#karusthingproj

“Tss, it wasn’t my fault, mom.” He leans back against the chair next to you, speaking with mock seriousness. “I was kidnapped. The sheets wouldn’t let me go. It was a critical situation.”

“Oh yeah? And how did you escape?” You gesture toward the seat with a quick nod, the way you always did when you wanted him to sit with you, so he does.

“Well, I thought of you, studying so hard with that <don’t talk to me, I have an exam> face, and that gave me the strength to fight for my freedom.” He crosses his legs and arms, smirking. He makes a face, like he’s brushing it off. “Very inspiring stuff.”

“Okay, slow down, Mr. Darcy wannabe.” With a teasing smile, he mirrors your gesture.

“What? I can’t say nice things to my best friend without getting accused of being dramatic?” He stretches out, shamelessly taking a sip of your coffee, as if he had ordered it himself.

“Hey, that’s mine.”

“Shhh, I’m dealing with trauma. I almost didn’t make it here. I need emotional support.”

You roll your eyes, but you can’t help but smile. You keep reading the book slowly, nevertheless, a feather lands on the words. When you try to grab it, it flies to the next page, and then again a couple more times, until you glance at your annoying —but attractive— friend, with your eyebrows raised.

“Have I ever told you you’re the most annoying person I know?” you ask jokingly, as he looks up at the sky and whistles in an exaggerated show of innocence.

“Come on, you always review during the last five minutes before the test, but you know you’ll ace it anyway.” You’re about to argue, but you fall silent for a moment, thinking about what he just said. Wait… You quickly glance at the clock, and-…

“Five minutes?! Fuck, fuck, fuck…” You start cursing to yourself, trying to rapidly read anything from the book.

Keigo understands your stress, so he goes quiet, glancing at what you’re reading —careful not to distract you—. Once you’ve finished your brief review, you stand up and grab your coffee, finishing it quickly. In some way, he was right. You always preferred to go over everything at the very last minute, getting nervous even though you were pretty confident from the start. Then, when you’re panicking, the one thing you didn’t know would save your exam, opens his mouth.

“Come on, I’ll take you.”

“You’re insane if you think I’m gonna-…”

And there you are, two minutes later, in his arms. He’s flying you through the air, holding you tightly. Every now and then, he glances down at your closed eyes, hidden against his chest. When he’s not looking, you peek up gently to watch his golden hair flutter in the wind. Obviously, without letting your eyes meet —because who doesn’t enjoy a little drama born from life’s “accidental” moments?—.

And really, why would you lie? You're both kind of thankful that the building where your exam takes place is so far from the café. Though it is kind of hilarious, considering you’re afraid of heights.

“All right, good luck with the exam.” He sets you down gently —before you throw up like the kid from The Exorcist— and turns to walk away, but you grab his arm. His gaze follows your hand, and then meets your eyes afterwards.

“You’re not gonna take it?”

“Oh, hell nah.”

“What? Why?” You frown, still holding onto his arm.

“I skipped half the classes and literally just woke up,” he says, pushing his hair back. “It’d be weird if I went in.”

“Oh, come on, this subject’s not that hard.” You pull his arm, dragging him into the classroom. “Worst case, we do that trick we used in elementary school.”

“They’re gonna think I’m the janitor.”

“He hasn’t seen you that little, don’t be dramatic.” You burst out laughing as you pull him toward a seat.

You sit him next to you, ready to seize even the tiniest opportunity to let him copy from your exam. The panic in his eyes becomes almost tangible the moment the professor says to open your laptops instead of handing out paper sheets.

“Give me one of your feathers.”

And let’s not even talk about how his soul visibly leaves his body when the professor asks everyone to separate. He’s done.

Or that’s what he thinks.

“You gonna miss me that much?” he asks while standing up, with the professor eyeing him seriously. Then he raises his hands in mock surrender, and you barely have time to react before a reddish feather lands in your hand, just as he walks off to another seat.

