Work Text:
“I like you...”
The notification appears on the top of his phone as he awaits a response. Kohane wanted to talk to Toya about something because apparently it was “something she held for a long time.” Toya felt a bit nervous as she waited to see what she was gonna tell him. He promised her that he wouldn’t tell anyone if it was so important to her.
Huh.
Who could’ve known?
Toya blinks as he reads the message a dozen times. He didn’t know how to respond. But more importantly, what did she mean? As a friend… or as something more? There was a lingering feeling inside of him that it was something more, but somehow, he didn’t wanna believe it. How could Kohane like someone like him? I mean, he does have a likable personality, he could say. But what about An? Her personality is way more vibrant than his is. What about Akito? He’s blunt at times, sure, but he’s determined and a great person to rely on. So, what made him so special?
Toya’s thumb hovers over the text box. What does he even say to that? Dozens of questions flew through his brain. He quickly closes out of his messages app and searches: “what to say if someone possibly confessed to you”. He knew he couldn’t take long, so he clicked on the first site he saw.
The site slowly, yet quickly, loaded in.
What to Say if Someone Just Confessed to You
- Respond. NEVER leave, neglect the message, or leave them on read.
I mean, that part was obvious. Toya has always responded to Kohane’s messages, so it would seem off if he just never responded.
(But, what do I respond with…?) Toya thought. He got out of bed and started pacing his room. He continues scrolling down the site:
- If someone just confessed to you, try your best to be honest and kind towards them.
- Tell how you feel honestly. Never lie about your feelings. Don’t be scared to tell them, it is most likely they would understand.
- If you don’t really know how you feel, ask for more time.
Toya eyed that fact for what seemed like a long time. But, he didn’t want to make Kohane wait for so long just for a response. He knew how he felt, but he didn’t know how Kohane would take it. He felt as if she deserved someone better, like her own partner, An. But I think she would just like her as a singing partner, or Kohane would’ve told him something different. Akito is likable, he thought. Why couldn’t she like him? Again, what made him so special from An and Akito? There’s nothing special about him; he’s not even close to being as talented as any of them, not even good-looking.
Toya opened the message again and blinked many times. It was real. She actually said that. But still, how does he even respond? It’s already been 8 minutes since the message was sent. Maybe Kohane forgot about it. To be fair, it was night. She might’ve sent it half-asleep. But sending something that intense? She would’ve been fully awake (and possibly prepared) to send this message. Another message vibrated throughout his phone that quickly blocked Toya’s thoughts. It was from Kohane again.
“Aoyagi-kun…?”
Yikes.
She was still awake.
Toya tried to quickly think of a response. According to the site, you shouldn’t take so long, or it counts as neglecting. Well, in Toya’s eyes. Without a single thought, or perhaps trying to ignore any doubting thoughts, he began typing to her:
“I might need more time to respond to you. I’m sorry,”
After that, he threw his phone onto his bed.
Wait.
What did he write again?
He quickly grabs his phone to reread what he just typed. Now, why in the world did he say that? Toya looks at his glowing screen in confusion and regret at the same time. He saw that Kohane read his message, but didn’t respond. It’s over. He probably made her upset.
Toya buries his face in the palm of his hand. Out of all the things he said, he decided to ask for more time. I mean, sure, he maybe did need the time, but he knew exactly how he felt. But, he didn’t dare to write to her. There was a sense of doubt in his heart, like he wasn’t supposed to be the one she liked.
He let out the deepest sigh and just connected his phone to his charger. Toya got into his bed and tried to sleep. But he just couldn’t stop thinking about it. Vivid BAD SQUAD had an early practice tomorrow, and he should get some sleep at least. But, he couldn’t right now. It’s the message that's bothering him so much. What if she’s upset at him now? The website did say that he could ask for more time, but he knew how he felt, and he just didn’t bother to write it. At least, he said sorry? That’s the least of his concerns right now.
—
Toya did actually get some sleep despite yesterday. The lingering feeling of doubt in his heart is still strong, and he still hasn’t stopped thinking about it. (I have to try my best not let it take over my practice.) He thought while walking to the park where they practice. But, seriously, why’d he say that?
“I should’ve just said how I felt…” he mutters.
