* * * Chapter 6 * * *

He was running aimlessly. He was just going where the road was taking him. He was turning whenever a corner presented itself. He was running and he didn't want to stop.

But he had to stop sometime.

Yosuke kneeled over, trying to catch his breath. He wondered why he felt so wet. It wasn't like he sweats that much. Suddenly, he felt pokes of water on his body. He looked up.

It was raining.

He took in his surroundings. 'The river…'

The boy glanced sullenly at it. 'I left my umbrella at the library… great.'

The library… he didn't want to think about it. He wished he could turn back time all the way back to the girl he asked out. It all started with her…

'Aren't you guys dating?'

That one sentence ruined his life. He was at such a loss about everything he didn't know what to do anymore. And not to mention his head was so jumbled it practically gave him a migraine. He swore if someone comes up to him and talk, he was going to lose it. Sighing, he sat down, hugging his knees and buried his face in-between them. He only thought about one thing,

'Why didn't he come running after me?'

Nothing makes sense anymore, he thought. Why was he acting way? Why was he sprouting bullshit to Souji? Why was he acting so… gay?

"Should have said, 'missed me' huh…"

He sat, not thinking about anything, letting the droplets of rain smack him on his skin and clothes. He wished it wasn't raining right now, he was shivering like mad, both from the cold and anger, but he didn't want to go home…

An umbrella appeared over his head.

"You'll catch cold, you know," said the awfully familiar voice.

Yosuke didn't bother to look up at Souji. He didn't respond either.

"We need to talk."

Silence.

"Yosuke?"

"Leave me alone, Souji." He wished he found a place where the other boy couldn't find him. He hated how small Inaba was. "I don't want to talk."

"Too bad," Souji said sternly.

"Souji…" he groaned.

"Alright, I'll stay here until you want to talk then."

Yosuke told himself that he will. He'll stay seated and hidden until Souji leaves. But that isn't what he did. He shot up without warning, face to face with the silver-haired boy and exploded, "WHY!?"

Souji was so jolted his dropped his umbrella and gaped at him.

"…Everyone." Yosuke muttered darkly, then yelled, "Everyone! Everyone thinks we're gay for each other!" He didn't know what he was saying. He felt so numb and just fueling with anger he just said whatever came to mind.

"Yeah," He said coldly.

Yosuke's eyebrows lowered, "…That's all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say?"

He hated him. He hated how he is just so… indifferent to this. He loathes it so much, it hurts. "I-I don't know! Deny it or something!" Yosuke exclaimed, waving his arms.

"……"

"Argh! Stop with this bullshit Souji!" Yosuke snapped, "You never answered why this stupid thing isn't bothering you! 'I don't care' isn't an answer, dammit! All those times, your smiles, your trust in me, the way you always mess with me…" He clenched his fists tightly shaking with anger, "Why aren't you pissed off?!"

Souji closed his eyes and softly sighed.

"Well!?"

It began to pour hard. The two boys stood, unmoving and silent, only hearing the hard patter of the water falling around them.

Yosuke suddenly grabbed him by the collar, "Answer me!"

Souji silently glanced off to another direction.

Yosuke's eyes widened, looking somber. He lowered his head, loosening his grip on the collar, but not letting go. "…It hurts dammit." He sniffed, "It hurts how much you don't care. It hurts how you're so unfeeling to this… Why can't you say just say 'no'…?"

"…No."

Yosuke looked at Souji, who had his eyes closed, "…W-What?"

"No." Souji repeated with the sameness in his voice.

Yosuke was at a loss. "…No?"

"…No."

The bronzed haired boy felt numb for some reason, he couldn't understand. He looked down at his shoes, unable to face Souji. He finally said 'no'…He looked up at him, his face screwed with shock and disbelief.

Souji turned his head away, "I do not like you. I'm not interested in you outside of our friendship. You're my best friend, my partner, but not in that way." He added bitterly, "…That's what you wanted to hear, right?"

Yosuke glanced back down, "Y-Yeah, but…"

The silver-haired boy took a step back and shook his head, letting Yosuke's arms drop to his sides lifelessly. "I don't like you, Yosuke," he said, robotically.

Souji didn't like him. Yosuke told himself that over and over. He didn't like him. He wasn't interested in him.

That's what he wanted. It was what he wanted to hear. 'No.' He finally got it. And that was good.

Right?

So why were the tears threatening to come out? Why was he so hurt?

Souji leaned down and grabbed his umbrella. "…I'll see you later," he said, not looking at Yosuke. He spun around and left without another word, breaking away from Yosuke.

Yosuke's widened eyes never left Souji as he was walking away. Not even when he was no longer seen.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours… He doesn't know how long he stood there, staring blankly. Rapidly, he processed what just happened in his mind, as if playing over a scene from a movie.

Leisurely, his eyes started to water… and he wrapped his arms around himself, falling to his knees, letting the hard pour of rain bathe him all over…