They had won.

Kuro stumbled back, knocked off balance by his teammates, falling to the ground with them all landing on top of him. He couldn't breathe. Their weight was pressing the air out of his lungs. But most of all he was stunned breathless. Was this really happening? Was an entire group of people really... hugging him?

His friends... piled up on top of him... hugging him...

He must be dreaming. This couldn't be real. People couldn't possibly like him that much. He didn't deserve it... all that trust, all that joy, all that love thrown at him.

He looked at them. He looked at Ryuusei and Koyuki, who were grinning and laughing him right in the face, their heads resting right on top of his chest. He looked at the girls, wrapping their arms around everyone as well as they could, returning his surprised gaze with bright smiles, happy and friendly and not afraid at all.

And he looked at Mahiru. Mahiru, who was beaming at him with pride. Mahiru, who had wrapped both his arms around him, pulling him closer even as they all lay in a tangled pile, laughing and smiling and hugging each other. Mahiru, who was looking at him with tears of joy in his eyes. Kuro didn't need to hear his voice to understand the message written all over his face. I'm so proud of you, Kuro.

Truthfully, Kuro wanted to cry himself. He was so happy. What had he done to deserve being so happy? What had he done to deserve feeling so ridiculously, overwhelmingly loved?

Closing his eyes, he brought up his arms, trying to wrap them around all five of his teammates, pulling them in. He had never expected to like being touched by so many people. He had never known how good receiving affection could feel. And he had never expected to ever give affection back.

The others were heavy. He still couldn't breathe. Falling down on his back had been painful. But it felt so good.

Kuro looked at his friends. He looked at all of them, resting on top of him, smiling with sparkling victory cheer. And just for a split second something crossed his face. Something he had never wanted anyone to see, something he had always been too self-conscious to show people. Something that he couldn't stop as he lay there, overwhelmed by his friends and his own happiness.

It was only for a short moment, and it was so small it was barely noticeable. But just for the tiniest fragment of a second, Kuro smiled back.


Licht hadn't stopped looking sulky ever since the end of the tournament. He had very grumpily congratulated the winners, and he hadn't spoken a word since, changing out of his gym clothes and back into his school uniform in perfect silence. None of their teammates had said anything to him. They all knew how angry he could get when he lost, and none of them wanted to stir the pot of annoyance and accidentally make it boil over.

Hyde had avoided his eyes. He couldn't help feeling a little guilty over Licht's anger; it was him who had failed to get the last point after all. Licht had tossed to him expecting him to hammer it home, and Hyde had been stopped. Sure, it wasn't entirely his fault. Nobody could have expected Kuro to suddenly develop an ability to block his spites, especially not at the last minute. But still... if he had done it differently, could they have won?

If he had done it differently, would Licht be smiling now? Would he wear that proud and happy expression that made Hyde's stomach flutter and his heart skip a beat?

Hyde's eyes rested on Licht's pout, and despite his disappointment and slight guilt he couldn't help cracking a grin. Licht's pouty expression was cute, actually. Even if it made him want to tease him.

He struck Licht's signature angel pose, imitating his voice. "As long as I'm here, you're invincible!" He grinned. "Was it, Angel-chan?"

Licht sent a kick flying towards him and missed his target by a hair's breadth. "Shut up, shit rat! Even angels need to let others win sometimes! It just shows my angelic kindness!"

"Your what now?" Hyde burst out laughing. "You're sulking, Angel-chan! You're totally a sore loser!"

"I'm not sulking! I'm just tired," Licht snapped and went back to sulking.

Hyde laughed at him again. This guy was such a kid. He had world views like an adult, and he could make incredible motivational speeches on the fly, but deep down he was still a child who couldn't sleep without his stuffed animals and sulked over losing a match. Perhaps Hyde should get him some melon somewhere. Or find the nearest neighborhood cat to cheer him up.

"Lichtan!"

Licht didn't answer. He was still pouting to himself, arms crossed, staring out through the window and watching a cloud that vaguely resembled a rabbit.

"Lich-taaaan!"

Licht glared at the hand Hyde was waving in front of his face, then at Hyde himself. "What?"

"I'm sorry I got blocked."

Licht stared at Hyde. Hyde stared back at Licht. Had he really just said that? He had meant to say something else... but it had slipped out anyway. He hadn't meant to apologize or bring up the subject at all. What was the matter?

