When Dreams Come True

4. Mission: Impress your ̶f̶i̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶a̶l̶ crush

When Tsuki woke up in the morning, she found [F/N] picking outfits in front of the mirror.

"Wow, you woke up earlier than me. The sun must have risen from the west today." Tsuki joked.

"Shut up and help me." [F/N] turned with a retort, "Which one is better? This black one or the red one?" She put the two tops in front of her one by one.

"Uhh...what's gotten into you today?" Tsuki stared at her, "Why do you care so much? It's just college, not a party." She scoffed as she got up.

"He likes red. So red it is." Tsuki heard [F/N] mutter under her breath. She turned around with curiosity.

"Who likes red?" She asked as she smiled mischievously. She immediately rushed back to [F/N]'s side.

"What?"

"What?"

"I didn't say anything." [F/N] denied.

"You said 'he likes red'. I heard you!" Tsuki exclaimed excitedly, "Who is it?"

"Shut up, Tsuki! We're getting late. Either go to the bathroom or let me use it." [F/N] evaded the question.

Tsuki didn't have to wait for long to find out who it was. When she came across Gouenji outside the class as they all gathered to greet each other, she noticed how Gouenji and [F/N] were the only two people with shiny red clothes against the drab, everyday colors of the rest of the students.

"Good morning, Gouenji." [F/N] spoke sweetly with barely looking at him. Tsuki had noticed how a permanent smile had been pasted on her face as soon as she saw him, even from afar.

Gouenji paused to look at [F/N] with a gentle smile, "Looking good today. Is it something special? Is it your birthday?" He said taking note of her vibrant top and a little bit of makeup, that was actually planned around her red lipstick at its central element. Of course, he didn't know the strategy.

"No, I just felt like it." She shrugged casually even though in her mind she was doing somersaults at the fact that he noticed.

"You two match. " Tsuki blurted suddenly, gesturing with her index finger back and forth between the two of them. She had understood everything at this point and had already assumed the position of wingwoman for her best friend. Although, if one asked [F/N], Tsuki was doing more to embarrass her at this point than anything.

They both looked at her in embarrassment, Gouenji cleared his throat awkwardly and [F/N] glared at her.

"Today." Tsuki concluded, "I mean your outfits are the same color." She laughed, trying to force her way back to normality.

Before anyone could say anything, they saw the teacher approaching and everyone went inside the classroom.

Once again, [F/N] sat beside Gouenji. Once again she stared at him the entire time but this time not with apprehension but with admiration. She found it hard to look away because no matter how long she looked at him, it never felt enough. She had wanted this for so long that now she had to make every single moment count. It was, frankly, overwhelming.

She also had to move fast. If someone, somehow recognised him she would have to compete with her and she didn't want that.

...

She sometimes found Gouenji at the old soccer field. He was often there, kicking the ball around. The first time she found him there after their initial encounter, she asked him what he was doing there.

"Soccer is the only thing familiar to me that I can still do in this world." He answered, "it gives me some semblance of peace."

"It must be frustrating though, not being able to use your moves." [F/N] said.

"It is. I miss soccer the way I know it. " He answered with a bit of disappointment, "But I see it as an opportunity to get better. Here I can't rely on the tricks." He smiled as he explained that.

[F/N] couldn't help but stare at him with admiration. These were the kinds of things that made her fall in love with him in the first place. And he continued to prove to her how right she was in her decision.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He broke her trance.

"You're an inspiration to me." She said, blushing a little.

"Do you play soccer too?" He asked earnestly.

"No, silly, I mean, in life." She chuckled, "You always remind me to work hard."

After being so honest and frank with him she couldn't look up to match his gaze. She continued to stare down at the grass.

"Look at me." He said gently.

She continued to look down, she couldn't muster the courage to match his gaze. He held her chin and made her face upward.

"Look at me."

She stared back at him with wide eyes. He smiled definitively,

"Thank you."

...

[F/N] would have liked to take it slow and steady but she was afraid she didn't have much time. So once they both got well acquainted, one fine sunny day, she decided to let him know her feelings.

When he was done playing ball and ready to leave the field, she caught his wrist and stopped him,

"Listen, I love you." She wanted to be straightforward so her breath doesn't hitch before she can say those important words but it came out more casual than she wanted.

He turned to look at her and then smiled.

"No, wait, I said it all wrong." She fumbled, "I really mean it. I have loved you for a long time. Years."

At this, he was surprised. His interest was piqued.

"But you didn't know me." He answered.

"I didn't but in a way, I also did. I watched you care for your friends, care for your family, care for this sport you love so dearly. I saw how resilient you are and how kind-hearted you are. Maybe I don't know you in a way most people know someone before they love them but maybe I know you even better than those people ever know their love."

She didn't look down that day, she held his gaze, she stared back at him with conviction because if there was one thing in life she was absolutely sure of was that she loved him and she had unshakable faith in that love.

He was speechless after what she had said. He continued to stare at her with his mouth slightly agape. He had never heard of something like this before. No one probably had.

"But you didn't even know you'd meet me." The words escaped his lips on their own.

"No, I didn't. I was fully prepared to never see you in my life. And I would have made do with it somehow. But I couldn't have stopped loving you." Tears were brimming her eyes now because of the overwhelming emotions she was channelling at the moment.

He remained struck dumb for a little more time. His soccer ball left his grasp and fell on the grass with a faint 'thud'. He was disoriented by the massive declaration [F/N] had just made to him.

But when [F/N] saw him quiet, she understood she had failed in moving his heart. Her face fell and she wiped away the tears to clear her vision.

"I had to tell you." She muttered and slowly walked away from there, leaving him behind.