You're terrible seducing!
Maya can't deny she is unequivocally and irremediably in love with Claudine ever since the first time she saw her.
Since that moment on, she couldn't help but slowly fall in love with her elegant dancing, with the touch of her delicate skin and with her beautiful features.
She fell completely in love with the way her mesmerizing deep magenta eyes easily took her breath away with just a single glance charged with a blazing defiance that only added more charm to her fierce personality.
But most of all, Maya fell in love with Claudine's melodic laugh and voice.
Maya can't help but wonder how such a beautiful and marvelous sound was able to cast a spell over her in such a manner that it doesn't matter what she tried to do, it never stops haunting her thoughts and making her heart beat faster than ever in her entire life.
The brunette knows she is totally in love with the ash-blonde, but the problem is how to let her know about her feelings.
Maya sighs heavily as she thinks about it, staring at her laptop's screen hoping Google can give her the answer to her desired question of letting Claudine know about her feelings, as well as to know how she can allure her in the hope of making her fall in love with her.
She clicks on several websites looking up for the answer to her questions, writing down the tips given in them until she's satisfied enough with the amount of different approaches she listed and that she will be accomplishing over the week.
The first day, Maya goes to school a bit sooner than the rest of the girls.
Once there, she makes sure nobody is around or watching her and forces Claudine's locker open to place inside it the first one of the many gifts she plans to give the ash-blonde over the week.
She closes it and quickly hides around just in time as the first students start to arrive and fill the lobby.
Maya waits patiently behind a row of lockers, peering out of them to see an ash-blonde mane arriving, standing out in the middle of a sea full of students.
She smiles softly and watches attentively from a prudent distance how Claudine opens her locker and squeals in surprise, gathering the gazes of their schoolmates who quickly begin to whisper excited at the sight of a beautiful red rose carefully placed inside Claudine's locker.
The ash-blonde blushes embarrassedly upon being the center of everybody's gazes and whisperings and barely touches the rose lying inside her locker before she closes it with a loud slam and stomps off to classes, bothered yet with a hard blush still tinting her cheeks.
Maya watches from her spot how a single red petal falls to the floor as Claudine walks away, and lets out a heavy and dejected sigh before she also starts to walk to their classroom.
She can't help but keep a close eye on Claudine for the rest of the morning, witnessing the sour mood in which the half-French is since the rose incident.
I guess she didn't like it. Maybe she doesn't even like roses, or is allergic to them.
Maya thinks to herself, mentally crossing out giving Claudine more flowers from her list.
The second day, the brunette approaches in a different way.
Just like the previous day, she goes to school first and after making sure nobody had followed her neither is around, she leaves a box of different flavored chocolates inside the book tray of Claudine's desk.
She hurries out of the school trying to not look suspicious, and arrives at the same time as the rest of the girls, quickly engaging in a small and easy conversation with Mahiru.
They soon get to class, and sit at their respective desks waiting for the class to begin.
Maya can't stop stealing glances at Claudine the whole time before she hears a muffled scream and sees the ash-blonde quickly retracting her hand from the inside of her desk's book tray as if something has bitten her.
Maya chuckles at this and watches Claudine with a grin on her face.
- Saijou-san, it's everything okay?
She barely registers Sakuragi-sensei's voice asking the ash-blonde, too focused on the lovely and cute stubborn blush adorning her cheeks.
- Y-yes, sorry Sakuragi-sensei. Please continue with the class.
The teacher only sighs before she continues with the lesson, turning around to keep writing on the chalkboard. Meanwhile, Maya can't help but observe attentively how Claudine timidly takes a peek at the inside of the book tray to see a box of chocolates resting there.
She sees her clenching her jaw, before Claudine looks back ahead-on at the chalkboard, ignoring the box full of chocolates while an evident scowl takes over her beautiful features as well as a light blush dusts ever slightly her cheeks.
I guess she doesn't like chocolates either.
Maya thinks sorrowfully, sighing dejected as she mentally crosses out another element of her list and before she focuses on following the class.
The third day, Maya tries with another one of the tips she read and wrote down from one of the countless websites that she looked up.
Unlike the previous days, that same morning Maya walks with the rest of the girls to school.
- Are you accompanying it us in this fine morning, Maya-chan? – Nana asks her amicably, making Maya smile softly.
