Ongoing Cycle

10

     [Y/N] couldn't concentrate on her homework even if she tried, because the girls surrounding her were screaming at the top of their lungs during the game. It was terrible. So clenching her teeth, she stuffed the papers back into her backpack and turned to the game, earning a look of approval from Miku. She sighed and grumpily watched the long-legged boys run back and forth on the fields. Their hair flailing all around and their concentrated eyes on the one ball, it actually looked quite fun. Feeling jealousy burn through her heart, she wondered if she would enjoy sports if her world wasn't succumbed in homework and studies. She then shook her head at herself; there wasn't time for any what ifs.

     It didn't take long for her to become focused onto the soccer game as well. She wasn't sure if it was their motivated faces, their encouragement towards one another, or the excitement when their teammates scored a goal, but it caught her attention. Watching one boy specifically as he took the ball from the opponent multiple times and sent the ball perfectly to his team members, [Y/N] now understood why Kuro was the captain. He was...really good.

    Near the end of the game, when Kuro had scored the team a goal, bringing them up to three against two, she had even clapped with the audience. His grin so wide in great happiness as he ran to his teammates to cheer together, she noticed that he looked so innocent at that moment, unlike the player he usually was.

     Laughing at something his teammate had said, he then turned to the crowd at the benches and his eyes met hers. Last time may have been imaginative, but this one was real this time. In shock, her clapping hands faltered and her cheeks tinged of red, angry to be caught.

     Not wanting to see his smirk or his arrogant face, she looked away until she knew for sure that he was back to focusing on the game.

     Only a few minutes were left. Nothing memorable like a goal happened anymore and the game ended. Officially having won, the crowd cheered loudly as the team shook hands with the other school's players. Once that all died down, the team headed towards the building to go get changed. The people on the benches either began to follow them or went to the parking lot to leave.

     "Did you enjoy watching that, [Y/N]?" Miku asked her with a grin.

     "Uh....yeah," she replied awkwardly, not wanting to admit how truly interested she was in it.

     "Yay!" her friend cheered, giving her a quick hug. "Aoi and I are going to wait near the boys' locker room to congratulate them. You want to come with?"

     "No, I think I'm good," she said. "I'll just stay here a little while longer."

     Miku shrugged. "Suit yourself. See you tomorrow then!" Her friend waved at her and the two girls climbed down the benches together. As the large group of people dissipated to their own ways, the field turned all quiet. Staring ahead of her at the setting sun and the soft wind rustling the green grass, she softly smiled at the view of it. Being stuck in her room and doing her homework all the time, she never realized how nice the outside world was.

    The clanking sound of the benches' metal startled her and she flinched. Looking down to see who was climbing up the bench, she widened her eyes when she saw that it was Kuro. She watched him in surprise. The end of the game must've been so chaotic that the girls didn't realize that Kuro wasn't with them. He stopped climbing at a level lower than her and sat right in front of her. He turned around to face her with those intense blue eyes he had. His forehead was damp of sweat and his black hair was all tangled up, looking like a big fluff of cloud. He pinched the front of his jersey and fanned himself with it.

     "We meet again, [Y/N]," he said, one side of his lip quirking up.

     "Why are you here? Don't you have a fan-girl club waiting inside for you?" she drawled, not bothering to hide the distaste on her face.

     He laughed. "Jealous?"

     "I'm not!" she bristled, gritting her teeth.

     He let out a deep breath and took a quick glance at the sun laying at the horizon, before raising his water bottle up to his mouth. After guzzling the water and hydrating himself for a few seconds while [Y/N] glared at him, he set it back down. "You seem to hate me, restroom girl."

     "Oh, I didn't know it was that obvious," she responded sarcastically, throwing him eye daggers. He laughed again and she scowled. He knew she hated him, but he was still so entertained by her. Why the hell was that?

     "Is there a reason why you hate me?"

     That question caught her off guard a little. She thought back to all the encounters with him and all she could see was that egoistic, arrogant expression he always made. It was as if he ruled the world. "Maybe it's because you play with girls' hearts before cutting them up into pieces," she pointed out calmly.

     His smirk dropped. "Is that truly my fault though?" he asked softly, his eyes burning through her. "These girls know what I am and what I'll do to them....but does that stop them? No. They come to me anyway."

     She gulped, unsure of what to say to that. "You know how girls are. They may know you're a player....but deep down, they'll want more from you. They'll hope that they'll be able to change you."

     He chuckled bitterly at that. "That's their fault for having their hopes up. They should know that men don't change."

     Her ears pounding in fury at those words, she pushed herself up from where she sat. She resisted the urge to kick him right then and there, since it would've been the most convenient time. "You're a heartless monster! I will never let Miku fall for the likes of you. I'm not like one of your girls that you can easily seduce and neither is Miku!"

     He stood up as well and stepped up to the next level, so that he was standing right near her. Before she could react, his hand gently grasped her waist and she was pulled towards him. His strong chest appeared before her and her cheeks burned. His slender fingers sent tingles through her body, leaving her shivering. The scent of sweat and mint filled her nose as he swooped his head next to hers. Freezing in place and her heart pounding at the close proximity, she wanted to push him away....but she couldn't do it.

    His long eyelashes fluttering in the corner of her vision, he reached her ear. His warm breath hitting her earlobe, he whispered, "You're not one of my girls, eh? Are you saying you're not nervous right now? Are you saying you're not blushing at all?"