Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews once again. Not much to write, I intended to get this out sooner but Uni has me pretty swamped. Hopefully I can play catch up this weekend update sooner next week. I appreciate the patience and hope you enjoy! Big things to come in the next chapter. ;3
Four
"Are you the one Dai-chan has been hanging out with lately?"
The warm smile that Suzune finds herself on the receiving end of comes from a girl with bright pink hair and a chest large enough to be comparable to watermelons. Her mind sours at the thought, if only because she is flat as a board in comparison. A flicker of jealousy leaves her looking a little disgruntled as she responds, "Ah, yeah... I am about to go have lunch with him."
In turn the girl beams and reaches forward, clasping Suzune's hands in her own. "Take good care of Dai-chan, okay? He seems a little more active lately. That must be thanks to you, Konoe-san."
She is mildly surprised to find the girl – Momoi, if she remembers right – knows her name. "A-Ah, okay," she agrees hesitantly.
"I was surprised when he suddenly start skipping out on lunch with Sakurai and me." As though knowing the motivation behind it all, she lets out a girlish giggle before giving Suzune a pat on the shoulder – although with more force than necessary. "Good luck!"
Left speechless, it is all Suzune can do to try to process what has just happened. And although she only belatedly realizes it, she has a feeling that the pink-haired girl has a fundamental misunderstanding about the relationship between herself and Aomine. Yet by the time she thinks to correct the misconception, the girl is already long gone and she finds herself alone in the empty hallway.
Eventually she manages to regain her composure and continue the short distance remaining between herself and the classroom. She has a sandwich in either hand, and as has become customary, Aomine should be at his desk with their juices. However, just before she can reach the threshold, she hears lively chatter within – and her name being spoken, which gives her pause.
"Aomine, you sure hang out with Konoe a lot lately. Something going on there?"
It's all idle chatter. Her first instinct is to burst in and put an end to the whole silly charade, yet she feels her heart pounding as she stands there. Her feet refuse to move. Why does she want to hear the answer to this question? Suzune finds that her breath catches in the back of her throat in anticipation of the answer.
"She just brings me lunch."
Hearing those words, her grip tightens on the sandwiches in either hand. Yet rather than enter and try to dispel the awkwardness that overhearing all of this will create, she lingers in the doorway, listening intently for more to be said.
"Hey," a girl's voice calls out in response. "Are you sure there's nothing going on? You guys seem like a couple."
"Her chest is too small."
"Ahaha, that's Aomine for you. He's not interested in small breasts."
With the most inconvenient timing, the very classmate that said those last words suddenly ventures out into the hallway. He seems to be looking back and not paying attention, which leads to him into accidentally bumping into her and knocking her backward a couple of steps.
"Oh. Konoe, you were out here?"
Her gaze falters. Almost automatically her feet start backpedaling as she can hear the screech of a chair within the classroom. The subsequent footsteps fall hard enough on the floor that she can tell, just by the weight of them, that they belonged to Aomine. And as if on cue, he peeks out from within the classroom just as she has managed to distance herself ten feet.
There is a disorienting moment where she tunes out his voice even though he seems to have called out her name. She can sense his approach but before he can get close, she bolts in the opposite direction. Her mind turns blank – like television static. Not a single thought can be properly processed in the face of how empty that comment has left her.
The pang in her chest feels heavy enough to be crushing. Why? Why is she so upset? It does not make any sense, no matter how she tries to rationalize it. And by the time she has a clear enough head to start wondering these things, she realizes that she has escaped all the way to the back of the gym. Out of breath and sweating profusely by this point, she sinks to the ground.
In her frustration, she finds herself tearing into one of the sandwiches and hastily stuffing it into her mouth. One oversized bite at a time and she is nearly choking on it as she struggles to swallow. The tears sting at the edge of her eyes but she tries to ignore them. During her struggle to hold in her tears, she does not hear the approach of the footsteps. It is only when something bumps her in the back of the head that she freezes.
"You'll choke." It is Aomine, who dangles a juice box in front of her face.
Despite the difficulty of swallowing, she manages to force down her latest bite of sandwich before snatching the juice box out of his hand. Bitterly, she stabs the straw into the box and gulps the sweet, tangy liquid down in a hurry. Then, meekly, she holds up his sandwich which she has been holding onto this entire time.
"You smashed it," he grumbles under his breath with hint of irritation. Despite his complaints, he unwraps the sandwich and gradually starts inhale it, bite by bite.
Infuriating enough is the fact that he does not seem the least bit out of breath. Did he not run, too? How did he know she would be here? She eyes him suspiciously from her crouched position. "Why are you even here?" she finally asks, sounding more glum than she intends.