Once the exam starts, you can’t help but smile at the brilliance —and mischief— of your plan. When the first question appears on your screen, you select option “B” on the laptop, then trace the same letter with your thumb on the feather.

A cough echoes through the room, and when you turn, you spot the blond: cheeks completely red, wide smile, as he marks the answer you just gave him.

And so the exam goes on, bit by bit, calmly answering every question that shows up on the screen. When you reach the last one, you answer it and leave the classroom, slipping the feather into your pocket. A couple of minutes later, your best friend comes out too.

“Relax, I got a few wrong on purpose so it wouldn’t be too obvious,” he says as the feather flutters back to his back. “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

“Because it’s still cheating.” After pointing out the obvious, he rolls his eyes and grins. He lifts off the ground just slightly, flying low, and places himself in front of you. He stares at you with those bright eyes and a teasing smile on his lips.

“I promise I’ll catch up… But since when do you care about cheating?” He steps closer, grinning, and leans against the wall beside you. “As far as I know, on a Friday, February 5th, two years ago, someone used a tiny piece of paper hidden in a pencil case for the history exam…”

“There’s no way you remember the exact date,” you say, confident.

“No. But… here comes that little smile of yours…” You punch his arm while doing exactly what he predicted. “There it is. Someone’s feeling a little aggressive today. Want me to make you some tea? Carry your bag?”

His feathers float toward your backpack, lifting it up to ease your burden. That’s when a tremendously sweet scent passes by your side. The long, dark waves of her hair bounce softly with each firm step. Her legs —model tier, really— carry her body in such a mesmerizing way it feels like a hypnotism show. Even you catch yourself staring. How wouldn’t he?

Especially when her hand lands gently on his shoulder, with a smile so perfectly white it belongs in a commercial. “Hey, how are you guys doing?” And when she speaks, you notice it’s a genuine question. She’s not saying it out of politeness, or just to look good in front of Keigo. She waits patiently, with kindness in her eyes, for your reply.

“Uh… Fine. All good. And you, Aohara?”

“Well, moving forward. I’m glad you’re doing well.” Her pretty blue eyes shift toward your best friend, and you notice a subtle squeeze on his shoulder. “I’m sure you’ve already heard, but the art club is organizing…”

Hane Aohara; the walking embodiment of perfection at the university. One of those people who reaches for so much it seems overwhelming, yet somehow, her eyes never stop shining. As the head of the art club and the student council president, she spends her days running around, creating beautiful spaces that everyone enjoys. You have no idea how she finds time for it all, considering she has the best grades of her class in nearly everything.

Besides being talented and brilliant, she treats everyone with kindness and empathy. A supernova of beauty that would dazzle anyone. And no, before you ask, of course you’re not jealous. You just like to point out how magnificently perfect she is.

“So? Will you be coming?” And… you weren’t listening.

“Of course,” he answers for you, so you just nod slowly and smile, pretending to agree —and you do it almost as convincingly as Keigo pretends to pay attention in class—.

“Great. I’m really excited to see you both there. See you!”

“Bye!” you wave —while she winks at him—, then turn to him. “Uh…”

“Are you about to ask me to go with you? Because I need to let you kn-…”

“I’m about to ask what I just agreed to… with full awareness,” you cut him off mid-sentence, with a teasing look.

He can’t help but let out a small laugh at your sarcasm, crossing his arms. “You weren’t paying attention at all, poor girl.” He sighs and rolls his eyes jokingly. “They’re organizing a prom. She said it’s a great chance for some ring by spring action and…”

“That’s that thing where couples propose before graduation, right? I doubt anyone’s actually doing that.”

“Why not?”

“Because these people are more afraid of commitment than they are of finals. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a beautiful gesture, but have you seen the greenhouse plants? How are they gonna take care of a relationship lasting more than three months if those petunias look like death?”

A little grin escapes his lips as he shakes his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose softly.

“Smart pretty girl shutting my mouth ahh moment.”

“Shut up,” you say, laughing as you walk down the hallway. He doesn’t answer, but follows you with that smug little smile that says more than words. “So… you said you wanted to go with me?” Just to keep things interesting.