Licht continued staring at him. Hyde fidgeted under his gaze, uncomfortable and strangely exposed. "Ah, uh..." he stammered, grinning awkwardly, "that was..."

"Shut up."

Hyde blinked, taken aback. "...huh?"

"I said shut up!" Licht threw a punch at his face but missed, and Hyde could feel something strange in his chest. Licht wasn't kicking him like he usually did. He wasn't even seriously trying to punch him. His eyes strayed away from Hyde's gaze, and his hand hung in the air between them like a string of unsaid words. "Don't regret it, shit rat! Do you think I'm blaming you or something?"

Hyde looked at him, then he glanced down, confused. Was that it? Did he think Licht was blaming him? Was that why he had apologized? Or was he simply blaming himself?

"I..." His voice trailed off. "Angel-chan, I think... I don't know!" He gave a frustrated sigh. When he spoke again his voice was soft and hesitant, almost as if he was dreading the answer. "Are you?"

"No." Licht's reply came back at him like a gunshot, quick and without hesitation. "Why should I?"

"Because we lost!" Hyde shot back, the frustration finally bursting out of him. "We lost because of me! And you hate losing, don't you, Angel-chan? So why aren't you mad at me?"

Licht was silent for a moment. He looked down at the ground, his hair falling into his face and hiding his eyes. Hyde swallowed. Now he really is mad at you, he thought with a shudder. Dummy, what did you do?

"Hyde."

He jolted, straightening as he braced himself. "Yes?"

"Don't be stupid!" Licht grabbed his shoulders, looking straight into his eyes. "You're already stupid enough, don't be stupider than usual! Of course I hate losing, but it was only one match! And you know what you did wrong! So you'll do it better next time, right?"

Hyde blinked, taken aback. "I..."

"We still have next year! That's when we'll win for sure!" Licht's grip on Hyde's shoulders tightened. "Next year, let's work even harder and win the tournament together!"

There was a moment's silence.

"Uh, Lichtan..." Hyde grinned awkwardly. "You do know there's no guarantee that we'll be in the same class again next year, right?"

Licht blinked in a way that made it all too obvious he hadn't thought of that.

"...shut up."

Hyde cracked up laughing, the last bits of worry and gloominess and guilt falling from his soul and disappearing into oblivion. Licht wasn't mad at him. And he had essentially just promised to team up with him again next year, even after violently protesting against it just a few weeks ago. They really were a team now.

And you cheered me up again, didn't you, Angel-chan? Hyde gave Licht a crooked smile. You always do. Back when we were captured, on the first day of practice, today... what's it with you always knowing exactly what to say?

And he had never cheered Licht up. He had never repaid his friend for all he did for him, the courage he had given him, the confidence. He wanted to. He wanted to help Licht and support him and encourage him and protect him from all his heart. But how could he do all that for someone who didn't need protecting? Would he always be stuck being able to do nothing for him?

Maybe it was enough if he just stayed by his side for now. Maybe then the opportunity would open itself to do something for him eventually if he waited and kept his eyes open. Even Licht couldn't always be strong and independent. He had to have some weaknesses too, some moments when he needed protecting.

He smiled. I'll be staying with you then, Lichtan, he thought. I hope you don't mind.


Sakuya threw a glance at his phone and grimaced. During the time he'd been busy cheering on the volleyball team and celebrating their victory, his phone had blown up with a zillion texts, and Sakuya didn't have to look at his notifications to know they were all from the same annoying person.

Oh well, he wasn't surprised. After cheering Tsubaki on like that, he would have been seriously amazed not to get anything; one could say he'd had it coming. And besides, it wasn't like he was all that unhappy to hear from Tsubaki again. It was a breath of fresh air, a touch of familiarity. He'd missed this. He'd missed Tsubaki blowing up his phone and nagging him at the weirdest of times.

Smiling to himself, he walked away from the others, careful to shield the screen from any prying eyes. When he was far enough away he unlocked his phone and tapped the first message, watching as a whole thread opened itself in front of him.

Hey, Sakuya~

Was that really you cheering me on from the stands? :D

It was you, right? I know your voice when I hear it ;)

Sakuya, thank you so much! We lost but I'm still really happy! (≡^∇^≡)

By the way, Sakuya? Can I talk to you about something?

