Pale moonlight seeped through the crack in your bedroom curtains as you tossed and turned. A glance over at the alarm clock confirmed your fears: 2:47AM. A light ache sat at the back of your head, and getting to sleep was proving almost impossible. Nevertheless, you closed your eyes tightly again, and found yourself imagining.

The floor is cold, and hard. No mat to support your knees. Just thin linoleum, and hands. Warm hands clasped around your shoulders, firm but not tight, steady yet gentle.

The sweet smell of sweat and deodorant. The soft impact of nervous breathing. The vague sensation of lips connecting – wandering fingers, clamouring at fabric – the chill of air hitting bare skin – the heat rises, hotter and hotter – and then –

Your eyes snap open, you bolt upright and you throw the bedcovers clumsily into a pile on the floor.

This feeling had sat with you all night. After being teased by your mother over the growing pink blush in your cheeks, and wolfing down a quick meal, you had retreated to your room and tried countless things to distract yourself. All to no avail, however. Sighing, you resigned yourself to the ache, sank back down onto the mattress and stared out through half-lidded eyes at the pitch black strip of sky.


Morning came, and you rose from a light hour or so of sleep with a stiff neck and weary eyes. Shutting off the gentle beep of the alarm, you stretched out your arms with a groan, before walking over to the wardrobe and dressing yourself with languid, slow movements. Despite this sleep-deprived state, that feeling of excitement and nerves revived itself as you ran through your morning routine. Teeth brushed, breakfast eaten, bag packed. You brought the training uniform down with you, and silently cursed to yourself for forgetting to wash it in your embarrassed rush yesterday. But there wasn't time to wash it now – a quick spray of fabric freshener would do, since it had only been worn once, and with that, you carefully fit it into your bag and turned to leave.

As your hand grabbed the door handle, you noticed that the mail had been posted through the letterbox. Three letters in all – a plain white envelope addressed to your mother (most likely bills), a brown one addressed to your father (probably also bills), and a… small lilac envelope, address side down, with a pastel pink heart sticker placed over the seal. You could feel your heart thudding wildly in your chest. Could it be for you? You gently kneeled down to pick the letters up, and as you did so, flipped it over to reveal –

Ugh. Just pretentious junk mail. (Who sends out junk in a pretty envelope like that? It was especially irritating now.)

Tossing the mail over onto the counter, you huffed out an indignant sigh and left the house, door shutting with a small thud behind you.


Stepping through the school gates, you glanced at your phone screen for the time – 7:14AM, slightly later than usual, but still plenty of time before morning lessons began. You slid the phone into your back pocket and walked the short distance up to the school entrance, before pausing in surprise.

Budo was at his locker, putting away his outdoor shoes and organizing his schoolbooks. A calm, relaxed smile rested on his face, and a lock of fluffy dark hair dangled beneath his headband, bouncing lightly against his brow as he moved his head around. He seemed to whisper something to himself, then let out a quiet chuckle and closed his locker door, having finished his sorting. As he turned to walk further into the building, he swung his shoulders back to slide off his jacket (it was quite a warm day, after all) and draped it over his right shoulder, holding it firmly in place. You could see his hair bounce about as he walked away. It was hard to describe as anything other than adorable, but you quickly shook yourself and went to your own locker. This whole thing was ridiculous. You'd joined the Martial Arts club, and after about two hours in his company you were smitten? Completely ridiculous. Stepping into your indoor shoes and stuffing the other pair onto the locker shelf, you slammed the door shut with slightly more force than was necessary, and exhaled sharply.

'Are you okay?'

