Chapter 8: Confession!
There Yuto was. Laying on the bed, his gaze fixed upon the ceiling, his expression devoid of emotion.
"I let 'him' out for the second time this month," he sighed, rising from the bed and making his way to the bathroom. Peering into the mirror, he confronted two identical yet vastly different reflections. One radiated brightness and cheer, while the other exuded darkness and gloom.
'I'm famished. Maybe I'll head out and grab something to eat...'
___________________________
Yuto had just exited a store, one hand nestled in his pocket while the other gripped a plastic bag. He made his way quietly back to the dorms when a familiar voice caught his attention.
"Coincidences can be scary."
Curious, Yuto turned his head and was greeted by a bizarre sight. Manabu and Ayanokoji locked in a tense stare, while Horikita looked on with palpable fear. Yuto, with his goofy expression, stood there, observing the scene with bewilderment. Just as Manabu noticed Yuto's presence, he asked, "Why are you staring at me like that."
Yuto's eyes widened in realization.
"I knew it! It's a family tradition!" he exclaimed, connecting the dots in his mind.
"No reason, I'm just a spectator," Yuto replied casually, his goofy demeanor intact. "If I may ask, what's happening here?"
Manabu adjusted his glasses and replied, "Just an unfriendly coincidence."
Ayanokoji interjected with his own question for Manabu, "I also have a question. Who is it that you spoke of when you said, 'You're the other one'?" His gaze bore into Manabu, hinting at a deeper inquiry, Suspicious if it had anything to do with the white room.
Manabu chuckled, attempting to dispel the subtle threat under Ayanokoji's scrutinizing gaze. "Oh, I simply grouped you with him because of your identical behaviors in academics," he explained. Then, gesturing toward Yuto, he added, "As for who it is, he's standing right next to you."
Ayanokoji turned to Yuto in bewilderment! His brows even twitched a little. Horikita also looked shocked for some reason. Yuto, meanwhile just waved at them with a awkward smile due to the lack of context.
Manabu turned to Yuto and stared at him with a deadpan expression and asked, "Kazuki Yuto, I'll repeat the same thing I asked Ayanokoji here. You scored 41 in every subject in his entrance exam. The other day, you scored 41 in your quiz aswell. Every single time, its one mark above the fail grade. Was this intentional?"
Yuto, taken aback by the sudden question, let out a sigh before responding, "Yes." His admission didn't come as a surprise to anyone present, prompting Manabu to continue with a barrage of questions.
"Why?"
Yuto appeared slightly embarrassed before speaking up. "I will tell you the reason, but I have a condition," he declared, catching the interest of everyone in the room.
Manabu raised his brow before saying, "Ask. depending on what you say, I'll decide." as Horikita thought, "Not this again. That sly pervert is going to ask something absurd again!"
"Can I call you brother?" Yuto stated with a innocent smile.
Manabu's confusion was evident as he opened his mouth to respond, but Yuto swiftly interjected, "As in brother-in-law."
Manabu's eyes widened in shock, while Horikita's cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment. "What the hell is that pervert saying?!" she exclaimed. Ayanokoji, seeking to avoid any awkward gazes, glanced in another direction, silently processing the unexpected situation.
Manabu regained his composure after the initial shock, adjusting his glasses before turning his attention to Horikita. "I see. I wasn't aware of the relationship between you and my sister. Perhaps I judged too quickly, and she is changing after all," he remarked, his tone more measured now. "I suppose I have no reason to say n-"
"WE ARE NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP AND NEVER WILL BE IN ONE." Horikita yelled, her voice tinged with indignation and losing her cool as she was with her brother.
Manabu felt a pang of disappointment, though he kept his emotions well-hidden. Meanwhile, Yuto, stuck his tongue out and rubbed the back of his head with a cheeky grin. "Well, it was worth a try!" he quipped, his tone light-hearted despite the tension that surrounded him. Inwardly, Yuto was devastated. Horikita's words had dealt a crushing blow to his willpower. However, he could change that. Given some time. He hoped for it atleast.
Yuto paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing.
"I have no reason to lie to my brother-in-law," he asserted. "I scored low on the entrance exam intentionally, hoping to dissuade my mom from sending me to this school. She only warned me not to return if I failed, and I figured the lowest mark possible would do the trick. Clearly, it didn't." He sighed, reflecting on his failed strategy.
