𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 | 𝙨𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙖

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱: 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀

[白布 賢二郎] Kenjirō Shirabu

 Recently, this dude named John and I started hanging out.

Apparently Chiya was pretty close to him, because they were in the same high school two years ago.

He was an okay-s'okay dude. He liked to play guitar and he was a "fish" person.

Let me elaborate on the last sentence.

It was the second time hanging out.

Me: So, what's your favourite food?

John: Uh, I like sour gummy worms.

Me: Okay. Cat or dog person?

He got super angry about that.

John: It's called cat or dog or fish, man.

Me: Okay, um, which one?

He beamed at that point.

John: FISH! ITTY BITTY FISH!

That happened. He really hated cats because it scratched his foot when he was little, and he didn't like dogs because his grandmother's poodle peed on him when he tried to hold her.

Anyways, I was walking with him. He seemed a little uneasy, and he looked like he wanted to talk about something but was too afraid to bring it up. 

"What's up?"

He started freaking out, and said, "THE SKY!" out of the blue. He wasn't even trying to kid, he literally blurted what he felt like. Then he covered his mouth, and I laughed inside.

"Sorry, um, what?"

"You seem off about something."

He murmured an "um" nervously. "You noticed that?"

"Yeah."

He went straight to the point. "Okay then. Do you know Eita Semi?"

I tried by best not to scrunch my brows. Was Semi his problem? Or did he go cuckoo and accidentally switched the topic?

"Yeah?"

"Wait, really? Um, that's interesting. Do you know about his uh," he started fidgeting like a three year old. "Like, his, this uh, you should know what I'm talking about if you know, right?"

I was really not that into anything that had to do with him. "No."

"Oh."

Then again, I could embarrass him. I don't intentionally be mean to people, well, like just going up and slapping them, but Semi and I were already on the lowest terms. Why not get some dirt to show the world?

"Wait, I know."

John breathed a sigh of relief. Haha, I didn't feel guilty at all.

"Thank God, it was way worse last night."

I nodded as if I knew what the heck he meant.

"Like, it was quiet. Small, yeah?"

I whistled to make him think I was getting it.

"He started saying really upsetting quotes."

Um, okay, so was Semi's problem being mean?

"None of us know Semi that well, and no one in the school. By us, I mean the volleyball team. You know he does volleyball, right?"

That I actually know. I nodded.

"Yeah, but it's just friends, nothing special. We know basic stuff like birthdays and whatever, more or less what high school, but not as much."

I nodded.

"I think he had a huge breakdown last night. I wanted to rush in and help, but he seemed like he wanted to deal with it himself. I just felt a lot worse listening to him trip on his way to the kitchen to wash his face."

A breakdown? A huge one? I thought he said it was quiet.

"It went from really small to hella loud real quick," he added. What was up with everyone and reading Kenjirō Shirabu's mind, huh? Privacy invasion much?

"He said stuff about helping others but not himself, and things like giving up too early. How'd you help him?"

This was something to process. Did he have depression? I suddenly felt a little guilty.

"Um," I said, trying not to sound like an absolute liar, "I only know about it. I didn't help him yet, like you."

"Oh. How'd you know? Same as me? Heard from the outside of his door?"

I nodded slowly.

"For how long?"

I shrugged.

"Oh, what's your relationship with him?"

I tried not to grimace. "I guess we talk."

"Ah, like acquaintances?"

I nodded.