After story:Devotion male reader insert version

Chapter seventeen-Unatural Disaster

I hated parabolas. At least I hated them after learning more about them.

Under Kotomi's teaching, I'd been trying to graph (x - 2)2 = 8(y + 1) for at least thirty minutes.

"So the vertex is (h, k), which would be... '(2, -1)', right?" I looked over at Kotomi for reassurance.

Purple eyes twinkled with her smile. "Right, and which form of the equation do you derive this from?"

I hated parabolas. "'Standard'? 'Y-intercept' is the y=ax2+bx+c equation, so it's got to be 'standard'."

"Right again, F/n-kun." I heard her scoot a little closer. "And what is value of the axis of symmetry?"

"Well, that would have to be the x-value of the vertex in this case, so '2'." I looked over at her again.

Kotomi clapped and scooted even closer. What was she, a human glacier? "And the directrix?"

Crap. The directrix, the directrix...Let's see, it's the same distance from the vertex as the focus...I have the equation around here...ah! 'y=k-a', so... "-3?"

Scoot, scoot. "Very good, F/n-kun." I could practically feel her breath against my face; that was definitely some kind of mint I smelled. "And...A-And..."

I finished writing and looked up. "Yeah? What's the next question, Kotom-"

I found myself looking into beautiful violet-colored eyes. They were so warm and inviting, just like her voice, the softness of her skin as she placed a hand on my cheek. Those violet orbs closed slowly as she leaned toward me, her lips-

Starfish.

STARFISH!

I must have backpedaled pretty fast, because I suddenly found myself out of my chair on my butt on the floor.

"F/n-kun!" I couldn't be sure, but Kotomi looked shocked and worried at the same time as she knelt down and put her arms around me. "Are you hurt?"

"Starfish."

"What?" She shook her head, her pigtails flapping with the motion.

"Starfish," I repeated. "Starfish, starfish, starfish, bouncy tune, sister's wedding, party hat, oh my GOD I almost forgot again!"

Kotomi gave me a puzzled expression. "F/n-kun, what are you talking about?"

"Fuuko," I replied, somewhat out of breath. "I had forgotten about her again. Damn me!"

"Fuuko? Are you talking about the girl in the hospital?"

"Yes! Everyone else has forgotten about her, but I won't! I can't!"

I felt her pull away and looked over at her as I heard a hiccup.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at me. "F/n...kun...do you...like...Fuuko?"

I realized what she had been trying to do, and my heart sank. "I'm sorry, Kotomi-chan...I didn't know...I mean...Kyou had said something, but-"

"F/n-kun...it hurts..."

Suddenly she was in my arms, with her face buried in my chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. Kotomi-chan was my oldest and dearest friend...

...and I had just broken her heart.

After having lunch in the Reference Room I trudged out to the field where I was supposed to meet with Tomoyo for my 'combat training'. Kotomi seemed to have calmed down by the time I left the library, but I was still smarting from the conversation and had considered canceling my training for the day. I realized, though, that maybe the training would help clear my mind, maybe give me a success to make up for my failure.