You almost yelped in shock as you spun round to face the girl who had spoken – in your thoughts, you hadn't heard anyone walking up – and blinked at the sight. This girl wasn't in your class, and you hadn't spoken to her before, but her genuine tone gave you the impression that she was nice, and you released the tension in your shoulders. 'Oh, I'm just a bit tired, that's all. Thanks for asking, though-'

'Don't mention it!' She cut you off just before you finished, grinning cheerfully. 'Hey, you're new, right? Kokona Haruka, Class 3-2! Nice to meet you!' Kokona bowed her head lightly, purple twindrills swinging back and forth for a few moments. It occurred to you that she was in the same class as Budo, but before you could say anything, she stepped back with a panicked expression. 'Oh, no! I'm sorry, I forgot I'm supposed to be meeting the rest of the Cooking Club right now! Well, it was nice meeting you – see you around!' And with that, Kokona dashed around the corner, shoes clacking against the floor. You briefly considered going after her, but there wasn't really much point in bothering the club if you weren't going to join, right? So instead, you walked in the other direction towards the stairs, figuring that a good stroll might wake you up some more.


An hour and one unsuccessful walk later, you slid the door to Class 2-1 open and wearily stepped inside. Most of the class had arrived, since it was only a few minutes until lesson began, and among them Mina's welcoming grin beckoned you over. You sat down at your desk, next to hers.

'Hey! How are you feelin'? Budo-senpai said you weren't so great after yesterday…' You felt a shiver course through you as she mentioned him. Leaning back in your seat, you cleared your throat before responding.

'I'm okay, though I didn't get much sleep. Maybe I overdid it yesterday…'

'Yeah, I can tell. Oh, I mean, you look fine, but you look tired too, y'know? Not in a bad way though! Just in a… tired way…' Mina backpedalled from her first remark, worried she might have insulted you. You simply laughed and shook your head in response.

'Nah, it's fine. I'll be alright in a bit.' You tried your best to reassure her, but she still looked somewhat concerned as the teacher walked in, sliding the attendance sheet neatly into place in the middle of her desk. She glanced up at the clock, surveyed the room, and then hummed softly.

'Looks like everyone's here on time! Right, first of all, I have an announcement from the headmaster: there have been an increasing number of students caught with cigarettes during lunch, which as you should know is completely unacceptable, and…'

The lecture continued on as you zoned out, not really bothered. You were a pretty good kid, so there was no point worrying about being told off. You looked over to see Mina paying about as much attention, idly tracing circles on the desk with her finger. Her deep chestnut hair hung lightly over her shoulders, and you made a note to ask what shampoo she used later.

As time crawled on, you thought over what Mina had just said.

'Budo-senpai said you weren't so great after yesterday…'

It wasn't really unexpected that Mina and Budo would have spoken that morning, but… of all things, why had he chosen to talk about you? You hadn't caused that big of a fuss, right? Maybe you'd been a nuisance having him help you… maybe you'd weirded him out with your stupid, squeaky voice – no. He was a good person. He was just being a concerned, considerate upperclassman.

But it's not like he actually cares that much, right?

Either way, it was going to be a long morning, from the sound of it - for better or worse.


Several agonising hours of dazed studying and zoning out (broken up by a half hour of lunch break where nothing eventful occurred) and lessons were finished for the day. The weariness was clearly still present in your expression, as Mina spoke up when you both stood up to leave. 'You shouldn't overdo it, you know. I'll let Budo know you're still not well if you wanna go h-'

'I'm coming to the club.' You said. The thought of spending more time in his presence filled you with determina- well, energy, at least. But you definitely agreed that you weren't going to be up to much actual work. 'I'll sit the practice out, but I want to observe, so I can learn some more stuff.'

Mina raised an eyebrow, but smiled. 'It's nice to see you're dedicated! Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?' She lightly patted you on the back. 'I'll go ahead, then. See you in a few!' You both nodded as she bounced out of the classroom, leaving just you and a few other stragglers behind. Gathering up your books, you did the same after a moment. Your footsteps were heavy and yet faster as you went to collect your training clothes, and you bounded back up the stairs with vigour seemingly from nowhere. Ugh… I've spent the whole day feeling confused and ill, but I'm still going? I really have gone mad…

In no time at all, you were at the Martial Arts clubroom. As you sailed through the doors, the group again turned to face you. Mina smiled again, and so did Juku, Shima and Sho, who you assumed must not have been present for Budo and Mina's chat. Budo himself, however, seemed to lightly furrow his brow in a mix of concern and surprise. If he had any major worries, however, he didn't say them aloud, and he seemed to relax after you spoke: 'I'm not going to take part properly today, because I'm not feeling… too good… but I'll get changed and watch anyway!' The rest of the group were briefly concerned as well, but nodded in approval and turned back to their leader. Budo gathered his composure, aware of the attention.

