"Please, don't ignore me. Keep staying by my side, keep spending time with me. I..." His voice cracked and his lips curved into a desperate smile. "I can't afford to lose that."

That kept replaying in your head over and over again like a broken cassette tape. Too bad you didn't have a hammer to smash it so your mind could finally be at rest.

Currently, you were back at home in your room. The lights were off, it was a little past midnight, and you were staring at your ceiling unable to sleep. Your body was physically exhausted and hurt due to your injuries, but your mind was hyperactive as if it had overdosed on energy drinks.

Yusei's confession...

It came off as a surprise. Not because you were surprised that he liked you; there were several hints. You were surprised that he confessed his feelings at that moment. And hearing it directly made it feel––how would you describe it... Emotional? Real? It almost made you forget that your guard needed to be up. Seeing his desperate expression and hearing his soft voice trying to get his emotions out? C'mon, anyone would feel something no matter how much they hated Yusei.

You recalled your response to Yusei's confession.

"Yusei... I feel..."

Conflicted. Conflicted at what he'd do now that he had acknowledged his feelings, conflicted of how you'd handle someone liking you romantically, conflicted at the prospect of this being a lie to manipulate your emotions.

Yusei patiently waited for your response. His expression was more relaxed and the understanding look in his eyes told you that he was more than prepared for a rejection. God, how were you supposed to know what to say?

Though, despite your apprehensions, your cheeks felt a little warm. Of course you were a little flustered. Who the hell wouldn't when someone looks at you with so much sincerity?

"I appreciate your words, uhm..." You sheepishly rubbed the back of your neck. "But, if you know I don't like you back... What's the point in confessing?"

"Why not? I can openly pursue you now and get you to fall for me. It sounds childish, but that's exciting in its own way." Yusei sighed in relief. "Confessing my feelings... I feel so much better now. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

Again, you had no words. You hated to admit it, but his confession was getting to you. The more you denied the feelings, the more they fought back. Yusei looked surprised at your expression. Oh god, what kind of face were you making? He mumbled something you couldn't hear. Something about 'a chance'? Then he stood up.

"I should get back to the event. Rest up, I'll cover for you." When he reached the door, he paused. "(Y/n), I like you a lot. Please remember that."

After Yusei's confession, you spent time alone in the room processing everything and calming down. Fifteen minutes later, your parents came into the room. Your mother practically bursted in. Yusei must've done a darn good job at convincing because your parents didn't suspect anything other than you accidentally hurt yourself. They lightly reprimanded you for not being more careful and allowed you to rejoin the party at the promise to not get into more trouble.

Yusei sent you a text assuring you that Hayami and her sister would keep their lips sealed. You didn't want to think about what kind of words were exchanged.

Then you checked Hayami for a red outline and was relieved to know that she didn't have it anymore. You assumed your conversation with Yusei changed her fate. At the brief eye contact you made with Hayami from opposite ends of the room, you shot her one last glare. One day you'll make sure she faces the consequences of her actions.

You spent the rest of the party hanging out with Kai and Himari. Kashi happened to be close by and you forced him to join because you liked his company and also because you needed to keep an eye on him.

"What should we do now that (Y/n) can't move around?" Kashi asked.

It was only the four of you on the table. Everyone (except you) had their arms crossed deep in contemplation as if this was some business meeting and stocks were plummeting or something.

You shrugged. "I mean, I'm fine with just sitting and eating."

"Cards?" Himari suggested.

Kashi added, "Pictionary?"

"Guys, I'm really fine with just eating––"

"Oh! I got it." Kai took out his phone. "Let's play games."

Kai ended up having a ton of games on his phone. Heads up, triple agent, uno, out of the loop; you four cycled through them for the rest of the night. Kashi needed to be handicapped for games like triple agent because his deduction skills were a little too good.

It was fun laughing and messing around. Unfortunately, you weren't able to enjoy your night to its fullest. Yusei's confession weighed on your mind.

Then the party ended without any further drama.

"I'm not getting any sleep."

You turned on the lamp on the nightstand and squinted a little, trying to adjust to the sudden luminosity. At the sight of your phone, you wondered if Kei was awake. You didn't get a chance to update him on what happened.

You tried giving him a call. After a few rings he picked up.

"(Y/n)! Done with the party?"

