Work Text:
Akito was sitting in a cafe with Toya & Kohane. They were enjoying some cups of coffee, talking about their next Vivid Bad Squad performance. But then, suddenly, someone rushes through the door.
“HEY! GUYS! GUESS WHAT?!” A girl with black & blue hair and orange eyes exclaimed. She seemed extremely happy for some reason.
“What is it, An?” Toya asked calmly.
An’s cheeks were bright pink as she took a seat next to Kohane across from Toya. Akito sat beside Toya across from Kohane, so An was the farthest one from him. He took a sip of coffee and raised an eyebrow at the hyper girl.
“I… I have a boyfriend!” An casually announced to the group.
Akito immediately spat out his coffee all over the floor next to him. He coughed and choked a bit, shocked at An’s news.
“You have a boyfriend? Congratulations, An!” Kohane smiled innocently.
Toya said, “That’s great, An. Good luck on your relationship.”
Akito regained his composure as An stared at him. “Oi, Akito, you alright there?”
“Yeah, I-” Akito coughed and cleared his throat. “I’m alright. Just… surprised at how sudden you said that.”
An chuckled a little. “Haha, but yep that’s right! About an hour ago, my classmate confessed to me and asked if I wanted to go out with him and I said yeah! Now we’re dating!”
“Ooh, that’s amazing An!” Kohane clapped her hands together three times.
“I wish you luck with your new boyfriend, An,” Toya stated smoothly.
Akito felt a twinge of jealousy in his gut. He didn’t know why he felt this way, but he did. And he was very confused about this feeling.
“An… who is it?” Akito asked, glaring daggers at An. Toya & Kohane just tilted their heads at Akito’s menacing stare. His aura was growing more intense, and the blonde-haired girl & split-haired boy were confuzzled.
With An’s reaction, she didn’t seem to notice. All she did was raise an eyebrow and cross her arms. “What if I don’t wanna tell you?”
Kohane chimed in. “We’re your friends, An! Tell us! I’m intrigued!”
Toya questioned, “Is it anybody we know?”
An replied, “I don’t think you guys know who he is. But his name is (insert basic boy name). He’s pretty nice and handsome. I like him alot.”
Akito stared at An in disgust. He felt like he was being stabbed by a hundred knives, the feeling of jealousy punching him in the stomach. Why did he feel like this? He doesn’t even like An that way!
The girl with pigtails asked, “Do you have any pictures of him?”
“Yeah! I do! Let me just find them real quick,” An answered as she pulled out her phone.
She scrolled through her camera gallery and clicked on a photo, then showed it to the whole group. “This is him!”
At the sight of An’s boyfriend, Akito burst out laughing. “HAH! You’re dating a guy who looks like THAT!? You fell for a guy like HIM?! Pfft, that’s so you! Hahaha!”
An grumbled and pulled her phone away. “Hey! Shut up Akito, he looks better in person! At least I have a better love life than YOU, loser!”
“Oi. At least I’m not dating a nerd like him. Honestly, I can see why you two like each other. You’re both dorks!”
Akito stuck his tongue out teasingly at An. Kohane & Toya watched them quarrel, finding it a bit amusing. An’s cheeks grew hot.
“Ugh! Be quiet! You’re just jealous!” An snarled at Akito as he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up.
“Hah, jealous? Why would I be jealous?” Akito smirked.
Toya cleared his throat. “Now, now, chill out, both of you.”
Kohane joined the conversation after him. “Yeah guys. An, your boyfriend looks pretty nice. I’d like to meet him one day.”
An took a deep breath & took her attention off of Akito. “I will. I’ll let you guys meet him tomorrow. I think he’d be hyped to meet you guys!”
Toya & Kohane smiled as they continued talking about An’s boyfriend. Akito was left out of the conversation. He just sat there drinking coffee and shaking his head at some of the things An says.
Akito felt a hole open in his heart as his friends chatted. His stomach felt empty and he felt lightheaded. He didn’t like hearing about An’s new boyfriend one bit. The jealousy & guilt ate at him from the inside.
“Hey guys, I’m gonna leave now. I… I just got a notification from my sister to come home. Seeya.” Akito quickly made up an excuse. If he stayed there any longer listening to An gush over her boyfriend, he felt like his brain was gonna explode.
