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Miku grabbed a swig of her water, wiping the sweat of her face. For the first match of the season, the coach was working them hard for just warm up. It wasn't even like the game was going to be anything special — the first match was always the most boring one. Miku could do it blindfolded.
After all, she was the best on the soccer team.
She ran back onto the field, getting in the back of the line that was forming. At least the other team's field was nice, with the pristine grass and perfect lines. Miku didn't enjoy away games much either, mostly because she'd rather be watched by her school and not some random people who booed when she — inevitably — won. But the summer heat and sun made perfect weather for the game, she had to admit. If only it wasn't going to be so easy.
She soon realized she was coming to the front of the line. She watched the people in front of her leave, passing the ball in between them, until they came to the goal and kicked it in. The goalie threw it back to her. She passed it to the person across from her, and they passed it back, repeating the same process until they came to the goal. Again, she shot it in, hitting the net. She wasn't surprised. She ran to the back of the line.
She saw someone on the other side. And she stopped in her tracks.
Number 03, her uniform said. Part of the opposing team. They had been doing warm ups too, on the other side of the field, and she was walking to the back of her line, putting her hair — long, pink hair — up in a ponytail. She was just a bit taller than Miku, it looked like, and definitely curvier and, well, bustier. She looked over at Miku, and Miku caught a glimpse of cyan eyes before Number 03 smiled and looked away.
Miku couldn't look away.
She heard a "psst" come from next to her, and she shook her head as she realized people were waiting for her to get back in line. She was being ridiculous, anyways... She had seen this girl for just a second! But she couldn't help catching one last glimpse of her before she disappeared behind the people behind her.
There was no way she was already crushing on that girl... was she?
0o0o0o0
Miku caught herself staring at that girl during warm up more times than she liked to admit. Going back from passing the ball, shooting the ball... And now she caught herself sitting on the sidelines, staring at her from across the field. She almost didn't look away, since she could get away with it from such a distance, but she did anyways, mostly for her pride. God, was she really being this stupid? She would literally never see this girl again, so what was the point? It was so dumb, so aggravating, so-
"Hey, you doing okay?"
She whipped her head around to see Rin, about the only girl on the team who would talk to her. She almost wanted to glare her away, but decided it wouldn't be worth it. Instead, she just turned her head, sighing dismissively.
"So I'm taking that as a no?" Rin continued. Miku didn't even grunt in response. She heard Rin take a seat on the ground next to her. "Look, we've all noticed you're being kind of... Well, you're off your game. I'm a little worried, to be honest."
Miku turned back to Rin, giving her a glare before looking away. "I'm fine, okay?"
"You sure? I mean, even it's a stupid reason, it's still okay-"
"It is stupid!" Miku fumed, not able to contain her irritation anymore. "It's so extremely stupid! And it's not okay, okay?"
Rin didn't respond.
"I'll be better by the time the game starts." Miku sighed. She knew she was lying to herself, but she didn't think she could believe anything else. She heard Rin shuffle away, and she felt just a tiny bit guilty.
She couldn't wait for this game to be over.
0o0o0o0
The game was about to start, and Miku was already tired of it.
Mostly, she was tired of seeing Number 03 wherever she went, but as it turned out, Number 03 was most likely on the offense just like she was. A striker. Which she found out from currently standing right across from her, waiting for the kick off. It would be fine — well, not fine, but manageable — if there wasn't a big crowd at the game. But there was. And Miku hated it.
What Miku hated even more, however, was that Number 03 looked even cuter than before. She had put a headband in her hair, black-ish brown with gold accents making triangles in it. If that wasn't bad enough, she had also put her hair down, giving her a regal yet athletic look. It was simply too much for Miku, as she opted staring at the ground instead.
It was then that the countdown for the kick off started. It wasn't as loud as at Finals, no, but the crowd was still there nonetheless. Miku took that as the sign to look up, and found herself accidentally locking eyes with Number 03.
