Chapter Text
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“I like you.”
“What?”
“Go out with me.”
Those were the 3 words that left the boy's lips with such ease.
You looked at the boy, who pushed you into the corner of the stairwell to tell you something. And to be frank, you didn't know who this guy was. He was a random kid from another class who seemed to keep a keen eye on you, but you paid him no mind. This boy was trying his best not to tremble, he was looking directly in your eyes, clenching his fist into a ball.
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Nagi was on the rooftop to stray away from his counterpart once more (Reo). As usual, he was doing his own thing on the rooftop. Playing games, napping— he just needed a few moments away from everything. It had been an hour since he had arrived at the rooftop, and lunch time was approaching. Usually, he doesn't choose to eat, but rather sleep. This time however, he decided to hop off the rooftop and go back inside to eat.
He walked through the stairwells until he heard some commotion.
It was strange however, he knew that nobody really came here, and it was only just him most of the time. He carefully paced his steps to not startle anyone in the stairwell.
“I like you.” Said the boy.
A confession was happening. Nagi stopped in his tracks to tune into the conversation.
“What?”
!!
That was your voice. He immediately stiffened up after realizing out of everyone in the school, you were the one getting confessed to at this very moment. Curious, he sat down on the stair to fully listen to the conversation.
“Go out with me.”
Woah. Is this how confessions go?
Nagi resisted the urge to pull out his phone to play while listening to the conversation, but he remembered that his volume was set at the highest setting, which might blow his cover. After all, he was just eavesdropping in on your conversation.
“Sorry, but you're not really my type…” You mutter.
“H—huh? What's your type then? I mean… I get that I'm not attractive or anything…”
You awkwardly stand there in front of the guy after hearing him belittle himself. “Um. I like tall athletic guys…” You eye him up and down, “And well, we're almost the same height…”
Damn, sucks to be this guy then.
“What do you mean? I'm a few inches taller than you, please—”
Nagi decided he had heard enough of the conversation and opted to leave the stairwell.
Tall and athletic guys… Nagi was doubting himself if he were athletic. What did you define as athletic anyway? I guess Nagi played football, was he considered athletic now? But anyway, he figured you were probably talking about someone like Reo or Isagi.
After hearing that from you however, he wondered if he had a chance, maybe just a little bit. Part of him felt happy hearing you reject the guy, but at the same time, he found himself questioning his own morals—was it right to feel joy at someone else’s misfortune?
He pulled out his phone as he stepped down the stairs, eventually reaching where you were. He acted as if he wasn't hearing into your conversation and diverted all of his focus onto his phone.
You immediately noticed him walking down the stairs behind the guy, “Nagi! I was waiting for you.” You say, trying to find a way out of this situation. The guy looks at you in disbelief.
“Really…? You're picking him over me?” He clenches his fists in utter disbelief. Your eye twitches from his response.
This guy had some nerve. A bit too much for your liking. You haven't dealt with anyone this stubborn after getting rejected. As much as you wanted to tell him to go fuck off, you soon realize he's probably just upset he got rejected.
“I didn't say that. Nagi and I had plans to hang out anyway. So please, Leave me alone.”
The pale-haired boy looks at you confused.
Plans? Hang out? When?
You give him the look, but he doesn't catch up on your cue. You decide to move past the guy and angrily storm towards Nagi. You grab him by his hand and pull him out of the stairwell with you. His eyes slightly widen at your sudden initiative. Your hand is still grabbing his while you drag him into the nearest hallway.
“You're so dense, I was practically begging you to help me.”
“What? I didn't know what you meant by plans , we didn't agree on anything.”
“You were supposed to go along, you idiot!”
The both of you ended up in a secluded hallway trying to escape from the guy who had just poured his heart out towards you. Thinking about it, your last words to the guy were a bit harsh— but anyway, it was his fault for being so persistent. You made it clear that you said no to him, but it somehow still wouldn't get it through the thick skull of his, so he continued to coax you into going out with him.
“Eh. I was just minding my own business, you dragged me into the conversation.” He says, pouting.
