Yu's POV:
"Um... You're not busy after school, are you, Narukami-kun?" Yukiko asks.
"I don't think so," I sigh.
Kanji's heading out with his mom for the afternoon, so that spoils anything I had planned.
"I see..." She nods. "Well, if nothing comes up, think of me, okay?"
I smile. "Sure, Yukiko."
~~~
Yosuke's POV:
"The hell's up with that?" I mutter.
"Hm?" Chie asks.
"Him and Yukiko...?"
"What about them?"
"Geez, you're hopeless..." I grumble. "I mean what they were talking about."
"...What were they talking about?"
"Shit, I don't know."
"Ask him," she scoffs.
"I- I can't just ask him," I frown. "It- it might be personal."
"If it was personal, he'd be talking to Kanji-kun about it," she shrugs.
I bite my lip.
"Hey, Yu...?" I poke him in the back as he turns. "Are you and Yukiko-san... dating?"
"Where did that come from?" He says.
"I- I mean... You're hanging out with her tonight, so... Well, is that a date?"
He pauses for a moment. "I guess you could call it that."
I find myself frowning. "I see."
But... he isn't interested in her. He told me so, didn't he? So... Why the sudden change of heart? What's going on?
"U-uh... I went to talk to Rise." I bounce up on my toes, trying to keep the conversation afloat.
But his shoulders tense up. "That so?"
"Y-yeah... I-it was pretty funny, actually, 'cause I completely messed up her gifts, and-"
I cut myself short, finding him glued to his cell.
"N-nevermind, then..." I mutter.
"Hm?" He raises his head.
I frown. "Is that Kanji?"
He opens his mouth slightly, probably to lie, but he nods instead.
"I see," I sigh.
"Sorry, Yosuke. Go sit down before class starts."
"...You just want rid of me, don't you?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" He scoffs.
"Nothing. Doesn't matter."
"Yosuke-"
"Enjoy your 'date'," I spit.
~~~
The two leave the classroom almost immediately after the bell rings.
I sigh, grabbing my bag.
Huh... It's raining tonight... We better check out the Midnight Channel...
Wait... if it's raining, where the hell are those two off to? ...Are they going back to his place? Or maybe the inn?
It's not like it's any of my business. He just doesn't like her. It's not right for him to lead her on...
What the hell is he trying to do?
"Oh, Chie," I say, ushering her over.
"You better have a new Trail of The Dragon disk for me," she scoffs.
"Later, okay?" I groan. "Listen... Did Yukiko say where she and Yu are headed?"
"No?" She furrows an eyebrow. "Why are you so interested? Don't tell me you're jealous!"
"I'm not jealous of him," I say. "I just... don't think they work well together."
"You're the only one," she mutters.
"You think they do...?"
"...Well, not exactly," she sighs. "But, whatever, right? If he makes Yukiko happy..."
"...Right," I nod.
"What's with your objection?"
"...I can't say."
"Why not?"
"Yu doesn't like talking about it."
She stares at me funnily, trying to work it out.
"Chie, don't, okay? He'll be super embarrassed if I tell you."
"It's not like I'm gonna bring it up, or anything," she scoffs.
"I..."
"Come on, Yosuke," she groans. "I'm his friend, too."
"...He just lost someone important to him, is all."
"...They died...?"
"No, no," I grimace. "Just... Well... Rejected him, really."
She pauses for a moment before snickering.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" I snap. "It's not freaking funny, Chie. He's really upset about this."
"...He... got rejected by a girl?" She chuckles.
"Stop laughing," I warn.
"Come on, Yosuke! He's obviously set you up!"
"...Huh?"
"As if any girl would reject him," she shrugs.
"I- I was thinking the same thing, but-"
"Maybe he got rejected by a guy."
"What?" I splutter, choking on the air. "N-no... There's no way..."
But... His text to Kanji...
"I am completely and utterly in love with him."
That... wasn't a typo...?
No... He told me it was... It can't be a guy. Yu's not... he's not like that.
"I mean, she'd have to be one picky girl if she thinks he isn't enough."