"Oh, wow." Okay, you were half expecting him to not pick up. "You're still up?"

"Yup, just busy doing some stuff."

"Stuff as in reading webtoon?"

He chuckled sheepishly. "Guilty."

"Don't stay up till three in the morning again."

"But there's no school tomorrow."

"Kei."

"Fine. 2:59AM then."

"... Good enough."

You heard some shuffling on the other end and assumed Kei was getting comfortable.

"Do you wanna facetime?"

"Yeah, sure."

You looked like a mess right now, but whatever. Kei seemed to also be in bed, but his lights were on and his phone was probably propped up against a pillow for you to see his entire body.

His hair was messy, but it was unfairly cute; you felt betrayed. Kei also had on round glasses with silver rims, was wearing a white shirt accompanied with grey sweatpants and fluffy pink socks (fashionable choice). A bunch of plushies were on his bed. Imagining him snuggling them when he slept was an adorable imagery.

"Sooo..." Kei crossed his legs. "What's on your mind?"

"So much."

You explained everything from the incident with Hayami to Yusei's confession.

"I don't know, Kei. I feel like a cold hearted jerk sometimes. Like, he poured his emotions out and I couldn't even say something good back."

Kei shook his head. "(Y/n), if you were a 'cold hearted jerk' you wouldn't be thinking so hard about this."

"I guess." You sighed. "But like––hear me out. What if Yusei manipulates me later on? That's what he does to others. Even the character information said so. 'He's good with words, but even better at using people for his disposal. Be careful, he can get very crafty and unpredictable.' What if I open up and––"

"(Y/n), slow down," Kei said. "Deep breaths."

You held your tongue and did as he said.

"Sorry, it's just. Okay, let's say yeah he does actually like me. That just means he could become possessive!" you whisper shouted. Thankfully, the walls were thick and your parents were in deep sleep. "How am I supposed to feel?"

Kei considered your words carefully.

"Here's what I think. From what you said, Shichirou-san's actions weren't intended to cause anyone's death, right? That's a good sign. It's good to be on guard, but I think your perspective is too skewed on worse case scenarios. Shichirou-san appears manipulative and crafty, but there is a reason for it. He wants to be acknowledged. Maybe he did manipulate you at some point, but it wasn't for his own benefit. It was because he wanted your attention."

"You... have a point." Wow, Kei was really good at reading people. "Okay, but that leaves me with the issue of: how do I deal with that?"

"Do you feel the same way about him?"

You froze. Romance, that was out of the question for you at the moment. You had to reject Kai's confession for a reason.

At the start of the game, you could confidently say that you hated Yusei. Now? He grew on you. Spending time with him in the student council room, bantering, talking about whatever during lunch––there was even that one moment when he ended a student council session early and bought your favourite drink because he noticed you were out of it.

Did you really want to dismiss all of that?

Yes, the game framed him as some possessive male lead who would kill for love. But he was also just... a normal person with his own challenges to overcome.

"I... Not romantically, yet. I think. But it's just because of the game..."

Kei sensed your distress, so he didn't force you to finish your sentence.

"Why not trust him for now? I'm not telling you to throw yourself at him with open arms. Trust that he's someone with good intentions," Kei said. "Open up a little and––"

"What if that backfires?"

"Any plan can backfire. (Y/n), you're not even considering the idea. There's a lot you want to say to Shichirou-san, right? Like your apprehensions and your feelings at the start of the game or your current feelings for him now."

"Yeah, but I don't have to tell him."

"I don't think it's good to bottle your emotions like that. It might help you win the game, it might not. Either way, your mental wellbeing will be compromised." Kei frowned. "And that's the last thing I want. I don't want to lecture you. It's not my place to... But I think you should be more open when it comes to expressing your emotions. Have you ever properly vented to someone?"

You were so prepared to respond with 'yeah, obviously.' Yet, after filing through your memories, you couldn't think of a solid example.

"...No."

Kei looked at you sympathetically. "Life's complicated and unpredictable, I don't know the 'right' way to win this game. There probably isn't. However, I don't want you to neglect your mental health. There's no point in winning, but being unhappy as a result."

"Better than losing, though."

"(Y/n)."

"I know, I know..."

