A/N: ... It's been a minute, hasn't it? I would of thought with all this quarantine going on, I would of been pumping these chapters out so quickly. But, working on the frontlines has left me so mentally exhausted that even on my days off, I don't do anything that requires thinking. But, i managed to push through and get this bad boy out... all 32 pages of it.
I'll spare everyone a long author's note! I hope you enjoy this installment!
Chapter 32: Good Intentions
"How does this weekend sound for the aquarium?"
Sana asked as she slid her school calendar on Hayama's desk towards him. He sighed roughly, glowering at the annoying girl and her overly obnoxious voice so early in the morning.
"Do we have to do this now?" Annoyance filled his voice and Kurata Sana was not appreciative of his tone as she glared at him.
"If not now, then when? You've been putting this off for weeks."
"Wonder what that could mean…" Sarcastically, he rolled his eyes, laying his cheek in the palm of his right hand.
Suddenly, a sharp pain over the top of his head appeared and he grabbed for it immediately. He growled, knowing damn well that Kurata's stupid hammer was the cause of his pain.
Kurata was glaring at him, arm's crossed and her god damn hammer gripped tightly in her hand.
"Are you trying to fucking kill me?!" Raising his voice slightly, Akito scolded her.
She huffed, like a bull, and tightened her glare. "If you keep being a jerk, maybe!"
"You two are very energetic this morning." Tsuyoshi suddenly appeared, taking a seat next to the bickering teens. They both glared at him, Akito making a point to even scare him off so he could curse Kurata without being reprimanded by his longtime friend.
"All I'm trying to do is plan for this aquarium trip and he's being so difficult about it!" Kurata pointed an accusing finger at him, her own frustration becoming evident in her voice.
"You keep pestering me about it when I told you I'll let you know!" His own agitation was noticeable too as his tone of voice increased slightly.
"Aquarium? Are you guys going on a-a d-date?!"
The chatter in the entire class halted as the words came out of Tsuyoshi's mouth and Akito felt all eyes on him and Kurata. The back of his neck and his cheeks suddenly grew very warm and he felt a boiling anger bubble at the pit of his chest.
"Absolutely not!"
"Hell no!"
Both he and Kurata shouted simultaneously as Tsuyoshi squeaked in surprise. Looking over towards her, she thought to do the same as they caught each other's gaze. Her eyes went wide, and she looked away immediately, crossing her arms and huffing again stubbornly. Akito didn't miss the red in her cheeks either.
"You idiot. As if I would ever go out with this moron." Akito added for good measure, though he knew it was going to earn him another swift swing to the top of his head. The chair screeched across the floor as Kurata stood.
"UGH. I would never date you!" She pointed another finger at him, her eyes filled with rage.
"Good! Because I wouldn't date you either!" He bit back, annoyed by the disgust in her voice at the idea of dating him.
"Who would want to date you, anyway! You're so mean! All you do is insult people!" She continued to argue with him and Akito found himself needing to defend himself. He stood as well, easily towering over her.
"Oh? And you're any better? You're so damn annoying and obnoxious!" Her eyes narrowed and he could have sworn he heard her snarl.
"Okay, okay. Maybe we should calm down. Class is about to start, and everyone is staring at you now." Akito heard Tsuyoshi say, obviously trying to diffuse the situation.
"Stay out of it!" Both he and Kurata shouted to Tsuyoshi at the same time, causing the boy to shake in his place and back up immediately.
Both Hayama and Kurata turned back to one another and continued to glower at one another. The class watched in terror, Aya coming to Tsuyoshi's side, pestering him with questions of what happened that Hisae and Mami quickly answered.
"I don't understand why you have to be such a jerk about everything!" Kurata continued to push. "I'm just trying to do something nice for you and your sister!"
"Then you can take her yourself!" Akito replied with hostility.
"It's not the same without you!" She argued.
"She'll probably be happy regardless! So, what does it matter?" Akito continued to argue, doubt settling in his mind.
While he and Ayame were getting along better and getting closer, per say, if they did in fact go to the Aquarium, would her memories be tarnished if he came along? Would she grow upset with him because it was his fault, she couldn't create more memories with their mom?
Would she hate him again?
"For someone who is supposed to be so smart, you really are dumb sometimes, huh?"
Now that ticked him off. Who did Kurata think she was, talking to him like that? He glared fiercely and fisted his hands. But before he got a chance to reply, Kurata put a finger to his lips, as if she already knew he was going to refute her claim.
"Sure, it'll be fun just being a girls date and all. But it would be more meaningful to her if her big brother came along. Her big brother that she's been wanting to reconnect with."
The tone in her voice changed. Kurata was no longer angry, but rather more serious and melancholic. Akito couldn't argue against her claim because it almost didn't seem real to him. It was like he was in denial still. Even after everything that was said and done between him and Ayame, there was this… fear that she would turn around and blame him for all the misfortunes in their life.
Everyone else did… why would she be any different?
"… this weekend is fine." He mumbled, eyes looking away.
His life had always been so turbulent, a constant wave of madness and chaos. When his mother passed, his life just seemed to sink deeper and further into a cold unknown. Akito never thought that he would know what it was like to feel again, as dramatic as if may have sounded. He never thought that anything good would ever happen to him.
But here he was, reconnecting with his sister and longtime friends, making plans to hang out after school and go on stupid aquarium dates. He was remembering what it felt like to roll his eyes and laugh at stupid jokes. What it felt like to sit around his friends without feeling unwanted, without anyone looking at him like he was the devil.
Looking back at Kurata Sana, she was beaming at him with that stupid, idiotic smile of hers.
He really wondered how she did it.
How she continued on in this world with a smile like that, considering what she had endured as a child.
One would never think that Kurata Sana had been abandoned and adopted.
He surely didn't. And he judged her basely on outer appearance. He thought a girl like her could know no suffering, no misery. He thought someone who smiled so brightly and so candidly could never know what it felt to hurt.
But he was so incredibly wrong.
"This weekend it is!" She clapped her hands in front of her so happily. She turned quickly and gave a thumbs up to Tsuyoshi, who sighed in relief as he smiled meekly back at her. Everyone in the class seemed to return to whatever they were doing.
He sighed roughly, his eyes traveling towards the window and up into the sky. The clouds were scattered far and few with the sun peeking through. He almost snorted at the irony of it all.
The door opened and their homeroom teacher walked in, dropping his notebook onto the desk.
"Alright you brats. Settle down. We're going to start class now!"
.
There was a feeling deep in the pit of her stomach that she just couldn't shake.
Clenching and unclenching her hands, Kurata Sana bit on her lip as she thrummed her fingers on the desk. Her mind was preoccupied, caring less about the English lecture going on in front of her.
