Hey wow. Um, this chapter is dedicated to those who reviewed and followed. Wow, really. I can't believe it. Thanks for reading :)

Sorry for the late update. I just wanted to post this on my 18th as a gift to myself ^_^

Enjoy. Tell me your thoughts.

Chapter 2

Takao kept on glancing to Midorima's seatmate that he's worried the girl has noticed already. Of course with his Hawk Eye, he could just face straight ahead while watching but he couldn't help it. When he's not watching her directly, he could see her glance to his partner and that alone made him glance to her again, to confirm that she really is doing that.

If only he was sitting behind them, his task could be so much easier. Alas, he was positioned two seats ahead the green-haired male's, which means that each time he glanced to the blonde girl, he had to shift his head ever so slightly to his left to watch her. Said girl didn't seem to notice, though.

"Maihara-san?"

The dark-haired watched in amusement as Maihara Ruka blushed at the sudden attention of their teacher.

"Y-Yes!" She squeaked out her response.

"Collect the essay I assigned you yesterday." The teacher ordered.

Groans erupted from the class and Takao turned back to look at Midorima. He watched with a huge grin as his partner handed his paper to Maihara who blushed crimson and tucked a piece of her short hair behind her ears, mumbling something. The green-haired merely nodded before tipping his glasses to the bridge of his nose and continuing with whatever he was doing. Takao wondered how Midorima never noticed the girl's affection towards him when she was kind of obvious. Especially that she was his seatmate.

"T-Takao-kun, do you need something?"

Takao blinked and stared at the girl seating behind him who's probably wondering why he's turned around. He flashed her his usual grin and the girl blushed before looking away.

"No, I'm fine." He answered cheerfully then turned back to face the classroom.

Midorima wanted to roll his eyes (but didn't because it would be out of his character so he settled at tipping his glasses again) at the interaction between Takao and the girl seating to his front whose name he doesn't remember. It was obvious that the girl fancied his partner (not that he cared but it's annoying to watch, nanodayo).

His partner-on-court-only-and-probably-in-going-home-too was not only annoying and overly-friendly. He's thickheaded, too. Midorima wondered how someone could be as thickheaded as him.

"Takao-kun, I'm collecting your essay." Ruka mumbled to her dark-haired classmate who's also in the basketball team. He side-glanced at her briefly before grinning widely.

"Did Shin-chan pass his paper already?" He asked innocently and the blonde fought the urge to blush at the cute nickname of her crush that the dark-haired bestowed upon him. She really envied Takao's closeness to him. More especially because Takao is the only person whom he talked and interacted with in their class. She wished she was as loud and cheerful as him. And as good in basketball, too.

"Yes, he did." She answered with a small sigh. The basketball player handed his essay to her and she mumbled a soft 'thanks' before moving next.

"No problem." He responded with a small wave. Ruka vaguely wondered to herself why he seems more cheerful today.

It was lunch break and the students in their class slowly dispersed leaving few behind. Ruka was one of those who stayed and Midorima was one with those who left. He doesn't bring lunch to school and she always wondered why. Takao, on the other hand, has his bento box but he always accompany the green-haired male to lunch outside.

She really envied him. If she was to exchange souls with someone for a day, she'd do it with her dark-haired classmate. Then she could call her beloved crush 'Shin-chan' and hear him say 'nanodayo' a lot and then join him in practicing basketball (which she would probably suck at) and also accompany him in going home.

Ruka frowned. Seriously, if she wasn't head-over-heels with Midorima, she'd thought that those two has quite a thing.

The blonde shook her head and smacked her hands on her face at the thought.

No way, no way, no way! Midorima-kun is straight! And so is Takao-kun.

She nodded her head in approval. But still… they have something like…

chemistry?

Ruka really needed to stop being into yaoi.

After eating her lunch (with more than thirty minutes to spare since she eat alone and has no one to chat with), Ruka started preparing her notebook for the next class.

Mathematics.

The blonde mentally groaned at the sight of it.

Stupid, stupid notebook!

Now her thoughts are back to thinking whether someone saw that particular heart figure and the name inside it or if no one did. Ruka has been pondering about it since morning but her brain is not providing her any answers.

