Why?

"Good job, Rei!" A woman in tattered garments knelt beside the small boy, tousling his messy brown hair. He giggled, clutching a loaf of bread in his tiny arms. Her smile was warm, though her eyes carried the weight of a thousand worries as she watched him, no older than six, beam back at her.

She gently took the bread from his arms, chuckling softly. "Honestly! What would I do without you?" Her voice was playful, but there was a lingering sadness behind it. Turning away, she walked toward a dilapidated shed, her steps slow, deliberate. Just before entering, she paused, looking back at the boy one last time.

"Rei…"

Never again…

"Stay by my side forever, okay?"

Never again…

The boy's eyes lit up with joy. "Yes!" he shouted energetically

"No."

The word slipped from Yuto's lips, barely audible yet filled with pain. His voice was choked, his throat tight as memories clawed at the edges of his mind. Never again. His vision blurred, and he squinted, fighting back tears, teeth grinding together.

Suzune flinched, stepping back instinctively. Her heart pounded, her mind racing. "Wait… Yuto?" she asked, confusion clouding her voice. She had always been so sure he liked her. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

'Why did he reject me?'

But it wasn't just confusion that gripped her—it was something deeper, something foreign. Her expression faltered, unreadable, as her chest tightened with a strange, unwelcome emotion. Her vision blurred, the edges of her world softening into tears she couldn't understand.

'Did I even propose to him because I like him?' she wondered, feeling the full weight of her uncertainty for the first time. Then Ayanokoji's words echoed in her mind: "You're the only one who can control Yuto."

She shivered as realization crept in. "Did he figure it out?' Her stomach twisted at the thought. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him now. Not after what she had tried to do.

"I'll take my leave now," Yuto's voice came out flat, void of any of the usual warmth she had grown accustomed to. She stood frozen, listening to his retreating footsteps as they faded into the night. Slowly, the world around her dimmed.

She turned her gaze to the ocean, the waves that once seemed so soothing now sounded distant, hollow. The moon—once so breathtakingly beautiful, now dimmed and distant, like a memory she couldn't grasp anymore.

"What have I done…?"

____________________________________________________

Yuto walked the familiar pavement, the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore just beyond the metal fence. The ocean's presence lingered in the air, a dark expanse that felt... grey. . Stopping by the railings, he ran his hand along the cold, black metal as he looked at his his fingers tracing along the surface of the metal with no reaction.

With a soft sigh, Yuto closed his eyes. "Guess there's not much difference between me and that two-faced bitch," he muttered under his breath. His eyes snapped open, and without warning, he kicked at the railing, sending it crashing into the water below. The metal creaked as it splashed into the sea, creating ripples that stretched into the void.

Barely giving it another glance, he walked towards the next railing and leaned against it with a nonchalant expression. Pulling a small wrapper from his pocket, Yuto unwrapped a stick of candy and placed it between his lips. Minutes ticked by, the silence only broken by the distant waves, as he stood there motionless, staring at the empty horizon.

Finally, with a resigned sigh, Yuto called out lazily, "You can come out now, Ayanokoji."

From behind a nearby tree, Ayanokoji stepped into view, brushing the dust off his sleeves as he emerged. Yuto didn't turn around, still gazing out at the endless ocean.

"So, why are you here anyway?" Yuto asked, his voice, flat.

Ayanokoji's calm reply followed, "I was just passing by when I heard a loud noise. Thought Kusida might be venting her anger again—especially since this is where we caught her in the act last time."

Yuto spared him a brief glance before returning his gaze to the waves. He gave a small nod of understanding. "Yeah... makes sense." He paused for a moment, the wind tugging at his hair, then added, "Since you're here, why not stay for a while?"

Ayanokoji sighed as he leaned against the railing beside Yuto, feeling the cool night air brush past them. "Suzune proposed to me today," Yuto blurted out suddenly, his voice slightly muffled by the stick of candy still in his mouth. There was an odd tone to it, something distant and hollow.

Ayanokoji didn't flinch, keeping his calm exterior as he responded, "Congrats. I guess you have a girlfriend now—"

"I rejected her," Yuto interrupted flatly.

Ayanokoji didn't say anything at first, though inside, he sighed. 'So, the plan failed.' His mind raced. 'Did he find out what we were doing?'

Yuto's lips curled into a sad smile, barely holding it together as he leaned further against the railing, resting his head on his forearms. "Will you stay by my side forever…" he mumbled, repeating the words in a soft, broken whisper. "That was what she said to me."

There was a pause before Yuto continued, his voice lower. "You know, someone I used to endear said the same thing to me, once…" He lifted his head slightly, eyes now fixed on the distant horizon. "Of course, I said yes. I stood by her side and told myself I would keep doing that, no matter what." He sighed, the weight of old memories pulling him down as he spoke.

Ayanokoji glanced at him, his own thoughts suddenly quieter. Yuto's face was tilted toward the sky, his eyes reflecting the stars above like distant memories trying to break free. "But she didn't stick to her own words. When the time came… she abandoned me." His voice cracked slightly

"So, when Suzune said those words, all I heard was, 'I will abandon you in the near future.'" Yuto's voice was laced with bitterness. 

Ayanokoji sighed internally, 'I see..My plan didn't fail because he figured it out —it failed because of Horikita's choice of words.'

"Plus.."

Snap.

The sharp crack of the candy breaking echoed through the air, and before Ayanokoji could even react, he felt a searing pain on his cheek. His head snapped to the side, the world blurring for a second as the sudden force sent him stumbling back.

In that split moment, Ayanokoji quickly registered what had happened. The sting lingered, the punch landed so fast, so unexpected, that it left him momentarily dazed. He slowly turned his gaze to Yuto.

Yuto stood there, his hand still raised, trembling, eyes glistening with unshed tears as he shouted:

"Plus… I wanted a real relationship!"

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[A/N: Your evil author-chan is going to drop the chapter name for the next chapter. AND, guess what, you gotta wait. *evil laughter*]

[Next chapter: Ayanokoji vs Yuto]