I see you (part 2)

- Did something happen between Tendo and you?

A short pink haired girl asks as she crosses the room in which Claudine has been practicing alone fruitlessly for hours until ending up on the floor, taking the mop in her hands to begin washing the slippery floor of the practice room not wanting the ash-blonde to injure herself.

- What makes you think that?

Futaba hears Claudine answering quietly, seeing her bringing her knees to her chest to hug them as she stares at the floor, and the pink haired girl can't help but tighten her hold around the stick of the mop upon noticing the pained expression on her friend's features and the almost imperceptible flinch drawn on it as she hears the brunette's name.

- Tendo is your rival. She's the only one able to put you in a mood like this.

Futaba says calmly as she keeps washing the floor with her back to the ash-blonde.

She'd be lying if she said she didn't notice the odd way her friend has been acting ever since that evening in which she caught her walking back to her dorm in the verge of crying. The way the ash-blonde flinches whenever she hears Maya's name being mentioned or even the sound of the brunette's voice talking to her.

Futaba noticed the way the ash-blonde does everything is in her power to avoid being paired off with the top star ever since then, or how she even stopped fighting to try to show how she's better than the brunette and take the spotlight until Claudine ended up being nothing but a shadow of the girl she used to be.

A long sigh escapes the shorter girl's lips upon her friend's silence, before she finds herself in her arms, struggling to keep up with Claudine's steps as the ash-blonde pulls them into an impromptu dance. Futaba can't help then but smile as she sees the fierce glint in her friend's magenta eyes returning after have been cruelly stolen days ago by the top star.

- I used to think I was special, but I realized I wasn't once I meet her and saw that I couldn't reach her…

Claudine trails off with evident hurt laced in her voice, tightening her hold around Futaba as they keep dancing around the practice room.

- I was so used to be the first in everything that I couldn't stand to be under her shadow – Claudine pauses as she twirls Futaba around, before keep leading their impromptu dance – I can't stand how no matter how hard I practice, how hard I try, I can't even reach her. I really can't stand how that infuriating girl never sees me…

Claudine whispers quietly shocking Futaba with her words, before they stop their dance abruptly, panting hard while Claudine looks down at the floor once again with a pained and dejected expression painting her features.

Futaba can only offer her a lollipop in return, opening her mouth ready to comfort her friend, when the familiar ringtone of the revues' calling pulls them out of their shared moment.

The pink haired girl then can only look at the ash-blonde worriedly, seeing the tight smile playing on her lips, before she places a hand on her shoulder to squeeze it in a comforting way.

- Don't worry, Kuroko.

It's the only thing she says as she gives her friend a reassuring smile, before she turns around to leave, ready to confront the brunette that stole her friend's brilliance and will to fight and aim to be the top star.

As the pink haired girl takes a step into the dark stage, she can't help but take a shaky breath.

She knows she's no rival for the infamous top star, especially not when not even Claudine could defeat her once, but she hopes she can at least give Maya a piece of her mind regarding the ash-blonde.

- The shine of the moon, the love of the stars... I will gather that outpouring of light, now, and send it to your heart! Head of the 99th class, Tendo Maya! Tonight, I will show you my brilliance!

Futaba hears Maya reciting her intro, before she sees her at the top of the stairs shinning dazzlingly, making her gulp, before anger bubbles inside her upon the arrogant smirk playing on her lips.

- Isurugi-san, I wasn't expecting you.

Maya says conceited, looking everywhere around them expecting another rival, expecting a certain ash-blonde girl, before the pink haired girl finds her voice to talk.

- Kuroko isn't coming.

She cuts her off sharply, seeing a disappointed look on Maya's face that manages to fuel her anger, making her launch to attack the brunette, only to be easily blocked by her.

- I hope you're happy. You stole Kuroko's brilliance!

Futaba exclaims angrily as she keeps attacking the brunette, barely giving Maya time to dodge or block her attacks before another and new one is thrown at her.

- It wasn't my intention.

Maya defends herself as an angry spark ignites in her eyes, launching at Futaba who can barely block her strong attack.

Both girls keep a dance of attacks and blocks for some time, before the voice of a certain stage girl interrupts them.

- Futaba!

The pink haired girl hears her name being called by her ash-blonde friend, seeing a flash of pain crossing Maya's features, before using said distraction to attack her with such a bad luck that Maya, in her efforts to dodge her and avoid getting her button pulled out, slips and falls from the top of the stairs.

- Tendo!

Futaba exclaims the top star's name in horror as she tries in vain to grasp her hand, only to feel the air slipping through her fingers as the brunette falls from such a high height.

- Tendo Maya!

Maya hears then the ash-blonde yelling her name in distress as the wind pounds against her ears in her fall while seeing Claudine running towards her.

