Saving Me [Monoma x Reader]

28. Sports Festival: Round One!!

After parting ways with my teammates from the last game, I headed over to the stands where I could rejoin my classmates to watch the first round of the next game.

A battle tournament... this is it.

I had fought my way this far, and I was determined to continue fighting until I made it to the top. There wasn't a better place and time to finally show how much stronger I had become, not just as a hero-in-training, but as a person, too.

"So, you want to go on another date?"

What do I have to do to get some goddAMN PEACE AND QUIET?!

The voice belonged to none other than Monoma, who ever so leisurely leaned against the wall of one of the corridors that led out to the spectator stands. He casually fanned himself with what appeared to be a card in his hand.

I tried to walk past him, but he wouldn't shut up despite me ignoring him.

"I can see why you'd want round two. After all, we didn't quite finish our first date, now did we?"

If I could've rolled my eyes into the back of my head, I would have.

I was going to continue on my way, but just before turning the corner that would lead me back into the sun, my legs stopped, and my hands clenched into fists.

"Why... why are you so bent on treating me like this?" Slowly, I turned around to face him and saw that I had caught him off guard with my question. Even I had surprised myself by taking this approach instead of walking away or snapping back with some remark about how I didn't have the time or patience to deal with his crap. But in that moment, maybe I subconsciously thought that if I spoke to him genuinely, then he'd do the same in return.

Monoma stuttered, "I-It's because... because..." 

My heart nearly skipped a beat and I held my breath. Was he going to be sincere for once?

"It's because you're from Class 1-A!" He pointed an accusatory finger in my face with a  disturbingly manic look.

Fucking hell.

"That's... that's so messed up!" I flared, losing all of my cool in an instant. "You pick on me when I'm with my friends, you pick on me when it's just us, then on that one single day we go out, you were nice all of a sudden, but then today you're back to being a jerk! Seriously, what is up with y-"

"[L/N]?"

My head whipped to look behind me and I saw someone I didn't expect at all.

"Uh-! H-... Honenuki..?"

He was leaning over the railing, peering down into the corridor's entrance from the stairs outside. "Huh, I thought I heard your voice, but wasn't sure if it actually was you. Didn't think you were the type to fly off the handle..." His gaze switched over to Monoma. "But now I can see why."

The beige-haired boy calmly descended the steps then stood next to me. I wasn't sure if I was more embarrassed that he caught me in the middle of yelling at Monoma, or if I was more confused at the fact that someone like him would involve himself in a situation like this.

Honenuki coolly gestured with his chin at his classmate. "Don't let this guy get to you." He then lifted a thumb behind him to point at the stands. "You've got a match coming up soon, so you should probably focus."

I blinked. "Oh. Um, right. Thanks for the heads up." Exhaling slowly, I attempted to regain my composure and asked, "Who uh-... who am I going up against?"

"Me."

A long pause hung in the air between us.

My eyes widened. "Oh."