Part 1

That room held fond memories, yet she found herself paralyzed by an irrational fear of nostalgia.

The last time she stepped foot in the art room she stood silent as he slowly packed his belongings.

She tried, she kept trying hard to just blurt out the words she wanted to say for 2 years. But every single time she tripped on her own hurdles, her own damned excuses for an unreasonable cowardice.

"Well, seems that's about it." he said in an audible whisper as if talking to himself, knowing perfectly well she could hear him. "You know, I find it somewhat curious… The last person I would imagine acting like this would be you."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" this inquiry hit Hachioji through the chest. He never felt this frustrated, this angry. He caught his previous statement's clarity and decided to roll with it.

"Exactly what it sounds like. Two years, two years with this fucking bit. Where were you? Huh?!"- he reeled back almost immediately as he saw tears forming in her eyes, and yet she kept her furious semblance and composure. "For two years, you kept teasing me. Anyone else would have told you to go away in less polite terms. I stayed, because for some stupid reason I had this belief that behind that class clown act you actually felt something for me."

"M-maybe you shouldn't have created expectations."

"Excuse me?"

"I never said I felt anything for you."

That did it. "Yeah? Well too fucking bad, because after all that breaking and tearing, I'm very sorry to tell you this, but I'm in love with you."

The art room fell silent. Both of them stared angrily at each other, both containing the stress of not being able to touch each other at that moment. There was a heavy pressure holding them in place and unable to speak.

Hachioji however was able to move and grabbed his bag, all the while maintaining eye contact with her. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm done".

Nagatoro sat on the couch, arms crossed since this began. Her cheeks on fire from forcing herself to stay composed. "Please, just a few minutes" she thought. Every second in this situation drained her resolve and every second she started to calm down was washed away every time she focused her vision on what he was doing. Why was she being so confrontational? Why was she fighting what she wanted? Why did she not take the plunge?

This question had bothered her for the last few months, it made no sense. At this time Hachioji had left for college, while she had been steadily making her way through her third year of high school. For all this time she couldn't make sense of why she didn't just go for it, she had met her end of the bargain, she won the fight against Orihara. Why didn't she accept his feelings?

At this point it hardly mattered. He was gone and they hadn't spoken since then.

"What are you doing?"

"GAHFUCK!"

Sunomiya stared unmoved at Nagatoro's newfound use of colorful vocabulary.

"Do you and your cousin enjoy being this freaky?"

"I take offense to that I'm completely normal."

"I…" Nagatoro interrupts herself with a sigh. "Yeah, okay if you say so I guess". She had no patience for this, she picked herself up, waved a casual goodbye and started to move away.

"You know…" Sunomiya interjected "Me and Sana talked to senpai. He seemed rather depressed these last months".

Nagatoro stopped in her tracks. "Why are you telling me this".

"Because both of you seem to prefer to act like idiots in a clown show than actually live out your clear as day desires".

Nagatoro felt something akin to a match being lit in the back of her spine.

Sunomiya continued "Cousin Sana was right when she said you troublesome, like a stray cat playing with a rat. You keep pawing and clawing at senpai undecided if you're letting him go or eating him, but by the end, he ends up hurt regardless of your decision".

Nagatoro turned to Sunomiya, this time there was no comical anger emanating from her, it was just full-on ire.

Sunomiya noticed this, she realized what was about to happen. She let her bag slip from her shoulders and stood firm. Her usual neutral semblance gave way to a determined frown.

"NOPE! HOLD UP!"

Part 1 end