You moved your blanket around. Seeing someone show so much care for you was nice, but also a little overwhelming. You were grateful, but also wanted to change topics as soon as possible. Hopefully, you didn't appear rude.

"Ugh, what is Es's motive? Why's he making me do all this?"

Kei didn't seem bothered that you changed the topic. "Try asking him. If you can get some answers, that's a win."

"I dunno. He'll probably just make fun of me for asking."

"True." Kei laughed at your unamused face. "Have you tried before?"

"Uhhh... Kind of?"

You recalled what happened and explained it to Kei.

"This is all just entertainment for you, huh?"

He snapped his fingers. "Correct! I'm excited when things get spicier. Why? Do you hate me for that?"

"It's not like that'll change anything," you mumbled bitterly.

Yeah, the thought of him seeing your struggle as entertainment pissed you off, but he'd probably be more amused if you showed your annoyance or caused a scene. However, you couldn't help but think there was more to it. Why did he choose to craft this game in this certain manner?

"...Is this really all for entertainment, though?"

"Oh-ho, you're trying to interrogate me now, are you? You interested in me?"

"Nevermind."

Once you finished your little storytelling, you waited for Kei's thoughts.

Kei looked down and covered the bottom of his lips with a hand; it was a small habit he had when he'd contemplate deeply. However, this time his glasses slipped down a little and he had to readjust them. It was literally just a random observation you made and for some reason you found it amusing.

"Maybe tell him exactly why you want to know. If you express some genuineness, he may be more willing to answer your question. I find it that people are more comfortable opening up if the other party takes the initiative to do so first."

There he goes again. It all links to opening up to someone, huh? You were able to sympathise with Kashi at one point and felt comfortable and even asked to be friends. That was at the very start of the game and you literally just finished viewing his past. Now? The idea of tapping into your emotions and such––your mind subconsciously runs away from it.

Things have changed, you were changing.

Changing?

Were you getting closer to who you were in the past?

You sighed exasperatedly. Not at Kei, it was at yourself. "I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Open up to people so easily, trust people so willingly. You literally entered a game that could hurt you just to help me. What if I––I don't know, betrayed you or something? Use your kindness to my advantage?"

"I trusted my instincts," he answered without hesitation. "Sometimes, you kind of need to take that chance and trust someone. I'm a person who chooses to see the good in people first. It does backfire sometimes, though. I'd know." Kei chuckled sheepishly. "However, there is always a chance that I can help someone. And I'm the kind of person who wants to help as much as I can. Even though I kind of suck at keeping connections."

You were reminded of the time when you saw him cleaning up the damaged flower shop whilst injured. Was that a result of him acting on his kindness? Did someone take advantage of it?

You wanted to ask Kei more about himself until you saw him yawn. He quickly tried to hide it and shot you an apologetic look.

"Alright, bud. You need some sleep." You chuckled softly when he drowsily rubbed his eyes and mumbled a groggily 'I can stay up'. "Thanks for hearing me out and offering some advice."

"Of course. We're friends, why wouldn't I?"

"Mhm. And as a friend, I'm telling you to please get some sleep."

Kei sighed dramatically. "I guess I have no choice but to listen to a friend."

You two exchanged goodnights and ended the call.

I'll talk to Es tomorrow––

"I heard you wanted to talk to me?"

You almost screamed at the voice that came out of nowhere. An array of pixels swirled around your room and illuminated it like fireflies. Then it formed a tall figure who sat right across your bed. Yeah, it was Es in his human form. A faint blue glow radiated from his presence. He was kinda like a portable night light.

"Why do you choose the weirdest times to appear?"

Es ignored your question. "Oh!" He snapped his fingers. "I should get into appropriate clothing."

With a clap of his hands, his clothes switched to an oversized white sweater and pyjama pants with very obnoxious hot pink stripes. You had a feeling he took inspiration from Kei. Oddly enough, you felt like you were having some sleepover with a friend rather than some otherworldly being who defied all aspects of logic.

"So, who's gonna start first?"

The way Es eagerly leaned in closer to you and spoke in a hushed and excited tone made the entire situation seem like you two were about to spill some massive tea.

"Me, I guess. You probably already know this, but what's your real reason for this whole game? I seriously can't believe it's just for entertainment."

"I dunno. What if it is?"

