𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐈 [shu kurenai]

sixteen ~ earth

Your POV

As expected, Esme comes to school tomorrow looking like a trainwreck, eyebags dark, hair disheveled and all of that. Everyone looks at her questionably, but she ignores even her closer friends, keeping quiet and glaring at anyone who looks at her for too long.

We don't talk until it's English at the library again. Esme brings me to a bay window at the back corner, away from everyone else and only then does she let it all out.

I hug her as reassuringly as I can, but I know I can't do anything about Georgia being straight. Esme knows that too. And I've known that Esme knows ever since she confessed at Petunia and ran away quickly, crying and crying. 

"She didn't reject me," Esme says quitely.

I blink. "Huh?"

"But that's the worst part," Esme continues, staring out at the bay window and into the far ocean. "Georgia lied and said that we could date. She lied. Just so I could feel better."

I keep quiet, letting Esme explain at her own speed. "But then I rejected that idea. I didn't want her to pity date me. But there's a part of me that wanted to pretend, even if it was only for a while. I wanted to have something between us so badly."

"But anyways, our friendship is definitely over," Esme says glumly. I open my mouth to say something, but she cuts through, "Don't apologize. You were doing the right thing, encouraging me to confess. Despite it all, I don't have any regrets. At least I know now that Georgia and I were really never meant to be."

"Do you want to ditch school and go somewhere like the beach?" I ask tentatively. "I know you always enjoy the beach."

Esme laughs. "(y/n), you've been ditching school too much lately and I'm not sure if I want to follow in your tracks. Thank you for offering, but I think I will heal by myself. Eventually. After blasting Heather by Conan Gray 24/7. You know what they say, lyrics hit harder when you're sad."

She laughs again, and I join to hide the awkwardness and sadness she's obviously holding in. And guilt pangs in my chest for thinking that Shu and I had the worst luck in the world when people like Esme is suffering through worse.

---------------------------

Shu's POV 

"...the national broadcast has requested an audience with us, so I've scheduled me, Lilac Eye and Crimson Eye in to be interviewed on how life on Earth is. On that day Dr. Tarver will be giving a speech to those studying engineering about how he designed and built the Oculi Aircraft and Novus Sphere."

As Asthem, or rather, Theodore Glass, continues to drone on about the seemingly never-ending itinerary for when we get back, I zone out. 

It's hard not to when you're not the one getting instructions and meetings with important people. My itinerary for when we get back to Shinwa is simple; readjust to beyblade.

That way, when I get interviewed for beyblade, interviewers will surely bring attention to my time on Earth. 

I also need to readjust to school. For one of the first times since I've landed in Earth, my mind wanders to Valt and the Beigoma Academy Bey Club. How are they? Have some of them stopped blading? Is Valt the champion yet? Do I need to train even harder to catch up? 

It's only been a few weeks, yet my mind is already swirling with questions about them. Guilt etches at me for rarely remembering them and leaving them to another planet without any explanation. 

Everyone in Shinwa will surely know about our mission in Earth by now. I try not to think about how hurt Valt would look when he finds that out through the local news on television, not through his best friend.