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𝘛𝘞𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘠-𝘍𝘖𝘜𝘙𝘛𝘏 𝘞𝘐𝘕𝘒:
— you remind me of autumn.
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The morning after was chaotic.
Not the type of chaos where everyone was noisy and blabbing about the things they want— no matter how nonsensical it gets. In fact, little to nobody noticed anything strange aside from the slow progress they were achieving in terms of studying for the examinations.
It was the type of chaos that kept silent the whole day.
She knew that her eyes were still slightly bloated from yesterday night. It caught Kawanishi's attention in class and he did ask about it. Chuckling, she meekly twirled her locks around her finger.
"It was a sad movie," She said, and he believed— nodding before proceeding to his seat.
From how he witnessed her arguments with the setter way back, he knew how emotional she could get, so he waved it off just as she did.
She sighed to herself, fingers tapping on her own desk. Her classmates were engrossed in their own chairs— with some occupied in a conversation with their seatmates. There was nothing to see nor take note of whenever their teacher still hasn't arrived. An inner voice told her to open a book to study or read a novel to make use of her time. She tried, really, touching the page with her fingertips before her head flew to another world she'd created to cope with boredom.
If her mind couldn't focus on words, on things, it drifts off to oblivion— and there, there she'd find something she could spare time with. A random thought she got at 3 am, an idea she came up within the middle of club practice, a question she read on the internet— it's fine, whatever it was, to make the clock tick and she'd be on the period she wanted the moment she escapes her brain.
So, she was in utter chaos when she couldn't think of anything.
She knew she was staring at the accessory adorning her wrist, but that was all there is to it. There was no thought to process nor memory to recall.
It was void, blank, and empty— a still picture was all she could make out.
The frozen scene and the insensate emotion she experienced, it was suffocating— thorns pricking her eyelids as it told her to close her vision. She wondered why gravity felt heavier than usual that morning.
Yui regretted not listening to Semi's advice to not attend today's classes.
When her phone vibrated in her uniform's pocket, she unknowingly felt grateful.
The text was from Shirabu, and suddenly, she thought that the bracelet had a miniature scratch, that her former friend entered the room, and that the picture moved.
He left a message saying that he'll stay in the room for lunch— she assumed that he needed the extra time since it wouldn't slow down for them, and for exams, too.
It would be a trouble to eat alone though. Getting Kawanishi to tag along should be fine with a little persuasion and a few coins off her wallet.
To her surprise, he agreed without much resistance. Unlike her generally passive approach to rumors, he didn't like being a subject to one until this day. He was at the point of his life where he didn't really care about them anymore.
It saved her money, at least.
"It wouldn't hurt to have friends, Yui."
"Shut it," She pouted, "Not my fault they chose to stick with Shio-san."
"The drama sucks."
"Exactly."
"What war did you and Kenjirou have this time?" He casually queried, sipping on the straw of his drink. None of them looked at each other since they didn't find the need to.
Yui subconsciously missed the food she planned to take in her chopsticks, "Don't assume something happened when he doesn't come."
"It's the first. You usually drag him whatever reason he had."
"I'm not that inconsiderate." She feigned hurt, but smiled a little afterward at the unperturbed visage of his, "Okay, maybe a bit. It's nothing though. My head just hurts so I don't feel like dealing with that. I didn't get a wink of sleep."
"Is the movie that sad?"
She paused, taking the edible piece to her mouth. At the ironic statement, she shook her head, feeling the corner of her lips turn into a frown, "It was."
As they both expected, there were few lingering stares and double glances directed to them from none other than her classmates. Most couldn't care any less, but Shio and her friends couldn't keep their eyes shut. Yui saw, how one of them nudged the female's elbow and pointed to them with their eyes.
When she chose to welcome everything and locked gazes with Shio, Yui almost adored the black weaves of her hair braided at the sides that met at the back of her head. The similar shade of her orbs was a dazzle to look at, she admitted. As though Shio couldn't comprehend what she was served, the curvature of her lips couldn't keep in place.
Beneath her straight face, Yui found it— the look of betrayal in her foot taking a step back and her prolonged attention.
"Is that Shio-san?"
Kawanishi didn't look behind him to see, nor above his food to face his manager. But, there couldn't be anyone else that Yui would bother looking at in the middle of eating and not speak about it, so he whispered his question.
"Yeah. Sorry about this." She broke eye contact and turned to her food again, "Can you guess my future?"
"Kenjirou?"
She winced, glaring at him weakly, "I guess I'll have my pretty face all over their feed again."
"You knew this was going to happen."
"Yeah," Sighing, she rubbed her cheek with her free hand, "But, Goshikii's busy. And—" Suddenly, she didn't continue, and instead opted to observe the group of friends that retreated from the corner of her perspective.
How a friend could turn to a stranger quickly was terrifying— but, she was over all of that shit.
Would it be this easy to leave them too?
She couldn't stand the thought.
"I'm... I think I'll stay at the infirmary. I don't feel too well."
At that point, he finally looked up. His expressionless visage examined the nonchalant look she sent back. To him, she honestly seemed perfectly fine. However, the constant prolonged closure of her eyes may be the sign of the occurring headache she was talking about earlier if he wasn't mistaken.
