Tsuki-Dayo

Forty-Five | 四十五

Forty Five

"Then confess to me."

The words rung in [Name]'s ear in repeat, like the large bells vibrating after being struck. She stared into Tsukishima's eyes, examining his sincere golden hues. She could keep her jaw hinged at his words but was unable to produce any reply to it as well. All she could do was stare at him in complete bafflement and allow her brain to try to compute what had just happened.

Tsukishima's gaze did not flatter a single bit, looking right into her [Eye Color] ones. The grip on her arms remained firm and steady, just like the tone in his voice. He waited for her answer, quietly holding her. But seeing her reaction to his demand, he doubted he would be able to hear what he wanted her to say.

His hands slid down from her arms, releasing her from his hold. He sighed, closing his eyes and turning his head away. "Forget it," He twisted his body away from her, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. Just when he was about to walk away, [Name] realized that she had been spacing out for far too long.

She gasped quietly at his moving figure, heart twisting in her chest at the sight of him moving further away from her. Her tongue fumbled in her mouth and her mind turned into a mess of tangled thoughts, unable to process the words she wanted to say. Her heart knocked against her ribcage loudly, threatening to jump out of her body if she didn't do it quick.

"T-Tsu!..." With lightly trembling hands and a flushed complexion, she reached out to his finger, wrapping her fingers around his delicate slender finger. Tsukishima froze at the tug he felt on his hand. Her lips were almost numb but she continued to push herself to speak.

"Tsuki dayo!"

The blonde's eyes shot wide open. A breath escaped from his lips, putting his breathings on a short pause. His ear drums vibrated, repeating the words again and again in his mind, although it was in such a small voice. His head spun and he tried his best to keep himself together. His hand remained stiff at her touch, not wanting to move, afraid that if he did, her fingers would no longer hold onto it.

[Name] could no longer feel her entire body. She squeezed onto his finger a little tighter, taking a light shaky breath. Her brows furrowed as her face contorted, trying to ease the insane beating of her heart.

"The thing with Tooru-nii... He was just saying goodbye. We won't be seeing each other for a long time. I-I..." She stammered. He kept quiet, patiently waiting for her to catch her breath and build up her courage. "I l-like you, Tsukishima." He tried his best to swallow but only to form a large lump in his throat.

"That's why... I want – need you to believe me..." She tilted her head down, finding interest in her shoes. She could still see herself holding onto his little finger in her peripheral vision. It reminded her of the beach camp where their fingers hooked onto each other under the fireworks, away from the crowd, and how he finally admitted his love for volleyball. The amount of trust and sincerity in his voice back then, she wanted to hear it again.

Tsukishima moved his hands lightly and turned his body slightly to catch a better glimpse of her. He shifted his hand so that his fingers wrapped around her fingers. Their palms brushed against each other, sharing their warmth. She flinched lightly at his gesture but eased into it quickly.

"Is that really true?" He asked in such a low and quiet voice that she wasn't sure if she could remain standing hearing him speak in that voice again.

She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut from the massive amount of blood rushing throughout her entire body. She wriggled her fingers, sliding them between the gaps of his. She could see that there were still spaces between their fingers. "Yes..." She replied, just in case he didn't see her nod.