Obsession (Ayano x Budo)

Chapter 2

Budo simply stared into those eyes as he felt his heart drum against the sides of his ribs, his arms unmoving from her shoulders. His fingers were buzzing with sudden energy as they held onto her. She's the one!

And she didn't utter a word, her grey, widened eyes didn't blink once from his in an eternal moment.

She must feel it too, Budo thought, we are soul mates!-

Then the beautiful surprise on her face slipped away into a blank stoic

"I'll look where I'm going next time," she muttered, her voice ringing like bells in Budo's head. "I'll go now."

Huh? She's going? He blinked, confused, as she brought her hands to where his were still clasping her, and pulled his fingers from her shoulders and stepped backwards. Her hands were cool and soft like silk, moving with ease as they briefly touched his. He felt his fingers grow hot, burning as if they had burst into flames. He suddenly yearned to bring her closer, not away, to hold her tight and let her set his entire body alight. But through his confliction, he realized that her distance and coolness meant wasn't reciprocating these feelings. He must be coming on too strong. Stop acting so weird in front of her, idiot.

"Oh, don't be sorry. It's my bad," he grinned awkwardly, suddenly not so sure of what to do. Her eyes disconnected from his as she started moving away from him, and it felt like a switch of energy has been shut off from him.

"Wait!" he called out immediately. She turned around, waiting. Surely she didn't mean to end it just like that? "I'm Budo Masuta. What's your name?"

"Ayano Aishi," she replied deadpan and turned back to resume walking down the passage.

"Ayano," he whisper whispered to himself as he watched her walk away, and enjoyed the way it rang on his lips.

As her steps faded from the hallway, he felt the pacing of his blood gradually slowing, and felt the stupid smile slip from his lips until he was left doing nothing but watching an empty passage. Was that real? How could he have seen the supposedly "imagined" girl he'd thought of only some minutes ago. Budo could still feel his hands tingling from where he'd touched her, and still felt an impulse in his aching heart to turn around and find her. He didn't understand it.

But as Budo started jogging back to the martial arts club, he already knew two things.

He loved that girl with a feeling so strong it scared him.

And he was going to do whatever he could to make sure she would love him back.