"Everything feels like it's created for a specific goal. First of all, you're bias with me. I've gotten a lot of hints and you even allowed Kei to help me with the game. You don't need to do that for entertainment."

"Could be that my tastes for entertainment are very specific. Who knows?"

Ugh. He was dancing around the topic. Es's carefree grin was equivalent to a barrier that blocked you from delving any further in terms of seriousness. What to do, what to do...

I'll give Kei's advice a shot.

"Es." He perked up when you used his name. "Did you have fun hanging out with Kei and I the other day?"

Es looked surprised at your question. "Yup~ Had a blast."

"Why?"

"Why not? It's fun. What about you? Did you have fun hanging out with us?

"You're... weird." Es stifled a laugh at your words. "Obviously, I feel some animosity towards you for putting me through all this instead of just giving my memories back. But..."

You gave yourself a moment to think. You needed to be genuine. No twisting words for a specific outcome, no lying so you could get a certain reaction.

"There are moments when it feels normal being around you. Like when we tried out the photo booth," you said. "It's weird. Despite everything, I don't think you intend to make my life a living hell. Like there's some other purpose that I'm not getting."

Es was unnaturally quiet at your words. Since he was always so talkative, you suddenly felt very uncomfortable at the silence. Then Es held out his hand and pixels began floating around the top of his palm. The pixels formed into a manga book and it landed onto your bed with a soft thump!

"Do you happen to know this series?"

You had no idea where Es was going with this, but you might as well play along. You took a look at the manga.

"Oh!" Okay, your surprise was genuine. "That's the book about exorcists and apparitions. Anomalous, right? Kei recommended that to me a while ago."

Es nodded. "He also recommended it to me. Actually, I got into manga because of him. The main character has the same name as you, fun right?"

"Yeah. We're nothing alike, though."

"Right?"

Es twirled his finger in the air and the book opened. The pages flipped rapidly and the pictures began manifesting out of the book. You marvelled at the sight. It was like someone had shone a projector onto your ceiling.

"My favourite thing about any story are the characters. The plot can be about some dude going to the grocery shop in search of the best sale and I'd have no issues reading it if the characters are well thought out," Es said. "When you find a character you can relate to, you live vicariously through them. And, well..."

The male snapped his fingers and the images disappeared. A gentle smile was on his lips, one you thought Es was incapable of making.

"You might learn something about yourself. (Y/n), to put it bluntly, you're like a piece of entertainment to me."

You were not amused. "Thanks."

Es chuckled. "Hey, hey. Let me elaborate."

He looked more like himself when he acted carefree. Or maybe he was more himself when he was a little sentimental? Who knows.

"Maybe I was someone like Kei in the past before I had these cool powers and all. Maybe I was someone invested in novels and media. Maybe that influenced the structure of this game I made. Fun fact, I actually have no recollection of myself. My earliest memories are your earliest memories."

You tilted your head in confusion. "As in, at the start of the game?"

"Bingo! I have no clue what the hell I am. How in the world did I get these abilities? Did I have a name? Family? Was I even human before all this? Am I just some weird entity that didn't belong in this world?" Es sighed. "You know, when I first started this game with you, I saw nothing wrong in my actions. But slowly, I realised yeah––I'm an asshole for putting you in such a stressful situation."

Okay, you were not expecting that infodump. To you, Es was just some entity that had your fate in the palm of his hands. His origins were never at the forefront of your mind.

"Huh... I guess we're kinda similar. As much as I hate to admit it," you said, and Es laughed at your words. "I'm trying to find who I am by getting my memories back. And because you relate to me in that aspect, you hope that by watching me you'll figure out yourself in the process?"

"Mhm. Seeing someone overcome adversity gives me some hope for my own circumstance. I only realised this recently. I visited Kei one night because I was bored and he asked if I wanted to read some novels and manga with him. When he explained to me why he liked stories so much is when I had my little epiphany."

Es and Kei were slowly becoming besties and you weren't sure what to make of that. Kei really is too friendly for his own good. How does he do it? You would've kicked Es out the moment he disturbed you, not invite him to join.

"Okay, I understand things a little better now. Still, that doesn't serve as a justification. You're using me for your own benefit. My life is not for you to use for your self-discovery or whatever." You sighed. "These are just words, though. With your abilities, you could do whatever you wanted."

