𝟶𝟺𝟿: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘

On the way there, I start tapping my foot like crazy. An stares at me with her arm around Kohane.

"You're shaking the car.. are you sure you can do this?" She asks, genuinely getting worried about me. I stop and nod.

"If you can't, don't just do it right away. I mean, you still have to! We're already all the way over here. So dont stress too much." Mizuki crosses their legs. I bet you feel like you're all that in that dress.

It's surprising An didn't wear a suit, though. Emu did give her the option...

I see Kamishiro and Tenma in front of us, giggling and flirting like they just got together. Get a grip...

This car is too damn huge.

"We're almost there." The driver says, and the two of them sit upright. Dude.

"Well, Shinonome, are you ready?" Kamishiro asks, grinning.

"As I'll ever be." I scoff.

"Remember, we have to be near each other. Who knows how many people are going to be there."

Oh, that's right. Tenma has been to these before, hasn't he?

"Especially you, Akito. Don't go sneaking backstage!" He says, and I nod. Whatever.

When we get there, I allow everyone else to leave before me and thank the driver.

I look up, seeing how huge this building is, and the view from the cliff. Dang.

"We're a little late, but by the looks of it, we're just in time for Mr. Aoyagi's announcement. Hurry!" Kamishiro says, sprinting inside while we follow.

I hope he's been okay for these past few hours..!

"Today is the day my son will restart his life and aspire to become a..." Just shut up. Damn.

I glare at him while we look for the elevator to go on the second floor to find an empty table. There's too many people here!

After we sit down, we finally reach the end of his announcement.

"Everyone, please give applause for my son, Toya Aoyagi, performing his first solo in years."

Your son..? How the hell have you treated him like your son?! Enraged, I grab the tablecloth aggressively, watching from the railing.

Why isn't he coming? Where is he?

Toya's dad turns his head, waiting in confusion.

"Did something happen?" Kohane asks, worried.

Everyone whispering quickly shuts up when Toya finally steps onstage. When he does, I feel my heart skip a beat.

How.. can a person that caused everyone to be in pain be so...

Beautiful?

The lighting makes him so unreal. Something just makes me feel like I've just seen him all over again. This time, I'm not covered in chalk.

It's just like seeing him for the first time.

"I haven't seen him since he was a child..! What a handsome young man he turned out to be!"

Back off, lady.

Toya's father gives him the microphone, but he rejects it, bowing and then going to the piano.

"Oh.. is it that communication disorder thing again..? I don't think that should affect your speaking, hmph."

"I can't imagine what it's like."

Of course you fucking can't, you assholes.

He sits down as his father exits the stage, and the lights get dimmed.

Is he really going through with this..?

-*-*-

Any time now, Toya.

But this isn't what you want, is it?

No. But where can I run now? There's nowhere left for me. I can't keep switching sides!

Play, Toya. They're all waiting for you.

I manage to press the first few notes, finally putting the audience at ease.

"I'm afraid Toya might be a bit slow..."

"So? Practice makes perfect."

I'm not perfect, nor do I want to become your definition of 'perfect'.

I stop not even halfway in, curling up and watch as water falls on the floor. Is it raining?

"Is he crying?"

Huh? I raise my left hand to my cheek, feeling water. Or.. tears.

How stupid of me. How could it possibly rain indoors?

Again? But I thought I let it all out earlier.

"Toya!" My mother calls out to me, running to the piano.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" She asks, putting her hands on my shoulders. My father gets back on, and looks at me in a panic.

"What are you two doing? You, get back behind the curtains!" He says to my mother, who takes high offense to that.

"You don't tell me what to do! He's not okay, and even if he's been ignoring his well-being, you are, too!" She raises her voice, so everyone hears our conversation.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I-I can't--" I begin apologizing, and he cuts me off.

"You can't? What the hell is up with you?! You're doing this again?! You--!" My father yells at me and grabs my arm, but a loud voice stops him.

"Get away from him!"

Huh.. Akito?!

-•-•-

"Don't touch him!" Akito gets on the stage, slapping Mr. Aoyagi's hand away.

"Akito, we told you to wait!" Tsukasa shouts, as the rest of them chase after him.

Toya stares at his friends in disbelief. Wait, his friends? They're not supposed to be here.

Besides, can he even call them that anymore? Not after what he did to them.

"Toya! Come back home to us, please! I'll stop asking you to model for me!" Mizuki immediately bursts into tears, crawling on the stage.

"Shut up, and get up!" Kohane snaps, helping them up.

"Who are these children..?!"

"Shouldn't they be in school?"

"There goes Akito Shinonome again, raising his voice at the littlest things." Kutabare says in a loud voice from the audience, causing heads to turn at him.

"Why can't you just be happy for your friend? This is what he chose to do! Aoyagi-kun, you must exit them from the building at once, you're causing a scene." He crosses his arms, laying back in his chair.

"Shut up! Stop trying to corrupt Toya still!" Akito shouts, flipping him off and causing the audience to gasp.

"I don't care what I look like to these rich fuckers." He rolls his eyes when Tsukasa panics.

"I would be happy for him if he didn't look so miserable! This is imprisonment! Why do you overwhelm him so much?!"

"Toya, what is the meaning of this?!" Both of them turn to Toya, forcing him to pick a side.

"Shut up!! That's why you have so many wrinkles! Get a skincare routine!" Kohane yells, silencing Harumichi.

Akito then turns his head to the troubled boy at the piano.

"Toya, is this really what you want?!"

That takes Toya aback. That was the question he had been asking himself this whole past week!

And now he finally has to answer for himself.

"Of course it is! Why do you think he came back to me?! You don't belong here!" His father shouts at Akito, who doesn't back down.