“Ah— whatever! I got away from him and that's what matters.” A sigh of relief escapes your lips. A pang of hunger hits you, so you glance at your wristwatch and check the time. It’s quarter to twelve, which explains why you feel hungry all of a sudden.
“Have you eaten yet, Nagi?” You ask.
He shakes his head. “I was actually coming down from the rooftop cause I got hungry.”
“Oh. Let's eat then.” You say. He nods his head in agreement and both of you are off towards the cafeteria.
“Sorry, by the way… For dragging you in the conversation.” You mutter under your breath.
It wasn't your intention to drag anyone into the conversation, let alone Nagi out of all people in the world. But to get out of that sticky situation, you had to find an excuse to leave.
“It's all good.” He says. “You kind of crushed that guy’s hopes and dreams back there though.”
“God forbid I reject a man.” You huff, “He isn't even tall, that's an immediate no from me.”
Nagi looks down at you and scoffs, “So if he were taller you'd accept his confession? What an asshole.”
This thought crosses your head, and you think about it thoroughly. The boy who had just confessed to you looked somewhat decent per say. But still— you wouldn’t go out with him no matter the circumstance. Even if he were taller, there was no way in hell you’d go for him. You have to give props to the guy however for mustering up the courage to come up to you and confess… Even though he had to push you into the stairwell to do so.
“No?” You plainly state, “I’m just saying he wasn’t my type. Besides, I didn’t know who that was.”
“Guess that makes sense.”
The two of you arrive at the cafeteria and order something. You ordered a sandwich with a drink and so did he. You both walked around to find a place to sit. It was getting kind of cramped in the area, so the both of you eventually settled down on one of the benches stationed outside of the cafeteria.
“You seem pretty laid back… I thought you were busy this week.” Nagi mentions.
It was true, you were busy this week. The science fair was later this week and the Biology Society had to do an exhibition.
“I mean… I am busy. But I guess I have everything under control.” You say as you take a bite out of your sandwich.
“Oh. We should— play— sometime when you're not— busy.” He says while chewing. You glare at him in disgust, but you agree.
“Yeah, we should. I had fun last Saturday. Except for the fact that you kept beating my ass.”
“Just get better…” Nagi plainly states. He takes a big chomp out of his sandwich and swallows it whole. You painfully look as he does so, and you stare at him as if he's just committed a crime. As much as that had already pissed you off, you go back to what he had just said and become much more agitated.
The more you look at him the more you notice the mess around his mouth, “Hey, you have something there.” You point to the corner of his mouth, his eyes flick towards your finger before mindlessly “swiping” the mess off of him.
“No, you idiot—” You decide to wipe it off of him yourself. Feeling disgusted, you immediately wipe your finger with a piece of tissue to get rid of the grubby leftover face-sauce that had just grazed your finger. “God, ew. You're disgusting Nagi, seriously.” You huff.
Nagi looks at you with a straight face, “That's on you for wiping it off. I'm completely capable of wiping it off myself, but you did it anyway.”
“That's cause you missed and you looked stupid.”
“Whatever, that was still on you. Dumbass.”
You huff out of annoyance, “That action was out of kindness.” Rolling your eyes, you reach for the isopropyl alcohol from the pocket of your blazer. You spray your hands profusely with the alcohol. Nagi sighs at your dramatic response, watching the cloud of alcohol mist settle around you.
“I’m not dirty, you know that right?”
“Well, no. Just playing it safe.”
“Chill out at least, damn.” He sighs.
Whatever…
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For the rest of the day, the thought of the weird interaction you had at the stairwell lingered in your mind constantly. Even more so cause you had dragged Nagi in the conversation although you weren't supposed to. You felt guilty for just suddenly calling his attention like that with no warning whatsoever— but aside from that, something the guy had said kept on repeating in your head.
“Really…? You're picking him over me?”
Yeah, as if I'd pick Nagi over anyone else…
This rubbed you the wrong way however. But why? You couldn't seem to place your finger on it. Nagi wasn't such a big deal to you, you just thought of him as Nagi. And nothing more. Just plain Nagi.
Or at least that's what you thought so.