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Akane's heart was beating what felt like a million miles an hour in her chest. She tried to keep her anxiety and embarrassment from showing, however, that didn't stop her cheeks from flushing a soft shade of pink. She had a hard time looking up at the man who stood before her, her best friend, Nekomaru. So her eyes were instead focused on her scuffed and dirty shoes.
Nekomaru didn't say a word, waiting for Akane to speak up. Her apprehension was beginning to rub off on him as he began to become a bit nervous himself. Although on the outside he remained calm. He needed to, not only for Akane but for himself as well. The gymnast breathed in deeply before letting out a quiet sigh.
"I-I have something I want to tell you," Akane mutters, barely loud enough for Nekomaru to hear.
Nekomaru's curiosity rose as he watched Akane fidget, wringing her hands together as though the act alone would help dispel her nerves. He wanted so badly to know what she was thinking and help her with whatever hardships were plaguing her.
"Akane, what is it? You know you can tell me anything," Nekomaru said in a gentle tone in an attempt to comfort her. His voice, which was usually loud, now had an unmistakable soft quality about it.
Akane took yet another deep breath before she was finally able to look up at him. "We've been friends for a while, yeah?" Akane asked, her voice no more than a whisper.
Nekomaru nodded slowly, still unsure in what direction this conversation was going.
"I know we're just friends and I'm so happy we are, but... I-I just can't help the way I feel," Akane said, her voice slightly trembling.
Nekomaru's eyes widened, suddenly understanding what it was that Akane was trying to say. He had always only thought of her as his best friend and sparring partner. He didn't know that she was hiding these kinds of feelings from him. His mind was reeling as he weighed the options of what he could say.
"Akane, I... I had no idea," Nekomaru said, his voice sincere. "I value our friendship over pretty much everything, but if what you're saying is true... then I can't deny that I feel the same." Nekomaru smiled softly, slowly taking Akane's hand in his larger one, not wanting to scare her off.
Akane's own eyes widened as Nekomaru's hand closed around hers. She almost couldn't believe that the man she had these kinds of feelings for, for so long might feel the same towards her. For a moment, she considered the idea that this might be a dream, however, the rapid beating of her heart as she stared deeply into his eyes told her otherwise. She felt a soft warmth spread throughout her body.
Nekomaru carefully leaned in closer to Akane, his breath hot on her face as he spoke, his voice low and husky. "I've always admired your strength, Akane. You're the toughest opponent I've ever faced."
Akane couldn't help but shiver at the rough quality of Nekomaru's voice. She felt herself getting lost in his eyes as she leaned in ever closer to him. Their faces were mere inches apart, their breaths mingling in the air between them.
Without another word, they turn toward Mahiru, who is holding a camera in her hands.
"Was that alright?" Nekomaru asked, casually pulling away from Akane.
"Yes, that was perfect. Thank you so much for doing this, I wasn't sure who else I could ask," Mahiru responded, lowering her camera as she ended her video.
Mahiru, while a very talented photographer, had recently gotten into videography. Nekomaru and Akane had agreed to be the subjects for her latest project, which involved capturing two people confessing their love for each other. Neither actually felt that way toward the other, but they were both more than willing to help a friend.
As Mahiru packed up her camera, Akane and Nekomaru exchanged shy smiles, a little embarrassed by what they had just said to each other and how close they had gotten. One wrong move and they would have accidentally kissed.
The awkward silence stretches what feels like forever but was, in actuality, a few moments. Akane was the first to break the silence, "I can't believe we just did that."
"I know, it was pretty embarrassing. I know our friends make fun of how close we are but I never thought we'd actually do something like that," Nekomaru chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Same, but I'll admit, it was kinda fun," Akane said, her face breaking into a smile. Nekomaru smiled back at her, feeling relieved that they were both on the same page. "Yeah, it was definitely an experience. Who knows, maybe we should help Mahiru more often?" he suggested.
Akane laughed, feeling an intense weight lifted off her shoulders. "I'm down whenever. Just don't expect me to back down if things ever go further than they did today," she replied with a smirk.
Nekomaru chuckled, feeling a sudden sense of thankfulness wash over him. He was happy that they were still able to joke around like this, even after confessing their "love" for each other. It was comforting to know that their friendship would stay the same, and maybe, just maybe, become even stronger.