"I love Akito."
Those were the words that Fuka told her earlier today.
"I- I just haven't said anything because I wasn't sure of my feelings and everything with my ankle kind of took over. But now that I'm healed and gaining control of my life, I have to be honest. With myself. So, I love Akito."
To say that Sana was shocked would be an understatement.
Fuka had cornered her right before lunch, telling her that she had something important to tell her. Thinking nothing of it, Sana said she was all ears, obviously wanting to be there for her longtime friend.
So, when Fuka muttered those words, Sana could only respond with silence… at first.
"Wait, are you being serious? You really love him?"
Fuka sighed in exasperation and leaned against the locker. Sana was staring at her with wide eyes, head trying to wrap around her best friend's confession.
Fuka? Loving Hayama? That had to be a joke, right?
Even though Sana had thought it to be a possibility a few times, the fact that it was true left her feeling utterly confused.
"I wouldn't joke about something like this." Her voice was stern now, clearly not appreciating Sana's statement.
Sana wanted to be happy for her, like she was when Fuka and Takaishi started dating. She wanted to jump into the air and shout, "I told you so!" and tease her relentlessly. She wanted to make childish kissing noises and taunt her about being in love.
But Sana wasn't feeling particularly happy nor wanting to say, "I told you so!"
In fact, she was feeling the exact opposite.
But she couldn't let Fuka know that. If Fuka caught any doubt from her, it would cause a mess of things.
So, Sana smiled at her best friend.
"No, you wouldn't. Wow, so you really do like him, huh?" Fuka seemed to have lost her doubt as her stern voice and cold demeanor vanished and she looked at the floor shyly with a red blush on her cheeks.
Sana felt her chest go tight.
"I just… I don't know. I never thought that after… well you know…" Fuka's voice trailed off and Sana nodded in encouragement. "Anyway, it just kind of hit me one day that I really actually like him. And it's been eating at me for a while now. I just want to tell him. And hope that he will give me a chance."
Sana wanted to tell her to go for it, to tell him how she felt, that he would be lucky to have her. She wanted to want to push Fuka towards him right now.
But her chest continued to grow tighter and tighter, the air struggling to escape from her lungs. Her throat felt constricted as Fuka struggled to make out her feelings to her.
"Well, you know how Hayama is but, you also never know! Can't say that I know how he will react since I've never actually seen him with any girls besides our friend group." She smiled through her teeth as she laughed through the pressure in her chest.
Fuka smiled, eyes looking hopeful.
Sana wished Fuka didn't look at her like that with what Sana was feeling currently.
"Well, you would know him best since you've been spending so much time with him. So, now I'm asking as your best friend… what's the best way to approach him? How should I tell him?"
Sana's eyes went wide as Fuka pleaded to her with help. The auburn-haired girl sucked in a deep breath, jaw hardening at her best friend's request.
The teen really didn't understand why she was feeling like this. She couldn't understand why her heart felt like someone had a firm grip around it and why her chest felt like it was caving in on itself. She couldn't understand why the pit of her stomach felt like it was sinking.
"Hayama appreciates honesty. He isn't one to sugar coat things with. If you're going to say it to him, its best to be direct with him. Otherwise, he won't take you serious."
Sana was startled at how easy that came to her.
It wasn't something she even had to think about.
Fuka's statement was true. Sana had spent the most time with him recently. Whether it was at school or after school. He seemed to be at her side more often than not.
Fuka beamed at her.
"Thank you, Sana. Thank you for listening. And talking to me about this."
Sana grinned back, giving her a thumbs up.
"Of course! Good luck!"
Fuka smiled again, giving a quick wave goodbye before running off to find Hayama.
But as she watched Fuka disappear into the hall, Sana couldn't understand why she felt so restless.
Sana hadn't heard from either Fuka or Hayama since then.
Did Fuka confess to him? How did Hayama react? Did he accept her feelings? Did he reject her? Were they a couple now? Were they walking down the hall hand in hand?
Sana snorted to herself.
If she knew anything about Hayama Akito, it was his innate ability to avoid physical contact. Just touching his shoulder, he would think you set him on fire.
Since that moment in the day, she had been confused. Confused with why thinking about Fuka and Hayama together left her feeling breathless and… upset. And because she felt upset, she was left feeling guilty.
Because Fuka deserved to be happy.
And Sana should be ecstatic that her best friend was allowing herself to be vulnerable again, was willing to open herself up to someone again. After Takaishi, it seemed like Fuka was adamant about being single for the rest of her life.
So, this should have had her jumping for joy.
But… part of her just couldn't.
Because… well because it just didn't seem fair.
"Hey, you okay?"
A soft voice broke her away from her treacherous thoughts. Akimoto Hiro was looking at her with concern as his shining, green eyes pierced through her.
Sana smiled widely.
"Oh yeah! I just zoned out, that's all!"
Hiro was convinced as a smile settled on his own lips and he took a seat next to her.
"Great. Hey, I was thinking. What are you doing this weekend?"
Sana felt an effortless smile raise her lips. "I'm going to the aquarium actually!"
There was a brief flash of disappointment across Hiro's face, but he tilted his head lightly, looking at her in confusion.
"Aquarium? That sounds like fun." His charming smile settling on his lips. His green eyes sparkled with the light of the sun. "Who are you going with?"
"Ayame-chan and the lone wolf!" And Sana was definitely excited for it! It had been so long since had been the aquarium. But it was also an opportunity to give the Hayama siblings a chance to reconnect and strengthen their relationship.
Fuka's image flashed in Sana's mind and her smile fell.
If Fuka and Hayama started to date, would that cause a problem? Would it be rude to not invite Fuka then? Or rather, should she stay home and let the Hayama siblings go without her? And Fuka go in her place?
Sana felt her heart drop into her stomach.
If Hayama and Fuka started dating, would it be unwise for her to just show up at the Hayama household like she already does to hang out with Ayame?
"Sana? Are- are you okay?" Hiro asked her again and she looked at him with wide eyes. He arched a brow and she smiled immediately.
"Yeah, sorry. I just kind of blanked out for a minute there." She nervously laughed as she rubbed the back of her head.
The brown haired fourth year gave her one last look of concern before resuming the conversation.
"So, you're going to the aquarium with Ayame-chan and Hayama-san?" He asked, his voice a bit more neutral than before.
She nodded. "Hayama mentioned something to me about Ayame-chan loving aquariums as a kid. So, I thought we could take her so she could not only relive her happy memories with her mom, but also see that she could continue to create more memories without feeling so much of that pain."