“No,” he answers quickly. Maybe too quickly. So much so that your heart sinks a little. “I’m going with Hane.”

And you weren’t expecting that, so you don’t even try to hide your surprise. He seems to notice and tries to fix it immediately.

“But apparently one of her friends doesn’t have a date yet, maybe you could ask him.” You nod at his words, not really listening.

Of course, he knows you well enough to spot that little wrinkle between your brows, and changes the subject quickly. “Why don’t we go to the greenhouse and check on those petunias?” he asks, nudging you gently with his elbow, knowing how happy that place makes you.

You had always considered it your safe space. Flowers are one of your biggest passions, and you knew so much about them that Keigo wouldn’t be the first to call you intense, overwhelming, or even weird.

But he never did. Every time you spoke, he’d get that soft little smile, nodding patiently, even leaning on his hand like he was listening to the most fascinating story. And sometimes, you’d swear there was a spark in his eyes.

Although, honestly, you knew it was probably just your heart talking.

“You zoned out so hard I just heard the Windows logoff sound.”

“Hm?” You look at him, not quite catching what he said, and then you realize you’ve been lost in your thoughts again. When you look up, the large green leaves tell you you’ve reached the greenhouse faster than you expected. And your friend’s smirk says everything about your current expression.

Yeah… Did I forget to mention how often you get lost in your head?

Your eyes catch a pair of flowers in the distance, practically screaming at you with their vibrant color, and you can’t help but squeal in excitement.

“The violets have bloomed!”

You take off running without thinking, your shoes lifting up a bit of dust as you cross the room. You crouch quickly, brushing your fingers gently over the petals like they’re made of glass.

You inhale their scent, softly, and trust that your best friend will come the moment you call him. “Come, smell.”

As soon as he reaches your side, he mirrors your movements, slowly —though his expression is kind of weird at first—. You laugh at the way his nose scrunches, and gently push the flower away from him.

“At first, it might seem too sweet.”

“Exactly what I was gonna say. My nostrils are gone.”

“Did you know violets close up when it rains?”

“Like you with sad movies?” You grab the water sprayer and aim it at him with mock hardness. His brows lift with curiosity, eyes still on the purple petals.

“God forbid women have feelings.”

You watch as he bends down with a laugh to smell a lower flower. Then he looks up at you from below, with a goofy smile—so, naturally, you spray him with water.

“Hey! Traitor!”

“Your fault.”

And although you went to the greenhouse every chance you had, weeks later the petunias still look just as dead.

You didn’t have much time, due to your finals. And without care, everything fade.

The sad part is, you could say the same about your relationship with Takami.

You never thought you’d be the kind of girl who feels awkward watching the popular one laugh beside your best friend. But you do feel it: a knot in your stomach every time you see them together. And you’re not afraid to admit it, because you know it’s not jealousy; it’s just… disappointment.

Ever since he told you he was going with her to the party, you’ve been pulling away.

And you don’t want to admit it, but you’ve been trying to distance yourself. To forget what you feel for him. That way, maybe it’ll hurt less.

You want to hold space for yourself, to take care of yourself. And though you haven’t said anything, he respects it. His schedule helps, too —apparently, he’s finally decided to start studying for the remaining exams—. Luckily, he’s smart enough that it won’t take him much effort.

The distance does you good. You don’t have to hide how you feel or pretend you don’t care. You just acknowledge your feelings and trust that they’ll fade with time. When he cancels plans because of “prom prep” or “sound checks,” you just make a mental note and move on.

But here you are, watching Hane laugh with that beautiful laugh, next to your best friend. Who, by the way, seems to have become her official accessory, despite being so busy. Like a limpet —but with a heartbeat.

You know those stolen glances filled with secrets and sparks aren’t doing you any good if you’re still hoping for him to be something more. So, you decide it’s time to move on. Or… try to.

And what better way than by inviting someone else to the dance?

