Scale - Tsukishima Kei

Chapter 5

"Let's study together from now on."

"Stop it." I repeat for the third time, quickly walking past the guy.

"Debu stop walking away from me or I'll tie you up." Tsukishima says, and I let out a quiet sigh.

"Tsukishima-Kun, if someone sees us then I'll probably get beat up again. Please leave me alone." I frown, looking at my shoes.

"That's why you call me, dummy." I hear him scoff. "Seriously, we haven't talked in a week and now that we do, you want me to stop?"

"You're the one who told me not to talk to you at school." I finally meet his eyes. They're still blank, no emotion in them whatsoever.

Yeah, after we kissed he went on this rant about how we aren't friends and that we shouldn't talk during school so people don't get the wrong idea. So I took it as not talking to him at all.

"Well it's after school now, and everyone has gone home. I don't have practice today either, so let's go study." He starts to walk off, and for some reason I immediately follow him.

"You can't just invite yourself into my home all the time" I say once we walk off campus.

"You have no friends, you should be glad someone wants to go to your home." He scoffs and I lower my gaze.

"I'm sorry." I mumble and he turns around, making us both stop walking.

"Don't apologize when someone is being mean to you." He says, as if he wasn't the one who was just being mean.

"Just don't be mean then." I counter, and Tsukishima takes a few steps forward until he's right in front of me. He places his hand on my head and I wince, expecting the worse, but he instead just ruffles my hair.

"Look at you, finally speaking your mind." He says, and I look up at him. "Ooh, you're even looking at me? You're brave!" He teases.

"That's because it's you." I frown. "I don't know...I just feel more comfortable with you. I feel like I can say whatever, and you won't get as mad as everyone else normally would."

"Careful there, I might take that as a confession." He teases and I look away.

Well...I do like him. I don't know why though. He's still mean. He's just not as mean. Hah..falling for the first guy to show a bit of sympathy?

"Don't." I respond, walking past him to continue the journey of going home.

The rest of the way to my house is silent, and I wouldn't have known Tsukishima was still behind me if it weren't for the sound of his shoes hitting the ground every time he took a step.

"We're here." I mumble, pushing open my front door.

"Obviously." He mumbles as we take off our shoes.

"Stop being so...so-"

"Salty?" He fills in the blank and I sigh. It wasn't the word I was looking for, but I suppose it does fit.

"I guess." I sigh.

"That's what a lot of people call me." At this, I look up at him in surprise.

"People call you names?" I ask, and his eyebrows furrow.

"No. I'm not unlikeable like you." He responds and my shoulders drop, looking away from him at that.

"Oh. R-Right. Um, I have to go shower. So just help yourself to whatever if you're hungry." I say before quickly leaving, running upstairs to my room.

Unlikeable. That's what I am.

I strip of my clothes, getting into the shower and quickly soaping my body.