Most of his posts involved the rest of the club members – it seems they took group pictures outside of school a lot. After this weekend, will I be in some of these pictures? The thought made warmth rise in your cheeks again, and you knew if your mother was in the room right now she'd be teasing you like crazy for it. Puffing out a breath, you continued scrolling.

In the end, you didn't really learn anything new from his timeline. He seemed the kind of person to only use social media on occasion, which you could relate to somewhat, although you wish there was more to see. Sighing, you were just about to close the browser window for a while when –

You have one (1) new message.

Budo: Hi! The group meeting will be tomorrow, from half past ten through to the evening. Are you still free to come?

A happy buzz shot up your spine, and you had to slow your key taps down for fear of breaking the keyboard. You'd asked your parents over tea if there were plans for the weekend, to which they had said no, you were free to make plans of your own.

You: Yeah, I'm still free c:

The smiley face on the end was debated for a while, changed between c: and (: several times, and you considered whether it was necessary at all, but eventually you cast your worry aside and shakily hit enter. A few seconds passed. Then the 'Budo is writing' dots popped up, followed by a pop! sound.

Budo: Excellent! Here's my address. Do you know the way?

You: I should be able to find it, yeah.

Budo: That's good to hear. I'll see you tomorrow then!

You tried to think of something to say to continue the conversation, but before you had the chance to type he was offline. Aw, boo. That's a shame. I guess he's just busy at the moment.

Finally clicking away to another tab, you popped your earbuds in and set yourself up in a familiar routine of watching YouTube videos and so on. This continued until you felt yourself unable to keep your eyes open, and with a twinge of relief you lay your head back and fell into a peaceful sleep just as the clock ticked over to midnight.


The sound of birds chirping lay in the background of the moment.

His hand was so soft, and it held your wrist with a firm but soothing grip.

'I suppose that's just a habit, isn't it? Ah well. It's…'

This moment was familiar. You knew what would happen next. He'd say goodbye, let go, and walk slowly away. And under his breath, you'd hear him say it.

'It's kind of… cute.' Yes. You'd just about make that out from his hushed tone, his eyes half-lidded, and a pleasant smile across his face. If only – wait –

He'd just said it here. He was still holding you.

And from there, the memory shifted. His hand loosened its grip, only to slide slightly down and clasp around your own hand, fingers curled over the back, palm flat against yours. You turned to face him, saw his eyes twinkle with an excitement you shared, and felt your hair flip over your shoulders as he pulled you towards him.

It felt as if time was slowing. In slow-motion, you could see every detail of his sharp jawline, his parted lips, his collarbone as his shirt slipped off - stood in front of you, shirt hanging off one arm, exposing his torso – and you blinked a few times, and suddenly his eyes contained a quiet sadness - he was genuinely concerned for you - it was for your sake – a shock of warmth – skin colliding with skin –

The harsh blare of the alarm woke you, and you flipped over to face down, frustrated screams muffled by your pillows in the light of dawn.


You turned the shower off, dial creaking slightly, and stepped out to dry off. You were definitely feeling much better after a good night's sleep, but that dream had only managed to strengthen the heat bubbling in your chest. The shower had felt more and more like a sauna, and the condensation trickling down the screen door seemed to be as heavy and groggy as your footsteps. Quickly squeezing as much moisture out of your hair as possible, you towelled off and slipped into your dressing gown, heading back to your room to blow-dry your hair and get dressed proper.

It took a long time to decide what to wear. You weren't usually that concerned with your looks, but you felt it mattered today – I gotta impress Budo-senpai, make a good impression – and so you carefully and meticulously flicked through your wardrobe. That dress was too flashy. Those jeans were too casual. And that skirt was far too short. Eventually, you settled on a simple black camisole and thin purple hoodie, matching a purple knee-length skirt with black tights and trainers. Not too bland, not too excessive. Hopefully he likes purple!