"Hey," Number 03 said, giving her a soft smile, "good luck."
Miku didn't hear the whistle blow or the ball get kicked to her team's side. It wasn't even their kick off. But she only got put out of her daze when Number 03 started running to aid her team, and she frantically did the same, trying to spot where the ball was. Luckily, it got put back in her team's possession, just where they needed it. She ran to the opponents side, waiting for a pass to come her way.
While she waited, she spotted Number 03 running along with her team's offense, looking for a way in. She had to admit, the girl was smart, positioning herself in the perfect spot to both intercept and run with the ball. Miku scowled as she realized that was bad. If nobody was covering her... Miku had to do it herself. She ran over to the pink-haired athlete, dismay filling her, yet her heart pounding.
It was just the excitement of the game, she told herself, even though it was the most boring game of the season.
For some reason, Number 03 smiled as she came over, making Miku dread this encounter even more. She was still in an athletic stance, ready to take off as soon as she got the ball, but she could smile, too? It aggravated Miku. She couldn't be that cute and good! And the biggest problem? She was on the opposing team! Why was she smiling when Miku was coming to block her? She didn't get it!
Ugh, it was all so stupid!
Miku positioned herself in front of Number 03, trying her best to block her from her field of vision. Unfortunately, it didn't help as she could still hear her move, and breathe, and, god, just about everything she didn't want to.
"Here to block me?" Number 03 said, so low only Miku could hear it. It was the first time Miku had heard her voice, and, to be honest, she was surprised how different it was than what she had expected it to be: cute, quiet, innocent... This was much darker, richer... It caught Miku off-guard, so much so that she almost didn't catch Number 03 try to sneak ahead of her. She cut her off.
"Maybe," Miku replied, shooting her a glare. Number 03 just chuckled.
"No need to be so upset, just asking." There was the voice Miku had expected: honestly, Miku was getting whiplash from how many directions Number 03 was going in. She blocked her from getting in front of her once again, this time, growling.
"What do you think you're going to get out of this?" She said, making sure her annoyance carried across. The other girl seemed to ponder it for a while, finally silent. Then, she grinned.
"Maybe this." Within a second, the pink-haired athlete shot in front of her, the ball in her possession. It took Miku a second to fully process what had happened, but once she did, she raced after her, twintails trailing behind her. It seemed Number 03 had lined that up perfectly, as now, nobody was in her way, and no matter how fast Miku ran, she was no way she'd catch up to her. She watched hopelessly as Number 03 made it past the halfway line, a quarter of the field, until she made it to the goal and took the shot.
It went in.
The crowd cheered, the sound irriatating Miku as it filled her ears. Somehow, behind all the noise, she heard the announcer scream.
"Number 03, Megurine Luka, with the first goal of the game!"
Miku hung her head. At least she knew her name.
0o0o0o0
Rin approached her again at the halftime break. Miku didn't want to talk to her, yet again, but what could she do about it? She sat her chin on her hand and huffed, mentally preparing herself for this awful conversation.
"So... is it that girl that's the problem?" Rin asked, cautious. Miku was too annoyed to even deny it at this point, which was annoying in itself. She huffed again. "I mean... maybe you should talk to her. Get it out... Y'know?"
"I did," Miku said curtly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "On the field."
"But that's not... Miku, you know what I mean." Rin sighed. "Maybe you should go over to her right now. You've got time."
Miku stared at Luka from across the field, feeling a pang in her chest as she saw her smiling, talking to her teammates. She had also scored another goal, leaving them ahead 2-0. Miku hadn't been able to get anything in against the pink-haired athlete.
"No," she finally said. "It'll just make it worse."
"I guess..." Rin shuffled. "I still think it'd be good for you."
"No, and that's that." Miku glared. Rin shrugged and dropped it, walking away. Miku still couldn't help feeling a small ache in her chest as she watched Luka from across the field, though she hated that she felt it.
