𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗠𝗲 ✓ Usui Takumi

Chapter 11

I watched as my mother talked with Usui, informally, as though she hadn't seen him in a while and finally met him.

"You're staying over for dinner, no excuses." My mom demanded. She looked at me and flashed a confused look.

"What's wrong Natsu? You look...surprised." She looked at me then glanced at Usui.

"You know him?" I asked, my mouth was left slightly agape. She looked at me and laughed. "Well of course I know him! He's your childhood friend who you always complained about!" She chuckled.

I felt a sudden trigger in my mind and saw Usui looking at me with a stupid grin. All the lost memories from my past came rushing back to me. I put a hand over my mouth in shock.

He's that kid I used to hang around a lot who was always getting confessions from every girl but never even batted an eye at them! He'd always just annoy the heck out of me and I'd always complain to my mom because of how he'd treat me. He was always clingy and went wherever I go. He's the short, cute, golden retriever boy I found annoying!

I stood there, dumbfounded, bewildered and amazed.

"So you finally realized, huh?" He said tauntingly. I looked at his face and he was just exactly how he looked when we were younger.

"Well I'll let you two catch up seeing how Natsuki finally realized. Come in when you're done, okay. " My mom said before leaving us alone.

I walked closer to him, close enough so I could see his face. I was so close that I could feel his breath brushing against my cheeks. "Wow, I can't believe it. How did I take this long to realize?" I furrowed my brows and felt shamed of my stupidity. He moved his face closer, making me falter due to his actions. I was flustered and felt my cheeks heating up slightly when I was aware of how close he was to me.

"How long have you known it was me?" I asked curiously. He just cocked his head back a little, looking up at the sky and said, "since I first saw you at school." My jaw dropped when I heard him. "Since the beginning?! Why didn't you tell me??" I continuously  threw questions at him. He brought his head down to my level and looked at me straight in my eyes. "It was entertaining waiting for you to come to the realization."  He snickered like a child and turned around, facing my house.

"Let's go. Your mom is probably waiting." He walked in and I followed behind him. The table was already set and my mom was sitting there while scrolling through her phone. We sat opposite each other and my mom was seated beside me. There was an empty space for my father but he hardly came for dinner. My mom always had to help him with most things these days.

While we were eating I heard my mom cleared her throat and looked at me with a suspicious smile. "I remember the time Natsuki came home and complained to me about how much she hated you. She kept saying she disliked how all those girls were always around you." My mom was definitely exposing me. I choked on my tea and tapped my mom's arm gently for her to stop but she continued.

"Really?" Usui said teasingly while looking at me mockingly.

"And then there was the time when she found out we were leaving. She cried her eyes out because she thought she wouldn't get to see you again but look, here you guys are, together again." I had a hand on my face, covering it so Usui couldn't see how embarrassed I was. Everything that happened somehow felt like yesterday. My mom brought back precious memories, some I'd like to forget and others that were dear to me.

"She cried? Why didn't she tell me this when I watched her leave on her last day here?" Usui knew what he was doing. He was purposely prying, asking questions he knew my mom would answer. "I guess she was too emb—" I cut my mom off and gently kicked Usui on his leg.

"Wow isn't the food lovely tonight!" I complimented my mom and gave her an awkward smile trying to push past all the storytelling my mom did.

After dinner, I walked Usui out.

"My mom always liked you even when you were smaller." I exhaled. He stopped in his tracks and sighed. "And I always liked you even when you were smaller."

I stood there for a second, my legs felt like they were paralyzed and I couldn't move. HOW COULD I FORGET THE MIGHTY USUI TAKUMI HAD A CRUSH ON ME?!

I watched as he turned around slowly to look at me. His hand was in his hair and the other was in his pocket.

"You really were something..." He paused, looking down at his feet. "I can't believe you just shut me out even before I had a chance to tell you how I really felt." I looked at him with an apologetic look on my face and sighed.

Flashback to the time when these soon-to-be lovebirds were 12~

"Hey Natsu!" I heard Usui call my name from behind me. I turned around while holding up an umbrella to cover myself from the rain. He was running towards me with his backpack covering his head and held onto something in his hand.

"What's that you're holding?" I asked him. I was curious as to why he held onto it dearly.  I pulled him closer to me under my umbrella to give him cover from the rain though his clothes were already wet.

"About that...." He said. His tone trailed off. He backed away from me a little, coming out of the umbrella, getting wet again by the rain.

"I like you Natsuki!" He held the box infront of him with outstretched arms. I looked at him and felt my stomach churning on the inside. I felt like crying.

"I'm sorry but I can't accept this." I muttered while backing away slowly from him. I turned around and ran as far away from him as I could.

When I stopped for breath, I felt my eyes welling up with tears. I began to cry profusely. I was stooping down, my umbrella fell out of my hand and now I was getting soaked by the rain.

I felt so sorry for rejecting him but that was the only thing I could do. I had overhead my parents talking about moving the other day and I knew all along that I hadn't much time left with him but I was caught off guard when he confessed to me. If I had accepted his feelings it wouldn't have mattered since I'd still be moving away so it was best to tell him no so he could move on.

After going home, I went straight to my room and buried my face in my pillow and cried. I felt horrible for rejecting him so awfully and it was even more painful when he was there to see me leave.

Back to present time~

"I'm really sorry. I was young then and didn't know what the best thing to do was." I looked away from him.

"It's alright. It's been quite some years now." He explained.

"Don't tell me you still like me now--", I playfully hit him on the arm and softly laughed.

His facial expression changed and he looked serious. "How did you know?" He said, his eyes traced me than he started to laugh also.

"I was just kidding" he cackled almost like he was teasing me but in my mind I was thinking something else.

Why was it a bit disappointing when he said he was joking? Do I.....no that can't be it! 

"See you at school, alien." I said teasingly and watched him get annoyed.

"Bye Natsu", he said in return and walked off with a smile.

This feels exactly like the times when we were younger.