Three...
Two...
One...
Buzz!
And the crowd roar like there is no tomorrow.
"Oh my god, Kawaki! You're so cool and hot at the same time!"
"Whoa! Red Team is this year's champion!"
"It's okay Boruto. You still did great!"
This can't be...
The jerk's team won the tournament and I...
And I...
"Seems like you're going out on a date with Kawaki, Sarada."
I think I was astonished and still couldn't believe what just happened.
I turn to face Cho-Cho.
"No. It's not a date and I am not going out with him," I tell her.
"But that's the condition in this year's tournament," she insists.
"Even so, I won't go out with him. If it is Boruto I would be very excited. Well, not with that jerk. There's no way I am going to have a meal with him!" I almost yell at her.
I can feel my voice shake when I utter those words to her.
I can't imagine myself sitting in front of that jerk. I wonder if I can properly eat or maybe I will just lose my appetite seeing his grumpy face.
His teammates are happy except him, I just noticed. He seems not interested in the win I don't know what's with him.
Boruto approaches the jerk to shake hands with him but the jerk ignores him. How rude. They talk for a while and the jerk completely leaves Boruto.
Why would the jerk's team win? Why not Boruto's?
I cried in my head. I think my chest will burst in disappointment.
"That nerdy in 12-A is so lucky. She'll be spending the rest of the day with Kawaki."
"Unfortunately."
"Argh! I hate it!"
If only I could tell them to go out with him instead. I am not interested.
"So, are you still not going out with him? The girls are very jealous of you," Cho-Cho utters.
Is she trying to annoy me?
"I am not!" I shout.
"Okay, okay! Calm down. But don't blame me if they will insist," Cho-Cho adds.
If I only knew Boruto would not win this match I would have not wished I was the girl from the box.
My body shakes and I am feeling cold.
It's too late for me to regret now. Should I go or not?
What should I do?
"Ladies and gentlemen, before we completely leave this stadium I would like to call out for Sarada. Can you come down here just for a moment?" the host announces.
"I would like to formally introduce you to the winning Captain. As we have agreed upon, the lucky girl who turns out to be Sarada will have a meal with Kawaki of the Red Team right after this announcement. Sarada, can you step down for a moment?" he continues.
Damn it!
"Oh? What a lucky dork!"
"Give me that spot please!"
"Me too please!"
Oh, sure replace me.
"Sarada..." Cho-Cho calls out to me. I look at her with a nervous face.
"You were called out by the host," she says.
"H-Huh?" I stutter.
"Are you okay?" she asks me all so worried.
"I..."
"Huh?" she twitches her brows.
"I don't want to step down there," I respond.
"Why though?" she asks in confusion.
"Sarada, are you still there?" the host speaks again.
Everyone is looking at me. I am nervous. Cold sweats drop from my forehead.
I look at the center of the court and see Boruto looking in my direction.
He has a confused reaction on his face and when he notices that I am looking at him, he smiles at me.
My eyes widen. I am clueless as to what is the meaning of his smile. I also notice the jerk glimpses on me then look away.
Cho-Cho nudges on my side to wake me up from my delusions. I think I am being paranoid. I overthink and act weirdly.
I slowly stand up. My knees tremble.
"Relax. You will be fine," Cho-Cho encourages me.
I nod at her although I am still nervous.
"There she is. The top student of Room 12-A. Kawaki sure is lucky to have her out today," the host says.
What?
He will not have me out today. I am not going out with him like not ever.
I walk down in the direction of the host. I can tell everyone's eyes are on me and their stares kill me on the spot. I think I am just a ghost floating in the air.
As I walk in the middle of the crowd, I look in Boruto's direction. He is smiling like his usually smiling face.
Is it okay for him that I am going to be with the jerk?
Does he even have a clue that I like him?
Why is he smiling like that?
So, he does not have any feelings for me because he would have won the tournament if he does.
My face was saddened at the thought. I am getting closer to him. I walk past him while looking to the floor. I don't know what was his reaction though.
I feel bad, very bad.
When I reach the host he immediately speaks on the microphone.
"Now, let's call out Kawaki. Kawaki, come over. Sarada is here and maybe she would like to congratulate you or have a handshake," the host says.
Me congratulating the jerk? No way. We are not on good terms so, he probably will not shake hands with me.
The jerk's not moving in his place and gives me a bored look. I frown.
Damn you!