Out of the blue, he sees Kohane in the distance walking in the same direction as the park. Usually, Kohane would see him and greet him with something like, “Ah, Aoyagi-kun, good morning! We meet again, while walking, huh? Let’s walk together!” Then, they would walk together, talking about school, practice, or any other random topics that came to mind. Toya honestly enjoyed talking with Kohane. Not only does he have free company while walking, but he just notices the way Kohane talks to him; enthusiastic and… oddly happy? But sometimes he notices that she’s a bit tired. He’d always have to remind her to get some rest. She’d always reply with “I will,” but Toya knows that she sometimes doesn’t listen to his word, but she tries to.
Now, it was different. Kohane didn’t go up to him. She just looked at him for a moment, cracked a slight smile, then kept walking. This was about the message, wasn’t it? I mean, he didn’t try to stop her because he didn’t know what he would say. The feeling just got worse. To be fair, it was the first time he’s ever encountered something like this. (I knew I did something wrong…) He thought.
The walk to the park was a bit dreadful. Not only did the whole message thing happen, but when he and Kohane perform their duet part in Haven, it’ll be really awkward. Eventually, he did make it, with the other three already there. He spots Kohane, who just sat there delicately while An and Akito were talking about the setlist. Both of them waved and greeted Toya. However, Kohane didn’t wave, but she did slide a quiet “good morning”. Yikes. It really was just that bad, he thought. After a moment, they all started warming up their vocals and finally began practice.
About 30 minutes into practice, they were all exhausted already. It was such an important and competitive event that even the setlist had to be changed several times.
“Whew… alright, 5-minute break, everyone.” An suggests while going through her hair with her fingertips.
The collective breathing quickly filled the atmosphere. Toya and Kohane went for the bench, and they sat close for a moment. Kohane noticed and moved just a bit, like she didn’t wanna hurt him because she moved a million miles away. Toya saw the shift, and the feeling was back. Did he respond that badly? That was when he decided to talk to her, possibly after practice. But practice wouldn’t end for a while. He didn’t wanna keep this tension between him and Kohane, and worry Akito and An in the process.
After the 5-minute break, they all got back up on their feet. It flowed like normal. Kohane’s soft but feisty voice, An’s fiery yet vibrant voice, Akito’s strong and somehow deep voice, and Toya’s soothing but determined voice all blended in together. Their voices were truly the key piece of art in their music. All their voices were key to the music they created; if one were missing, it wouldn’t hit the same.
They were doing well until almost halfway through. During Haven, Kohane just stopped in the middle of singing. At first, they didn’t think about it, but Toya had a suspicion. About their duet part, she would just stop, or her voice would be softer. She would say “that was an accident” or “sorry, I didn’t mean that.” It happened quite frequently to the point that they had to perform the same part several times.
“Kohane, why do you just stop when it’s that part?” Akito questioned, confused. The girl just shrugs. “I don’t know…” she keeps her voice soft. An takes a glance at Toya for a second, and he also looks a bit down. She thought about it for a moment until she immediately got the idea.
An noticed that Kohane and Toya somehow grew closer over time. Whilst walking with Mizuki home, they would sometimes see them walking together… holding hands. The amount of shock on An’s face when she first saw the sight. They both looked so happy to be with each other. She remembered she let out a slight chuckle and didn’t tell anyone about what she saw.
It connected, a bit, she thought. Something must’ve happened. Maybe they need time to talk? That was when An nudged Akito’s arm.
“Hey, could we go to the vending machine? I wanna fetch some drinks for us, it’s hot.”
Akito rolls his eyes. “You’re just gonna use my money, aren’t you?”
“Nope! I actually brought my own money today!”
He thought about it for a moment, glanced at Kohane and Toya slightly, then back at An, where her eyes were fixed like she had something to tell him. A sigh escaped his mouth.
“Fine.”
“Yay~! Let’s go, you two stay here, okay?”
They both nod in response.
An starts walking energetically while Akito follows right behind, not really matching her energy. Shoot. It was only the two of them now. It was just silent. They’d usually talk when they just sit there, waiting for An and Akito to do whatever. But, it was just silence. Kohane got to the bench first, but looked down, just staring at her fingers.
Toya was reluctant to speak up. What if she just faces away and tells him to go away? It was way harder than he thought. Regardless, he didn’t want this feeling to overtake him or Kohane.
“...Azusawa, can we talk?” The words just slip right out of his mouth, still with worry.
She flinches for a bit, but doesn’t really make eye contact with him. “Sure…”
Toya nods, and he sits down next to Kohane. Not too close, but also not too far, just acknowledging that she has a personal bubble, just like everybody else. There’s a little space in between them, but a space where they could still feel each other's presence. But it was awkward because neither of them talked immediately.