"You had my lunch."
Her eye twitches in annoyance. Is that really the only reason? The disappointment feels like a rock sitting in the pit of her stomach. Although she knows she should expect as much from him, it is a little infuriating to be rebuffed in such a manner. A sigh passes through her lips as she drains the last of the juice through her straw.
"… you mad because–"
"I am mad because you are really insensitive," she interrupts, not wanting to hear whatever assumptions he has made about her feelings. "Make it up to me!"
His brows lift slightly.
"You aren't doing anything on Saturday, right? You're not busy. There are no basketball games. So you should hang out with me."
Having finished the last of his sandwich, he downs the rest of his juice before crushing the box into his fist. Contrary to her expectations that he will give an outright rejection, he seems to give her request some consideration. "Doing what?" He says it in such a way that indicates that – should he deem it boring – he will not accept her invitation.
Her mind blanks in the face of his expectations. What should she suggest? "Um... that is..." she stutters with her words as she runs through the possibilities in her mind. The movies? No, those might be too boring and cliche. Maybe the arcade? Wait, maybe that is too bland and predictable.
Suddenly she feels something brush against her hand and that shocks her back into reality, just in time to see that Aomine has relieved her of her empty juice box. "Pick a time."
"Wait, you mean you'll go?"
He shrugs. Maybe he has nothing better to do?
"Then... give me your number. So I can tell you where and when to meet up."
There is a short pause before he finally digs into his pocket and pulls out his phone. She whisks it out of his hand just as quickly – before he can even make the choice of whether or not he really wants to pass it over to her. Suzune takes advantage of the opportunity and inputs her own number before programming his into her phone.
"There we go," she declares before handing it back to him. "We'll meet up on Saturday then." Suzune suddenly stands and dusts herself off. Before she can hear his reply, she hurries off. There is a ghost of a smile on her face as she brushes by him.
There is still a bit of time before the bell rings, so she stops by Kana's classroom. Peeking in, she spots her best friend eating with a few other classmates – most of them people that Suzune is not familiar with. Save for one who happens to be in the volleyball team as well.
She sneaks up behind Kana and claps her hands down against the darker-haired girl's shoulders. "Kana-chan! I have a surprise for you."
Suzune's sudden entrance gives Kana a start but she smiles nervously despite that. "Y-yeah? Did something good happen?" Their friendship has been a little tense since the debacle several days ago, but having been friends for this long, Suzune has confidence in making reparations.
"Mm, do you have a minute?"
Kana glances briefly at the other girls before standing from her chair. The two venture to the far side of the room, where Suzune conveys her intentions.
"I asked Aomine to go out with you on Saturday. Just tell me what time is good and what place and it's a done deal." She supplies a reassuring wink at the end, although through the entire conversation she feels almost nauseous. Her stomach is twisting in knots, and despite her attempts to ignore it, her expression does not come across as cheerful as she intends.
"Suzu-chan, you... you don't like Daiki-kun too, do you?"
Her eyes widen in surprise and she laughs it off nervously. "Are you kidding, Kana-chan? I got involved in all of this for your sake, after all. Why would you think something like that?"
Despite the excuses that she makes, Kana does not seem entirely convinced. "If you say so."
"Anyways, so when is a good time? And where do you want to go?" Suzune presses on, changing the subject. The bell rings just after she manages to extract the necessary information. She gives her best friend a wave before hurrying off to her class.
It is not until after school and after club activities that she finally finds the time to text Aomine with the details. The sun is already setting by this time and she finds herself making the trek back to her house as she hastily types out the message. "And sent," she declares. The reply is not immediate – and rather, she is not really expecting one – yet she does receive a brief message sometime later that night.
"Okay. I'll be there."
Incredibly vague and concise as is his nature. He always gives off an air of perpetual boredom – even in his messages. She sighs to herself as her eyes flit across it for the umpteenth time. And perhaps it is not the most sane thing she has done, but she finds herself typing out a new message to him.
"What would you say... if I told you I liked you?"
Her heart beats wildly the moment she presses send. A part of her wants to take it back, to turn back the dial of time and stop herself from ever typing out something so obnoxious. What is she even thinking? She has gone through this whole mess trying to set up Aomine with her best friend. While she is inwardly berating herself with these thoughts, she gets a reply.
"Your chest is too small, not interested."
That response should not come as a surprise. But why does she feel her heart sink in disappointment? More importantly – if he feels put off by this hint of a confession, then he might decide against showing up on Saturday. Then she risks jeopardizing the entire setup.
Trying to salvage the situation, she sends a response saying, "Haha, of course. It was just a joke – I was kidding~" But the tears forming in the ducts of her eyes say otherwise.