★ MINE ★
LOVE IS EMBARRASSING

          his head was pounding terribly. He had never had such a headache in his young life. His head felt like it was about to split in half and his forehead hurt like someone had hit him hard. Kazuha opened his eyes, only to immediately close them again. It was far too bright. The light hurt his eyes.

     »Oh, you are finally awake!« A voice that was way too loud, followed by the sound of the window opening.

     Kazuha sighed into his pillow. »Go away.«

     »So you really want to miss the time you can see your redhead?« He sat on the edge of his bed and started laughing. »By the way, you're right, she has incredibly pink eyes.«

     Kazuha would definitely never drink so much again! Because he definitely didn't want to risk not meeting her. He rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes again. »You saw her?«

     Tomo nodded. »She came with you yesterday.«

     »She came with me yesterday?«

     To be honest, Kazuha couldn't remember anything. He still remembered that he went to the party, talked to a few people and then... well, he drank a little and from then on his memories became very dark.

     »Do you know if I talked to her?«

     He started laughing again. Kazuha hated it when he did that. After all, this was about really important things! »I wasn't there, but your guys definitely talked.« Definitely talked. Had Kazuha told him about it? Had she told him about it? Why was he so incredibly sure if he hadn't been there?

     Kazuha sat up and ruffled his disheveled hair. »I feel like I said things that I wouldn't actually say.«

     There was still an amused grin on Tomo's lips. »You have to ask her that, but you were holding hands.« He had no idea why, but reflexively he raised his hand and looked at it. As if there was more information. »And she seemed pretty nervous.«

     »Nervous?« What on earth had he said? He didn't make anyone nervous. He didn't say anything that would make anyone nervous. Because he was far too nervous himself to say such things.

     »Kazuha, my friend, you should drink some water, definitely take a shower and just ask her.« Just ask her. Was he really serious? Kazuha couldn't just ask her. Well, he could. But as soon as he saw her, his heart was pounding so fast that he could barely form sentences. He was so clumsy and completely overwhelmed.

     And she. She always seemed incredibly relaxed. As if she had no problem at all. She even seemed like she wanted to make him blush. As if she had fun with it and liked it.

     »When she looks at me with those shining eyes, I can't do it.«

     »How long did that take?« He looked at the calendar hanging on the wall. »A month?«

     »What are you talking about?«

     »Well, how long it took for you to fall in love with her.«

     Kazuha hadn't fallen in love! Well, maybe a little bit. Just a tiny bit. But he didn't want to admit that either. Not even in front of Tomo. »I'm not saying anything about it.«

     »And so that you don't say anything, you say everything.« He stood up from the edge of the bed and grinned. »Now get ready or you'll miss her.«

     He was too shy. He was far too shy. But Kazuha couldn't do anything about it. He liked her and didn't want to say anything wrong. Every second he was afraid of saying something wrong, so he preferred to listen. He liked listening to her.

     »Hey, the only way you can find out is if you ask her,« Tomo added. »Has she ever treated you weird because you're super shy?« No. She had even said that he had never done anything wrong until now. That everything he had done and said had been adorable. And every time Kazuha thought about it he smiled like an idiot.

     In fact, he always smiled like an idiot whenever he thought about anything she said or did. He also had to smile just thinking about her. He even smiled when he saw the bright maple leaves because they reminded him so much of her.

     »Well now that you're smiling I guess the answer is no.«

     Kazuha nodded. He threw the covers away and was enveloped in the cool morning air. »I have to go!« He said and scurried out of the room.

     Only when he had already showered and was on the way to the harbor did Kazuha realize that it was Sunday. It was the only day that Hajime didn't pack boxes for half of Inazuma and then distribute them. And that in turn meant that he wouldn't see her there, that he probably wouldn't see her at all today.

     Suddenly Kazuha felt a feeling of sadness. He understood that Hajime deserved a day off, that the people working at the port also needed a break, but all these people were his only chance to meet her. And he wanted to see her so badly. Preferably every day, at every hour.