"I-.. I don't--"

"Is everything we did just for you to go back to this hell? You just wanted to keep it all as a memory?" Akito asks.

"Do you want to throw us all away again so you can go crawling back to him?!"

"No!" Toya shouts, standing up.

"Of course it isn't! I want to be with everyone again, I never wanted to abandon the life I wanted so badly!" He continues, surprising everyone, including Harumichi.

"I love everyone that helped me realize I'm so much more than this! But I ran away..!"

Either Toya doesn't say much, or says too much. But that amount was enough Akito needed to hear to put him at ease.

"I-I thought you didn't care..!" Toya cries, and Akito balls his hands into fists.

"Damn it, Emu.. of course I cared! I wanted to see you so badly again, but I didn't want to see you like this..." His voice begins to crack as he tries to hold back his tears.

"You never listen to yourself! You're always just going along with what everyone says, you never decide anything for yourself! You're such a..."

"Akito, I--"

"Mystery to me. You're always saying one thing, but when you're with me... You look like you're saying the opposite of what you mean!" He shouts and walks up to Toya, grabbing his shirt.

"I have no idea what's going on in your head. You never say anything."

"I'm.. sorry.. B-But I hurt you--"

"Yeah. You hurt me as much as I loved you. And that was a lot. But you know what? I don't care about that anymore. I love you, Toya." Akito finally stops fighting his emotions and lets his tears fall.

"I don't want to see you in pain. Don't let yourself become the person you want to forget about. Whoever you choose to be now is up to you." He assures him, smiling through his tear-stained cheeks.

"That's literally what I--" Tobia tries to say, but Yasunori silences him.

"What.. just happened..?"

"Yeah! We miss you, Aoyagi-kun!" Kohane sobs, looking up.

"Why are you looking up-?" Tsukasa asks.

"My make-up is amazing today!!"

"Whether you like it or not, we're going to be here for you every step of the way." An says, trembling in front of everyone. She's terrified.

"I've been your friend for the longest time, and throughout that period, I've never seen you so happy as you were when you were with us." Tsukasa adds, and Kamishiro agrees.

Toya looks to one side, seeing his father in pure shock. He glances at the other side, seeing a few of his friends and family, looking at him as if telling him it's going to be okay.

And in front of him is Akito. The only one for him.

"Everyone..."

He's never going to leave him alone ever again.

He pulls Akito into a tight embrace, catching him by surprise but hugging him back.

"Let's go now..." Mizuki says, pushing them both, terrified.

"Harumichi. Don't bother coming back to Japan." Mrs. Aoyagi says, glaring at him. She leads everyone outside, getting them in the car to leave.

"Damn, Mrs. Aoyagi!" An whistles, and she rolls her eyes, starting the car.

She kicked the driver out.

"Aoyagi-kun!!" Kutabare shouts, attempting to chase them, but is too late.

"Aren't you going to do anything?!" He shouts at Mr. Aoyagi, who just stands there.

"No. There's nothing left for me to do. I've given up on that boy." He scowls and walks back inside to kick everyone out.

-*-*-

Hugging Akito closely, I refuse to let him go.

"Toya, we're at the hotel..." He tries to get me off of him, but I just hold on tighter.

"Maybe just a little longer." He smirks, pulling me closer.

"Mrs. Aoyagi, what are you up to?" Azusawa asks, worried about her.

"Nothing, just getting Toya and I plane tickets. We leave tomorrow." Her eye twitches, and she makes yet another phone call.

"We're leaving tomorrow, too!" Mizuki squeals.

"No more!" An tries to pull me off, and I sigh, finally letting go and getting out of the car.

"Finally! Dude, for someone being weak, you sure know how to hold something." She huffs, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Don't.. insult me and compliment me at the same time.

"Oh, Toya. Come here." My mother calls to me in her serious tone, so I run over.

"Here you go. Make sure you block his contact." She grins, handing me my phone, then goes back to yelling at the airport company.

Sometimes I forget that she's an adult who's capable of getting someone fired...

"You better add me first." Akito says behind me, scaring me. Did he teleport?!

-*-*-

As we sit in the area waiting for them to board passengers, I yawn, resting my head on Akito's shoulder. I'm so happy we're together again...

"I'm gonna go get some food real quick." An places her bags with Kohane, and runs.

"Toya!" My mother calls to me, and I look up, accidentally hitting Akito's head.

"Sorry--"

They begin letting people on, but I go to see what my mother wanted. She points me behind me.

I turn around to see Yasunori and Tobia approaching us. They really came?

"We came to say goodbye. Well, we would've come earlier if this guy stopped crying." Yasunori smirks, patting Tobia's back.

"I was not--!!" His face gets flushed, and he pushes him away, then clears his throat.

"A-Anyway... Goodbye, Toya. I'm sorry you had to put up with all of that, but I'm glad you managed to get out of it." He smiles. That's the first time I've seen him smile. But it makes sense since he basically has father's face.

It's creepy...

"Yeah. I'll see you on the holidays, Toya!" Yasunori waves as I have to drag my sobbing mother away.

I wave back and scoff. This week was one of the worst and best ones of my life.

I'm never going to forget this.

"Toya! Come sit next to me." Akito blushes, putting his hand up for me.

I grin, rushing over and sitting down next to him.

"He's smiling..!!" Tsukasa sobs as Kamishiro hushes him.

"I bet you have a lot of questions, huh? Did they tell you about what I did before?" He asks, ruffling my hair. I shake my head, and he sighs.

"Well, we have plenty of time."

My father and Kutabare told me that he did something bad before, like beating someone up, but I know that there was more than that.

"Let me tell you about it."

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟺𝟿, '𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘': 𝚎𝚗𝚍.

-*-*-

Creator's note: HEEEEEYYY 1 chaptwr left.