Minami

I walk over to the storage room, and pick out a large fluffy blanket that has a cat print on it... it's a black cat against a yellow moon. Definitely a blanket that Yurio would like. Really, any thing with cats on it, he would like. I walk back to the living room, and walk over the the snuggled couple. Careful, trying not to wake them, I lay the blanket over them. I crouch down to adjust the blanket so it covers them completely.

"It would be so easy to kill them right now." I hear the voice in my head. "Do it. You haven't forgotten your mission? Have you?" My hands start reaching out for Yurio's neck.

"Hell no." I grunt out trying to regain control of my body. "Get out of my head!"

"I'm just here to remind you what you need to do. If you disable The Sleeping Tiger duo, it'll be much easier to execute the mission." The voice says.

"I already fu*king told you that I'm not going to do the stupid mission."

"But you know the consequences. If you don't pull it off, then we'll hurt him-"

"Just shut up ok? I know ok? I'll get it done, but in a way that the least amount of people get hurt."

The voice does not reply, and I gain control of my body again. Good. I really need to continue my resistance training.

I stand up, and move back to the kotatsu and slump down.

I take my sketchbook back and grab a pencil from my bag. I start sketching... sketching anything to try to take my mind off the voice... I shiver.. I find myself sketching...

Her. My pencil outlines her soft cheeks, bright eyes, and full lips...I add in wings which stretch to fill the page, making her into an angel. My angel.

When ever I'm stressed, drawing Kasai just makes me feel so much better. Seeing her beautiful face staring back up at me... it's like she's saying, "Calm down Minami everything will be fine. You have everything under control." She definitely helps me keep in my own head... distracts me from the voice.

The door slides open, and quickly I put down my pencil. But it's just Phichit.

"Ha look at those idiots!" He says pointing at Yurio and Otabek. "The dynamic duo, The Sleeping Tiger, is actually sleeping cuddled up together! They are more like sleeping kittens!"

He pulls out his phone, "Awww they are soooo cute! But I'm wayyyyyyyy cuter!" He laughs.

He glances at the table, and notices all the empty shot glasses."Dammit don't tell me that I missed out on the opportunity to see Yuri and Victor drunk. Ugh imagine all the pictures I could have snapped. All my followers want to see more drunk Victor and Yuri photos."

He comes over to me, and peers over my shoulder. I realized that I didn't close my sketchbook when he came in, and he can see the quick sketch I did of Kasai. Hurriedly I try to close it, but he puts his hand down, and the book closes on his hand.

"Wait wait wwwwaaait... is that who I think it is." He opens the book, and I offer no resistance. He already saw it. There is no point in hiding it from him. He would find it out later anyways.

"Ohhhhh... it's Kasai... it's quite well done. What pencil did you use?" I show him the pencil I'm holding.

"Wow, you're really good. It looks just like her. Who taught you? Were you self taught? Or were you at a studio?" He asks lost of questions at once without pausing to let me answer. I feel slightly over whelmed. "How long have you been drawing for? What's your favorite thing to draw. Never mind don't answer that, cause it's clearly her. You like her don't you?"

I blush. "Well, umm, yes."

He smacks me on the back, and I jump, "Good man. I like straight forward people. I wish you the best. But you should know that if you hurt her you'll pretty much be dead meat. But I mean even going out with her will be hard enough already enough with Yuri... but I can tell that you really like her. I mean just look at the way you drew her... ya know at first I didn't like you much... but you seem like a decent guy...and you obviously care for her a lot...do you mind if I take a picture of it? If I ever post it on Instagram I'll tag you."

I nod my head stupidly.

"Great." He says. He gets back up, and takes the photo.

