Waking up after not getting enough sleep, showering, eating breakfast, and then being escorted to school- it was just a never-ending cycle for you.

After what happened yesterday, you couldn't just doze off knowing just how much of a wreck everything was. Yukio cornering you and showing you what he was like behind closed doors, Takuma using violence to get him off of you, and to Enki still giving you the cold-shoulder, it was all so draining.

In your previous life, you had never experienced something this dramatic before, hell, you were sure everyone as well did not aside from all those people from soap operas. You had no clue as to how to sort things out, and you couldn't bring your thoughts about how your life could've been less complicated hadn't Jiryu put a stop to your previous attempt to a standstill.

Sighs after sighs became unshackled including yawns, clearly showing that your lack of rest was affecting you no matter how much you didn't want it to.

"I know that I've said this before, but you're looking more and more lifeless the more that I see you."

You loved Kane as a friend since she was the only sane one whom you could count on during times like these, but you supposed that now was the right time to show your appreciation towards her companionship with you. "Kaneee," you slung an arm around her shoulders and poured to her all the dead weight from your body. "The hell is up with you?" And luckily enough, she was able to support you and prevent you from falling on your face in front of everyone that might cost you your entire school life.

"Holy shit, you're so light! Have you been eating at all?!" She castigated you, and if before, you hated people reprimanding you more than anything, now, you were just jubilant that someone cared enough for you to rebuke you.

"Yeah, kind of lost track of my eating schedule," you just sighed before finally standing up like an ordinary human being, now walking adjacent to her. "You think I forgot about you not giving me the deets about your new boyfriend?" And you gulped down the saliva that formed inside your mouth. "Aha, yeah, about that," you awkwardly tittered.

You told her everything, just like what she wanted you to do, but of course, you excluded the small details like how it was all just a scheme since that would be a breach of contract. After that, the girl hummed thoughtfully before asking you a question, "How did your lover boys react to this news?"

"Lover... boys?" You scrunched the skin between your eyebrows at the weird term she had used.  "Don't tell me you haven't noticed it?" Her voice was much quieter this time around.

"Noticed what?" You knew what she was talking about.

You wouldn't lie, you already made that assumption about the others developing feelings for you, but because that thought itself made you come off as bumptious, you swiftly abandoned that idea without delay.

It was not as if the notion was entirely impossible, but you'd prefer to just pull out your hair due to aggro once that quandary appeared, not before it.

"Don't play dumb. Those fools were making it too obvious as well that I'm disconcerted to know that everyone still hadn't noticed it yet," she huffed, in such a way that her frustration at everyone's ignorance was made apparent.

"You're just delusional, my dear friend," you patted her head before heading off to your second class.

Ah, Literature. It once was your favorite subject since you got to see your pal there, but now that there was discord between you two, you dreaded to even open the door and meet eyes with him.

You also felt the same during Maths since it was your first subject for the day, so you would know how blissful it felt to know that Yukio skipped school. And while you were relieved because of his absence, you were still worried for the boy regarding his whereabouts even if you two didn't have the greatest relationship out there.

Inhaling and exhaling just to make sure that you were good to go, you finally opened the door's classroom and skedaddled towards your seat. Despite the fact that you still had a few steps to go before you reached your chair, you already felt unsettled.

You took your seat in a stiff way. His head was turned away from you so you didn't have the chance to catch a glimpse of his expression- As if. You were too much of a snowflake that you wouldn't even attempt to do something such as that.
.
.

"Good morning, everyone," Professor Renzo greeted you all. Everyone stood up and placed a fist on their chest before bowing, and sitting down afterward once he had gestured you all to do so.

"Today, we're going to have an activity. And as always, your partner is going to be your seatmate. The activity for today is making a short skit. However, this is not your usual sketch. The words that you speak should be alphabetical. Meaning, you will start a sentence that begins with 'A', followed by 'B' and so on and so forth. Every time that you make a mistake, points will be deducted. And without further ado, let's commence this burlesque." He told you all as he adjusted his monocle.

One by one, the pairs stood up to perform. If it were not for the fact that you were overwrought amidst this activity, you would've laughed since a few of them were quite comical as hell.

"And now, to our next duo. Y/n and Enki, please stand up and head over to the front."

Ah, shit.

Might as well make use of this opportunity because you knew that after this, Enki wouldn't even make an effort to talk you ever again, or until he finally cooled down and opened himself to hearing your explanation.

