❥ Soulmate AU; Where your soulmate gets a mark on his skin, the moment you fall in love with him.

• Semi x Een •

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I was dreading going inside my clubroom when I see the Principal sitting inside from the window.

"Ah. Fujiwara-san. Amakata-sensei told me that you're the club president?" He wants to know.

I knew this was coming, but I was trying to hide from it so much.

The entire talk with him depressed me to my very core.

When I head back to my dorm and find Aimee cleaning up Hichimiya's bed, I run up to hug her.

As luck would have turned out for her, the 'soulmate' of hers had a different mark than that of hers. Aimee was a hard-boiled version of pissed when she came back to Shiratorizawa, stomping into her room and refusing to talk to us until we give her chocolate chip cookies.

In the end, she had decided that she wasn't going to look for her soulmate.

'If he wants to find me, he's gonna come here. I don't have to be the one to make a fuss,' was what she said, but we knew that she was disappointed with how things turned out.

I hoped that she would find a soulmate so perfect for her, that all of those events would become worth it.

"H-Hey! What's going on?!" She cries when she loses balance and falls on the ground with a thud.

"Ow," I whine, rubbing my knee. I had crashed it on the bedpost, and I immediately become teary-eyed.

"God, what are you even doing, Een?" Aimee wants to know, neatening my fringe. I take a deep inhale before I break the news to her.

"The Principal wants me to give a speech during morning Assembly on Monday next week."

"Oh no."

"Oh no is right. Do I look like someone who does well when it comes to speaking in public?" I cry, taking the hand Aimee offers and getting up on my feet. "I can barely talk to you guys, I don't want to add another four hundred to it."

"Aw, Een." Aimee gives me a pitying hug. "Well, you are the captain of the English club, so even if you're expecting me to sympathise with you... You brought this on yourself."

"Oh my God, why are we even friends?"

•••

"This draft is beautiful. I wouldn't change a single sentence. If you have more to add, then feel free to do so!" Amakata-sensei chirps when I hand in my draft of the speech two days later. "Also, the word 'perpetual' works beautifully with your choice of words in the last sentence."

"Thank you," I reply and take back the paper. "Is there a way someone else from the club can do it? Sanada-kun has better communicative skills, for one. And Kanzaki-san has a beautiful voice, so why me, when I lack both of those?"

"I'm afraid there isn't anything I can do about it, Fujiwara-san," She responds, holding a key up to me. "But all you can do is practice. You do know that practice makes perfect, right?"

"No. Perfect practice makes perfect. And I'm not even close to being perfect." I respond, slightly baffled at the piece of metal now in my hand. "This key is...?"

"The key to the gymnasium. You can practice there, it's a more practical way to get over your anxiety."

I clench my fist into a ball, feeling frustrated. I head back to my dorm, not being in the mood to do any speech practising, be it perfect or not.

I had completely forgotten that Hichimiya had invited some of her theatre club friends for hotpot.

"Ah, Een! Come eat with us!" She yells, holding out a bowl filled with takoyaki.

"Hichiiiiiii, I told you I don't eat octopus-meat." I sigh. There was no way I could take a nap, and even the library would be closed now. Dinner wasn't until in an hour at the very least; So I was at a loose end.

Feeling even more crushed, I clutch the speech draft and head downstairs. I guess I really had no choice but to practice.

There were only 4 more days for the assembly, and I was a nervous wreck as stepped into the gym. The lights were surprisingly on, but there was only one thing that bothered me; the gymnasium was huge.

As someone who enjoyed being scrunched up into my tiny room before attending Shiratorizawa, it was safe to say that I felt more claustrophobic now than ever.

I recall reading somewhere; that you learn something new every day.

With the paper in hand, I climb up to the stage, inhaling as much of air as I could before I rest my hands on the podium.

"E-Ever since we were little, we have been t-told that - ugh Een what are you doing?"

Stuttering even the first word, that's not cool, dammit!

"Ever since we were little, we've been told that we would meet our soulmates, who would complete us."

"That's too stiff, Fujiwara."

I am taken aback by the sudden voice, jumping at least a foot and half when I saw Semi leaning against the door of the storage room.

"W-What are you doing here?!" I cry, my face burning up with embarrassment. Did he see me the entire time?

"Practice." He replies. He walks up in front of the stadium, his hands crossed over his chest with an amused expression on his face.

"You're the one that's supposed to give the Soulmate-Speech this year?" He wants to know. I nod in defeat, stepping away from the podium and in front of him.

"The way you started the speech lacked interaction." He states the obvious. His eyebrows rise up before he shakes his head. "Ah, I don't mean to say that what you wrote wasn't good... But if it's a speech, you're going to need to get the audience hooked by the very first sentence.."

"I'm not good at communication..." My voice trails down. I sit down cross-legged, taking my pencil out from my pocket.

Lacks interaction... Like the way you and I communicate, eh?

Semi tilts his head as he watches me scribbling notes on the paper.

"You don't mind me practising here, do you? Or will it bother your practice?" He wants to know.

"Go ahead," I say. I'll just shut up and not say a thing, I add silently. Semi nods and jogs back to the storage room, carrying a cart full of volleyballs as he stepped out.

"Dang it." He hisses when his first serve goes out of bounds. Watching Semi play was a pleasant change from what I would usually be doing with Hichimiya at this time of the day. Meanwhile, I sit where I was, tapping on my smartphone about other alternatives I could use in my speech.

Fifteen minutes later, I feel like I am about to explode from curiosity.

"Hey, Semi-san?" I call, jumping off from the stage. Semi's eyes dart to where I stood, a furrow on his eyebrows as if he was disappointed by the fact that I would interrupt his serve.

"Yes?" He wants to know, lowering his hand.

"Oohira told me about how Kenjirou is the official setter, now."

There was silence inside the gymnasium... In the eerie silence, I could swear I was hearing my own heart beating rapidly.

"Um, I know you aren't able to play in official matches now, but you really should take good care of your body." I point out. "You got permission to practice here, even after you finished practising at school, didn't you?"

Semi does not answer me but continues to blink at me, his face expressionless.

"And when it's time for dinner, you stop... And then go outside to practice again. Right?"

"I'm not sure if you figured this out after seeing me here today, or if you literally stalked me to find out." He finally speaks.

"I wouldn't stalk you!" I cry, horrified. He dribbles the ball a couple times, clutching the ball in hand after the third bounce.

"Don't over-work yourself. It isn't healthy." I add, quietly. "Even if Kenjirou-"

"Can you shut up about Shirabu?" He snaps. I can hear the grasp on the volleyball tightening as I gulp at the sudden reaction.

"I just-"

"I don't want to be left behind. This is the only thing I have." He has to say, turning around.

"Semi-san..."

"Make sure you lock up before you leave."

I don't have the heart to stop him; He clearly did not want to stay with me any longer. As I watch the way the cart gets dragged back into the storage room, I can feel my heart sink.

Were my wordings wrong?

Or was it the timing I chose?

And when he closes the storage room door and walks past me, I hear him mumble something under his breath.

"I don't need you to join in with everyone and give me pitiful looks, Fujiwara."

He sounded just like I do, at the times when all I want to do is cry.

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a/n; dear lord, i'm emotional after i wrote this guwah ;w;

all aboard the #SemiEen ship ;A;

ranking; #450 [10.01.17]