Es nodded in understanding. "I know I'm horrible. Because even after all this, I'm not letting you go."

He reached out for your hand and you were tempted to rip yourself out of his grasp, but you were curious where he was going with this.

"If this were a story, I guess I'd be the antagonist." Your eyes went wide when Es made you draw a line across his throat. His skin was smooth and cold. "So, I guess it's your job to defeat me, right?"

Es let go of your hand and chuckled at your stunned expression.

"Well, not physically, of course," he quickly added. "I'd kick your ass."

Es jumped off your bed and stretched his arms over his head. You were left wondering what the hell just happened. He looked over to you and you tensed under his indiscernible gaze.

"(Y/n), I want you to succeed, you know. Not just at the game, but..." He bopped your nose. "Also in figuring out who you are."

You rubbed your nose irritably. "What about Aimi-san?"

"Same goes for her. Admittedly, I do have a slighttt bias towards you, though." He giggled. "Hey, we're only human, right?"

"Right..."

You wondered what Es's relationship with Aimi was.

"Hey, (Y/n)."

"Yeah?"

Es was hesitant for a moment.

"... Do you think the three of us could've been friends under different circumstances? You, me, and Kei. Like proper friends. Y'know, you two would finish school and I'd be the cool older brother figure who would spoil you guys with gifts and expensive dinners."

You fluttered your eyes in surprise. Es laughed at that.

"Hey, being thoughtful is better than a straight up no." He waved. "Alright, I'm done here. Have a goodnight!"

Es disappeared into thin air before you had a chance to do anything. Darn, you didn't get to ask more about Aim. With a heavy sigh, you fell back onto your bed.

You wondered what awaited you at the end of the game.



===



To sum things up; over the summer holidays nothing eventful happened.

You studied, went to the library with Kai and Kasumi every now and then (the siblings were really good at maths), went to cat cafes and arcades with Kashi when he wasn't busy with idol stuff, hung out with Shin and his mother (you took him to an amusement park), got some cooking lessons from your parents and learnt more about their business, and lazed around with Kei (Es would join every now and then).

Now, you were a few days into school. And one common occurrence was...

"... Another one?"

A certain student council president has been giving you a gift every afternoon after school. It was always when meetings have ended and all the members have left besides you two. First, it was a necklace, then it was a keychain of a show (that Kei recommended) you've been really into lately, and after that it was cute stationary.

Today it was a bracelet of your favourite colour.

Yusei smiled happily when you accepted his gift. He was practically sparkling.

"I feel bad about accepting expensive things, you know."

"Oh, I didn't know." He was thoughtful for a moment. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

Now that he had confessed, Yusei was not shy about displaying his affections regardless if there were people around or not. Gifts and compliments were his go to. There were already rumours of you two being a couple. A part of you wanted to distance yourself because of your apprehensions. However, Kei's words rang in your mind and you tried your best to ease into Yusei's affections.

Trust that he's a good person, huh?

The next day, Yusei didn't bring you anything. Huh. Guess your excuse worked.

Again, it was after school. The student council meeting ended early; you and Yusei decided to stay back to catch up on some work whilst everyone else left. You were organising some papers regarding an upcoming school festival. Yusei was typing on his laptop, but he appeared... distracted? Dare you say, he looked visibly worried about something.

"Yusei, the fact that you're an open book right now terrifies me."

"O-oh." He cleared his throat. "It's nothing."

You gasped and almost dropped the papers in your hands. "Did you just stutter?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yusei, seriously. What's up?"

He sighed. "You know, impressing the person you like is a lot harder than I thought."

You didn't know how to feel at the fact that he blatantly addressed you as his crush.

"Okayyy, elaborate."

"... So, you mentioned yesterday that you felt bad accepting expensive gifts. I didn't want to stop giving you gifts, so I decided to... make something from scratch."

Now you were very intrigued. "What is it?"

Yusei sheepishly cleared his throat. "It's embarrassing..."

"C'mon, tell me! I promise I won't laugh or make fun of you."

"You definitely will do one of those."

"True. But still, I'm so curious!" You clasped your hands together. "Please?"

"If you make a cute face like that, how can I resist?"

You almost choked on nothing. "You don't hold back with the compliments."

"Of course not," he said. "I'll show it to you once we finish with our work."

