𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐶𝑂𝑁𝐶𝐸𝑃𝑇 𝑂𝐹 𝐵𝐸𝐺𝑈𝐼𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐺 ┊ 𝐻𝐴𝐽𝐼𝑀𝐸 𝐼𝑊𝐴𝐼𝑍𝑈𝑀𝐼

𝟭 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘆

┅ ┅ ┅

「 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 」

"I love you."
Her hands tightened on the metal railing of the second floor.
The girl's friend grumbled as she heard her mumbling.
"Stop acting weird, especially with all these people around."
Naomi lifted her head and looked at the stern eyes of her friend.
"I'm not acting weird."
Riko leaned on the railing beside her friend, her arms hanging off the edge.
"You are. I literally joined you here instead of going home just so you could drool over some guy."
"He's not just 'some guy' and it seems like you're the one acting weird."
"Whatever you say."

The second floor of the gym held a bunch of girls who had stayed after school just to watch the pretty boy of Seijoh. Naomi couldn't help but keep her eyes on him. She loved watching him walk along the court, his hair shining under the light.
"I love him so much," Naomi grumbled.
"Yeah I know," Riko chuckled low, "but unless you make a move, this is as close as you're going to get."
"I've been trying to make a move for five years."
"Maybe the sixth will finally be your year."
Naomi rested her chin on the railing, letting her hair drip over the side.
"I wish."

Riko patted her back.
"If Oikawa-Kun didn't like you, he wouldn't hang out with us and talk to you as much."
"Don't give me hope."
"I'm just saying. He sits with us at lunch every day and he makes an effort to always greet us in the morning. No boy does that for just any girl."
"He does that because we're classmates."
"Maybe he doesn't want to just be classmates."
"I sure as hell don't want to be."
Riko pinched the open space of Naomi's neck where hair had fallen away from.

"We graduate this year. If you don't tell him soon, you'll never get the perfect chance again."
"If I'm wrong, if you're wrong, it's all over."
"It's not all over."
"It is. There's no way I could face him."
Riko stood up straight and grabbed her bag.
"Tomorrow, I'll ask him."
Naomi lifted her head.
"You'll ask him what?"
"I'll ask if he likes you."
"What?!"
Naomi grabbed her shoulders and drew her forward.
"No! Then he'll know I was thinking about him!"
"I won't make it obvious."
"We only ever see him when we're together though. The morning and at lunch! That's also surrounded by a bunch of people. How will-"
"I will personally find him. I'm tired of coming up here every day so this isn't entirely a favor for you."
Naomi gripped onto her friend and hugged her close.

"Thank you! Thank you! You're the best! The answer! I don't want to know! No, I do! I do-"
"Naomi, whatever he answers is what he answers."
"I know, I know. Just- no-no. Let's go. I'll pay for some popsicles, how about it?"
Riko nodded her head with a smile.
"Perfect, let's get out of here."
Riko and Naomi walked arm in arm out of the gym, but Naomi didn't miss the chance to seek a little glance at Oikawa Tōru as he began to serve.

"Let's go!"
Naomi nodded quickly and exited the gym. His handsome face faded into her mind and Naomi felt her heart beat faster just thinking about him.

════════════════

Naomi and Riko were sitting on top of their desks when Tōru entered their classroom.
"Good morning you two!"
"Morning Oikawa-Kun," Riko nodded. Naomi gripped onto her arms tightly.
"M-morning!"
Oikawa moved down the aisle to make his way to his seat in the front. He greeted the others in the class and the girls that sat around him replied with blushing faces.
"How smooth you are," Riko laughed as she lowered her body into her seat.
Naomi copied her movements and sighed.
"You got me misinterpreting his morning greeting now! He does it for everyone, you just like messing with me."

Naomi lied head down onto her desk and grumbled into her arms.
"I'll ask him today. I'll catch him before lunch," Riko smiled. "I'm sure he'll say yes."
"Oh you mean the lunch he sits with us at? Wait let me rephrase, the lunch he sits with his class at?"
"Naomi, he likes you. Just calm down and stop overthinking things."
Naomi smiled softly as Riko slid an Oreo onto her desk.
"Little bit of my lunch, just to calm you."
Naomi smiled at the small treat and gladly ate it.
"You're the best."

When the bell for lunch was let out, Naomi left the room quickly and Riko walked over to the front of the classroom.
"Oikawa-Kun?" Riko asked.
Oikawa stood up from his desk and tugged down on his sleeve.
"Yeah?"
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Oh, right now? What about?"
"It won't take long. I just wanted to ask you something."
Oikawa looked over by the door and waved off his friend who was about to enter.
"It'll be quick, right? Don't want to get our spot taken."
Riko nodded and held her hands behind her back.

"I wanted to know if you had a crush on anyone."
Oikawa felt red around the ears and shifted his feet back.
"Oh, well, I guess I do."
He scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle and looked back down at Riko's grinning eyes.
"Would it happen to be Naomi?"
"Who? Uh, Mirayaka Naomi?"
"N-no."

Riko let go of her hands and they dropped by her sides. She felt the heat of her body dwelling around her face.
"Itsuwaru Naomi."
Oikawa let out a breathy laugh and rubbed his arm, pulling down his sleeve again. It was too short for his tall figure.
"She's the one who refuses to eat meat, right?"
"She's vegan, yes."
"Oh. Yeah. I remember now. Hard to forget. I don't like her that way, but she's a nice person."
Riko felt her stomach twist as she stepped away.
"Oh okay. Uh, s-sorry to bother you."

Riko rushed out of the room, feeling the embarrassment for her own friend as she rushed down the hallway.
Oikawa hadn't even had the chance to say anything else to her.
Riko entered the cafeteria and grabbed Naomi's wrist as she reached to press the button on a vending machine for soda.
"Hey! I still have money in there!"
Naomi was pulled by her friend and they exited the cafeteria together. Riko drew her friend over by the bathrooms where no one usually attended during lunch.

"I spoke to him," Riko said.
"You did?! What did he say?! Do I even want to know?"
Riko shakily breathed out and held onto her friend's hand.
"Listen, Naomi- he, Oikawa doesn't-"
Naomi felt her smile drop down her face and her hands felt cold.
"He doesn't what?"
Riko looked into Naomi's eyes and shook her head slightly.
"He doesn't like you that way, Naomi. Oikawa doesn't have a crush on you."