DECEMBER 22.

MONDAY.

[5:42 PM]

It's been eight months since Bloodvine last showed up and ruined the CRC members' lives. It's been that long since Taichi and I started dating. And it's been eight months since Taichi chose me over Iori.

"Hello everybody!" Iori slammed the door open, her eyes glowing with excitement.

"Hey, Iori-chan!" Aoki and Yui greeted her in unison. Taichi nodded at her, "Hey."

Iori came while I was busy typing away on my computer that's why I didn't bother looking at her. "Did something happen?" I spared her a glance for a moment but my focus went back to business as she entered the room.

"He he he!" She plopped herself on the chair in front of me, between Aoki and Yui – who were arguing a moment ago. "Let us spend our Christmas together!"

I didn't take my eyes away from my computer, "No."

"But Inaba~n!" Iori's cute pleading voice echoed on my ears. "It's Christmas!"

"That's why I'm telling you, no!"

"But why?"

"Yeah, Inaban, why?" Aoki looked at me with his hand, which has a piece of potato chip on it, halfway to his mouth.

"Just so. And where do we spend it, huh? Do we have money?"

"Clu-"

"Nope. Not our club's fund. Please." I cut Iori off, and she just pouted at me.

"Inaba~n!" She leaned forward, distracting me from what I was doing.

"Iori. No is a no." I shooed her away.

"Taichi!"

It looked like she's done pestering me. But what does she want with Taichi now? Damn. I'm getting jealous for no reason!

"Ne! Ne! Taichi!" Iori looked like she's up to something.

"W-what?" I took my eyes off my laptop. Taichi was getting all flustered with Iori leaning forward to his direction.

I saw Iori's grin from my peripheral vision.

"Convince your girlfriend! Taichi, go on! You would want to spend the Christmas day with her, right?"

Taichi looked at Iori as if she had said something alien to him. "Eh!? Why?"

I let out a tsk and Taichi looked at me, surprised. "What do you mean why, huh? You don't want to spend Christmas with me?"

"Eh!? That's not what I meant!" He waved his hands in a frantic way.

I hmp-ed at him.

"Fine. Let's all spend Christmas together as Cultural Research club."

"Nice work, Iori!" Yui high-fived Iori. And I realized that I just got played to agree on their whim.

"Fine. Fine. Let's have it at my house. My parents won't be home for Christmas anyway. And my brother – " I remembered my brother who always annoyed the hell-out-of-my-mind " – grrr! Never mind my brother. Let's have it at my house."

"Yay!" The two girls along with Aoki happily shouted.

And I saw Taichi smiling at Iori.


DECEMBER 24.

WEDNESDAY.

[6:55 PM]

"Sorry for the intrusion!" the gang greeted as they got inside my house.

My parents left for vacation the other day, and I last saw my brother last night. I'm practically supposed to be alone for Christmas if it weren't for Iori's persistent pestering to celebrate it with the club.

"Wait. Does this mean you guys would be staying over?" I just realized that they went to my house at the 24th. And they wanted to celebrate Christmas together. So… they wanted to sleep over.

Iori and Yui giggled as they tackled me until we fell to the ground.

"Yep. Yep!" Iori was the first one to recover from the laughter.

Iori and Yui got off me and I sat lotus-style at the floor with my arms crossed, shaking my head on the idea. But then again I didn't have much choice. "I don't have a choice, am I right?"

"Yep~" it was Yui who answered.

"Need a hand?" I looked up and saw Taichi looking worried.

I grabbed his hand and smiled at him. I love Taichi. "Thanks!" I gave him a peck on the cheek when the other three rushed to the kitchen. "I love you!"

He smiled at me. A blush crept on his face. "I – "

"Hey! Inaba~n!"

I let go of Taichi's hand when Iori's voice shocked me. "What!?" I ran to the kitchen and saw them munching on some cookies I baked a while ago.

"Fu feyk dis?"

I massaged my forehead looking at Iori. "What language is that?"

"He he! Who baked these?" she said grabbing another piece, without hesitation she munched on it.

"Me."

"Eh?" I heard Taichi from behind as he passed by my side and grabbed a piece for himself. He took a bite and chewed on it carefully.

I feel embarrassed that Taichi's slowly eating my cookies. "S-so?"

"Hmm?" He looked at me. There were crumbs on the side of his lips.

I walked towards him. I put my right hand on his shoulder and used the back of my free hand to wipe the crumbs off his face.

Aoki, Yui, and Iori looked shocked of what I did and their faces turned reddish. Taichi also looked flustered.

I backed away. "S-sorry, Taichi."

Taichi touched the part of his face where my hand landed. "I-it's f-fine!" he smiled at me, embarrassed.

I looked at him with a sheepish smile. I love Taichi! "Damnit! I love you!" I suddenly kissed him on the lips which made his face red all over.

"I-Inaba!" Taichi grabbed my shoulder and he looked at the other three who were 'busy' looking at something on the counter.

I saw his gaze lingered longer on Iori. Maybe it's just my imagination.


DECEMBER 25.

THURSDAY.

[2:02 AM]

" – that's it!"

It was the first time that my house became so rowdy. At first, it irritated me. Even after everything that have happened, there was still this part of me that hates people. But as the night deepened, I couldn't help but thanked Iori for pestering me to celebrate Christmas together. I actually enjoyed the night with them.

Yui and Iori got up and bid good nights as they noticed that it's already two a.m. Aoki followed suit. I turned to look at Taichi, but I was surprised to see his gaze following Iori's figure. A glint of something reflected on them.