The rest of the group all collectively raised an eyebrow. Toya said, “See you.” Kohane said, “Bye bye.” An said, “Oh, uh, bye Akito.”
They all stared at Akito as he walked out of the cafe. Kohane & Toya both got suspicious of him, thinking he’s jealous of some sort, and An just thought he was being a dickhead.
Meanwhile, Akito was running to his house, trying to sort all these mixed feelings in his head. He didn’t like An Shiraishi. He didn’t have a crush on An Shiraishi. He didn’t fall in love with An Shiraishi. So why did he feel like this?
An is Akito’s rival and friend. Sure, he has thought about holding her delicate hands in his & kissing those soft lips of hers, but those thoughts never went too far because of Akito’s denial-built mind. So, why didn’t he feel happy for An with her new boyfriend?
Akito grimaced and went to his room. He was conflicted with these emotions, confused about these feelings. He shouldn’t care about whoever gets with An, as she’s just a friend after all. But why did it hurt so much to think about?
The orange-haired boy flopped down on the bed and hugged a pillow to his chest. He hated seeing An with another person. But, she was going to get with someone one day. So, if Akito didn’t like An being with ‘another person’, who does he like seeing An with?
All these feelings were perplexing Akito’s brain. Soon, his mind wandered off and Akito drifted to sleep. He had a strange dream about holding hands with An, kissing her soft lips, and Akito found it to be somewhat pleasant.
—
The next day, An walked into the cafe with a stranger by her side. They were holding hands, and they looked like… a very contrasting couple. An wore her usual vibrant outfit with flashy colors while the other person wore a basic outfit with bland colors. He was a literal NPC.
“Yahoo, everybody! Meet my boyfriend!” An grinned as she gestured to the guy next to her. The boy bowed and introduced himself. “Hello. My name is (insert basic boy name). Nice to meet you.”
Akito stared at the guy with revulsion as Kohane & Toya peered at the guy with curiosity. An pointed at her friends and said, “These are my friends. That girl with pigtails is Kohane, that guy with a beauty mark is Toya, and that… that hotheaded dimwit over there is Akito!”
An made an akanbe face taunting Akito. Akito was vividly offended by this teasing. “Take that back! Why, you little-”
Akito was quickly cut off by An. “Babe, sit down so we can all get to know each other! I’ll pay for your coffee!”
“Oh, thank you An, but no need,” the generic man responded. He pulled a chair over to the table and sat down exactly like how an NPC would. The rest of the group were stunned at An’s boyfriend and all had different thoughts about him. Kohane thought that the guy was good-looking and looked like he’d treat An well, Toya thought he was okay and didn’t really care, and Akito thought he looked very boring and wanted to rip his guts out.
The group all talked, and An’s boyfriend turned out to be… a very generic person. He said the most basic things and answered with the most common replies. He had nothing interesting about his personality or life, except for his story of how his cat got stuck in a tree & he had to call the firefighters to rescue it. Otherwise, he was extremely average.
The whole time, Akito was glaring at An’s new boyfriend like he wanted to tear him to shreds. He couldn’t stand this new boyfriend of An’s & absolutely hated him. He was so freaking boring. Couldn’t An have gotten with a better guy?!
After about an hour of mindless chatter, it was getting a bit late. The whole group walked out of the cafe and started heading home. While An was talking to Toya & Kohane ahead, that left Akito & the normal dude behind them.
Akito walked next to the guy and gave him a cold stare. In a quiet yet intimidating voice, he said, “Oi, An’s boyfriend, you better treat her right. I’ll find out if you hurt her.”
The generic boy got a tad bit scared of Akito. Regardless, he scoffed and rolled his eyes. “What are you, her overprotective bodyguard? Do you like her or something? Pfft. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt her. You can chill out.”
Akito felt anger pulse through his bones. He took a deep breath and said, “Good. I’m keeping an eye on you.”
The generic boy raised his eyebrow as Akito walked past him to keep up with the rest of the group. An’s boyfriend was confused but shrugged it off.
A few minutes later, An & her boyfriend had reached their stop and headed home. Only Kohane, Toya, & Akito were left, still walking to arrive at their destination. Toya & Kohane gave silent glances to each other and nodded, taking advantage of this time to confront Akito.
