'Zaizen-san, do you want to have lunch with Yusaku and me today?'

Aoi quirked a brow at Takeru, who she had run into in the hallway on her way to class. Weeks had passed since the beginning of the semester, and she was doing a fantastic job of avoiding Yusaku. However, this also meant that she had to keep her distance from Takeru, who was usually with Yusaku anyway. She felt bad for being indirectly punitive. After all, Takeru was the only person who had successfully checked up on her when she was down. He was the only one who she felt comfortable around when she was going through tough times and for that, she was always going to be grateful to him.

She missed their friendship. It was the only real, healthy relationship she had in light of her life's recent events. While Akira loved her, he hadn't given her space or the respect she wanted. On the other hand, these requirements came naturally to Takeru. He only ever spoke to her to ask how she was doing, and not once did he snap at her for whatever reason. Takeru genuinely cared about her wellbeing. It touched Aoi's frosty heart.

So even though, no, Aoi didn't want to have lunch with Takeru and Yusaku, she felt as if she owed it to the former to invest her time to.

'I'd like to hang out with you sometime.' Aoi said tightly. 'But just you.'

'Oh...' he murmured, clearly disappointed. His brows knit sadly. It appeared as if Aoi really didn't want to see Yusaku any time soon. Takeru considered asking why, but decided that it wasn't helpful to delve into matters that didn't concern him. Especially considering that talking about it only seemed to make both Yusaku and Aoi upset.

Besides, why was he so insistent in the first place?

Because he wanted Yusaku to be happy. And Aoi too.

But it was clear at this point that being together was the last thing those two wanted.

Takeru was the only one perpetuating the notion of a romantic relationship, regurgitating demons that perhaps were better left buried in the dirt.

Was it time to give this all a rest?

Takeru didn't have the answer to all these questions swirling around in his head, so he gave Aoi a low, 'We'll talk about it,' before hurrying off to his first class of the day.

He always had a hard time concentrating during lectures, mainly because he hardly attended school. In actuality, he only attended a little over half the total number of school days in a semester all throughout high school. Back then, his soul was stuck in the recesses of his trauma, so the last thing he wanted or needed was to be around a bunch of people who didn't understand him.

Bottomline, he wasn't very good at paying attention to his teachers. Today was no exception, but it was a reason entirely other than his short attention span. His mind was stuck on Aoi. Specifically, on Aoi's relationship with Yusaku. Takeru tried to see it from Aoi's perspective, despite the minimal (non-existent) history he had gathered. Unlike Yusaku, Aoi failed at pulling off a proper poker face. Although she tried to mask her true feelings, Takeru could clearly see pain and bitterness etched onto her features. Yusaku was unreadable, but Aoi's candid reactions to certain topics provided some clues here and there.

How did Yusaku feel?

Takeru was done playing it by ear. He decided that he was going to confront his friend about it at lunch. Surely, Yusaku wouldn't be offended. Surely, Yusaku was willing to reconcile with Aoi. Well, to be fair, Yusaku was easier to speak to than Aoi because he was simply willing to have a conversation. As to the depth of it, Takeru was going to have to take a rest. It was better than approaching Aoi again as she just swatted every attempt to pry into her personal life.

The bell rang, marking the start of the lunch hour. Takeru beelined out of the building. He needed to speak to Yusaku immediately. There were just too many uncertainties in his heart. In fact, Takeru was questioning why he was even doing this. As soon as he spotted Yusaku already seated at their usual meeting place, he sighed in relief as if somehow, Yusaku wouldn't have made it today. Wasting no time, Takeru sat down in front of his comrade and relayed the brief story on his encounter with Aoi earlier in the day.

'You should see her.' Yusaku said flatly. 'She's your friend, right?'

Takeru winced. 'Yeah... But the reason I asked to hang out with her in the first place was so that I'd have an excuse to string her along with us for lunch.'

'And you didn't think to ask me beforehand if I'd be fine with that?

'Aren't you?'

'Who knows.' ominously vibrant emeralds narrowed. A dark chill went up Takeru's spine. Generally, Yusaku's sharp features and steely disposition rendered him an unfriendly personality to deal with. His presentation, combined with the defensive passion bubbling beneath his skin whenever a situation involving Aoi popped up, showcased a Yusaku that was past the point of intimidating.

Right now, he was just fucking terrifying.

'I know you want her in your life.' Takeru blurted bravely. 'I want that for you too.'

