It's been 8 years since I touched this. You all will probably not be on here anymore, but the ending is need for mostly me. When I made this, I was 21 with a brain of a 13 year old. Then I went to a mental hospital for suicidal ideation, and had a few years lead by resentment. I'm much better now. I'm finishing college this December. I went through a lot of therapy and developed coping skills and self-awareness. Ritsu in this story is me. I was mute for most of high school and I wanted Ritsu to have a happy ending... or something. Obviously my writing is different, so hopefully those who have a similar story to mine (or Ritsu here) will be able to see that they can have a happy ending too.

Thank you for your patience!

Disclaimer: I do not own World's Greatest First Love

The next day

Saga's POV

The usual schedule goes on like it usually does. Wake up, eat breakfast, then walk to school. Masamune had a slight change. He witnessed his parents have the worst fight yet. Usually his parents fought over scheduling, whose job was more important, and who controlled the finances. This time, they fought over possessions, like a divorced couple would. Masamune knew this was coming sometime, but he felt that he should've left sooner. Divorced parents usually fight over custody of their children, but what he heard was that both his parents didn't want custody. They tried guilting each other into keeping Masamune, like he was a burden.

"YOU claim that you make more money than I do, so you should keep him!"

"He has YOUR name, so he should be your responsibility!"

"You can change it! He has your plain looks and lack of personality!"

Masamune felt numb as he listened. He knew that his relationship with his parents was nonexistent, but he thought that parents love their kids unconditionally. He walked out the door understandably in a sour mood.

Ritsu's POV

The sun was shining its morning rays through the windows as Ritsu made his lunch. He looked up ways he could eat comfortably in public for people with social phobias. He avoided foods that made noise, so he made rolled eggs, riceballs with salmon wrapped in nori (to keep the oils from getting on his hands), and fried rice with chicken. This was a good plan and well intended... for someone that can cook. His eggs couldn't roll or even unstick from the pan, his riceballs couldn't stick, and he added the raw chicken to the fried rice WAY too early. None of his food was edible. He wanted to not worry Saga anymore about his eating, and he dreaded that he would be forced to eat something he doesn't like or brings attention to him.

"Young master, if you wish to change your school dishes, all you needed to do was inform me," said the Aoi, the family cook.

Aoi was always nice to Ritsu, and kept notes of what he likes and doesn't like to eat. She glanced at the dubious food and understood the assignment. "This won't take long. Go ahead and get ready for school and come back to retrieve your lunch. Ritsu was grateful as well as embarrassed, but he trusted Aoi enough to not feel as anxious around her. "Thank you very much." He then got ready, grabbed his lunch and headed for the train.

As he got closer to the school, he felt his anxiety pick up as he saw more uniforms. 'It's okay. Just keep walking.' He thought of seeing Saga senpai during lunch and wondered if he would be proud once he eats on his own. He just has to get through his regular morning harassments.

With the school gate in sight, he remembered his plan to keep himself from being harassed. First he stopped walking and sat against the wall, then wait thirty minutes for the initial bell to ring. This will get the bullies away from the entrance and they will be forced to go to class. He knew that this meant that he will be penalized for being late, but his lunch will be safe. He felt all eyes on him as usual, so he daydreamed about enjoying lunch. How Saga senpai would praise him and having a conversation with confidence. He felt warm and safe.

"The silent boy decided to be sneaky today," said a cold familiar voice. Ritsu's blood ran cold and adrenaline began to flow.

'No! Ren always got here earlier than me!'

Ritsu tried to get up, but was knocked back down by a heavy foot, knocking his bag out of his hands.

"You never tried this before. Too bad it didn't work," Ren stated coldly.

The green-haired bully grabbed a handful of auburn hair and pulled his head off the ground. "So what money did you bring today?" The boy asks while searching Ritsu's bag with his other hand. He digs and digs but find nothing but school supplies and a small lunch. He took the lunch out and yelled, "Oh hell no! If you're not going to bring your money for lunch, guess I'll take your lunch AND your pencils. I allow you to pass your classes if you have money, but if you don't, then I'll help myself to your supplies." Ritsu couldn't reply. In fact, he couldn't move an inch, he was frozen.

Ren unwraps the lunch and sighed, "This lunch is pathetic." He then drops the bento on the ground. Some of the food spilled on the concrete.

Ritsu heard the bento collide with the ground, but still couldn't move. He then heard something unexpected, someone bumped into Ren and knocked him down. A toneless, "Get outa my way," snapped Ritsu back to reality as he watch a set of feet walk by toward the school gate. Ritsu took the opportunity to get away from Ren. He ran as fast as he could toward a hiding place outside the building. He knew that if Ren was here, then the others must be waiting in the school. He saw a bush large enough to hide and leaped behind it. He lifted his legs toward his chest and began grabbing handfuls and hair and scratching repeatedly. He felt the familiar wave of panic start to consume him, then his memories began flowing.

*Flashback*

Ritsu was four when his parents decided to hire a private tutor that also watches over him. His mother holds Ritsu's hand and leaded him toward the new hire. "Ritsu, this is your new sensei." Ritsu eyes were not on the teacher, but on the toy he was currently obsessing over. He whined and slipped from his mother's grasp and got back to playing with the toy.