Sana watched as Hiro's face relaxed into a soft gaze and a small, sincere smile settled on his lips. His green eyes softened and darkened, his facial features relaxing.
"You really are amazing, you know that?" Sana's cheeks and neck burned as Hiro spoke those words in a low tone.
She recognized the look in his eyes.
It was the same one that Takaishi used to give to Fuka when they were dating.
The auburn-haired teen felt her heart begin to race faster and she turned away from him, trying to calm the rapid beating in her chest.
"Alright you. You can stop teasing me now!" Sana laughed nervously as she tried to divert the conversation elsewhere. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire as Hiro continued to stare at her.
"What if I'm not?" There was a sudden change in atmosphere and Sana looked at him with bewilderment.
What- What was happening right now? They were just talking about Ayame and Hayama and now Hiro was looking at her how Takaishi used to look at Fuka before he kissed her.
Sana went wide eyed at the sudden realization.
But before Hiro could say anything more, Sana's phone began to vibrate loudly on the desk.
Sana smiled sheepishly as she fumbled a really embarrassing "excuse me" and looked down at her phone.
From: Fuka
We need to talk. Now.
Well, that message wasn't very inviting, Sana thought to herself.
Before she even had a chance to respond, her phone vibrated again.
From: Fuka
Meet me outside the nurse's office.
Sana really didn't know what was going on or what was so important that Fuka needed to drag her out of class right now. Now that Sana cared too much because one, she really wasn't paying attention anyway. And two, there was something going on here with Hiro that Sana didn't think she was ready to face.
"Fuka needs me. Says it's urgent."
Hiro sighed disappointedly and smiled sadly.
"See you later?"
Sana nodded with an apologetic smile. She raised her hand and asked to go to the bathroom.
As the auburn-haired teen walked out of the classroom and towards the nurse's station, Sana couldn't help but feel like things were beginning to slip out of her control.
.
Taking a deep breath, Fuka walked pushed through the doors of the cafeteria, a smile bright on her lips. Her heart was racing as her eyes went to their usual table, where their friend group usually ate. She knew if she came early enough, she would catch Akito alone before everyone else made it. And then she could avoid the curious stares and questions.
Her heart almost raced out of her chest when she saw him sitting alone, placing his lunch out in front of him.
Taking a deep breath, Fuka marched up to him before anyone, and she meant anyone, could interrupt them.
"Hey Akito." The brown-haired teen greeted. The blond looked up from his lunch for a quick moment and when he realized who it was, nodded, and went back to his lunch.
Fuka pursed her lips, remembering that Sana or Tsuyoshi may have mentioned something to her about him loving food though he didn't show it.
"Can-" Her words were caught in her throat as he continued to ignore her for his lunch and Sana's advice from earlier echoed in her mind.
"Hayama appreciates honesty. He isn't one to sugar coat things with. If you're going to say it to him, its best to be direct with him. Otherwise, he won't take you serious."
Thinking back on it, Sana didn't hesitate as she shared those words of wisdom with her. Fuka's heart ached at the thought. It started with their English project, but that project brought them closer together. And Sana's friendship with Ayame had her spending extra time with both of the siblings.
Fuka shook her head. She couldn't let these thoughts run rampant in her mind. It was going to destroy her confidence and leave a sour taste in her mouth.
"Actually, if you have a minute, there's something I want to talk to you about." Her chest felt tight as the words left her lips. Akito put the next bite of his food down as his golden-brown eyes traveled up to her.
Once dark and twisted, Fuka almost gasped at how vivid his golden-brown eyes were.
His eyes were sharp and earnest and beautiful. How had she missed this before? Was she not paying attention enough? Was she not looking hard enough?
An image of Sana flashed in her mind and her mouth soured.
"Right now?" He asked, a sole eyebrow lifting.
"Yes." She nodded firmly, not allowing this moment to slip away from her fingers.
"And in private, if you don't mind." A flaming heat painted her cheeks as she bit her lip.
Akito sighed as he stood up from his seat and grabbed his bookbag, swinging it over his shoulder. "Alright."
The brunette smiled and lead him out of the cafeteria. She made sure to take him towards the front of the school, where she knew most students wouldn't be, especially a certain auburn-haired girl that would interrupt her confession.
A pang of guilt hit her as those thoughts crossed her mind. It wasn't as if Sana did it on purpose. And now that her best friend knew her true feelings, she hoped if Sana saw them together, she would know better than to interrupt.
"So, what's this all about?" Hayama Akito asked as Fuka continued getting lost in her own thoughts.
Fuka took a deep breath and stood her ground, firmly. She could feel the beat of her heart increase as her own anxiousness grew. It felt like the first time she was getting on a rollercoaster, her stomach flipping at the site of the drop and her nerves keeping her planted to the spot she stood in.
But now, her rollercoaster was confessing her feelings to a boy she liked for a second time.
Though, the first time she did it, the boy confessed first.
"Fuka, I really, really like you. Please be my girlfriend."
Hayama Akito's blond hair transformed into a dark black and his beautiful golden-brown eyes swirled into dark irises and Fuka almost gasped as she was staring at Takaishi Yuta's face.
"What?"
Akito's voice brought her back to present time as Takaishi's face disappeared. Takaishi's light skin was replaced by a darker tan, his dark eyes lightened to a golden brown, and the dark hair changed to blond.
Fuka shook her head, laughing nervously.
"Nothing, nothing. Sorry, I got lost in thought for a minute." She quickly said.
"Been spending too much time with Kurata." Akito muttered as he sighed. Fuka looked at him with a hard jaw, hating that Sana was brought up.
It seemed that anytime they conversed, Sana was the only person they could talk about. It was like that was their own commonality; like Sana was the only reason they could talk like this in the first place.
"Anyway, the reason I brought you out here was because there's something I've been wanting to say to you for a while."
Akito looked up to her and his eyes pierced right through her.
"I like you. Like, really like you." Fuka started, feeling a frog in her throat climb higher and higher. "And I think we should go out."
The words left her mouth and she watched as Akito's eyes went slightly wide, both his brows tugging upward in obvious shock.
She clenched her hands into fist, trying to ease her breathing as his deafening silence left her feeling anxious.
"You- you like me?" He questioned, like Fuka hadn't just confessed. That annoyed her slightly.
"Uh, yeah. That's what I just said."
He sighed roughly and Fuka felt her heart drop back into her stomach as he scratched the back of her head. Akito was no longer looking at her and his eyes were closed.
He was silent and Fuka could feel a sharp tug on her heart.
Say something. Anything.
"Fuka, you can't like me."
At those words, Fuka felt her chest tighten. Her lungs felt trapped, and the air was trapped in her throat as it went dry.
