Pterodactyl - Tsukishima Kei x OC

Chapter 61: One Last Time

"She's inside..." Yamaguchi murmured tenderly, "She's just checking around the house to see if she missed packing anything."

Kei nodded as he swallowed apprehensively, not knowing what to do the second she stepped outside. Hinata exited her house along with Yachi and Mina, who stared at him with disappointment.

"What you did wasn't nice, Tsukishima." Hinata frowned, "I hope you made the right choice."

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mizuki walked out of her house slowly. She was wearing a gray hoodie with black leggings, and her hair was tied up in a bun. Her fatigued, puffy face suggested that she had been crying all night, which Kei instantaneously felt responsible for. She had her blue backpack slumped over her shoulder as she approached the van with her head down. She hadn't noticed him there yet.

"Hey! Tsukishima-san!" Jun huffed angrily, causing Mizuki's head to jerk up at his name, "You made my sister cry!"

"Hey..." Kei murmured softly, moving towards her.

Mizuki stared at him haggardly, not knowing what to say. What was there to say?

"Today's the big day, huh?" He continued faintly.

She remained silent, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

"I wanted to say-"

"You probably want this back, right?" Mizuki interrupted him abruptly, slipping the engagement ring he gave her off of her finger.

Kei stared at her, bewildered. She held the ring out for him to take away.

"No... You keep it," He murmured gently, "It was my gift to you."

"I don't want it," She asserted piercingly, "Take it. Please."

He paused for a few seconds before taking the ring from her grasp.

"Bye." Mizuki mumbled, entering the van without another word.

"Princess..." Kei refrained from reaching out to her as he stared at the ring which rested on the palm of his hand.

As some of their neighbors and friends said their farewells to Mizuki, Kei stood there, frozen, unable to fathom or accept, what was happening. She was truly leaving him again... Just like when they were kids. He couldn't even blame her because he was the one that pushed for her to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Yamaguchi asked worriedly.

"No... I can't." Kei answered, his eyes travelling to Mizuki, who refused to look at him.

"Okay... If you're sure." His friend nodded gently.

After a few minutes, Mizuki's mother started up the van. Yamaguchi shut the door, and the van slowly made its way out of the driveway. Kei got one last look at Mizuki through the window, and he swore that she was looking at him too. They began to drive away, gradually speeding up, and for some reason, Kei's feet began moving on their own.

He was running after her.

Why was he running after her?

He panted tiredly, his legs aching from his unforeseen actions, and even though he knew it was futile, he was still running. Finally, when the van was out of sight, Kei collapsed on the sidewalk, trying to catch his breath. He shook his head as he pounded his fist on the ground, causing him to cry out in irritation.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" He cursed, his eyebrows knitting in frustration, "Damn it!"

After taking a few minutes to recollect himself and his garbled thoughts, he begrudgingly walked home. He trudged up the stairs and laid down on his bed, staring at the ring she had returned to him.