That was a darn good motivator for you to finish things quickly. Yusei watched in amusement as you worked three times more efficiently than usual. For once, you finished everything before him. Well, you had a feeling he spent a lot of his time observing you with a fond expression.

Yusei finished up a few minutes later. Like the gentlemen he was, he opened the door for you. He had expected that you'd walk with him, but the moment he told you that it was in his locker you bolted towards it.

"Oh, wait. I can't even open it."

Now you were awkwardly standing in front of Yusei's locker as he took his sweet time. When he arrived, he showed you a smug look. Though, it was quick to fall when he realised that he had to show you what he made. After taking a deep breath, Yusei opened the locker and braced for your reaction.

It was a bouquet of roses. Well, not real roses. They were made of coloured paper; pink, purple, and red.

Yusei was an organised individual, the prince charming of the school. Every task he was in charge of was done to near perfection.

However...

"Pft––" You clamped a hand over your lips to stop yourself from laughing.

Yusei sighed. "What happened to not laughing?"

These paper flowers were, to be blunt, horribly made. There were obvious creases on the parts Yusei struggled on. Some were shaped very oddly (you assumed that Yusei had to DIY the dimensions of the paper and failed), some had crooked patterns, and a good few didn't even mildly resemble a rose.

"How––" You almost wheezed. "Did you mess up the leaves?"

Yusei rolled his eyes. "It was an admirable effort on my end, okay?"

You gave up on hiding your laughter. Just the image of Yusei struggling on getting pieces of paper together will forever live rent free in your head. With a grin, you took the paper roses.

"I can keep this, right?"

Yusei looked at you as if you had asked him the dumbest question on earth. "You want to what?"

"I like it. 100% customer satisfaction."

"That? You're happy about that?"

You've never seen Yusei so exasperated before. It was hilarious. You almost thought he'd pick you up to go to the nurse's office and get your head checked.

"Don't get me wrong, the other gifts you got me were nice gestures. I'm grateful," you said. "There's just something charming about you struggling to make something for me."

"Oh." Yusei's surprised expression was quick to soften. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy. Even if it is embarrassing that I've given you something so childish."

"How long did it take you to make this?"

"There was a lot of cursing involved and some caffeine." He laughed. "But, I really wanted to give you something. I was determined to make something, even though I almost didn't give it to you because of how terribly it's done."

"Aw." You smiled. "That's so sweet of you."

At the realisation of what you just said, you almost bit your tongue. Holy hell, (Y/n). Don't go catching feelings.

"Hey, Yusei."

"What is it?"

"If..." Hopefully, your words don't come off as inconsiderate. "I don't end up returning your feelings, you would've spent all this effort on me for nothing."

Yusei didn't appear phased. "It wouldn't be for 'nothing'. I want to show my affection. You're not obligated to return my feelings or reciprocate the same gestures." Yusei's voice then became quieter, as if he was whispering loving words to a significant other. "(Y/n), you deserve acts of love such as this."

You didn't flush, you didn't stutter in embarrassment. You simply looked at Yusei in surprise. Why did his words have such an impact on you?

"Of course, this is a little self indulgent as well. I want to spoil you, I want you to feel happy because of an act I did," he said, tone a lot more casual now. "I... want to also apologise to you regarding the night at the event. You mentioned how I manipulated you."

He leaned in even closer and whispered in your ear. "My thoughts are always occupied with you. So, I guess I kind of like getting on your nerves sometimes because I want your thoughts to always be occupied with me, even if it's bad."

You didn't move an inch and a realisation hit you. "... So you created a whole show on the table to get on my nerves? If you really wanted Hayami-san to confess, you could do it discreetly. You know I would get worried if you caused a commotion."

Yusei created some distance. "You know me so well."

"Ah... That part."

"I didn't intend to make you feel manipulated. I just wanted to have your attention."

Kei was right on the money with that.

"Well, let's keep all the attention positive, okay? No more twisting words and causing me headaches please. That'll be a great way to get me to fall for you."

"No promises. Your annoyed face is cute and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Yusei."

"Sorry, sorry." He laughed. "I'll be sure to stop causing you headaches."

You playfully rolled your eyes. "Even if you're a real pain to deal with sometimes, you don't actually mean any harm to me. I consider you as someone close to me. We just spend too much time together. Plus, you're thoughtful when you want to be."

