lend me your ears | bokuto kotaro

12 ' out of my league

It's been two weeks since her confession, which she knew was totally out of the blue, but it still hasn't left her mind. The scene just kept repeating and replaying itself on her head- his surprised eyes, his raised brows, and of course, his voice. She loved hearing it, probably the only sound she could ever tolerate hearing endlessly.

"Hoshino-san, are you okay?" Akaashi checked up on her as he sat in front. It was lunch time so naturally, he had a tray of food on his hands.

"Ah, yes, I'm okay!" she answered in a panicked tone.

"Are you sure? You've been spacing out for so long," he confirmed and placed his food on the table.

"Yup, I'm okay," she reassured and looked to the left as Bokuto arrived with a bento on his hand.

Wait. Bento? She mumbled to herself.

"Hey," he greeted, "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Hoshino shook her head and opened her own bento. Itadakimasu!

"Do you make bentos now, Bokuto-san?" Akaashi asked and glanced at the blue bento box.

"Did, did, girl give it to you?" she asked, a terrible attempt to mask her thoughts.

"My mom made one for me," Bokuto answered, "It looks cute, right? Right?"

"Yes, it looks very cute and delicious, Kotaro-san," she answered, her mood visibly getting better.

"My mom's cooking is the best, she even added tiny weiners and bears," he flaunted, looking at her to see her reaction.

"Don't girls give you bentos every now and then, though?" she asked. Now Akaashi was curious why she brought it up.

"Yeah, sometimes some girls do. The other day, someone gave me one," he answered.

"It's no big deal, Hoshino-san," Akaashi reassured, seeing how she immediately pouted. He figured it was some sort of jealousy long before she realized it herself.

Itadakimasu!

"Oh. Speaking of girls, I think I just received a love letter this morning," Bokuto added before munching on his food.

"W-What?!" she exclaimed, surprising Akaashi. The younger glanced back at Bokuto, a little dismayed he couldn't get a clue.

"Yeah, she said, meet me at the garden after classes," Bokuto confirmed.

"Are you, are you going to accept it?" she asked, not noticing the sudden increase of volume of her voice.

"Depends on who it is, of course," he chuckled. "But it just shows how cool I am, right? Right?" he continued, smiling from ear to ear.

"Bokuto-san, we have practice after school," Akaashi protested, perhaps trying to make Hoshino feel a bit better.

"I'm sure it'll be quick, Akaashi. I won't be late, promise!"

After finishing their meals, Bokuto got called by a teacher, probably for an errand or something, leaving Akaashi and Hoshino alone on the hallway.

"Hoshino-san, I've been meaning to ask, but do you have feelings for Bokuto-san?" he blurted out his question. Too honest, too blunt.

"W-What? What are you talking about? Of course not! I mean, Kotaro-san and me?" she scoffed and giggled nervously. She was being too obvious and even she knew that.

"I see." He nodded and paused.

"He's better with someone as cheery and outgoing as he is. It'll be a better match, don't you think?" Words kept spilling out from her, she hasn't learned how to handle feelings. Emotions too, no less.

This love letter occupied Hoshino's mind more than it'll ever bother Bokuto. She found herself distracted, like her brain refuses to think about anything else other than Bokuto getting a girlfriend. However, why she's even bothered hasn't crossed her mind yet.

Then, he might stop being friends with me, she mumbled to herself ten minutes before their last class ended.

The teacher proceeded with giving them an assignment, which Hoshino barely took note of. Later on, the bell rung, signalling the end of the school day.

"Alright, don't forget this one. Deadline's tomorrow," the teacher reminded before dismissing the class.

Hoshino quickly snapped out from her daydream and averted her gaze to Bokuto, who was now rushing outside. She guessed that he was headed to the garden for the confession.

Meanwhile, Bokuto eagerly waited on the garden, looking left and right for his secret admirer.

"Bokuto-san." A high-pitched feminine voice called his name in such a sweet tone. He smile became even more joyous and he almost mistook it for Hoshino's.

"Bokuto-san." A tall girl appeared and faced him, seemingly quite giddy.

"Oh, hello," he greeted.

"So you did read the letter, alright, well," she began her confession.

"I've liked you since the sports festival last year and, and, I still really like you!"

"Oh," he mouthed. He didn't even know her name.

"Please go out with me!"

Meanwhile, on her way to the school gate, around the bushes and trees, Hoshino stood and watched from a far distance.

"I thought you didn't have feelings for him, Hoshino-san." Akaashi's voice was almost always in monotone and right now is no different.

However, contrary to the surprised reaction Akaashi expected from appearing all of a sudden, she simply remained standing. Quiet as usual.

"Hoshino-san?" he called her, still unnoticed.

This time, he poked her shoulder. Now this was the surprise.

"O-Oh! Akaashi-san!" she blurted out his name and quickly tapped on her hearing aids.

"I thought you didn't like Bokuto-san," Akaashi repeated himself and tilted his head.

"I shouldn't like him," she finally confessed. She wouldn't get anywhere with lying to herself.

"And why is that?" he asked.

"I don't deserve Kotaro-san. He's out of my league."