Gathering up your things – phone, keys, emergency money – and stuffing them into your pockets, you took one last glance at the clock. 10:03AM. You were a few minutes ahead of where you needed to be, but better to be early than late. Shouting a quick goodbye to your parents as you left the house, you realised there was a bounce in your step that you hadn't noticed before. Maybe it hadn't been there, since you were a little ill. Or maybe you'd been ill, and you hadn't noticed.

Did it really make much difference?

It was about a twenty minute walk down to Budo's house, but each step felt more and more rushed, and you worried you might be on track to arrive almost too early. But as the house that purportedly belonged to Budo came into view, you checked your phone to see it was twenty-five past, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Five minutes early was practically standard, right? Walking up to the door, you gathered your thoughts, pulled your skirt down a little and knocked.

You stood there for a few seconds, heart thudding in your chest. Tension rising.

Then the door swung swiftly open, and you came face to face with Mina. The knot in your stomach unfurled partly, and you both grinned at one another.

'Hey! You look great today.' Mina smiled, clearly glad you were better, and motioned for you to come inside. 'It's just us at the moment; the other three will be here slightly late, in about ten minutes probably. Sho overslept, ditz that he is…' Laughing, you stepped over the threshold and shivered as the door closed behind you.

As you slid your shoes off and placed them on the mat to the side, you felt a flash of yesterday pass through your mind. After club practice had finished, and the others left… Mina had smirked at you, right? You were pretty sure, thinking back. But what for?

'Hey, can I ask you something?' Mina cut your thoughts off with a sly tone, and you turned to face her. She had a mischievous glint in her eye.

'Uh, sure, what is it?'

'You like Masuta-senpai, don't you?'

The blood rushed to your cheeks again, a familiar sense of embarrassment heightened as your eyes darted around, wondering where Budo was, and if he'd heard what Mina just said. As you did so, she laughed and leaned in slightly. 'He's in the kitchen sorting food out, he won't have heard that.' She whispered playfully. 'But I'm right, right?'

'Why does it matter?!' You whisper-shout back, knees trembling slightly. Mina laughs, slightly louder this time.

'Becaaaaause I think it's great!' Her playful tone continued, poking you lightly in the arm. 'It's so obvious, y'know. The other members and I were talking about it yesterday.'

'The other members? Wait-'

'No, not Budo, just the rest of us.' Your panic subsided slightly. 'Hell, he's in the top five most oblivious people I know; I doubt he has a clue. He's a bit distracted, always thinking about enlightenment and justice and all that, yeah?' Mina snickered, and looked over her shoulder. Budo was walking from the kitchen to the living room with bowls and plates of snacks layered across his arms. After setting them down on the coffee table, he looked up and saw the two of you.

'Ah, you're here! I'm glad you could make it today.' Budo walked over to greet you. You tried your best to reduce the redness in your cheeks, but in the corner of your eye, Mina's silent giggling wasn't helping at all. You resolved to kick her at some point. 'I was worried you'd still be in poor health, but you look…' He paused, and you locked eyes with him, seeing that same twinge of concern you'd seen several times up to now. '…fantastic. You look fantastic!' He laughed; you squeaked; Mina hummed mock-innocently. The kick count went up by one.

Once the moment had passed, Budo motioned for you to sit down. As you sunk back into the chair in the corner, you took the chance to look around Budo's home. The walls were a warm, inviting blue; the floor dark hardwood, with a cream rug under the table; said oak coffee table glistened cleanly, laden with the snacks he had just brought through. The air hung lightly with a lavender smell, and you felt peaceful, and welcomed.

Several minutes of light conversation later and the rest of the club had arrived. Sho bowed and gave a somewhat panicked apology, but Budo simply chuckled and told him not to worry, that is wasn't a problem. Juku and Shima eagerly wandered in and sat cross-legged on the floor, while Sho and Budo both fell lightly onto the sofa, and Mina took the chair in the opposite corner. Once everyone was comfortable, Mina chimed in, cheerful tone emphasized.

