A.N: Here is the second chapter of this Leosaya side story, taking place during Chapter Six of AOH. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter Two: The Greatest Stage
"You're free to go, Sayaka. Have a pleasant day," said Jin Kirigiri, Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, after Sayaka had reported her return on campus. "And please close the door on your way out."
"Yes, sir. Have a nice day, too." the pop idol bowed politely before turning around and heading out of the office. Jeez, Kyoko's father isn't too strict, but he can be stern sometimes! She thought, making sure to comply and close the door behind her. Well, no use thinking about it. Back to the dorms I go! With some luck, *he's* already back on campus…
With this in mind, Sayaka headed for the stairs, a small smile on her face. If everything went well, today should be a good day, great even. She was slightly nervous, she had to admit, but looking forward to it. Her heart skipped a beat just at the thought as she almost ran down the stairs - something their Class Representative wouldn't have approved at all!
The campus was buzzing with activity, which was honestly not a rare thing, especially in-between the Reserve Course's classes. With her errand done with, Sayaka quickly headed for the dorms, hoping there wouldn't be an army of Reserve Course students asking her for autographs on the way - because yes, that sometimes happened.
The Ultimate Pop Sensation was always happy to sign autographs for the so-called Sayakers, but right now, she needed some peace (and possibly, some quiet, even if this was unlikely) to think and relax.
I'm pretty sure it'll go well… I mean, I can be a dumb girl, but I can pick up hints when I see them! The blue-haired pop idol thought, adopting a pensive stance. If he doesn't like me, though, that's gonna be so humiliating… But c'mon, we spent a day together at my place, and he couldn't stop blushing! We held hands, and he helped me with my insecurities… Yeah, no need to be nervous, it's gonna be fi-
"Hey, Sayaka, wait up!"
"H-Huh?"
As she turned around, the pop idol saw a redhead running after her, and for once, it wasn't a fan. Well, at least, not first and foremost. Her eyes widened in panic as she understood who was calling out to her.
Shit, it's Leon! Argh, I-I wanted to meet him in his room, not before! Trying to come up with something natural as he ran up to her, Sayaka drew a blank. D-Do I just go along with the plan anyway…?! That's super risky!
"Sayaka! Good afternoon! How are you?" the ballplayer asked as he caught up to her. He wasn't panting at all, thanks to being used to running a lot when playing baseball.
The pop idol tried to remain calm and addressed her crush as naturally as she could, "Good afternoon, Leon. I'm fine, thanks. I was on my way back to the dorms. You?"
"Oh, I'm fine, thanks," he replied gently, smiling as he almost always did. "Good thing I saw you there, though, because there was something I needed to tell you."
S-Something he needed to tell me…? The many possibilities overwhelmed Sayaka a bit. M-Maybe… "Y-Yeah, what is it…? Can we walk back to the dorms while you tell me?"
"Yeah, sure." they began strolling along the path back to the Ultimates' wing of the campus. There was a light breeze, but it was overall a sunny day. It helped Sayaka relax a bit. "Hey, you alright, Sayaka? You look nervous."
"Y-Yeah, don't worry about it," she told her, forcing a smile. Except that I had made plans to confess to you, and you decided to pop up where I didn't want you to, silly! If you knew that, I think you'd understand why I seem nervous! "What did you want to tell me?"
Leon seemed doubtful to some extent but dropped it. Sayaka would have sighed in relief if they had not been standing next to each other.
"About that…" she noticed him taking a deep breath before continuing, "You know, we've spent quite some time together since the beginning of the year, and we had that afternoon at your place, which was great and all… And well…" another deep(er) breath. "I've developed some feelings for you, Sayaka, y'know? You're a great chick, and I feel like it works well between the two of us, too. So, um… I was wondering if it was the same for you, see…? Maybe be more than friends…? I-If you want to, of course…"
Sayaka's eyes widened once again, but not for the same reason. She pinched herself discreetly, trying to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Leon looked at her with an adorable dorky face, a little hesitant, which made him even cuter in the girl's eyes.
D-Did he… Did he just ask me if I had feelings for him?! She wondered as soon as the rational part of her mind had regained control. "L-Leon…" some tears appeared under her eyes
Seeing the pop sensation look on the brink of crying, Leon frowned. "S-Sorry, I shouldn't have said t-that… F-Forget you heard anything, okay…?"
"N-No… L-Leon, I… I…!" How the hell is this happening?! Did Makoto's luck rub off on me during the weekend or something?! "I have feelings for you too!"