“Akito, do you like An?” Toya said straight-up.
The orange-haired boy looked at the split-haired guy and raised his eyebrow. “Toya? Where is this coming from? No, I don't like An.”
“Well, we’ve seen the way you look at An & the way you looked hurt when she talked about her new boyfriend,” Kohane pitched in.
“Yes, and the way you stared at him & An with jealousy the whole time at the cafe,” Toya added.
Akito scoffed. He felt a blush creep up his cheeks, but he ignored it. “I do not like An. Me? With her? Hell no. Impossible.”
Toya & Kohane glanced at each other with knowing looks, then turned back to Akito. Kohane said, “We know you like her, Akito. Your behavior clearly says it all.”
The green-eyed boy asked, “What about my ‘behavior’ says I like An? Where are you both getting this from?”
“It’s obvious you have a crush on her. You always look at her with a sparkle in your eye and a pink tint on your cheeks, even when you two are bickering. You always pay attention to her and talk to her with a more lively spirit than anyone else. You claim you don’t like her, but me & Kohane can tell. You’re in denial.”
Kohane pitched in after Toya, “It’s okay if you have a crush on An. To be honest, you two would make a nice couple. I think you both would look great together. And if we’re being honest… we don’t really like An’s boyfriend either. I think An could do better, be with a better guy. Like you.”
Toya added after Kohane, “I think An & her boyfriend are only going to last about a week. Honestly, they aren’t really a great match for each other. Akito, you would be better with An than the other guy. I believe in you.”
Akito’s face flushed pink at these words. Did his friends really think that? Did they really believe he’d be a better match for An? Was it true? If it was, then the giddy feeling Akito felt in his stomach was not for nothing.
“Tsk. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Akito told his friends. Toya & Kohane just looked at each other and shook their heads. Why did they keep doing that, Akito wondered?
Toya said, “Believe whatever you want, then. It won’t change our minds about you liking An.”
Kohane nodded in agreement. “Denial is a river in Egypt.”
—
At home, Akito grumbled on the couch in frustration. He couldn’t get these overlapping feelings out of his mind. Why did his brain keep telling him he likes An Shiraishi!? Hell no he doesn’t! Why?!
Ena Shinonome, Akito’s sister, entered the living room. She saw Akito with his fingers running through his hair, doing a Shinji pose. Ena sat down next to him, curious as to why he looked so upset.
“Akito? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, now go away Ena.”
“You sure? You look like you’re going through 5 stages of grief right now.”
“Shut up, I’m not.”
“What’s bothering you?”
Akito looked at his sister through his hands covering his face. He debated on telling her his dilemma, but decided to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he found a way around it.
“Ena, have you ever… had this recurring thought in your mind that wouldn’t go away no matter how much you wish for it to, and your brain keeps telling you no but your heart keeps saying yes?”
The brown-haired girl looked at the orange-haired boy with confusion. “Wow… that’s really deep. Tell me more.”
Akito stared at Ena & sighed as he gave in. “Have you ever… felt a feeling like jealousy after seeing your… friend hang out with someone else? And no matter how much you try to tune it out, it just won’t go away? And how you don’t want any of these feelings at all but they keep coming back to you?”
Ena thought for a moment, then said, “Did one of your friends whom you have a crush on get a significant other and now you’re jealous but don’t want to be jealous?”
“Ena, how did you-”
“WAIT! I HEARD FROM MIZUKI THAT AN SHIRAISHI GOT A BOYFRIEND RECENTLY! SHE’S THE FRIEND, RIGHT?! DO YOU LIKE AN SHIRAISHI?!”
Ena gasped with realization as she said this. Akito’s cheeks turned pink & he was flabbergasted at how his sister figured this all out in a couple seconds.
“No, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong-”
“I KNEW IT! That’s insane! My little brother is living a real life high school love story drama right now! Awww, how sweet!”
Akito’s face flushed red. He grunted and got up from the couch, regretting saying anything to his sister. Ena was shocked & excited at this new info and kept rambling while Akito went to his room. He locked the door, not wanting to listen to Ena anymore.
The olive-eyed boy sighed as Ena told him different things about jealousy through the door. Akito tuned her out & scrolled through social media, calming his racing heart.