'So, how was everyone's week, then?'


The discussion was light-hearted and comforting. It was probably the first real time since starting at Akademi High that you'd hung out with a group of friends like this, and while you had already found yourself happy with your new school life, this easy-going atmosphere made the choice to transfer seem like an even better decision.

Juku and Shima each talked about their fellow first-years; in particular, Shima had apparently befriended a girl called Yui in her class, and spoke of her in a positive light, although Juku apparently had his reservations towards her. They went back and forth with their opinions for a while before concluding that they wouldn't be able to agree, and left it at that. Following this, Juku looked up at you.

'You've only been here for a week, right? Have you made many other friends?' You think back for a moment, and then remember your encounter yesterday.

'I met a nice girl called Kokona on Friday morning. We didn't hang out for long, but she seemed alright, I guess.'

'Ah, Haruka? She's in my class!' Budo chimed in. You already knew that, but you still smiled in recognition (and tried to ignore both the warmth in your face and the grin on Mina's). 'Yes, she's a good person. And her cooking skills are excellent! I hope you get to try her specialty at some point.' He leaned forwards. 'For now, I suppose these will have to do, mind!' Budo grabbed a handful from one of the bowls – this one held some kind of crackers – and laughed before beginning to eat them.

'Yeah, she said she was in the Cooking Club.' Just before she ran off, you recall. 'I'll have to ask her at some point.'

And with that, the chatter continued. A few hours passed, and you could feel yourself sinking into the armchair, feeling more and more content, when-

'Hey, let's play truth or dare!'

Excuse me? Oh, no. You almost glared at Mina as a natural response, before realising it had actually been Shima who'd spoken.

'Oh yeah, we usually do, don't we?' Juku followed her up. You worriedly looked around, hoping someone would object, but everyone nodded in approval, and you begrudgingly did so as well. You weren't really averse to the game in general, but if you were picked, and Mina got to choose… oh God, please don't.

'Who's going first, then?' Mina chirped. 'I'm picking!' Mina don't do this please I'll die I'll die of embarrassment please Mina no-

'Shoooo! Truth or dare?' Ah, thank hell.


From there, madness ensued. Sho picked truth, and was asked about the rumour that he used to date the new gym teacher (which he laughed at, and calmly denied). Then he chose Shima, who picked dare, and had to eat a spoonful of wasabi. After this, armed with iced water and tissues for her watering eyes, she dared Juku to prank call his sister, and so on and so forth. As the chaos unfolded, you began to see a much more playful, childish side to everyone, usually hidden behind the respectable reputation of the Martial Arts club. You were given a couple of minor challenges by Juku and Sho, but nothing too harrowing.

And then control span back round to Mina. She chose you.

'Truth or dare?' You ran through possible outcomes. If you picked truth…

Do you like anyone at the moment? – that was almost bearable, but…

Who do you like? – nope, not happening.

The dares thus far hadn't been bad, so you went for that option instead. Mina's eyes sparked as you did, and an immediate regret wormed its way into your stomach.

'Dare… hmm… in that case… nah, I'll go easy.' You exhaled slightly. 'Just give your favourite one of us a hug! Ahaha!'

How many kicks do I owe you now, Mina?

'Uh… okay…' You tried your best to sound more underwhelmed than overwhelmed. This could be solved, right? You could hug someone else instead. But aside from today, you've barely spoken to Juku… or Shima… or Sho…

You took a step towards Budo. Could I just hug Mina? We're pretty good friends, right?

