12 Roses

23 | Budding Flowers

The two teams played baseball in the baseball diamond that was made with cones and spray paint.

You frowned at the white spray on the blades of grass and Toge tapped your shoulder. You glanced at him and a smile spread across your face, spotting the dandelions in his palm.

"We had to pick them out to set up."

He placed them in your hand and sat down on the bleacher below yours.

You eyed his platinum blonde strands and you gently moved your fingers through them. He flinched a bit, took in a breath, then leaned back, his head against your knees.

After a quick glance at the dandelions in your hand, you grinned and the small bunch in your hand began getting smaller and smaller, finding a home in a new place.

Once the baseball game finished with Tokyo winning just one point more because of how quickly Maki and Yuta moved, Maki, Panda, and Yuta walked over to you and Toge.

Maki stifled a laugh. "What is in your hair?"

Toge tilted his head and watched a dandelion fall from his hair to the ground.

He turned to you and you held no guilt in your face at all, raising your hands to show the lack of dandelions in them and smiling like a child.

Yuta chuckled as Toge felt his hair, his face turning a hue of pink as he hid more of his face behind his mask. "Aw, you look so cute," Panda cooed.

You raised your hand to began plucking them out of his hair, your hands moving to form an apology, but he gently took your hand and lowered it. "It's okay," he assured, although you noticed a few girls giggling at him behind their hands.

"You look like a rose," you teased before poking his reddening cheeks.

He pulled his mask further up his face and you smiled before turning to the Kyoto team.

Todo wore a fascinated smile, rubbing his hand against his chin as if he had made a grand discovery.

The girl with blue hair spoke with the boy fashioning a top knot with a wide grin on her face, talking about how impressively he played, her hands clasped behind her back as if she were scared they'd do something silly without her telling them to.

You furrowed your brow. "Where'd Mai go?"

Maki glanced at the Kyoto tent, her eyes darting around it, and her mouth twisted in thought. "She was there a second ago."

You looked at the track, seeing dragged footsteps through the orange dirt, and your eyes travelled to the school.

Concern flashed across your face but you hid it away when you watched the Tokyo team cry in triumph, winning the sports event for the fourth year in a row, fists pumping into the air, people being hoisted on others' shoulders.

Inumaki pressed his hands against his ears, still wearing a joyful yet uncomfortable expression.

You gently elbowed him. "I need to go to the washroom. Come with me."

He quickly nodded and followed you inside.

•••

Toge hid away in the boy's washroom and you went to sit outside of the girl's washroom when you found Mai seated outside of it, her back against the wall as she gazed at the wall of awards. Her eyes were solemn, gazing at them as if she craved her name to be on one.

You walked up to her and leaned down so you'd be in her line of vision. Her solemn expression quickly turned into a scowl and she said something you weren't able to hear.