- Yes, Nana-san. I've decided to not go for a run this morning.
Maya answers calmly, making up a cover for the previous mornings in which she sneaked out of the dorms sooner than the rest of the girls to go to school and hide Claudine's gifts.
She sees Nana smiling widely and clapping happily at her answer.
- That's great! If only Futaba-chan and Kaoruko-chan could accompany us too.
- Oh please, like Kaoruko could even set foot outside the dorms without falling to the floor exhausted at making such an effort so early in the morning – Claudine says rolling her eyes, making the girls laugh before a still giggling Mahiru reprimands her.
- Kuro-chan! Don't be bad with Kaoruko-chan.
- But Mahiru, we all know it's the truth.
Maya sees Claudine shrugging her shoulders as she says that, and smiles enjoying to be able to witness this funny and playful side of the ash-blonde.
Between jokes and small talks about classes, they arrive to school almost at the same time as Futaba and Kaoruko get off of the pink haired girl's motorbike, seeing a still sleepy Kaoruko hunching over Futaba's back.
- I told you – Claudine whispers next to her, eliciting a giggle from Maya.
- You're bad, Saijou-san – Maya says playfully, hearing Claudine snorting and seeing her rolling her eyes before they walk to their classroom all together.
Once lunchtime comes, Maya sets her plan in motion excusing herself for a brief moment to use the bathroom, only to head to the lockers' of the practice room instead.
The brunette makes sure nobody is watching her, before she slips a letter through the gaps of Claudine's locker and quickly leaves the room before anybody can see her to go back with the rest of the girls and eat lunch all together.
After classes, they decide to practice all together.
Maya finds herself opening her own locker first, pausing in her actions from time to time to glance discreetly at Claudine, observing her as she opens her locker and a letter falls out of it.
She hears her gasping surprised, before she crouches to take the letter in her hands.
- Oooh, somebody has an admirer~ – Kaoruko says slyly as she peers at the letter over Claudine's shoulder, making the ash-blonde blush embarrassed.
- S-shut up devil! – Claudine exclaims, hearing Kaoruko laughing mischievously while the Kyoto girl tries to take the letter away from her hands, and before Futaba comes to take her by the collar of her shirt to drag her away.
- Futaba-han! – Kaoruko whines as she's dragged away by the short girl.
- Sorry Kuroko, you know how she is – Futaba apologizes rolling her eyes, and Maya can't help but observe the exchange amused before she looks back at Claudine, seeing a cute and stubborn blush adorning her cheeks yet a scowl present of her face.
Maya feels sad upon thinking Claudine didn't like this gift either nor her approach, even though she didn't read the French poem inside the letter.
But she doesn't have much time to think about it before a loud slam is heard and the ash-blonde can be seen leaving the lockers room to go back to the dorms visible angry.
The brunette just stares at the door and at the hallway where Claudine disappeared with regret, before she lets out a long sigh, contemplating if she should follow her.
- Don't worry, I'm sure Kuro-chan is in a better mood once we're back at the dorms – Mahiru says softly, squeezing Maya's shoulder in a comforting way all while she startles the brunette who turns around to see the other girl smiling at her softly.
- I hope so... – Maya exhales doubtfully before she looks at Mahiru with a soft smile on her face – Would you like to be my partner today, Mahiru-san?
Maya ends up offering her kindly, seeing Mahiru nodding before they get changed and start practicing together.
Once they're back at the dorms, Maya can't stop thinking about all her failed attempts to let Claudine know about her feelings, and tears apart the list with the tips written on it, sighing heavily as she thinks about what to do next.
After painstakingly thinking about it, Maya decides it'd be the best if she doesn't continue doing any grand gesture to let Claudine know about her feelings, but approach her in a different and simpler way.
To put it into practice, Maya decides to let Claudine be the lead on their private practice the following day.
- Huh? How strange of you to let me be the lead – Claudine comments casually as she notices the way Maya positions herself, allowing her to take the lead and before they begin to dance under the ash-blonde's guide.
- I apologize ma Claudine for always tending to take the lead, it just feels natural to me. I just happen to think today could be a good day to change that, so show me how you guide us in this magnificent dance – Maya says softly, seeing a smug smirk on Claudine's face.