"We hardly know one another." He said again, in a brutally honest tone that was breaking her heart.
"Doesn't mean that we can't learn about one another? Isn't that what relationships are about? Learning about one another? Making each other better?" Fuka tried to argue, but she knew it was futile.
His eyes were blank as he spoke.
"You're reaching here, Fuka. And you know it." Another stake driven through her as Akito spoke honest truths that she didn't want to hear. "We're friends now, I think. But I don't hold any romantic feelings for you. And I don't think you hold any for me either."
Fuka was taken aback by his words.
Besides feeling like her own heart was crumbling, Akito was standing here and telling her what her own feelings were? That didn't seem right. An anger was bubbling at the pit of her stomach. An anger that was starting to brew deep in her.
"How could you say that when I just told you how I felt for you?"
Akito crossed his arms in front of him, his eyes once again piercing right through her.
"I think you're lying to yourself." Fuka's mouth parted at his statement, taken aback once again by his thoughts. "I think that you're telling yourself you like me because you want to get over your ex."
At his words, Fuka felt all the air leave her body. Her mouth fell at his accusation, chest cave in, and body numb as he mentioned Takaishi without even saying his name.
"If you like someone like me, who is nothing like your ex, you can finally move on."
Every word he spoke was dagger in her heart.
"H-Ho-How do you kn-"
But before Fuka could finish that statement, she knew exactly how Akito knew about Takaishi Yuta.
That anger in her began to sprout deep within her, filling every vessel in her.
"She told you."
They both knew who she was as Akito didn't respond.
With a crease in her forehead, Fuka scowled, her muscles tensing in her shoulders, fist clenched at her sides. Her jaw tightened and teeth gritted.
How could Sana do that to her?
Betrayal.
Fuka felt betrayed and violated.
Sana knew Takaishi Yuta was a sore and sensitive topic for her. She knew how terribly heartbroken she was. For God's sake, she held her for hours as she sobbed in her arms. How could Sana share that with him? How could Sana think of her as a conversation starter and share the most painful moment of her life with him?
"She-"
Fuka snorted, a hard, angry laugh leaving her as she took a few steps away from Akito, cutting him off from whatever he was going to say.
"So what? I'm just a conversation starter now? You two just sit there and talk about me behind me back?" She felt like daggers were stabbed in her back, like all those moments she shared with Sana just recently were just fake.
How could Sana just sit there and pretend to be her best friend but then tell Akito about her darkest and lowest days? Fuka would never tell Akito about Sana's past or her darkest moments!
"You're taking this all out of context." Akito defended, glaring slightly at her.
"Right, you're just going to defend her. So why even bother." Fuka crossed her arms, her body radiating with a fury that she didn't know was possible.
When she found out Takaishi cheated on her, she felt similarly. Betrayed. Disgusted. Violated.
Never expecting him to do that to her, Fuka knew it was expected of boys sometimes. Even though she never wanted to believe Takaishi to do that to her, she knew it was something she could get over.
But out of everyone she knew, Sana betraying her?
That one hurt her.
"She didn't tell me because she was gossiping." Akito started, eyes narrowed slightly, mouth angled downward. "I made a comment and she came to defend you."
Fuka rolled her eyes. "I don't see how my business is any way to defend me."
"She thought it would make it easier for me to understand you as a person." Akito continued to defend Sana and frankly, it was making Fuka more upset.
It was clear as day Hayama Akito held no feelings for her.
But she also realized something else in this moment.
In the last two years of knowing Hayama Akito, Fuka only saw him as aloof and apathetic. He showed no emotion and was closed off to everyone around him. Fuka couldn't pierce through him no matter how hard she tried.
But as Kurata Sana came crashing into their lives again, little by little, Hayama Akito was turning into someone that she didn't recognize.
Or rather, from what she had heard from everyone else, reverting back into the person he used to be.
She realized that despite how cold and callous Hayama Akito appeared, subtly, when it came to Kurata Sana, he was going to take her side.
Fuka bit her lip, tears welding up in her eyes. This immense pressure filled her chest, the air finding it difficult to escape. She felt nausea's and sick to her stomach.
Humiliated.
She felt absolutely humiliated.
"Do you even know what that means, Akito? To understand someone?" Her voice was on the edge of breaking, cracking towards the end.
This wasn't what she envisioned would happen. She knew she was reaching, confessing these "feelings" for him. Fuka knew it was a long shot.
But she didn't expect to find betrayal in her confession.
"Not always, but I was trying."
Fuka's eyes went wide as those words left the blond's mouth. She looked up to him, her brown eyes clashing with his golden-brown. She saw past the ice, past the wall, past the stoniness and there she saw the first ounce of emotion she had ever seen in the boy.
Guilt.
Her tears fell and Fuka tried furiously to rub them away. She didn't want to spend her tears on him; on a boy who didn't care for her. She didn't want to experience another heartache, especially on one who could care less for her friendship.
"Well, that's that then." She stood up straight, not wanting to dwell on Hayama Akito anymore. Not wanting to deal with these emotions. "You could forget that this ever happened." She grabbed her book bag and swung it over her shoulder, trying to keep her head tall.
If there was one thing that Fuka's mother ever taught her, was to stand proud no matter what.
"Fuka." Akito called out to her and she turned to face him slowly. She bit on the inside of her cheek to keep her tears at bay.
"I-" His voice died off and he look away, a calculated look in his eye. It took everything in her to not just roll her eyes and stalk off.
But seeing him like this now, showing more than he had ever before, it made her stay.
"You wouldn't be happy with me." The oldest Hayama stated, his eyes find hers again. "I'm not that type of guy."
"Isn't that for me to decide?" She whispered, wishing that he would have just let her walk away, wishing that he would have just acted like the boy she first met. Rejection would have been much easier that way.
He shook his head.
"I know who I am. What you're looking for, is not in me. You're better off with someone like Akimoto." He finished and Fuka snorted, loudly.
She shook her head, knowing there was a fat chance there.
"I don't know if you've been paying attention, but Akimoto Hiro is head over heels for Sana. And besides, I dated an Akimoto Hiro. It didn't end well, as you already know." Her words turned bitter towards the end. She hadn't forgotten what Sana did.
Fuka was too busy in her own thoughts, that she had missed Akito's darkened look at the mention of Hiro and Sana; missed the way his brows narrowed together, and his mouth dropped into frown.
"I didn't peg you as someone who would soften rejection. Then again, you are different from when I met you almost two years ago." She chuckled sadly, knowing that this conversation was getting them nowhere.
"Like I said, that's that. We- well, I move on now." Fuka gripped her book bag tightly, biting down on her lip. She turned away from him, not wanting to see those tears threatening to fall again.