On Instagram, he scrolled through his feed mindlessly while Ena banged on the door to make him let her in. Akito then scrolled to a specific post made by @an_shiraishi.
In the picture, An had her arm around her boyfriend’s neck, pulling him in close to snap a selfie. The boy looked startled but smiled regardless as his girlfriend grinned widely. The caption read, “Hanging out with my new boyfriend!☆Anyone have any date ideas? Let me know down in the comment section below! #boyfriend #newboyfriend #hangingout #love”
Akito felt a pit in his stomach as he read it. Jealousy coursed through his veins like Spider-Man’s powers, and so many emotions went through him. He was sad, mad, jealous, hurt, and confused. Maybe even more emotions than that.
The orange haired boy sighed as his heart ached in his chest. It hurt to see An like this, so lovey-dovey with another man. It hurts to know that she doesn’t have any feelings for Akito at all. It hurts to know that he doesn’t stand a chance.
Akito fought back the urge to type this, but his guilted mind took over. In the comment section of An’s post, he commented;
“Your new boyfriend’s an arsehole.”
—
For the next couple days, An & her boyfriend have been spending lots of time together. They’ve been on a ton of dates, had fun, held hands, hugged, and all that stuff. As a result of that, An has been spending less time with Vivid Bad Squad.
The rest of Vivid Bad Squad didn’t want to mention it until the time was right. Toya, Kohane, & Akito all saw it coming. An was very busy with her new boyfriend & wasn’t really hanging out with her friends anymore. And it concerned all of them, mostly Akito.
One day, An came in looking a bit gloomy. Akito, Kohane, & Toya were all in their usual spots in the cafe, surprised at An’s arrival and mood.
“An? What’s wrong?” Kohane asked her friend.
“Guys… I don’t think (insert basic boy name) likes me much anymore… we’ve been talking less & not hanging out as much…”
Kohane & Toya exchanged their iconic knowing glances while Akito stared at An, thinking about decapitating her boyfriend and exsanguinating his blood.
“Oh dear. It’s okay, An. It’ll be alright,” Toya assured the golden-eyed girl.
“Maybe he just needs a break from you,” Kohane told the blue-haired gal.
“Pfft, maybe he’s finally lost feelings for you. I think he moved on,” Akito taunted the broken-hearted soul.
An looked at Toya, then Kohane, then Akito, then sighed. “Maybe you’re actually right for once, Akito. He… He doesn’t like me anymore! What did I do wrong?!”
Tears were forming at the corners of An’s eyes and the rest of the group sighed.
Toya said, “An, I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong. That’s just how life is. People fall in and out of love for each other. I’m sorry you have to go through this.”
Kohane added, “He’s probably not the one anyway. I think you should break up and move on before you get hurt.”
Akito stared at the two friends comforting An in disgust. Were they actually giving An this crappy advice? This relationship advice is horrible. They do NOT know how to deal with someone’s breakup.
Wait a moment. Maybe they’re giving this advice on purpose, to lead An away from that guy. Toya & Kohane both know about Akito’s admiration for An, so maybe they’re doing a favor for him. To give Akito a chance to get with An.
An looked at Kohane & Toya and sniffled. “Are you sure? What if this is all a big misunderstanding? What if he still likes me and then I’m the one hurting him?...”
Toya looked at Kohane and they communicated with their eyes. Then, Toya asked, “Do you truly love him, An? Do you want to be with him?”
The amber-eyed girl stared at Toya and thought about it for a while. She didn’t say anything. She just thought long and hard about her feelings & choices.
Kohane broke the silence. “Think about it carefully, An. If your boyfriend doesn’t like you anymore, that’s on him, not you. If you want to win him back, then tell us and we’ll help you.. Anyways, I have to go now, my parents brought home dinner. Bye guys.”
The blonde-haired girl shot Toya a look and he seemed to understand immediately. He said, “I’m gonna go too. I’m pretty sure there are guests coming over and my parents want me to meet them. See you.”
“Oh, bye bye Kohane, bye bye Toya,” An waved as the two friends walked out of the cafe. Akito was bamboozled. How did Toya & Kohane understand each other perfectly without any words!? Do they communicate using telepathy or something?!
That left Akito & An alone in the cafe. Akito groaned. Kohane & Toya probably did this on purpose, leaving him alone with An. Gosh dang it.