Okay, maybe not the best idea, but it’s the only one that doesn’t end with you eating ice cream at home. And after all, according to Hane, he didn’t have a date yet, right?

So you walk up to that green-eyed guy —who, as it turns out, is the party’s DJ— and ask if he’d like to go with you. After a few seconds of surprise, he nods quickly and smiles.

The glances have increased, unlike the words. Keigo watches you from the corner of his eye in class, in the hallways, and every time he talks to Aohara, you feel like you have four eyes on you.

And you definitely didn’t expect to break the silence in such a special place, but as you step into the greenhouse, you can’t ignore the large red wings at the end of the path.

He doesn’t usually spend much time there, but you’ve seen him wandering around to check on the flowers before. You used to think he did it to take care of them for you.

You walk closer, just in time to see him pouring fresh soil over those wilted buds.

“They made you feel bad too?”

You’re pretty sure that if the drama club students had seen that dramatic gasp, they’d have given him a standing ovation, because you nearly lost your eardrums.

After a few comedic seconds, Keigo falls back onto his hands, catching sight of your legs. You watch as his eyes slowly travel upward, and he greets you with a soft smile.

“Oops.”

“How are you?”

“Huh?” He scratches the back of his neck before standing up with your help. You lift your gaze slightly, meeting those long eyes. “Good, uh… busy. And you?”

He takes a step back, and you realize just how cold the conversation has become. Maybe, after all, it’s better if everything stays unsaid. Confessing your feelings to someone who clearly doesn’t feel the same would only make your last weeks together awkward.

“Good. Busy too.”

Behind your words hides the aching need to grab his arms and ask him not to leave, to beg him to say he feels the same.

But no, you have to stay mature. Grounded.

“Um… Well. See you.” So that’s all he says before nodding with his head down and walking out of the greenhouse.

Weeks later, you don’t go back there. Instead, you cross the campus toward the university gym that prom night. Colorful lights stream out the wide windows in every direction—probably blinding some poor bird flying past.

You’d thought about going with the DJ since, after all, he was your date for the event, but he had to be there an hour early for the sound check. And you weren’t about to stand there alone, stuck between your beloved winged best friend and his beautiful date.

So, what better option than falling asleep on the couch and arriving half an hour late? Perfect.

And of course, you only realize it now when the doors are shut right in front of you.

The worst part? You know exactly who you have to call to get them opened again.

After ignoring his last five messages asking if you were coming, the shame is enough to make you want to melt into the sidewalk.

Keigo (5): “u coming?” “this dj just played a song with ur name.” “r u okay?” “no way, there’s grape juice.” “it’s ur favorite, aren’t u coming?”

You bite your lip and call him. One ring. Two. Three.

Your heart skips a beat when you hear his voice.

“Sorry, I’m not interested in changing phone companies.”

You roll your eyes, relieved that, after all, he’s still the same.

“Keigo?” you ask, on the other end of the line, while looking up at the moon in the sky. A silence much louder than you would like follows.

“I’m at the door. It’s locked… and I need someone to let me in.”

The pause stretches on. You can hear the party in the background, distorted by the music. Then you hear that lovely voice, closer now.

“You’re here.”

“Yeah… um… sorry I’m late, I kinda-”

But you don’t even need to say anything before the sound of the music fades on the other end of the line, and you swear you can hear his smile through the words.

“I’m flying.”

And he hangs up. You stay there in silence, feeling your heartbeat in your fingers, your cheeks, your stomach... Barely a minute later, the door opens and he looks at you with a hint of surprise in his eyes. Hair tousled, wings tucked like he just landed, and that smile that knocks the breath out of you.

He’s wearing a spotless black suit, with a small violet in the front pocket of his jacket.

“Hey,” he says, as if no time had passed and as if you hadn’t ignored his messages. When he notices your gaze on his chest, he follows it, then smiles nervously. “Don’t worry, it’s plastic. Not from the greenhouse. I’m not a murderer.”

He takes your hand to lead you in, but he doesn’t say anything as you walk down the hallway. Only the muffled music through the walls, the lights spinning on the ceiling, and your steps trying to keep pace with his.

