Page 16

There's 3 more days until the first of January, and your head is a throbbing mess when you walk up and turn off the alarm that reads 9:00 am.

Winter break was great because it let you sleep in for as long as you needed. And you might have continued sleeping if it wasn't for the way your door is cracked open a little... And the waft of meat makes you get up and go out to the kitchen.

Mei usually wakes up a half hour before you do, so that she can make breakfast for the two of you, inviting Eiko every once in a while. So you were guessing that Mei was on it now... But nothing goes like the way you hoped. You should have expected that nothing goes like you want anymore, not after Oikawa barged into your life like the stupid cheesebag that he is.

And it's Oikawa, who has an apron wrapped around his frame, pan and spatula in hand while he turns back and gives you a big smile. "Masumi-chan! Good Morning!!" He sings, putting the pan back on the stove and turning back to face you. "Go wash your face and come to eat. You look so stupid."

And it dawns on you that your hair was probably a mess from flipping from side to side all day, and that you probably had eyebags and drools on your face right now. So you start screaming.

"MIYAZAKI MEI, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" You yell, and Oikawa almost drops the toast that he is taking out. "Mei-chan went on a double-date with Refreshing-kun and Salt-kun." He explains, a little fazed while he looks at you.

You wanted to take the toast he was plating and stuff his face in the pan because he was being so casual about barging into your house unannounced.

"But Mei-chan was the one who let me in, stop being like this!" He cries, when you start punching his gut. "Seriously, go brush, you reek, Masumi-chan. I may love you but I'm not going to kiss you when you smell like a dumpster."

You're about to punch him again when he almost spills the glass of juice he's pouring out for you and him, and you mumble curses to the klutz that he was while you stomp to the bathroom with your hands folded across your chest.

"So, what are we going to do after breakfast?" He asks, stacking sandwiches onto your plate and sitting down in front of you, when you return.

"I'm going to watch anime, you're gonna go back home."

"You're cruel." He smiles, watching with big eyes as you take the sandwich filled with meat and take a big bite. And you hated to admit it, but the turkey sandwiches he's made tastes really good, an indistinct taste in it that you weren't familiar with.

"Why does this taste so different?"

"What?"

"It doesn't taste the same as when Mei makes turkey sandwiches." You say, taking another bite. "Did you poison me because I keep calling you a klutz, even though you are?"

"You say that but you keep on eating; that means you trust me." Oikawa points out, and you almost choke on the brea, taking a big sip of juice. "And I made it with love, that's why it's so good."

You squint your eyes at him in response, and Oikawa raises his hands up in defeat, laughing while the two of you finish the food. There's a lot of text messages from Eiko and Mei that you choose to ignore; How dare they go on dates and leave you behind with Stupidkawa? And Oikawa continues bubbling around and begging you to let him stay with you while you watch anime.

You eventually give in, and after a couple episodes, you realize that he wasn't watching the screen; he was watching you. "Why did you actually come here to make me breakfast, Oikawa?" You ask, and he sighs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Rude. I'm Tooru-senpai."

"Why are you here, Oikawa?"

"For crying out loud, Masumi-chan. Fine..." He pauses, watching you press the stop button on the TV before turning to face him. "I... I want to take you with me for dinner with my parents tonight."

That makes you almost choke on your own spit because not only does it feel rushed and too out of place, but Oikawa is blinking up at you with big eyes, waiting for an answer with a big smile on his face.

"Um... I don't know... You still piss me off, I might punch you in front of your mom."

There's a big pause while the two of you continue blinking at each other, and Oikawa suddenly bursts out laughing and you can only blink at him in surprise. You totally meant it, you were serious about it, but why was he laughing?

"That's so cute. Oh my god, Masumi-chan, I love you so much."

You pout at his figure while he doubles over, laughing, and you weren't sure why, but you make a sudden slip.

"I love you too."

But your slip is nothing in comparison to Oikawa's slip. He loses his balance, falling down to the ground from the sofa with a loud thud, and on his course, his hip hits the corner of the table so he looks like he is hurting while he looks up at you with wider eyes than you've ever seen on him.

"Did you just-"

"No."

"You did! Say it again, I barely heard it because I was laughing- Owwww..."

"I will not! Now get up from there, you stupid klutz!" You hiss, pulling on his arm and lifting him up back on the couch. His forehead had gotten scraped by the table a little, and you shake your head while you go to get the first aid kit that Mei has under the cabinet in the kitchen.

There's a gleam in Oikawa's eyes when he watches you dab some medicine onto the cotton, and when you begin to press the balled up cotton to his forehead, he winces.

"You love me, Masumi."

"Keep still and let me do this properly."

"You actually said it to me. Oh my god, please say it again, Masumi-chan!" He begs, and you clack your tongue, shaking your head and putting some tape over the injury. "And right when I told you I'd take you for dinner with my parents if you told me you loved me... And you did! You really need to go with me now." He protests, and you take the first aid box and hit his arm, glaring at his smiling face.

"I won't. It's weird and I'm not going to repeat it. Get out of my house and let me watch my anime in peace." You hiss.

Oikawa simply laughs a little, hand constantly stroking the taped ball of cotton you had pressed onto his forehead, and a smile never leaves his face, because you let him sit beside you for the entirety of the day before he goes back to his apartment.

"Next time, Masumi. Next time, we'll go together, okay?" He says, and you sigh, closing the door to hide your reddened face. "Masumi-chan, I love you!" A loud voice yells from outside, and you want to punch Oikawa for being so loud enough that he probably made the neighbours hear him as well.

You had no idea why you liked such a stupid klutz like him, in the first place.