He doubted that it was because of Shio's appearance. She'll never lie about her thoughts on someone— and the fact that she didn't care about their opinions.
He blamed the movie and the sleepless night she mentioned.
"I'll inform the teacher."
"Thanks."
"Sure you won't pass out on the way?"
Her fingers situated on top of her forehead, mimicking a salute, despite the overwhelming ideas of leaving and be left, "Yes, sir. A rest should suffice for later's practice."
"You're the first I've heard to skip class and attend the club."
"Taichi, it's not my fault Washijo-sensei's scarier than Nakamura-sensei." She spoke, pertaining to their coach and their teacher for the next subject. "My mind might be split in half by then if I don't take the opportunity."
He merely nodded— if he got the point or it was a gesture of disregarding whatever she said, it didn't matter all too much as long as he listened. Whilst the sharp ache in her head told her to stay sit, she stood up and purposely glanced at Shio intently for her to notice. The mentioned female must have been paying attention too, for she returned it just as quickly even if she was in a middle of a conversation.
There was pain— and pain, pain, of seeing someone you like with somebody else.
And Yui couldn't be more familiar.
She sent Shio a gentle smile, one free from any other motive, before standing up with her bento packed up. With the days they've spent together, no matter how fleeting it may be, Yui knew that Shio could understand what she was trying to do.
You can talk to him, she told in the pleasant gaze she sent.
It was up to Shio if she deciphered it correctly. If she thought that Yui was simply taunting her, the manager couldn't care less— she didn't want to explain herself.
They didn't need to make up either. Yui had no plans in doing so because the harm has been done and it wouldn't bring back the shame she'd inflicted upon her. In a similar way, she had yet to forgive Shio for doing that in the media— but, she was certain in moving on from that. Yes, perhaps they could cut ties without involving Shio's chance with Kawanishi.
Yui saw herself in Shio as the worst she could be and how unfair she had been. It resulted in both Shirabu and herself being hurt in the process. If she could help prevent that from happening to another, there was a sense of redemption from her past mistakes.
She was grateful to Semi that yesterday night knocked some sense into her; before she could repeat the same thing all over again and call it inevitable.
With that, she left, bidding Kawanishi goodbye. Yui didn't need to turn around to see that Shio took the offer and talked to him.
"Her confidence is commendable."
It makes her attractive, she continued mindlessly.
At the voice that held warmth and depth, lacking the usual snark it possessed, she felt paralyzed and unbound at the same time. Clearing her throat, she nodded in truth, "Right?"
Her mind was aching loudly in chorus to his statement, but it was a wonder how he heard his melody so clearly.
"Thought you're busy?"
"Semi-san messaged me."
"Mhm, what did he say?"
He shrugged, "There's something urgent. What is it?"
It felt like he was trying not to express his distaste at being bothered with the frown adorning his lips— at least, that's how she deemed it.
Yui knew that Semi's intention was good; but at this point, it's a blur to see it being more beneficial than detrimental.
"Never thought you'd be fooled easily, Kenjirou." She played safely, portraying a smirk whilst keeping her attention on anything behind him.
"I guessed as much."
Her lips fell into a thin line, eyebrows furrowed in clear perplex— yet, it didn't hide the knowing glint in her intent stare. She'd let eternity pass before she'll break the momentary gaze she shared with him. The unmoving stature he withheld and the miniature scrunch of his nose were signs that told her he's going to break it sooner. So when he did, she was no longer surprised.
"Then what brings you here?"
His frown deepened, "You tell me."
She assumed that it was her headache that prevented her from thinking straight when she mustered an answer in a haste, "Tell you what?"
"We're not going to play mind games here, Yui." He spat back, eyes narrowing to a glare.
She rose a brow, lost, "What the hell are you on to?"
"Your eyes look horrible."
Yui wondered why his weren't any better.
"Don't go around telling people that." She didn't let the scoff from him stop her words, "No sleep is all. Now, move."
Just like her gut told her to, she shouldn't have bothered applying concealer if everything was in plain view for him.
"Tell me."
She tugged at his sleeve, forcing him to maintain eye contact. It was brief, a second in her life, but it mattered more than any other— this time, she asked herself, did he loathe her so much that he couldn't keep his gaze longer every time? That the sight of her would never leave him breathless— that he wouldn't be able to forgive her for the pain she caused him?
Was he..?
Yui held out her palm, examining his facial features. His bangs were neatly cut recently, she assumed since there were no stray locks obstructing his view. His eyelashes were a great compliment too. Nevertheless, she couldn't see what she was looking for.
Shirabu simply stared at her outstretched hand, "What?"
Instead of a reply, her hand retreated, then finding its way to her pockets. There was a genuine surprise when she took out her phone and started tapping on the screen.
If my guess is correct...
He looked at her incredulously, clenching his jaws at her audaciousness to use the device in the middle of a conversation.
When he was about to tell her off, she held the phone to her ear. Simultaneously, his own phone rang.
In clear disbelief of her action, he answered.
Her voice was distorted through the device's speaker— and he cursed it for ruining its mellow music, but the understanding smile embellishing her lips made up for it as she whispered through the line.
"You were waiting for this, weren't you? Sorry."