“So… asleep, huh?” he asks, not looking at you, trying to play it off lightly.

“Yeah, I… didn’t set an alarm.”

He nods slowly, then turns to you with a teasing glint in his eye.

“Ah, right. Of course. Who doesn’t take a nap at seven p.m. wearing their prom dress? You look great, by the way.”

You try not to laugh, but a smile escapes the corner of your lips. Had you missed talking to him so much that you were walking slower on purpose down the tiny hallway?

“You’re not left behind. And what have you been doing all this endless time without my marvelous presence?”

“Me?” He shakes his head like you just said something ridiculous. “Please… I’ve been studying the local ecosystem. The habitat of high-heeled creatures is fascinating.”

You raise an eyebrow at him.

“Is that your way of saying you’ve been checking every girl out?”

“It’s my way of saying my feet hurt from walking in circles looking for you.”

Thwip! An arrow shoots through your heart in a second —though, thanks to him, it was already full of holes—.

“HEEEY!! THERE YOU ARE!! I thought you were coming earlier!” shouts the green eyed DJ, walking noisily through the door.

“Takami, Aohara’s looking for you… she’s saying something about…”

Keigo pats his pockets, a slightly panicked expression on his face.

“Yes! Yes, I’m going with her! Hey, gorgeous, have a drink for me? I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

He gives your shoulder two quick pats with a nervous smile before rushing back inside.

You’re left staring at the door that just closed behind him, with a dull thud that feels more like a goodbye than a short break. Was he joking?

The noise of the place fades into the background as your thoughts race through your head like a Formula 1 car.

Where was Takami going? What did Aohara want? Everything feels like it’s moving too fast tonight—like you’re the only one who has no idea what’s going on.

And maybe… you are.

“Um… If you want to go with him, then you should.”

“Sorry?”

“I mean, I don’t want to butt into whatever’s going on between you two… but trust me, babe.”

The DJ talks. His bright smile matches his white suit, and after what he just said, his blond hair practically glows like a halo. He doesn’t say it with malice—just with a clear, gentle honesty.

You ask something unintelligible in a voice much lower than you intended, feeling your fingers tighten around the seam of your dress. He tilts his head—because it was hard to catch a single word when you spoke in that tiny voice— but you don’t need to repeat yourself, because he opens the door and lets you in.

To what could be the worst thing you’ve ever done… or what might save this disastrous prom night.

“Maybe after this, your paths will part. It is your graduation, after all. Don’t miss the chance.”

Suddenly, everything feels heavy. The jokes, the laughter, that tension that’s always been there but that you’ve always chosen to ignore. Though now, in some way, you feel more ready. Was it your foolish hope? Or that violet he wore on his suit?

Once you step through the door, you don’t see the DJ sending a proud message through his phone, having fulfilled his mission.

The music is loud, pounding in your ears almost as hard as the thudding of your heart. And to make things worse, the first thing you see as you step over the threshold is Keigo, standing with Aohara. She’s handing him something, and he nods with a smile while listening to her, excited.

Even though the girl is probably yelling for him to hear her, you feel like you can’t even hear your own thoughts. As soon as she spots you, the golden-eyed boy turns toward you —with more nervousness than you expected— and she pushes him in your direction.

“Keigo, I have to-”

“WHAT?” he exclaims, frowning.

“I HAVE TO-!”

“I CAN’T UNDERSTAND A THING YOU’RE SAYING!” he shouts, speaking slowly, exaggerating each word like you’re at speech therapy.

Fed up with trying, you grab his arm and pull him outside the building, far enough from the music so he can finally hear you. When you turn back to him, you see a little smile playing on his lips.

“You lasted less at the party than a commercial break. But honestly, I appreciate it, I couldn’t tell if you were speaking Japanese or if I was having a stro-”

“Takami.”

And he goes dead silent, as if you’d flipped a switch in him just by saying his last name.