"Yeah," I say quickly. "And that's what she is."
"...Have you ever met her?"
"I dunno," I shrug. "Maybe? He won't tell me who she is."
Chie purses her lips. "Maybe she's from back in the city."
"Maybe, but... It wouldn't have taken him so long to start talking about her, right?"
"Guys are weird," she scoffs. "I wouldn't know."
"Huh..."
"But... If he's really using Yukiko... We have to stop him."
"...So we're in agreement?" I smile.
"Yes," she frowns. "He has no right to use her like this! I mean, what the hell is wrong with him!?"
"Go ask Kanji," I scoff.
"...You think Kanji-kun's rubbing off on him?"
"Yu isn't gay," I snap.
"That's not what I mean," she shrugs. "I mean... The whole carelessness thing... The language, the inwardness."
"...Hasn't he always been like that, though?"
"No," she mutters. "I don't know. It's just what I think. Anyway, let's go put a stop to this."
~~~
"Should I try calling Yukiko?" She murmurs, pulling out her cell as we descend the stairs.
"Sure," I shrug. "I mean, no, actually."
"Why not?"
"That'd just make it look really suspicious."
"It's fine," she scoffs.
"I mean, maybe you could, but-" I cut myself short as I turn to the left of the first floor.
"Hm?" She asks. "What's up with- No freaking way..."
Sure enough, there's playboy Narukami with his tounge down Yukiko Amagi's throat. No shame, either.
I guess he's won the Amagi challenge.
"That bastard," Chie snaps.
"H-huh?" I mutter, only barely taking my eyes off them.
"We have to stop them!"
"...Yeah..." I nod.
It hurts. Not as in jealousy. I have no feelings towards Yukiko. It's just... the thought that he feels like he has to prove to himself that he's over her.
I've told him to take it easy. I've told him to just let himself heal naturally. But, no... He needs something bigger. Something to prove his point.
What the hell is he doing?
"What are you waiting for?" Chie scoffs.
"Wh-why me?"
"You're his best friend."
"Yeah, well, you're hers."
"She's not in the wrong here. He is."
I sigh. "But..."
"But, what?" She snaps.
I bite my tongue. "M-maybe... I-if he just gets it out of his system..."
"No way in hell is he using her like that!" She yells.
"Okay, okay, I just..."
"Stop freaking watching them, you perv!" She slaps me on the back of my head.
"O-ow..."
"Go!"
"I'm going, I'm going!"
~~~
Yu's POV:
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder, jerking me backwards.
"What the hell?" I scoff, wiping my mouth.
"Y-Yosuke-kun..." Yukiko splutters, her face a bright red.
"Yu, what the fuck!?" He frowns.
"What?" I snap.
"This isn't..." He sighs. "This isn't you, man. This isn't what you want..."
"Don't act like you know what I'm going through."
"I care about you, dumbass," he scoffs. "You can't mess around with other people to take your mind off her."
"Shut up."
"I know you're hurting, man-"
"You have no fucking clue."
I turn back to Yukiko.
"Dude, stop," he snaps, pulling me back to face him. "You're not ready."
"I have to get over it," I grunt. "I have to accept the fact that... that she'll never love me."
"Maybe..." He breathes. "She could."
I shake my head. "I've heard that one before."
"Please, man..." He sighs. "Just let me take you back to my place..."
"H-huh...?"
"You need to calm down," he says, rubbing his hand down my arm.
I swallow hard at the touch before nodding.
He smiles.
"Yukiko..." I sigh, turning back. "I'm... I'm really sorry..."
"I-it's no big deal..." She squeaks.
~~~
Yosuke's POV:
"Sit down," I say.
"...Are you sure?" He grunts, closing my bedroom door behind him.
"Yeah, man. Make yourself comfortable."
He slowly makes his way to my bed, carefully sitting down soon afterward.
"Ha... G-Guess this is awkward, huh...?" I murmur.
"...It is?" He frowns.
"I- I mean, after last night..."
"...Yeah," he breathes.
"Sorry, dude," I sigh. "I know you're not big on physical affection."