Sa~ku~yaaaaaaaa~

I'd like to ask you something...

Sakuya looked at the screen and saw that Tsubaki was typing again. Quickly, before his friend could complete his next message, he typed in a reply and hit Send as fast as he could. im free rn. lets talk abt it in person Tsubaki-san

Tsubaki stopped typing for a second. Then he started again, and a moment later another message popped up on Sakuya's screen, bright and chipper. Really? That's good! Where should we meet, hmm...

Where are you, Sakuya? 。◕‿◕。

Sakuya held his phone away from his face, shuddering at the dead-eyed emoji. please dont use that face again Tsubaki-san its giving me nightmares. im behind the gym btw

Tsubaki's reply was immediate. Be right there!

Sakuya wanted to reply and tell him that this was a very bad idea and he should stay the hell away, but just as he started to type there was a familiar voice calling his name from the bushes. "Sakuya! Psst, Sakuya!"

He looked right and left, trying to determine where the voice had come from. All he could see were perfectly ordinary plants, none of them looking like they had an idiot high school student hidden behind them. "Tsu...baki...san...?"

One of the plants moved suspiciously, and a second later a head of black hair emerged from it, twigs and leaves stuck into it in a bizarre attempt at camouflage. "Over here, Sakuya!"

Sakuya turned on his heel and started walking away.

His phone lit up with a message in a second. SAKUYAAAA! Don't just walk away! After I went through all that trouble of disguising myself so your friends wouldn't spot you talking to me QAQ

Sakuya grimaced, turning around to look back at Tsubaki, who was still sitting behind the bush giving him the puppy-dog eyes, stupid twigs still all over his hair. they cant see me talking to a bush either, he texted back. theyre gonna think im crazy.

Tsubaki texted him back a mere few seconds later. Then join me! he wrote. With your hair you don't even need to disguise yourself, you'll blend right in ;)

Sakuya twirled a curl of his hair around his finger. He was seriously evoking going back just to strangle him.

Turning around again, he took a few steps towards the conspicuous bush, putting on his most murderous glare. "Tsu-ba-ki-saaaan..."

Tsubaki disappeared behind the plant in a heartbeat. "I'm so sorry!" the bush said. "It was only a joke! Sakuya, you're scary..."

There was another rustle, and then Tsubaki fully emerged from the bush, plucking leaves out of his hair and clothes, looking right and left as he stepped out into the open. Sakuya backed away and turned, pretending they had nothing to do with each other. His eyes scanned the surroundings. There were few people nearby, and none of them looked too familiar, but he couldn't be too careful. His classmates could go looking for him and show up around the corner anytime.

"Let's talk somewhere else," he said quietly, not looking at Tsubaki. "Somewhere people won't find me right away."

Tsubaki nodded and motioned in the direction of the school roof. They both started walking towards it, taking different paths and not looking at each other, pretending they were only going into the same direction by pure coincidence. It was just routine to them by now; they had done this a thousand times over, and they both knew the strategy well enough to not have to discuss it again.

Still, as Sakuya hurried up the stairs towards the forbidden roof he couldn't help feeling a little strange. Tsubaki was his friend. He owed him his life. Sure, he was also embarrassing and an infamous troublemaker, and revealing that he was friends with him might get him in trouble too. But did he really have to act like this was all such a big secret? Even if he admitted they were friends, it wasn't like that meant he was part of the gang. Mahiru kept hanging around that former Servamp and nobody suspected him of being a gang member. Maybe if he told the others he and Tsubaki were just friends...

But he was afraid. What if they didn't believe him when he told them he was just Tsubaki's friend? What if they figured out that he was part of the gang, one of the troublemakers plotting revenge? Tsubaki's reputation was even worse than Kuro's. He only wasn't an outcast because he'd already had friends by the time he came here.

What would his classmates say? What would Ryuusei and Koyuki say? What would Mahiru say?

But this masquerade...

What should he do?

Sighing, he opened the door to the roof and stepped outside. It was empty except for Tsubaki, who was leaning on the railing across from him, stepping up to meet him halfway. "Can we speak now, Sakuya?"

"Yeah." Sakuya let his gaze roam over the school grounds. "What is it you wanted to ask me about, Tsubaki-san?"

"Is it true that you have a girlfriend?"

Sakuya choked on nothing.

