𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐒 - 𝐒. 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐀

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄

NINE
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      "I like you."

      It was only one sentence, with three words, and eight letters but Sayo instantly choked at how sudden he uttered those words as if it were that easy – like he was simply combing his hair or taking a bite out of his lunch. She snaps her head up to look at the light-grey-haired boy who was looking at her seriously, with her lips parting and eyes wide.

      "What the fuck?"

      He tilted his head to the side and repeated nonchalantly, "I like you."

      Sayo felt a short laugh escape from her lips, but it wasn't one of amusement. Though, it was a laugh that tried to lift up the tension that she felt within herself, and it was created by this guy who had the guts to blurt those words out so casually that she was almost envious.

      "Haha, you're kidding." Sayo laughed awkwardly then added, "But it isn't funny."

      He furrowed his brows in confusion and said, "I wasn't joking, though."

      Sayo let out another strained laugh before getting up from her seat, giving him s wide-eyed look, cheeks still lines with dried trails of tears before quickly rushing away. He didn't make a move to stop her, instead, he watched her figure disappear for the second time with her rapid footsteps being heard from where he sat.

Shinsuke did not know what came over him when he had uttered those words, though the exact time he said them, that was the very moment he had also realized his small attraction towards her – the moment it appeared, it was the very moment he had decided to tell her. He internally decided within a span of a short second to just admit it, instead of allowing it to be left unsaid for longer.

He was no fool, although he was unexperienced with the romantic aspects of love compared to the familial one; he just knew at that moment, especially since he always recently seeking for her presence that he liked her even just a little bit, despite her being quite stingy most of the time.

She was rude and had an uncouth mouth, and he honestly was not aware that the type of person that he would like had that kind of personality.

With a sigh, Shinsuke's lips pulled up lightly;

I have to let my soulmate feel the same way.

-o-

It was a joke; it was a joke. It was probably just a silly joke to mess with me.

As soon as Sayo had ran away from the scene, accidentally leaving behind her fucking box of fish crackers, she instantly felt a rumbling occur beneath her abdomen and she cursed out loud. She internally cursed Shinsuke and how he could easily pull his feelings out of thin air and present it nonchalantly in front of her. She cursed her fish crackers that had left behind. And she cursed ever coming to that place in the first place.

And though she cursed profusely, why did her heart jump leaps in joy at the words that she heard come out of his mouth?

Sayo shook her head frantically and hugged her figure, trying to make herself seem smaller than she already was, and hoped that she would be small enough to actually disappear off of the depths of this stupid world that seemed to hate her so much. She sighed and crouched down by the wall, hugging her knees together as she stared at the rough ground.