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There was absolutely no way he was doing this.
Could he truly be so stupid? How impulsive was he?!
He stared at the paper heart in his hand, the stupid thing Akiyama made to tease him about a certain loud, irritating, disruptive, yet vaguely cute senior.
“Give it to him!” He clearly remembers her saying. “Tsukasa-kun enjoys giving big gestures, but I bet even just a small message of adoration and a paper heart will leave him embarrassed for, like, a week!” The wink she gave Akito made him want to scream.
He wanted to rip his hair out.
Ever since then, the paper heart and Tsukasa had been the only thing he’s thinking about. He had been thinking about placing it on the table, maybe on the locker, dear God what was he even thinking–
Yeah, screw his life.
But he’s still so conflicted…
“Hey Lil’ Bro, you good?”
Akito flinched. Great. Just fantastic. One of the two people he did not need to see, right there. He sighed. “Akiyama. What do you want?”
Mizuku puffed out her cheeks. “Aweee, Akitooooo, you’re so mean!” She frowned. “Hey, why are you in front of Tsukasa-senpai’s classroom anyway? He left a while ago…” Then her eyes wandered, and Akito prayed for his dignity when she inevitably saw the pink paper heart in his hand.
And discover it she did. She gasped, grinning ear to ear. “Akito?! Don’t tell me you’re actually planning on giving it to him~?”
Akito swallowed. If he wasn’t screwed before, he definitely was now. “I-I–”
“AHHH! THIS IS SO CUTEE!!” Mizuki squealed. “Secret admirers, anonymous love confessions!!” She sighed. “Ugh, why does everyone get to live their life like an anime while I’m just all alone and single?! Unfair!”
Akito coughed. “Akiyama, I’m not giving it to him. I’m just– contemplating.”
Mizuki shook her head adamantly. “Ohoho, there is no way you’re getting away so easily, otouto-kun! You’re already here, why back out now?!” She stomped her feet. “Commit, Akito! Commit!”
Akito frowned. “Are you sure, though, Mizuki? I won’t get in trouble, will I?”
Mizuki shrugged. “Oh, trust me, the only potential trouble you’ll cause is boosting Tsukasa’s ego tenfold.”
Akito glanced at the accursed paper heart once more, then at Tsukasa’s table. The only advantage of showing his affection towards Tsukasa was that this way was anonymous. His oblivious senior would never figure out it was him.
And, well, maybe Mizuki was right, just this once. He was already here, may as well commit. He sighed, the back of his head hitting the wall. “Okay, then. We’re doing this. Should I put a, I don’t know, note? What would I even write??”
Mizuki shrieked. “Well, otouto-kun, you’re in luck!! You just happen to have an anime enthusiast right here! I’ll figure this secret admirer stuff out for ya, don’t worry!” Then they paused, thinking, before their eyes sparkled again. “To answer your question, Akito, you definitely SHOULD write a little note!! Make your intentions clear as day! Here let’s think of some messages…”
So they spent a couple of minutes discussing to write (Mizuki kept insisting on long, almost speech-like confessions, while Akito pushed back, pointing out how they wouldn’t even fit on the sticky notes she pulled out of nowhere.)
Finally, Mizuki agreed to one of Akito’s suggested messages. She volunteered to write it, since, according to her, her handwriting was not as distinct as Akito’s.
shining star, don’t you think this was inevitable?
i can’t contain myself anymore.
i love you.
*:･⭐🥞⋆.ೃ࿔
Akito rapped his pen on his notebook, unable to focus on the lecture. The paper heart “incident” from yesterday was all he could think about.
At last, the bell took mercy upon him by ringing, signalling it was time for lunch. Akito quickly made his way to find Tsukasa. Fortunately for him, finding Tsukasa was very easy.
“AHA! MY DEAR JUNIOR AKITO!! WHAT A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU HERE!!!!” The all too familiar voiced yelled.
Akito sighed, shoulders slumping. There was no way he was in love with this idiot. “Hello, Tsukasa.”
The blonde actor gave him his stupid signature grin. “Care to join me for a luncheon, Akito? I made cheesecake, just for you!!”
And Akito simply cannot suppress his smile. “...Thank you, Tsukasa.”
Then someone calls out to the actor. “Hey, Tenma! Any closer to figuring out your secret admirer?!”
And Tsukasa flushes, about as pink as the tips of his hair. “I– Not yet! Don’t expect anything so soon!! I mean, maybe it’s a one-off thing! Surely they’re not so dedicated!”
Akito smirked when he heard the words. “Someone actually likes you?” He asked, pretending like he wasn’t that someone. “That’s surprising. How can they stand your loud voice?”
Tsukasa shrieked. “What do you mean?! Are you saying I’m unattractive!? Don’t act so shocked! It was inevitable! After all, I, Tsukasa Tenma, am the world’s future star! No wonder someone was so dazzled by me!!”
Rolling his eyes, Akito replied, “Oh, but of course…”
Tsukasa puffed out his chest proudly. “HA! I KNEW YOU WOULD AGREE!”
Lunch whizzed by in a blur. But one thing Tsukasa said stuck with him.
“I mean, maybe it’s a one-off thing! Surely they’re not so dedicated!”
Unfortunately for you, Tsukasa, Akito thought, I take that as a challenge. And I am very dedicated when it comes to challenges.
So. Challenge accepted, Senior.
*:･⭐🥞⋆.ೃ࿔
Over the course of multiple days, Akito worked on his side job of being a secret admirer to Tsukasa. He searched up articles, he studied meanings of colors and flowers (did he mention he started giving flowers?), and, God forbid, he started consulting Mizuki for help and started watching romance anime with her.