She almost shouted this, wanting to be sure he heard it loud and clear. And just like hers only a moment ago, Leon's eyes widened in surprise, and his lips turned into a smile - whether he was conscious of that was unclear, however.
"S-Sayaka, does that mean…?" he asked, though hesitantly.
"Y-Yeah… I-If you like me too, I'd like to b-become your girlfriend…" I've finally said it! I've asked Leon to be his girlfriend! Bouncing like a little bunny inside, Sayaka awaited her crush's answer.
The boy took her hands, intertwined their fingers together. After a moment of silence, he finally replied.
"Yeah, I'd love that, Sayaka. I-I… I can't really believe you'd like a guy like me, but…"
She giggled, finding in this the Leon she loved. "You know, I was about to come to your room and ask you out, so this is a pretty cool coincidence, don't you think?"
"Wait, really?" seeing her nod in confirmation, the Ultimate Baseball Star added, "Wow, I didn't know that… To be honest, it's been a while since I've wanted to confess to you, but I couldn't muster the courage to do it…"
"You, Leon Kuwata, not having the courage to ask a girl out?! I don't believe it!" she told him, smirking teasingly. I'm so glad this went well… I was so worried he would reject me if I asked him out… Chances are, I would have chickened out before asking him…
"Well, you're not a girl like the others, Sayaka, you need to realize that, alright?" he told her, making her smile and blush. Then, out of the blue, he asked, "Is it okay if I kiss you?"
There it is… My first kiss… That's probably not true for the two of us, but that doesn't matter. "Yeah, I'd love that."
As she said that, the redhead leaned closer and softly placed his lips on hers in a lovely kiss, claiming the Ultimate Pop Sensation's first kiss.
Leon is fricking kissing me! OMG!
Moaning a bit in pleasure, Sayaka let her new boyfriend guide her and simply returned the kiss. It was slow but still passionate. The blue-haired girl couldn't have asked for anything different for her first time kissing a boy (or a girl, for that matter, she was into both without any trouble).
They pulled away to retake their breath, staring into each other's eyes lovingly.
"I love you, Leon," Sayaka said, without needing to even think about it. It felt liberating, for sure.
"I love you too, babe," he replied, and the pet name made the girl's heart skip a beat.
Yeah, that was a nickname she could get used to… Still, while the Ultimate Pop Sensation and her new Ultimate Baseball Star boyfriend were over the moon, they couldn't have guessed they had somewhat of an audience, their Ultimate Lucky friend, for example, whose heart had just been broken… On the other hand, a very mysterious fashionista grinned at the scene, already planning her next move…
Leon was sitting in Sayaka's room, expectantly waiting for his new girlfriend to begin her performance. Indeed, the pop sensation had agreed to sing one of her classics for him, as a way to celebrate them getting together.
"Okay, so this one of my favorite songs, "I'm not typical!" I hope you like it!" she said sweetly, smiling at her boyfriend as she fiddled with her mic and pressed a button on her CD/DVD player.
She began singing, her voice mesmerizing Leon at first with just how well she sang. He found the lyrics extremely cute and just having the girl he liked singing for him was enough for him to have a good time.
Honestly, it could have lasted forever that Leon wouldn't have complained.
Unfortunately, their fun had to stop when someone knocked on the door, forcing Sayaka to stop singing, and she sighed in regret.
*knock* *knock*
"Roh, why do they gotta disturb us?" she wondered, growling a bit. "I hate being interrupted when I'm singing!"
"It's okay, babe, you can continue after that." the redhead told her, getting more and more comfortable nicknaming his girlfriend this way. "I'll go and get it, alright?"
"Yeah, please." I wonder who it could be…? Sayaka asked herself as she went and stopped the music that was still playing in the background. The walls are soundproof, so it can't be for the music…
She watched as her boyfriend opened the door and revealed the strawberry blonde Junko Enoshima on the other side.
"Hey, hello there!" she exclaimed, grinning at Leon. "I see a girl here has company! Good for her, good for her!"
"Junko. What can we do for you?" the ballplayer asked, his voice showing neither amusement nor too much annoyance… yet. "Sayaka and I were having a moment together, so please keep it brief."
"Ah, I'm interrupting the future rock star in his date with his girlfriend, I see…" the fashionista told them, slightly smirking. Upon seeing the surprised look on Leon's face, which pretty much said, 'How did you know?', Junko added, "Well, I saw you make out earlier outside, so don't look so surprised! Can I enter already?"
