A/N Hey guys, so this is probably going to just be a one-shot collection from now on

! #$

Chihaya stood, stone cold and fists loosely curled, as the harsh wind whipped her hair all around. Taichi stood what seemed one hundred kilometres away, his back turned and, unbeknownst to Chihaya, grip tight on his book bag.

He was walking away. Again.

Chihaya let out a growl of frustration, her fists balling as she stomped and shook her body, trying to quell the urge for the tears to fall and for her knees to buckle. She was shivering, her physical manifestation of her anger at her lack of understanding and her profound amount of hurt. She didn't understand why he was walking away from her again. What was it she had done wrong this time? Why couldn't she just know these things?

It was only then, as Taichi disappeared around a corner, that Chihaya could bring herself to slouch against the nearest wall, bringing her knees up to her chest and cramming her arms between the space of her torso and her legs, disregarding the fact she was wearing a skirt. That would have also made Taichi mad.

But why? Chihaya didn't understand. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened earlier that day. It had been a nice day, actually. Chihaya curled a lock of her hair with her finger as she absentmindedly blushed. Taichi had even visited her during lunch to help her study, and he'd left with a tender parting kiss to her cheek. At the time it had made Chihaya go bright red, and Nishida had teased her about it the rest of the lesson.

But now… Chiyaha felt her eyes go downcast, their rustic tinge deepening as she ruminated over Taichi's sudden departure and stinging words.

("Because you've never even really loved me, have you?! You're just placating your guilt and pitying me. Stop being so selfish. Goddammit, what is wrong with you!?")

She rested her head against her knees, her fine hair falling like curtains over either side of her face.

("Why are you so heartless, can't you see how cruel you are? You hurt everyone around you like you're some kind of walking, breathing, talking, stupid karuta playing monster. Can't you just see how useless and uncaring you can be?")

Chihaya flinched, sucking in a quick breath as she wrapped her arms around her knees. Monster. Useless. Stupid, uncaring, cruel, heartless.

But didn't he know she loved him?

Chihaya stifled a sob, trembling against her knees, before she abruptly stood up and raced to her school bag lying in the middle of the pathway, dashing at her tears as she stalked home.

Little did she know, just around the corner where Chihaya had stopped, Taichi was in much the same position, bitting down on his fist and crouched on the sidewalk, his bangs covering his eyes.

! #$

Later that same day, Chihaya lay sweating on her bed after having attempted to play her frustrations out on a game of karuta. She lay her arm over her face, attempting to even her breath out. She still couldn't get Taichi out of her mind. She wanted so badly to message him, to hug him and feel his arms wrap around her in a reassuring embrace.

She frowned. She knows it wouldn't be that easy. Despite the horrible words he had said to her, there was a reason behind them, even she wasn't dumb enough to bypass that. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out what that reason was.

That night, Chihaya picked at her food, finding her appetite gone. She couldn't stop thinking about the look on Taichi's face when he'd yelled at her. It made her heart squeeze and her chest ache. That was the last expression she ever wanted to see on him. The pain and hurt there was probably the same as that of her own from his barbed words immediately there after.

Chihaya made a resolve. By this time tomorrow, she'd have everything sorted out between them.

! #$

"Chihaya! C'mon!"

The aforementioned teenager blinked, breaking her spell of focus on the club room doors. She turned to focus her attention on Kana-chan, who was putting the chairs away. The girls were the only ones in the room, the others having vacated after their club meeting and having gone ahead at the insistence of Kana-chan.

All except one that is. Taichi had never shown up.

Chihaya heard an audible sigh from her small statured friend. "Chihaya, what's wrong?"

She frowned. "Tachi never showed to pick me up."

Kana-chan quirked an eyebrow at her in confusion. "Yeah, I know. Komano-kun said he couldn't make it at the start."

Chihaya blinked slowly. "O-oh." She'd forgotten. Her heart still sank nonetheless. He was still mad at her. She'd known it was doubtful, but she was hoping their argument might just blow over. But now he was definitely ignoring her.

Chihaya felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She looked up from her crouched position to find Kana-chan standing over her with a concerned look on her face. "What's really wrong Chihaya-chan?"

She stared up at her friend, emotions barreling into her at a rapid pace, her lack of ability to figure out what was wrong like a punch in the gut. Her lip started to tremble. "T-taichi," she choked out.

Kana-chan sent her a sympathetic look before kneeling down before her. Her worried appearance, combined with the comforting hand still resting on her shoulder, caused Chihaya to pause before she started blubbering, taking a moment to simply breath and compose herself.

"Taichi," she repeated, the sad undertone in her voice clear, "Taichi and I got into an argument yesterday," Chihaya bit her lip, "But I don't understand why. He seemed really upset."

Kana-chan frowned. "Well, what were you talking about before you started arguing?"

Chihaya leaned forward, a fevered look in her eyes, "That's what I don't get! I was just telling him about this technique Arata wanted to show me for karuta, and how Arata was really good with these things, so I was really impressed by him and how he's amazing and stuff!"

