Struck

21st Strike

//Misaki

"WHAT?!"

His serious face flushed and he finally let out the laugh he's been holding.

"Yo u r  fa c e-" he needed to sit down to calm himself but he's still laughing so hard.

I'm so done with Tora tricking me!

I put my hands on the arm of the chair. He finally stopped laughing. I inched even closer and his face red face from laughing got even redder.

"What are you doing?"

I inched closer and whispered, "payback," then our foreheads clashed. "Stupid Tora, stop playing games. We still have a groom to abduct."

I left the room with him clutching his face. That might cause a bump and I hope that reminds him not to joke like that again.

That wasn't good.

I'm gonna get Usui back to free him from his family but the other reason than his freedom keeps on getting shaken.

I really need a good talk with Usui to settle this even if that means I get a little selfish.

//Tora

I need to hold back on teasing Ayuzawa from now on. She gives mean headbutts.

I felt someone enter the room then heard a camera shutter.

"My baby tiger's getting manhandled by his crush. Am I a bad mother for liking this?"

I grunted, "Mom, please stop teasing me. Also, Ayuzawa has someone else. We won't happen."

"We don't know the future for certain," I felt something cold on my forehead. "My advice right now is to keep being a gentleman but also take any chance you can to shake her heart."

"I wouldn't wanna confuse her, Mom."

"If she's confused then that means you have a chance," she kneeled down in front of me. "You'll take responsibility when she chooses you, right?"

"Whole-heartedly... but I'd prefer not to make her choose. It's gonna be painful. I don't want to put her through that."

"You'd rather leave the both of you living with what ifs? That's even more painful."

"It's not fair to Usui, Mom."

"Well, he probably knows the situation. He shouldn't have left such a wonderful lady alone."

"He didn't have a choice. Why are we even arguing about this?"

"He made a choice and he probably trusted Misaki or he trusted you or maybe he trusted you both to do what's good for you," she caressed my face with her free hand. "I just want you to be happy and I think it's fairer for all of you if you stop acting like your hands are tied when it isn't."

She handed me the ice pack and walked away.

That's a lot to think about but first, I have to help Misaki aduct a groom, as legally as possible.