Before Our Match

The next day, I didn’t see Yuno at all. It seemed like they sent him home. They also managed to heal all my wounds, broken bones, and all. It was a little sad that Yuno wasn’t here, but I had to keep going.

As the days passed, Akiko and I won all our matches. Some were harder than others, some were easier, but one came close to pushing me to my limits the way Yuno had. Before we knew it, the tournament was reaching its end, and it was time for Akiko and me to face off against one another. By then, we were the only two left out of the original three hundred students. It felt surreal, like the weight of the entire tournament had been squeezed down into just the two of us.

They gave us a free day to rest before the final battle, and we used it to relax. That night, though, I finally remembered something important.

“Are you finally going to tell me what you were going to say?” I asked.

“I was hoping you’d forgotten,” she said with a sheepish smile.

“Yeah, it sucks when I remember, doesn’t it?”

“Are you holding a grudge about something?”

“Yup, that time I hoped you forgot something, but you asked me again.”

“Oh yeah, that.” She gave a small laugh. “Can you forgive me so we can move past this?”

“Only if you tell me what you were going to say.”

She let out a sigh.

“It can’t be that bad,” I turned over to her.

Her face was bright red, eyes darting around the room like she was searching for an escape. The moment her gaze landed on me, she buried her face in a pillow. Something about the way she acted then, the look in her eyes, the way she trembled, reminded me of the conversation I’d had with Haruki.

“A-are you okay?” I asked, my throat tight.

“Yeah, I just need to brace myself.”

“Brace yourself for wh—”

“Yakusei!” Her voice cracked, louder than she intended. “I…”

“You?”

“I like you!”

My heart started pounding so hard I swore she could hear it. Heat rushed through my body. I’d never expected her to like me. Honestly, I thought if I ever had feelings for her, it would be one-sided. But this, this was my first time being confessed to. I froze, not knowing what to say.

“You don’t have to answer me right away. I just wanted to let you know,” she quickly said.

“But I—”

“You can tell me after our battle,” she cut me off. “I just… wanted to say it in case anything happened.”

“No, I–”

“I said, don’t tell me anything!” She turned away, hugging her pillow tighter. “I’m sorry if it’s sudden, but I really wanted you to know.”

“Why tell me now?” I asked.

“I-I’m not really sure, I just felt like this would be the perfect time.”

“Oh… Then, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“How did you know you liked me?”

Her head shot up. “You’re seriously asking me something so embarrassing?!”

“Sorry,” I said softly. “I just… want to understand you better.”

Her blush deepened, but she nodded. “It’s just… You were always kind to me. Even while training, even when things got rough, you still treated me with that same kindness. Every interaction we had: whether we were talking, training, or even arguing, it all just felt right. When I’m with you, it feels like I can do no wrong; it feels like I can never get anxious or nervous. Like… everything just feels right. Even when I messed up and accidentally insulted you… It still feels right somehow.”

I thought about her words and realized I felt the same. Being around her was easy. Comfortable. She was the one person I never got tired of. Even after spending the whole day together, I still wanted more of her company.

“But you better not hold back tomorrow!” Akiko suddenly declared. “If you do, I’ll take back my confession.”

“What!?”

“Y-yeah, so you better give it your best shot.”

“Don’t worry, I will. After beating you, I’ll give you your answer.”

“More like I’ll beat the asnwer out of you when I win.”

“Woah, when did you get so aggressive?”

“Sorry,” she mumbled, fidgeting with her blanket. “I’m just… nervous.”

I couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“Don’t laugh at me!”

“Sorry, the way you’re acting right now, it’s really cu—funny. I like it when you get like this.”

Her eyes widened. “Did you say—”

“Alright, goodnight,” I cut her off quickly.

“What, you can’t just do that!”

“Snore! Snore!”

“Just saying ‘snore’ doesn’t mean you’re actually sleeping.” She threw a pillow at me. “Hey, wake up!”

I tossed one back, grinning. The pillow fight carried on until she slipped on a blanket and stumbled. I caught her before she hit the floor, my hands steady on her arms.

“You know… I could’ve caught myself,” she said softly.

“Oh, sorry,” I muttered, flustered. “I was just worried.”

“I-it’s fine.”

We froze, still close. Our eyes locked, unable to look away. I could see everything: her lashes, the curve of her lips, the faint rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her warmth pressed faintly against me. Slowly, as if pulled by some invisible force, we started leaning toward each other. The world seemed to fade away until—

“ALL FIGHTERS SHOULD BE SLEEPING FOR TOMORROW’S BATTLE!”

We both jolted, the trance shattered. Akiko quickly pushed my face away, cheeks burning. “Looks like it’s time to go to bed,” she muttered.

“Y-yeah,” I agreed quickly. “Big day tomorrow.”

After that, neither of us said another word. I could tell she was struggling to sleep. Normally, we’d talk in moments like this, but tonight was different. It was too embarrassing. But for some reason, it felt like a good thing.