'What I want is for Aoi to be happy.'

'She wants you to be happy.'

'I can't remember the last time I actually was.' Yusaku bit out icily. 'Do you think I was happy after the Hanoi perished? My mission was fulfilled, but my life was the same. Inside, I was able to gain closure for my past. But the truth is, I still live in my own self-manufactured abyss wherein no light bleeds. I'm still that way. Even though I'm a hero, even though I have your friendship, even though I have Ai...' he paused. Then, 'I'm still miserable. I can't help it. It's who I am.'

'Yusaku...'

'What Aoi needs is for me to be as far away from her as possible. I'm poisonous to her.'

'Don't be ridiculous!'

'I dragged her into my abyss.'

'Aoi's a woman!' Takeru snapped, brows knitting together furiously. 'She's her own person! You can't drag her into anything... She made the decision to be involved with you, to stick it out with whatever happened between you guys! You can't be faulted for that. She wanted you as you were! I don't know what went down, but barring all the messed up things I'm sure happened, Aoi chose to like you!'

'She liked the idea of me. When she found out that I wasn't who she thought I was, she was sorely disappointed.'

'Did she leave?'

Yusaku thought about it. Shocked by his own realisation of the answer, he replied, 'No.'

'See! Alright, maybe you weren't prince charming... But she still liked you for what she discovered you really were. Her feelings for you were still real.'

Defeated, Yusaku could do nothing but rub his temples as he let out a long sigh. He didn't think that it was possible to love and appreciate Aoi more than he already did inside, but Takeru's words placed a spotlight on Aoi's resilient heart. It was true. Maybe he didn't live up to her expectations, but she wanted him anyway. She wanted his baby, and she somehow believed that he would be a worthy father. She had placed so much blind trust in him that he couldn't help but feel his heart swell at the revelation that she loved him unconditionally. By no means was she perfect (or realistic in her ideology) but her willingness to love shamelessly underlined just how beautifully human she was.

Beautifully human.

For all her faults and naivety, Aoi was beautifully human.

'You speak so highly of her.' Yusaku spoke softly. 'It would make her happy to hear you.'

'Don't change the subject.'

'Listen.' his tone turned strict. 'I know what you're doing. I appreciate it, really. But stop.'

'But-'

'Stop.' Yusaku raised a finger as a warning. 'I don't want to hear it anymore.'

'So that's it?' Takeru demanded angrily. 'You're just going to give up on someone you care about?!'

'Do you think it's easy for me to stay away from her?'

'It certainly came naturally to you before.'

'It didn't.' Yusaku grit his teeth. Takeru was provoking him and he was trying hard not to bite, but it was challenging when it felt as if the whole world was reminding him of how terrible a lover he was. Yes, he got it: He mistreated Aoi. He hurt her terribly and he could never make up for it. Knowing this, why on earth would Takeru insist on them getting back together?

Because he doesn't know the full story.

'You think she wants me back?' Yusaku challenged. 'You're wrong. Aoi wants nothing to do with me.'

'I already know that.' Takeru's shoulders slumped, defeated. 'It just feels so wrong. When we all used to hang out, I saw the way you guys looked at each other. Like when Zaizen-san and I would talk, but she'd always look over to see if you were staring at her.'

Yusaku's heart sank. Takeru knew? Takeru liked her, knew, and didn't say anything?

'Aoi doesn't need me.' Yusaku said gently. 'Having said that, just because she and I don't talk anymore, doesn't mean that you shouldn't be her friend.'

'I can't hurt you like that.'

'It won't hurt me. I'll be glad, actually.' he smiled with uncharacteristic warmth. 'If you can be the person Aoi can rely on.'

'Shouldn't that be you?'

'No. I'm incapable.'

'You're not-'

'Go hang out with her.' Yusaku interrupted, clearly hellbent on moving on from this topic. 'Bring her flowers. She'd like that.'

Takeru jolted in his seat. The implication made him sick to his stomach. The last thing he wanted was to compete with Yusaku. Not only was that going to create conflict with his dear friend, but he simply knew he wasn't going to win. 'Because you used to send her flowers?'

'No. Because she likes them.'

Aoi was miffed that Takeru didn't give her an enthusiastic yes! when she suggested that they get together sometime.

