♡ Gamblers to lovers♡ (Mary Saotome x reader)

Chapter 17

It was a sunny day. A day just like any other. Another day in which you'd smile to see Mary. Another day in which you'd be making bento for her. And, if the circumstances given are pleasant, another day in which you'd try to hug her.

However, when you finally saw Mary at school, you were surprised. She had something different, a slight detail of her look had changed. But you didn't know what, even after staring at her for a really long time.

—What's up with that weird gaze? —Mary said, a bit aggressively.

—Mary... You got a new hairstyle!

Mary aparted her eyes from you.

—Yeah... But that doesn't justify the way you looked at me! Do you think I got this hairstyle because of you?

You thought the perfect answer for it: «Was this hairstyle revealed to you in a dream as well?». But you didn't want to tease Mary about it. You wanted her to feel confident about her new style; after all, you thought she looked great on it.

—You look amazing! I totally love it.

Mary frowned, but in the cute way she always does it. Was her face a bit red? You were too excited to notice anything.

—Thanks...? —Mary said in an astonishingly shy way —. I didn't intend you to say that, but I'm glad you did anyway.

—Oh, Mary! You're not really a good liar when you're not gambling —You giggled, and tried to hug her, but she denied the hug as you expected her to do.

—Anyways, I've got an idea! I'll come with a different hairstyle tomorrow. You have to guess what hairstyle I'll be using. You can write it in a paper sheet before you come to school, I don't want you to cheat with this.
Mary's eyes started to point at you again slowly, bit by bit.

—Fine, I don't see a problem with that. What happens if I win?

—I'll reward you with something special!

—What is it?

—A surprise —You said with a big smile on your face. With your fingers, you were indicating Mary to smile too. And she did. She smiled and made your heart go warmer than usual, without her knowing it.

Just that interaction with her was enough to make your day happy. But there was something else you had to do: you had to give Mary the bento you made for her. At that point, it was like a daily routine for you, a new day was equal to a new bento for Mary. And maybe something else in the future.

—Here's your bento! Please, enjoy it.

—You know you're not a housepet, right? You're not forced to do this to me everyday.

—Of course I know! I do it because I want to.
A hefty silence owned the room after you said that. You felt like Mary had something to say, so you decided to avoid distracting her. That silence, though, was uncomfortable, someone had to break it. In your mind, it was clear that you were the chosen one to break the silence, but it was Mary.

—Hatonojo... —Mary said slowly.

You blush with no control at all. She made up that name just yesterday, so you weren't really used to her using it. You had to cover your face to hide your happiness. But, in the end, you realized that hiding your happiness was useless, because making you happy was, surely, Mary's objective with that nickname. So you stopped covering your face, showing off your red face. And, as you winked, Mary understood that she had to finish her sentence.

—What was the meaning of the word you told me to use? Like, when you told me to call you a friend.

—Well, everyone has its own definition. But I like to divide it into different degrees. In the lowest spot, you have the "acquaintance", which is someone that you just know. An acquaintance isn't someone special for you, it's just someone that you know the name of. Then we have the "friends", who are the people that make you happy somehow. People you have fun with, you know? If you need someone to lend you a hand, friends are the perfect people to do it. And, to finish with, we have the "Something else" —your face was turning red again, and you hated it.

It wasn't the time to get all red: In front of Mary, explaining what love is. But there was no reason to hide it

—. Did you ever feel something impossible to explain in your chest? Like, your heart beating faster, or someone tickling your chest from the inside. That's the kind of feeling a special someone produces to you. It has a name, actually. We call it love.

—I see —Mary replied, having finished the bento already —. Anyway, I've got to leave, I'll see you after the class.

Mary left the room as fast as she could, making it seem like she was in a hurry. You worried a little, that's not the reply you expected. You were confused, but you couldn't let that spoil your day. You were sure that Mary had good reasons to leave that way.
She went to the female bathroom, getting into a cubicle and locking it right away. She let her back slide through the wall, until she sat down on the floor. She felt weird. Really weird.

«Is it possible? —Mary thought with despair —.

No, it's not. Her explanation was mistaken for sure. Or my chest was the one mistaken to give me that sensation... I don't know anymore, I just want to go to sleep. I wish I could forget about all of this just for a while. I can't even gamble like this».

...

It was another day. The day of the hairstyle bet. As you promised, you changed your hairstyle only for that day. You got pigtails, trying to imitate Mary's past style. It was something you've always wanted to do, and now you had the chance to do it. You wanted to see Mary more than ever, especially after what had happened the last day.
And there she was; waiting for you at the main hall. You wanted to compliment her, but maybe it wasn't the time to do it. Not yet.

—Keep in mind that I've never, never lost to you —Mary said, and gave you the envelope.

You opened it excited. You didn't even reply to what she said; It was true, you never defeated Mary. Could this be the first time? You wanted to know it, and, at the same time, you wanted Mary to win again.
The card inside said the word "pigtails".

—Oh my God, Mary! I love you!

You hugged Mary strongly, without even thinking about it. It was just your natural reaction. And you felt happy by the fact that, this time, Mary allowed it to hug her.
And that sensation appeared again. Mary started to feel her heart beating faster. She felt someone tickling her chest from the inside. It was so intense that she couldn't help it, but it made her even more confused than before. (Y/N)'s hugs were so warm... But Mary had to pull it out. After all, she wasn't ready to admit anything about that sensation.