Chapter 5

Attempting to comprehend what just went down, Shoto did the only thing he could think of: walk away. It was the one thing he was good at, he was used to it, too. He'd been running away from his terrors since he was a young child, so why was this any different? It was Tamaki, that's why. Todoroki was cowering from his friend with absolutely no reason to. Amajiki had done nothing wrong to be deemed as a threat, so why? Why was he acting this way? He didn't know, but he wanted to. He needed answers to his outbursts, all of his mood swings, his sudden rages, and the purpose of locking himself away from everyone.

One thing is for sure, he couldn't go back to the coffee shop. He just couldn't bear to see Tamaki's face, let alone the tears that were, no doubt, falling from his cheeks. There was nothing he could do right now, all he really could do was wait. Wait for everything to die down and settle. Hopefully, by then, Tamaki would forgive him for his disgraceful actions.

He was walking pointlessly down the street, looking for something to reassure his aching heart, but he couldn't find a single thing to calm him. His feet trudged on, waiting for the moment when his mind just said, 'Screw it. No one cares anyway.' and throws him into oncoming traffic. That moment, however, never arrived. So, his thoughts were left to wander as he carried on with his pointless existence. As he looked through the windows of a few stores, he eyed his scar. He brought his fingers up to the mangled flesh, wishing that it would just disappear. Then, a long-forgotten memory flashed through his wavering mind.

"S-sorry."

He remembered the boy saying these words, but he couldn't quite comprehend why he was apologizing. He'd done nothing wrong.

"For what?"

"F-for...being rude..."

"You're not being rude. I know my scar creeps people out."

"It's...it's not...creepy."

He vividly recalled that moment, visualizing each and every facial expression that the other made. He memorized the color of his hair and the beautiful shade of deep blue that was the boy's eyes.

Not creepy, huh? Really? Nah, he's got to be lying. Everyone is shocked by my appearance, even my friends.

He kept walking until he passed a booth that was set up along the sidewalk. There was a lady standing behind the wooden desk. She was wearing a white dress with lace trim, a black blazer, and a hat with a feather in it. Her hair was light brown and she had a little blue ribbon tied around her braid. He stopped once he saw what she was selling. There were pieces of jewelry lining the cases in front of her.

Beautiful: that was the only word he could think of to describe them. Some stones were yellow, while others were a deep shade of red. They all intrigued Shoto, but he didn't get why. He continued gazing upon the accessories, admiring their beauty. As he carefully scanned the gems, his mind wandered. Unknowing of why he was here and why he was suddenly interested in rocks. His eyes shifted from each vibrant color to the next, then his heart quivered when he laid eyes on one gem in particular. It was a light shade of purple, the kind of purple you'd see on an Iris or Violet flower. The gem shimmered in the light and its highlights were illuminated under the sun.

It reminded him of Tamaki. Everything about that beautiful stone reminded him of his friend. The friend that he was walking away from and trying to avoid. Shoto stared at the gem, captivated by its beauty. The swirling colors seemed to entrance him, they captured his eyes and caused so many emotions to course through his veins.

Amazement.

Hatred.

Beauty.

Fear.

Admiration.

Concern.

Love.

Anger.

Enchantment.

All of these flowed through him, causing his mind to momentarily falter for a split second. His mind was so alive, yet his body felt agonizingly hollow.

What are...these feelings? I... I can't think straight...my...my thoughts are foggy...why? Why is this happening? I'm fine, I'm healthy. There's nothing wrong with me, so why am I feeling this way? My chest feels so tight, I want it to stop. Please...stop it...go away. Leave!

"Leave. Now."

Todoroki's eyes widened in response to recollecting the daunting memory that happened a few short moments ago. He gripped his shirt as it played out in his mind.

"S-Shoto?"

Damn it.

"Please, Tamaki...I don't want to hurt you."

How could I have been so inconsiderate?

.

.

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Tamaki...I'm sorry.

Hi! So, did you guys like this chapter? I hope so. It makes me happy when you enjoy what I write. Ok, so I'll be typing the next chapter after I publish this one. Although, I'll need a break to work on school. So...yeah. I don't really have an update time. Sucks for me. Anyway, bye! ;)