◇• Soudam •◇

◇• Chapter Four •◇

The day dragged painfully on, class after boring class, but Gundham barely had time to think about the world around him. He had too much on his mind... his mother... a- and...

...What had happened in the empty classroom that morning. The heavy thoughts drifted back into his mind for the millionth time, and Gundham hid his face into his scarf, his mouth twisted into a grimace. Had that actually happened...?

The ultimate student slipped deeper into embarrassment as the details reentered his head. ‘I- I broke-’ his face got redder and a painful throbbing started up in his chest. ‘What was I thinking, letting myself go like that?! Ugh, how very foolish I have been... the mortal felt bad for me a- and...’

Gundham looked up, determined to make things right. He fidgeted with the end of his scarf as he thought about what he had to do. Class was still in session at the moment but all of their teacher’s words seemed to be thrown together into a blender and were now an indistinguishable background noise.

With a shaky hand, Tanaka weakly gripped onto Kazuichi’s arm. He pulled him closer, the feeling of his classmate’s warmth seeping into him as Gundham momentarily relented his pride and pressed his forehead into Souda’s shoulder...

He blushed harder. “...After class...” he mumbled, deep into his distressed thoughts. Tanaka clenched his fist around the thin cloth of his scarf, letting out a deep breath. He had everything planned out. ‘Easier spoken that accomplished...’ he reminded himself, his stomach already starting to twist.

He felt the tears pool in his eyes and breathed in Kazuichi’s scent, which was the last straw. The floodgates in his eyes opened and he began sobbing heavily into the ultimate mechanic’s shoulder.

Gundham gripped harder onto his past enemy, holding him tight. His heart swelled when he felt Souda hug him back, and Tanaka felt a soft hand on his face, wiping off a salty tear and Kazuichi’s lips came closer to his face. His heart sped up and he prepared himself for the moment of contact...

RIIINNNNGGGG!!!!!

He jolted hard out of his thoughts, the school bell scaring him out of his day dreams like it had interrupted the two that morning. Gundham’s breath came out in quick pants as he stood out pf his desk, his face lightly flushed from recalling the earlier events.

Tanaka looked around, seeing that nearly all of the students had already left the classroom to presumably get home as quickly as possible. ‘How embarrassing...’ he thought, even though there was a good chance that no one had seen him.

‘Quit daydreaming you imbecile-’ he scolded himself, shaking his head. ‘Now... I need to find that mortal...’ Gundham gathered his things and exited the already empty room. He had no idea of the rest of Souda’s schedule, but he knew he couldn’t have gone far, so he thoroughly scanned the halls with his eyes.

After the bell had nearly caused Gundham’s heart to leap out of his chest, he let out a small noise of surprise as Kazuichi pushed him away and back into his chair roughly. He had just sat there in disbelief as the flustered, pink haired boy quickly wished him well one last time, then ran out of the room.

Gundham just sat there, numb. His heart was racing and his whole body fired with up with wasted adrenaline. His eyes stung with a mixture of tears and eye liner and his emotions finally caught up to him. He blushed hard, hiding his messy face in his scarf.  

He furrowed his brow, squinting his eyes harder to look deeper into the crowded school. ‘Ah-there’s no way I am going to be able to spot him with the naked eye in this mess...’ Tanaka groaned mentally, starting to become discouraged.