Unrequited

Ch. 9 - Pressing On

Time continued to move rapidly since Suguru betrayed the school. The way your classmates and the staff spoke about him gave you chills. You felt completely misunderstood having taken Suguru's side. You kept your mouth shut in that regard.
Your brother and Shoko also graduated and began their careers. Satoru took a position with the school to help with the first years. Shoko also remained on campus considering her useful technique.
Things between your brother and your parents became too tense after Suguru's departure; Satoru moved out without another thought, even taking in some 6-year-old named Megumi to keep him from the Zenin's. He mentioned that he was the son of the infamous sorcerer killer that he defeated during his junior year. 

Meanwhile, you kept up with Suguru - learning he took over the remains of the Star Globe Cult, ultimately renovating it to make money and collect curses while he came up with an idea to carry out his plans. You hadn't been too close with him when he was with Satoru, but managed to develop quite a friendship with him after the fact.
You also didn't tell your brother that you were in contact with him. You didn't want to hurt him more than he already was. Telling Satoru would also ruin everything and also put him in a difficult scenario with the school.

Though Satoru was good at keeping up the facade, showing no other emotion besides exasperating joy, you knew that he was suffering. You could see it in the way his smile formed, the smile wide but slightly twitching and curled downward at the edges. Though he was bright, he wasn't as bright as he usually was - but he had to keep up the act being the strongest. 

As time continued passing, you watched your 20-year-old brother attempt to take care of a child while still practically being a child himself. Megumi was surprisingly mature for his age, often acting like more of an adult than Satoru.
Kento and Kiyotaka also graduated the year after, a somber event without Yu. You continued your strange relationship with Kento despite having to constantly hide under Naoya's nose. You kept your true feelings to yourself and Kento did, too, though you both knew it. It was this unspoken thing between you both, making each interaction more intense. 

Your own graduation rapidly approached as well, your training not coming much farther than when you first obtained limitless. You wondered why you couldn't stabilize it as good as Satoru could. Funnily enough, the ring of blue around your eyes Satoru mentioned had remained the same, just a regular sign of brown eyes aging. You were at least able to shrug that stressor off your plate.

Kento had suddenly become strange and distant just as he had been when you initially started your relationship with a few days to go until you were officially to graduate.

March 2010

"You're coming to graduation, right?" You asked, shoving another roll of sushi in your mouth. The two of you had gone to a local shop for dinner when you were done with your school day, Kento sat back in the chair he was in, arms heavily crossed against his chest with a tight frown.

"We'll see," he mumbled after taking a few extra seconds to answer. The hesitation made you worry a bit, especially considering that distance. "They might send me out this week." 

"Ah..." you sighed, placing your chopsticks down as you finished the last roll on your plate. 

"When is the...wedding?" Kento asked as the two of you exited the restaurant and into the cool March air. You shivered at the sudden temperature change as he held the door for you.

"Oh...it's in...April," you answered sadly. You had been trying to push it out of your mind for weeks but it still loomed in your mind. "Saturday...April third."

Everything felt up in the air with so many potentials going through your head. Do I go through with it? Do I run and find Geto? If I do, what does that mean for Kento and I? You didn't know how to navigate your situation. For all you knew, these were your last couple days with him.