Mid-spring surrounded the cherry blossoms that were in full bloom, pink petals fell down the sidewalks, and the gray paths were colored in a very elegant pale pink.
The brunette was wearing casual clothes with his hands tucked into the pockets of his long jeans, advancing toward college, backpack in hand and headphones on to the rhythm of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy de Silence", one of his new favorite songs from the spring.
He was already in the process of transferring to the medical department, which meant that he was arranging his transfer papers so he would have to wait a little longer than he should; In the meantime, he would go to tennis practice like any other day.
Soon.
He consoled himself recently with that word, it gave him security.
It will soon be the day that I will formally enter to study medicine.
Meddled in his affairs, life went its way without asking his permission, avoiding taking it into account when his own cowardice and helplessness brought out the best in him.
"Irie!" Sudou-senpai was yelling at him from a distance on the tennis court. He looked very excited to speak to him. "Irie! Come here" He ordered euphorically.
"What do you want?" He had approached him, his face impatient.
"Sincere yourself with Matsumoto" He ordered sternly. "If you don't like her, don't have her attached to you as a pet"
"She's not my pet" He snapped angrily, folding his arms. "I've already told her several times that I am not interested in her"
"Say it well."
"I already did that." He frowned.
"Show her that she doesn't have a chance with you" He said as a last alternative.
"Like what?" He asked annoyed.
"Kiss Aihara"
His blood froze like an iceberg focusing on his nervous system. Kiss ... Kotoko?
"Matsumoto doesn't like Aihara, you can use her as a hook and explain that you have something with her so that she doesn't insist" He explained with open hands and a hopeful smile.
Using Kotoko as a hook is a no, I wouldn't think of doing that to her.
I would kiss her because I love her.
"I will not use Kotoko for that purpose" He snapped, his face wrinkled.
Sudou-senpai's face fell in disappointment.
"Kotoko is not someone to play with." He finished the conversation about to get dressed and stay in tennis practice.
Who does he think he is to tell me to use Kotoko for that purpose? He's insane! Kotoko doesn't deserve to be used for any purpose, if she is the most adorable girl in the world.
Tennis practices went smoothly until the new members of the tennis team were announced where Matsumoto's younger sister joined the team. Matsumoto Ayako. A girl who immediately shot him a flirtatious look, the unmistakable look of interest towards him.
Ayako was identical to her older sister, the difference between the two was the girl's short hair. Attractive yes, but not for your tastes. His heart already belonged to someone much better than the two of them put together.
However, Taketo Nakagawa's annoying presence was also integrated among them, with the excuse of training from time to time, that is, not always, as he gave himself the luxury of having those privileges. He seemed like a nefarious guy, anyway, the only thing he wanted to make sure was that the confession he made to Kotoko, of which she herself commented that she was not interested in him, understood that Kotoko was very clear with him and also, very unfortunately, she was in love with someone else.
It would be an exhaustive task to conquer her without losing patience, something that he kept very intact.
Being in the practices an undeniable presence called him by his name: Kotoko
"Naoki-kun!" She waved her arms in excitement.
He slowed down from training and he run to greet her, who was glued to the fence with her hair tossed about in the air and her basketball clothes.
"Kotoko" He spoke calmly with the racket in hand. "What are you doing here?"
"I was coming to see your practice" She mentioned, fingers interlocked on the bars. "And I wanted to know if I could film the practice, I say without showing their faces, only the action of hitting the ball with the racket"
"Film? What for?" He wanted to know, he felt her excited to do it and he liked that.
"I want to get practice in filming." She smiled affably, causing him a pound with good emotions. "I'll ask Sudou-senpai." She slipped out of the entrance to the tennis club, passing the bars with the camcorder in her grip, as he went to the entrance to be with her.
Sudou-senpai saw her enter.
"Aihara" He greeted friendly. "What brings you here? Don't tell me that you were already interested in entering the tennis club"
"No, it's nothing like that" She replied with a confident smile. "I wanted to ask you if I can record today's practice" She showed the camcorder. "It's to grab practice filming, I will not record the faces of any of the people here, just the movement" She said with a nod.
Sudou-senpai was thoughtful for a few seconds, putting a finger to his chin.
"Well, why not?" He nodded. "Just don't distract the students too much" He warned with an eyebrow raised.
"Understood." She made a military pose with her hand on her forehead, firm.
"Don't forget my suggestion" Sudou whispered into Naoki's ear, which twitched full-length. That guy! He doesn't know how to give up. He closed his eyes in frustration, frowning.
"Naoki-kun?" Kotoko had approached her face on tiptoe. "Are you okay?"
He nodded, opening his eyes putting on his mask of haughtiness and superiority.
He was furious at Sudou's suggestion during practice, where Kotoko recorded the movements of hitting the ball with the racket focusing on the constantly moving bodies around the court.
He was struck by the fact that he was not distracting to the people of the club, since he was being careful with the handling of the camera and the correct angles. You could tell he was passionate about cinema as much as playing basketball.
He became nervous when she went to the court where he played double games with Ayako as a couple and Matsumoto with Sudou the other couple. They were practicing for next month's doubles matches and were happy with the order in which the pairs were formed. Naoki settled in with Ayako's agility and dexterity in hitting the tennis ball.