He shakes his head slowly. "It's... it's not that..."
"Hm?"
"...Forget it."
Why's he acting so strange...?
"...I want to ask you something," I say.
"Hm?"
"...Who is she?"
"This again?" He snaps.
"I just... I just wanna know."
"It doesn't fucking matter, alright?"
"You still love her, man... That's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Just leave it," he scoffs.
"Maybe you got it all wrong," I suggest.
"...What?"
"...Maybe she is capable of loving you... Maybe you just gave up too soon..."
"I'm sick of being told that there's a chance," he mutters. "Because it's not true, Yosuke. My feelings will never be reciprocated."
"...If you really love her, you should keep trying."
"If I keep trying, all I'll do is make a fool out of myself. She'll hate me. I'll ruin everything."
"You don't know that."
"Stop pretending you know how I feel," he snaps.
"Yu-"
"I have to get over her."
"Take your time."
"What's the point?" He scoffs. "What's the point in wasting my time being heartbroken over someone who never even spared me a second glance?"
"Dude... If she saw you with Yukiko today-"
"She did," he grunts.
"...She did?"
"What about it? She didn't give a shit, did she? It just seemed normal."
"...Yu," I sigh.
I take a seat beside him, my hands in my lap.
"You deserve more than her," I whisper.
"Don't pity me."
"I'm not pitying you," I frown. "I mean it, man..."
"...Whatever."
I put a hand to his shoulder. "It's okay to admit you're sad. It's okay to admit you miss her."
He tenses up beneath my grasp before swatting my hand away.
"S-sorry," I mumble.
"It's not her fault," he says quickly. "It's my stupid fault for getting my hopes up, right?"
"...That's not true..."
"You know what? It doesn't even matter anymore."
"...Yu-"
"It's all stupid, don't you think?"
"...Don't say that..."
"'Cause, I mean, what's the point, right? Why should I put so much effort into someone who's busy with someone better?"
"She's just one girl," I sigh. "You'll get over her, man..."
His nostrils flare. "I don't know why I expected you to understand. I mean, you, of all people."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"...I can't do this anymore, Yosuke."
"...Huh? Do what?"
"This." He gestures to me and him. "Our friendship."
"...Wh- what?"
"It's all too much," he snaps. "You're too much."
"...Yu, I-"
"Just stop, will you!?" He scoffs. "You make everything so much worse."
"I didn't-"
"Nothing I do is ever enough for you," he snaps.
"Of course it is... C-come on... You're just upset, and-"
"Are you fucking dense?" He shakes his head. "I can't be myself around you."
"...Eh? Dude, what the hell? Of course you can...?"
"No," he mutters. "I can't."
"I'm not stopping you..."
"You are. You are making me miserable, and I can't take it anymore."
"...I- I don't understand-"
"Goodbye, Yosuke."
~~~
Yu's POV:
"Why would you say that?" Kanji sighs.
"I don't know," I admit. "He was... He was just talking to me like he knew exactly what was going on in my mind..."
"...You can't go back after saying shit like that, Senpai.. "
"I know." I bite my tongue. "But maybe that's a good thing."
"...Yeah?"
"Yeah," I nod. "I hate feeling this way, Kanji. I don't want to feel anything towards him."
"...What about the case?"
"Hm?"
"It's not like you can avoid him forever," he shrugs. "I mean, you both promised Teddie you'd catch the killer, didn't you?"
"...I'm sure he'll understand."
"You're our leader, man," he sighs. "We can't do this thing without you."
"But-"
"We can just... kick Yosuke-senpai out, or somethin'."
"No," I mumble. "That's... that's not fair on him."
"Senpai..."
"I just have to... to keep my cool," I breathe. "Just go back to being acquaintances with him. Maybe even strangers."
"That's never how it's gonna be."
"Give me a few weeks, alright? He won't be on my mind."
"...Yu—"
"Trust me," I grunt, pressing my lips against his.
"Mhm. You taste like strawberries."
"Long story," I mutter.
~~~
thanks for reading:)
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