Labyrinth | ✓

s e v e n t i e t h ♂️

A/N: This is the last chapter before the epilogue, and so is longer than usual.

Thanks and happy reading!

***

Rena.

I clearly remembered back when I met Rena for the first time.

It was during a school trip in fourth grade, where I was placed in the same group with her and Alyssa. She used to be extremely bashful, as she always hid behind her best friend, somewhat depending on her. She struggled on properly talking to other people, especially me. As time passed by, though, she had slowly grown confident, despite stuttering a lot.

After the accident, we went seperate ways, although we remained at the same middle and high school. Despite the fact that I was the one who cut ties with her, she seemed not to harbor grudge against me. In fact, she had been staring at me during lunch time or when I have classes with her. In the hallways, we would just walk past as if we didn't know each other at all.

Neither I or her ever initiated a proper conversation, although her determined expression was enough to tell me that she wanted to be friends again. Being the heartless boy I was, I destroyed such chances many times.

I simply waited, expecting Rena to eventually despise me for being a jerk and move on, or at worst, plan some stupid revenge that girls loved to do... or so that was how my old self thought. However, she didn't expressed any menacing attitude, just the same determined face...

I have always wondered, why didn't she just hate me...? Was it that hard for her?

I had left her behind... wasn't that a good reason to hate someone already?

In high school, Rena finally took her stand. After three years of complete silence, she was finally brave enough to approach me, and managed to fix the broken pieces of our relationship. At first, I remembered not feeling anything when we were together... just pure blankness.

Regardless, we gradually grew closer through lots of interactions, and from there, I started leaning myself towards her. Our moments together began to fill up the emptiness that had been lingering inside of me. I didn't know why, but I just found myself trusting her easily as well.

She also taught me how to feel again... although it wasn't so easy, and sometimes, I had a hard time knowing what it was. Also, her selfless attitude quickly pulled me in, although it made her reckless at times. The walls I built around myself began to crumble little by little... allowing Rena to enter what was left of me.

Even after Lynn's passing, she remained, although I had pushed her away once more. She was one of those people who slowly guided me on to moving forward... and that was when the strange feeling blossomed.

It was responsible for my thumping heart, fluttering stomach and heating face whenever I saw her around, and making me feel so tense whenever she looked at me. It was also responsible for making me worry about my appearance and the fact that sometimes... I randomly have thoughts about her. Sometimes, it made me feel unusually light-hearted and relieved. At worst, I felt threatened whenever Rena got along well with another boy, although... they were just friends, nothing more.

My friends have told me that it was called having a crush... and as a result, they excessively teased me, especially Seb. They all got into my nerves, but there was no way I could stop them unless that feeling disappeared. It didn't, and in fact, it grew even larger... and now, I realized that it wasn't just an affection I was having...

...but I was madly in love with Rena.

They said love is a strong word, just like with hate, but... I couldn't find other descriptions other than it. I thought it was unbelievable that I loved someone dearly... but it was proven wrong, and now, I didn't mind it a single bit.