Actually, she was offended. Considering that Takeru had practically been hounding her all week, she thought that he'd be ecstatic to receive an invitation from her. This bothered Aoi for the rest of the day until she arrived back home. She adored Takeru as a person, hence the idea of becoming his friend was alluring. But if his reaction earlier was anything to go by, she could safely conclude that he wasn't very excited to spark a friendship with her.

Before Aoi could get (even more) ahead of herself, her cellphone buzzed. She reached into her breast pocket, eyes widening when she saw that Takeru had sent her message.

Hi! Zaizen-san! When can I see you? :D

Aoi smiled. Takeru's message immediately placated her. Her heart swelled and a smile graced her lips. The quiet girl herself was unaware of how happy Takeru made her, but she enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction nonetheless.

She wanted Takeru to spend time with her, and it seemed that he was willing.

She wanted his attention.

She got it.

Best of all, she didn't have to beg for it.

Aoi bit her lip and began typing up a response. Overcome with elation, she hastily replied that he was welcome to visit her at home today, now - as soon as possible. On his end of the conversation, Takeru was freaking out. He wanted to see Aoi more so than she wanted to see him, but he at least wanted to look presentable or... special. This wasn't enough time to prepare himself to look-

Takeru froze.

Why did he care about what Aoi thought of him physically?

I still like her, he lamented to himself. How is this right? Going to see my best friend's ex, who I have feelings for...

But both Yusaku and Aoi were clear about being over each other. Their relationship was dead and they had intentions of reviving it. Why should Takeru feel guilty? At this point, it was only him who was explicitly making a big deal out of everything. Why should be dramatic about a non-existent issue? It's not like it was ever his relationship.

Fuck it, he thought before marching over to the Zaizens' residence, stopping by a flower shop on the way.

When he got to the luxury apartment complex wherein Aoi stayed, she buzzed him up quickly. In the elevator, Takeru adjusted his school uniform, as if it was going to make an impactful difference on Aoi's perception of him. He was carrying a bouquet of red roses in his arms. Yusaku mentioned that Aoi would have liked to receive a floral arrangement, and Takeru thought that it wouldn't hurt to indulge her.

The elevator doors pinged open. 'Good evening,' the robot maid greeted him. It then guided him towards the staircase, where Aoi was descending. His eyes met hers, and both classmates smiled at the sight of the other. To say that they had missed each other's company was an understatement. Aoi was finally reunited with one of the most supportive people she's ever met, and Takeru was able to get quality alone-time with the woman he fantasised about.

'Good evening, Takeru-kun.'

'Y-Yeah, good evening!'

'What are those?' she asked as she pointed to the bouquet her visitor was holding.

'Oh...' Takeru's attention turned to the red roses in his arms, which he had almost forgotten about. Whenever he was around Aoi, the rest of his surroundings seemed to fade away so that she was the sole focus in his mind's eye. He blushed. Maybe bringing her flowers wasn't such a good idea after all. Was this weird? Or creepy? Desperate?

'Takeru-kun?'

'They're for you.' he announced quickly, thrusting them forwards and bowing his head. The shy student couldn't handle seeing Aoi's reaction. It was taking all of his courage at this moment just to admit that he had brought her a present.

'Thank you.' she smiled as she took them from him. 'I love them.'

'Ah... Good.' Takeru laughed awkwardly, a hand gravitating to the back of his head in embarrassment. Aoi saying that she liked his gift made his heart flutter.

'Do you want to come up to my room?'

'Sure.'

The pair made their way to Aoi's bedroom. As soon as they were inside, she shut the door and placed the bouquet on top of her desk. She made a mental note to place the roses in a vase after Takeru left. It didn't take long for Takeru to make himself comfortable. He sat down on a chair, until Aoi beckoned him over to sit with her on her bed. The proposal made Takeru unexpectedly nervous, but he knew that Aoi didn't at all mean to be suggestive. It was simply more casual to lounge with each other on top of the mattress.

At first, they sat right next to each other. Aoi then decided that she was exhausted from school, and laid down with her back to the sheets. Takeru didn't know what to do until Aoi motioned for him to do the same. He was hesitant at first, but thought that making it a bigger deal was just going to render the situation awkward. Thus, he too lay next to her. He was so close to her that he could smell the faintly sweet perfume that he never noticed on her before.

'I'm so glad you're here.' she beamed. 'I missed you.'

