Shy

Chapter 22

          "Please go out with me!"

*Clink*

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Yachi's chopsticks fell out of her hands in shock and the piece of tamagoyaki was stuck halfway in her mouth. Her right hand was in mid-air, still in the position of having held the fallen chopsticks. She was staring at the girl across from her, unblinkingly.

The said girl couldn't meet the blonde's eyes. She fidgeted with her hands, avoiding eye contact by looking to the side and at the ground. Her mouth was shut tight and there was an inkling of concern in her eyes. Her cheeks were aflame, and thinking about the situation brightened them even more.

Finally Yachi spoke, "HE ASKED YOU OUT!!??!" More like yelled. Frantically trying to calm her, Tsukiko held up one finger to her lips in a shushing motion and used her other hand to wave back and forth, trying to get the point across to the other girl to be quiet.

Yachi leaned so far forward that their faces almost touched. Speaking in a loud whisper because she couldn't contain her excitement, "T-Then, you guys are d-d-dating!!?"

Tsukiko blushed further at the word but slightly shook her head. The blonde gasped, "You rejected him?!!" Tsukiko shook her head harder and faster at that. "N-Not quite..." At Yachi's questioning look, the shy girl explained.

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"Please go out with me!"

The two of them stood in complete silence after that, one remaining in the bowed position and the other looking at him in shock.

Noticing that she was too shaken to answer, Tanaka bolted upright. "Y-You don't have to answer now if you don't want to...There's a volleyball tournament coming up soon: the Inter-High."

At the seemingly random change in topic, Tsukiko's look finally changed from one of shock to one of slight confusion.

Tanaka continued, "W-We're going to win, and we're going to nationals...but first, we have to beat Datekou, the guys who shut us out last year. And then we have to beat Seijoh, who we beat in a practice match before..."

At this point, the wing spiker could no longer look directly into her eyes. He shifted his gaze to the side in embarrassment and spoke softly, "Y-You can give me your answer then..." Widening his eyes as if he gained an idea, he added on,

"If we beat both Datekou and Seijoh...please go out with me!"

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"I-I didn't say a-anything, s-so he just b-bowed and w-walked home..." Tsukiko ended. Even after the rest of the story, Yachi's questioning look did not disappear. "B-But you like him...?"

"I-I told y-you, i-it's not l-like that...I-I just a-admire him is a-all..." Tsukiko moved on from fidgeting with her hands to fidgeting with her chopsticks. Yachi didn't forget their previous conversation when she questioned the girl's feelings for the second-year, but she could clearly see there was something else in her friend's "admiration."

She asked, "Then why didn't you say no?" Tsukiko paused her fidgeting. She looked at Yachi. She looked to the side. She looked everywhere as if in search for some kind of answer.

Coming up with none, she looked down and said, "...I-I don't know..." There was a hint of shame in her voice.

Yachi's eyes softened. Her hunch was right. There was definitely more to Tsukiko's feelings for Tanaka, but the girl was too inexperienced and too innocent to realize this. She softly said, "Well, it's good that he gave you some time to answer, right?" The shy girl nodded slowly.