If someone did see it, then why not react yet?

Maybe it's not really that shocking that someone like her would like someone like Midorma Shintaro. Or maybe no one really saw it…

The blonde sighed heavily and flipped her notebook open (after making sure no one is watching her, of course) to that page. She stared at it for a second before tearing the page off the spiral notebook.

It's better to be careful. Plus she has her diary for such things, not a lecture notebook. It was her fault in the first place, really.

With the crumpled paper in her fist, she stood up and made her way to the trash bin on the corner of the classroom.

"I swear I'm going to win next time, Shin-chan!"

Ruka turned her attention to the two as they both went inside the classroom.

Win? What are they—

The blonde yelped shortly when someone bumped into her and she immediately struggled not to fall on her backside.

Too bad that while doing so, she accidentally released the crumpled paper in her fist. She watched in horror as the small ball flew across the room and… hit Midorima on the face.

Only it didn't reach its target. Before it could actually hit him, a hand shot out and slapped the crumpled paper away. It was Takao, who suddenly looked serious and sharp-eyed.

And the small ball actually flew back to Ruka's direction. Stupid of her to duck away instead of catching it.

"Ow!"

Ruka turned back to the person who bumped her (who was also hit by the crumpled paper on the nose). It was Nayana Kyoko, the girl seating in between Midorima and Takao's seats.

"Oops! Sorry!" Takao called over from across the room and immediately made his way towards them. Midorima followed suit, probably out of respect. "Are you okay?" He asked Kyoko who nodded shyly.

"It didn't hurt. I was just surprised." Kyoko answered. "I'm sorry for bumping into you, Ruka-chan."

"I-It's okay! I wasn't watching…" Ruka answered softly but in reality, her eyes are all over the place, looking for the blasted piece of paper that was pingponged all over the room.

"I'm really sorry. I acted on instinct. I hit it harder like in basketball." The dark-haired apologized again, one eye closed with his palms together. Kyoko immediately reddened and stuttered an 'it's okay'.

Finally, the blonde spotted the small ball but before she could react, someone beat her to it. It was Kyoko who seemed to use the opportunity of picking it up to prolong the conversation with the dark-haired basketball player. Midorima, on the other hand, lost whatever small interest he had and had started walking back to his table.

"Who owned this?" Kyoko asked aloud and Ruka was just about to claim it when the latter straightened the crumpled paper.

The word 'don't' got stuck in the blonde's throat, her eyes wide. She watched in slow motion as Kyoko's eye widened.

Shit.

Takao immediately knew what's on the paper a second before Nayana has read it. With his Hawk Eye and memories from yesterday, he doesn't need to confirm it. Involuntarily, his gray eyes flicked to Maihara.

"Oh!" Nayana exclaimed, her eyes shining in girly interest. "Takao-kun, look!" And she held the paper to his face. He grimaced and looked away.

Seeing it with his own eyes… makes him cringe.

"Someone has written Midorima-kun's name inside a heart!" She announced happily, which of course made everyone turn their attention to them. Midorima paused and turned towards them, scowling.

Perfect.

The dark-haired glanced shortly (and unnoticeably) to the blonde who was still frozen on the sideline, mouth hanging open. He scowled. If she doesn't want to get caught, she has to do something.

"Takao-kun?" Nayana cocked her head to the side and lowered the paper from his face.

Takao cracked a teasing grin on his face expertly and grabbed the paper from Nayana, stared at the heart figure for a second (winced mentally) and then made his way to Midorima. He playfully jabbed his elbow at the green-haired male's stomach.

"Ehh Shin-chan~ An admirer, eh? Who knows someone would…" The dark-haired trailed off knowingly and Midorima loomed over him, glowering.

"What do you mean by that nanodayo?"

"Hehe, nothing Shin-chan!" Takao chirped innocently, hands clasped behind his head.

Midorima sighed and tipped his glasses before turning away.

"Woah, woah Shin-chan! Where are you going?" Takao asked, taking hold of his partner's arm. Midorima just side glanced at him. "What am I going to do with this paper?" The dark-haired showed him the crumpled paper.

The green-haired stared at the crumpled paper for three seconds then shifted his eyes to Takao.

"Throw it."