     He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to continue listening to her stories and, most of all, he just wanted to be near her. Kazuha sighed. He really had no idea what he was supposed to do all day. He would have liked to go looking for her, but he had no idea where to even start.

     So he did what he usually did every morning. He went to his favorite place, the small section of the beach where she had cuddled up to him, and enjoyed the peace and quiet. He looked out to sea, listening to the light breeze. Hectic running around and loud talking wasn't for him. He loved the silence. To have a moment all to himself.

     Kazuha closed his eyes and he was so tired that he actually fell asleep for a few minutes. He couldn't control it, but ever since he knew her he dreamed about her constantly. From her maple hair, cherry blossom eyes and those gentle facial expressions. That sweet smile, the way his name sounded when she said it and those pink lips.

     He didn't really want to admit it, but he had already thought about kissing her. In fact, he really wanted to. Her Lips looked so perfect, he wanted to know what it felt like. And most of all he wanted to know if she would kiss him back. Would she close her beautiful eyes? Would she smile at him afterwards? Would she have a problem with it if he held her tightly and didn't stop kissing her?

     »Kazuha!«

     When he opened his eyes, Kazuha dosen't saw the sunlight as it cascades over the sea like a golden tsunami. Neither does he saw the rich red hues of the maple leaves surrendering themselves to the wind — a sign that autumn was finally in full swing and winter would be fast approaching.

     When he opened his eyes, Kazuha saw her.

     She walked through the sand with this bright, effervescent smile on her face. The red of her hair matches the blush on her cheeks. It was like a picture straight out of a fairy tale, he thought. She walked toward him, hair disheveled and fabric disarrayed as she called his name. His heart beat in his chest like a Taiko drum.

     He either denied it or said he just had a tiny crush on her. But the truth was, Kazuha was head over heels. He knew that what he felt for her wasn't just friendship.

     »Kazuha, I've been looking for you!« His name only sounded that sweet when she was the one saying it. When it fell from her lips weaved in between her melodious chortles, Kazuha can't help but wanted everything else in the world to fade away until there's only her.

     He chuckled and shifted to make room for her to sit. »I knew it would be a great idea to show you this place.«

     »It was! Now I always know where to find you.« She grinned and flopped down next to him with a tired sigh. Kazuha couldn't describe how happy he was that she was actually looking for him. That she had really come here. It was stupid, but it made him feel special.

     »And do you have a headache?«

     »You were looking for me to ask this?« She nods with a smile and Kazuha thought he was about to melt. Like warm butter. She wanted to check on him because she wanted to know if he was okay.

     »My mother liked to grow lavender and when I had a headache she would put lavender oil on a cloth and put it on my forehead.« She pulled out a small glass jar and pressed it gently into his hand. »Here, that's for you.«

     Kazuha couldn't help but smile. She was so helpful and he found that incredibly sweet. Everything about her was just sweet. »Thanks, that's really kind of you,« he said quietly and accepted the jar. »But my headaches aren't too bad.«

     She nodded and ran her fingers through the fine sand, almost lost in thought. Actually, she wasn't a quiet person. In any case, unlike him, she was much more talkative and he liked that about her. She had never been lost in her thoughts either. She was always in the here and now and gave him all her attention. Of course he really liked that about her too.

     So why was she so different today than usual?

     Kazuha looked at her sideways. She had no new injuries on her hands. Her face also looked flawless. So her family hadn't hurt her again, at least not physically.

