Love in Two Sentences or Less

Satsuki can’t believe what her oldest friend has just told her. They’re standing in an empty classroom, and he’s just confessed his love for her.

Daiki turns away, looking out of the window. He seems annoyed at himself. It had just slipped out, and now he punched himself mentally.

“Dai-chan, I…” Satsuki finally says, trying to break the silence.

“Sorry, it was stupid for me to say anything.” He picks up his bag, ready to run.

“Wait!”

He stops, turning to her.

“I’m giving you a challenge. I’ll go on a date with you if you meet the requirements.”

Daiki raises an eyebrow. This wasn’t what he expected would happen when he accidentally told his life-long friend he was hopelessly in love with her.

“First, you attend practice regularly.”

Daiki winces, but if it gets him closer to Satsuki, then he’ll do it.

“Secondly, get me to fall in love with you in two sentences. Or less.”

Daiki blinks. What kind of challenge is that? Two sentences?

Satsuki smiles at him. “I’ll give you multiple opportunities. Don’t worry about messing up. I’ll tell you when you can stop. Think about it for a while.”

She leaves, and Daiki stands there, wondering what kind of a challenge he has just been given.

Attending practice regularly is easy. There’s a few raised eyebrows, but he doesn’t answer any questions on why he’s suddenly interested in basketball again. He manages to find ways to distract himself to the boredom, and soon practice becomes almost a habit.

Satsuki hasn’t let up on her second condition. That’s the real challenge. Daiki wonders how he can achieve it.

They go to each other’s house all the time. Daiki borrows and reads a few of Satsuki’s romance novels, wondering if they’ll give him any idea, but instead he finds angry scribbles in the margins about how women are mistreated and how the relationships are entirely unhealthy. He goes back to square one.

Satsuki, meanwhile, seems to try to talk about Tetsuya less around him. Daiki can tell she still likes Kuroko, but she’s trying to let him know he has a chance if he can meet the challenge.

He brings her cherries all the time. He’s always brought her some, but now he brings her some every week. He likes them, but not as much as Satsuki seems to.

He avoids speaking about frogs. She captures a bee that gets into his apartment and releases it, since he is terrified of the insect.

Yet, he is making no progress on making Satsuki fall in love with him in two sentences or less.

They’re watching a movie, and he goes to get her a glass of water. He bangs his head against the wall on the way back to the couch, and she’s there, examining it.

“I’m fine, Satsuki, I just wasn’t paying attention.”

“So much you forgot there was a wall in your way, Dai-chan. What were you doing?”

He doesn’t answer. He’s spent this past month and a half trying to figure out a way to get Satsuki to fall in love with him in two sentences. She purses her lips when he remains silent.

They go back to watching the movie.

He’s alone in the house one day. Satsuki’s gone off to do something, and his parents are somewhere. He thinks back to grade school, and one of the days they went to the local park.

He hears them teasing Momoi as she watches them play basketball.

Suddenly, he drops the ball. He can’t stand it any longer. He marches over there. Satsuki is beginning to cry, and the other boys are laughing.

“Get away from her! Leave her alone!” He shouts, forcing his way through the other boys, and standing next to Satsuki.

The other boys raise their eyebrows. “Why are you defending her?”

Satsuki grabs his hand, and he grips it tightly. He stands there, protecting her. They are only ten years old, but he knows this is something huge that he must stop now, or it will come back to bite him.

“She has just as much of a right to be here as anyone else.” He states.

“If you want her here, you can’t play with us anymore.” The leader of their group says.

“Fine.” He turns. “Come on, Satsuki.”

They leave the basketball court, walking across the park.

“Dai-chan, you didn’t have to do that.” She finally says.

“Yes I did.” He turns back to look at the basketball court and snorts. “They weren’t even good players.”

One day, he just can’t do it anymore. It’s been three months since the challenge was given to him. He goes to see Satsuki in private. They meet up in an empty classroom, the same one where he confessed his feelings.

“Remember in grade school, at the park? The day the other kids our age told you to stop watching?”

Satsuki nods, confused.

“Well, I want to tell you something. I loved you then and I wanted to protect you. Even if you don’t love me, I’ll always love you and protect you from anyone who wants to hurt you. I can’t do this challenge anymore, Satsuki, to make you fall in love with me in two sentences. I think about it all day, and I just can’t do it.”

Satsuki blinks. Daiki gets up, ready to go. He picks up his bag, when he hears that word again.

“Wait.”

He turns.

“You did it. In one sentence.”

He looks at her, confused.

“Dai-chan, even if you don’t love me, I’ll always love you.” She smiles. “I feel the same way.”

Daiki blinks.

“I do believe the requirement was two sentences or less, and since you have passed, there’s a movie coming out I’d like to see. I’ll buy the popcorn if you buy the tickets.”Satsuki smiles broadly, and he realizes she’s serious.

Grinning, he pulls her into a bear hug. She hugs him back.

Suddenly there’s a laugh from the closet. They pull apart and Aomine whirls. Throwing open the door, he sees Imayoshi hitting Wakamatsu on the head, and Sakurai looking terribly sorry to be there.

“Okay, when I asked Satsuki if I could meet her in private, I thought I said ‘In private’.” Daiki growls, but it’s a friendly growl.

Imayoshi rolls his eyes. “It could have been if Wakamatsu wasn’t an idiot. Just make sure that even though you’ve gotten what you wanted, you still come to practice regularly.” Imayoshi steps out of the closet and pulls the other two spies out with him.

Satsuki shoos them out of the room. “So, you’ll buy the tickets?” She says once they’re gone.

“Yeah. After school on Friday?” Daiki asks.

She smiles, pushing her hair back. “That’s as good as any time.” Then she steps closer to him, taking his hand. She picks up her own bag and they walk to her home, as they always do on Wednesdays. But this isn’t a normal Wednesday. Instead of chatting as they usually do, they are almost completely silent, and holding hands.

It’s a good day.

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