"Why do people say you're a monster?"
"I think people are a little afraid to be read like a book, ya know? I'm just too good."
-
Exchange trips are scary. Being an exchange student in a giant school full of students that are much different than you...
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The timing couldn't be any worse.
As soon as your fear started to build, as soon as the doubts settled into your mind, and as soon as you turned your calendar to the month that said, "Last Day in Japan!"-- Tendou was gone.
He was off on important games right as his words to you had become less common. Your painting classes became quieter, weirder. He didn't sing as much, he didn't say a word as you cleaned your brushes side by side, and he didn't wrap his arm around your shoulder.
Maybe it was because you cowered a bit when he tried to make an advancement the Monday after the events of the party. It was subconsciously, and you apologized profusely, but his eyes seemed to keep to the ground much more than before.
It felt like the beginning of the semester again as you sat there painting alone. Thinking about how he hadn't even tried to wrap you in his arms, hold your hand, or called you "M'lady" since you had cowered that one time.
He allowed you to reach out and make advancements, but it felt like you were reaching out to a wall. His smile felt weird. It left you feeling disoriented.
And now he was off on his big games. He was doing the thing that made him the most happy and that made you happy, but not being able to see him was so much different than you thought it would be.
It gave you too much time to think about every moment before. You were forced to think about how much changed the night of that stupid party. Semi's words still echoed throughout your head.
Those words made the end of your semester in Japan seem so much more like a curse than anything else. Suddenly "Last Day in Japan!" looked so much more like "Last Day with Tendou!"
It made sense. Almost too much sense.
Why would he want to continue things when there would be an ocean between both of you? You already felt bad taking his attention away from his volleyball at all when he was such a major athlete.
It was more than that, though. As you sat in your painting class– this one without Tendou as he needed the day off for a game– you found yourself thinking about how you didn't have many of these left. You looked up at Yamamoto Sensei as she sat at her desk. She doodled happily as she hummed. It looked so much more peaceful than the basically destructive amount of paint on the canvas in front of you.
That's when it hit you.
"Yamamoto Sensei," you called softly, setting down your brush.
She looked up, her kind eyes looking at you as she said, "Yes, dear?"
"I don't know if I'm going to have enough time to finish my last project with just class time," you started.
She instantly smiled. "Come in whenever you like, (l/n)."
