The One To Stay

166 3 1
                                    

Yu's POV:

We've been stuck in here for a good twenty minutes now, and nobody has come looking for us.

"It's bullshit," Yosuke whispers. He's at the end of the room, sitting on the boxes Shin wanted. He kicks the floor beneath him, sitting with his head resting on his hands.

I reach for my cell. No service.

He hasn't spoken to me since I yelled at him. Well, not directly to me. He's spoken to himself a couple of times. I always lift my head, in the odd case he is speaking to me. But it's always the same result.

"What did I do?" I ask, finally.

"What?"

"Why do you hate me so much?" I sigh. "You can't run from it, now. Not anymore."

He sighs. "It's nothing."

"...Is it because of the Shadow, because Yosuke, I... Am I a bad friend?"

"What? Fuck no, man."

"So, why? Why are you being like this?" I say. I feel tears welling up in my eyes.

"You..." He sits up, leaning back. "You wouldn't understand."

"So help me," I beg. "Please."

"It's not something to talk to you about."

"Why not?"

"It's just... not."

"Talk to your brother, then. Or Chie, or Teddie; hell, I don't care. I don't want you to carry this burden with you forever." I close my eyes, tight.

"Yu."

When I open my eyes, he's stood in front of me, holding a hand out.

I look up at him. And I take it.

He pulls me up, and avoids my eyes.

"I've been going through some shit," he admits. "And I don't know what's happening to me."

He's confiding in me. He trusts me.

"And... I don't mean to take it out on you." He rubs his eyes with his fists. "The thing is... I--"

"Narukami! You in there?!" A voice calls, banging on the door.

"Yeah! We're here!" I yell in return.

Shin opens the door with his shoulder and runs up to me.

"Shit. You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"What the hell's he doing here?" He asks, turning to Yosuke.

"It's not his fault." I try to calm him down. "It was mine."

"I was worried out of my mind," he puts his forehead between his index finger and his thumb.

"I'm sorry," I sigh. "It was a mistake."

"No shit," he shakes his head. "I forgot to mention this closet is old. One of these shelves could have fallen onto you. Then what would I have done?!"

~~~

Yosuke's POV:

He cares about him. He cares about him more than I ever could.

And yet... he's treating him like a child.

"C'mon." Shin takes Yu's hand and leads him out of the room. Yu looks back at me, but walks on with my brother.

I sigh.

Was I really gonna tell him?

I don't even know anymore. I guess I was just hoping for the words to... spill out.

With You  (Souyo)Where stories live. Discover now