"As for the quiz, I thought pretending to be a retard would make so that lesser people would talk to me. Obviously, that plan backfired."
The group was left dumbfounded by the absurdity of Yuto's explanations. Manabu cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "I see. Let's leave it here for today," he stated tersely before walking off without another word.
As soon as Manabu left, Horikita approached Yuto, her hair cascading to overshadow her eyes.
"Oh, Suzune-chan, mind explaining the context behind this encounter?" Yuto asked with a smile, but Horikita ignored him.
"Suzune-chan?" Yuto repeated, puzzled. Suddenly, Horikita punched him in the gut. Despite Yuto's attempt to brace himself and lessen the impact, he still partially felt the force of the impact and gasped, "How hard did she hit me?"
Yuto exaggerated the punch by stumbling onto the ground, hoping to avoid any further retaliation from Horikita. He sprawled on the ground, groaning softly as he glanced up at her, hoping his act would be convincing enough to deter her from any further aggression.
Looking up, he saw Horikita with a flushed face. "Idiot..." she muttered under her breath.
Yuto's face turned red as he thought, 'Cute..'
Ayanokoji stood awkwardly nearby, observing the scene unfolding between Yuto and Horikita. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger at Yuto's antics, a sensation he hadn't exprienced in his life. "To think he could make me feel a hint of annoyance," Ayanokoji mused silently. "It certainly is interesting...."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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Forgot to tell, but Sunday will be a break.
Chapter 9: Fear.
3 days before the exam.
"Hey Sudo! Stop zoning out in the middle of a game man!"
Sudo looked at his teammate with a blank expression and nodded.
"What has gotten into him?" one of his teammates questioned.
Sudo glanced at the clock and spoke in an emotionless tone, "I'm sorry, I've got to go," before quietly exiting the club without a backward glance. Outside, Horikita approached Sudo out of the blue and handed him a book. "I summarized everything in this book. I can only hope you don't fail, Sudo."
Sudo looked at the book, then turned to Horikita, attempting a smile. Over the past few weeks, he had truly come to appreciate Horikita's support, even if it didn't ultimately matter.
"Thank you," Sudo responded gratefully before beginning to walk towards the dorms. As he walked, he unexpectedly encountered someone he never thought he would see at this time.
His eyes widened as a certain brown-haired boy approached him. "Can we talk? I have a popsicle!" Yuto exclaimed in his usual cheerful tone.
_________________________
Sudo settled into an isolated chair next to Yuto, holding a melting popsicle. "Eat it before it melts!" Yuto urged cheerfully, startling Sudo into immediately placing the popsicle in his mouth and swallowing it out of reflex. Yuto smiled before proceeding to enjoy his own popsicle. "Yum! I knew orange was better," he exclaimed before falling silent.
Yuto sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the fountain before him, the rhythmic flow of water being the only sound between them. After a moment, he broke the silence. "Do you know what flavor your popsicle was?" he inquired, turning to look at Sudo witha girn.
Sudo, who had swallowed the popsicle whole, couldn't register the flavor at all. He shook his head in denial, admitting, "I couldn't taste it."
"I see, did you like the the taste then?"
Sudo looked at Yuto with a hint of confusion, wondering why he was being asked again when he had just stated that he couldn't taste the popsicle. "I couldn't taste it," he repeated.
Yuto turned to Sudo with a deadpan expression, locking eyes with him intensely. "Then how would you say you like basketball after only tasting it half-heartedly? How would you say that you hate studying after tasting it half-heartedly? How would you say that 'YOU' are Ken Sudo with only knowing yourself half-heartedly?" he questioned, his words probing deeper than just the flavor of the popsicle.
Sudo was utterly confused by Yuto's words, unsure of their meaning. Sensing Sudo's puzzled expression, Yuto stood up from his seat, stretching his arms before speaking again. "Nevermind what I said. I came here to apologize to you about what happened that day."
Sudo looked stunned by Yuto's apology. "No, no, don't be. All you did that day was show how incompetent I am," he replied, his tone heavy with self-doubt.
Yuto threw a sharp gaze at Sudo and asked, "Then why the hell are you still mourning about the past?" his words cutting through Sudo's self-deprecation.
As Sudo pondered Yuto's question, he realized that his sadness stemmed from losing to Yuto. But why did it matter so much? It wasn't a national-level tournament or anything significant. He thought of a few potential reasons, His ego. His confidence. His expectations. Looking down with a mixture of fear and nervousness, Sudo admitted, "I refused to accept it."
