How Could You? (Souyo)

Someone Else

JunezPrince2000: cmonnn

JunezPrince2000: theres gotta
b at least 1 amai u kno

Yuna18: Can't say I do,
I'm afraid.

Yuna18: I'm sorry I couldn't
have been more use.

JunezPrince2000: heyyy dw
bout it

"Who is she, then?"

"Geez, Kanji, don't sneak up on me like that," I frown, covering my screen. But he's already seen it.

"Well?"

"She's a friend," I mutter. "Or, she was."

"You mean, girlfriend?"

"Past tense," I sigh. "It's like you said: girls are annoying and clingy."

"So what brought her up last night?"

"Last night?" I stammer.

Oh, god...

"Called her a bitch. Yosuke-senpai thought you were talking about Yuna. You should have seen his face."

"I can only imagine it," I breathe.

"So, Amai is...?"

"Toxic," I frown. "Are we done here?"

"Toxic, how?"

"Kanji—"

"Tell me."

I bite my tongue. "She didn't want me to leave the city. She started crying, then she started begging..." I shake my head. "And when she found out it was all fruitless, she changed her mind."

"Huh?"

"If I didn't stay, she didn't want me back," I scoff. "She told my parents about these... parties."

"What kind of parties?"

"Drugs, alcohol, excreta," I mutter.

"You...?"

"Not me," I shake my head. "My friends. I sort of got dragged into it."

"So, what did your parents say?"

"They sent me away for longer," I sigh. "I was only supposed to be here for the first semester, but..."

"You're stuck the entire year?"

"Yeah," I mutter. "I guess they thought being around a detective would help me behave better. Or maybe Amai just gave them the excuse they were looking for; how to keep me away for longer."

"God, I could punch 'em right in the face," he grits his teeth.

I shake my head. "She ruined everything back home, sure, but... Everything here is different," I shrug. "You're all so important to me."

"...So what will happen when you go back?" He asks quietly.

I look to the ground.

"Why were you so desperate to go home, Yu?"

"Not home, as such," I mumble. "They were looking into boarding schools for me."

He clenches his fist. "They treat you like some kinda... freakshow."

"Maybe I am," I whisper. "I'm sure Yosuke would love to think so."

"But he doesn't," he sighs. "As much as I hate it, he still adores you, Senpai."

I smile a little. "I just hope I don't mess everything up again."

"...Senpai." He looks down at my cell and I clutch it even tighter.