“Oh yeah, I just remembered that… I need to bring home snacks for my sister, or else she’ll be angry at me. I’m leaving,” Akito made up quickly.
Before Akito could leave, An grabbed his sleeve and stopped him. “Are you just making an excuse to leave because you don’t want to be stuck with me?! You dummy. I strongly dislike you too.”
Akito stared at An and softly blushed. “I’m not making any excuses. Tch, shush idiot. “
“Akito… what do you think I should do?” An asked, still holding onto Akito’s sleeve.
“Huh- What do you mean? And let go of me, moron,” Akito replied, a pink tint on his cheeks.
An let go and looked to the ground while gripping her own sleeve. “With my boyfriend, he doesn’t show much interest in me anymore… Do I confront him about it? Try to invite him to hang out and talk more? Break up with him? What should I do?”
Akito stared at An. He didn’t really want to answer, as he didn’t want to make the girl upset. It pained him to see An with her new boyfriend, but it felt wrong to sabotage their connection. Besides, Akito denied that he likes An. Why would he disrupt his friend’s relationship?
“Uh, I don’t know. Do whatever. I don’t care,” Akito said bluntly.
An stared at him and said, “Y’know, you’ve been really quiet the whole time we were talking about my relationship. It was mainly only Toya & Kohane talking. Which leads me to think…”
Akito gulped and began to get nervous. His heart went pitter-patter in his chest as An peered at him with her big orange eyes. Did Akito get caught? Does An know he likes her? Is this the end?
“Be honest with me, Akito. What do you think about me and my boyfriend’s relationship? With the way you’re acting, it seems like you’re not really fond of my relationship & maybe dislike it. Tell me your honest feelings, Akito. What are your true thoughts about me and my boyfriend dating?”
As An waited for answers, Akito grimaced. Dang it, she’s suspicious. What is he supposed to do? He can’t tell her the truth, or else she’ll be dumbfounded. He can’t tell her that he hates seeing An and her boyfriend together because it makes him jealous. He can’t tell her that he wants to rip her boyfriend’s head off and feed him to sharks. Akito sighed. Looks like he’s gonna have to lie.
“An, I… I am really, really happy for you and your boyfriend. You two are absolutely the most perfect couple, and it’s a great sight to see. You guys are a match made in heaven. There. That’s my answer. Are you satisfied?”
Akito said all of that with a stone-blank face, trying not to show any signs of cringing or sarcasm. It kind of hurt in a way. He used all his willpower to not burst out laughing from how dumb he sounded.
An raised an eyebrow, thought for a second, then punched Akito in the shoulder. That caused Akito to burst out in laughter, smiling widely and cackling like a hyena. It was so amusing to Akito, how that blunt statement was so obviously erroneous, such a poorly thought-out lie, and how An saw through it right away. Akito wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Man! Now that’s comedy gold!
Akito kept on laughing, and for some reason it sent butterflies fluttering in An’s stomach. She punched him lightly again and said, “Hey! Not funny! I asked for your honest opinion, not some lie you rehearsed in your head! Tell me the truth! Now!”
An was frustrated and Akito was cracking up. He forced himself to stop laughing and took a deep breath. “Okay, An, to be honest with you, I think your relationship is… Actually, I’m not gonna say. I think I’m just gonna shut my mouth for now.”
Akito said all of that with a smile. He had to stop himself from saying that An’s relationship was absolute crap and he wished they never dated in the first place. Akito chuckled, looking at An’s bewildered expression.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?! Akito- Oi! Where’re you going!? You still haven’t answered my question!”
An followed Akito as he walked out of the cafe in the middle of An’s sentence. He didn’t really want to be there anymore to get pressured to answer questions about his feelings on his crush’s relationship. An could never know about his true thoughts. She just couldn’t.
“Akito!! Come back, stop walking so fast!” An was jogging a little to keep up with her friend, who was speed-walking swiftly with his long legs.
Akito turned around & walked backwards while facing An. “Seeya An, I’m heading home now! Good luck with your boyfriend!”
“Waaaaaittttt! Stop!” An reached her hand out as Akito taunted her & kept running. An stopped chasing him and panted, catching her breath. Man, Akito was really fast. He’s so stubborn too.
