Things That Were Never Meant: UnOrdinary (Arlo x John)

Chapter 24

His father never asked nor confronted him, but John just knows. From the pained look from his father's eyes at that night, he could tell that he knew.

John didn't have the heart to say everything, nor was there a need to tell everything.

He prefers it that way. Speaking about it would only hurt his father, and he doesn't want to hurt and worry him more than he already has, especially when he's already back in New Bostin.

He can just forget about everything. As if they never happened, as if the cracks weren't there to begin with.

Starting anew and running away... Although, the feeling wasn't really the same as before.

His father said that he needed a break from school, but it was John's decision to drop-out instead.

He never really had any dreams.

Someone like him can't dream... Since he's doomed to fail.

Still, he's thankful for his father for allowing him to believe that he could live a normal life. He knew that his father only wishes the best for him but, it's just, the best isn't what John deserves.

A week has passed since he returned to New Bostin, and his days here aren't really bad.

He had most of his time for himself, and there were no schoolworks. He gets to dine with his father, work-out, as well as to watch some movies and shows with him during nights.

Here, he didn't have to endure their stares- he didn't have to ignore their gossips, and he doesn't have to see Arlo everyday.

To be honest, everything here is more than he could ever deserve. Even if it's just a false wall of comfort and peace, it should be okay... right?

Because no matter where he goes, he's going to be haunted by pain.

Even if he close his eyes, or even if he goes somewhere far away- he's going to feel it, he's going to remember it again and again. He'll always be a monster, and he deserved everything that had happened to him.

But, feeling at 'peace', and spending time with his father like this... Can he have nice things?

Does he deserve nice things?

He feels guilty.

He's laughing with his father over some shallow jokes, but it felt wrong. His father tells him that it's okay taking a break and being kind to yourself, but John knows that he doesn't deserve any of that.

And earlier, his father told him that it's not his fault.

John acted like he didn't heard anything, redirecting the topic on his father's current novel instead.

But his father kept staring at him, looking really concerned. John's expression was slippping, and his voice wavered.

He doesn't want this talk to come becaus he knows that it's not true. He's only saying it because he's his son, but John shouldn't believe them.

John is a monster, and everything is just his punishment for all of the people he's hurt.

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Since Arlo would be graduating in months, he focuses on his school performance and duties as a king, similar to what he always did before he learned about John's existence.

Wellston remains undefeated at turf wars, but he only accepts challenges. He no longer sees the point on challenging other schools.

Arlo may be stronger than them, but he knows that he's far from being the strongest. It doesn't give him the same satisfaction as it once did.

After John left Wellston, he tried getting into his old ways, focusing on order and hierarchy- or rather, order and change.

Remi didn't want any students to experience the same, so she was reigning the same way as Rei once did. Arlo's threats were still feared by the students, so therefore, he wouldn't call his method the same as hers nor Rei's.

It took Seraphina a month to get her ability back thanks to her sister's help. After getting her abilities, she was once again enforcing order, this time, implementing change, so that low-tiers wouldn't experience as they did before.

Earning her trust wasn't easy, knowing that he's hurt John a lot of times before. Well, she had a reason to be wary. After Arlo revealed the terrible things he's done to John, her reaction is to be expected. And since she assumes John to be a cripple, her hate was even worse.

Sometimes, Arlo wonders if she's still in contact with John but, it would be too shameless for him to ask.

Is he doing better?

One month probably isn't a lot of time to heal, but someday, he hopes that John eould no longer be in pain.

He tries not to think about him, but it was impossible not to. He never really understood why John didn't liked using his abilities.

If John only had been here during the time when Rei was still the king, would things turn out differently? Would he have posed as a cripple for as long as he did?

If Arlo had just took the opportunity to get to know him instead, maybe, he'll find it out on a different way. Maybe, he could have understood John better. Maybe... Everything could have been prevented.

There's a lot of scenarios on what could've been on Arlo's mind, but he knows that wondering about things won't change anything at all.

He already inflicted a huge scar, and John already left for his own good.

And there's a chance that Arlo might never see him again.

Arlo had heard of cases about soulmates never meeting again. Or, soulmates who doesn't end up together.

Those type if cases mostly happens when it's between a high-tier and a low-tier, and the other party usually ends-up conceiving a child with someone else for the sake of having a heir, although no marriage occurs because the law only permits marriage between soulmates.

Then, there are one-sided-soulmate... As what John probably believes him and Arlo to be.

It was just supposed to be a simple prank to mess with John, but when the words have vanished before he even saw them, Arlo wondered that perhaps, they were actually never meant to be together at all.

Shouldn't it be a good thing for his future? It was what Arlo originally wanted.

Graduating, and never seeing John ever again- living his whole life away from him, and pretending to have never gotten a soulmate- it's so close on happening.

But things are different now.

He wants to see him, he wants to hold him. He wants to see his smiles, and know all sides of him that he never had the chance to know.

It's a selfish desire.

But as they are now, being together with him would only make John more miserable, and Arlo would rather know that he's happy somewhere else than being in pain whenever he sees him.

It was the best that John left.

The very moment he told everything to John's father, he was already willing to let him go.

------------------Season 1 End------------------

Thank you very much for reading! Sorry if I took a year to continue after chapter 21. Life had been really busy, and inspiration also barely comes by. I found myself rewriting and deleting my drafts, because I didn't know how to write the reaction that I wanted.

I wasn't expecting for people to still read my updates... But I'm very happy knowing that you still waited ;___;

Since the beginning, I intended this story to carry on after their Wellston years so... The next chapters onwards would be a time skip!

Pleasant_illusion