Another step. Everyone was standing, from a previous dare, and you could see Shima and Juku swivel to watch you. Just turn and hug Mina, just turn and hug Mina-

You were face to face with Budo now. It felt like the air was solid, forcing your arms by your sides, your feet stuck where you stood. You chanced a look at his expression. His eyes were slightly wide, mouth slightly open in surprise. Turn around turn around turn around-

Squeezing your eyes shut, and swallowing a dry throat, you swung your heavy arms partway up and grasped them around his waist. As you did so, you leaned forward, pushing your front flat against his. An immediate burning sensation spread across your chest. Budo's thin shirt fabric flattened against his skin, and you could lightly feel the curvature of his abs pressing barely into your stomach. You heard a breath catching in someone's throat – not yours, but his. Your head was rested on his shoulder, and the sharp inhale made him stand slightly straighter. Trying your absolute best not to start shaking nervously, you quickly squeezed harder before releasing, stepping back and letting your arms drop languidly back to your sides. After a few seconds of anxious thought, you slowly opened your eyes, and as you did, it was as if the world became unpaused.

'Ahahaha! Of course Budo-senpai's your favourite! He's a great leader, after all, right?' Mina laughed louder than she needed to. Regardless, the other members reacted similarly.

'I'm glad you look up to Masuta-senpai like the rest of us!' Shima gleefully added. Juku nodded calmly in agreement, and Sho hummed as a similar response.

Meanwhile, you looked at Budo, and had to restrain a squeal. He was bright pink, with his eyes much wider, hardly blinking, and his mouth agape still. He stood frozen like this for a few seconds as the other girls laughed, before snapping out of his trance and brushing himself off with a half-grin.

'I'm glad, too… that you respect me… I…' He trailed off, looking at the floor, face flushing over again. 'Well, uh, you get to pick now, right? Who… are you choosing…?' Budo's nervous tone flustered you all the more, but you regained some focus and turned to your left.

Mina was going to pay for that.


After subjecting Mina to her rightfully-deserved punishment, time flew by, until the sun was setting and the group was exhausted. Empty snack bowls stacked in a pile on the table, the members were all filing out to put their shoes back on. You trailed at the back of the line, and as you were about to turn the corner into the hall, you felt a hand grab your wrist. A very familiar sensation, that sent flames coursing up your back. Turning to look, you saw Budo, facial expression somewhat recovered but still thrown-off, mop of hair sleepily drooping down to obscure his brow.

'I…' He paused, air catching in his throat. '…uh, I mean…' He looked away, blushing. '…am I really your favourite? I assumed… well, since you're Mina's classmate… it'd have been easier to… um…'

'Y-Yeah.' You stammered back, unsure of what you were really doing or what he was saying or what the hell was happening this is so intense I can't- 'Y-You're… really nice? Um, I mean, y-you're a great leader, after… all…'

Silence hung for a few seconds, punctuated only by the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall.

'W-Well, I… I appreciate that.' Budo glanced back up at you with an earnest smile. The kind of puppy-dog-eyed, wavering smiles that would probably make you scream if you weren't already so worked up. You smiled back, focusing your eyes on his lips. Those smooth, pale lips, delicate and shiny like silk, and probably as soft to the touch… you felt yourself leaning forwards, saw him moving closer towards you… you can feel his breath against your cheek-

'Hey, are you coming or what?' Mina called, leaning around the hall door. You jumped back, as did Budo, and coughed in shock. Mina raised an eyebrow, but evidently had missed the scene, simply giggling without any intention. 'We're waiting for you!' You looked back at Budo.

'Yeah… I'm coming now…' Hushed, you spoke as you walked into the hall. You leaned down and grabbed your shoes, pulling them towards you and slipping your feet in. Around you, sounds flowed into your head – Shima and Juku's chatter, Sho's whistling, Mina's jacket rustling, the jingle of someone's keys, the scratching of pen against paper, the crumple as it found its way into your hand-

Did someone just stuff a piece of paper into your hand?

As the rest of the gang filed out through the front door, you unfurled it, and saw a number. A phone number. Under it, the words 'call me later' in rushed handwriting, and a name: -Budo.

Looking back over your shoulder, there was nobody there.


Notes: These first three chapters were bulk uploaded from my AO3; from now, they will be uploaded at the same time, hopefully at least weekly. Enjoy!