"I hope the day comes when you do find someone, Akito. And I hope that you let them into your heart, and you let yourself be happy." Fuka said softly, not seeing Hayama Akito look away, biting down on the inside of his cheek, arms fisted at his sides.
She allowed for a single tear to stroll down her cheek as she walked away.
.
"Hey, what are you doing? You've been staring at the bulletin board for a minute." Hayama Ayame jumped slightly, broken out of her thoughts as she concentrated on one poster in particular.
The young blonde turned and found her childhood best friend staring at her with curious eyes.
"Oh, Kyo-kun. I didn't see you there." She laughed slightly. Kyo laughed, knocking her over the head with his fist slightly.
"Ya dork. What are you looking at?" He asked, looking over her shoulder.
Ayame smiled sheepishly and gestured her head towards the softball tryouts hand out posted on the board.
Kyo's green eyes went wide, going back and forth between the poster and her.
"Wait, seriously?" He asked, a grin growing on his lips. Ayame nodded at his question and he gave her a full toothy smile.
"You should do it! I mean, like seriously do it!" He was started to get excited and Ayame began to blush as his eyes shone brightly, clearly more excited about the idea of her playing more than him.
"Really?"
He nodded his head vigorously. "Yes! Absolutely! Ayame, you were killer back in the day! Hell, the team would be so lucky to have you!"
The blonde looked back at the poster, smiling fondly at the memories of her softball games growing up. Her brother wasn't the only athlete in the family. And her own softball trophies were tucked away in her own closest. While Akito was clearly a fighter by nature, Ayame's talents took her to the diamond.
She threw her first softball at six years old and didn't look back. Her mother signed her up for the local league and she sort of flourished from there. In middle school, before the accident, she was poised to take her spot as team captain, as unbelievable as it may have sounded.
After the accident, Ayame quit altogether.
Sort of like her brother, she found it hard to go back to the sport that brought her family together.
Though, Kyo and Hiro both dragged her to the batting cages every so often. And she would be lying if it didn't feel great to murder some softballs here and there.
"I haven't really played in a while. Just hitting the ball here and there whenever you or Hiro-kun would take me to the batting cages… but I had been thinking about it for the last few weeks. I've been so caught up in trying to get onii-chan back into karate, that it sorts of pushed me to get back into softball."
Kyo crossed his arms, a sloppy grin still on his face. It was odd, now knowing Sana-chan, how similar Kyo and her surrogate big sister were. With their eccentric personalities and kind smiles, they were the types that lit up rooms.
"Ayame, I 100% think you should do it. Hell, after school, we could go to the field and work out. Get the rust of your shoulders."
A warmness spread throughout her as a sincere smile fell on her lips. Kyo's kindness filled her and made her much more appreciative of his friendship. He was the type of person that was always in your corner, even if you made a mistake.
Whoever found their way into Kyo's heart was going to be lucky.
Though, the idea of her best friend dating left an unsettling feeling in her stomach.
She shoo-ed the idea away and embraced her friend, who clearly was caught off guard as he chuckled nervously.
"Thank you." She squeezed tighter, burying her face into his chest.
If she had looked up, she would have seen the bright red hue painting the silver-haired teens cheeks and neck. And the sincerity in his green eyes.
"Yeah, of course." His voice cracked, his heart pounding so fast Ayame could feel it in her embrace.
And that's how Hiro-kun and Sana-chan found them moments later, causing both the younger teens to break out from embarrassment. Both older teens were relentless in their teasing. Ayame was red faced, defending herself while Kyo-kun did nothing to help the situation as he stood quietly in embarrassment.
That was how they ended their day as Hiro-kun walked both her and Sana-chan home with her big brother walking steadily in front of them.
Though, Ayame definitely did not miss the way Sana-chan smiled at her brother, like they were sharing a secret and Sana-chan couldn't wait to tell the world.
.
Sana excused herself from class quickly after she received Fuka's text. She ran down the hall as fast as she could without making too much noise or catching attention. Fuka's text sounded pretty serious, so Sana was anxious to see what was going on.
The auburn-haired girl gulped slightly, thinking it may have been related to the conversation they had this morning about Hayama.
Were they dating now? Was that what Fuka wanted to talk to her about?
Why did her chest feel so heavy with that idea?
Sana shook it off, running slightly faster to find her best friend. She had to find out soon before the anxiety around it ate her up.
When she finally arrived at the nurse's office, she was panting, eyes searching for Fuka. She was about to call her when Sana caught the brunette leaning against on of the pillars. Sana jogged over to her slightly, calling out her name.
"Fuka!"
The brunette seemed slightly startled, as she was caught in her own world. When Fuka turned to face her, Sana almost stopped dead in her tracks.
The blankness in Fuka's face told Sana that something was very wrong.
With a nervous laugh, Sana smiled just as nervously and went up to her best friend, asking "Hey, what's up? It's not like you to call me out of class like that so suddenly?"
"You're not going to ask how it went?" Fuka asked, voice void of any emotion. It was starting to freak Sana out; how cold she was being.
"Ask how what went?" Sana played stupid, knowing exactly what she was referring too.
Fuka rolled her eyes, turning away from her. Her back was too her and Sana started to get this tightness in her chest.
"He rejected me." Her voice was stern, cold, apathetic.
Sana wanted to say she was upset, curse Hayama out for rejecting her best friend. Go up to Fuka, tell her that he didn't deserve her anyway, that she was too good for him.
But instead, all she felt was… relief.
"But you already knew that was going to happen anyway, didn't you?" Fuka turned back towards her, Fuka's eyes resembling that coldness her mother always bore so well. It was scary how similar the two Matsui women could be.
"How would I know that?" Sana was seriously puzzled. There was no way for her to know Hayama would reject Fuka. It wasn't like Sana had this direct entrance into the guys mind or anything like that. Though, that would make understanding him so much easier.
"The same way that he knew about Takaishi."
Sana's heart dropped into her stomach.
Her jaw dropped, eyes wide as Fuka stared her down, jaw line firm and defined. Her eyes darkened and Sana could see Fuka's emotions clears as day.
"Yeah, surprising isn't it?" Fuka's voice was distant, apathetic even. "Imagine my surprise when he told me that I was still not over my ex."
Sana's eyes went even wider, not believing that Hayama actually said that to Fuka.
"He- He said that to you?!" Her voice bordered with that of outrage, her chest filled with anger for the oldest Hayama. She entrusted him to keep the secret, to not say anything to Fuka. He entrusted him to use that information so he could better understand her. Not use it against Fuka. That seriously pissed Sana off. How could Hayama do that to her?