An thought about everything that Akito said and couldn’t help but second-guess herself. Was this relationship with her new boyfriend a wrong choice? Did Akito think badly about her relationship? Was entering this relationship at all a right decision?
Meanwhile, Akito headed home, thinking about An’s relationship. They are definitely falling apart. Which is good. But, what about An? How was she going to react to their relationship not working out? Will she be hurt? Upset? Angry?
Whatever An was gonna do, Akito was worried. An really was such a dumbass for dating that NPC in the first place. Oh well. Maybe this’ll teach her a lesson in love.
—
The next day, at Kamiyama High School, it was time to go home. Akito spotted Toya walking with some green-haired girl & decided not to interrupt their conversation. Instead, Akito went another direction, passing by the courtyard.
Wait a minute. What’s going on? In the shadows of a cherry blossom tree, Akito saw An & her boyfriend talking. He couldn’t hear anything, but Akito knew something was up. He didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping, so he just watched them from a distance.
By the looks of An’s body language & the way she gave her boyfriend a kind of odd smile, it was obvious. An & her boyfriend were breaking up.
After the NPC guy left, An was standing there befuddled. Akito waited for the guy to be at a far-enough distance to go confront An. He quickly walked towards her, seeing her tremble a little.
“Oi, An, are you alright?” Akito asked, standing in front of the girl. “Huh? Akito, where did you come from? I’m okay, but you literally just spawned in!” An replied.
Akito said, “I saw you and your boyfriend talking. Let me guess… Did you guys break up?”
“What? I, uh, no no no, we didn’t break up! What are you talking about?” An looked like she was about to cry.
“An. Did you two break up?” Akito stated in a serious tone.
With that, An burst into tears. She looked at the ground, crying while clutching her fists. “Akito… How did you know?...”
Akito stared at her with compassionate, sympathetic eyes. “I’m sorry for you. Did he break up with you or did you break up with him?”
“He… He did… I-I-I don’t know what I did wrong, he just said we were not a good match for each other and I… I don’t know why but- I- I just-....”
Watching An be conflicted with her first heartbreak hurt Akito like glass shards in the chest. Without thinking, Akito pulled An into a hug, wrapping his arms around her and putting one hand on her head. An was shocked at this move but hugged him back.
The embrace was comforting. An sunk into the hug, burying her face into his shirt. She sobbed, soaking Akito’s uniform with her tears. Akito didn’t mind. He wanted to comfort An as much as he could.
“Shhh… it’s okay. You don’t need that bastard. He doesn’t deserve you. You deserve someone better than him.”
An sniffled and looked up at Akito, her face wet with tears. Her golden eyes glistened & she looked so sorrowful, it broke Akito’s heart. He didn’t want to let go.
“Akito…” The midnight-haired girl sounded heartbroken. It was a sorry sight. Oh, how dismayed Akito was to see her like this.
The olive-eyed boy cracked a slim smile and pulled away, blushing a little. An chuckled a bit. She wiped her tears. “Thanks, Akito.”
Akito scratched his head, feeling butterflies rise in his stomach. His heart fluttered in his chest and he felt awkward, not sure what to say.
An gave him the purest smile ever and sniffled. “You know… If I was being honest, I didn’t really like him back. I don’t know why I agreed to date him, I guess I was just… surprised & happy that someone felt that way towards me. Maybe I was just being stupid and should’ve thought it through.”
“Yeah, you are definitely an idiot, I’ll give you that.” Akito laughed which made An grin wider. “I’m gonna be honest too, I never liked you two’s relationship. In fact, I sort of couldn’t stand seeing you two together…” He said the last sentence in a very quiet voice, hoping his crush wouldn’t hear.
An giggled. “I knew it. You were always acting strange when my boyfriend was brought up, so I had a gut feeling you didn’t like our relationship. Guess I was right. And I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who secretly thought the relationship was a bust. I appreciate ya, Akito.”
Akito’s cheeks turned pink and he turned away. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let’s go to the cafe already to break the news to Toya & Kohane. Unless you wanna keep the breakup a secret.”
“Why would I keep such a secret from my friends? I think I should tell everyone I- Hey! Wait up!” While An was talking, Akito was already walking away. The girl caught up with him & tugged on his sleeve. “Akito, I’m gonna trip you the next time you leave me behind like that!”
