{Aoi x Inosuke | InuAo} Flutter

Chapter 11: Crowning

Aoi's POV

I don't know what is worse... finally falling from the sky and into the ground... or dancing with someone who doesn't even know which is the right left-side. After accepting his little proposal to dance, I regrettably followed him back into the gym. My hands wouldn't stop fumbling with my sash. How my heart pounded within my head... 

With every step towards the gym... it felt like there was lead filling my body. Or like there was some force that didn't want me to continue onward. The music was still heard from all the way here. Inosuke also stopped in his tracks, not walking forward.

"W-What's wrong?" I scowled softly, trying to hide my embarrassment. "Why are we stopping...?"

Inosuke turned back and leaned against a nearby tree. He stared at the gym doors... like it was some sort of nightmare. I wouldn't blame him. I wouldn't want to be caught there and dancing with him. He turned back to me, trying to keep on this scowl. We were... similar...?

"Let's stop here."

"Afraid of dancing?" I say with a smug chuckle in my throat. What was I doing? Urging him to dance in the school? Out here... no one was outside. Out here... no one would see us two. "Whatever, we're good here. We can at least hear the music."

Inosuke walked forward, nodding his head. "You are quite strong with your words."

"Another compliment?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Perhaps."

His hands were shaking when he took mine. At first, I thought it'll be cold- due to the shaking. But... it wasn't. It was... the opposite. Warm. Everything soon felt awkward once he took my hands. It was like he was... stiff. He just stared at me blankly...

"What's wrong?" I rose my voice a bit.

He just looked away- embarrassed. "Dancing's for losers... weaklings."

I could tell that he couldn't dance. The stiff movements and him not taking lead- I could definitely tell. Though I'm not the only one to blame here. My dancing skills are a bit rusty. I haven't attended in an actual dance for years... I can't take the lead. I doubt I could dance properly due to the lack of interest lately.

"So what then?"

He moves his hands away from me, tucking behind his back. "Dunno. I'm not dancing. Tsk..."

"Really?! You're the one who asked me to dance and you don't want to?! Make up your mind! Jeez, you really do seem idiotic at times." I turned heel, raising my chin up. But I quickly turned back, seeing him walking off. "Hey! Don't leave me behind, Inosuke!"

Suddenly, he chuckles. "Hah, if you wanted the dance so much, maybe you should make me dance."

"Y-You asked me first!" 

What happened to me? My hands quickly reached for his. To my ears, I heard him yelp. I squeezed his hands and put one on my hips. The scowl remained on my face. From the depths of my heart, I just wanted to stomp on his feet. 

"You asked me to dance, I accepted, so I better get this dance." 

Even though I was rusty with my dancing skills, I tried to keep the lead. Scraping my mind for the right steps for a slow dance, I nearly messed up the whole entire thing. I had to pull on Inosuke's stiff arms for me to try to get the dance right. He was resistant to following my lead, but he soon gave into it.

Though it was a struggle, I managed to get Inosuke to dance with me. Stiffened at first, but it seemed that we grew into the dance... like water. I didn't dare to look at Inosuke, but I did. He was keeping this weird scowl on his face. Struggling with the dance, but he didn't dare to complain. When we did dance, it felt like there was this unknown pair of eyes on me- and no matter what, I can't tell where it was.

Minutes passing, I stopped the dance with Inosuke and stepped back. Reluctantly, I gave a gentle bow.

"Thanks for your time." I say through gritted teeth.

Inosuke quickly chuckled boldly. "Maybe you are really worth it..."

"Going on again with that? You need to try harder."

He shrugged his shoulders, walking off. "Anyways, I'm going home. It's late, isn't it?"

My arms crossed over as I released a heavy sigh. "I guess so. Don't you dare cause any trouble getting back to your dorms, understand? I don't want to deal with a different problem tonight. Well... would it be two different problems or would be the same problem if it involved you in it?"

I turned back to see Inosuke walking off already. What hurt me the most...? Him leaving me behind without another word? Or him ignoring me? 

"Ah, young love's a bit troubling..." Hashira Shinobu's words quickly filled the air behind me. I jumped when I heard her sudden voice. "Forgive me for scaring you, Aoi. But my, you did wear that dress."

"Thank you for the suggestion." I say, looking back. This instinct of me wanting to see Inosuke walking off fought me. 

"Your dance seemed wonderful."

A heavy scowl appeared on my face when I finally turned back to Inosuke. "Y-You saw that? It wasn't wonderful. I had to lead on that. A scoundrel like him didn't even know the proper steps. And it was wonderful? Forgive me for saying it, but you're wrong at that time."

Hashira Shinobu chuckled softly, "My... either way, it was wonderful. Making a very stubborn boy dance with a beautiful girl like you. Maybe it's because of your chemistry or something that made you change."

"I don't believe it. He still gets on my nerves."

"Deny all you want, my little one. You can't hide the truth from your mind when your heart wants it the most." I turned back to see Hashira Shinobu walking back into the gym. "The crowning of the king and queen will happen in a few minutes, am I not wrong?"

"I-I guess..."

Walking back to the gym, I turned to see where Inosuke's dorm was... just to see a glimpse of him. Unfortunately... I couldn't find him. Realizing this, I clenched my fists in anger. Again, I was thinking of that boy. Why do I keep thinking of him? Why do I keep having these thoughts about him? 

So many questions, yet so little time to answer them. 

My heart requests me to think of him, but I know I can't be with him. He's not for me. A Butterfly Girl is someone who aims to be the beauty in the world. Gracefully changing the world. Being with a boy that is the exact opposite of that destroys my cognitive thoughts about the meaning of being a Butterfly Girl.