"Why?" Yuto asked in a steady tone.
"Ego."
Yuto's slapped Sudo again, bringing back painful memories.
"Wrong answer. It's fear."
Sudo's eyes widened as Yuto continued, "Fear that you might get beaten again. Fear that people might see you as a loser. Fear that kills dreams, Sudo."
Sudo fell into deep thought, grappling with Yuto's words. But before he could dwell on them, Yuto interrupted, "Sudo, are you angry at me?"
"No. Never. I wouldn't dar-"
Yuto cut him off, "That's fear. Now answer honestly, are you angry at me?"
"Of course I am, you fucking bastard!" Sudo yelled.
"Then punch me."
Sudo tightened his fist and began walking towards Yuto, the latter added, "If you do, I'll punch you back." Sudo halted in his tracks, gritting his teeth. "See, Sudo, the very same fear is holding you back. Now-"
Before Yuto could continue, Sudo abruptly punched him in the face. "How does that feel, you fucking bastard!" Sudo roared, his anger palpable.
Yuto looked at Sudo and chuckled, "Nice one, Sudo! Now, as I promised!" With that, he retaliated with a punch to Sudo's face, causing him to stumble and fall.
Sudo looked up at Yuto, his face slightly swollen from the impact, and laughed, "Man, that hurts! But I feel much better now!"
Yuto smiled warmly and said, "Welcome back, Sudo Ken!"
Sudo grinned in return. "You're a better guy than I thought, Kazuki!"
Yuto's smile dimmed as he placed a hand on Sudo's shoulder. "You're still screwed for the exam," he remarked bluntly.
Sudo grimaced and shouted, "Kazuki, you bastard! You ruined my mood!"
_______________________________
2 days before the exam.
"Ayanokoji-kun, I think this is the first time you ever invited me somewhere! You must have a reason, right?" Kushida exclaimed in her usual, cheerful tone.
"Can you promise me you won't breath a word to anyone?"
Kushida nodded.
As Ayanokoji scanned the cafeteria, his sharp eyes locked onto a particular figure. "Found him," he announced quietly, prompting a puzzled look from Kushida, who followed his gaze without comment. With purposeful strides, Ayanokoji approached the individual in question and settled into a seat beside him, Kushida gracefully following suit.
"Your Kashio Namakame from class 3-B, correct?" Ayanokoji inquired, his tone calm and composed.
Kashio regarded Ayanokoji with evident confusion. "Uh, who the hell are you now?" he responded bluntly.
Kushida looked at Kashio and thought, "Who is this weirdo? And why is he missing his front tooth?"
"I'm Kiyotaka Ayanokoji from class 1-D and I'm here to ask you for your first midterm questions from 2 years ago."
Kashio shouted in rage "And why the hell would I do that?!"
Undeterred by Kashio's outburst, Ayanokoji remained composed and extended his phone toward him in a calm and collected manner. Caught off guard, Kashio accepted the phone, perplexed by the unexpected gesture. That's when he heard a voice
[Ahhhhh! Kashio, old friend. It as been so long!]
"Who the fuck are you?" Kashio scoffed.
[I see you don't recognize my voice, I'm Kazuki Yuto.]
Kashio's eyes widened in fear as he hastily apologized, "Oh, sir, I'm sorry for raising my voice. What is it that you want from a fool like me?"
Glancing at Ayanokoji, Kashio suddenly recognized him as the same individual whose coffee he had spilled not too long ago. A cold drop of sweat trickled down his side.
Meanwhile, Kushida watched the exchange with growing bewilderment. 'Why is this person so terrified of Kazuki?' she wondered. 'What could Kazuki have done to elicit such a drastic change in behavior?'
[Can you provide your first midterm papers to Ayanokoji over there?]
"Of course, sir. I'll do it right away!" Kashio responded hastily, eager to comply with Yuto's request and alleviate any potential repercussions.
As Kashio hurried off to retrieve the papers, Ayanokoji observed the scene with a thoughtful expression. 'To instill such fear in someone... Kazuki must be adept at manipulation as well,' he mused silently. 'The mere mention of his name sparks fear into his very being. It seems that Kazuki has left a significant impression on him.'
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
kreakerss
kreakerss
Sorry for the break yesterday, had to go out and all. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing this one.
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