It was dead silent for a moment. The look on Kana-chan's face was dumbstruck, her eyebrow twitching sporadically. "Chihaya-chan…" she said, a placating tone that made Chihaya perk up as she recognised her friend might have the answers she was craving.

When she merely continued to stare at her with that same expression, Chihaya deflated. "What?"

Kana-chan stared at her in worry. "Do you really not… know?"

Chihaya's face pinched together, and her whole appearance seemed anxious and wounded. "No! I tried to ask what made him so mad, and then he just got even more upset and he just walked away!"

Kana-chan let out a sigh, hanging her head briefly. When she raised it again, her expression still worried, she spoke hesitantly. "Chihaya-chan, you can't just talk about Wataya-kun like that anymore, or it will make Mashima-kun feel like he's not the one you like."

Chihaya went wide eyed, the shock imminent on her face. "Huh?!"

Kana-chan nodded, a smile of sympathy emerging. "Yes, when you speak so reverently of him, it makes Mashima-kun feel insecure, and probably really jealous as well."

Chihaya was floored. "But… why? Taichi is Taichi!"

Her friend nodded, a patient smile still plastered to her face as she tried to make Chihaya understand. "Chihaya-chan, Taichi has always thought that you were in love with Wataya-kun. He's probably scared that you're only dating him because you felt guilty you hurt him."

Chihaya was frozen. Her body felt sluggish, yet the sounds around her blurred into hyper speed as suddenly everything came into focus. Every time she'd gushed about Arata. How excited she always was when she saw him. Taichi, oddly quiet beside her.

She stood up abruptly. "That idiot!" Chihaya proclaimed, her eyes burning with fury and a soft sadness, understanding yet protesting against every undeniable fact that stated that was what Taichi had always thought.

She rushed out of the room, barely remembering to grab her stuff as Kana-chan lay rooted on her spot on the floor, serene as always. She whipped open the door, spinning hard to yell behind her "Thank you Kana-chan!"

Her friend merely nodded back, giving Chihaya the necessary response to charge off to her destination. Kana-chan merely sat there, letting out a small sigh of relief. Hopefully now everything would be okay.

! #$

Chihaya paced outside the door to the Mashima household, impatient, yet trying to figure out a way that would assure Taichi would even hear her out. Knowing her luck, he would just ignore her. She would have to corner-

"Ahh… hello?"

Chihaya jumped, clapping a hand over her mouth to prevent a sound from escaping her. Slowly, she shakily pivoted to face the owner of the voice who had spoken. There stood, not Taichi, but his father.

"A-ah, hi Mr Mashima… um, is Taichi home?"

Taichi's father smiled at her brightly. "Of course! Come on in!"

He held the door wide open for her, still smiling as she mumbled a harried 'excuse me'. Taichi's dad was a rare sight. Still as much the opposite of Mrs Pressure as the last time she'd seen him, of course.

Chihaya nodded to her self to psych herself up. Okay! She kicked her shoes off at the entrance, Mr Mashima closing the door behind her like a promise of no turning back. She began at a walk, trying to tiptoe up the stairs as stealthily as possible.

Once Taichi's bedroom door was in sight, that thought flew out the window.

Chihaya felt a piece of her crack, her face scrunching in wounded determination as she charged at a run to Taichi's bedroom, flinging open the door to find a surprised Taichi starting to rise from where he'd been laying on his bed.

"Chiha-"

She leaped on him, slamming the door behind her. He involuntarily went backwards, his head bouncing against his mattress harmlessly as she tackled him to the bed, on all fours, straddling him.

His expression went to confused annoyance, and he opened his mouth again to speak, but paused when he really looked at her. Her fists were clenching into his sheets and there were slight tremors running up and down her arms. Her hair, always so long and silky, tickled the bare skin it rested against as she bowed her head.

Her expression was pinched, with her eyes clenched shut to prevent tears leaking. "Taichi you idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot! Why didn't you just tell me?"

Taichi exhaled slowly, eyeing her carefully. "What are you talking about?"

The girl essentially pinning him to the bed barked out her reply, "Don't! Taichi… Just don't. Don't pretend you don't know exactly what I'm talking about." Here, she hesitated and her voice got quieter. "Why didn't you just tell me what you thought about me and Arata?"

Taichi stilled beneath her and Chihaya chanted a protest in her head as he turned his head to the side, tilting so his bangs covered his eyes. He reached a hand up to grasp her arm. Before he could do anything but touch her skin, she whipped one of her hands forward to grab his chin forcibly.

She pulled his chin so it faced her directly, feeling a muscle jump in his jaw. Chihaya leaned back on his body, using her other hand that no longer needed to hold her weight up to push his bangs up and stare fiercely into his eyes.

"I've. Never. Been. In. Love. With. Him." she grit out, boring into the boy's eyes beneath her with all her intensity.

Taichi's eyes glowed with similar passion, the muscle in his jaw prominently tensing under her hand. "I'm not an idiot Chihaya. You've always loved him, you were just too dense to see it."

