✍🏻See You Again

14 🫐 Picnic

I sit in the car while Marco went to get our things, head in my hands and contemplating what I should tell Yuzuru. So far he only knows that Javi can't handle a relationship, something he was very well aware of for years. But if I tell him the truth, the full story, it will do irreparable damage to their friendship. I do believe he should know the true colors of his heartless friend but I also worry about what effect it would have on him now, right before the Olympics. They are each other's support for years, having a bond that's hard to understand for me given the language barrier.

I get out of the car and with a heavy sigh head back to TCC, knowing what to do. As much as I hate Javi and wish him nothing good in life, I don't want to do anything that would mess with Yuzuru's chances at the Olympics. I can always tell him after.

I see him just as I'm about to enter TCC, sitting on a bench we've sat on this morning before everything turned into a living hell. He's eyeing me carefully and when I change my direction and head to him across the parking lot, there's a visible relief on his face.

"Thank you for waiting, Yuzu," I say once I get to him and he pats the seat next to him but I shake my head at his offer. "Marco's going to drive me home in a minute. Just went to get our things."

"What happened?" He gets up, scanning my face with a deep frown, "Javi left the room without a word and it looked like he was in a fight."

"Marco heard Javi talking on the phone with a friend. He told him he spent the night with the other girl and broke up with me."

"And he hit him?"

"Yes."

His gaze falls to the ground, clearly not agreeing with Marco's actions but also not wanting to voice his opinion out loud.

"We'll get a new schedule."

"What do you mean?"

"Brian will swap us with Jason so we are no longer sharing the ice with Javi." His eyes widen at my words and just as he opens his mouth to protest, I quickly add, "I agree with him. It's for the best."

His lips purse in disagreement but the last thing I want is to see Javi on a daily basis, especially not during practice. And I know the moment I tell Yuzuru the whole story, he would struggle the same and his focus on the ice would be ruined.

"Anyway, do you want a lift?"

"Where?"

"Home. Marco is driving me so he can drop you wherever you live or you can walk from my place. Unless you want to stay for today's practice?"

"Um," he shifts his weight, looks around, scratches the back of his head, and brushes his hair behind his ears and I begin to wonder how many nervous ticks he'll go through before he says what he wants. Eventually, he doesn't and only nods, wishing me a safe trip home.

"Or," I say and drag out the word to hint at something more, hoping I guessed his apprehension right, "you could come over and watch some Tokyo Ghoul."

"Oh?" His eyes light up and I give him a weak smile, nodding toward the car.

"Let's go."

"Don't you want to be with Marco?" He questions as he grabs his suitcase and starts following after me. "Given everything....that happened today."

"That's exactly why I would rather watch a gruesome TV show than have a pity party. I can see in his eyes how sorry he feels for me and it only makes it worse."

"Yeah, I get that," he says with a heavy sigh of understanding that makes it seem like there's a story behind those words but before I can ask, Marco shows up.