He sighs and forcibly walks toward us. What a jerk. I look away and the crowd starts to make a sound again.
He stops in front of me. We are facing each other now. Though I don't want to see his grumpy face, I have no choice.
"Would not you like to congratulate him, Sarada?" the host is perplexed himself.
I almost point to myself. Why would I? I am not here to congratulate him.
His cold stares annoy me. He is an annoying monkey face. I hate him so much!
I know I am forced to do this. I slowly lift my hand to ask him for a handshake. It's embarrassing. I look like a desperate girl in front of everyone.
The jerk looks at my hand it takes a few seconds before he speaks.
"I don't like shaking hands," he says and walks away.
What?
What's wrong with this monkey face jerk?
I gaze at the host and he is shocked as well. I guess everyone is shocked because they are not making any sound after he said it.
This jerk is getting on my nerves. REALLY!
Kawaki's POV
The buzzer cues that the tournament has ended.
My teammates rejoice upon realizing we won the match. I am still panting and gasping for air.
The stadium noises. Yells and cheers echo inside the room. Some are congratulating us in their cheers and some are sympathizing with the aggrieved one.
I walk away from the crowd. The opposing team accepts their defeat and I can see the blonde idiot approaching me.
"Yo, congratulations," he tells me.
I ignore him.
"Is that how you respond to me?" he asks me. I don't think he is being sarcastic but I don't care about what he says.
"Shut up, idiot. You enjoyed the kid's game so much," I tell him.
He chuckles.
"Okay, okay."
He waves his hands in front of me and shrugs.
"I underestimated you, that's the truth. I am pretty sure I don't know you yet and everyone does too I guess," he adds.
Underestimated me, huh?
I did not respond and walk away leaving him standing there. I walk in the direction of the bench and I reach for my towel and bottled water.
I sit down and put the towel on my head. I heard the host speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before we completely leave this stadium I would like to call out for Sarada. Can you come down here just for a moment?"
He asks the dork to step down from the bleachers.
He intends her to congratulate me. What for? He is joking, isn't he?
He speaks again now telling everyone that he wants to introduce her to me. I already know the dork and we are in the same class. She is a dork and I don't like hearing her annoying voice.
"There she is. The top student of Room 12-A. Kawaki sure is lucky to have her out today," the host says.
I am lucky to have the dork out? I don't think so. I have no interest in dorks.
I glance in between the end of the towel covering my face. I look in the direction of the dork.
Will she step down?
Well, who cares? She better not that would be great.
But she slowly stands up from the bleachers. The crowd starts to mumble their buzzing noise irritates me.
She slowly steps down and walks in the direction of the host.
Upon her arrival, the host speaks on the microphone again.
"Now, let's call out Kawaki. Kawaki comes over here. Sarada is here and maybe she would like to congratulate you or have a handshake."
What the hell does he want? Congratulate me? Annoying.
"Kawaki, come on. Go there. Sarada doesn't deserve to be humiliated in front of everyone," our bastard coach says. I frown.
I sigh and remove the towel from my head.
I stand up and walk in their direction. I can see how she scowls when she sees me approaching them.
She is annoying like those damn girls on this campus.
As I reach them, the host switches his stares from me to her.
She lifts her hand after the host asks her to shake hands with me. I know she doesn't like the idea. I can see it on her face. She is forced to do it.
I don't want to embarrass her and myself so I won't accept it.
"I don't like shaking hands," I say and turn my back to them.
I think I did embarrass her, but whatever.
I did not know what was their reaction after I said those. I keep walking away.
I go back to the locker to change my clothes. I was soaked in sweat. My teammates follow me in the locker room and change clothes as well.
I go back to the stadium and a few people are still there. I am the one who leaves the locker room first.
"Kawaki?" a long black-haired girl calls out to me. I stop when I noticed her call. She runs in my direction and stops upon arriving.
"What?" I snarl.
"Hey, what's with that face all of a sudden?" she says.
"Who are you?" I ask.
"Oops! I am the Vice President of the Sports Club," she says while smiling.
"What do you want?" I ask in a bored tone.
She pouts I think she realizes I am not interested in what she will say to me.
"Since you are the Captain of the winning team, you are going to go out with Sarada today," she says and winks at me.
"What? Go out with the dork?" I frown.
"Hey, stop it. She's a nice girl. You'd like her for sure," she tells me while smiling.
"She's not," I retaliate.