The orange-haired guy chuckled and walked alongside An. He said, “Maybe you should learn to be faster or stop talking so much, you annoying loser.”
An puffed her cheeks up and glared at Akito. “Oi! Shut up, nitwit! I’m gonna chop your long legs off with a butcher knife!”
Akito scoffed. He grabbed An’s hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, ignoring his brain spiraling out of control. “Just zip your mouth so I can walk in peace. Or I’ll start running.”
With that, Akito started sprinting forward, dragging An with him. An had to rush to catch up with him or else she’d trip & fall to the ground. Akito laughed, not letting go of her hand. They both dashed together to the cafe, hand-in-hand, their hearts soaring in the air. It sure was a precious memory.
When they arrived at the cafe, they were both out of breath and sweaty. Toya & Kohane were already in their seats, staring at them, raising their eyebrows. Akito flashed his friends a cocky smile and let go of An’s hand. He sat down in his chair, An following after him.
“Hey An, Hey Akito, what happened?” Kohane asked. “You two seem to be in a good mood today,” Toya stated.
An & Akito exchanged glances. Akito smirked and An’s cheeks turned slightly pink. She looked at Kohane & Toya and said, “Oh, uh, me and my boyfriend broke up…”
The two friends’ eyes widened at this statement, but they weren’t too surprised. They tried not to act too happy for An. Toya responded, “You two broke up? That’s unfortunate.” Kohane replied, “Oh no, are you okay An?”
An nervously chuckled. “I’m fine. My boyfriend- uh, well, ex-boyfriend, broke up with me. He said that we weren’t a good match for each other and believed we’d both be happier with someone else. It’s alright, I’m not too sad about it. Actually, I’m kind of relieved.”
Kohane & Toya glanced at each other, communicated through what seemed like telepathy, and nodded. “Ah, I see. So it was a good breakup. Good to hear,” Toya said.
“I’m glad you’re not upset, An. Do you wanna know something? Um, well, we all didn’t think your relationship was the best. We knew it wasn’t the best for you. We didn’t tell you before because we didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” informed Kohane.
“Yeah. We apologize for not being honest with you,” stated Toya. Akito nodded along, resting his cheek in his hand.
An was surprised by this. But she was glad. “It’s okay guys. You didn’t want to make me feel dismayed. Thank you.”
Everyone chatted, talking about relationships. An decided she wasn’t gonna get in a relationship in a while and will only get in one if she knows she’ll be happy in it. They eventually got off topic and started talking about random stuff. Either way, it was a great day.
While everyone was leaving the cafe, Kohane got an idea. She exchanged glances with Toya, and he nodded. The blonde-haired girl went up to An while the boys were walking ahead.
“An, I think I know who you would be good with. I think you and this person could make a great couple,” Kohane murmured to An quietly.
“Hm? Who?” An was curious. She didn’t expect her friend to be shipping her with someone.
Kohane leaned in & whispered something into her ear. It was extremely quiet, and no one else could hear. Akito glanced behind his shoulder. He stared at the girls, raising an eyebrow.
When An heard what Kohane said, she was shocked. Her face went bright red & she peered at Akito, extremely flustered.
She mumbled some things to Kohane & covered her face. Kohane just looked at Akito, giving him an innocent smile. Toya saw this and smirked. They all knew what the pigtailed-girl said. Everyone except Akito.
Akito thought it was just about something dumb. He kept walking, not caring enough to ask. An was a blushing mess and didn’t dare to look at him for the rest of the day.
At Akito’s home, he crawled into bed, thinking about An. The way she cried in his chest, wailing with discomposure, trying to hold in her feelings. It was all… Akito didn’t know how to describe it. He felt bad for An, but he was grateful.
Of course, Akito wasn’t immediately going to try to get with An right after a breakup. That’s just wrong. Besides, he told himself he doesn’t stand a chance. He doesn’t think he’ll ever date An. She’s way out of his league.
Akito fell asleep while hugging a pillow. He dreamed that the pillow was An & he was hugging her oh so tightly. It felt nice. If only it could someday be a reality.
Maybe one day, Akito & An will be together. One day, they’ll be able to hug, kiss, hold hands, cuddle, and love.
But for now, those fantasies will only be in his dreams.