What the hell does Junko want…? Seeing her boyfriend wordlessly asking her for permission, Sayaka nodded and said, "Yeah, let her come in. I'm a bit curious as to what she wants."
With a nod of his own, the baseball star fully opened the door and let the blonde enter before going back to sit where he had been before. Sayaka still stood up, narrowing her eyes on her unexpected guest.
Junko bowed exaggeratedly before saying, "Good day! I have come to deliver some news! And it is quite a coincidence that you would just happen to have a most wonderful boyfriend of yours with you!"
"Hi, Junko." the blue-haired pop idol replied, though it wasn't as enthusiastic as almost always was. "What did you want to tell me? And what does it have to do with Leon being here?"
"We will tell you that, peasants, just you wait!" the Ultimate Fashionista told her, taking a crowd out of nowhere and placing it on her head. "Might we sit?"
They shared a look and rolled their eyes, knowing the quicker they heard what their classmate had to tell them, the better. Sayaka pointed to a chair and said, "You can sit there if you want."
Junko did as she was being told and sat before finally getting to what she wanted to say the newly formed couple of the two Ultimates.
"Well, this is about everyone's favorite luck boy, Makoto!" the fashionista announced. "Wanna hear it?"
"A-About Makoto…?" What the heck does she want to tell us about Makoto…? Sayaka couldn't help but wonder, and apparently, her new lover was asking himself the same question.
"Why Makoto, though? And why are you the one telling us this, and not him?" the ballplayer asked, narrowing his eyes on the other girl.
"Oh, because this isn't something he would have come and told you on his own, puhuhuhu…" Junko cackled, making the pop sensation shiver a bit. Leon noticed this and took her hand, maybe subconsciously. "You see, the luck boy let me be privy to a secret of his, shall I say."
"A secret?" the pop idol echoed. Makoto, of all people, having secrets? "I have my doubts, Junko." But if she came to us… then maybe it's important…? With hesitation in her voice, Sayaka added, "But go on."
"I'm glad you asked!" the blonde cheered, her smile almost sadistic. "Our little tale begins a month ago, after a most remarkable P.E class! Class 78th's Ultimate Lucky Student, Makoto Naegi, decides to spend some time with Junko Fucking Enoshima; a truly magnificent idea!"
Both girlfriend and boyfriend rolled their eyes, thinking, I'm not so sure about that…
"Our chatter was most interesting, but only one detail should be of importance to you, you see?"
Sayaka tapped her foot impatiently, disliking the way her classmate was keeping her in that awkward suspense. At that point, she could tell them a piece of terrible news or a great thing, and there was no way to tell in advance.
"Now aware of this secret of Makoto's, I gave him an ultimatum, which was rather simple," the blonde explained, worrying Sayaka a bit more with the word 'ultimatum' being used so casually. "I told him to reveal his secret to the one it dealt with, or I would do it myself. I gave him a time limit of a month, which seemed fair to me."
A secret Makoto had to tell… and visibly to me…? Scenarios played in the blue-haired girl's mind, and her mind settled on one in particular. Oh no, don't tell me…
"Unfortunately for our luck boy, he couldn't muster the courage to do it, so I am now forced to reveal his secret to you, Sayaka." the Ultimate Fashionista announced, not looking very sorry. "It is quite a pleasant coincidence that you shall be there to hear it, Leon, because it also deals with you, to some extent."
"How in the world does Makoto's secret deal with me?" the redhead inquired, getting frustrated. "If you came to mess with us, then just get out, Junko!"
"Oh, c'mon! You should be grateful!" the stare she received from Leon told her that he most definitely wasn't. "Fine, I'll cut to the chase and tell you."
Sayaka's heartbeat fastened a bit, and she felt her boyfriend hold her hand a little tighter.
"Makoto Naegi has a secret crush on you, Sayaka!"
Junko dropped a real bombshell with this, and the looks of surprise and shock on both Leon's and Sayaka's faces were enough to prove it.
"W-What the…?!" they both exclaimed in unison, though Leon was the first one to speak after that. "What the hell do you mean, Junko?!"
"Hey, I think I was clear enough, wasn't I?" she replied coldly, not caring for the angry glares she was on the receiving end of. "I thought you deserved to know, especially since the luck boy was too much of a chicken to admit it himself!"
M-Makoto… has a crush on me…? It finally hit Sayaka that one of her theories had been correct, and not the one she wanted. N-No, Makoto… I-I don't wanna break your heart!
*sob*
"H-Huh?"
Both the blonde and the baseball star turned to see the Ultimate Pop Sensation sobbing silently in her hands.