He was so nervous that he began to sweat the same sensation of wanting to turn around and take her in his arms and get out of there. Kotoko, obviously, was absent of such feelings, more than to remain to film the players while they practiced.
The simultaneous heat was rampant in the hot spring environment, consisting of accelerating the production of sweating in his great body. Naoki felt that it would melt any minute he stopped drinking water and the sun rose from ultraviolet rays.
In an instant, one of the balls flew out falling into a tree, getting caught in one of the twigs in the crown. An entry-level tennis practitioner caused that slip. A practitioner better known as Taketo Nakagawa.
He didn't mind that matter at all until Kotoko shot herself toward the tree announcing "I'm going to get it " Leaving the camcorder in Taketo's hands.
He got irritated because she didn't give the camcorder to him, why did she have to give it to that boy? Didn't she see that he also existed?
Sudou-senpai stopped the doubles practice upon hearing that Kotoko had fallen from the tree. It was such a crash that several branches fell to the ground and her scream as she fell made them stop instantly.
Kotoko!
Naoki threw the racket and went after her.
He was the first to come to the rescue, he saw her with the ball in her hand and the various leaves of the tree and the branches fallen on it, counterbalancing her.
Thank goodness she's fine, he breathed a sigh of relief. He believed that his heart would stop at any moment, the perspiration increased as he went to the rescue of the girl, although it did not end up being a rescue because she was perfect, more than the bed of branches and leaves that trapped her.
"Kotoko!" He yelled to see if she answered. "Are you hurt?"
"Not at all" She exclaimed with presence, her hidden face didn't let him see if she hadn't hurt her face.
His little fortune was evident when the rest of the players came to take all the mess off him, seeing Taketo holding the camcorder holding out his hand, he felt the rage to burn his hands with a match.
"Are you alright, Aihara-san?" Asked Taketo aware of her state.
"Super good." She jumped on both feet. "It was just a little slip."
"It was all my fault this happened" He blamed himself with sad eyes.
"Don't blame yourself, I was the one who climbed the tree" She assured with a sideways smile. "Not you"
Stop talking to him, you're not her type.
Naoki clenched his teeth, wanting to shake Taketo and tell him that Kotoko belonged to him even if it wasn't true, but he wanted to get him out of the game.
"Aihara, you're too reckless" Matsumoto commented, shaking her curly hair back in a superior movement.
"Not as much as you say" she defended herself carefree. "It's my nature"
"Well, seeing that Aihara is in good condition, let's continue with the training" Sudou ordered with a fake smile and good leadership.
Naoki's sidelong glances with respect to Kotoko succumbed to shake him inside, although outside he maintained the superiority front above all, nothing made him feel as human as Kotoko. So unequivocally human.
His training had just ended and also her recordings that she supervised on her camcorder, he was thinking of approaching her and talking about trivial matters.
The thought was useless because he saw with surprise that Taketo was approaching to talk to her. A tremendous rage came to him, clenching his jaw and gnashing his teeth, he snorted with the same courage.
That boy doesn't learn!
He rubbed his hands together, beginning to grasp them with the same rage, the one that erased his reasoning. If that made him so angry that he wanted to burn the subject's hands, he didn't want to imagine what he would do when he saw Taketo kiss Kotoko on the lips. He would end up sending him to the operating room.
Tempted to teach him a lesson, one that would nullify the girl's alleged suitors, he would carry it out. He would throw away his reasoning, because he would solve that matter like a man (according to him). One who defends the girl he liked.
He walked towards the two who were conversing cheerfully, snorting inside, he headed with the racket in hand and a tennis ball in the other. He didn't know how or when, he only waved his arm, throwing the ball into the air and with the other arm hitting hard towards the small ball. He watched as she spoke to Taketo's face in a frenzy. He didn't count on the Kotoko getting between the ball and Taketo's face, a blow hit Kotoko's face falling in an unattractive way to the ground.
Damn.
He ran to Kotoko who was lying on the ground on dry ground, Taketo was helping her and that bothered him, so he ran faster to stop the scene.
He removed Taketo's hands and lifted Kotoko into his arms, taking her surprised look from her who didn't understand what was happening.
"I lost the ball, sorry" He said regretfully. "It wasn't my intention that it would slip away, it was a miscalculation"
"I don't understand" She yelled, rubbing at her red cheek as the ball hit her left cheek.
"Was it you?" Taketo accused him.
"Yes, but it was a mistake" He assured firmly.
"But you never fail." Taketo didn't seem convinced of his feat.
"Sometimes geniuses can fail" He spluttered. "Kotoko, I am are going to assist you"
"I'm fine" She assured him stubbornly.
"No, you're not" He corrected bluntly, looking like a father scolding his disobedient daughter. "I'll make it up to you by healing that wound" He stated as the last argument between them.
I was a fool, a jealous fool.
His action led him to hurt the girl who he vowed not to hurt.
That oath turned out to be returned to him. He broke it when he blinded his reason.