Suddenly his phone rings. He picks it up. "Hello?... oh it's just you...I mean it's just you...You what?...Oh it's a contest!? You're on! I'm going to beat you this time to even it out the score...What are we competing over?... Okay, so whoever gets all the groceries for the cheapest price wins? What does the winner win?... hmmm... how about loser has to be bottom today?... okay deal." He brings his phone down. He waves to me, "Bye Minami. I gotta go and beat my bae, don't wanna be bottom tonight. Oh and be nice to Kasai. Or else... I mean you should also confess to her soon. I mean come on, grow a pair and confess to her. You're not going to be young forever...if you don't confess in six years you'll be where I am..." he chuckles to himself, "He won't even call himself my boyfriend yet... but maybe we can skip all that boyfriend stuff, and go straight to being engaged."  

He walks out, leaving the door open. I can see out into the courtyard. Wow... the way the moon illuminates the courtyard... it truly is beautiful. I really wish that I had my water colours to paint it. A flash of movement catches my eye. I see a hooded figure... I see a flash of silver... and those green gleaming eyes with orange flecks... no it can't be him.

I rush to the doorway to try to get a better view, but I run into Kasai.

"Hey, sorry it took so long." She says smiling. I smile back, unsure. No that can't be him, Mother would have never let him out... not while I'm on my mission. He's the reason why they can control me. There is no way they would let him go. I look past Kasai to see if he's there. He's not... I guess it probably was just my imagination... Or maybe it was a threat from Mother...

I focus back into Kasai. She looks truly beautiful. The moonlight that is streaming in seems to illuminate her fair skin. Her ink black hair traps the light, and so the moonlight streaming in over her head makes it appear as if there is a halo above her... what a fitting drawing I did.

We walk back to the kotatsu, and I sit down next to her, and reach over for my sketchbook and flip back to the page we were looking at together. Excitedly she flips through the pages, leaning forwards to have a clearer view. I lean back, onto my hands to have a better view of her. I place my right hand behind her on the ground, and put most of my weight on my left, so it's not to obvious that I'm just trying to be closer to her... if she noticed, she doesn't react... she simply just sighs contentedly as she flips through the pages.

I study her as she flips through the pages... she's so cute... her cheeks are flushed a little, and her mouth is slightly open in awe... her eyes shine so brightly... I could watch her for days on end. She flips to a page, and takes a sharp intake of breath. I tear my gaze off of her, and glance at the page she's on. I stiffen a little bit. It's him...

She traces her hand around his eyes, and pauses... thinking. She turns to me, opens her mouth as if she is going to say something, but changes her mind. She flips the page, and I let out a sigh, as quietly as I can. I definitely did not want to talk about him... to anyone, even my closest friend.

She gets to the last drawing, the one that I recently did, her as an angel. She looks at it and scrunches her nose. "Me as an angel?"

"What's so weird about that idea?" I ask

"It's just that... like I'm not angelic or anything... I'm not an angel... idk I guess it's just that I don't see myself as a celestial being who is typically seen as an embodiment of purity, justice, kindness and forgiveness."

I laugh when she says this, because to me she's an angel. My saving grace when I need some time to relax... time to get away...time to be in my own head and in control...When I think about her... I know that it is my own emotion... my love for her is a real emotion that I, Minami, feel.

"What's so funny?" She asks.

"That you say that you're not an angel, but clearly... I mean look at you."

She looks incredulously at me, "What do you mean, 'look at you'? When I look in the mirror I see a hot mess, well at least most of the time."

"No, seriously you are beautiful, kind, helpful, funny, and most importantly, you are a great person in general. You always make sure that all your friends are in good spirits, and if they are not, you know how to cheer them up. When someone is feeling left out, you immediately make them feel included. When you walk into the room, everyone immediately brightens, and is drawn to you like moths to a flame.  And that's why I think I fell for you." I clap my hand over my mouth after realizing what just slipped out of my mouth. I was so wrapped up talking about how she is so great that the fact that I love her just slipped out.

"Wait... wait...hold on... fall for me?...are you saying you like me?"

I slump onto the table, and bury my head in my hands, and nod. Way to go Minami. Just pat yourself on the back as she escorts you to the friend zone. It's ok. You're just a total embarrassment. That's it... everything is perfectly fine...not.

I hear sniffing next to me. Alarmed I look up. I didn't think that my lack luster confession would have caused her to cry... I know the confession sucked... I never actually even meant to confess, but of course it just slipped out.