I shook my head at Taichi and at the three's retreating figures as I started cleaning up the table full of used cups and plates. "Those three," I muttered under my breath.

"Let me help you, Inaba." Taichi took the plates and cups from my hands and walked towards the kitchen sink and started washing the utensils. "I think they're too tired. I heard that they went to the arcade before I met up with them yesterday. Inaba said that she also ran an errand for her mom. That girl. Really."

"I-is that so?" I felt nervous standing next to Taichi. "Hey. Uh… Taichi?"

He turned to look at me with a smile on his face.

"Do you still love Iori?"

The plate he was washing suddenly slipped out of his hand but he was able to catch it before it hit the floor. "What do you mean?"

I averted my eyes from his stare. "N-nothing. I'll go and clean the table."

"Inaba!"

I didn't look back at him and proceeded to the living room. I jumped on the couch and buried my face on the pillow letting out a scream of frustration.


DECEMBER 25.

THURSDAY.

[3:32 AM]

I woke up at the sound of the door closing. I felt that someone left my room. It's either Yui or Iori. I took my phone and used it to light the room, and I saw that Iori's not on her futon. I closed my eyes thinking that she might have just gone to the bathroom. Ten minutes must have passed but Iori's not back yet, and suddenly I felt a pang on my chest. I got up from my bed and went out of my room. As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard voices from the living room. I focused, and realized that it was Iori's voice. And, Taichi.

"I don't get you, Taichi!" Iori sounded like she wanted to shout but she kept it low.

"Just like I said, let's not talk to each other for the moment." Taichi sounded desperate.

"And why?"

"Inaba's getting anxious. She keeps on asking if I love her. If I still love you. I don't want to hurt her, Iori!"

"Why would she get anxious of us talking? And she's your girlfriend! You should know who you love!" I could hear the tone of anger on Iori's voice.

I made my way down stairs when they suddenly stopped talking. And as I took a peek at the living room I saw Taichi holding Iori's face and their lips touching. My hands clenched to a fist, my body felt weak and I had to lean on the wall near me.

Taichi was facing my way and that's why when he let go of Inaba I saw in his eyes the same glint that his eyes have whenever the both of them were talking. It was the same glint that he never had when I'm the one he's talking to.

Iori took a step backward. "T-Taichi!?"

"I know. I know. But Iori – "

"Inaba! Iori!" It was Yui's voice coming from upstairs. "Eh!? Inaba, what are you doing at the stairs?"

"Nothing. I was just thirsty! Let's get back to bed, Yui!"

"But Iori?"

"She's probably at the bathroom."

"Okay~"

Yui was the first one to enter the bedroom and I followed her shutting the door as slowly as I could – even though I wanted to slam it so hard. I walked towards my bed and lie there without closing my eyes. I felt someone enter the room and I knew it was Iori. She stood next to the bed but didn't say anything. I sighed. Closed my eyes. And I started to think of what I should do.


DECEMBER 25.

THURSDAY.

[8:30 AM]

"Thank you for having us, Inaban!" Iori smiled at me.

I nodded.

"Well, we'll be on our way then!" Yui waved goodbye as I closed the gate.

"What are you still doing here, Taichi?" My voice was cold and I didn't look at him on the eyes. In fact, I haven't looked at anyone's eyes since we all woke up.

"Inaba, I – "

"If this got something to do with what happened this morning. Don't."

"But you need to hear me out. I just wan – "

"I don't want to hear it, Taichi. I don't want to. You know what? You're still a selfless freak! Why did you date me? Why did you choose me? Why did you let me fall for you so much when you still clearly loves Iori? Why, Taichi? Damnit! Why!"

I punched the post that supported the gate of my house. The lady who was passing by looked at me strangely, but I didn't care. Tears started welling up on my eyes but I didn't wipe it off. "If you just felt that you needed to ask me out because I said that I love you and that I need you, f*ck you Taichi! You didn't have to! Because of that selflessness of yours that I'm hurting now. Damn you, Taichi. I love you! I love you so much! I love you to the point that if you said you still love Iori, I would let you go! But, no! Whenever I asked you if you still love Iori all you would do is smile and tell me that you have me. And I believed you. I believed I was enough. I believed that there was love between us!"

Taichi grabbed the gate and slammed it open. He hugged me even though I was struggling to get out of his embrace. "Inaba listen to me. Li – "

"No. I won't. I'm tired, Taichi. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't enough. But this time, I would let myself be enough for mine to love. Let's stop this, Taichi. Let's break up."

"Ina – "

"What's this?"

Taichi let go of me when someone spoke from behind him. I didn't need to look to know who it was. For the first time in my life, I thanked my brother for being my brother. I ran towards our house and shut the door close. I shut everything and everyone out of my life.


This time… I won't ever trust again.

Taichi kept on calling my phone. He also kept on coming to my house. But I always ignored him.

Brother didn't ask me anything and just told me this, "It's good being hurt. It makes you human."

When classes resumed, Iori and Taichi tried talking to me but I avoided them.

I never went to the club room.

Aoki and Yui also tried talking to me but I just politely smiled at them and asked them to not bother me anymore.

I handed Gouto-sensei my withdrawal letter from CRC.

And I would stop loving Taichi.


Kokoro Connect is not mine. It has its rightful owners. And everything that are written here is purely a product of my desires and imagination. My story "Kokoro Connect (Collection of Interlocking Events) is somewhat AU – ah! It's really AU. And I would be adding few OCs just to spice up this story.

This story is purely romance. And I might not be able to portray the original characters in the way they are in the manga and/or anime, but please do bear with me ^^

Oh, and please enjoy the story~

Yours Truly,

psychoticauthor