Lying was not his best option, however, in those types of situations it was essential to say that it was a miscalculation that didn't know the direction of the ball and where it would stop. He would have to compensate her well if he wanted his affections to be reciprocated.
Kotoko insisted on getting down from his arms, but he refuted that it was necessary to make up for his mistake.
"Auch" She complained when he touched the bruised cheek.
"I'm almost done" He replied, using a more gentle touch. Despite being tough, she was still a woman. "Just don't move, it will make it hurt more"
"Okay" She said impatiently. "Was it really a miscalculation? It seems crazy to me that the ball slip out of your hands—
"Yes, Kotoko, my arm went away" He assured as if his life depended on it. "I used the same force I used without having a specific address"
"I'll believe you." She frowned uncomfortably, was it from the same pain?
"Kotoko?" There was no answer. Is she thinking of something? "Oi! Kotoko"
As she turned, their faces collided, leaving them at the expense of breathing the same breath. Naoki froze as his blood expanded in a frenzy and his palpitations accelerated.
She walked away disturbed by that action.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to you"
He was speechless, in a taciturn state, completely absolved in his emotions that had become maddened by that intense approach between the two. They had never come so close in the time they had known each other.
It took a few minutes for him to recover from that encounter before he could speak.
"I'm done healing you" He was able to pronounce stunned body and mind.
"Thank you, Naoki-kun." She smiled at him quite gratefully, laying a hand on his brown hair, making him shudder again for taking him by surprise.
Leaving the infirmary, they returned to the tennis court where Naoki had left his tennis equipment.
Regret shook him like electric shock. How could he be wrong? Since when did he stop being so rational? Being rational left him adrift in panic and solving nothing. Being rational made him look like a fool. Being rational was not part of the game if you wanted to win it.
He needed to earn it because he wanted to.
He was considered the perfect candidate for Kotoko's heart.
The only one who could bear everything to have her by his side.
"I'll go get my things, wait for me" He warned eloquently.
"Sure"
Going for his things that were in the same place, he went to the dressing room to change into something more comfortable than his sweaty sportswear. He preferred to look neat, especially, in front of Kotoko.
He rubbed his fingers together before adjusting his hair that had grown over the months from his carelessness. Leaving the dressing room, he headed with the sports backpack on his shoulder and well-groomed hair, sighed to relax after his horrible blunder on the court for his lack of reason.
He found Kotoko waiting for him at the entrance to the court, leaning against the metal bars, humming a song.
"Ready"
"Oh" She exclaimed scared, jumping. "You scared me, Naoki-kun"
"You were very concentrated"
"Something like that" She giggled nervously.
"Aihara!" Sudou-senpai's scream scared her away.
"Sudou-senpai" She said into the air, lowering her hands from the nape of her neck. "What can I do for you?"
"You left your backpack lying here." He handed it to her suspiciously, shaking the large, hairy hand of a man he owned. "I thought you were going with Irie and I was right to suppose so"
"Thank you, Sudou-senpai." She bowed and grabbed her backpack.
"Another thing, Aihara" He pointed out impatiently.
"Tell me"
"What relationship do you have with Irie?" He asked desperate to know, to which she looked at him with a strange face, raising her eyebrows.
"I couldn't tell you, because I didn't understand your question"
How could she not tell him? Weren't they friends?
Naoki guessed that perhaps she was beginning to feel something for him. It could be the cause of her behavior towards him had changed a bit, she no longer spoke so roughly and they even hugged each other the other day.
A smile curved his lips, feeling triumphant even a little bit.
Sudou was puzzled and speechless.
"I just asked what kind of relationship you guys have" He clarified still puzzled.
"Oh" She sighed, analyzing her words. "We are friends" She pointed out into the open air with a relieved expression.
Why relief?
What did that mean?
"What's that question about, Sudou-senpai?" She asked interested.
"Just curious." He restrained himself from exclaiming in front of her and Naoki noticed it because he was pursing his lips so that they were like a straight and firm line, that meant he was holding back from exasperating in screams.
"Stop asking her weird questions." Naoki approached him with a threatening look. "Don't you think of using Kotoko for other purposes"
"What purposes?" She was confused with what he said.
Naoki took her by the arm, pulling her away from Sudou who would probably say strange things that would make her uncomfortable or that she would not fully understand. He was protecting her.
"What did you mean, Naoki-kun?" He released her grip.
"Nothing"
"It didn't seem to be anything" She continued with a pleading expression. "Sudou-senpai wanted to use me?"
"Stop asking" The genius stated, his head covered with gross thoughts.
"I want to know"
"Please don't continue." He was about to explode in those crude, foolish and delusional thoughts that betrayed him because protecting her was conflictive, however, he did it because he wanted her.
It made her keep quiet with that phrase "please don't continue."
How desperate did he feel? Powerless enough not to be honest? Yes.
She continued to whistle the song she previously sang as she waited, each wandering in his own mind, it probably won't lead to anything good, will it?
He saw Matsumoto walking close to him, wanting to get his attention.
He wasn't in the mood to deal with her too, it frustrated him that she didn't understand him enough to leave him alone with his love life.
Deciding for his love life would be up to him. Just him.