"Hey don't cry... I know I suck. But I never meant to tell you this way. You probably just see me as just a friend. Clearly since you feel as if we will forever just be friends, that's cool too. Our friendship does not have to be endangered cause I was an idiot."

"It's not that..." she hiccups, "actually... I like you too."

I'm taken aback... no way... the girl I've liked for the past 3 years actually likes me... am I in a dream?! I must be. No way could this have happen in reality. I feel as if I am on cloud nine.

"But," she continues, and suddenly my climb to the peak of my happiness is stopped abruptly.

"I'm so so sorry Minami..." she say between heaving sobs, my heart is breaking seeing her face so twisted in pain. "I can't- I can't be with you."

"Oh." That's all I can let out. As quickly as I was ascending into paradise, I was falling, possibly even faster, only to have to end up splatting on the concrete below.

"Minami, I'm so sorry. I just can't... I can't even explain to you why. But if we're together, you'll get hurt. And I won't be able to protect you." She looks up to meet my eyes. I can tell that she too is heart broken. 

No I say in my head, I'm the one who is supposed to protect you, and I can't even do that myself. I'm trying to protect you from big things, and I can't even protect you from myself ... How pathetic are you Minami?

She clutched to me. "Minami, I like you." Her bottom lip quivers as in holding in a large sob. It takes all my will power not to brush her hair to the side of her face and pull her into a long hug. But I give in, and pull her into a hug. I keep her there until I hear that she's calmed down. I place a kiss on the top of her head. And we break apart. There are so many things I want to say. Things like the cliche, 'I will go through anything for you, so you don't have to worry about anything.' or like, 'it will be okay as long as we are together.'... but the way she looks... so broken... so sad... all I can do is hug her, making sure she knows I'm there for her... even if we can't be together... because all I want is for her to be happy... and if she says we can't be together... if that is what would make her feel better... I can hold in my feelings... heck, I've been doing it for three years already... I feel a single tear fall down my face.

She looks tired... I mean I guess we are all tired. I gently place my hand on hers. She lifts her head up.

"Try to get some sleep... okay?"

She numbly nods her head. I gather an extra blanket that I had taken out while getting Yurio and Otabek their blanket, and drape it around her.

I stand up and walk out. I look over my shoulder as I walk out. She still sitting there in the same position I left her in. All I want is to run back to her... but I know that it would be the best for the both of us. So I take a deep breath in, straighten up and walk out.

I get through the gate, and slowly close it.

I take a few shaking steps forward, leaning against the gait for support. I can't take it anymore. I crouch down. I cry... I bawl out of sadness, anger, and frustration. I cry for the times we could have had... I cry for what we are missing out on... I cry for what our relationship is going to be from now on... I cry out of the unfairness of it all...

She didn't even tell me why we couldn't be together... well she said that if we were together I would be hurt. But I would fight through any amount of pain to be with her. Just so long as I can see her smiling face again... I would do anything. To be with her.

I hear someone approaching, the foot steps stop in front of me. I see a pair of blurry black combat boots. I wipe away the tears, and look up to meet a somewhat sheepish smile underneath his black hood. He pulls back the hood to reveal his silver hair, and his green eyes gleam, and the orange flicks in them are just like dying embers in his eyes.

He hesitates before speaking, tugging on his black choker that has a coin on it. So that's how he is being kept under. "It's been a long time, hasn't it Minami?"

I try to get my breathing under control. "Yes it has been, Akihiko."

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Original A/n below:

A/n

Hello lovely human beans~

TTTtttHHHHhhIIiiissS cHAptER! I hope it was written well enough, and I hope emotions were portrayed well enough... and I hope it wasn't to much cringe...

I hope the ending kinda makes sense... Note...Akihiko means bright/ shining prince

Found this anazing artwork that's attached above from @craziiwolf on her instagram... her artwork is literally so great! Ya'll should go check her out... her wattpad books are based of of comic au's she did (It's Haikyuu).

Anyfood, see you guys in 2 days with a new chapter.

Peace out.