"W-What the–?!" he spluttered, paling and blushing in rapid succession. "Wha– Who told you that?"

Tsubaki gave a quick laugh. "There is a rumor going around the school that you have one. Is it true, Sakuya? Why didn't you tell us?" He gave him the puppy-dog eyes. "I thought you were telling us everything..."

"A rumor?" Sakuya stared at him in complete incomprehension. What rumor? Who had started that? How had they even come up with the– oh.

A memory came back to him, a tiny little thing he had half forgotten about. Oh right, the texting during cheer squad practice, the prying questions, the white lie he had told them to cover up. So his classmates hadn't kept quiet about it. Of course they hadn't. He was glad he hadn't decided to tell them the truth, now more than ever.

"I don't have a girlfriend, Tsubaki-san," he said calmly, ignoring the annoyance at his gossipy classmates for now. "One time you were texting me while I was rehearsing with the cheer squad, and they started asking me who I was texting so I told them I had a secret girlfriend. That's all."

Tsubaki looked up at him with wide shiny eyes, even as Sakuya himself realized his mistake. But it was too late.

"So," Tsubaki said, blushing and beaming from ear to ear, "you practically told them that I was your secret girlfriend?"

Sakuya's face exploded with heat. "N-No!" he stuttered, blushing redder than a cherry. "That's not it! Why are you so happy about this, anyway?"

Now it was Tsubaki's turn to blush bright red. He fumbled and stuttered, then he burst out laughing, laughing much harder than he usually did, louder and much more hysterically than he should. He laughed and laughed until he was out of breath and there were tears in his eyes, laughed until he couldn't stand anymore and sat down on the ground. Then, at last, he calmed down, taking a deep breath and sighing. "Ah... boring."

Sakuya stared at him. He still wasn't sure what to think of this reaction. Had his words really been that funny? But this wasn't normal laughter anymore, even by Tsubaki's standards. This was off-putting. And he knew Tsubaki well enough to know it was probably fake.

Was he trying to cover up some other emotion? That wasn't like Tsubaki at all!

Was he perhaps as flustered as Sakuya was? But why should he be? He hadn't said anything all that embarrassing, had he?

"Tsubaki...san?" He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" There it was again, that chipper, overly happy smile. "I'm glad, Sakuya! If you had been keeping secrets from us, that would have been rather sad, would it?"

Sakuya shrugged. He looked at that bright, beaming smile, feeling a stab of guilt shoot through him. Tsubaki really did trust him unconditionally. He believed in all his friends completely, loved them with his heart and soul, and Sakuya was still keeping him at bay and hiding their friendship. Tsubaki didn't deserve it. He really didn't deserve it.

"I... I'd never keep secrets from you, Tsubaki-san." His face heated up again. "If I had a girlfriend... I would already have told you."

Tsubaki smiled at him, and Sakuya made a mental vow to never, ever betray his trust and friendship.


Shuuhei leaned against the wall, closed his eyes and sighed. The concrete wall was soothingly cool against his skin, relaxing after a long and stressful day of playing referee for three different matches and arguing with a team that hadn't acknowledged the foul he had given. Well, at least their goalkeeper had been nice and polite. Arguing with third-years really was something else.

Now he really didn't want to see or hear anyone anymore though. He wanted his peace, and then he wanted to forget about all this madness and go back to his calm, peaceful everyday life without any sports festival nonsense. Everyday life was stressful enough.

"Found you!"

Shuuhei opened an eye. He didn't want to talk to anyone, but he recognized the voice. And he knew exactly that the owner of the voice would never leave him alone if he just ignored her. Not that he really wanted to, anyway.

"Tinker," he said with a small sigh, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, Loki-senpai! What are you doing out here? Everyone else is having fun!" She pouted at him, walking over to lean against the wall next to him. "And you're here all alone... Aren't you lonely?"

Shuuhei shrugged, ignoring how close she was standing, ignoring the heat radiating from her body made his heart skip beats and his skin prickle. "Not really. I don't mind being by myself."

"But I'm lonely," she replied, looking up at him with wide blue eyes. "Everyone is having fun, but it's not fun without you, Loki-senpai!"

