"Do you want to go out?"

"E-eh...?"

He had meant it as a prank. So Tsukishima Kei was left dumbfounded when you had accepted his love confession. Wasn't it common sense not to take anything seriously on April first?

Apparently not for you.

Tsukishima sighed for the umpteenth time that day. You were his childhood friend, a person who had stuck with him through the thick and thin. And perhaps he liked you just a little bit. Just a little. But that was the main reason why he had never made the move to try to change your relationship. He had been terrified at the thought of rejection or breaking up, that it would ruin the friendship the two of you shared.

So why the heck had you said yes?

Never, in his entire life, did the blond think that you saw him that way. Or was your reply also simply a prank?

From that moment on, for confusing him and making him unable to concentrate on anything else, Tsukishima Kei absolutely hated April Fools Day.

A happy smile was present on your lips as you skipped down the hallways to your classroom. When you reach it, you slam open the door and run immediately to Tsukishima's desk.

"Good morning, Kei~!" You sing, grinning widely as you wrap your arms around his neck. Tsukishima gives you his signature smirk.

"Good morning."

"Hey, Kei! Are you free after school tomorrow...?"

"I have club activities."

"O-oh yeah..." You pause to think for a bit.

"Can we walk home together?"

Tsukishima shoots you a look.

"I just said I have-"

"But I'll wait for you. That should be fine, right?"

You clap your hands together and grin at him. Tsukishima sighs and rests his head on his hand, turning away from you.

"...Do as you wish."

"Yay~!"

x x x

After school, you waited by the shoe lockers patiently for Tsukishima to finish up club activities. A happy smile on your face, you placed your hands to your cheeks, trying to diminish the grin. As the clock ticks by, you stand there, ecstatic. After thirty minutes, you suddenly decide to go watch the blond play volleyball, since you haven't watched him play in a while.

A merry hum escapes your lips as you turn and skip towards the gym.

Tsukishima Kei was becoming extremely irked by his team mates. They had teased him nonstop ever since he entered the gym. He was able to put up with it for the first thirty minutes of practice, but after that half an hour, he was becoming annoyed.

"Tsukishima is actually capable of liking somebody? Wow...and I thought he was just a sarcastic bastard."

"Tsukki isn't a sarcastic bastard!"

"Nobody asked you, Yamaguchi."

"O-oh...Sorry...!"

"So, so, Tsukishima. You should tell us how you confessed-"

"Shut the hell up!" The blond nearly screamed, throwing the volleyball down on the floor in frustration. "In the first place, I never meant to ask her out! I just thought it would be funny if I played an April Fool's joke on her! But who would have expected that girl to actually take me seriously-"

The door creaks open, and the gym immediately becomes silent. Tsukishima turns and finds you standing in the doorway, your eyes wide. It didn't take a genius to figure out that you had heard what he said.

"A-ah...a prank..."

You ducked your head down, using your hair to effectively hide your face.

"I-I see...I thought something was strange from the beginning. So that's what it was...Of course, you would never ask me out..."

"H-hey, (First Name)-"

Your head jerked up at the sound of his voice.

"Kei, you idiot! Jerk! Imbecile! Go away and die!"

Then, you turned, and ran out of the gym.

x x x

You heard footsteps following closely behind you, and you urged your feet to move faster. You were crying, and showing your tears to your childhood friend was probably the last thing you wanted to do.

You raced out of the school, down the sidewalk, past the many students who were going home from club activities. You kept running, and you refused to stop. You were almost at the neighborhood park, when a hand suddenly enclosed your arm, pulling you back into Tsukishma's chest.

"Finally...caught...you..." The megane panted. The two of you stayed like that for a while, trying to catch your breath.

"L-let go of me...!" You pushed against Tsukishima, only to have him wrap his arms around you, enclosing your small frame.

"Bad girl. You're not supposed to run."

"Shut up...!"

You looked up at him, tears streaming down your face, your eyes narrowed in anger. Tsukishima stopped.

He always hated seeing you cry.

"(First Name), listen to me-"

"No, you listen to me, you absolute jerk! How could you do something like this? How could you play around with my feelings? I thought you were being serious! Just because of a stupid little holiday you- you...!"

He stared at you, stunned.

"I've liked you for so long! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me when you kept teasing me about being unable to get a boyfriend? Or trying to hook me up with other random boys that I don't even know? Do you have any idea how much that hurt, Kei?!"

"Shut up."

"I don't need you to keep teasing me about being unfeminine! I get that I don't act like a girl! So what? That doesn't mean I am incapable of liking someone! And it certainly doesn't give you an excuse to tell me just how much better at cooking you are than I am!"

"Shut up...!"

"I may be taller than the average girl, I may not have some big chest, but that doesn't mean I'm male, Kei! Why can't you just understand that? It's not like I chose to grow up this way-"

"The one that was having a hard time was me."

You stopped, and looked up at the blond. You give a watery smile, and place your hands on your hips.

"Just what makes you think that, Tsukishima Kei?"

"Why do you think I teased you? Why do you think I always told you that you were unfeminine? How many boys do you think I had to warn because they got too close to you...?"

"K-Kei...?"

"Just how long...do you think I've liked you?"

"E-eh...?"

You look up at him, and he looks down at you, as stoic as ever.

"Stop kidding around."

"But I'm not."

You chuckle, a bit warily.

"But you are."

"No, I am not.

"Then I must be dreaming."

Tsukishima smirks.

"And why might that be?"

You laugh.

"The sarcastic prince just confessed to me."

"And...?"

You snort.

"There's no way you're serious, Kei."

Tsukishima grins, and grabs your shoulders, before he leans in.

Millimeters away from your lips, he whispers.

"Would you like to test that theory...?"