* * *

For some reason, Yuuji was avoiding him.

At lunch Yuuji would always make excuses to go do something, and after school he always said that he wanted to get more exercise and go for a run. 

Even in the morning, Yuuji would wake up early and go to school ahead of time and leave Megumi a note telling him to go to school without him.

And when they were together at Yuuji's house, Yuuji would just greet him semi-normally and they managed to have regular conversations. But there was an awkwardness in his voice. 

An awkwardness that implied: It's hard for me to talk to you.

And on top of that, Yuuji wasn't as affectionate as before. They used to hold hands a lot and give each other morning kisses, but somehow it just...stopped. 

Does Yuuji not want to touch me anymore?

"What's with him?" Megumi said out loud. 

"Why's he acting all strange all of a sudden?"

⤜-------⤛

Yuuji was acting strange. And he knew it.

It wasn't his intention. Well, it sort of was intentional. But he just couldn't get those two thoughts out of his head. 

Megumi's fate will end in tragedy, a tragedy worse than death.

And if you can't make him happy, then I'll do it instead.

And then he realized. That he was selfish.

Yuuji thought it was okay at first, to just be with Megumi no matter what happened, and that it would all be okay as long as they had each other.

But that clearly wasn't the case.

Ever since Yuuji started dating Megumi, Megumi's life had turned to shit. He had sacrificed everything in his life just to be with Yuuji. 

And Yuuji was willing to let him do it. 

He realized he was willing to let Megumi abandon everything, just so they could be together. He was selfish enough to make Megumi have to choose between him, and everyone else. And he wanted Megumi to choose him.

Unlike Yuuta, who was selfless enough to give up on Megumi so Megumi could be happy.

Yuuta was a better person than he was. 

If you can't make him happy, then I'll do it instead. Yuuta's words echoed in Yuuji's mind.

He deserves Megumi more than I do, Yuuji thought.

After all, Yuuta is Megumi's real soulmate.

And I shouldn't have been with you in the first place. 

⤜-------⤛

It was after school. All the students had gone home, leaving Yuuji and Megumi alone in the classroom.

Like they always were.

Because no one wanted to be around them anymore now that they were together.

It really is all my fault, Yuuji thought.

"Megumi, we need to talk." Yuuji said. He was still standing near the doorframe. Megumi was putting his notebook and textbook into his bag.

"You can save it for when we go home. We should hurry up and leave; they'll get mad at us if we stay too long." He zipped up his pencil case and tucked in his chair, prepared to leave.

"We shouldn't be together anymore." Yuuji blurted out.

"What?" Megumi asked, confused. "What are you talking about all of a sudden? And I've noticed that you've been avoiding me recently. Is there something I did? Did I say anything wrong. If I did then tell me."

Yuuji shook his head. "It's not you. You didn't do anything." Yuuji looked down. "It's me."

It's my fault. Everything that's happened to you...it's all because of me.

"What's that supposed to mean? I still don't understand why you're avoiding me." Megumi took out a chair and sat down.

Yuuji hesitated before he spoke. "To tell you the truth, when I went to that park, something really did happen. That guy, Mariko, he said that only soulmate couples can have true happiness. That they were destined for each other, and that anyone who went against that destiny would be punished.

Megumi just looked at him. "I already know what. You're just repeating shit I've heard from everyone else." 

Yuuji continued. "But that's not all of it! I saw him...he was able to use divination and figure out that some guy's parents were divorced and that the person's dad died without the guy even saying anything! And...and then he said that any person who got together with someone other than their soulmate..." Yuuji closed his eyes. "Would die."

Megumi still had that blank expression on his face. "So you believe him? You really think that everything is going to turn out the way he said?"

"No!" Yuuji denied it. "Well...I don't know. But you said it yourself that he was legit and even your dad followed him and he's always correct in his predictions-"

"So you're really going to listen to him? Who cares about what other people say!" Megumi yelled. "You told me that no matter what you would stay with me!" He reminded. 

"But that's not everything! He mentioned something specifically about you, Megumi. He told me..."

Yuuji took a deep breath. "He told me that you'll only have misfortune if you're with me! And that you will end up dying!"

I don't want to be selfish anymore, Yuuji thought. I want to do what's best for you.

"So? Who cares! I don't care about dying! Didn't I say this before? That I chose this, and that I'm okay with whatever happens from that choice."

"But there's evidence to back it up!" Yuuji argued. "All soulmate couples work out. There's supposed to be together. That's why you have that mark in the first place! There's a reason why everyone around you wants you to get with Yuuta!"

"W-what...what are you saying?" Megumi asked. "Are you saying that you don't want to be with me anymore?"

Yuuji gulped.

"Yeah," he said. 

I have to do this or else Megumi will suffer.

"It's been hard for me too. To have everyone think of me as cursed. And to be avoided by everyone. At first I thought I could deal with it, but I can't anymore," Yuuji lied.

I don't want you to suffer because of me anymore.

"We shouldn't be together."

Megumi avoided eye contact with him. He didn't have anything to say. But he could feel his eyes getting moist.

"Megumi I'm sorr-" Yuuji began.

But Megumi had already rushed passed him, and was out the door.