☀︎︎ 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃ℯ ☀︎︎ | 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 ☼

♔ 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬

"𝒮𝓊𝒸𝓀𝓇𝒾𝒻𝒾𝒸ℯ： 𝒟ℴ𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝒶𝒷𝓈ℴ𝓁𝓊𝓉ℯ𝓁𝓎 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒹ℴ， ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓃 𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓉ℯ 𝒾𝓉．"

• 3 days later •

You leaned your head against the back of the dugout walls. Smiling you fiddled with the shoe necklace in your hand, Jake sat next to you, as you eventually leaned your head on his shoulder.

"Ilima?" Jake asked softly, as you watched the other practice training in the field.

"Yeah?" You asked lightly.

"Does...Does Juan scare you?"He asked, tilting his head to meet your eyes.

Your breath hitched at this question. You could see where he was coming from, since ever since the picnic, Juan's gone back to his evil state, and you, inevitably, continued to avoid him.

"A bit." You admitted, sighing out. "But I also understand why he's the way he is around me, that's why I'm still nice."

"Why is he the way he is? He normally cheerful with everyone else." Jake let his curiosity get the best of him.

"It's hard to explain, but we dated once actually." You started to which Jake eyes widened. "I think he's just mad that I'm the victim, a part of me thinks he's really just beating himself up inside." You turned your head back to the field.

"Do you—Do you still love him?" Jake then asked.

You sighed out. "I do. But I know he'll never love me back...not again." Your hands clasped around the the chain Juan had given you. You weren't wearing it, but you kept it tight in your pocket.

"Y'know, I think people just act tough to hide their love, they find it to be weakness rather than a gift." He smiled down at you. "If you ask me, I think he still loves you too."

"Then you'd be the first." You said as your eyes met Juan's from across the field, his eyes tensing. He looked at you hard eyes as he mouthed something unknown, before walking off angrily.

~

The Other Side

Juan threw the ball around as he watched you sit rather close to Jake. His face tightened at the sight of you resting your head on his shoulder, the two of you talking lightly didn't help either.

Juan had been feeling very confused lately, he's been feeling a sort of...more attached to you than when you first arrived. And seeing you here, with Jake, made him even angrier.

He had been avoiding you, scared you would never love the monster he was inside. His heart ached, despite his efforts to conceal, as he watched you and Jake lock eye contact.

He turned his head to the grass, trying to force himself not to look anymore.

He was going insane. None of it made sense, his feelings, and it had been so long since he's been in love that he can't even pick up any signs that you may love him back. He was completely blinded.

He, uncontrollably, looked up and say your face. His eyes locked with yours, and for a second, he felt vulnerable. His body was breaking inside, but he kept a stiff complexion. Despise his looks he spoke, "Help me." He whispered, only for you to tilt your head in confusion.

You looked so careless to his eyes, and seemed to completely ignore his broken state. That he, once again, covered his broken with his anger and stormed off.

~

"Stop it!" Juan shouted out as Manny kept rambling on.

"Juan, look, I know you don't want to do this but you have to!" Manny yelled back. "You've been off your game and I think I know why."

"Then tell me." Juan face fell. "Why am I broken?" He said as he voice began to break.

Manny didn't expect this.

"Juan, I—" Manny began as he looked at Juan's glossy eyes.

"Tell me why I don't know who I am anymore! Tell me why I can't seem to change! Tell me why I AM A MONSTER!" Juan shouted out as he ran his hands over his now tear struck face.

"I—I don't think I can." Manny spoke although he didn't like his own answer.

"No one can." Juan stood up panicky as he grabbed his bags and rushed out the room, bumping into someone.

"Juan?"

Juan froze as he felt a hand on his arm, the sound of the voice that spoken almost comforted him, yet he didn't know why.

His teary eyes looked up as they met yours.

"Juan, what's wrong?" You soothed as you tried to place a hand to his face, only for him to lean back to avoid it.

He shook his head, biting his lip. "I don't deserve you." He said as he ran off.

You stood there shocked, mouth slightly gaped. You had never seen Juan crying before, let alone did he ever show you a sign of weakness. Maybe Jake was right, he was toughening up just to hide his weak.

Manny came out the door.

"What did you do?" You asked with a dry mouth.

"Tell me the truth, do you love love Juan?" He asked and you almost were confused of why people were asking you that question.

"Yes, why?" You continued pressing on.

"Juan does too, like extremely, he doesn't know it, but I've seen the way he acts around you, it's obvious." He said as he ran a hand over his head.

"So you're saying he's breaking because of me?" You asked, as this was now seeming like your fault.

"No, he's breaking because he doesn't have your love." Manny tried to opened your eyes.

"Even if I didn't give him my 'love'" You quoted with your hands. "He wouldn't let himself, he doesn't even let me talk to him."

"Well, you should find a way to, or he's a lost cause." Manny admitted.

Why the hell was this all on you?