"Y/n, please start." You nodded at your professor before nodding.

"Ah, Enki, I just want to ask you how you are doing as of late," your palms were sweating because of trepidation.

"But why do you even care? As far as I know, our friendship ended not too long ago." That sure stings.

"Can you please just... listen to what I have to say?" You weren't sure if you were coming off as desperate, but you didn't even care about what waves you radiated at the present time.

"Doubt that you even know how much pain I'm feeling right now."

"Enki, I do. But this can be resolved if you'll just talk to me."

"Funny how you think that you do when you don't."

"Goodness gracious, if you'd just give me the time of your day to-"

"Hear you out? I will if it was that easy!"

"It may seem to be hard at first, but Enki, you are a kind-hearted person that it hurts me to find out that you're being swallowed up by anger."

"Just- Just when will you stop acting like you know everything about me?!" His breath slowly became ragged, and soon, he was on the floor, hands used as a support as he hyperventilated due to his body not being used to experiencing this amount of stress. You wasted no time and rushed towards his side before kneeling, tracing circles on his back to calm him down.

A few of your classmates came to the front to witness what was going on, and by good fortune, some were even helpful enough to provide a paper bag for Enki to use and aid him in his current state. Thank heavens, his heavy breathing was gradually mellowing.

"Sir! May I please excuse ourselves? Enki needs immediate attention by the school's nurse." You had no control over the intensity of your voice's tone for at the very moment, you were in shambles. Propitiously, Professor Renzo had let you off the hook for this one. "Let me accompany you two-"

"S...So suffocating!" Enki veered towards the exit, leaving you in the dust. "Though it is in my best wishes to help, the only one who can accomplish that task is you, Lady Ross. I give you full permission to go after him," your professor said to you, to which you nodded at before bowing at him. After standing up at full speed (you could even hear the sound of your knees popping), you scrambled and followed the trails of Enki, trying to reach your maximum rapidity even if you weren't used to physical activities that much.

You could feel your lungs burning, and breathing became harder as every second passed-

If Enki wasn't this important to you, you would've given up on him long ago.

After a few minutes of searching, scoping every place where you thought he might've gone to, you finally saw him making his way towards the staircase, and because of the sounds of your steps reaching his ears, his head whipped towards you. Both of you were now exchanging eye contact.

One...

Two...

He was just going to escape from you again when you broke into a sprint and took ahold of his arm.

This wild goose chase needed to stop.

"You think you can just away from your problems, huh?!" You roared at him, and his eyes widened because today... today was the first time that you broke out of your mild exterior. It shocked you too, though only a little bit. You never raised your voice when it was unneeded, and even if the situation called out for it, you never went beyond your normal way of speaking.

After the shock wore down, he pulled himself away from you yet he made no move to run away. Fucking finally.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" He inquired, tone broken.

"Sounds cheesy, but you're one of my most precious friends and-" Jesus Christ, couldn't the characters of this novel just chill? You never got to finish your sentences because they always kept on butting in whenever it was your time to speak.

"...up." His voice was so quiet that you didn't get to hear what he had said. "What did you say?" You inquired.

"I said shut up!"

And you did. If that's what he wanted, you would gladly comply if it meant that the chances of you two making up would increase.

"I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! I hate how it pains me whenever you refer to me as your 'friend'! I hate how I could never gather up the courage to tell you how I feel about you! I hate how I can never hate you even if I wanted to!" Both of his hands were now tugging on his hair as if it would heal whatever wound he had right at this time.

"It's the first time that I've felt something like this for someone... I'm so confused, I don't know what to do... I feel so helpless... I feel so scared," and his sobs racked throughout the whole vicinity. "I said to myself that I'd never cry again in front of you... Crying makes me feel like a child... How would you see me as a man if I act like this," the hands that were once pulling at his hair was now covering his face. He was tired of this. He was tired of himself. He never wanted you to see him like this again, he wanted that time at the clinic to be the last. Yet things never do go his way, do they?

"Enki..." You reached out a hand towards him. You anticipated his rejection, but he just accepted your touch as you entwined yourself around him.

This... you could remember this happening before. Time flew by so fast that it felt so nostalgic reminiscing about what had occurred in the past.

You were threading your fingers through his hair, yet what he said next made your heart stop.

"Why can't I just tell you that I love you?"

Well, buddy, hate to break it to you, but you just did.

—

A/n: Unedited so sorry for the grammatical mistakes,,,