"Amongst other things." She replied, but Sana was still reeling on Hayama's words.
"He shouldn't have said that to you. That bastard." Sana was glaring now, her arms crossed in front of her.
"You told him about Takaishi." Fuka's voice got soft and Sana's anger dissipated almost immediately. "How could you tell him about Takaishi?"
Her eyes were no longer blank; instead filled with frustration and… betrayal. Her voice broke, eyes pleading with her. Her voice sounded so small and Sana was immediately filled with remorse.
"Fuka, I-"
"I trusted you!" Her voice increased, and Sana jumped at the sudden declaration. "You're my best friend, Sana! Aren't best friends supposed to keep secrets! Aren't best friends supposed to be there for one another!"
Guilt ate at her, knowing that Fuka was right. She bit back her tongue, clenched her teeth together to continue letting her say whatever she needed to say.
"How could you tell him!? How could you?!" Fuka asked desperately. Sana felt her heart lurch out of her chest.
It wasn't something that she did with malicious intent. No. She did it in hopes that Hayama would understand her better; would be kinder to Fuka.
But all it did was backfire in her face… to the point where it could affect their rekindled friendship.
"Fuka, I-"
Fuka cut her off, holding her head in her hands.
"I know what you're going to say. He said it too." She shook her head, and Sana could see Fuka biting back her tears. "You told him so he could understand, huh? So, he could see I'm not as difficult as I seem to be?"
"No, that was nev-"
"Not once did I ever think to tell Akito about you." Fuka interjected, rubbing at the top of her head. "Even when he was being a callous jerk and you two were butting heads, I didn't think it was any of my business to stop him and say 'Hey! You're thinking about her all wrong!'"
"I never thought about sharing those dark, gritty moments in your past. I didn't think it was my business to share your family history, or, or, Rei, or your job or anything like that! I never thought for a second that he needed to know anything."
That frog in Sana's throat grew tighter and tighter as Fuka continued to make counterarguments that she really couldn't defend.
Sana knew that she had screwed up. Badly.
Fuka was right. It wasn't her place to say anything to Hayama about Fuka or her past. It wasn't her place to share that painful part of her past to someone who didn't even ask for it. Even if her intentions were good, she hurt the person most close to her.
She had a really bad habit of doing that.
And as Fuka looked at her with distress in her eyes, betrayal, hurt, pain, Sana felt like she was sinking. Sinking so far below she couldn't breathe.
"Fuka-" But the words died in her mouth. Sana didn't know what to say other than sorry.
That she was so sorry.
"I know you don't really do it on purpose, but Sana, you are always coming in between of me and something. And I'm getting really tired of it."
Sana was taken aback by that statement. The guilt in her chest began to swirl into a frustration that Sana had always had deep in her; a small annoyance at Fuka's competitiveness, her rude comments, her demeaning attitude.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The auburn-haired girl asked sharply, eyes knitting together for a frown. Fuka seemed surprised at the question since her eyes went wide for a small moment.
"For as long as we have known each other, Sana, it's always been YOU standing in between me and whatever was on the other side of YOU. Whether it was gymnastics, grades, friends, Akito, even Takaishi-"
"I'm going to stop you right there." Sana interrupted, growing more and more frustrated with Fuka. "Don't forget that Yuta was my friend before you two even started dating. Not to mention, you wanted nothing to do with him at first! If it hadn't been for me constantly forcing you two to hang out, you probably wouldn't have dated."
"I quit gymnastics for you! Granted, I was busy with work. But I quit so you could have your thing back without being bothered by me and childish games! And grades, Fuka, come on! You know that I do what I can to make sure I make at least passing marks!"
"As for Hayama, I'm not standing between you two! I told you to go for it, to confess! I never once said not too!"
"You might as well have!" Fuka shouted, her irritation and exasperation obvious. "You want to know how I broke my ankle? Why I misjudged my routine and lost my focus? Why I was so pissed off at you the day I broke it and you came to visit me?"
Oh, this should be good.
"Because of you!" Fuka gritted through her teeth and Sana was gaping in shock. "All I could see were you and Akito in my head. And my head was plagued with all these worried thoughts and jealous thoughts and I was just so mad and pissed off that you could just get him to open up to you without even trying! I was so pissed off that you did something that I couldn't!"
Fuka was breathing heavily as her confession rang through the empty hallways of their school. The brunette was panting, her eyes looking close to tears again. She was red in the face and her shoulders slumped.
Sana was wide eyed with her mouth slightly parted. Fuka's confession replayed in her mind 100 times already. The auburn-haired girl felt every word; and every word felt like a stab wound to the heart.
Both girls were staring at one another in a heavy silence, tension so thick in the air, anyone who walked by could feel it, drown in it.
Sana's jaw hardened as her brows knitted tighter together. Whatever guilt she had left disappeared with her rationale. Sana was no longer frustrated. No. She was pissed as hell. What started as a small fire in her stomach burst into a flaming fire that showed no sign of slowing down.
"You don't get to do that." Her words were apathetic, cold. Fuka looked surprised. "You don't get to put that on me."
"Fuka, I'm not responsible for your own insecurities." Fuka's eyes went even wider. "You don't get to sit there and blame me for everything that goes wrong in your life. I'm not your punching bag. I'm not your scapegoat."
"I am responsible for a lot of other things in my life." Her voice broke, Rei appearing in flashes in her mind, the blank face of her biological mother fuzzing in and out. "Things that are my fault."
"But that?" Her voice pitched slightly higher, eyes becoming more pleading. "You don't get to put that on me."
"I am sorry. I am so sorry. I'm sorry for sharing Takaishi with Hayama. It wasn't my place. It wasn't my story to tell." Sana apologized, really doing her best to convey the sincerity in her voice. "But I am so tired of competing with you, too."
It felt like forever she was standing here. Her and Fuka staring one another down, like an epic showdown was about to start down.
But it ended before it even started.
And in her heart, Sana knew that what she once shared with Fuka was done. That friendship she tried so hard to get, she worked so hard to preserve, was over. And that broke her heart.
The strain in their friendship was evident at first when she first arrived. Both teens were different from the last time they saw one another. They were in different parts of their own journeys. Sana found it difficult to understand Fuka and she was sure it was the same vice versa. They kept miscommunicating with one another, arguing over the smallest little things. One by one, that strain broke, and pieces crumbled one by one.
Until finally, everything just shattered all around.
This friendship that meant so much to her, the only good thing she had left of her old life, was completely broken.
And Sana didn't know how to handle that.
"Well, that's that then." Fuka whispered, the first one to break the silence. She grabbed her school bag off the floor and walked off, leaving Sana to herself.