     »Are you not feeling well?«

     She raised her gaze and met his eyes. She tilted her head to the side and a small smile appeared on her lips. »No reason to worry. I'm just wondering, well if you're not feeling too bad, can you remember yesterday?«

     So he had actually said something to her. Great. And he had no idea what. Kazuha sighed and buried his face in his hands. »Please don't tell me I said something ridiculous to you.«

     The most beautiful laugh, probably from all of Inazuma, rang out. »No you have not.«

     »Hard to believe when you laugh.«

     »Kazuha.« There it was again. His name. That sounded so beautiful with her voice. He winced because suddenly she reached for his hands and removed them from his face. She smiled gently. »You didn't say anything ridiculous.«

     »Can you please say me what exactly i said?«

     »So you don't remember?«

     Kazuha shook his head. And she nodded again. She was still holding onto his hands and didn't seem to have any intention of letting go. Of course that didn't bother him. He wanted her close.

     »Well basically you said that I'm pretty.« She ran her thumbs over the back of his hand and goosebumps appeared on his skin. »And that my hair reminds you of maple leafs.« She lifted her head and looked at him. He was nervous. So damn nervous. »Are you blushing?«

     Yes, he was. He surely looked like a maple leaf himself. This was so incredibly embarrassing for him. So embarrassing that he couldn't stand it anymore. Kazuha removed his hands from her. »I, i no..«

     »Aw, you are!« She nudged him with her shoulder. »Don't worry I won't tell anyone you love maple leaves.«

     He was so incredibly grateful to her that she didn't elaborate on what he had said. He was so grateful to her that she noticed how shy he was and that she accepted it. But something in him had the urge to tell her again. To tell her properly. To tell her so that he could remember it himself.

     »But i-it was the truth, you know.« Kazuha turned back to her. He looked at her again. »You are pretty.« A lovely smile appeared on her lips. It reached up to her pink eyes and made them shine particularly beautifully. »I mean, no, what I'm trying to say is that i find you really pretty.«

     »You're sure?«

     »Oh i never was so sure about anything.« And that was not the only thing he was sure about. Kazuha was also pretty sure that he wanted to watch the big fireworks display with her. It was in a few days and if not now then when should he ask her?

     »And i.« As if he had suddenly become hoarse and could no longer make a sound, he stoped talking. Why was he like that? Why wasn't it finally easy for him to talk to her?

     »And?« She repeated. But he just couldn't ask her. He didn't know how. She looked at him with a smile, almost encouraging. »Kazuha?«

     »I-i like when you say my name,« He whispered and her smile only became sweeter. »Will you.. will you go to the fireworks display?« He said it so quickly, honestly he had never spoken so quickly before, that he wasn't even sure if she understood him. But it was the perfect opportunity.

     Her beautiful eyes grew larger and suddenly they sparkled in a completely different way. Kazuha couldn't tell if it was a positive change or a negative one. But what he could tell was that her reaction unsettled him.

     »I-i mean I would be there and I would be happy to see you there..«

     »Are you trying to ask me out?« Yes. That's exactly what he tried to do. But he couldn't say that. He just couldn't do it. »Do you want to go there with me?« She asked further.

     Kazuha nodded. »I would love too.«

     »Kazuha.« She sounded tense, kind of sad, and that made him feel terrible. »I.«

     »Oh, you don't have to if you don't want!«, He interrupted her quickly. He wanted to get up, ideally run far away, but she grabbed his arm and moved closer to him.

     »I didn't want to refuse«, She said softly.

     A big, thick, heavy stone flew from his heart. Honest. He was afraid that she didn't want to. He would love to go there with her. And it made him relieved that she didn't want to refuse.

     »I would love to go with you, really!« She leaned her head against his arm, which she had tightly wrapped around, and sighed. »But I don't know if I can.«

     »It's okay.«

     He couldn't deny that it made him sad. Because that's what it did. But he couldn't push her either. He didn't know much about her family, but they had a lot to do with her behavior.

     »No it's not.« He saw her looking up at him and even though he thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest, he tilted his head down and met her gaze anyway. »You're lovely Kazuha and i wanna spend time with you. I promise you i manage to come.«

     He couldn't help but smiled and when he saw her return it, it made him even happier. »You promise?«

     »I promise.«