A haphazard mess of Genshin One-shots

47- Ittorou: Bug, but plural

"WHAT THE HELL?" a shout rang out through the halls.

Soon, a crowd formed around the chaos, clogging the way for any teachers to get a glance. The students all gasped at the sight in front of them.

A single student stood amongst a field of bleeding students on the crowd, some with broken noses, some with a few cuts, but still enough to send them sprawling across the previously-polished floors of the high school. Once the nurse finally pushed through, he gasped, completely aghast at the chaos.

One student in particular moved slowly to stand beside the nurse, glowering at the boy in the center. Her face was not as surprised as disappointed, the messy green bun of hair on her head shaking with disdain.

"Arataki Itto, what have you done?"

—

Gorou was a pretty ordinary boy.

He sat in class, in the very middle, because he couldn't get a back seat in time and was too afraid to sit in front, and paid full attention to whatever topics were spoken of. It was autumn, and as the leaves began to fall, his friend Kazuha would take him out to the park to collect them for leaf pressing.

Him, Kokomi, Ayaka, Ayato, and Thoma were invited, is what he meant to say. He was never invited anywhere alone.

That's one of the main points I'm trying to make. Gorou is never the focus of anything. He's not special in any way. If Ayaka brought him to the mall, he'd suddenly be surrounded by many of her friends as well, and he'd be left at a bookstore, his existence only recalled about ten minutes later.

He spent most of his time with Kokomi, who was his closest friend. She was the only one, besides at times Kazuha, who was willing to spend alone time with him... although it was rare, nevertheless.

As his friend group surrounded him at the cafeteria table, he sighed contentedly. He was happy with this life. He liked being in crowds. He liked being an afterthought, because it meant he could mind his own business whenever he wished. He still got quality time with Kokomi, that was all he needed.

Until his perfectly peaceful life was interrupted.

"Gorou, do you have any personal friends?" Ayaka was asking lightheartedly. "Are we really the only people you hang out with?"

Gorou pretended to rack his brain, looking like he was thinking hard, even though he knew the answer.

"It's just you guys," Gorou shrugged. "But it's okay."

"No, it's not," Kokomi interrupted. "You should have other people. I know how hard it can be to have to share friends. Sometimes, you want someone to yourself, that you can depend on, that you know best."

But Gorou didn't need that.

"I'm a group kind of guy," Gorou insisted.

"I don't know how I'd survive without my anemo friends," Kazuha noted. "They're my best friends, just like you guys are. If you shared my anemo friends with me, I feel that I may never feel a sense of originality. It's very important to be able to have things for yourself."

"Yeah, he'd never let us become friends with Scaramouche or Heizou," Thoma smiled, leaning his cheek on his palm. "Even if it sounds possessive, I agree. We all need our people."

Gorou didn't contemplate their words, as anyone else would, when they received advice like this. It's because he knows himself best. He understands that he likes his time alone, and doesn't need someone close and personal. He likes to share everything— truly, he does.

Except while he reassured this to himself, a soft pang struck his stomach. Yeah, maybe a longing was there. A tiny, insignificant longing for someone who understood him closely, unlike any of his current friends.