You were glad you had that conversation with Kei. Opening up a little, trying to see the positives in someone, befriending rather than viewing someone as an enemy––it made you feel better. Maybe it'll backfire in the future, but at this moment you felt content.

"Really?" Yusei's smile was brighter. "I... That makes me glad. I also––wait, (Y/n) are you carrying that bouquet home?"

You were in the middle of carefully placing the paper roses in your book bag. It was positioned in a way that half of it would stick out.

"Don't worry, I was listening."

"That's not the issue here." Yusei's cheeks were a little red. "I don't want anyone seeing it. How about this? You can chuck that in the bin and I'll make one for you tomorrow, okay?"

"Why can't I bring this one home and you make another one for me anyway?"

"(Y/n), please." Instinctively, he reached out for your hand. "If someone sees it and asks about it––"

You grabbed his arm before he could grab yours. "I'll proudly show off that the prince of the school, Yusei, made it."

"Seriously." Yusei shook his head, he didn't attempt to shake off your grip. "I'll just need to get it off you."

"Hah. Just try."

A fun idea popped in your head. You stood on your toes for added height before raising your hand up, the hand that was holding onto Yusei's. He looked confused, which quickly turned into surprise when you suddenly twirled him around once before dipping him down like it was some sort of dance. You had the strength to hold him, nice.

Yes, you saw this in a romance manga and wanted to try it out.

Yusei's entire body was tense. You laughed and quickly pulled him right back up.

"The flowers are still here," you teased, patting your bag for added emphasis. "Guess you need to try harder."

Yusei couldn't care less about the flowers. He placed his hand over his heart and let out a shaky sigh. "I... Uhm..."

"What is it?"

"You know what you did." Yusei sighed before averting his eyes away from yours. "Why does my heart race so fast when you're the one in control?"

You could not stop the response that left your lips. "So, you're a bottom?"

Yusei's eyes went wide and he snapped his gaze back to you. "Oh my god, (Y/n)."

"I'm so sorry, that––that came out of nowhere." Your giggles made you look anything but sorry. "I won't say that again."

Yusei crossed his arms and sighed in disappointment, but you knew he was just playing along. A thoughtful hum left him. Then a confident smile graced his lips.

"Hey, do you know what I love about you?"

"Huh."

"You're someone who doesn't dismiss things based on prejudice. Not to mention, you could be cunning at times and you don't let others walk over you." Yusei looked you right in the eyes, a sly smirk on his lips. Then his voice was sultry for a moment. "Which I find hot."

You almost choked. What the hell did he just say?

Yusei was pleased at your reaction. "Furthermore––"

You clamped your hand over Yusei's mouth. "Alright bud, no more speaking for you."

You could feel Yusei's grin under your palm. But before he could do anything, a voice interrupted you two.

"(Y/n)?"

The moment you saw a familiar blue haired individual, you removed your hand from Yusei's lips. You were so focused on Yusei that you didn't realise Kashi was close by. Okay, this was kind of an awkward situation. Why did you feel like you've been caught cheating?

"Hey, Kashi. What's up?"

For the first time, the idol didn't immediately respond to you with his usual chipper and lively voice. A mix of betrayal and hurt crept into his eyes, but that was quick to morph into envy when he glanced over to Yusei. It was only a few seconds before that all disappeared and he turned back to you with a cheerful smile.

"I finished my club activities early today! I was hoping that I could walk you home."

Actually, you wanted to ask Kashi about something pertaining to his concert. Genji's red outline hasn't been removed yet, so something was definitely going to happen during the concert. You needed to get backstage tickets if you wanted to be close to Kashi to prevent the death. You were hoping to negotiate with Ichika somehow.

"Sure, I don't mind." You looked over to Yusei. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Of course. I need to find a teacher, so I won't be heading home just yet." You had a feeling Yusei was well aware of Kashi's small moment of jealousy. "I'll be back with another gift, dear."

What did he just call you.

With an amused look, Yusei bid a goodbye and left you and Kashi alone.

"Let's get going?" you asked.

Kashi nodded enthusiastically. "Yup!"

The whole walk out of the school building and exiting the gates was silent. Damn, okay. Maybe you were a tad nervous. Kashi always had something to talk about.