'Your dedication is greatly respected! Feel free to relax, then. Your health is important, after all!' His words were filled with the same energy and clarity as usual, but there was a slight tinge to his tone that made you consider how worried he might actually be. He was a fairly expressive person, but there was the impression there that he didn't quite let his full emotions run free. Probably something to do with discipline and attitude, you pondered.

After changing in the cubicle and walking over to sit in the corner, the club began its usual daily training routine. You made sure to take in as much information as you could – paying attention to the way Mina tucked her elbows in just so, and how Juku and Shima only kicked at a certain height, and so on. But of course, once again you could feel your focus wavering, gaze drawn to the leader; his radiant energy, his encouraging smile, his toned chest, his warm hands-

Ugh, don't start thinking about it like that again!

The afternoon passed quickly, and long before you would have liked, the group were filing into the changing room once again to return to their everyday clothes. Once all except you and Budo had changed, the other four bowed in goodbye and left the room. As they did, you noticed Mina look over at you with another grin… or was it a smirk? She also seemed to look back at Budo before exiting. What's that about?

'Did you learn well today?' Budo walked over to you, offering a hand to pull you up from your seat. 'I'm sorry if you felt left out at all. I just didn't want to overexert you, you see.' Taking his outstretched hand, you nearly squeak as he firmly pulls you to standing position.

'No, it's o-okay, Masuta-senpai, I-'

'Oh, don't feel you need to be so formal! 'Budo' will suffice!' He laughed briefly, before reapplying his expression of mild concern. 'But honestly, are you sure you're alright? You look like you're making a lot of effort… which is great, of course, it's just I wouldn't want you to put yourself out of commission for a longer time than I- than you would like to be.' His self-correction sent a tingling sensation to the tips of your ears. Was he really this worried?

'It's really not that bad, Budo-senpai… I just didn't get much sleep after yesterday. I'm sure I'll sleep like a baby tonight!' You forced yourself to flash a quick smile, but it didn't faze him by much.

'Are you sure? Would you like me to walk back with you again just in case? And I said, just 'Budo' is fine! Outside of our training sessions, we are equals!' A sharp intake of breath left you light-headed, but you remained steady, refusing to fall like yesterday. Even if it means he'll hold me again-

'If it would reassure you, then… please do… Budo…' Dropping the honorific felt wrong, somehow, but you brushed yourself down and headed for the changing room. 'I'll change in here again, then.'

'Of course! I'll put away this mat and change out here again, then.'

You drew the curtain shut behind you and breathed a sigh of relief as you slid out of the training gear and back into your uniform. Taking a few moments to adjust the hem of your skirt and the tie, you closed your eyes and wondered how short the journey home would feel again. It was a bit depressing that the peaceful walk home was so short, but it was a welcome reward for a day of tiredness and boredom. Change complete, you slid the curtain back open.

Budo stood in front of you, shirt hanging off one arm, exposing his torso fully. His trousers were on, and his gear was neatly folded in a pile next to him, but he clearly wasn't quite done changing. You squealed out an apology before turning around, but not before the image seared itself into your head. You'd already seen flashes of his chest during the training exercises, but to see it fully on display like this… glistening with sweat, light muscle indentation across his abs, the rise and fall of his ribcage as he breathed-

Your thoughts were interrupted by a brisk laugh.

'Oh, don't worry! I'm to blame for taking longer than last time!' Budo spoke with his usual confidence, accompanied by the soft rustle of his shirt fabric. 'I'm dressed fully now! Feel free to turn around!' You did so, and his words rung true, shirt now fully buttoned and covering his midriff and chest. You almost wish it weren't. Although one thing you could see was the light tinge of pink across his cheeks. Was he embarrassed too? Either way, it was waaaay too cute to handle and you coughed a few times before speaking.