“What’d you wanna talk about?” Kohane questioned, breaking the silence.
Toya hesitated a bit, but tried his best while trying to speak.
“I’m sorry about… last night, what I sent.”
Kohane finally made eye contact with him. “What about it?”
“You needed more time, that’s okay.”
“Yeah, I know I said that, but… I know how I feel now.” Toya prays in his head that nothing goes wrong when he says the next thing he’s about to say.
Kohane blinks, but then slightly blushes. “U-uhm… so…?”
Toya lets out a deep breath. “I…”
He starts hesitating, but this is the perfect time to tell her. It’s basically a now-or-never situation for him.
“I…” He repeats. (Gosh, I’m too nervous…)
His thought process was interrupted by Kohane’s slight chuckle. “It’s okay if you don’t wanna say it now.”
“No, I’m ready.” He assures. “But, I don’t know how you’ll take this information…”
Kohane thought about it for a moment.
Oh.
She immediately thinks the worst. She looks down again and tries her best to slightly smile, but it feels painful.
“No… It’s okay, Aoyagi-kun. I think I can take it…”
Toya immediately realized the meaning of what he just said. Oh shit. He panics slightly. “N-no, Azusawa—”
“You're fine, just tell me.”
They're both trying to keep a calm composure at this point. Why was it so hard for Toya to say what he felt? Why did Kohane even try if she knew this was gonna happen? They both felt the different types of pain, but in the end, pain was pain, and they both felt that way.
Kohane felt a tear come by. (Oh no… why am I crying? It’s not even that serious, but it hurts…) She tried her best to suppress it.
“I… just have a question before I say it.”
Kohane looks up at him, directly making eye contact now. “Hm?”
“Just why do you like me?”
“Huh?”
“Azusawa, there are so many other people out there. You could find somewhere better than I am. There’s really nothing special about me, you know?”
Kohane blinked again, but this time, in a bit of surprise. She moved closer to Toya, filling some of the space that put them apart before.
“I think that’s just what I like about you.”
“Huh?”
Kohane offered a sweet smile.
“I don’t really know how to put this into words a lot… but I think you not being “special” is really what makes you unique. You just have something about you that makes me a bit flustered… but I admire you a lot, Aoyagi-kun, more than you could ever know. Also, your personality is very nice and very considerate. You always care about the rest of us so much, and not just to us, but everybody around you. I love that about you so much.”
Kohane mutters under her breath. “And you’re good-looking too…”
There was silence for a moment. Toya was in utter awe. He knew Kohane had some bravery in her to say all of this, but he wasn’t aware it would be like this. Heck, he even turned red. But all of her saying made him feel so… incredibly happy. He was so attentive that he even heard the thing Kohane muttered under her breath, which made his heart beat faster.
“I… wow, Azusawa.” were the words that escaped his mouth at the time.
Kohane looked at him with determined eyes, but he could tell that she was also flustered, as her face was red but also nervous. He also noticed that her eyes were a bit wet. Without a thought, he folded his index finger and wiped off both her eyes one at a time. She was surprised and quite embarrassed, but honestly needed that.
“Ah… thank you,” Kohane spoke in a soft voice, kind of embarrassed to say thanks. (I guess it was a bit obvious…)
Toya fixed her eyes on the girl. He could tell that she was being genuine with her feelings. But the feeling that he still didn’t know why she liked him was still present. He liked her back, too, but he just didn’t know if he was even worth being liked by her. She’s allowed to like him, for sure, but just… why? Trying his best to ignore this feeling, he takes a deep breath.
“Kohane… I… like you too.” At last, the words came out of his mouth. It was sort of like a slip of the tongue, but he knew what to say.
Now, both of them locked eyes, Kohane’s face turning a rosy pink. They didn’t notice, but they both placed their hands on each other. It was like a connection; it felt warm and, most importantly, safe.
“So… are we…?” Kohane breaks the silence, once more. They both wouldn’t lie if they didn’t say it was awkward. Toya let out a near-silent chuckle. “I guess so.” They both exchanged warm smiles with each other and embraced in the warm presence they made together. It seemed stupid that they didn’t do much, but maybe, just maybe, the pace was just right for them.