Just the mere sight of the ash-blonde running towards her makes her laugh ironically at it and at how beautiful she looks at that very moment, more than the brunette has ever witnessed, before her body collides against the hard floor, her head bouncing with the impact.

- Tendo!

- Tendo… Maya!

Maya hears Claudine's distressing yelling getting closer as her ash-blonde hair flows wildly in the air in her run, tears flooding her mesmerizing magenta eyes, before crimson and black begins to fill her vision, the feeling of a warm touch on her hand being the last thing she remembers as she slips into unconsciousness.

When Maya wakes up, the first thing she notices is that same warm touch wrapped around her hand, making a timid smile spread across her lips, before fear takes over her as soon as she opens her eyes and finds herself sinking into the most absolute darkness.

The brunette can't help but squeeze her companion's hand hard, hearing them grumbling loudly.

- Qu'est-ce qu'il se passe (What's wrong?), Tendo? – Claudine asks confused, unconsciously making Maya panic further.

- I can't see…

The brunette whispers quietly as if saying it loudly would make it more real.

- Huh?

- I… I can't see...

Silence falls over both girls, before Maya feels Claudine standing abruptly from the chair she has been sat on making it screech against the floor, to then hear her leaving her side and the room they're in calling for a doctor frantically.

Maya wants to cry, both for how the girl she has stolen her brilliance is always the one beside her and at how scared she is at the moment, feeling Claudine's hand taking hers again in reasurement as the doctor comes in the room to check on her.

After some anguishing minutes, the doctor tells them that the hit on her head caused a light inflammation that doesn't seem to have any gravity other than a temporal blindness. But even though the doctor emphasizes it's only temporal, it doesn't make Maya feel less scared.

- I guess now you will see me even less.

The brunette hears Claudine whispering bitterly, chuckling and making something break inside her prompting her to grasp her hand tightly.

- That's not true, Claudine.

She says firmly, hearing Claudine snorting ironically, making her tighten her grasp around her hand.

- I mean it. I have always been looking at you, ever since you were a kid.

Maya confesses, hearing the ash-blonde gasping surprised, before she continues.

- Ever since I saw you on that stage playing Arrie, and then at that ointment commercial, all I ever wanted was to be able to dance and act like you. I strived to be better so I could be with such a talented girl as you were and one day hopefully be able to be your partner.

The brunette explains embarrassedly as she brushes Claudine's knuckles with her thumb.

- I aimed for nothing more than be the best version of myself so we could shine on the same stage together, so I could shine along with you. Claudine, it was never my intention to actually steal your brilliance...

Maya says regretfully, hearing a sob escaping Claudine's lips that breaks her heart.

- You really have a funny way to show it, Tendo Maya.

- I know, and I'm deeply sorry for it. Trust me when I say that it was never my intention to steal your brilliance but shine brightly together, right beside you on the same stage.

Maya apologizes wanting nothing more than be able to see Claudine's beautiful face at that moment while she keeps hearing her sobbing.

- Honnêtement. You truly are an obnoxious idiot.

Claudine murmurs in her mother language, making Maya smile. She then can't help but feel her with her hands, trying to pull the ash-blonde into a tight hug. For a moment, she feels her tensing up against her, before relaxing and hugging her back.

- You're beautiful even when you cry, Claudine.

- You say that and yet you can't see me…

Claudine whispers dejected as Maya manages to bring a hand up to wipe some tears away from her face.

- I don't need to. You have always been beyond beautiful to me.

Maya says, sad that she can't see the ash-blonde blushing, before she feels her hitting her arm, making her giggle.

- S-shut up.

She hears Claudine mumbling embarrassedly under her breath wanting to give everything she has to see her, before tiredness starts to take a toll on her and lulls her to sleep.

- Rest, Maya. I'll be here when you wake up again.

The next time Maya wakes up, she can still feel the warm touch of Claudine's hand wrapping hers tightly, making her heart melt at it, before her eyes flutter open slowly to see the captivating and cute sight of the ash-blonde sleeping next to her, a wide smile spreading across her lips as she tucks a strand of hair behind Claudine's ear.

- Tendo… – Claudine trails off sleepily and cutely as she struggles to open her eyes and see Maya smiling at her tenderly while her eyes have a soft glint in them.

- You're truly gorgeous. I'm sorry for making you feel as if I never actually saw you or took into consideration your effort to stand by my side.

Maya apologizes, seeing Claudine crying, before hugging.

A certain pink haired girl can only smile at this as she closes the door of the hospital's room behind her not wanting to interrupt her friends' moment, turning around to leave as stealthy as she came.

- I think we should come back later.

She tells a blue haired girl as she takes her hand in hers and drags her away from the scene, seeing a mischievous smirk appearing on her lips.

- You're such a good friend, Futaba-han~.

Kaoruko says slyly, making Futaba blush while she giggles and interlaces their fingers happy to have the pink haired girl back with her.