Ristu's mother sighed, "He still doesn't talk, obey, or anything a normal kid does. I fear he'll never take over the family company unless we intervene now. Can you handle it?" With a cold look in his eye, the teacher nodded, "I can. I'll make sure he becomes a worthy son."

*End Flashback*

As he remembers his old sensei, a flash of a bad memory came into his mind.

*Memory Flash*

Sensei: "Do you understand!?"

4yo Ritsu: "yes."

Ritsu makes the same mistake. Sensei pulls him by the ear.

Sensei: "WHY ARE YOU STUPID!? YOU SAID THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD!" *Slap*

"Sssshhhhhh," Ritsu pushed the memory away, feeling shame.

The bell rang.

Ritsu looked around before leaving the bush to see if any of his possessions remained were he was abused. He found his empty bag and his partially spilled lunch. Only the chicken and fried rice spilled and the rest in the bento was messily in place. 'I'll be hungry before classes end for the day, but I can still eat with Saga Senpai.'

Later That Day

Ritsu was in trouble every class for not having a textbook, notebook, or writing utensils. Since Ritsu is mute, he was unable to to ask his classmates for assistance, which got him in more trouble. He was summoned by the math teacher to come to the teacher's room, most likely for a long~ lecture. Ritsu approached the door, then knocked, expecting something terrible to happen. "Come in. Ah, Onodera, come to my desk." He walks with each step as uniform as possible, hoping to not intensify the anger. When he got to the teacher's desk, he stood straight and unintentionally held his breath.

Sensei: "First, you didn't have a pencil, then it was a notebook, then a textbook. Your teachers told me of the other items you forgot today. If you want to get into high school, you need to get yourself together and not bring an empty schoolbag. So what happened? Was there a hole in your bag?

Ritsu shakes his head lacking eye contact.

Sensei: "Forgetting is not a good reason then. If you come to school without materials tomorrow, you will assist me with transferring materials for the next week... again. Go ahead and eat lunch."

Ritsu then went to get what was left of his lunch and look around outside for Saga Senpai. First he checked where they met last time, then near the track, then each of the entrances. Ritsu's head felt hot. He really wanted eat lunch with him, then remembered what happened yesterday. 'There was no sign of negative feelings... right?' The only thing he could think of was when Saga Senpai found out that he doesn't eat outside the house. 'That has to be the reason why he's not here. He's mad at me. Maybe he's in his homeroom.'

Saga's POV

Saga got to the shoe lockers and heard many girls tell him 'good morning,' but he felt weak in his chest. He attempted to respond, but barely a whisper came out, "mor-nn." It was exhausting, everything was just... exhausting. He didn't know if he was mad, sad, relieved... He just knew that today needs to go as slow as possible. He took out his textbook and pencil and was ready to let Math begin. The teacher began, "Go to page 214. Our objective today is that by the end of class, you will be able to write equations for finding the surface areas of various 3D shapes using distributive property, exponents, _nd associat_ _erties with _ty pe_ _..."

Silence...

*Bell Ring*

Saga snapped back to reality.

'Crap...'

Each class was about the same. Saga would take out his materials and be ready to write, but as the teacher talks, it all just fades away into silence. He couldn't concentrate on anything, not even study period. Saga's upper body slid onto the desk, then he rested his head on his crossed arms. He felt his remaining energy drain from his body from his head to the floor. His brain foggy and full of thoughts, so sleeping wasn't going to happen either.

"Saga! You better not be sleeping!"

He didn't respond to the teacher, he didn't have the drive to try to even sit up at the moment. 'I'll just take the punishment. It's not like I can do anything sitting up anyway.' Saga is usually a star student in the class, so the teacher didn't get on to him more than the one time.

"Saga, there's a younger student here to see you in the hall. Looks like he wants to eat lunch with you."

No response.

Saga then heard his classmate invite the student in. The student lifted and turned a chair to face his desk. Saga didn't even see who it was, but knew it could only be Onodera. He heard a bento open and the smell of eggs flooded his nostrils.

"Get out with that damn box, it stinks of eggs."

His voice intended to come out louder, but his moderate monotone voice was enough for Ritsu to hastily close the box. After a few seconds, he heard scribbling from a pencil.

"Just spit it out. What do you want?"

The scribbling ceased and there was several seconds of delay before he heard Ritsu leaning over toward him.

"I brought... a lunch," he whispered

"Then go anywhere else to eat it."

He heard Ritsu's anxious movements, then heard the bento lid being placed back on. He just sat there, not reading the room as usual. Suddenly, all Saga could hear was an annoying stomach's rhythm of hunger. He couldn't take it anymore. He showed clear closed off body language, he passive aggressively told him to shove off with his food... twice. His head, fist and chest filled with raging heat, then he threw his hands on the table and made aggressive direct eye contact. "GET OUT! YOU'RE ANNOYING, CLINGY, AND CREEPY! CAN'T YOU SEE I WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!?"

Ritsu shrank and covered his ears shaking in his chair. Saga finally has Ritsu's direct eye contact. His large green eyes reveals his fear and confusion. Ritsu ran out of the room, knocking down the chair he had occupied.

To be continued...