Shuuhei adjusted his glasses even though they weren't slipping off his nose at all. His face heated up. Damn it, she was so cute. He shouldn't think that way; he hated it when people got clingy, or when they told him such things and went to seek him out, but for some reason he didn't mind Tinker getting a little clingy. In fact, he was happy to see her. Happy that she had found him, happy to have her standing next to him, so close that he only needed to shift slightly to touch her.

What was this feeling? Was there a name for it? How did he feel towards this cheerful, strange, adorable girl?

"You're exaggerating," he said quietly, avoiding her eyes. "I'm not a fun person."

"That's not true!" she burst out. "I always have a lot of fun when I'm spending time with you! And I want to spend a lot more fun times with you, Loki-senpai! You're nice and you're smart and you act cool but you're actually really cute and I think you're super fun! So stop deprecating yourself!"

Shuuhei looked at her, wide-eyed. "Me... cute?"

Tinker blinked, then she blushed furiously, flailing her hands around in the air. "I-I-I mean," she stuttered, "the cool kind of cute! Not the weird kind! It's just, you're always prepared for everything no matter how weird it is and you act cold but you're actually a really nice person and you're kind of awkward and always adjust your glasses when you get flustered and you have such pretty eyes and that's all really cute to me! You should smile sometime, then you'd be even cuter, I mean, not that you need to, but I want to see your smile! Ah," she covered her mouth with her hands, "what am I saying? I'm sorry!"

Shuuhei fiddled with his glasses, blushing as brightly as she did. So this was how Tinker felt about him? It felt so strange. Strange, but not bad. He wasn't used to it... but he wouldn't mind being, sometime.

"I... don't mind," he said quietly, not looking at her. "You saying all these things, that is."

"You... you don't?" A warm hand reached for Shuuhei's own, small and gentle and unbearably soft. "Then... Loki-senpai, I have something to say to you." She took a deep breath. "I... Do you... Ah, this is hard!" She puffed her cheeks and ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "I think I like you, Loki-senpai! As in, a lot! So..." Her voice went quiet, hesitant. "Do you... do you mind if I fall in love with you? If I did... would I stand a chance?"

Shuuhei's heart stumbled and skipped a beat.

He breathed in and out, but there was no air to fill his lungs. His head was spinning. He didn't know what to think, or how to feel.

Love.

Tinker was telling him she might fall in love with him. Him. That was ridiculous. She was too good for him. She was leagues too good for him, and he was afraid. Of what, he didn't know. All he knew was that he was panicking, shaking, freaking out.

"I..."

What should he do?

"Tinker..."

What should he do?

"I... Are..." He adjusted his glasses. His hands were trembling. "Are you sure?"

Tinker looked down at her feet, fiddling with the hem of her skirt and nodded. "I am."

"But I... Then... I..." He swallowed hard. What was he trying to say? How did he feel? What did he want? He didn't understand one single thing. "I... don't think you stand no chance," he said stiffly, avoiding her gaze like that was even necessary, with her still looking down at the ground and blushing. "I just... need time. I'm not prepared for all this. So..."

"I'll wait for you!"

He turned. Tinker was looking at him, wide-eyed and blushing, her face alight with hope and determination. "I'll wait until you're ready, Loki-senpai! I'll wait forever and ever! So whenever you think you're ready to fall in love, I'll be here."

She was too good for him. Far too good.

"A-All right," he stuttered, confused and happy and relieved and so, so grateful that it was her, that he was losing his heart to her and no one else. "Thank you, Tinker."

She smiled. "You're welcome! Here." She extended her little finger towards him. "It's a promise, right?"

Shuuhei hooked his little finger with hers, fighting with the desire to take her whole hand and lace their fingers together and pull her in, ready or not. "Of course."

Tinker beamed. Letting go of his pinky, she stepped close, ruffling a hand through his hair and getting up on her tip-toes to bump their foreheads together. For a long moment they both looked into each other's eyes, Tinker still smiling from ear to ear, Shuuhei slowly mustering a nervous smile too. Still feeling shaky, he brought up his hands and rested them on her sides, carefully, as if she was something very fragile that he was afraid of breaking. Her smile widened, and his heart skipped a beat. This girl... He wanted to kiss her. He wasn't ready for it yet, wasn't ready for romance or a relationship, but he wanted to kiss her. Right here and now.

He jolted back. What was going on in his mind? He couldn't just kiss her! No matter if he wanted to... no matter if she wanted to. They weren't a couple, and they were still out in the open. Anyone could walk by and see them at any moment.

