Featherlight

Four

"Liking other guys? Seriously?" The dream demon masquerading as Euclase continues.

Jade stumbles back as he feels Dream Euclase grab onto his arm, digging its nails into his skin. His arm almost draws blood from how hard it keeps its grip.

"You don't even deserve to be around me. I won't ever like you back, and you know it."

Jade struggles in its grip.

"You're disgusting."

Jade struggles in its grip.

"You should just stop trying."

Jade struggles in its grip.

"You feel it, don't you?"

Jade stops struggling.

"That disgust. It's coming back."

Jade freezes completely.

The demon isn't completely wrong.

He feels a sense of unease crawl its way from the pits of his stomach. It crawls and it crawls, and when it reaches his throat, it starts gnawing and clawing at the flesh underneath his skin. He feels bile rising up his throat. He feels...

Disgusted, at himself.

"You know it, don't you? That you shouldn't be feeling this way. Towards me, or anyone else who's a guy."

Jade tries to escape its grip. It's pointless.

"Why can't you be normal? Why can't you like that girl? Why can't you like Rutile, she's a girl, and she's pretty."

Jade tries to escape its grip. It's pointless.

"Why can't you be normal?"

Jade forcefully pulls his arm away. He can still feel the phantom grip on it, the stinging pain not yet going away.

"You should forget about me. That way, you won't like me anymore. You won't have feelings for me because we shared no memories together. You won't have feelings for me because we're just strangers."

The demon reaches for his arm again, but this time, its grip is gentle, although his hold on him remains firm. Jade trembles, the fear clouding his gaze.

Dream Euclase smiles.

It's such a convincing smile, reminiscent of Euclase's own...

It opens its mouth to speak.

"And when you forget about me, you won't feel that disgust anymore."

It doesn't stop smiling.

"Haven't you realized?"

Realized... what?

"I'm the cause of your pain. Because the only guy you've always had feelings for had always been me."

Huh?

"If you put it that way, then I'm the reason why you got bullied during all those years."

What?

"It would've been much better for you to forget about me. Forget all about the memories we had. All the special things we've shared. Forget everything about me, because remembering will only cause you more pain."

Why...

"Because I'll never love you back."

Jade forcefully pulls his arm away again, and his knees give in. He falls to the floor on his hands and knees, grains of sand sticking to his pants and on his palms. The sand feels sharp and it hurts, a strange sensation compared to how much he's used to fine, almost gentle grains of sand.