The young teen walked up the very spot that Fuka had been just moments ago and looked up to the sky. She closed her eyes tightly, biting down on her lip.
Small, silent tears ran down her cheeks as her heart wept loudly in her chest.
.
Akito walked down the school pathway in annoyance.
He was eager to get home and away from his classmates and friends and anyone who basically wanted to socialize. Between Kurata's insistence and Fuka's confession, he had as much as one social introvert could take.
When he was younger, he had been confessed to… a lot. Somewhat of a ladies' man back in the day, a lot of girls used to think he was cute with the whole bad boy vibe and unapproachable aura he had. Akito never thought much of it, his mind preoccupied elsewhere.
Besides, no girl could get close enough with Hitorashi Ayumi standing close by.
But that was a different story for another time.
All that changed after his mother died though. No longer did he have this whole "bad boy" attitude. He was just spiteful and desolate. Always by his lonesome self, Akito lost the title of attractive. Now, people just found him scary and intimidating.
So, when Fuka confessed to him, it honestly surprised him.
The blond knew she was being genuine with her feelings. He could tell by looking at her that she felt something for him. And the thought honestly made him nervous. Nervous because he was barely learning how to cope with his own feelings again. How could he handle his own and someone else's?
Besides the point, whatever Fuka felt for him, it wasn't reflective of her true feelings. Maybe he shouldn't have stated that she wanted her ex back. Maybe that was irresponsible and wrong. But, he and Fuka just wouldn't have worked.
Akito saw the hurt in her eyes. He saw the wheels turning when he continued to talk. Fuka was a smart girl, she knew what he was getting too. He had no problem being cold; being honest with people.
But watching Fuka's eyes grow dim at his words made him feel guilty; guilty that he couldn't meet her expectations or that she couldn't get the desired outcome she wanted.
Sighing roughly, he rolled his neck in irritation.
Securing his bag over his shoulder, he trickled behind the horde of students that paced in front of him. Not really in the mood to continue socializing, he made a point to leave discreetly without his sister or Kurata or the rest of their friends noticing his presence.
But when a shoulder bumped hard into him and pushed him aside, making him drop his school bag to the floor, he glared and sighed roughly once again. He looked up and was ready to shout obscenities at the perpetrated when golden brown clashed with hazel.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't look where I was going." Kurata apologized in the smallest, softest voice he had ever heard come from her.
It was like she didn't even realize it was him because she turned so quickly and started scurrying off.
Akito didn't have a chance to say anything because by the time he realized he was reaching out to her, to call her name, she was gone. She had disappeared into the crowd, without sparing a single look behind her.
He stared into the crowd, his mind only wrapped around one thing: how melancholic and broken her eyes were.
.
When her daughter got home from school, she didn't greet either her or Shimura like she did every day. Instead, Kurata Misako could hear the heavy footsteps of her daughter running from the front door and up the steps. There was a strong slam of her door that could be heard from downstairs.
Shimura walked up to her with concern.
"Oh my. She seems upset. I wonder if something happened to her at school today?"
Misako set the cup of tea in her hands down on the table and looked pensively up the stairs.
"Should we go and check in on her?" The oldest Kurata could hear Shimura ask. She shook her head in response.
"Let's give her time to herself. I doubt she's had any of that today."
And even though Misako could hear the hesitation in Shimura's voice, she continued to read through the unfinished draft of her next novel. Whatever Sana was struggling through at the moment, she was going to give her daughter time to reflect. And when enough time passed and Sana had a calmer aura, Misako would step in.
Two hours passed and both Misako and Shimura hadn't heard anything from Sana or the room above. Shimura grew worried, making a few comments. The author stood from her seat and gave a small smile to their old-time friend.
"Keep dinner warm for us. We won't be long."
Misako walked upstairs like she had done so many times before and arrived at Sana's door. It was shut and there was silence on the other side, uncharacteristic for her daughter indeed. Sana was the type to leave her door open and play music loudly throughout the entirety of the house. It often distracted her from her studies and ended with her daughter dancing throughout the entire house.
"Sana?" She knocked as she called out her name.
Misako gave it a minute but there was no response.
"Sana, I'm coming in." She turned the knob and opened the door. The room was darker as the sun was setting outside and the warm, dark orange gleams peaked through her window curtains.
Sana was laying on her bed, face buried in her pillow.
Misako sighed, worry filling her. She knew her daughter was strong. After everything Sana had survived, she knew her daughter had bones of steel and could guide herself through anything.
Well, of course, that had been before Sagami-san passed.
After his passing, Misako prayed Sana would smile once again.
She sat on the bed, careful not to crush her daughter's legs.
"Mama, I messed up."
The statement was muffled through the pillow but Kurata Misako could hear the anguish in her daughter's voice.
Concern immediately washed through Misako, a million scenarios drafting in her mind. While her daughter had endured the unimaginable and was very strong willed, there had been moments in Sana's life that were bleak and desolate. Misako could very vividly recall those moments and the turmoil it brought to their family.
Misako was the type of woman who taught Sana that every decision had a repercussion, a consequence. Whether good or bad depended on the situation. Sana didn't always think all of her decision thoroughly, and though the intentions were always good, her decisions often led her down a troubled path.
Sana owned her mistakes, so hearing this now wasn't entirely alarming.
But that didn't stop Misako from worrying.
Her daughter lifted her head off the pillow and turned her body towards the oldest Kurata, sighing in complete exhaustion.
When Sana faced her, Misako could see the dejection in her face, the dull, flickering light in her eyes. There were dark circles under her eyes and her face fell with an exhaustion that aged her.
Her young daughter threw herself into her mother's arms, Sana clutching Misako close. Her tears started again as the author hugged her daughter tighter. She stroked her daughter's hair softly and slowly, allowed her daughter a moment of vulnerability.
Misako was unsure of how much time passed, but Sana eventually stopped crying and pulled herself away from her mother's clutches.
"I think I lost Fuka."
Those were the first words she spoke, recounting the events of the day, the conversations that unfolded, and the words that were spoken. Misako remained neutral, listening to her daughter's words carefully and hearing the obvious pain her daughter was in.
When Sana closed her story with the final sentence spoken between her and Fuka, Misako watched as her daughter scratched at her head with obvious frustration and muttered words under her breathe.
"You sound frustrated, daughter." Misako commented, noticing the tenseness in Sana's shoulder.
"I am frustrated. And upset. And sad and just overall disappointed." She replied, looking up at her with tired but angry eyes. "I don't feel like it was fair for her to blame me. I've made a lot of mistakes but that one wasn't on me."
"… right?" Her daughter looked up at her with pleading eyes, doubt settling in her mind.
