I Love You... Right?

Chapter 1: Brace for Impact

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Some context before the story!

These characters are not intended to be pictured as human, but rather in an anime/manga style, like the pictures on the front cover. I mean, y'all can do whatever you want lol, but I feel it adds to the charm, especially if you're into that kinda thing. Also, thank you so much for choosing to read my story! If you don't like something about it, DM me! I'd love to hear about it as I care about this story a lot and want to make it the best it can be! ALRIGHT NOW GET TO READING!!

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Cloudy.

Cloudy vision. Cloudy hearing. Cloudy thoughts. Emiko tries to focus his sight on his target, but his eyes only feel tighter.

He blinks quickly, trying to reset his eyesight. His eyes dart in circles to grasp any concept of presence. He sees... bright lights on the ceiling, dark figures scurrying across his vision, surrounding him, narrowly missing him... He knew enough to deduce that he was in the school's gymnasium. He just now notices his heart racing.

Ah, great. I'm back here again. The last time it was this bad was... when was it? I... don't... What?.. I can't think straight at all...

The tall teenage boy named Emiko feels his legs weaken as his breathing quickens. He had forgotten what he was even doing here. Why was he in this gymnasium? Was he working out? Did he just... appear here? Why isn't he at home, all safe and sound? Where's his safe place? His dog?

"Catch this!"

A dodgeball lobs toward Emiko. He hears the voice, and suddenly, his vision clears. He quickly remembers what he was doing here and has only seconds to respond. He pits his feet into the ground and tries to line his hands up with the zooming rubber sphere that encroaches on his eyesight. He clasps his hands together when he feels the time is right, and... success! The warm, rough surface of the ball fills his palms. He returns his anxious, mud-shaded eyes toward his shorter, plump friend.

Today was the first day of school; the first day at this school, particularly for Emiko and his friend. They had transferred from a different school, wanting to spend the last two years of their high school experience elsewhere for their own reasons. Together, of course. They'd been inseparable best friends since the fifth grade. One was hyped for the transfer, but the other was not.

"Dude, don't throw it so hard!" Emiko's brown irises are clearly visible between his wide, upset eyelids. He launches the ball back at full force- for him, full force meant an easy projectile for the other to catch. His weak arms didn't contain a lot of potential. His shorter friend, Taiyo, has medium-length, red, and fluffy hair that bounces backward as he stops the ball in his massive hands. Emiko studies Taiyo deeply, trying to surmise if his friend had caught the ball. This intense movement begins to shorten his breath.

Emiko is the culprit for not wanting to transfer. He is a victim of anxiety. Terrible anxiety. A whole new school with entirely new faces in a fresh environment? That was his worst nightmare, and it was currently feeling like a nightmare.

"You're forgetting that I'm an absolute unit, dude. I can't control my throwing force!" Taiyo smirks. "All of this two hundred and twenty pounds of meat ain't thinkin' about your scrawny body!" He slaps his belly through his brightly-colored short-sleeved t-shirt, the slap echoing throughout the gym. He launches the ball back at Emiko with cannonball-like force. Miraculously, Emiko catches it once more.

Oh, well. At least Emiko had his best friend with him. That's all he needed.

Holding the ball in his large hands, Emiko directs his gaze toward his friend. He squints, practically blinded by all the bright colors. The gymnasium's buzzing lights on the ceiling pierce his brown irises. His friend's neon (and horribly matched) clothing that he wore all the time added to this visual confusion. "Oh yeah? W-Well you're forgetting about-"