"H-Hey, babe, what's wrong?!" Leon asked her worriedly, taking her hands with his in comfort. "D-Don't cry, Sayaka, it's alright…"
"Yeah, it's just the truth, girl, get used to it!" the fashionista commented. "And why does it even matter to you? It's not like you love him, visibly!"
"Shut up, Junko!" the crying girl shouted, pointing her finger at Junko accusingly. "Y-You don't know anything about the friendship Makoto and I share! H-He's… He's the best friend I've ever had, and… a-and even if I don't have r-romantic feelings for him… I-I still love him!"
"Yeah, Sayaka's right! What the hell were you even thinking, exposing Makoto's private feelings like that?!" the redhead asked furiously, his face turning red, but not from a blush. "I don't know what you were trying to accomplish, telling us that, but we don't give a shit! If you thought this was gonna make me mad at Makoto for this, then you were wrong! You know what? I'm happy to know that my girlfriend inspires these feelings because it proves just how great of a girl she is!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it…" Junko muttered, visibly annoyed. "Now, I've done what I needed, so I'll be gone. I feel like my presence is not welcome, anyway… This is too despairing…"
"Yeah, get lost, Junko." the Ultimate Baseball Star ordered her and the blonde took leave. He waited for her to be gone and for her grin to be nowhere in sight before he addressed his girlfriend. "It's okay, Sayaka; it's okay…" he whispered in her ear softly. "I know what she told you took us by surprise, but it's okay… Don't cry, Sayaka, I'm here… Don't cry, babe…"
The pop idol sniffled, and she spoke up, even if her voice was strained. "I… I just don't want to break Makoto's heart! H-He's been so kind to me; he doesn't deserve it!" P-Poor Makoto…
"I-It's okay, Sayaka… You did nothing wrong, babe…" he assured her, speaking softly and holding his girlfriend close. "I know Makoto means a lot to you, and he's like a brother to me, so you don't need to panic about this. And you know the guy, babe, he'll understand." Leon giggled, adding, "Knowing him, he'll even be the one to apologize for having a crush on you, y'know?"
Sayaka giggled too, smiling a little. "Y-Yeah, you're probably right about that…" That's something Makoto would do, alright… "But still… I feel sick just at the thought of seeing him heartbroken… He's helped me when I needed it, and I don't want to see him sad…"
"And neither do I, babe. But I don't want to see you sad, either, you know?" he told her, brushing off the tears under her eyes with his thumbs. "The two of you are my best friends, and it's not because we're romantically involved now that it'll change. We're still best friends, and we'll continue to hang out together a lot, okay? But please don't kick yourself over this, babe, alright?"
"O-Okay… I… I'll have to go and talk to him, though…" H-He'll learn about Leon and me anyway, so I prefer to be honest with him… He deserves it… "T-Thank you, Leon… I… I'm so glad you're here…"
"You're welcome, babe." her boyfriend told her, smiling. He leaned forward and pecked her on the lips quickly, making her smile a bit. "I love you."
"I love you too, Leon. I… I'm sorry our first day together didn't go so well because of Junko…" Nothing went according to plan… but I guess it could have been worse…
"Don't be sorry, Sayaka," Leon told her reassuringly. "As long as you're here, everything's fine. This has been a better day than I could have expected, you know that?"
"T-Thank you…" I don't deserve Leon either… he's too kind, too… "D-Do you want me to resume singing…?"
"If you want to, then sure, I'd love it." the redhead smiled, making Sayaka's sadness go away. "It's not every day you get to hear the Ultimate Pop Sensation's melodious singing for yourself, after all!"
This brought a smile back to the blue-haired girl's face as she blushed cutely and stood up, heading back to her mic.
Makoto, Leon… I love you two so, so much… Not in the same way, but you're the two boys who helped me through my darkest days, and I'll never be thankful enough for that… And I'm sure Makoto will find a girl he'll love and who'll love him back… and Leon and I will help him with that…
Leon… I'm so glad to have met you, my adorable boyfriend…
The End.
A.N: I hope you liked this second chapter, and this side story as a whole. Giving Leon and Sayaka some development after they had some key moments with Makoto and Kyoko in the main story was something I wanted to do at some point, so there it is. There is one more side story on my list to write, as well as two "transition" stories glancing over canon events, and then I'll finally be able to get to the sequel to AOH. Anyway, until then, please leave a review!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and I wish you a happy and healthy New Year a few days early. Have a nice day, and please be safe!
Love, Moiloru