This time, Miku was thankful when the whistle blew and the game started again.
0o0o0o0
2-2. The game was tied by the last ten minutes. Miku had been dancing around Luka the entire match, but she had managed to score a goal, followed by her teammate — Rin, actually — scoring one more. Now, it was Luka blocking her, hoping to get the ball to win the game.
Miku wouldn't let that happen.
"You doing good?" Luka asked, glancing behind her to look at Miku. Miku barely managed to glare into Luka's sweet eyes.
"You won't be once I win this game," Miku said. Luka's face turned into a dark smirk, her darker voice returning.
"We'll see about that." Luka turned back to watch the ball. Despite the glare still remaining on her face, Miku felt her heart race, and she was afraid it wasn't just because of the game. She swallowed, hoping her face returned to the cool resolve she usually wore. It was embarrassing if it was anything else. She really, really needed to get away from Luka.
And she finally got her excuse as the ball got kicked long in her direction. She ran past Luka, getting the ball between her feet, then turning and running as fast as her legs would allow her. The field was practically open: only a few of her opponents were left. She doubled backwards, feinting them, leaving her just to fight the goalie.
And Megurine Luka.
Luka was gaining on her. She ran just a few feet behind her. Miku knew she had to shoot soon, but she also knew she couldn't make the shot from this far. She desperately tried to pull ahead, but Luka was right behind her. In an instant, her only option was to shoot, and she did.
She couldn't see it go in, however, as when she made that shot, she had slowed down just a tiny bit, and Luka had been right behind her: so close, their feet collided. Miku tripped, she felt Luka trip over her, and they both went tumbling to the ground.
Their legs crossed over one another, tangling as they fell. Miku felt her side hit the ground, but more importantly, she felt Luka hit the ground next to her, reverberating through Miku's head. They were facing each other, so close Miku could feel Luka's chest pressed up against her's. In that moment, Miku noted that Luka smelled like flowers.
"Number 01, Hatsune Miku, with the goal, putting her team in the lead!" The announcer shouted. For the opposing team's stadium, the cheers were loud, loud enough to reach Miku. Miku looked back at Luka, who was, once again, smiling.
"Good play," she said, patting Miku's shoulder lightheartedly. They locked eyes. For the first time, Miku blushed and gave a half smile back.
God, she felt like she could kiss her.
But then the moment was over when Luka started to get up, and Miku realized she should do the same. They still had five minutes of a game to play. And who knows, maybe Luka could bring it back for her team, even if Miku did her best to block her.
"Hey," Luka said as they both got to their feet, "no matter what happens, I thought you did great."
Miku froze again, not sure what to say. She could feel heat running through her body, and she feared she was blushing again. "Thanks," she managed out. That sounded super uninterested, she realized, so she added, "you too."
"Thanks!" The whistle blew, signaling the start of the play. Luka gave her one last look. "Hey, meet me behind the bleachers after the game. Okay?"
Luka ran away. Miku barely had any time to process it as the ball was already on its way to the other half the field. She shook her head as she followed it, her heart strangely racing again.
She didn't know what to think, but there was one thing for certain: she was definitely doing exactly as Luka had said.
0o0o0o0
Miku grew impatient as she watched everyone pass her but Luka. She been waiting under the bleachers for what felt like forever, the time passing agonizingly slowly. She figured she had to have waited at least ten minutes by now, as luckily the clock was right on that. She didn't know how much more of her racing heart she could take.
Luckily, as soon as the flow of people had almost trickled to a halt, Luka came around the corner. She still had her uniform on — just like Miku — and her headband in, with her hair flowing elegantly behind her as usual. Miku wondered what it felt like to run her hands through it.
"Thanks for waiting for me," Luka said. She sounded out of breath, but she still smiled. "I actually want to take you somewhere. You okay with that?"