“Look… Today… I realized a lot of things. No, not today- every day these past few weeks. Actually- I’m lying, I’ve known for a long time…”

You take a breath, trying to straighten out your thoughts once and for all. That happy expression on his face —the one you’ve seen all night— doesn’t fade.

“Look, I don’t want to seem stupid, or dramatic, or ruin our friendship… But… Wait, look- do you remember that day I found you in the greenhou-...?”

You pause for a few seconds, his smile starting to make you sway slightly on your heels. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing, nothing, go on,” he says, folding his arms across his chest and tapping his foot lightly on the ground. “Tell me how amazing I am.”

“Whatever, uh… when we were in the greenhouse- what are you doing now?”

He can’t help but laugh. While you were speaking again, he had started to kneel down, pretending to struggle to stay upright.

“Sorry, I’m just old, I need to lean on something.”

“This is serious, idiot,” you say, trying to keep a straight face, but it’s impossible not to laugh at his nonsense. And even more so because, through the fog of confusion and shyness, you start to feel where this is all heading.

“I know,” he murmurs, before pulling a box from his pocket.

And finally, you fall silent.

And finally, he speaks.

“Ring by spring, I guess,” he says, tilting his head, showing you the ring with a false confidence on his face betrayed by his trembling hands. “You know I really do take care of the petunias.”

“Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m not?”

“You almost never are.”

“I am now.”

“And Hane?”

“My accomplice.”

“What?”

Okay, hold on, pause. You weren’t understanding anything. Aohara was his accomplice?

And little by little, your mind starts connecting the dots. Had they been hanging out so much just to plan all of this?

“Look, the idea was to confess at the party, with your favorite song, but someone was late,” he says, raising his eyebrows as a few feathers float around your head, pointing at you. “Then I go out, thinking it’s the perfect moment, and Hane calls me to say I left the ring back there. Hey, since when do I talk more than you? I’m not nervous, okay?”

He blurts everything out in an anxious monologue, but you still had more questions.

“And why didn’t you accept coming with me?”

“Where’s the surprise in that?”

You look at him with a frown. After a few seconds of total silence, you ask:

“Are you stupid?”

And his response is immediate:

“Okay, okay. Maybe it wasn’t the best plan. But if I had said yes, it would’ve been impossible to set everything up. Wouldn’t you have suspected something?”

You stare at him, stunned, taking a bit longer to answer.

“Uh… You’re asking if I would suspect my best friend was about to propose to me? No.”

“So… is that a no?”

“No!”

“No, as in not no? Or no, you don’t want to marry me?”

“Don’t say it like that, it sounds too intense.”

“Well, it is intense. So… is it a no?”

“It’s a yes. But only if you ask properly.”

You see the excitement return to his lips. Feathers drift from his back and land gently under your hand. They lift it softly, until it’s right in front of his eyes.

“My dearest love of my life…”

You laugh at how overly sweet he’s suddenly gotten.

“I want to spend my whole life by your side. I want to tell our grandkids how you used to help me cheat on exams, how I flew you across campus just to have you clinging to my chest in terror because of your fear of heights…”

And the excitement in your eyes is quite the same as it is in his.

“I don’t have wings unless it’s with you. Will you let me fly by your side for the rest of my days, and take care of you like the most beautiful flower in my garden?”

For a moment, the world seems to stop. The air between you vibrates with the tenderness of his words, with that teasing tone he always has, but also with a deep sincerity. You looked at him —truly looked, beyond his beautiful face— and felt as if your heart knew that, no matter how chaotic the world was, the place in front of you was home.

All that doubt you had carried vanished as you gently caressed his face and let him slide the ring onto your finger.

“I’m all yours, Mr. Darcy wannabe.”

¡! ❞ masterlist mha.

¡! ❞ little note; Hey everyone! I hope you're having a good day. I present to you the longest one shot I've done so far, but I had an idea that I couldn't miss, all thanks to this nice anon. I hope it reaches them and you can read and enjoy it. I'm sorry that it took me so long <3 Thank you for being so nice btw!

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