'I missed you too.' Takeru smiled warmly. Lavender eyes softened, and he swore that he was seeing stars. Aoi was carelessly loving. She spoke her mind freely, and she had a lot of love in her heart. Takeru admired this about her. She was the only person he knew who had a profoundly open approach to loving others, especially considering that society at large was almost ashamed of explicit connections between people. Unlike most of the student body, who were reserved despite being generally friendly, Aoi was cold to those she didn't know and wonderfully welcoming to those she held dear in her heart.

Aoi spoke, 'I was worried, you know... That you wouldn't see me because Yusaku and I aren't speaking.'

'Well... What happens between you and Yusaku stays with you guys. You and I have our own separate relationship.'

'I'm glad you feel that way.'

'But while we're on the topic...'

'Oh, no-'

'Yusaku really loves-'

'I don't want to talk about it.' Aoi cut him off sternly. 'Really. I don't want to go there.'

'But why? You liked him at one point, didn't you?'

'In the past.'

'If it's truly in the past, then what's preventing you from even talking about it in the present?'

'Because I want to keep it in the past.' she tucked a lock of hair behind an ear - a nervous tick of hers whenever she was pushed into a corner. She tried not to take Takeru's inquisitiveness against him, for she knew he had a heart of gold. However, the topic was unnerving and she could barely keep herself from crying out in frustration. 'It was a difficult...' relationship? no, 'time in my life.' she settled. 'I don't like reliving how I felt back then.'

'How you felt?'

'Unwanted.' Aoi admitted. 'Disposable. I don't know.' she paused. 'He was just... so cold.'

'Please don't take his coldness against him. That's just his exterior. He's a really good guy, the best I've ever known...' Takeru swallowed. His eyes glazed over with what may have been nostalgia laced with repressed despair. Everyone involved in the Lost Incident had a rough time, but Yusaku may have been the one who took it most to heart. It completely derailed his life, and he had absolutely no support system to bounce back on. 'Him being cold doesn't mean he doesn't care for you.'

'I don't want that kind of care.' her voice softened to barely a whisper. 'That's not satisfying. Unsatisfying love just leads to hatred. I want someone to show me how much I mean to them... Like how you did.'

Takeru batted his eyes, hoping to clear what he perceived to be his groggy mind. What did Aoi just say? What was she insinuating? Aoi's words were meant to speak candidly about their friendship, but from his rose-tinted glasses, Takeru took her meaning to be deeper.

'You checked up on me all the time. You didn't know what I was going through, but you cared for me anyway. It was nice. If it wasn't for you, I would have felt completely unloved.' she smiled as she reached over to take his hand in hers. 'You made me happy.'

Takeru's gaze on Aoi intensified. Her words, coupled with the the feel of her hand on his, set a fire in his heart. The embers escaped him, for he let his guard down for a second to hint at what he wanted. Impulsively, his eyes darted momentarily to her lips, but not before Aoi caught sight of it. This sparked an idea in her: a possibility that she was all too glad to entertain.

Aoi closed the distance between them so that their lips met.

By then, Takeru's inhibitions flew out the window. All the back-and-forth in his head about being a good friend versus seizing the moment were suspended in liminality. His hands, guided only by the desire to indulge in his own wants, snaked to Aoi's waist. He caressed her sides, shamelessly hoping to excite her into giving him more than a conservative kiss. It worked - she opened her mouth to him and their tongues sent bolts of electricity up and down their spines as they came together. She climbed on top of him and clearly caught dominance; biting him whenever he was too eager, and whimpering when he was too reserved. Takeru was more than willing to follow her cues. As long as he could be with her, he was willing to bend over backwards.

It was nice.

Aoi felt her companion's resolve to please her, and she was silently celebrating being prioritised by someone she cared about. It wasn't like she was unattracted to Takeru. He was a good person, and she thought he was handsome. While it was true that he didn't make her heart race or her legs weak like Yusaku did, the change in chemistry was inviting. Takeru wasn't cruel. He was kind and easy to be around. She was comfortable.

Too comfortable by now, maybe.

Thank you to everyone reading and supporting this story!

If you have an account, I have responded to you privately. Otherwise I do so below.

To all the Guests, thank you for your review!

Yujo0147, thank you for your continued encouragement and insightful reviews! There is doubt in both Yusaku and Aoi because they do still have feelings for each other as well as unresolved issues, causing them to question whether moving on is really the right thing to do. However, at this stage, they both feel as if it is the only option left.

Aniki, thank you for your continued support and insightful reviews! There will indeed be a timeskip later on in this story.