Chapter 39: Starting over.
Yuto opened the door to his room, the quiet click of the latch echoing louder than it should. No, it wasn't the door. The world around him was just too quiet. He stepped inside, letting the door fall shut behind him. His feet moved on autopilot, carrying him to the center of the room, where he stood still.
Tick… tock…
The soft ticking of the clock filled the silence, each second a reminder of the time slipping away. Yuto's eyes scanned the room, his chest tightening. Without warning, a surge of emotion overwhelmed him. He screamed, grabbing a ceramic decoration and hurling it against the wall, the crash of shattered pieces filling the void. But the destruction wasn't enough.
"Why?!" he yelled, yanking the blanket off the bed and throwing it to the floor. His voice cracked with frustration, the rawness of his emotions spilling out. "Why did this happen to me?!"
He kicked the door, the bedframe, anything his feet could reach, as if trying to expel the chaos raging inside him. The pillow flew across the room, landing in the kitchen with a dull thud.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, he stopped. His breath came in ragged gasps as he looked around, the wreckage of his room staring back at him. The mess reflected the storm within.
Yuto collapsed to the floor, leaning against the edge of the bed. His knees pulled up, arms limp at his sides. His voice, now barely a whisper, broke the silence. "Why did it turn out like this?"
He stared blankly at the ceiling, the weight of everything pressing down on him. "I wish I could start over..."
Start over...
His breath caught. Something shifted in his mind, a flicker of something new—or maybe something old. His eyes widened, and slowly, a playful, unsettling grin crept onto his face.
"Start over..."
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Class D had a morning like any other. The girls flocked around Kei, the boys talked in a circle about girls and games, and Ayanokoji—despite sporting a face that looked like he'd gone a few rounds with a professional boxer—gazed out the window as usual, pretending he didn't notice the stares.
Horikita, though, was off her game. She stared blankly at a book, the pages untouched since the start of the class. It was painfully obvious she hadn't absorbed a single word.
"Oy, Ayanokoji!" Ike called out, interrupting the silence. "Man! What happened to you? You look like you've been run over by a truck! Did Class C jump you or something?" He leaned closer, clearly fishing for gossip.
Ayanokoji flinched, opening his mouth to respond—when suddenly, the door burst open with a bang.
"GUYS!" Yukimura yelled as he sprinted into the classroom, looking like he'd seen a ghost.
"What the hell, Yukimura?" Sato drawled from his desk, barely glancing up. "Why're you shouting like that? It's too early for drama, man."
"It's Kazuki! He's—" Yukimura stammered, and Horikita's eyes widened instantly.
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"EHH?! What do you mean I can't do this?! I paid money to stay here!" Yuto groaned, visibly annoyed as Hirata politely tried to reason with him.
Yuto dug into his pocket and pulled out a lollipop wrapper, popping the candy into his mouth like it was a stress reliever. "This is my copium, I swear...," he mumbled, the stick wagging as he spoke to himself.
"I paid 50,000 points to sit in this classroom for five days, Hirata! Fifty-thousand!" He grumbled
Hirata, ever the diplomat, tried again. "Kazuki-kun, you can't just—"
"Hey, Ichinose!" Yuto interrupted with a cheeky grin, waving at the girl standing awkwardly behind Hirata. "Talk some sense into them, will ya? I mean, I'm practically one of you guys now!"
Ichinose chuckled awkwardly, clearly not sure what to do. "Well… he did pay 50,000 points…" she murmured, glancing at Kanzaki beside her, who could only manage a stiff nod.
"Wait, Yuto!" Ike suddenly chimed in, barging into the conversation like a kid who just found out his friend has candy. "Where'd you get that kinda money? You're still in Class D, aren't you? How'd you get so rich?!" His voice was filled with envy, his eyes practically glowing.
"Tsk, tsk." Yuto smirked, dramatically leaning back in his chair and putting his legs up on the desk, as if he owned the place. "Ever wonder what life would be like if Kazuki Yuto was in Class B?"
"Kazuki-kun!" Hirata sighed, rubbing his temples. "This prank has gone too far. Why are you doing this?"
Kushida, hovering nearby, looked genuinely concerned. "K-Kazuki-kun, are you… tired of us?" Her voice was soft, almost hurt.
Yuto sighed theatrically, pulling the lollipop from his mouth. "Nah, I've got nothing against you guys. I just need some time away from… certain people." His eyes flicked to the side, but no one missed the implication.
Kei, who'd been quietly watching from the sidelines, finally snapped. "Geez… Someone go get Horikita! He'll come running back like a puppy the second she calls his name." The other students nodded in agreement, some even chuckling.
"I'll go get her—" Sato offered, stepping forward, but Yuto raised a hand, cutting her off with a dramatic flair.
"Don't bother." He plastered on a sad, yet somehow mischievous smile, looking down as if contemplating the deepest of existential crises. "I won't be listening to her anytime soon."
The air in the room grew tense, the laughter fading into awkward silence. Hirata coughed. "Maybe Kazuki-kun just needs some space. We should give him time to cool down." He gestured for everyone to leave, and they hesitantly began to trickle out, one by one, until only Kei was left.
Kei narrowed her eyes at Yuto, who sighed as if he'd been expecting this.
"Hey… can we talk?" she asked.
Yuto rolled his eyes and waved a hand. "Come on then, out with it."
Yuto walked out of the class with an annoyed expression as Kei led him to a random, inconspicuous staircase. Then again, knowing Kei, it was probably the least inconspicuous spot in the school. Typical.
Once they were alone, Kei crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Well?"
Yuto leaned back lazily against the wall. "Well, what?"
"What 'what'?! What happened!?"
Yuto groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I already told you, I'm starting over—"
"No! Not that!" Kei cut him off, her frustration bubbling. "What happened to Kiyotaka? How did he end up looking like a piñata that got into a fight with a baseball bat? What's going on between you two? And why the hell aren't you talking to Horikita?!"
Yuto blinked, taken aback. "Whoa, slow down! That's like five questions in one go! My brain's still processing." He made a show of tapping his head, as if he had to reboot. "Okay, okay, let's start with Kiyo-chan—I mean, Ayanokoji. I might have roughed him up... just a little."
Kei's eyes widened like saucers. "A little?! The guy looks like a walking bruise! He's practically a purple balloon with legs!"
Yuto snorted, trying (and failing) to hide his grin. "Yeah, well... we had a disagreement."
Kei narrowed her eyes before reaching out and flicking him on the forehead. "Are you even in there? Who turns their friend into a piñata over a disagreement? Did you have too much sugar again? Oh my God—do you have high blood pressure?!"
"No, stop it," Yuto said, trying to swat her hand away as she patted his back like a concerned mother checking for a fever.
"Enough!" Yuto finally snapped, crossing his arms in mock indignation. He then glanced at her, a sly smile forming. "As for why I'm not talking to Horikita…" Kei perked up at the mention of Horikita, Not Suzune. Yuto paused for dramatic effect, smiling warmly at her.
"That's none of your business!" he said, poking her forehead lightly, before walking off with a grin.
Kei's jaw dropped. "YOU—"
But Yuto was already gone, leaving Kei fuming and confused.
She bit her lip as she muttered a curse.
"That bastard.."
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kreakerss Yes! I did increase the size of the chapters to around 1500 words, thank me with power stone if you wish!
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