Tomoko got out her lunch, was just about ready to start her daily routine, but just before should could start Asuka came over to her desk.
"Kuroki-san, there was something I wanted to tell you the other day, but couldn't because that other girl was with you. Could I ask you something?"
Tomoko nodded, "Uh, sure."
She was about to sit down until she saw that Asuka was headed into the hall, realized to her surprise that this was a 'private' matter, and excused herself to follow her. In fact, she took Tomoko on quite a winding path before they eventually stopped near a bench in a deserted stretch of hallway. After Asuka sat down, she looked up at Tomoko with the same gaze she always did.
What is this all about?
Asuka patting the seat next to her, and, out of instinct, Tomoko sat on the far edge edge of the bench away from Asuka.
She paused, "You can sit a little closer, you know."
"Ah, sorry," she inched a little bit closer.
But from Asuka's point of view, she hardly moved at all, "Tomoko, do I make you uncomfortable?"
"Ah, sorry," Tomoko significantly closed the distance between them this time.
With a question like that, and lead-up like this, I must have upset her somehow.
Asuka repeated her question more bluntly, "Tomoko, do you not like me?"
Tomoko turned her head to look at Asuka's shoes, but she couldn't find the courage to move her eyes further up.
"Ah, well, i-i-it's not that, it's just I feel like I'm in a really expensive museum when I'm with you."
"Being with me makes you feel like that?"
"No, that's not-"
She sighed, Oh screw it, I can at least see if I can try to get a rise out of her like I do with Nemo.
"Katou-san, I just feel like you're out of my league. I mean, you're at least a nine or possibly even a ten on the hotness scale."
Asuka turned her body slightly to look over at Tomoko. Tomoko could feel her gaze and started to get even more nervous.
"Really?"
Tomoko nodded.
"So, you think I'm 'hot?'"
Tomoko didn't even hesitate for a second, "Oh hell yes."
There was a long pause. Crap, I wasn't thinking when I said th-
Asuka sidled closed to Tomoko, pressing her side against Tomoko, "Are you nervous right now?"
"Ah, well, uh, yeah."
Asuka gently placed her fingers underneath Tomoko's chin, forcing her to look up at her face.
Tomoko's heart started pounding, but all her brain could think when she looked at her face was, Wh...wh...whoaaaaa.
She held Tomoko's face in place as she stared at her.
"Kuroki, your face is turning red, are you alright?"
Tomoko's mouth was apparently on autopilot, "Well yeah, you're beautiful."
Tomoko saw a rare smile from Asuka, "Is that so?"
Tomoko suddenly felt like she wasn't breathing, WHAT'S GOING ONNNNNNNNNNNNNN.
Asuka leaned her face in closer as Tomoko pushed herself back into the wall, "Y-yeah."
Asuka stopped at the last moment, "You know, Kuroki-san, I don't think you're that bad looking yourself."
Tomoko's body felt like it had frozen up, NOWAYNOWAYNOWAY
"Is," Tomoko throat and mouth was completely dry as she could barely speak, "Is that so?"
She continued to hold with a face that remained in some Buddha-like state of stoicism, "Will you wait for me after classes today?"
Tomoko didn't even think, "Yes."
And as if nothing had happened, Asuka got up, smiled with her perfect, unreadable, poker face, and returned back to class.
Tomoko felt as if her back was glued to the wall behind her, What happened?
She spent a couple minutes just trying to get her physiological functioning to go back to normal, before she suddenly stopped and looked up, Wait, is Katou-san a lesbian like me?
She pondered this for a moment, raking her memory for any hints or signs; and then she blinked, catching what she just thought, and bringing her hands up to cradle her head, Whoawhoawhoa, wait, "like me?"
