Dishonesty

Chapter 7- Club Idiot

The weather became chillier for Daichi. His room was as cold as ice. No matter how many layers of clothing he put on, his fingers still felt numb while holding his pencil.

It's like an avalanche overcame his house, or maybe it was him only. Maybe Oriana was to blame for the icy weather. Ever since that strange guy appeared with the creepy mask and that black robe, he knew his chances of keeping Oriana to himself were slim.

Shit, why is it so cold.

Daichi had to do something about this cold, something that could distract him, but she was gone forever and he might never even recover. Would she ever recover? Her words were only in case she couldn't come back, but they felt like final words to Daichi. They crashed into his heart like a wave of ice. He wondered if she would miss him while she was gone. Would it be forever? Was there no way she could visit him? Would she even... survive to do so?

The first time he saw her talking with Suga outside the volleyball club gym, he knew she was something special. Maybe it was the colour of her eyes, maybe it was the way she laughed. Oriana came into his life so casually and managed to leave such a big scar on his heart. He had been hoaxed and confused from the start, but even so, he loved her.

Daichi got up from his homework to turn on the heater. It has to be something he could do about the cold.

There was nothing he could do though, because it was his heart that was freezing.

***

Unable to run back home, Oriana dragged her feet on the road. She knew it was the right thing to do, to break up with Daichi, to spare him from any more pain.

As soon as she got inside of her house, she wrapped her arms around herself and let the back slide down the door. It was like a drowning sensation and this time there was no hand reaching out to her. She was the one who did it, she would die for him, she was going to if she had to. She could never promise to come back, it was war and there was no way to know what was going to happen. Who even knew she had the guts to break up with Daichi face to face.

"What are you even doing?"

Oriana heard the disembodied voice, but didn't look up for a while.

"Hey, bean. Are you feeling okay?" the voice persisted.

"Yeah." Oriana sighed, pulling herself up. "I took too long. We lost the boat, didn't we?"

"What were you even doing? You said it would be quick."

"Well, it wasn't." she said.

Although Zora's questions weren't over yet.

"What about your friend, is he coming?"

"I couldn't talk to him, but I can leave a message." her voice became weaker as she spoke. "He can meet us there if he wants."

Oriana felt Zora's presence following her to the living room. He sat across from her, leaning his elbows on the table while she pretended to be interested in the program on the TV.

"Did you even tell anyone you're leaving?"

"I'm leaving them a letter."

"Don't do that."

"What?" Oriana glanced sideways in his direction.

"Don't leave letters. It sucked when you did that." he reprimanded, his eyes narrowed at the TV screen.

Oriana remembers the day she wrote two separate letters. Those two letters were not to end friendships, but to reassure them. A letter was left for the Black Bulls, clarifying why she left and asking to announce her death to the other squads. The second one was for Zora only, although with different words, the intent was the same as her last conversation with Daichi. The Black Bulls were the family she chose, as much as she wanted to leave, she didn't want to leave without an explanation. Those were always hard to do in person, so she wrote letters instead and maybe, one day, if she saw them again, she would have the chance to admit how much she missed them. That moment approached at a fast rate.