𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋. hq

〔post-match〕: takoyaki

孤爪 研磨
k e n m a    k o z u m e
— year 2 class 3 —

The first time we met Kuroo's girlfriend, I wasn't exactly pleased. She was exactly his type: a girl with long hair and a gorgeous smile. She had scarlet red hair complementing her emerald eyes. And more than anything she seemed like the fluffy type, the type of girl any boy my age tended to fall for.

The first time we met Kuroo's girlfriend, Miki looked like anything but displeased. She was ecstatic despite the fact this was the girl Kuroo chose to like, the girl who stole Kuroo away from us and the same girl who should be anything but her friend. Unfortunately, this was Koizumi Miki we were talking about. It was as if they clicked almost immediately because ten minutes into the conversation, the next thing I knew, it was Kuroo and I who were being left out.

"Hanako, I'll just get us some drinks with Kenma" Kuroo excuses us as we stand up to leave the two girls alone.

But was it really a good thing? Was it good to meet the girl who confessed to Kuroo Tetsuro, the guy Koizumi Miki was in love with?

For all I know, Miki could have been acting strong for the past few weeks. She was never the type to show her weaknesses, she was never the type to cry out loud, she was never the type to admit she couldn't take it. More than anything, Miki was a girl who would smile through the pain, the girl who would tell you she's fine despite the fact she hates being alone, the girl who would think of others first before doing anything for herself.

I wasn't so sure whether or not she wanted to meet Kuroo's girlfriend, but one thing was for sure, this girl was amazing.

"Miki really is something, huh?" Kuroo tells me once we were away from the pair. "The next thing I knew she's closer to my girlfriend than I am."

"That's Miki for you" I say. "Her charisma is out of this world."

"It's not just charisma, is it? I mean, there so many reasons for someone to like her, she's really cute and she's strong willed—"

"But apparently you didn't find it appealing enough" I accidentally counter, causing the male to look at me in surprise.

"Kenma, I told you it's not like that" he attempts to clear up as if he knew all along that I was the one who liked Miki. "She's just a little sister to me."

"Yeah, and she's just a friend to me" I tell him, unable to understand how stubborn this man could get, and how blind he was for not seeing what I could. How she blushes around him, how ecstatic she is to see him and how much she missed him. It didn't take a genius to understand that Koizumi Miki was in love with Kuroo Tetsuro, and nothing hurt more than that fact.

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               Miki was awfully fond of hanging out at my place, despite living a neighborhood away, despite the fact that the escalating rumors have been becoming troublesome. But regardless, she was never the type to think about those things anyways. She always went at things her own way, her own pace.

"Kenma" she grins as she shows me a poster of the upcoming festival. "Can we go together?".

"With Kuroo?" I ask, not bothering to avert my attention from the game I was on. "I'm not sure if he'll be okay with that".

"What do you mean? It's rare for you to say that. Did you have a fight?" She asks as if she read the back of my mind.

"It's probably just one sided on my part" I assure her, knowing how Kuroo probably doesn't even know there's bad blood between us.

"Why so?" she pries further and I couldn't help but tell her the reason after pausing my game and looking her in the eye for a minute or two.

This was Miki, there was no way she wouldn't pry further and so it was was better to tell her now than to get on her obnoxious side.

"Because of you?," It comes out of my mouth seeming more like a question than a statement.

"Kenma, why in the world would you fight with Kuroo Tetsuro because of me?" She asks with utmost seriousness and I attempt to pacify her ultimately failing as I tell the reason why.

"Because he was being ignorant of your feelings. I lost my edge and took it out on him" I tell her, as if it was the most obvious thing on earth.

"Feelings? What feelings?" She queries, squinting her eyes as she attempts to figure out what I mean.

"Well," I trail on, "You like him don't you?".

"No—" she cuts herself off, "Of course not, what in the world made you think of that?"

"You don't have to hide it from me. It's pretty obvious" I face her, sitting in front of her as we continue on with our conversation. "You like Kuroo, don't you?".

She looks at me seeming dumbfounded, "Uh—I like someone else".

"Huh?" I ask, wondering if misheard her.

"Kenma, I like you" she emphasizes the second time she corrects me, and I could've sworn I almost died in embarrassment.

               I pull her into a hug, attempting to hide my face and soon after it finally sinks in and I turn even redder than I already was. A moment later, she taps my back, telling me "You can let go now. My heart feels like it's going to explode".

"I don't want you to see my face right now" I tell her, knowing how embarrassing it would be to have her laugh at me any second.

"Eh~ I'll die at this rate" the girl complains childishly.

"You won't" I assure her.

"I will" she retorts.

"Will not" I say, and the next thing I knew she laughs as she pulls away.

"I thought you liked Kuroo a lot" I admit and ultimately realized how embarrassing it must've been for Kuroo.

"But I don't" she tells me, "Though, I have to admit, I'm really grateful that you stood up for me. Even though I don't like Kuroo in that way"

               "Ugh" I ruffle my hair, changing the topic as I try to bear with the embarrassment. "Let's go see the fireworks some other day"

"Just us two?" she asks in delight.

"Yeah. Just us two" I agree.

おわり
fin.