This'll be the last one in a while. I am now confirming my two-month hiatus. Check my profile or PM me for more info.

Disclaimer: As ever, not mine.

"Are you asking me out?"

The question rolled through my mouth with such lightning speed that I wondered if this was what I had been planning all along. It was almost like a natural reflex. Horrified, I clamped my jaws together and bit my lip.

Wait.

Did I just say that out loud?

It wasn't as if I really liked Inui, or anything.

Right?

I shook my head to clear up all the messy thoughts. Voicing this thought had clearly been a bad idea.

Right?

Inui was taken aback, and blinked about five times before breaking out into an interrogation fit.

"Why would you ever think that, Maruko-san? Do my gestures appear as if I'm asking you out on a date? Do all girls your age respond like this if I ask a question of this nature? Why does this seem like a date proposal? If you wish for me to back off, Maruko-san, by all means I would…"

"No," I cut him off firmly and then took in a breath of air, my mouth suddenly dry, "It's because…"

Because what?

"I-I…think I like you, Inui-san."

I wanted to mentally punch myself. Was this a confession that I had just made? This was something I would have never done, never. But it had just come out of my mouth. I'd just confirmed that I had a crush on Inui Sadaharu.

And then an even bigger lump formed in my cerebral hemisphere. This is Inui Sadaharu we're talking about. Resident smart ass. Data man. The environmentally-damaging juice-maker, for kami-sama's sake.

His face was impassive and silent as he digested this information. I couldn't look at him properly, and gazed down at my shoes. What was wrong with me today?

Trying to gather more courage, I swallowed and stuck my chin up.

I stared at him, at his crazily-spiked hair, his quirked brows that suggested a slight puzzlement. His features seemed to blare out at me, and my eyes took it all in, almost hungrily.

After a full three minutes of silence, I accepted his stunned rejection without any comment.

It didn't take an idiot to figure out that he wasn't interested.

If Inui had been any other guy, I would've slapped him already, right there on the cheek. It was what China-chan would've done.

But he was Inui.

And, also very cute.

Okay, that's enough of that.

"But…why?" And so he asks the question.

Did there have to be an explanation for something you just feel?

"Take off your glasses," I demanded.

"No," a blunt, curt response.

"Y-Your eyes," I repeated what I had said that day at the mall, "they're…blue."

Blue. And –oddly– beautiful.

"No, they're not."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Then prove it."

He sighed, "Okay, if I do, you have to promise to not tell anyone what you. You got that? No one. Not even Chinatsu."

I nodded earnestly, eager to direct the subject away from my awkward confession and partly curious, "I promise."

He took a long minute to survey the surroundings and make sure that there were no possible stalking positions and suspicious people hanging around. I swung my head around, too, for good measure. Nope. Nothing but the grass and trees, sidewalk was empty save for a few loose newspapers blowing in the wind and some kid's lost cap.

And he took them off. Tugged his tightly-wedged black frames right off the bridge of his nose.

I held my breath.

"Are you happy now?"

Blue irises, sharp, blue ones stared back at me.

And then he did something else that really surprised me. He waved a hand over his eyes and I heard a little muffled plop! as he popped the eyeballs right out of their sockets.

I gasped, and screamed…but only started laughing when he pulled his hands away.

His eyes…they were green, now.

I think I heard myself heave a sigh of relief.

"I have another pair of contact lenses on," his lips curled into a smile at my expression, "would you like me to take those off, too?"

I smiled, "No. It's okay. You really are evasive, Inui Sadaharu."

Oh, kami-sama, I've really fallen for him. Bright eyes, baggy green sweats, the whole package. I never thought it possible, but I have.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in a café, discussing his recent notes on Fuji Syuusuke's behavior. The conversation, even in its lulls, never directed itself back to my confession. I was partially happy about that, but also felt a little melancholy towards his unrequited affection. Oh, well. I can hardly do anything about the feelings some guy has toward me.

I noticed (and I really shouldn't have) how he pulled out a chair for me before seating himself down, and asked the waitress for my favorite drink (pineapple juice) before I had to open my mouth. Being a data collector does have its perks. The juice did have a weird vegetable taste to it, and the seat a little sticky spot on the bottom, but the gestures meant a lot to me. It was almost like we were going out.

Almost.

In the middle of our conversation, while we were talking about the growth patterns of Fuji's fangirl club, I suggested something that seemed like a perfectly good and sensible idea.

"Inui-san, would you like a fanclub?"

His face turned blank, swiped away of thought, as he mumbled, dejectedly, "I don't understand why I don't have one already, I mean, it's not as if I don't have excellent tennis skills, or well-defined genius, and my looks aren't…"

I coughed before he could start on his personal appearance.

"I could be your fangirl."

He quickly declined the offer, but I could see that the idea had buried its roots in his head.

"I—I didn't know you like that sort of thing."

"But I think you deserve a fanclub."

"Well, that's true, but, I mean, it would be adding unnecessary burdens…it'll also complicate our relationship."

I liked the sound of those words. Our relationship.

"Oh, I don't mind."

"Well…whatever you say."

And that settled the matter. The talk went back to Fuji's recent test scores.

Before we went our separate ways at the end of our data session, I grabbed his arm. It had been bugging me quite a bit, I'll admit.

"Inui-san, i—is it okay, if I call you Sadaharu?"

He replied with a shrug.

"I don't really care."

A/N: More hints. And, of COURSE I'm not ending it here! The first part of the story is done, the rest is yet to come. This is just the starting point.

But, before that...the hiatus. Two-months, guys. Sorry for the delays...however, I'll still be frequenting the forums, my blogs, and etc. And (maybe) a one-shot in the middle. But this story is GOING ON HIATUS.

Okay.

Thanks for reading! Please give a review!