Miku nodded, unable to form words to say. Luka led her past the bleachers, past the crowd, to a tiny shed near the back of the field. Miku was confused until Luka opened the door to it.
Inside was what looked like a cozy living room. A fuzzy, light pink carpet ran across the floor, accompanied by assortments of fluffy blankets. Only a section of the front was dedicated to actually sports gear, all laying on the shelves. Luka walked inside, grabbing a blanket and sitting on the ground. She patted the ground next to her — where light was streaming in through the window — and Miku took that as a signal to sit.
"Is this all yours?" Miku asked as she sat down. Luka nodded.
"It used to be the equipment shed, but we have a new one now." Luka smiled. "Nobody wanted it, so I offered to take it. I reasoned it off on the fact I was team captain, but as you can see, I don't actually use it for that." Luka giggled. Miku followed along, feeling just a tiny bit awkward being this close and intimate with Luka. She could still feel her heart pound.
"Team captain? Impressive," Miku said, partly so that she didn't seem weird not saying anything. Luka waved her hand dismissively.
"No, it's fine. I bet you are, too. Or will be." Luka looked to her, as if waiting for Miku to confirm or deny it. Miku caught on a little too late, however, scrambling for something to say.
"Maybe one day," she decided on. Luka giggled again, a pure smile on her face. She got up and shut the door, making Miku's heart rate instantly accelerate.
"So... I've been kinda stalling," Luka said, an expression of nervousness suddenly washing over her face as she sat back down next to Miku. She took a long breath in. "Well... It's about you. To be honest, when I first saw you, I thought you were mean. Cold and mean. I thought I'd hate playing against you, and that you'd play dirty. Which you didn't do," Luka added quickly, hands waving in front of her. "Don't worry! But... when I first locked eyes with you during warm up, my impression of you completely changed. I thought you looked cute, and warm, and inviting... And even though you kept trying to play mean to me, I always thought you were really nice underneath all that, which was confirmed when you finally smiled at me when we fell over."
Luka took another long breath. Miku could swear she could feel her heart in her ears. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... well..." Luka fumbled for words. "I like you. A lot. Even though you glared at me so many times." She chuckled, then settled back to her nervous look. "I just... I want to know if you feel the same way. Do you...?"
Luka gave Miku a hopeful look, one that even if Miku didn't like her, she wouldn't have been able to say no. Miku pursued her lips, wondering how to say it. She swore she wouldn't even be able to hear it over her heart pounding. So she settled on staring into Luka's eyes, hoping it conveyed enough feeling until she could get the words out. Luka's face lit up. Miku took it as a sign everything was okay and went just a little farther, placing her hand on her chin. Luka leaned in, her eyes practically sparkling. Miku couldn't hold it off any longer.
She took a deep breath in.
"I like you too."
It only took a second before they closed the distance between them simultaneously, their lips brushing each other, until Miku took the leap and kissed her for real. Luka still smelled like flowers, and her hair was soft, just like Miku had imagined, but now, it was so much more real. Luka's hands were in Miku's hair too, running through both her twintails. The sensation, one Miku had never even imagined feeling, was now driving her crazy. She kissed her harder. She didn't want to let go. But she had too: she was running out of air. She shivered as Luka's fingertips grazed her neck when they finally broke apart, smiling wistfully at each other.
"We should go on a date," Luka said, giggling softly. Her eyes were still mesmerizing, and it almost seemed like they had gotten more beautiful. "I'll give you my number, alright? You better show up."
"Of course I will," Miku said, feigning shock, which just made Luka laugh more. Luka stood up, sighing contently.
"Well, until next time, Miku." Luka opened the door to her shed, still smiling at Miku. Miku felt another pang in her chest at the thought of leaving. She went to walk out the door, melancholy, when Luka grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Oh, and one more thing?"
Luka leaned in so quick Miku didn't have time to prepare for the kiss; a quick peck, right on the lips. Luka grinned at her.
"We'll beat you next time."