Soon, he told himself as he reluctantly let go, and he knew she thought the same. They still had all the time in the world. They had promised, after all.


"Kuro, I'm so proud of you!"

Kuro looked down at Mahiru's big, happy beaming smile, a second before he found his hands grabbed and squeezed with affection. His friend had been smiling all day since the final match, and now that smile had grown even brighter, shining and sparkling and spilling over and making even the setting sun look dim. Kuro blushed a little. He didn't really understand why Mahiru made such a big deal out of this; he hadn't really done that much.

"What a pain," he mumbled, averting his eyes. "Don't blow this out of proportion. I just did what I had to."

"Don't be stupid!" Mahiru punched him in the ribs, his proud beam turning into an expression of rightful anger. "You were incredible! Remember when you were so afraid of playing with the others that you couldn't sleep? And you tried anyway! You were so awkward at first but you really worked hard and showed them your nice side and got them to trust you! Even though you were so scared of facing them! You tried so hard, Kuro, you can't even begin to tell me that's not amazing!"

Kuro looked down. He still didn't understand. He really hadn't done much except being his socially awkward self and trying to play together with his teammates somehow without screwing up or scaring them off. What was so amazing about that?

"I... wasn't amazing," he said slowly. "You were. If you hadn't talked me into trying this, I wouldn't have done a thing. If you hadn't encouraged and supported me... I would've quit. I didn't do anything. It was all you, Mahiru."

Mahiru was quiet for a long moment.

"That," he said at last, "is the biggest garbage I've ever heard you say."

Kuro blinked, a second before Mahiru grabbed him and knocked their foreheads together.

"Ow," he whined, rubbing his forehead and giving Mahiru a pained look. "Don't hit your poor friend without warning, what a pain... what was that for?"

"Don't be an idiot!" Mahiru burst out. "Quit stripping yourself from all the glory! You did it! Not me! You're the one who worked up the courage to talk to Ryuusei and Koyuki! You're the one who tried to act nice! You're the one who offered us your potato chips and teamed up with the guys to get me to skip class and saved Koyuki's cookies and bonded over pineapple pizza with Ryuusei and helped Koyuki get the prints and... you're the one who showed everyone what a great guy you are! So be proud, Kuro!"

Kuro blushed and fumbled. "I..."

"It was you, trust me." Mahiru smiled warmly. "They never believed me you were a good guy until they got to know you. It was you. All I did was give you a little push when you needed it."

You're wrong, Kuro thought. I only did it all for you. Because you kept pushing me and supporting me... because you believed in me, Mahiru. I would never have come this far if you hadn't been around.

"Mahiru... thank you."

Mahiru grinned. "Anytime, Kuro."

Kuro looked down at his feet, almost smiling. He still couldn't believe he had come so far, that he had actually managed to get people to like him, people who had always been afraid of him to boot. His teammates... had talked to him normally. They had hugged him. Just out of victory joy, sure, but they had hugged him. Like one would hug a friend. Maybe it was a one-time thing, and maybe they wouldn't talk much now that the tournament was over, but at least they weren't scared of him anymore. He wasn't unwelcome. He... felt safe around them. For the first time since forever, they had made him feel like being part of a group, a group where he belonged.

And it was all because he had met Mahiru. Mahiru, who had refused to believe the rumors and be afraid of him. Mahiru, who had seen something in him that he hadn't, refusing to stop believing in it no matter what. Mahiru, who had never given up hope that others might like him too, who had defended him and tried to integrate him in groups and pushed him to socialize. Mahiru, who had tried so hard and finally succeeded. Fearless, stubborn, kind-hearted Mahiru.

He would have been so lost without him.

Kuro didn't know why, but he wanted to hug him. Do the same thing the team had done to him and tackle his friend and knock him over, or just pull him into his arms and lift him up and hold him close, he didn't know. Physical affection wasn't even really his thing. But he was starved for it, so starved, and he was still so grateful and stunned and overwhelmingly happy that he almost couldn't help himself.

"So that's where you guys are!"

They turned around to find Ryuusei running up to them, Koyuki in tow, coming to stand right next to them and catching his breath. "Dude, I've been running over the whole campus!" he burst out. "Where have you been? C'mon, it's almost time for the awards ceremony!"

