Three Little Words [Ayano x Budo]

Chapter 2 // The Good New Days

- Back to the present day -

Ayano's POV
I was finally ready to head off to school. I thought about Taro Yamada... My senpai. I remembered that it was Thursday, and that I needed to eliminate Oka Ruto - who had a crush on him - by tomorrow.
Then I got distracted, and I started thinking about the way his eyes sparkle, the way his hair flips into place, the way h-
"Hey! Aishi-Chan! Wait up!" I heard a call from the distance, but it didn't seem to be that far away.

Budo's POV
"Hey! Aishi-Chan! Wait up!"
There was no turning back now. I decided to talk to Ayano today. I figured that if I truely wanted to be with her, like I had these past years, I had to step up and make a move.
She turned and it felt like all time slowed down as her silky black hair flicked to the side and her dark, mysterious eyes pointed at me.
"Oh, hi Masuta-kun." she smiled. When I finally caught up to her, I panted out,
"Y-You can call me Budo.." I laughed awkwardly as I scratched the back of my head.
Nice one idiot
Oh shut up
"So uh, have you thought about, j-joining a club maybe?" I got out without stuttering too much
"Maybe, you run the Martial Arts club, right?"

Ayano's POV
"Maybe, you run the Martial Arts club, right?"
Hm, if I join the martial arts club, not only could I learn how to defend myself better, I will also learn new info on Taro. As far as I am aware, Budo is one of Taro's best friends.
"I sure do! You'd be welcome to join if you wanted.. N-not that I'm p-pressuring you or anything."
Why was he so nervous? Actually, he looked kind of cute when he was embarrassed.
Wait.. What am I thinking? I like Taro!
"Well, if it's okay with you, I'd love to join!" I smiled
"That's great! As soon as we walk to school, I'll get you all set up with your uniform and what-not." he smiled back at me super excitedly before continuing, "N-not that you have to walk with me, if you don't want to."
"Well, if we're walking then you better hurry up, slow polk! Oh, by the way, it's Ayano. Ayano Aishi." I giggled, but this time I wasn't faking a smile or a laugh, was he teaching me a new emotion?
"Hey! I'll have you know I could carry you on my back and still make it to school early!" he blushed and laughed a little
"I might have to take you up on that offer one day." I laughed
"You're on."

Budo's POV
I got kind of sad when we arrived at school, I really enjoyed talking to Ayano on the way to school, and I hoped this would become a regular thing from now on. Even better than that though, I think I made her actually smile.
"Well, here we are."
"We should go to our lockers first, to take off our outside shoes."
"Agreed, I don't feel like having another meeting with the guidance counsellor, she gives me the creeps."
After changing our shoes, we headed up to the Martial Arts room. We were early, so I got to spend some alone time with Ayano. Infact, what if I gave them the morning off..
And that I did. I texted all the club members telling them to enjoy their mornings.
"Oh! I just remembered! I have to go do something important! I'll be one second!"
she ran out
"Oh.. Okay." I didn't bother asking why, besides, it would have been to late anyway.
I got into the changing booth and started putting on my uniform. I took my regular clothes off and put on my headband, I picked up the pants and began putting them on.
Suddenly, the curtain opened, revealing a nervous, guilty looking Yan-Chan.
"OH MY GOD, I AM SO SORRY!" she panicked
"It's fine just uh... close the curtain please..." I laughed awkwardly.
"OH YEAH! I forgot! Again, I am so, so sorry. I thought you went to change in the guy's bathroom! It's so much bigger in there!"
"Hey, it's fine. It was an honest mistake. Well, since you've already seen me half naked, I may as well just leaving the changing booth." I walked out carrying my clothes and uniform, still in nothing but my underwear and my headband. In the corner of my eye I saw her blush, "You can get changed in there."
"Uh.. Thanks, I guess." she walked in and closed the curtain behind her. I carried on changing and was about to start buttoning my shirt, when she came out the changing booth struggling to do up her headband.
"Damn, you change fast, need some help with that?"
"Oh shush you. You're probably just changing slow so I could stare at your abs" to be honest, she was partially right. But only partially, because I actually change quite slow.
"Shut up." I laughed and walked up behind her, carefully wrapping the headband around her head, being careful not to pull to tight or mess up her hair.

Ayano's POV
I was right. Budo had been teaching me a new emotion, happiness. That's more than anyone had ever given me, even more than Taro. It was like I always wanted to be with him, even though I'd only really known him like this for less than an hour, but already he was starting to rub off on me, and I enjoyed every second of it.
He carefully wrapped the headband around my head, and even the way his hands touched my hair gave me butterflies. What was I thinking? Taro is my senpai! How could I keep forgetting that! I was going crazy, it was wrong. But at that moment, I didn't want to be right.
"Thank you for being gentle." I blushed.
He finished it up and got back to buttoning up his shirt.
"Ready to start training?"
"Ready."