Chapter Text
"I know you don't actually like me!" Risa cried boldly, tears welling up in her eyes. "You don't seem interested in me at all!".
Hiwatari felt the weight over his chest and a crawling terror from that affirmation. Like he was about to be fully exposed to the whole world. He braced himself for the next words, but they didn't come. Instead, it was him who spoke.
"Yeah. Maybe we should end this farce once and for all."
Risa glared at him, throwing a pillow in his direction, angry and frustrated. It didn't hit him. She had wanted him to be angry -- to be desperate, to ask for forgiveness, to ask for another chance. She wanted him to *care*. But all that was in front of her -- his coldness and passiveness -- was the confirmation of her fears. He did not like her. He just listened to all of her cries in silence, not opening up to debate. Even before, when he tried to be sympathetic, their fights were cut short by practical questions -- "what do you want me to do?" -- and then whatever she asked, she would get in a pristine, sterilized silver plate. Not an ounce of actual love.
Whatever brought them together was simply not important anymore. Months of uncomfortable dating and for what? For this messy, ugly, disappointing break up. It wasn't even dramatic like the dramas. It just felt awful, dreadful, and she wanted it to be over.
"Get the hell out!" she screamed. "I don't want to see you anymore!"
"Same." the cold voice of Hiwatari pinned her on the ground. "Goodbye."
***
Outside the Harada's mansion, Hiwatari felt horrible. The breakup was slowly sinking in this mind, the realization dawning on him. This was not in his plans. Though, the question that popped in his mind wasn't "What did I do?" but rather "Did she find out?".
Risa had always been pushy and spoiled, projecting her feelings over others. Hiwatari thought that that was an advantage to him -- that she would carry the relationship on her own, filling the gaps with her own emotions, and he wouldn't need to do more than the bare minimum. But what he wasn't expecting was that she wanted reassurance -- and it often came in the form of childish tantrum: "You don't really love me! You don't say it enough! Tell me! Do you have another girlfriend or what?!" -- which made him more pissed than anything.
He had never been too thrilled by the prospect of a relationship with her, but being forced to say "I love you" all the time? Just to make her feel better? Hiwatari was surprised he didn't break up sooner. That girl did not understand his personality at all.
But what was it that kept bothering him...? More than a personality crash, there was a truth that Hiwatari repressed so badly that he could barely manage to think about. Her words echoed in his mind, bringing the facts to the surface. He was, indeed, not interested in her. He wasn't interested in girls at all. Deep down, he knew that the only person he was interested in was-
-- Hiwatari-kun? -- Daisuke's voice brought him back to reality. The boy seemed worried to see his friend just standing by the gates of the mansion, staring at the distance.
Hiwatari fixated wordlessly at him, as he would often do. Daisuke was too used to that demeanor.
-- Are you looking for Riku? -- the blue haired boy asked in monotone. -- She left.
-- Ah. Well...
-- Goodbye.
-- Wait, hold on, Hiwatari-kun!
But he did not listen. He kept walking away, forcing himself away from Daisuke's grasp. But the red hair followed him, as he always would do any time Hiwatari tried to run away. It was just like him -- to care so much about someone who was supposed to be his enemy. And Hiwatari hated to admit, but it always felt good to see Daisuke running after him.
-- Hey! Wait! Did something happen? -- he kept asking.
-- It was nothing.
-- Are you sure? You don't look so well...
-- I told you it was nothing! -- he regretted screaming the moment it was out. -- I need to go. Good night.
-- Wait!
Why Daisuke kept following him? It was always like this -- Hiwatari trying so hard to keep his distance and then facing the boy with open arms and worried voice. He always ran after him, always worried about him. Even when Dark and Krad clashed before, Daisuke would always check if Hiwatari was well. And even when Hiwatari pushed him away... Daisuke never gave up.
-- Please, tell me what's wrong! -- Daisuke held his shoulder.
-- You're so damn annoying! -- Hiwatari turned back, ready to scream at him, but felt Krad pushing himself to the front. -- Aarghhh!! Krad!!!
"The opportunity presents itself, Satoshi-sama. Let me handle this!"
-- What the hell are you going to do?! -- he screamed.
They were lucky no one was walking around the fountain that night.
-- Hiwatari-kun?! -- Daisuke held his shoulders as the blue haired boy kneeled down in pain.
-- Get out, Niwa! -- he grimaced. -- I can handle this.
-- Let me help! Maybe Dark can do something--
-- Arrghhh!!! -- Hiwatari grabbed the boy's shirt with so much strength he was scared to rip it. -- Let me go!!!
-- I'm not leaving you! I'm never gonna leave you like this!
For a moment their faces were so close that Daisuke could hear Hiwatari's groans next to his ear. The blue haired boy went silent for a moment, as if he couldn't believe he heard those words. It was enough of a gap for Krad.
***
-- DARK! -- the psychopathic laugh of Krad echoed through the night. -- COME OUT! I'M HERE TO DESTROY YOU!
The angel flew in the night sky, tasting his newly gained freedom. Hiwatari tried to push his own conscience to the front, but his heart was in such a messy state that he could barely stay awake.
"KRAD!! STOP THIS!!" he screamed.
"Satoshi-sama, can't you see the irony of your fate? The same person you swore to protect is the one that pulls me with this force." Krad laughed.
"He has nothing to do with this!"
"Really?"
The more Satoshi tried to repress the words and the feelings, the stronger Krad became. Until he couldn't take it anymore. The memory was so nice. It was ridiculous how happy he felt hearing those simple words.
"I'm not leaving you! I'm never gonna leave you like this!"
His determined look was so strange, yet so fitting. The gap between his cuteness and his resolve was a beautiful thing. Hiwatari never thought that he could care for someone that much. When the world and his family and his fate felt always so crushing, when all he ever wanted to do was run from the grasp of everyone's selfish whims, he found himself thinking of him. There was only one person that he would sacrifice himself for. There was only one person that he could say that he loved.
And as he admitted it quietly, his conscience faded to black.