"Kashi?"

"Hm? Oh! Sorry, I didn't realise that I was spacing out. Were you saying something?"

"No, not really." Alright, might as well just ask him. "Kashi, were you jealous when you saw Yusei and I?"

Kashi tensed, but his smile didn't falter. "I ah..." He nervously chuckled. "Yeah..."

You were surprised at his honesty.

"Why?"

"I mean, you're my closest friend. So seeing you act really close to someone else makes me kinda jealous..." He snapped his fingers. "Also! He called you 'dear!' what was that about?"

"To piss me off, probably."

"Does he like you?"

"Well..."

Seeing that Yusei had no issues displaying his affections in public, he probably wouldn't mind if you told others. Besides, Kashi probably already knew the answer. Instinctively, your hand gravitated towards the paper flowers Yusei made and brushed over it.

Suddenly, Kashi grabbed onto that very hand. You winced at his grip tightening around your wrists before you shot him an indignant look. That look of yours faltered when you saw Kashi's eyes void of his regular ebullience; it wasn't exactly a scowl or a look of anger, it was something... a lot more malicious.

You often hear people saying Kashi's lively personality made up for the somewhat dull hue of his blue eyes. His eyes would sparkle and end up being brighter than the clearest of skies. Right now?

His eyes truly looked dull.

"Kashi, what are you doing?"

"Why are you still keeping them? Shichirou-san made them for you, right? The whole school knows he's been giving you gifts."

Kashi's delivery of Yusei's name was drenched in disdain. Okay, the idol was showing some major red flags right now. All this time you've been playing the game with the assumption that the male leads can grow possessive. And you also acknowledged that the possessiveness has shifted to you. But now having to confront it? It made you more apprehensive than you anticipated.

Kashi against Yusei, how the heck would that play out?

At some point, will you have to save one of the male leads?

Finally, you responded to Kashi's question. "Because I want to keep them? You're being ridiculous right now. How would you feel if a fan of yours gave you a gift and I suddenly forbid you from taking it out of jealousy?"

Kashi's expression lit up. "You'd do that?"

"What the fuck."

You were not having this. With your free hand, you ripped Kashi's grip off of you. There was a brick wall just a few steps away from him. You pressed him against it and your hands slammed against the wall to trap him on both sides. You expected some resistance and were more than ready to throw hands, but Kashi's cheeks were flushed and his hands covered his lips. His eyes were so bright and expectant that you had almost forgotten the foreboding look of envy in them before.

Why does pinning people against something suddenly make them so much more compliant?

No one spoke a word. Kashi was trying to suppress his frantic breaths at the close proximity. If it weren't for him showing signs of possessiveness and harshly grabbing your arm out of nowhere, you would've found his actions a little cute.

Finally, you said, "Kashi."

He flinched. "Y-yes?"

"Do you like me?" you asked. "Romantically. Is that why you were jealous?"

You had asked him a similar question in the past.

"Speaking of romance," you began. "Do you like anyone at the moment?"

The pause was fleeting, unnoticeable. But because you were intensely observing the idol's actions, you felt like he hesitated for a moment. Could just be your imagination, though.

"Romantically? I don't want to pursue anyone at the moment," he answered. "But if I were to date someone, you'd be my first choice!"

Kashi's voice came out as a squeak. "U-uhm..."

At least if he's flustered it would be easier to tell if he was lying. You kept your gaze on him, putting more pressure.

"I..." He buried his face in his palms and mumbled out, "I didn't expect to have to say it this soon. I thought that I could just quietly love you and wait until a better time to confess..."

Oh. He basically just confessed.

Kashi removed his hands from his face. His eyes were glossy with tears and he laughed sheepishly to himself. Your gaze softened at the sight and you slowly took your hands off the wall. Uh okay, shoot. You didn't mean to make him cry.

"I'm sorry for suddenly grabbing your hand. I just... I was so jealous." Now, tears were being spilt. Kash sniffed and frantically wiped them away. "Whoops, haha. I... I didn't think I'd be this sensitive when it comes to my feelings. (Y/n), I don't like you. I love you. I don't know what to do. I love you so much that I get jealous so easily."

He took a deep breath and gave you a shaky, but genuine smile. It looked like he was barely holding it together.

"Are... are you mad at me?"