Broken Faith | Tanaka Ryunosuke x Reader

Chapter 17

Tanaka doesn't pick you up today. You were walking to school on your own and when you arrived, the awkwardness between you and him is suffocating.

You found a stray puppy on your way to school, you got really excited and for a moment there, you forgot everything that happened yesterday, you were almost telling Tanaka about the puppy but when you looked him in the eyes, you lost for words while he can't even look at you more than a second, and somehow he looks... disheartened. His loud personality like being in a mute mode, he just stayed quiet all day. He doesn't even have a witty comeback when a classmate teased him.

When lunchtime came, you spent it with Ayame and Naoko, they sensed something has happened between you and Tanaka. You bet even the whole class sense it, the silence between you two just screaming for attention. But they keep it to themselves, afraid they might push the wrong button and make it worse.

"(Y/n) are you done for today?" a friend from your club asked you when you were about to leave the club room. You've been resident the room a lot lately in the matter of the art and cultural event. Planning that event sure is taking a lot of your time and energy. You only nodded to respond to him—what you mostly do all day; nod or shake to answer everything, not really in the mood to get involved in a conversation.

"Could you please return this to the storage room on your way out?" he pleaded while holding up a mop and a metal bucket.

"Sure..." you sighed and took the cleaning equipment from his hands. Upon opening the door to the storage room, you have to kick the metal door because the old thing was jammed.

As you lazily put down the mop and the bucket in the corner of the room, you heard the door slam closed. You frantically track your way back to the door but the lack of source of light in the room made you don't realize there's someone standing ahead of you. You yelp as you bumped into them and then fell on your butt.

"holly friggin' hell!" you heard the voice exclaim. When you looked up, you saw that it was Tanaka who stood in front of you.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" he scowled but offered his hand to you, "Do you know how scary you look when ran toward me like that!? I thought the ghost from the ring has moved here"

You took Tanaka's hand before he swiftly pulled you up, "I could ask the same..." you grumbled as you dust off your skirt.

"I'm just going to borrow some mop from here to clean up the gym," said Tanaka.

"Well, I just returned one" you mumbled as you brushed past him. He just continued to take what he needs from the storage room without words. You ignore him and reach for the doorknob, but when you try to twist it, it won't budge. You made another try by giving the knob a jiggle, but all you get was only a tightly closed door.

"What are you doing?" Tanaka asked once he had already gotten the mop.

"It won't open..." you said through greeted teeth as you give more power to open the door.

"Just pulled it harder" he commented.

"What do you think I'm doing..." you rolled your eyes.

"Let me try..." he said as he dropped the mop and pushed you aside,

"Why did you have to close it..." you half scowled-half whining as you step aside to give him some room.

"I didn't" his jaw tightened as he jiggles the door as well. He tried harder and apparently it was too much because he pulled off the doorknob from the door.

"You've got to be kidding me" you throw your hands.

"Fucking stupid door" he threw away the knob in an annoyed manner.

"You really good at ruining things huh" you voiced sarcastically.

He glared at you, seemingly offended, "At least I'm not a coward" he scoffed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" your brows knitted together as you narrowed your eyes, somehow his statement irritating you.

He snorted, "A guy just confess how he felt and you run away? How is that sound to you?"

"first of all, you don't confess to me—" you begin but he quickly cut you off,

"Oh, right you eavesdropping—"

"It doesn't count as eavesdropping if you talk like a goddamn megaphone!" you raised your voice, "Even the whole neighborhood can hear you, idiot!"

"That's right!" he raised his voice as high as you, "The whole neighborhood can hear me, yet you still pretend like you didn't hear anything..." he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Should I remind you again that you don't say it in my face?"

"Is that all this is about? You want me to say it in your face?"

"I'm just saying you shouldn't expect anything from anyone if you don't tell them directly what's on your mind!"

"Well, I LOVE YOU!! goddamnit..." he snapped and made your breath hitched while your eyes went round.

"You think I ruin our friendship just like that like it was nothing? you have no idea how much restraint I put in myself to not fall in love with you, to not ruin what we have... but you just so damn easy to fall for..."

You are silent for a moment as you throw your gaze to the ground and whispered in the dimly lit room, "You don't know anything about love..."

"Oh great you run away again..." he rolled his eyes.

You glared at him, "You think love is so great and will give you a happily ever after once you have it!? Well, guess what, we're not living in a fairytale! life goes on, things change, and people come and go! Maybe it started great, I don't know, but when you lost it, you're just going to torture yourself and abandon the people around you!" 

You just going to end up like my Dad, suffered...

Your chest heaving as it finally found a way how to breathe. Tanaka's mouth snapped shut as he senses there was something more complicated deep inside you, only he can't put a finger on it. The door suddenly flung open, making you and Tanaka flinch and whipped your head aside, it was the school's janitor who opened the door.

"Oi... what are you two students doing in here?" he questioned.

"Oh! thank god" you raised your voice as you immediately left the storage room.

"(Y/n)!" Tanaka called as he scurries outside to follow you.

"forget about it Ryu, you just going to waste your time" you speed up your pace.

"I can't just forget about it, I don't want to!" He said, still trying to keep up with your pace.

"Why are you acting like this?" he quickly caught up to you and grabbed your arm to stop you,

"Just leave me alone!" You snapped as you shrugged off his grasp on your arm. He was startled as his arm fall limply on his side. You immediately regret your act as you looked him in the eyes. You saw that kind of eyes once, the eyes of one who wounded. The eyes your father has on the day your mother is gone. But you thought maybe this is for the best, prevent everything to go further so it couldn't create greater pain. And So what you do next is turned on your heel and walk away from him.

"(Y/n)..." He whispered almost begging for you to stay. You don't dare to look back because you know you will spill the tears you were trying hard to fight back if you took a glance at him.