- You'll see. After today, you won't want to be the lead anymore – Claudine replies smugly, beginning their dance.
- I hardly believe that ma Claudine.
Maya answers, adoring seeing Claudine smirking so confident again and not with the permanent scowl on her face that she was wearing the previous days.
They keep dancing and twirling around the room until it's time to go back to the dorms, and Maya can't be happier to have decided to stop following that list of tips she wrote down.
But the calm doesn't last long as at Friday evening, Maya breaks it upon acting on impulse, draw by Claudine's breathtaking beauty and sultry voice.
They're reviewing a script together, reading aloud their lines when Maya decides to skip them to begin reciting poetry to Claudine.
At first, she observes Claudine's cute confused expression trying to look up where are those lines in the script, but upon not finding them, she sees the ash-blonde gazing up at her with a shocked expression on her face while furrowing her brow.
Maya grins, finding her endearing cute and continues reciting the poem she memorized, moving slowly closer to Claudine until they're just centimeters apart, their breaths ghosting over one another's lips.
They get lost in the other's eyes, slowly and hypnotizing shortening the negligible distance separating them, before Claudine wakes up from her stupor and squeals, pushing Maya in a reflex. The brunette just falls to the floor, landing on her butt confused about what happened.
- W-w-what do you think you're doing, infuriating woman!? – Claudine squeals high-pitched, looking away to hide the hard blush adorning her cheeks while she tries to calm the hard beating of her heart.
- Ah, I apologize ma Claudine, I don't know what came over me – Maya apologizes sorrowfully, misunderstanding Claudine's blush as if she had bothered her with her actions.
Maya can't help but observe how Claudine doesn't bother to look back at her, seeing her biting her lip before she hears her clearing her throat to talk again.
- W-whatever, b-but I think it'll be the best if w-we end the reviewing here.
Maya keeps noticing how despite everything, Claudine doesn't look at her, making her regret about her impulse of wanting to kiss her.
- I understand. I deeply apologize once again if I've made you feel uncomfortable, ma Claudine – Maya apologizes once again before she takes her script and quickly leaves Claudine's room to go to her own one, flopping onto her bed dejectedly.
She sighs and stares at the ceiling, still feeling Claudine's breathing ghosting on her lips.
- Why is so hard?
She whispers out loud, tossing in her bed to end up looking at her swan plushie, stroking its fluffy plumage.
- Is it easier for you? – she asks her swan plushie absentmindedly, stroking it a bit more before an idea pops into her mind.
She quickly gets out of her bed to turn her laptop on and google how swans court their partners.
She writes down the information she just read and begins to draw up a plan for the following day, listing all the things she'll need to buy to carry it out. She then goes to sleep with a hopeful smile on her face, hugging her beloved swan plushie.
This plan will work out.
She thinks before she falls asleep, dreaming about a couple of swans swimming together in a lake, before they romantically entwine their curved necks forming a perfect love heart.
The following morning her alarm goes off, waking her up after a long and restful night. Maya yawns and stretches before quickly gets out of bed and starts dressing up to then take the list of the things she will need to buy for her own courtship and leave the dorms.
- Maya-chan!
Mahiru greets her cheerfully as soon as she sees her passing through the common room, bringing a soft smile to the brunette's lips.
- Good morning Mahiru-san.
- Good morning Maya-chan. Are you going out? – Mahiru asks her, seeing Maya dressed up to go out.
- I am, indeed.
- Do you want me to also make your breakfast and save it for whenever you come back? – Mahiru asks her kindly, and Maya can't help but smile at her kindness.
- Don't worry Mahiru-san, it won't be necessary. I'll be having breakfast outside.
Mahiru nods and they say goodbye before Maya leaves the dorms to have a brief breakfast at one of her favorite cafeterias. Then, she heads to buy all the things she'll need to seduce Claudine.
Meanwhile back in the dorms, a certain ash-blonde just woke up debating between going directly downstairs to the common room, or make a brief stop at Maya's room to apologize for what happened the previous night.
Claudine sighs before she decides to go to Maya's room, knocking on her door twice. She waits for any type of answer or any noise coming from inside, before she knocks on the door twice again.
- Maya? Are you awake? – Claudine asks, trying to hear any sound coming from inside – Listen, I just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday's night. I'm sorry for have pushed you.