'Still, I-I'm sorry, Budo-sen… Budo.' If you keep calling him '-senpai' he might get annoyed, an anxious part of you comments.

'No hard feelings! Anyway, shall we depart?'


As the pair of you crossed the boundary of the school grounds, you found yourself glancing repeatedly over at Budo. It hadn't really occurred to you until now, but it was Friday, and this meant two things: one, you had completed your first week at Akademi High, and two, you wouldn't see Budo until Monday. That said, you were making the most of what time you had.

Seemingly, Budo must have thought the same thing (about your first week, not the other part) and spoke. 'So, how do you feel your first week at our school has been? You seem to be enjoying yourself!'

'Yeah, I'm having a great time!' You muster up the energy for enthusiasm – in about ten minutes, you could collapse on the sofa and sleep through the whole weekend. 'Everyone's so nice and welcoming.'

'I'm truly glad you feel that way! Of course, you'll always be welcome at the Martial Arts club, and it's good to know the other groups of students are treating you with the respect you deserve!' Budo flashed a hearty grin with his response, and your knees threatened to buckle underneath you, but you retained your moderate walking pace. 'How, may I ask, will you be spending this weekend?'

You mulled it over for a moment, then replied. 'I don't have any major plans… I'll probably just stay in and do my homework, watch some TV, maybe go out with my family at some point, I guess.' This reply clearly meant something to Budo, as he stopped speaking for a couple of minutes to think. Studying his face while trying to avoid gazing into his deep, rich eyes was challenging, but eventually he barked out a response.

'If you're free then, how's this? I might be having the other members of the club over one of the two days for a small get together, and if you'd like, you're naturally invited too!' You almost froze where you stood, but just about managed to keep walking. Hang out with Budo? This weekend? At his house?! This must be a dream. Of course, your vision this morning had never ended, and you were imagining all of this. Of course. This was far too good to be true. Even so…

'I'd love to!' The word love hung on the surface of your tongue like a sour lemon drop, even in a casual circumstance such as this. Regardless, you brushed it aside and watched Budo as a smile lit up his face.

'Wonderful! I'll add you on Facebook later – you do have it, right?' You nodded. 'Good – and message you the details of the day and time at some point, okay?' Upon saying this, Budo stopped still. You stopped alongside him and waited for a minute, then frowned.

'Why are we stood still?'

'Well… this is your house, right? I saw it yesterday, after all.'

Aw man. So soon again? Realising that this was the end of the line, you sighed, and stepped towards the entrance, but before you could reach out to touch the handle, Budo's hand curled around your wrist, freezing you in your tracks.

'Please, take care of yourself this weekend. Get some rest.'

You turned to face him again and nearly choked on your breath at the sight. Budo's facial expression was more pained than you'd seen thus far, even when you'd collapsed into his arms. There was no mask of confidence here – he was genuinely concerned for you, and while the sadness in his eyes was displeasing, the fact it was for your sake spread a shock of warmth through you. You had to look away as you felt your face flush red.

'Of c-course, Budo-senpai.' Damn it! You said '-senpai' again! Now he'll-

But as you glance back up, Budo's expression is still genuine and kind, and he chuckles under his breath. 'I suppose that's just a habit, isn't it? Ah well. It's…' He stops himself. Why? You shiver, aware that his fingers are still coiled around your wrist, practically burning you with their warmth. 'I'll be on my way now, then.' He drops his hand away, finally.

'Okay… th-thanks again…' This stuttering was something you'd definitely have to work on. Chuckling once more, Budo set off as you grabbed the handle and turned, door creaking open. You could hear him whisper to himself as you stepped inside.

'It's kind of…'

You aren't certain. And your ears are probably playing tricks on you.

But you could almost swear he said '…cute.'


Notes: faliing in love several times over when you write #justbudothings