nozaki-kun?" she stammered, "There's no person like that!"
For a moment, Sakura forgot all about beta-ing and lowered her chin to her chest, cheeks aflame with embarrassment. Her throat went dry and she made a stray mark across the page (by mistake!) Anxious nerves took hold over her every sense and her heart beat a little faster (no, it certainly missed a few beats here and there, are you ok there, my heart?)
Nozaki-kun furrowed his brow. "But I'm sure there was a person. At the starting of the term or sometime back… you said that, I'm sure." He nodded.
While Sakura was busy hiding her by-now-obvious discomfiture and cursing Nozaki-kun's too good memory, he leaned closer to examine her expression. When she looked up, her eyes went wide at the proximity of their faces.
"Sakura," Nozaki-kun started.
"Y-yes?" She still hadn't gotten over her inability to speak, very well done, Chiyo.
"Stay still for a minute."
Her heart jumped in her chest. "What do you mean-"
Nozaki-kun pulled out a camera and snapped a picture and exclaimed in an excited voice, "A blushing high-school girl, hm-hmm." He held the camera up and looked at with growing approval, "Youth really is the time to fall in love and chase your dreams, isn't it?"
Sakura cleared her throat to snap him out of his reverie. Nozaki-kun turned swiftly to face her, "Oh, I'm sorry, Sakura, this is so important to you,"
"Actually, I-I was thinking that," she gave a small cough, "We should get back to work."
And it's not like I can tell you that you're the person I like…
A/n: Thank you for the reviews! the most recent one prompted me to update :)