She apologizes, still hearing nothing in return.
- Fine, whatever, I've apologized – she murmurs and gives up, sighing as she turns around to begin heading towards the common room for breakfast.
- Kuro-chan, good morning!
Mahiru's cheerful greeting is able to bring a smile to the ash-blonde's face.
- Good morning, Mahiru.
- Do you want to help me with breakfast? I'm almost finishing it.
Claudine smiles once again and nods, rolling up her sleeves to help Mahiru with breakfast, noticing there are food only for 8 people.
- Mahiru, we're short of one plate – Claudine comments confused at Mahiru's miscalculation, hearing the midnight blue-haired girl giggling.
- Nope, we aren't. Maya-chan left early this morning and told me she won't be having breakfast with us.
- Ah, I see – Claudine simply says, helping Mahiru to serve the breakfast on each plate.
No wonder why she wasn't answering me earlier.
Claudine thinks to herself, sighing and shaking her head trying to not think if Maya is so mad about what happened the previous night that decided to go out.
A couple of hours pass before Maya comes back to the dorms, trying to sneak to the rooms without being seen. Once she successfully goes upstairs without any of the girls noticing her, she looks at one way then at another and stealthy enters Claudine's room.
She smiles upon seeing it so tidy, and begins to set her plan in motion, pulling out of the bag she carries with her what she bought from the different shops she visited.
When Claudine enters her room, she can't help but gasp surprised upon seeing Maya standing in the middle of her room smiling cheekily.
- Good morning, ma Claudine – Maya greets her softly while she sees Claudine closing the door behind her, shocked at her presence in her bedroom.
- G-good morning.
Claudine stammers dumbfounded, still not believing what she's witnessing in front of her. She can't help but look up and down at a Maya dressed completely as a swan, a very detailed swan in disguise if she might add.
Maya upon seeing the bewildered expression on her face, can only giggle before she begins to ruffle her artificial feathers and lift her wings, bowing gracefully at Claudine to then begin to dance around her, hissing and grunting.
Claudine can only open her eyes even wider at it, shocked before Maya finishes her courtship dance and bows in front of her once again, taking her hand to leave a kiss on it.
- What the… fuck.
Claudine finally says after several seconds in an uncomfortable silence.
- You... didn't like it? – Maya asks tentatively, tilting her head with an adorable but sad pout on her face.
- I… no! Of course I didn't! How could I!?
- Oh.
It's the only thing Maya can say upon seeing Claudine's angry outburst.
- What do you think I am? A swan to be seduced and courted like that!? – Claudine asks her outraged, seeing how Maya has the audacity to blush with a bashful smile on her face – Actually don't even answer me to that.
Claudine ends up saying, sighing deeply.
- I apologize ma Claudine, but you didn't seem to like any of my previous attempts to court you, so I've thought about trying with a different approach.
Claudine exhales deeply, face palming herself before she looks at an amusing and cute pouty swan Maya.
- Méchante va… You... Tendou Maya, you just needed to be like any normal person and confess your feelings to me without any grand gestures – Claudine says softly, approaching Maya to cup her cheek and caress it – I admit that I liked the rose, the chocolates and the corny French poem that you left me, but I like much more when you're just you, being thoughtful and kind like when you let me be the lead on our dance. I like when you do simple things just to make me happy.
- Oh, I see – Maya says smiling timidly, surrounding Claudine's waist to pull her closer, making her laugh at the contact of her feathers tickling her.
- You're such a silly – Claudine says fondly before she pulls Maya into a deep kiss.
Maya can't help but kiss her back happily before they pull away.
- Does this mean my feelings are reciprocated? – Maya asks innocently, seeing Claudine blushing and nodding at her with a timid smile on her face, before she notices Maya stepping back to shake her wings and twitter happily.
- Sérieusement…
Claudine can't help but mutter, watching Maya courting her like swans do with their partners before they both start to laugh.
As their laughs die down, the ash-blonde can't help but bury her face into Maya's fluffy chest, wondering if accepting and reciprocating the brunette's feelings was the best idea after seeing her acting like a swan. Although she has to admit it's certainly entertaining and somewhat cute, laughing at it as Maya smiles beamingly, wrapping her arms around her tightly while loving to hear once again the beautiful and melodic sound of her laugh.