Part Three
"'Like' me? What did she mean by that?"
Like. Me?
He tried to ward off the feeling of elation that seemed to make its way into his heart.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
In frustration, he kicked the pebble that lay in his path.
This is not what I planned.
He turned his head and glared at the direction of Tsubaki's tree.
A week had gone by since Tsubaki made her declaration to him. Every conscious moment from then on was spent pacing about that same area while he thought of a solution.
She likes me?
Tsubaki had said it so simply and matter of fact, yet he had trouble accepting her words. He remembered her sincerity when she looked him straight in the eye.
Deep down, he knew she was telling him the truth.
"So why do I feel like this?" He whispered into the emptiness and silence. He stopped to think about what he had just said. How do I feel? He took stock of his feelings -- recognized that he was fighting off -- bliss?
"Why do I feel happy about this?"
I'm supposed to hate her. He used his thumb and forefinger to rub his forehead. I'm supposed to make her sorry for not wanting me before.
With everything that had happened to him in the past three years, he had forgotten what it was he wanted to do in the first place. He realized it now -- remembered the hurt he felt when Tsubaki told him why she was friends with him.
Because some teacher told her to.
It all became clear to him.
All he wanted was for Tsubaki Sakura to--
He shook his head -- as though to revise his thoughts.
All I wanted was Tsubaki Sakura.
"To notice me. To want me."
The same way I wanted her.
* * *
He found her in the gym -- surrounded by her teammates. He paused for a moment at the entrance and just looked at her. His eyes made a slow trail from the top of her head to her feet.
His mouth dropped open when he realized how she was sitting. He quickly marched towards her.
Tsubaki was telling an amusing story she had seen on television. Her teammates were hanging on to her every word.
When suddenly --
A foot pushed her legs together. She looked up to see Tonami Takefumi frowning down at her.
"What the-- ?"
"Do you realize that ANYONE could have seen parts of you that shouldn't be seen? God, woman. Don't you have any sense of decency?"
She was amused with the way his voice had risen and the way a vein was throbbing in his forehead.
She gave him a crooked grin and slowly, provocatively raised her skirts.
He was about to make a move to pull the hem back down when she raised her skirts fully -- exposing a pair of black shorts underneath.
"We were just waiting for the other team to finish practice. We're all wearing our team uniforms underneath our school uniforms."
She was oddly flattered by his concern for her. She lowered her skirts and sat down more demurely this time.
He was still huffing -- something akin to relief swelled in his heart. He knew she wanted to laugh. He could see it in her eyes. "Idiot." He muttered under his breath.
She gave him a sham look of surprise and then started laughing.
He could still hear her peals of laughter as he exited the gym.
* * *
After all that had happened to her, Tsubaki Sakura allowed herself some quiet time to think about it all: He had kissed her -- and she let him.
She still felt it; she still felt his lips on hers -- it was a soft, incredibly gentle, albeit abrupt kiss. Each time she thought about it, her fingers would involuntarily reach up to touch her lips.
And I told him I liked him.
Would he use it against her? Would he hurt her with her own words?
"Tonami would never do anything like that."
It was a strange thing, but she had faith in him.
She felt especially giddy about how he 'came to her rescue' in the gym. She liked it that someone was looking out for her.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was sweltering hot and she stopped to open the windows in the hall -- disappointed that there was no breeze.
She saw him then.
He was standing by the vending machine.
"Hey!"
He looked up and his eyes widened when he saw her.
Is he afraid of me? She didn't know what to make of his reaction to seeing her. She decided not to jump to any conclusion.
"Can you get me a drink?" She tossed a few coins at him.
He caught them without even blinking.
"Get me an orange soda."
It was as though he was on automatic. He dropped the coins in and pressed the buttons on the vending machine.
A few seconds later, a dainty hand swiped it away from him.
"Thanks." She smiled and popped the tab and stood beside him.
When he didn't say anything, she decided to start the conversation.
"It's so hot today, isn't it?"
Silence.
She didn't say anything more -- merely waited for him. She looked up and was suddenly mesmerized by the clouds.
The utter stillness was only broken by the sporadic breeze that brought with it the rustling leaves.
Just as if a magnet was drawing them to each other, their heads closed in and their lips touched.
It lasted for only a few seconds, but the aftereffects reverberated for far longer.
In silence, they regarded each other.
"Why did you kiss me?"
He lifted an eyebrow at her question. "Why not?"
"This is the second time. I'd like to know why."
He shrugged his shoulders. "You'd probably have done it with anyone."
"How can you say that? That's mean. Of course it matters to me whom I kiss."
Tonami couldn't help but notice how her voice seemed to quiver with every word.
He looked at her -- saw the hurt and tears shimmer in her eyes. He couldn't think of anything to say.
"I kissed you because I like you, Tonami Takefumi. Now I'd like to know why you kissed me."
She managed to keep her voice steady this time. She looked him squarely in the eye and waited for him to answer.
He did the only thing he could do -- the only thing his heart was telling him to do.
He reached out with both hands and pulled her to him in an embrace. He felt her tremble and stiffen. He whispered softly in her ear, "Maybe it's because I like you too, Tsubaki Sakura."
After hearing his admission, the tension left her body and she relaxed against him.
He felt her nod and heard her sigh.
This was not what he had set out to do, yet, deep down, he knew this was what he wanted to happen.
He smiled and held her more tightly against him.
He hesitated for a minute -- not wanting the moment to end, and then he let her go.
"What now?"
"What do you mean?"
Without thinking, he reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear -- caressing her cheek in the process. "What happens to us now?"
"Us?" She frowned as she considered his question. She gave him a sheepish smile and slowly shook her head. "I really don't know."
"I don't know either." He smiled back.
She clasped her hands behind her back and started to pace. "Well, I guess we'll just have to take it a day at a time."
"I guess so."
"We will deal with things as they happen."
"You're right."
She glanced at her wristwatch. "We better go or we'll be late for our next class."
He nodded and followed quietly behind her.
They were going up the stairs to their wing. Tsubaki was whistling a tune that Tonami couldn't identify. Tsubaki gasped in surprise when a butterfly flew past her nose. She was thrown off-balance and started to fall backwards.
Tonami caught her easily. His chest cushioned her back and shoulders, his arms clasping her shoulders as he pushed her forward until she regained her footing.
"Thanks."
She's so light. "I never thought--" He had unwittingly blurted out his thoughts, but stopped himself in time.
"Never thought what?"
"You are so slender. I never thought of you as anything other than strong."
"Oh." She rubbed her shoulders self-consciously. Strong? Me?
"When we were younger, you always seemed to know what you wanted and then you went for it. You were always so confident and sure of yourself."
She silently contemplated his words.
"I like you, Tsubaki -- not because I thought you were strong and I won't stop liking you because I've discovered you aren't."
It was as though he had read her mind. Her eyes widened in astonishment. "How did you--?"
"Know what you were thinking? I saw it in your eyes."
"That's-- that's amazing. Can you do that with anyone?"
He thought for a moment and shook his head briskly. "Not that I can remember."
"I see." She blushed.
"Of course, it only works if you keep your eyes open."
It was an unfamiliar tone. "Are you teasing me?"
He winked and then walked past her. "Why don't you look into my eyes and tell me?"
The laughter bubbled and burst out of Tsubaki.
They had an impromptu race to see who would get to their respective classroom first.
The victor stuck her tongue out at the loser while he leaned on the door to his classroom, regarded her with pride and stuck his tongue out at her.
* * *
Author's Notes:
The skirt/shorts scene really does happen in the manga and it is hilarious!