Misako put a hand on her daughter's head.
"Young Matsui-san has struggled with her own insecurities for a long time now. Partially to blame on her mother's part for pushing the perfection agenda, but it was obvious that overtime, Fuka grew envious."
"There have been moments between the two of you, heated moments, tense moments. Always stemmed from the competitive part of each of you."
"But I don't compete with her!" Sana interjected.
"I don't think you did at first, Sana. But over time, your own pride wouldn't allow Fuka to best you. It was then that you two fell into these competitions that has lasted as long as it has. It's a flaw into your friendship that has always caused a serious rift between you two, especially when you were still working."
Sana grew quiet, and Misako knew her daughter was deep in thought.
"Now, I don't think you are at fault for Fuka fracturing her ankle. That is Fuka-chan projecting all her pain, all her rejection, all her insecurities to you. But it seems your constant clashing has finally reached its breaking point. And revealing that part of Fuka's past, Sana, that must have made her feel vulnerable and naked. Now could you imagine if that was the opposite?"
Her daughter did not reply.
"I know your intentions were good, daughter. They always are. But, this is a decision you have to live with."
"What if we can never be friends again?" Sana asked in a whisper, looking up to her with melancholy in her eyes.
Misako sighed, stroking her daughter's hair. "In life dear, you know that people grow apart. People change, words are said, decisions are made. You know that better than anyone else." Sana's eyes fell to the floor. "Sometimes you outgrow people. And sometimes people outgrow you. I don't believe you and Matsui-san are done. Maybe you two need time away from one another, but I don't believe your story ends here."
"I just wanted things to be the same as they were."
No matter what Sana had survived, she was still a child. Her daughter may have acted mature and as an adult, but she was just a girl who was learning to navigate in a world that was cruel and unforgiving. She knew that things could change in seconds.
But she didn't blame her daughter for wishing for life to remain simple for as long as it could.
Misako hugged her daughter tightly and nothing else was said between them. But nothing needed to be said because Sana's silence spoke volumes of the anguish in her heart.
.
Sana wondered if she looked as horrible as she felt.
After her explosive fight with Fuka yesterday, her anger, guilt, and frustration began to eat at her. Her entire walk home, Sana couldn't think straight. Their conversation played over and over in her mind, finding faults in all her words.
Even though she fell asleep in her mother's arms, when Sana got herself comfortable in bed, sleep constantly evaded her. Tossing and turning all night, she was thinking of words she should have said or decisions she could have made that changed the end result of their conversation.
And before Sana knew it, the sun was rising, and she had to get ready for school.
She wanted to call in sick, avoid the awkwardness and tension and weirdness that would follow. Fuka would probably avoid her, avoid the group. And of course, Tsuyoshi and Aya would ask and it would lead to a million and one questions of "what happened?"
She hadn't figured out how to deal with her conflicted feelings of Hayama Akito yet either. The young Kurata didn't want to blame him, but if he hadn't said anything to Fuka, this whole confrontation wouldn't have happened.
But that was selfish, wasn't it? Because she was in the wrong and she did reveal Fuka's past without her permission; even if it was with good intentions.
All these thoughts made her morning pass by quickly and next thing the auburn-haired girl knew, she was sprinting to school.
Sana was breathless as she ran to her homeroom, knowing she was going to be late. When she entered the school grounds, she all but ran to her locker, changed her shoes, and sprinted to her classroom.
When she arrived at her classroom, she could hear chatter from the other side of the door. Taking that as a good sign, Sana smiled, hoping that she could mask her anguish from yesterday's events. Sighing deeply, she opened the door and prepared her usual greeting.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Instead of the scattered good morning's she usually received, the entire class was quiet, and all eyes were on her. A tight pressure filled her chest and crawled into her throat as everyone continued to stare at her.
Okay… this was getting weird, even for her. That fight she had with Fuka yesterday… people weren't actually hearing about it, were they? Or getting involved? Picking sides? Not like it was any of their business, anyway.
But then Gomi stood from his seat and was staring right at her.
"So… Kurata-san." He started and she gulped, as everyone continued to stare at her. Her eyes left Gomi's and found Hisea and Mami's, who were staring at her with this sort of starstruck gaze. She shifted to Tsuyoshi, who looked a bit surprised. And when she landed to Hayama Akito, he wasn't even looking at her. His headphones were in and eyes closed.
"When were you planning on telling us?" He asked and she tilted her head to the side, confused at his sudden question.
"What are you talking about?" Sana crossed her arms in front of her, puzzled at this sudden interrogation.
A look of disbelief crossed Gomi's eyes. Hiroshi stood suddenly and it took Sana by surprise.
"Seriously? You're going to sit there and pretend that you don't know?"
Sana was lost for words as now all eyes were on her and the two class clowns were apparently accusing her of something that couldn't possibly be related to hers and Fuka's fight.
"Honestly guys, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Sana exasperated, scratching at her head. Gomi shook his head and tch'd slightly at her as he began to walk to her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, pulling something up.
And when he got close to her, he shoved his phone in her face and Sana went wide eyed as she realized she was staring at herself on his screen.
Herself… on what happened to be a news article of her… from four years ago…
Her heart dropped into her stomach and the world around her began to move slow as Gomi's lips began to move. She could see the excitement in his face, hear the pitch difference in his voice, hear the mumbles begin to grow.
But Sana felt like she was being kicked in the stomach, left without a breath.
"When were you going to tell us all that you were the Kurata Sana!? As in the famous child star actor from Child's Toy?!"
A/N: We are officially in Sana's backstory! I know 32 chapters later but we are finally going to learn all about our favorite girl's past! I think most of you, if not all, have probably already started piecing it together and figured out she was an actor. But, now it's official. I'm sorry if my Sana doesn't resemble canon Sana in some parts. I'm writing her in 1) a different world and 2) she's older than when we last saw her. Also, even though I've been writing Kodocha stories for as long as I've been on fanfiction, Sana's character is still one I have a hard time writing. So, hopefully she didn't seem to out of character and you're still loving the story now as much as you did in the beginning.
Anyway, this chapter took me a while to write because I wasn't sure how I wanted Sana vs. Fuka to go. They had already fought multiple times but this fight is definitely a game changer. And it's going to affect Sana in different ways. How so? Well, it's going to force Sana to rely on someone unexpected which is going to lead to some interesting twists. Things are going to heat up from here. Fair warning, flashbacks are going to start making their ways into the story. Some chapters will have more flashbacks than others but that's how Sana's story is going to be told.
And as always, I appreciate all of you for your loyalty and sticking around as long as you have. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The best is still coming!
Until next time!
Dark Waffle