Chapter Text
Absence makes the heart grow stronger,pray my baby will not squander everything to gain by my leaving.
Taka pounded on Makoto's door.
He couldn't find Mondo anywhere. “Makoto! Mondo already overslept you too,Makoto!?” the door slowly unlocked with a loud creak. “Hello? What's wrong Taka?” “I can't find Mondo.” “so? He’s independent.” Taka bit his lip. Makoto didn't understand what it was like to be infatuated with a person..especially one so implausible to love them back,a man so virile..Taka should not be feeling this way! This is wrong. The guilt was killing him. His family already was disreputable,he couldn't make it worse by..by feeling romantic towards a man. “I'll help you find him.” “Well then come with me!” Taka grabbed Makoto's hand and dragged him into the gym."Mondo? Mondo? Are you kidding me?” They went and asked Aoi if she saw him. “Not since yesterday. Why are you looking for him?” Taka and Makoto wandered the halls for a couple minutes,until they got to the library.
“I think we should just stop..he’s somewhere in this school and we’ve looked everywhere.” Makoto wanders off,probably to go back to his room or see Sayaka or Kyoko,maybe even Leon. Taka was alone with his own thoughts. alone with his mind. His horrible,cruel mind. Maybe he should go back to Makoto instead of just standing there alone. but..that would just make it worse because Makoto might ask why he likes mondo so much and he didn’t want to think about what was going on in his head at that moment. Maybe he could just deny it. Maybe he could gaslight himself into believing he was normal,that he wasn't like this.
That he wasn't a freak of nature
In a rush of fear,he speed-walked back to his room and walked in. He closed the door after him so nobody saw this moment of vulnerability from him. He went to lie down but before that he decided to go and open the window. It was an old window,taking a couple seconds to open. When he got it open,he started feeling the unreasonably chilly breeze for may. His ebony hair blew in the gentle spring wind. He could see the trees blowing and leaves falling off. He could see his breath,and feel himself shaking. Why was Mondo born a boy? He closed the window and lied in his bed. Maybe in a different universe it wouldn't be wrong. Taka's eyes welled up with tears that should've been extinguished by the fire in his soul. How come his life was like this? He heard a knock on his door. “Taka?” Taka didn’t want to talk to anyone. He wanted to talk to himself..to his own mind. He hated how the world stopped spinning when Mondo smiled at him. Why would anyone want to talk to him? Was Mondo avoiding him? It felt like his heart was eating itself inside out. What could he do? Why was this happening? Whatever shall he do? “Taka? Bro?”
It was Mondo! Taka sprung up and ran to the door. “oh,hello bro!” Mondo leaned one his doorway. Taka walked towards him. “I was looking everywhere for you! where were you?” Mondo shrugged him off. “oh,just around.” Mondo muttered. Taka stared at him. Why did he feel like this? “You were looking for me?” Taka stopped breathing for a second. “Oh- i just wanted to talk to you.” “about what?” “...nothing.” Taka wanted to cling to Mondo but he simply couldn't. Why did this ever have to happen? Why was he like this? “Mondo..i think i-“ Taka changes his mind. He didn’t want to ruin what they had. “I think you’re my best friend..!” Taka muttered. Mondo replied, “of course we’re best friends bro!” “..yeah! We're the bestest of bros! Ever!” “Of course bro!” Mondo looked at Taka with his pretty,violet eyes..deep in a way words cannot describe.
“..do you ever think about what we’ll do after we finish going to school?” said Taka. “not really. We'll just do what we’ve always done bro!” how could mondo not understand what he meant? he meant..together. “i-nevermind. I guess we will.” and just forget about each other? taka thought. Taka can't let go. He didn't need to feel this. He had no need to love Mondo. He didn't need these feelings in his head. Taka hated this. Taka couldn't find what to say about Mondo. He loved him and he hated it. His soul felt so empty without Mondo there. Why did Taka have no luck?
Meanwhile, Aoi was running around still looking for Mondo. “Hey Mondo? Mondo? Mondo! where could he be?” Aoi taps her foot and crosses her arms.. Where could Mondo be? They had checked his room,the library and the garden! He doesn't even like the garden! “oh! I'll talk to Celestia!” She finds Celestia,in the lunch room,drinking tea. “Have you seen Mondo?” “no. I wouldn't look for him if I were you.” “I'm looking for him for Taka! Taka misses him.” Celestia sips her tea. “He's annoying. And pathetic.” Aoi was shocked. “i dont think so!” Celestia rolled her eyes. “Dont waste your time on men.” Aoi looked at Celestia. “I'm pretty sure Taka found him anyway,I heard them talking.” aoi replied,”...dont you think taka has a crush on him?” Celestia laughs. “Of course. Very obviously. It's so funny how he denies it. He looks like a strawberry when mondo is around. Aoi full on laughs.