Kohane’s yawn came through the warmth. She was quite tired, based on what Toya saw when passing each other while walking to the park. “Tired, huh?” Toya asked, already knowing the answer to that question. Kohane gives a small nod. All of a sudden, she looked drowsy, like she was about to pass out in a second. Without thinking, Kohane moved closer to Toya and rested her head on his shoulder. She tried not to relax too much, since she didn’t wanna be too heavy on him. It wasn't until then that Kohane started dozing.
Toya was surprised at the very least. He didn’t expect Kohane to just lean on him. But he let her. She probably needed this, he thought. He scooted a bit closer to Kohane so she wouldn’t have too much pain when she woke up. Their hands were still together by the time, which made it warmer than it already was.
At this point, Toya could see that Kohane had fallen asleep completely. Her body was more relaxed against his, and her head was nestled fully against his shoulder. Toya couldn’t help but smile because one, she was cute while sleeping, and two, he was glad that she could at least get some rest, especially today.
(I really am lucky, aren’t I?) He thought. The feeling of doubt was slowly rising, but died down for a bit. At least right now. It wasn't until then that he started getting tired, too. Right. He hasn’t really gotten any sleep either, solely due to the message and sneaking in some extra practice. Toya let out a sigh, then also started to drift off to sleep while slowly leaning his head on top of Kohane’s.
—
An pulls Akito aside. They did actually go to the vending machine. They both stare at the variety of drinks stored, the bottles reflecting off the blueish light that lit up the whole machine. “So, what do you want?” An asked while pulling out money from her pocket.
Akito scanned all the bottles again. “This cola.” He pointed at the bottle that was in a green can. An nods, and also picks and chooses for herself, Toya, and Kohane. An got another type of soda, while she chose an iced coffee for Toya, and a mango juice for Kohane. An just went off of what they would choose if they were hypothetically here. She then puts the rest of her money in her pocket. But the thought of Toya and Kohane was still in her mind, nevertheless. She could tell that even Akito could tell that something was up with both of them.
“Hey, could we talk for a bit before going back?” An asked, opening her soda in the process. Akito could already predict what they were gonna talk about. “Alright, let’s sit on that railing.” He points, and they both head there.
“So—” Before An even started talking, Akito cut in.
“Toya and Kohane, right?”
…
“Yeah.”
Akito let out a sigh. I mean, it was obvious. A little. He even saw signs before the practice. One time during a day in Crase Cafe, Kohane and Akito were just talking when Kohane got a message that Toya wanted to hang out with her. Which was normal, obviously, but on the same day, Toya texted Akito: “Do you know what Kohane likes?” which he thought was just a kind gesture, but it meant a bit more after what just happened.
“I don’t mean to butt in on their business, but do you think they… You know?” An asked, curiously. A small, lingering silence was above both of them.
“I think that’s the case.” Akito verifies with An. “Though something must’ve happened between the two of them.”
“I’m a bit concerned… during practice, Kohane stopped singing when her and Toya’s duet line was time. What if she’s mad at him? Or what if he’s mad at her? ” An slightly frowns.
Akito takes a pause. “I mean, Kohane looked like she held back.”
“Held back?”
“From my perspective, it looked like she wanted to sing with him. She had this doubtful look written on her face. I figured something must’ve happened because I also caught her glancing at Toya a couple times, and Toya glanced at Kohane a couple times too.”
“Hm… now that I notice, yeah. Her voice also seemed less stable than usual, but it was only a little bit off.”
It seemed as if everything connected into one piece. Kohane stopped because it wasn’t that she didn’t want to; it was just that, after last night, it honestly would’ve been awkward.
An took a sip of her cola. “You know what, let’s just go back. I feel like we’re taking too long.” Akito nods in agreement. The two fixed their posture after leaning on the railing and started walking back. It wasn’t really a long walk, but it seemed like the cold breeze that lasted while walking gave them a good sign. Before they knew it, they came back.
“We’re ba—” An froze in her tracks, covering her mouth, Akito freezing alongside.
The sleeping Toya and Kohane were just right there in front of them. Well, not directly, but they were near. An chuckled under her breath and turned to Akito.
“I guess they made up,” she whispers. Akito nods at her.
“Maybe it’s best not to wake them up, then. It looks like they're both really tired.” Akito stares at them for a bit. An looks back at them. (They do look pretty tired…) She then slightly fixated her eyes and saw that Toya and Kohane were actually pretty tired; they looked very peaceful while sleeping, too. An lets out a sigh, but cracks a smile at them.
