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Somewhere deep down, Maki Harukawa was more of a romantic than most people would give her credit for. She didn't show it openly, of course, but she had an appreciation for sweet gestures. Confident, earnest. The sort of boundless optimism that annoyed her to no end even as she found herself envying it. That was what gained her two of the closest friends she'd ever had — one insufferable idiot and the reserved, caring 'sidekick' that came with him like a package deal. They'd known each other for five years and counting, and nothing romantic had happened between her and Kaito. She wasn't interested in him that way. Wasn't interested in any man that way.
But a girl with the same sort of approach as him? Maybe that was her type. And maybe there was one nearby just waiting to be found.
Every morning, she got up early to go for a run. Then, after returning home to get ready, she headed to class on weekdays. The long bus ride to campus was largely uneventful, and she often ended up dozing through part of it. Never fully asleep; Maki was too hypervigilant to let herself be that vulnerable in public. But a sort of half-asleep state, still partially attuned to what was going on around her? That was possible. And every day, like clockwork, she felt someone drop a folded up note in her lap. It was always the same stop, at the other end of campus from where her own classes were. Despite the fact that she was usually awake enough to notice, she'd never opened her eyes to see who this mystery admirer was. Maybe that hidden, sappy part of her wanted to keep up the game, such as it was.
The notes were always written on pretty stationary, never ordinary notebook paper, sticky notes, or anything of that nature. It was always crisp, unwrinkled, sweet smelling. Often it was pale pink, or had little musical note embellishments in the corners. It was folded in half a single time, and the handwriting was always the same. The ink colors varied, but like the paper, they tended towards feminine, almost cutesy shades. The writer was almost certainly female. And whoever she was, she really did seem to be fond of Maki.
Platitudes, upbeat little trivia facts, news about 'fun' events on campus, simple wishes for her to have a nice day...The content wasn't particularly consistent, but it was always positive. There was always a distinct sense of care, like they were great friends. Or perhaps even more than that, if the occasional compliments on her appearance were anything to go by. Were they meant to be flirtatious? She had no idea.
She kept them all in a shoebox in her bedroom, hopelessly unwilling to get rid of a single one. They were really starting to pile up.
Maki's hand curled a little tighter around her phone, turning down the volume of her music. Though she had her eyes closed, she could tell that the bus was approaching the note-writer's stop. Today was going to be the day. She was going to say something. Then she could finally stop having to listen to Kaito's constant encouragement to 'just go for it.' He made it sound so simple. Easy for him to say, Mr Popular.
The bus lurched through a pothole or two, began to slow. She could see the stop in her mind's eye, just around the corner from the Fine Arts building. The throng of students lining up on the sidewalk, a crowd that her admirer would soon slip away into. Her body started to tense, ready to spring into action.
Sure enough, as the bus came to a stop and people began to get up, she could sense someone getting closer to her. The instant the paper landed against her leg, Maki's eyes shot open, and her hand reached out to close around the wrist of a very startled-looking blonde. The girl yelped and started to stumble backwards, nearly bowling over someone else trying to walk past.
"Are you the one who's been leaving these notes?" She didn't mean for it to come out as threatening, but judging by the reaction she got, it might have anyway.
"I, well, yeah, but...Ah, jeez, I never meant to bother you or anything. I didn't even realize you were awake today." The girl offered a sheepish grin and made a slight yanking motion in an attempt to free her hand. Maki, who hadn't even realized she was still gripping her wrist, promptly let go.
"I wasn't bothered." She tucked today's note in her pocket and abruptly stood, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "This is your stop, right? I'm getting off here too today."
"Yeah, that's right." Still acting a bit uncertain, she started to make her way toward the front, and Maki followed. It was only once they were out on the sidewalk that either of them spoke again. The stranger was wavering, as if unsure whether to walk away or start a conversation, so Maki decided to make the choice for her.
"Well, are you going to tell me your name? I'd like to know a little more about the person who's been watching me on the bus every morning."
"Right, of course, my name is Akamatsu Kaede. I...Wait, hold on a sec! Don't say it like that! I wasn't watching you." Her cheeks flushed an almost violent red, and Maki found herself unconsciously tugging at her hair, trying not to stare at the cute expression on Kaede's face.
"Oh? What would you call it then, Akamatsu-san?" She arched an eyebrow, adjusting the strap of her backpack. Then, channeling her best inner Kaito, she added, "Maybe you could explain it to me over coffee."
"Awfully bold, aren't you?" Kaede replied, giggling. "Luckily for you, I have a few minutes of free time. Does the cafe in here work?" She nodded towards the Fine Arts building, and Maki hummed her assent, starting to head in that direction.
"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" she added a few moments later.
"Harukawa Maki. I just assumed you knew it already." Though she wasn't certain of her strategy, the mix of teasing and her usual brusque attitude seemed to be just right. Kaede chuckled again, gently elbowing her in the side in protest.
As they walked to the cafe, striking up a hesitant conversation, she realized that she'd have to admit Kaito was right. Maybe there was some value in 'just going for it' after all.