Chihaya let out a growl of frustration, tightening her hold even further on his face, his hair tickling against her grip. "I know what love is!" she cried out. "He is karuta to me. And I love karuta. But that's all he is! He is karuta."

Taichi had a look of pure pain and distaste left on his face, eyebrows scrunching and lips downturning. "Exac-"

Chihaya's tears interrupted him. They dripped from her face directly onto him. His cheeks, his neck, his chest. They silenced him abruptly.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"He is karuta," Chihaya repeated weakly, her voice wavering. "But do you think karuta knows me? Do you think karuta knows how much I'm obsessed with Daddy Bear? Do you think karuta knows my favourite food? My laugh? H-how I cut my nails?

"Do you think karuta has frustrating bangs he always, always hides behind? Do you think karuta always lends me his jacket even though I didn't listen to him when he said it was going to be cold? Or that karuta will wrestle with me for no reason other than to stop me being obnoxious? Or that karuta won't just tell me what is wrong-"

There was silence in the room, all except for the gentle sobs of Chihaya. "I love you, you idiot! I always have!"

Chihaya semi collapsed then, lowering her torso to bang her head against Taichi's chest, with every thump repeating, "You, you, you."

A harsh inhalation sounded near Chihaya's ear, where she'd finally rested against his chest. Taichi snaked his arms up to encircle the girl on top of him, tightening them and resting a hand on the back of her head.

She squirmed, reaching to rest her head against the curve of his neck. Her tears spilled against the bare skin there, her lashes brushing delicately against him. "Sorry," he whispered, voice thick and achey.

Chihaya wrapped her arms around his neck, burrowing even further against him in response. In turn, he pressed his lips against her head, mouthing his apologies over and over into her silky hair as the hand covering the back of her head gently massaged into her scalp.

Chihaya's crying eventually lessened, and before long, she was asleep, still clinging tight to Taichi in her unconsciousness. He exhaled shakily, pressing one last kiss to the top of her head, lingering there. He shifted then, trying to slip out from Chihaya's grip. No doubt she would be embarrassed by how dominant and physically close she'd pressed herself once she woke up.

The guilt running through him was the only thing stopping himself from dwelling on it. He was sure he would at a later date. Nevertheless, Chihaya clung tight, making a noice of protest in her sleep. For once, her eyes were squeezed shut.

Taichi glanced down, at the very least wanting her to be comfortable, but the comforter was out of his reach with her glomped onto his body length. A soft knock surrounded at the door and Taichi froze, trying to gently separate Chihaya from him in renewed panic.

The door opened, Taichi's father standing there with a kind expression on his face. Taichi twitched tensely. His father smiled patiently, like he wasn't phased. "Ah… Taichi-kun, I think it's time your… friend… went home, yeah?"

Taichi's eye twitched. "Y-yep, okay."

His father nodded once, before turning around and exiting the room, leaving the door open. Taichi's head, tightly wound, snapped back against the bed. Dammit. His mother would be giving him an earful about this later.

He changed tactics, his fingers going to Chihaya's notorious ticklish spots in order to wake her up. She made a little moaning sound, wriggling against his body and Taichi immediately stopped, an incredulous expression on his face. What this girl did to him.

That was the moment Chihaya chose to burst awake, springing up to straddle his hips again and splaying her hands against his chest the exact moment his face was flushed. Slowly, as if she'd just woken up from a karuta tournament and was disoriented, Chihaya stilled and slowly examined his flushed appearance and where she was resting.

"Ahh!" she squealed, scrambling to get off of him. Taichi sat up to help her, merely making her slide further down, and in her increased hurry, she completely tumbled off his bed.

Chihaya looked up at him from his floor on her back, her face bright red. Wordlessly, the two got up and shuffled out of his room in petulant silence, both of them adjusting their clothes discretely. When they reached downstairs and bypassed Taichi's father, she have a cheery goodbye, and Taichi decided she could wait to hear about him walking in on them in their compromising position, his face turning red.

It was when they'd reached outside, Taichi with his hands firmly in his pockets and causally leaning against a pillar of his house, that he spoke. "Hey," he said quietly.

It was enough to make Chihaya, already at his mailbox, turn around with a smile. "Yeah?"

Taichi hid behind his bangs, his remorse making him unable to stare into her earnest eyes. "Earlier I said stuff that I knew would hurt you, not out of truth but because I wanted you to feel just as hurt as me. I'm sorry about that too." His voice quieted even more, "Really sorry."

A hand touched his cheek and Taichi glanced up from the floor to Chihaya's forgiving gaze. She leaned forward and ever so slowly placed a soft kiss against his cheek, lingering there to whisper into his ear, "I love you."

Chihaya pulled away, Taichi's hand falling down her arm to catch at her fingers. They clasped gently before pulling away. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way too." Her gaze was sincere, and Taichi felt a loving smile pull at his cheeks.

"I'll meet you at the train station tomorrow morning," he called out as she walked away. Chihaya gave him a cheesy grin over her shoulder, smile promising.

Taichi let out a long held breath, feeling a weight leave his shoulders. This was an issue that had been itching at him for a very long time. And finally, finally, it was gone.