"What, it's that late already?" Mahiru glanced at his watch and jumped. "Ah, shoot, it really is! Let's hurry up, guys, we're gonna be late!"

They sprinted over the school grounds, hurrying to the gym. Kuro, Mahiru and Ryuusei sped along like flashes. Koyuki struggled to keep up with them, stumbling behind them out of breath, the distance behind them growing. Kuro glanced over his shoulder with compassion. He, Ryuusei and Mahiru had always been athletic, but Koyuki was only average. There was no way he could keep up much longer.

Sighing, Kuro slowed down, running back to Koyuki, taking his arm and pulling him along. "What a pain," he mumbled. "Get us earlier so we don't have to run."

"Sorry!" Koyuki stammered behind him, picking up his pace as they both ran after Mahiru and Ryuusei. "But... thank you!"

Kuro just sighed again and chased after the other two. They got into the gym just in time, the lights going out at the very moment they slipped in through the door. It had been changed up since the matches earlier; now it was full of chairs, and the stage had been opened up on one side, spotlights pointing at the figure facing the audience, holding a microphone in his hand.

"If we may start now," Mikuni declared, wearing his best stage smile. "Let's begin with the sports festival awards ceremony!"

The obligatory applause filled the hall. Kuro swallowed. So many people, he realized. He just hoped he wouldn't have to go up on that stage in front of them all. He didn't want all those eyes resting on him, afraid and hostile, glaring holes into him while he could do nothing but wait to get back down. Ever since the Servamps had split he had avoided attention, avoided crowds and large groups of people, tried to hide from people's fearful, judging gazes as much as he could. Less troublesome that way. But he couldn't do it now. If the teams were supposed to go on stage...

Calm down, he thought. He didn't even know if the teams had to go up there at all.

On the stage Mikuni went on with his speech. Kuro didn't listen. He stayed close to Mahiru, Ryuusei and Koyuki, trying to make himself as small as possible. Thank goodness it was dark, at least. Nobody was paying any attention to them at all.

Mikuni rambled on. Then suddenly there was applause, and a team of five people came up on the stage. Kuro recognized Tetsu sticking out of the group and swallowed. So their team would have to go up there too. In front of everyone.

He wanted to go home. He so wanted to go home.

Kuro watched numbly as the first-years received their medals and coupons and walked off the stage to be greeted enthusiastically by their classmates. Mikuni went on. Kuro didn't listen. He didn't want to hear what he had to say. He didn't want to think about going up there, having people's fearful eyes on him. Even if Mahiru was with him. Even if all his friends were with him, he didn't want to face it.

"Kuro? Kuro!"

Kuro blinked, snapping back to attention. "Yeah?"

Mahiru yanked on his sleeve. "Come on, we're being called up! We have to go on stage and get our prizes and medals!"

No. No, no, no.

"You guys go," Kuro said as casually as possible. "I'm staying down here and cheering you on from below."

"Don't gimme that!" Mahiru threw a punch at his ribs, pulling at his sleeve again. "You're part of the team too! You're going up there with us!"

"No... what a pain..."

Ryuusei stopped walking, turning back from where he was a few steps ahead. "Guys, what's wrong?"

Kuro looked down, embarrassed to be gathering so much attention. "Go without me," he said quietly. "I can't deal with that many eyes on me."

Koyuki frowned compassionately. "Stage fright?"

"No..." Kuro fidgeted, unsure what to say. He felt tempted to tell them the real reason. He really did. It was better than lying to them or giving in and going on stage with them. "I... It's just... the whole school's still scared of me and going up there and feeling all their glares is such a pain."

Their expressions shifted to understanding, then to gentle compassion. Kuro turned away. He already regretted telling them, but now it was too late.

"Kuro..." Mahiru said quietly. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

Kuro didn't look at him. "...can't deal."

"Yes, you should have said something!" Koyuki's hand came to rest on his shoulder, warm and reassuring. "We would have encouraged you, you know?"

Kuro wanted to hide. He wanted to disappear into a hole in the ground and never get out until the others had all graduated. Why had he told them about his fears? He should have just swallowed them and gone up on the stage with the others. It would have been less awkward than... this.

"Class 2-B," Mikuni called from the stage. "Class 2-B, where are you?"

