Chapter 13
"Choose me. I won't make you cry. I will make you happy. I love you so much, you won't regret it. Never!" Mai pleaded. Heartbroken, Natsuki could not kiss the red-haired woman back, so she turned her head. Natsuki was wrong about judging her feelings to be insincere, the seito-kaichou was not playing with her. She could really feel her love for her, her sincerity. Kuga simply kissed her cheek.
"I'm really grateful you feel this way for me, I don't deserve it. Mai, you are beautiful, nice and-"
"No, please…don't continue…I don't want to hear more…" Tokiha hid her ears with her hand, she did not want Kuga to continue, she knew what she would be saying… she couldn't reciprocate her feelings… tears came to her cheeks. A handkerchief was shown to her face. After a few seconds, the redhead looked at her interlocutor, it was not Natsuki. She blinked, not believing her own eyes. What was going on?
"N…N-Nao?" Mai hiccupped. She never imagined she will see that first year here. She saw her when she had swimming competitions against Natsuki. Nao always lost to her rival. Nevertheless, she never gave up, and she continued to swim. "What are you doing here? Where is Natsuki?" Mai looked around, she noticed Natsuki had crossed the street. She wanted to follow her, but a strong hand grasped her wrist.
"Just leave her, it's better for you, before she left, she said she was sorry, I am too. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but you can never make Natsuki look at you the same way you look at her. Even if it pains me to say it… I can't deny it, she is really a nice person, she will never use someone for her own purpose. That's probably why a lot of beautiful girls like her. Life is really unfair." Nao dejectedly sighed, Tokiha bit the inside of her lips. She wanted to run away, it was humiliating that a person witnessed her rejection, but the red-haired woman continued to hold her wrist. "Leave me the hell alone!"
"I won't stay away this time."
"What do you mean? Are you crazy? It's none of your business!" The seito-kaichou angrily spat, she tried to stay away from this student but without any luck. Tired, Mai closed her eyes and sighed.
"I don't know your intentions but that won't work. I don't even know why you care. You are not a friend or a classmate."
"I know but you are more important for me, more than you imagine." Mai took a deep breath. She was lost and exhausted, and she did not want to talk. There was too much emotion in her heart and mind.
"Ok. Fine. I will go home. Please, could you let go of my wrist?" Nao slowly slid her finger to Tokiha's finger. Mai blushed a bit at the gesture.
"Do you think I don't know what is a one-sided love?"
"One-sided love? I think you misunderstand the situation."
"Really? Are you in love with Natsuki? And she could not accept your feelings because she loves Shizuru? But she can't confess her love because she's afraid. Yes, she is still a child. Unlike you, she had a lot of insecurities." Mai laughed, she was so pathetic.
"Do you think I am strong? I don't have insecurities? Or I'm not afraid?"
"I never said that. I'm just impressed by you. The way you speak so freely about your feelings, the way you fight for them. In the past… I love… loved Shizuru but she never noticed me, never. With time, I accepted being only her friend. It hurts me so badly because she does not know what I felt for her all this time. I buried everything inside me, I felt that I was suffocating. She only looked with tenderness and love towards her best friend Natsuki. She spoke so fondly of her, and every time, it was breaking my heart. I was so jealous, I tried everything to be better than her. To be a better student, to be good in sports, but without any positive result. I could never win against Kuga."
"Why are you saying all this? Are you pitying me?" Mai furiously asked. Her whole body was shaking.
"I like you Mai Tokiha. Very much. I never imagined I would fall in love again. Perhaps you don't remember, but there was a time, when I swam against Natsuki, I lost, and you noticed my shoulder was in pain. You gave me a medication, and unlike others, you did not say 'next time you will win, don't give up'. No, you declared: I did my best, I will improve and my swimming was beautiful. It was the first time somebody said something nice to me. Since that day, I could not draw my attention from you. Soon, I realized, I like you." Mai was speechless, she did not expect those words, she did not remember saying them. Finally, she laughed.
"Yes, like everybody. Your joke is so funny, I almost believe it."
"You need to stop having a crush." Nao brought the seito-kaicho back to her arms. They looked at each other.
"Who are you to order me around?"
"Why can't you look in my direction? Just for a few seconds. Please. You will see there is someone who cares for you. You know how it hurts when the person you love watches somebody else. Look at me." Nao begged, Mai was still stunned.
"You are stunning Mai, the way you look at the crowd when you do a speech, you don't know you are beautiful, a strong woman. You think it always the same, I'm like the others. I will let you know, I will show you I like you. I will remind you, you are special to me." Nao kissed Mai.