❛ 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒 ❜ ━━━ (𝗼. 𝘆𝘂𝘁𝗮)

| xiii ; new years

"Drink up Panda!" Panda let out a silent whine as he drank up the sake.

Tens of rounds passed by in a flash and everyone was drunk. With the exception of Yuta and Y/N, who miraculously had quite the high alcohol tolerance. The rest were dozing off, passed out on the table as Y/N slowly began to clean up the place.

As she did so, she couldn't help but feel an intense pair of eyes burning through her. She could feel it no matter what she did, and she grew a little irritated.

"Please, stop staring," Y/N muttered, not sparing a glance towards Yuta.

"S-Sorry," Yuta apologised as he quickly shook his head. "Y/N? Could we talk?"

"Is that not what we're doing now?" She asked back.

"You know what I mean," Yuta exasperated out.

Y/N paused in her movements. It looked as if she was contemplating it in her head, before she placed the items in her hand down.

"Fine," She whispered. Y/N turned towards the back of the room, sliding the shoji doors open and sat down on the floor.

Yuta immediately got up, walking towards the balcony and slid the shoji doors close. He sat next to Y/N, crossing his legs and felt nervous now that he was actually talking to her.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" She asked, still not looking at him.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Yuta questioned her.

"I've been busy-"

"Don't lie to me, Y/N. Please," He looked at her with sorrowful eyes. "Don't you know how I felt since you started ignoring me?"

Y/N remained quiet as she looked down at her hands which were on her lap. She tightened her palms into fists, fighting back her tears.

"I did it to protect my heart."

Yuta quickly looked at her, "Protect your heart?"

"Yuta, ever since you came to my life, it felt like I finally had someone who could understand me. That night, when I came into your room because it was raining, it was because I trusted you. I know I have no right to feel this way when I'm nothing special to you."

"No, you're someone special to me. You're the most special person to me," Yuta said. "Why did you run away from me?"

"Because after I saw you and Rika, I saw how you two looked at each other with so much love. I realised then that I would never be able to give you the same kind of love. I would never be the person to receive that kind of love from you. Those thoughts kept haunting me, and I didn't want to hurt myself any longer. That's why I've been avoiding you," Y/N explained to him. "I will never be Rika. I will always be the second choice."

"That's not true!" Yuta quickly exclaimed. "You... you have always been more than Rika. It's true that Rika was my first love, but I want you to be my last. That's because I like you, Y/N. I have ever since you came over after hearing Inumaki and I were injured during our mission. You've always made me happy. You've always made my heart flutter. You've always brightened up my life."

Y/N was shocked from Yuta's words. So this was how he felt after all.

"When we first met, you told me that fate made us meet because we were both cursed. The truth is that I wouldn't mind fate placing us together. Because of fate, I got to meet you. Because of fate, I got to love someone like you!"

Yuta grabbed Y/N's hands, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I've always been searching for a reason to live. A reason why I still existed in this cruel world. That reason is you, Y/N. I want to stay alive to protect you. To love and cherish you. To be by your side, forever and always."