“I’m in love with you.” Shindo utters the words out of the blue. “Could you be happy, here, with me?”
Your sorting stops. You look away from the many labeled boxes scattered across the hardwood and twist your body to face your friend. He’s still packing away random knick-knacks–smothering them in bubble wrap before tossing them into a plastic tub–but he wears a vacant expression. For a moment, you’re seriously concerned. Then he peers up at you, and there’s this familiar twinkle in his eye. You scoff.
“That’s not funny Shindo.”
“Come on,” He chuckles, a faint smile ghosting over his lips, “You can’t blame me for doing whatever I can to get you to stay.” You hurl a pillow at his head.
“I knew it was a bad idea to ask you to help.” A half-truth. Time passed quicker when you were with him, and God knows you needed an extra pair of hands to clear out your mess of an apartment. Still, you felt a dull ache when you thought about the way you’d be losing him–years of mischief coming to an abrupt end.
“Seriously though, what’s so special about America? You got tons of offers from big-shot heroes here.” He snaps the top on the container, shoving it to the side with the others. “So why are you so dead set on leaving just to sidekick for some no-name? I don’t get it.”
“I’ve told you before.”
“Yeah, and the reason was stupid. Try again.”
You groan, throwing yourself back onto the floor. Shindo doesn’t start filling a new box but instead crawls over next to you. The way he hovers with a raised eyebrow tells you he’s not going to drop the subject.
“This is my chance to really get my name out there. Internationally, you know? Plus, there’s something thrilling about a fresh start.” He rolls his eyes and you shove his shoulder. “I mean, I’m gonna be learning so many new things, meeting so many new people–”
“Fine. I get it, I get it.” He sighs, defeated. “I’ll support your profound journey, no matter how pointless it actually it. Just don’t call me in a month crying about how much you miss me. I’ll just say ‘I told you so.’”
“Oh, I’ll be calling every day.” You tease. “I wouldn’t want you to think some American guy snatched me up– you know, since you’re so in love with me.”
You pull yourself up from the ground, determined to finish packing away your books. Shindo takes the hint, begrudgingly returning to his stack of boxes, but not before he gets in one last zinger.
“We both know there’s only one guy you’d ever fall for, and he’s sitting right in front of you.”
It was a half-truth. You just couldn’t see it yet.