"C'mon, we're getting called!" Ryuusei grabbed Kuro's arm, pulling him along. "Don't worry, man," he said with a grin. "You're not going up there alone! Right, guys?"

Koyuki nodded enthusiastically. "Right! We're with you!"

"And if anybody looks at you weird I'm kicking them out." Ryuusei planted his free hand on his hip. "Literally!"

Kuro almost laughed. His chest felt a little lighter already, almost as if the others' words were helping him carry the weight he had tried to drag by himself. Ryuusei pulled him ahead by the arm. Mahiru and Koyuki pushed him from behind, their hands resting on his back in a gesture of gentle reassurance. Kuro straightened and picked up his pace. He could... do this. He could face the stares. At least for a little. And if he couldn't, he could always hide behind his friends.

They lined up on the stage, side by side. Kuro stood between Ryuusei and Mahiru, keeping his eyes down. He could feel the stares on him. He didn't have to look into the crowd to know they were staring. But Ryuusei was still holding his forearm, and Mahiru had wrapped his arm around his shoulders, both of them meeting the stares with a challenging look, daring anybody to say anything.

It was okay. Just for a little while, the stares didn't hurt him.

"Excellent," Mikuni declared into the microphone, giving them all a pointed glance. "Now that we have the whole team assembled, it's time to give you your medals!" He turned to the crowd. "I think this calls for a round of applause!"

Jun walked along the row of them, hanging a medal around each one of their necks and handing them their prizes. The medals were just made of paper and some gold paint, but to Kuro they looked and felt very much real. He didn't feel like he had only won a high school tournament for fun. He felt like he had won the Olympics, going over his limits over and over to finally stand here, together with everyone. The real battle hadn't been the matches, he realized. The real battle had been with himself, his eternal fear of people and social interaction. And he had fought it... and he had won.

They looked at each other with shining eyes. None of them heard the claps and cheers of their classmates in the crowd, and none of them even noticed the shouts of "Next time I'll win, big brother!" from Hyde. Kuro completely forgot about the crowd. Those people didn't matter. His friends were up here.

"And now," Mikuni said, motioning to Tinker half disappearing behind a camera, "a picture of this winning team, too! Everyone smile, please!"

They crowded together. Mahiru leaned on Kuro's shoulder. Ryuusei held bunny ears over his head. Everyone around him posed and smiled, and Kuro didn't know what to do. He just looked at his friends and then at the camera, amazement and pure happiness shining brightly in his eyes.

The camera flashed. And Kuro instantly knew that he would treasure this picture forever.


"Geez! I can't believe you won, big brother!"

Kuro turned around to find Hyde standing a few feet away, pouting in the way only he could pout. "It's not fair! But next year Lichtan and I will definitely take first place, got that?"

Kuro sighed, tucking his hands into his pockets. Next year... He didn't even want to think that far right now. "Can't deal."

"And here I was so sure Angel-chan and I made the perfect team!" Hyde went on, still pouting. "But big brother had to come in and beat us at the last second!"

Kuro gave him an amused look. "Not my fault if you start getting predictable."

"Rude!"

"My, my, you two get along so wonderfully!" Lily chuckled, stepping between them with a chipper smile. "Congratulations on your win, big brother!" he said, turning to Kuro. "I didn't expect you to be such an amazing player. Your team must be proud!"

Kuro lowered his gaze, blushing. Yes, his team was proud. Especially Mahiru. Even though he should be the one being proud of him.

"Can't deal," he muttered quietly. "I didn't do that much. It's all thanks to Mahiru, anyway."

Lily and Hyde looked at him, then they exchanged a glance. Lily chuckled. "You really like Mahiru-kun, don't you, big brother?"

Kuro's face turned even redder. "Who wouldn't?"

Hyde stepped closer to him, eyeing him from every angle with a knowing smirk. "Why so bashful, big brother?" he asked. "Could it be that you're in love?"

"Wha–?!"

Kuro gaped at him, speechless. Him? In love? With Mahiru?

"...not really," he mumbled, only half sure of it himself. "I just think he's... kind of nice."

Hyde and Lily exchanged a look, looking perfectly unconvinced. Then Hyde spoke up, his expression still irritatingly knowing. "Big brother, do you want to repay him for being nice then?"

Kuro blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"Oh," Lily nodded in understanding, "now that you mention it, his birthday is coming up."