IEGO || Heart Catcher

『 CHAPTER 22 』

[ryuu_ouji-sama]
I just wanna say
Your head's rlly out there

[君]
Ill take that as a compliment

[ryuu_ouji-sama]
honestly, wth were you thinking
you could've broken a leg

[君]
Tsurugi-kun already told me

[ryuu_ouji-sama]
ur brain could've been dmg

[君]
Chi-senpai told me that too

[ryuu_ouji-sama]
-_-

[君]
^_^"

You giggled behind your phone screen. Right now, you were resting underneath the tree shade. Endou ordered you to rest, especially after the stunt you pulled yesterday.

At first, you protested with sticky notes. But soon, you were overpowered by your friends, plus Sangoku had confiscated your sticky notes, so here you were.

You looked up when you heard footsteps approaching you. It was Hayami's. In his hand was a cold beverage. He handed it to you.

"I-it’s for you. We're having our break time right now, and I – I figured you might be thirsty since you've sat here by yourself..."

You grabbed the bottle and smiled at him. Hayami blushed. You patted the spot beside you. He didn't decline your offer, so slowly, he sat with you under the tree shade.

You popped open the bottle and took a sip. Hayami hugged his knees. From afar, you could hear a bit of the chatter of the team.

"Um, how are you feeling now?" Hayami began.

You signed him an OK.

"T-that's good to know. You ... gave us all quite the fright."

You scratched your head. You were about to apologise, but your typing finger halted at what Hayami said next:

"But, you were really cool when you jumped that high." He looked at you straight on. His lips formed a small smile under his blush. "You looked like you were flying."

Your eyes sparkled. Your cheeks turned pink, and you shyly grinned.

Once more, Hayami couldn't understand.

He couldn't understand how you were able to brave past on in the face of Fifth Sector, he couldn't understand how your mind think about the play in the oddest way possible, how ready you were to support the resistance, how ready you were to support the team, to cheer him up, to go so far; and he certainly couldn't understand how your smile caused butterflies in his stomach again. But he's willing to learn more about you.

Hayami wanted to understand you better after all.

♡ --- ♡ --- ♡

You and Sangoku saw Namikawa standing by the entrance of the gates of Raimon. Namikawa spotted you and made his way over.

Reflexively, Sangoku brought up his arm to shield you. Namikawa stopped a few feet away from you due to that. However, it wouldn't stop him from telling you this:

"[Surname] [Name], fight me."

"I understand. If you wish to seek a fight," Sangoku suddenly said in the most monotonous voice you've ever heard him use, "you're free to search the Sumo Club. If sumo isn't your thing, we do have the Karate Club. I've heard they're now accepting challengers unaffiliated with karate clubs and Raimon itself to branch out —"

"I didn't mean a physical fight." Namikawa sighed. "I meant a soccer fight."

"I see. Now, make your way to Coach Endou, please. He's currently in the clubroom, so you have enough time to discuss with what date shall Raimon and Kaiou have a practice to substitute a rematc —"