fᎪmᎥᏞᎽ [Kaedehara Kazuha x Reader]

Chapter 17

Ayaka didn't like Gorou, not even a bit. First of all, he was loud. Second, he was always annoying. Third, no one liked him, so wouldn't her reputation worsen if she kept him around her? The Resistance was just a ragtag group that wasn't really popular or liked while she was a popular and wealthy personality who everyone liked.

She'd heard that Timaeus and even Donna had been allowed in the resistance. Didn't they have any sort of restriction or requirements at all? Timaeus and Donna were people who no one liked and had average grades. Kazuha really shouldn't have joined the resistance. He was handsome, popular, well liked and had the best grades in his class. He was just the right prince for her. But instead, he'd gone and fell in love with (Y/N). What did he see in her? Her grades were nowhere as good as Ayaka's. (Y/N) didn't participate in sports and had horrible grades in art. Maybe that was because the art teacher didn't like her, but she should have been more polite so that others would like her.

"What are you thinking about, m'lady?" the cheerful voice of Thoma greeted her ears. The emerald eyed youth had admired Ei for years, before he finally decided he'd move on and set his whole heart to his work instead of thinking about useless things. He always did his best to be nice to others, and fulfil her wishes.

"Thoma, what dress do you think I should wear to the ball at the end of the month? What would Kazuha like?" she asked, curious to know his opinion on the matter. Thoma rested his hands on the frame of the chest containing her new clothes, and pulled out a silken blue dress with a transparent rose shaped bow on the back and elegant golden patterns on its body.

"I think he'd like this." Thoma smiled. He tried to say something else but was interrupted by a robust voice from behind as the arms of an orange haired girl tackled him.

"No fair! Help me pick out clothes too! I wanna stand out in front of Kazuha!" Yoimiya pouted. Thoma patted her head and smiled.

"I'll help you out too, don't worry! Lets see~ This dress should do all right!" Thoma chose a red dress with orange and gold designs on it from the three that Yoimiya showed him.

"Its a competition to see who wins his heart!" Yoimiya drew a peace sign and Ayaka laughed.

"He has a girlfriend though, don't you think he'll probably pick her?" Thoma stated, a fact that dug stones into Ayaka's heart.

"Its worth trying- I've been trying to win his heart for five years, Thoma. Yoimiya too. We can't just give up." Ayaka mumbled sadly, fixating her gaze on the concrete floor.

"As they say, where there's a will, there's a way!" Yoimiya hugged both of them, making Ayaka jump a bit as she shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't used to people just touching her out of nowhere, even now.

"Shouldn't you reconsider Gorou, since you were childhood friends?" Thoma asked but Ayaka shook her head.

"That time's long gone now, Thoma. We can't be the way we used to anymore." Ayaka suspended her gaze midair as she watched the shadows flicker in the moonlight in the balcony.

She and Gorou had a long past. To be honest, they'd been almost inseperable as children. But one sees things change as they grow up, and sees change in oneself as well. One may lose one's kindness, but the world would never lose its kindness.

"It seems Gorou's here though. What should we do?" Thoma asked nervously. Ayaka glanced down the balcony towards the front door, and sure enough, there the dark blonde was, hair pinned up in a small, silly ponytail, waiting. A wave of pain crashed through her heart. There was another reason she couldn't be seen around him anymore. No matter how harsh it would be to him, she'd have to do it.

She hurried out of her room and down the staircase that spiraled down to the front door of her mansion. The butler threw a warning glance her way, the usual one, to which she nodded. She walked out the double doors and came face to face with her childhood friend. The one who'd promised to always stay by her side. The one who said he'd loved her a million times. The one she wasn't allowed to meet.

"What do you want?" she inhaled sharply and glared at the blonde. He ran a hand awkwardly through his messy hair and smiled.

"I kinda broke up." he began after a long and awkward pause, filling the silence with heavy words in a light manner.

"Why would you tell me that?" she tried to avert her gaze but he looked directly in her eyes, and she knew that not returning his gaze would signal her weakness. It seemed like he'd finally broken up with Sangonomiya Kokomi. It had been bound to happen as he'd been forced into it, but she hadn't predicted that he'd come to tell her.

"I wanna tell you that I still really like you." Gorou spoke softly, a slight blush on his cheeks. Ayaka unfurled her fan with the clan's crest in front of her mouth to hide her expression and stared coldly at him. She had to be elegant as a swan and cold as ice. She couldn't afford to show her emotions.

"Go away. I have nothing to say to the likes of you." she responded icily. Gorou just chuckled. It was at times like these that she remembered there was more than one side to him. The cheerful and loud Gorou, and the dark and cold Gorou.

"Do you still like Kazuha?" his voice was breaking now. She saw his eyes glisten as tears formed at the edges.

"Leave." she commanded. This caused tears to roll down Gorou's eyes as he bowed his head and stared at the ground.

"Fine."