Finding Happiness [Wakatoshi Ushijima]

6. boyfriend

 The next Monday as Boton and I ate lunch in the Student Council room- which consisted of me throwing grapes into his mouth- he turned serious. My stomach sank at what was coming next.

"Akina-chan," he sat next to me on the couch. He had his signature goofy smile on as he toed the carpet and blushed.

I had a crush on Boton when I first met him last year. He was the treasurer and helped me campaign. He didn't make any moves towards me because my brother had a habit of staring down any boy that came near me. My feelings passed and turned into appreciation for Boton and his friendship. The idea of being with him romantically wasn't an idea in my head anymore. I wasn't sure why I didn't want it. We matched as friends and as my vice-president but the power dynamic would be thrown off if we entered a relationship.

"I'm sure you probably already know this," he laughed. He had bright blue eyes and soft sloppy brown hair. He was the definition of cute. "The whole school can see it. I like you."

His eyes shot up to see my reaction but I remained stone faced and silent, waiting for him to finish.

"I've liked you since we met at your brother's election and Kimko-chan started to cry before her speech but you helped calm her down. I was intimidated by the upperclassmen but you were always so confident." His hands were soft and gentle as they picked up mine. My eyes finally went wide and I could feel my cheeks heating up. Bright and happy, is how I always thought of him. "We both come from respectable families so I believe your parents would approve of this relationship, but I want you to approve of it, too. Akina-chan, I know this isn't a romantic setting and you deserve a proper confession, but I couldn't wait. Please go out with me."

After all this time of hiding from him when things got serious, he finally asked and I didn't hate the idea. My heart actually fluttered in my chest and a smile graced my lips, which only made him smile more. I nodded, unable to find words.

Boton was quick to tell people about our relationship and when Eto-chan popped out from the shadows and found out, she couldn't stop talking about it. I tossed around the idea in my head of replacing her as treasurer but shut that idea down. She was my roommate and close friend after all. Boton even began texting me a ridiculous amount and always asking where I was. I got annoyed quickly.

Almost two weeks into my relationship, Ushijima asked me for help again during lunch. I had been spending lunch with Boton everyday listening to his obsession with claymation and dodging his growingly daring hands. He had already tried to kiss me multiple times but I wouldn't kiss him in the student council room when we hadn't even had a first date.

I jumped at the opportunity to tutor Ushijima during lunch. Our tutoring sessions always felt too short and I looked forward to the next each time they ended. We had even started racing each other to the gym at the end of our sessions. I found that either he was getting faster or I was getting slower.

What I liked about Ushijima was after our little talk after our first race, we moved past it. Things weren't awkward like I worried they would have been. He didn't lose his temper and he let it go- it was the complete opposite of my father's reactions.

Boton was waiting outside my class to walk me to the council room as Ushijima trailed behind me.

"Akina-chan," Boton slipped his hand into mine without even noticing Ushijima following closely behind.

"I promised Ushijima-kun I would help him with an assignment during lunch," I pulled my hand away and stepped back to be beside Ushijima.

Boton's mouth slightly opened as he looked at the ace and then turned into his polite smile, "So Ushijima-san will be joining us in the council room?"

I couldn't imagine a worse scenario. I visualized huge Ushijima on the couch with me beside him and Boton hovering. Boton might even have sat between us.

"We were going to the courtyard by the volleyball gymnasium," my voice was cut off by Ushijima saying "our spot."

"I'll see you after school?" I kissed Boton's cheek so he'd calm down. I liked him but he didn't know how to give me space. From the second I woke up or went to bed he was trying to talk to me. I could barely get my assignments done without him wanting to talk on the phone or hang out.

"You have a boyfriend," Ushijima said as we walked side by side to our spot.

I only nodded and squeezed one of my textbooks closer to my chest.

We spoke less than normal that time. We only talked about the assignment and when the lunch bell rang, we silently walked back to class together. I didn't know what to say. I really liked spending time with him, I could admit that to myself, but I was scared that he would retreat from me.

I hoped that my relationship with Boton wouldn't be the end of my friendship with Ushijima.