Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Summary - The trio had to start somewhere: Makoto, Kousuke, and Chiaki's beginning. Hopefully will include all flashbacks from Makoto's last leap. And more.
He almost told her once. Kousuke being Kousuke, he had everything planned out. The only thing he couldn't predict was Makoto's reaction.
He'd like to think things were going pretty well. They'd been eating lunch together every other day and played baseball whenever Makoto could drag him away from the library, but Kousuke still wasn't convinced. Makoto hadn't given any sign that she liked him in same way, and Kousuke was a pretty smart guy - if she had given him signals, he'd probably have picked them up. Definitely.
As it was, Kousuke was going to confess no matter how slim the odds were. Today after class, they had planned on baseball and a dinner, (Kousuke would be paying as per the agreements of their last bet. Which would make this his third loss in a row.) and Kousuke was going to tell her right after dessert. He had the timing down and had skimmed through enough romance novels to have a decent amount of confidence in the wording of his confession, but Kousuke still felt nervous.
He was trying not to stare at Makoto (unsuccessfully) when the new student came in. Makoto's hair was sticking up messily from her mad dash into the classroom before the bell, and Kousuke thought she looked adorable. She was looking at the blackboard sleepily, and Kousuke couldn't help but wonder what her expression would look like when he finally told her he liked her. Which started off a whole new round of nerves. And was that sweat on his forehead?
So Kousuke didn't even notice when the new student sat down in the seat behind him. He did pick up on Makoto's sideways glances, and Kousuke tried to be discreet as he shot a glance at whatever Makoto was looking at.
The first thing he saw was orange. Who would dye their hair that obnoxious color? Kousuke definitely would have recognized a guy with this weird of hair – so he must be new. Come to think of it, maybe Kousuke had heard something about a new student in between his glances at Makoto and worrying about tonight. What had the teacher said?
Kousuke decided to put that aside. He had enough to worry about and a test to study for. There was plenty of time to learn names later, and something about the guy's face just read as detached. Who knew if they were ever even going to have a conversation?
Kousuke was on edge the entire day. He just couldn't shake that nervous, pit-of-the-stomach feeling. He couldn't understand how some guys had multiple girlfriends if it was this terrifying just asking out one. Kousuke managed to distract himself a little by diving into his schoolwork, but by the end of school, he felt like a wreck.
"Is there something wrong, Kousuke? We don't have to play baseball today," Makoto said, glancing at Kousuke's face.
"No!" Kousuke replied. (Too anxiously. Damn.) "I'm fine. Let's get going. It's great weather for baseball, isn't it?"
"It is, right?" Makoto agreed enthusiastically. "It's so nice out! I wish they'd let us have classes outside. I think even the teachers would like that. It's just too stuffy in the classrooms all day. I don't know how you can focus, Kousuke. I just get so bored of that tiny room! It's suffocating!"
Kousuke listened to Makoto's ramblings with a sense of dread. Soon they'd be playing baseball. Then they'd be eating. Then he'd ask her out. Then she . . . well, Kousuke didn't know what would come after that, and that was the problem. His stomach was in knots, and he felt tense, and he almost didn't hear what Makoto was saying until she shook his shoulder.
"Kousuke, did you hear me? I said I think there's a fight over there!" Makoto stood on her tiptoes as if she could see better by being a few inches taller. "I think it's that new guy!"
As she bounded over to the scene of the commotion, Kousuke had this sinking feeling that his plans tonight were ruined.
Author's Note: Review if you feel like it. Unfortunately, that's also how I update. What can you do?