He was ashamed to admit it, but those romance anime marathons caused him to imagine some scenarios with him and Tsukasa. And that it helped him get more ideas for his secret of being Tenma’s admirer.
As this was happening, rumours swirled. Everyone in Kamiyama was trying to figure out who was Tsukasa Tenma’s admirer. Names were thrown around in the halls, much to Akito’s amusement.
Could it be Kamishiro?
That was quickly shot down since Rui caused more chaos for the poor actor and claimed he had a girlfriend. (Nobody knew if it was true, but Rui’s adamant and almost offended denials of being the secret admirer seemed genuine enough.)
With the number one option out of the way, everyone whittled down their options, discussing who was their next target. They all started form the troupe members, to close friends, etc.
Then they were out of options. Akito would love to see the look on their faces when it came out it was him all along. They had dismissed him pretty quickly as an option, since he borderline mocked Tsukasa by scaring him and mostly acting like he hated Tsukasa’s existence and the air he breathed.
Unfortunately for them, Akito had no plans to confess outright. Not in the near future, anyway. He sighed as he glanced at his newest and possibly cheesiest message yet:
i’d give you a thousand paper hearts if it meant i could have yours
He couldn’t even believe he thought of this… Must be the Tsukasa Tenma Effect. He shrugged it off, approaching Tsukasa’s table once more.
But there was something quite unexpected. There was a note titled “FOR SECRET ADMIRER.”
Akito raised an eyebrow. Now, what could have Tsukasa written for him? He started to read:
HELLO SECRET ADMIRER!! Though I, the great Tsukasa Tenma, am flattered by your advances, I would like to request something very important!!
Akito raised an eyebrow. What could his senior possibly want?
I would like for you to reveal your identity to me!! I actually have someone who has already taken over my heart, but we are sadly NOT dating… Perhaps it’s just me being foolish, but I would be ecstatic if you were that person… So, please, secret admirer, meet me at the rooftops tomorrow after school. I hope we don’t end up heartbroken after this…
Akito’s heart was pounding, the only noise in his ears was the sound of his blood pumping. It was all coming to a crescendo. Oh, he’s screwed. Absolutely screwed.
Oh, but he couldn’t back out now, could he? Just the image of Tsukasa waiting and waiting, all alone, just for no one to come was enough to make his doubts crumble away. He was really doing this. He held the paper heart in his hand as he shakily wrote a “Yes” in reply to Tsukasa’s request.
Screw his life.
*:･⭐🥞⋆.ೃ࿔
Tomorrow quickly arrived and the only thing Akito wanted was for school to end. He passed through all the subjects, barely remembering anything. The only notable part was lunch, where Tsukasa gave him a pancakes. But the senior was distracted, eyes darting around the room. When Akito questioned him, Tsukasa replied,
“Well, aren’t you observant? HA-HA, I’m just waiting for the end of the school day! I have an important meeting, after all…”
Akito said nothing, but it felt good to know Tsukasa was feeling the same way at him. Tsukasa was also thinking about the inevitable rooftop scene.
Hopefully it could turn out like those highschool romance endings where it ended in a rooftop kiss or something.
… Wait.
Since when did he start thinking these things?!
Fortunately, the final bell rang, the end of the school day. As swarms of people exit the building, Akito’s only concern was to find Tsukasa. He spotted the blonde boy sitting cross-legged, staring off into the distance.
“Oi, senpai, what are you doing?” He asked, though he was well-aware of what the actor was waiting for.
His senior startled, looking towards Akito with large eyes. (And was that just his imagination, or was there a blush of Tsukasa’s cheeks?) “Akito!! What could possibly bring you here??” He asked, almost sounding nervous.
Perhaps Akito was being cruel, but he chose to play with Tsukasa a little bit. “Oh, nothing,” He said casually, “I decided to stick around for a bit. Not like I have anything to do today.”
The faint sadness in Tsukasa’s eyes made Akito instantly regret his decision. “Oh– Truly? Uhm, I’m just waiting for someone…”
Akito tilted his head. “Oh, by the way, I wasn’t able to give this to you yesterday. I was interrupted by a message.”
Tsukasa raised his eyebrows. “Really?” He questioned.
Akito smiled. “Really.” Then he started rummaging through his bag before pulling something out of his bag’s pocket. “Here,” He said. “For you.”
Tsukasa looked confused as he unfolded the paper, but that expression quickly went away when he saw what it was supposed to be. His lips trembled as his eyes scanned over the message, again and again.
i’d give you a thousand paper hearts if it meant i could have yours.
tsukasa, would you be happy to know it’s your dear junior, akito?
The message Akito was supposed to give him, but this time, with minor changes.
“Akito…” Tsukasa murmured. “My secret admirer… It was you all along?”
Akito smiled. “Yes, Tsukasa. It was me.” Then he started to ramble. “I’m sorry if this was the bad outcome you were dreading. I understand if you were expecting someone different, this is all a bit out of the blue… You were probably expecting someone like Kamishiro, right- Mmph!”
Before he knew it, Tsukasa had leaned forward and pressed their lips together. A reassurance.
A silent “I love you.”
Akito didn’t think he could feel any happier.
When Tsukasa broke the kiss, Akito let out a sigh as Tsukasa’s head dipped to rest on his junior’s chest. “I love you.” He said quietly.
Tsukasa’s muffled response came out, “I love you too, Akito.”
He could tell Tsukasa about everything later. He could deal with anything later. But right now, he was simply content to have Tsukasa in his arms.
And maybe, just maybe, he started to hate his life a little less.