Obsession (Ayano x Budo)

Chapter 14

Budo Masuta. Class 3-2. Friends with Taro Yamada and Osana Najimi. Martial Arts Club leader. Is considered one of the strongest students in Akademi High. Incapable of turning down a challenge.

Is that all?

That's all I can say for now. I know you want to kill him, but you will not be able to use physical combat against him. You will lose. I'm afraid you will have you come up with a more creative plan for eliminating him.

Then I have one more question for you.

What is it?

Do you know if he likes chicken?

***

Budo was frustrated.

I'm not sure if this plan is working as well as I'd imagined.

He stood outside the martial arts room, back against the wall and schoolbag at his feet. It was the next day's lunch, and he'd gone the whole day without seeing Ayano, simply because he wasn't sure what to do.

Budo crossed his arms and stared at nothing while he pondered what he should do next.

She's too reserved, that's the problem. It's so difficult to plan this when I have to make sure it'll suit her. I still need Taro to reject her, and I need her to trust me enough so that she'll come to me afterwards, AND it all has to be done peacefully... This plan has to work, one way or another, because otherwise I'll have to fall back onto plan B.

His eyes stared, unfocused, as he was lost in his thoughts, barely concentrating on the conversations of students walking past him to lunch as the passageway emptied.

Suddenly he heard a cool voice.

"Excuse me."

Budo knew immediately who it was. It was like a switch. He could feel tingles erupt along his skin, and was suddenly acutely aware of the sensational warmth of the presence to his right in front of him. His heart was already stammering like a fool as he looked up in a mix of disbelief and rejoice.

His beautiful Ayano stood before him, face a calm wash of deadpan. Looking at her, so close he could lift an arm an touch her, was sending his pulse into overdrive. He forced his face into a neutral cover to shield the whirl of emotions he was feeling. She's here. For the first time, she came to see me. That was when he noticed that she was holding something in her hands.

Budo's eyes widened in absolute surprise as she stretched out her arms towards him, presenting an opaque plastic square lunchbox. Was this really happening? He gently took it from her, heart rising like hot air in his chest in all the joy he felt. She made it for me. Just like how I made one for her. This must be the beginning of our relationship.

"I had some extra food," Ayano said simply as he took it. Budo lifted his eyes from the box to hers, about to thank her, when she did something.

She, after a hesitant moment, gave him barely existant, beautifully small smile. "I hope you enjoy it." Budo could have fainted from the utter beauty that he witness in that single moment. It was like the warm sunshine on his face, melting his heart into a simple puddle, until all he could do was slowly, stupidly, nod in response.

Just like that, the lovely lift of her lips slipped off her face, as if it were never there, and she was back to an unperturbed, slate. Ayano turned away, walking back into the corridors of the school with the quiet click of her shoes.

When she'd turned the corner and her figure was no longer in sight, Budo slowly looked back to the lunchbox he was still holding, his heart still feeling a warm glow.

He carefully opened the lid of the box and peered inside curiously. What sort of food does she think I like?

A sandwich, cut into four neat triangles. Budo lifted a corner of the bread to see the filling. It what looked chicken pieces with mayonnaise drizzled in swoops ontop, and pieces of a chopped green herb sprinkled over. His stomach tightened as he stared at it. It looked delicious.

I'm never going to eat this. Budo put the bread slice back on top, then closed the cool plastic lid of the lunchbox firmly with a click. He knew where this was going:

... Right back home and into the shrine. It would go next to Ayano's hair strand he'd found yesterday, and the bloody cloth he'd used to clean her face while she'd been unconscious in his home. That one he'd had to scratch out the trash yesterday. His collection was growing, and this thought filled him with content.

While I patiently wait for her to fall in love with me, I'll have my shrine to keep me together.

Budo put the lunchbox away and smiled a little to himself. From around the passage corner, Ayano cursed him.

Both of them began to plan again.