"Oh? But, you should obey the rules of this tournament. This is very special especially to the girls," her face saddened.
"I am not interested in such annoying rule. You can find someone else on my behalf," I refuse.
"We can't do that!" she almost yells at me. I think I made her slightly mad.
"That's not my problem anymore," I tell her.
"She's waiting for you in the room we provided just for you two," she says.
I did not respond to her.
"If you really are a grown-up, you will see her there. You are no brat, right?"
Is she challenging me? Or pissing me off?
I don't have the energy to argue with her anymore so I walk away from her.
"Room 10-A," she shouts. I ignore her and keep walking away.
The dork will just say stupid things to me or will keep quiet the whole time. She's annoying and I don't want to hear her irksome voice.
I realize that I will pass by Room 10-A before getting to the campus gates.
Sarada's POV
"Hey!" the Vice President of the Sports Club calls out to me.
Cho-Cho and I move closer to her.
"Sarada from 12-A, right?" she asks me. She is from 12-B but she is more likely popular with the boys. She's pretty and has seductive eyes, I can say.
I nod and she smiles at me.
"You're lucky to have Kawaki out," she says.
"W-What? Lucky? Me?" I point to myself while laughing awkwardly. I almost puke at the thought. Cho-Cho is worried I can say bad things about him.
"Well since Kawaki hasn't out from the locker yet, can you wait for him to Room 10-A?" she asks me.
"What?" I snap.
"Hey, you'll have a meal with him, remember?" she reminds me.
Of course, I remember. How could I ever forget about that damn thing?
"I can't go with him today. I forgot we have exams tomorrow and I need to study my lessons," my alibi.
"The exams are on next week though," she replies.
Damn it! What the hell of an excuse was that?
"O-Oh, w-what I meant was we have short exams." Oh please, believe me. I don't want to go out with that jerk.
"Well, you have to obey the rules. Many girls wanted to be in your place, you know. Don't waste the chance," she says.
I would be very happy if someone will take over my place now.
"But...I really can't right, Cho-Cho?" I keep refusing. Cho-Cho shakes her head in embarrassment.
"No buts, you're going to come with them," she says and a boy and a girl drag me to Room 10-A.
"Hey wait! Cho-Cho help me!" I yell.
"I'll go home early today Sarada. Tell me everything tomorrow, okay?" she yells back.
What?
So, she is going to leave me behind? She is waving goodbye at me.
No! Cho-Cho. Don't leave me here.
Damn it! No way!
They let go of me after we arrive in Room 10-A.
"Please wait for him here," the girl says and smiles at me.
"And don't you dare escape, we're just outside. We can drag you back here anytime," the boy adds.
Damn it!
How many times did I say 'damn it' this whole time?
They leave me inside the room, I am left all alone now. I turn and my eyes surprise me.
There is a table for two with plates covered on top of it. I move near the table. I look around. It looks romantic. The walls are decorated with balloons and every corner is decorated with beautiful flowers. Valentine's Day is far from now yet the ambiance looks like it.
I would feel the fantasy of dating if it's Boruto whom I going to share the table with, but it's the jerk so I feel annoyed.
And this is not a date but a sort of some stupid twisted game.
If he will come, what should I tell him?
Wait, you don't have to talk to him anyway. Eat and go home. That's what I must do later. Well, there's nothing to talk to him. He is boring and a jerk so, there's no point talking to him at all.
I sit down because I feel my ankle hurts when they drag me here. I look at my watch and it's already 5:34 PM and it's getting dark soon.
Where the hell is that jerk? If he won't come by 5:40 I will leave.
"Hey, dork,"
When I look at the doorway, it's the jerk leaning on the door.
I was stunned for seconds.
Why does he look so cool with that gesture?
I shake my head throwing away that idea from my mind. He is so uncool.
"What took you so long?" I scowl at him. He did not answer but stare at me. I suddenly feel anxious with his stares and I feel my heart race.
He walks in my direction and stops in front of me. He leans closer to me pushing his left hand on the table and holds the left corner of the chair with his right hand which makes me lean backward for a few inches. And that leaves me in between his arms.
I feel my cheeks flush. He is so close to me and I barely feel his warm breath. I think I am nailed on the chair and my mouth is zipped tight. I could not open my lips to tell him to stay away from me. I could not move and push him away.
He moves an inch closer which makes my irises enlarge. He slowly opens his mouth.
Is he going to kiss me?