Two of two.
Train Wreck Part 2
They were waiting for Souji to bring Chie to the roof, where Yosuke, Daisuke and Kou were pacing. Kou was wringing his hands, mumbling about rejection and cowardice. Daisuke seemed confident enough, but he knew better. Souji had been chosen, despite Yosuke's offer, to fetch her, since she would follow him without even a drop of distrust. But what the guys didn't know was that it was because she liked him. What was she thinking now, as they made their way up here? She was probably wondering if he was going to ask her out. She had no idea it was all mixed up.
The train wreck was coming.
The doors opened, and Daisuke immediately grabbed the organ-haired boy's shirt and dragged him behind a cylinder. Kou made a bee-line for her as Souji made a quick escape to our location. Her face was wrought with confusion. Yosuke felt like his heart was cracking as Kou began to long and uncomfortable confession. Her face was dropping, and it was obvious that Kou was picking up on it. She was glancing around, to where our feet were clearly visible.
"Does she see us?" was Daisuke's stupid question.
"Yeah," Yosuke said dully, too busy to answer; Chie face was contorting with realization at what Souji had done. He could feel his own heart breaking at the sight of her. She was breaking inside; everything inside her was beginning to shatter.
She quietly rejected Kou, a forced smile spreading across her face, before running off. She was probably going to go find herself a place to weep, all her hopes falling from her face onto a mess on the floor. It was awful to think about.
Kou ran after her, and Daisuke after him, and then Souji and Yosuke stood alone on the roof, and it felt extremely awkward for him. Souji was staring at the doorway where the three had gone, face hardened it what might have been puzzlement. Or something a bit more profound.
"You're kinda a jerk, you know that?" Souji turned at Yosuke's words, face still hard like stone. "How so?"
"How could you go along with this? You must have some sort of idea as to why she reacted that way!"
Yosuke's voice was rising. Souji didn't answer, which angered the orange-haired boy even more. He felt that overwhelming pride and respect for Souji disappear for only a split second, and so he took advantage of this gap where such a solid barrier used to be.
"She loves you, Souji!" his voice seemed to project and echo across the town as the wind howled around them. His element poured around them, engulfing them in the blowing gusts. Yosuke made a grab for Souji's shirt, holding a good fistful. "She loves you, and yet you took her hand and convinced her to come up here alone, only to hand her off to another person, when it should've been you! And you're no idiot! You know that! You knew and you did it anyway!"
Souji's face had not changed, and he grabbed Yosuke's hand and wrenched his hand away.
"You know why I don't ask her, Yosuke?" Souji said, voice clear and unwavering, so unlike his best friend's, "I don't ask her because I know that it should have been you. I don't ask her, out of respect of you, because you've liked her far longer than she's liked me, I'm sure." Yosuke stared at him.
"B-But she-"
"You need to get over your inferiority complex, Yosuke," Souji said, making his way toward the door, "I'm not some invincible superhero. I'm no better than you, the guys, or anyone else."
Yosuke watched him disappear down the stairs, and felt his fist clench in frustration, biting his lip to keep himself from crying. In the end, he had been the dumbass.