(I hope you both sleep peacefully.) An walks over to them quietly and places the drinks she bought from the vending machine next to one of the bench legs. An looks back at Akito, and Akito gives her a thumbs up. They both decided that maybe it was best to leave both of them alone, for now. An took out her phone and sent a message to Kohane’s phone that their drinks were beside them.
—
They both finally woke up in the afternoon… somehow. But hey, it was worth it. Kohane slowly opened her eyes and was quickly blinded by the sun. “Mm…” she groans. She wipes her eyes. She must’ve been so tired she didn’t even know that she was leaning on Toya for a hot minute. Until she did. She couldn’t really move her head due to Toya leaning on her from above, but she could tell. It felt super comfortable, though, besides the sun blinding her eyes. It wasn't until then that Toya opened his eyes, also getting blinded by the sun.
He noticed that he wrapped his arm around Kohane. It suddenly became awkward.
“Uh… good morning?” Toya spoke in an awkward tone.
Kohane chuckled, her head still on Toya’s shoulder. “Good morning to you too,”
Kohane shifted slightly, raising her head off Toya’s shoulder. The hair on her side was slightly messy, but not too much, since her hair was tied as usual. Toya looked around, but he didn’t see Akito or An. He pulled out his phone, and he got a message from both of them from their group chat.
_____________________
Rad Weekends #1 fans!! (Vivid Bad Squad)
9:35 am
—
Akito: <Good morning, you two, if you ever woke up.>
An: <Akito, of course they're gonna wake up!>
<Anyways, me & Akito both saw you sleeping~, and we brought you drinks, they're near your leg, Toya.>
<Also, it was kind of cute.>
Akito: <Did you have to include that part?>
An: <I mean… they were, let’s be honest. Especially Kohane~! She looked so comfortable with him.>
Akito: <Well, that’s true.>
Toya was a bit embarrassed. His face turned a sort of red. Why in the world would they text about this? At least they didn’t send a pic—
New message from An
Sent: 1 image
Toya opens the notification, curious about what the image is.
Oh no.
10:32 am
—
An: <*image of Toya and Kohane sleeping*>
<Forgot to send this, oops!>
Akito: <*Likes the image*>
Right when he had a sense of relief, it all just got washed away. An… you…
“Aoyagi-kun? You’re staring at your phone really intensely…” Kohane puts a hand on his shoulder, a bit concerned. Toya pursed his lips slightly, while trying not to make it look obvious that he actually liked the image An sent in the group chat. Kohane looked over at his phone, and the brightness was bright enough that the image was visible.
Kohane immediately froze before a small, little shriek came from inside of her. Not out of fear, but out of… embarrassment, but also a bit of love? She puts her hands to her mouth before slowly turning red. Toya eyed Kohane and saw that she also turned red. He didn’t even notice at first that she looked over. But then, he saw her pull out her phone and text the group chat. At the same time, a notification came through Toya’s phone.
Kohane liked an image
Hold on. What— What did she just do? Toya quickly opens the notification, and yep. She liked the image of her and Toya sleeping. Kohane makes eye contact with him and notices he’s staring at the image of Toya and her. She realizes what she just did, oh my god. Just how many times could she mess up—?
Toya also likes the image. Now it was even. But, he did it in front of her as well. He suddenly freezes and looks to the opposite side, also turning red. These two were, at this point, hopeless. But it really just showed who they were when it came to relationships, huh?
After a moment of silence, they both looked at each other again. It was awkward once again. They didn’t even know what to say to each other. But it seemed like they both wanted to say something. That was until Toya realized that the drinks Akito and An bought were by his leg. He shifted to turn around and pick up the iced coffee and mango juice. Toya didn’t really mind iced coffee, though he preferred it in an actual cup. He turned back to Kohane to give her the mango juice. She looked at him in confusion, but took the bottle.
“Mango juice? Who bought this?”
“Akito and Shiraishi. They probably went to the vending machine while we were both sleeping.”
“Oh, alright. Well, mango juice is pretty good.”
Kohane pops open the mango juice bottle and takes a sip. Her eyes lit up like stars, as if she drank the best drink in the world.
“It tastes natural, but it’s really chilly. But, it tastes really good!”
The two continued to drink their drinks as they were lost in conversation. The weights on each other’s shoulders suddenly lifted off them. It felt somewhat light, like they didn’t need to worry for now. Both Kohane and Toya still had their doubts, but what mattered right now was that they were both together and living in the very moment.