Romantic Killer But I Made It Gay

Part 65

The game ends with the other team slumped in their seats, staring despondently into the empty air. Amin and Riporin stalk up, hands on their hips and smug grins on their faces.

Amin points back into the building. "Let's grab some food, and then we can hear all about your childhoods. Especially you, Ryuya."

Emi and Miyuki snicker while Ryuya and Harue flush furiously. We make our way to the closest restaurants and order, then settle down, a team on each side.

"M-Maybe we should wait until the food comes..." Harue murmurs nervously and Miyuki nudges her, laughing.

"It can't be that bad. We should just get this over with."

"No!" Harue and Ryuya yelp, then glance at each other in surprise.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Emi whispers and they turn their gazes to her.

"You do realize you have to tell us your crush too, right?" Ryuya snaps, crossing his arms.

"Oh, I never had one," she informs him curtly. "I didn't have any crushes until high school."

"What!? That's such a cop out!"

"I might punch you," Miyuki warns, raising a fist. "It's not a "cop out," that's just how she is. I guess you just don't care enough to remember."

He opens his mouth to argue, but with a sideways glance at me he closes it, huffing. This action doesn't go unnoticed by any of us, save maybe Harue, who's too busy picking sadly at the flaky paint on the table.

"Looks like it's time, then," Miyuki sighs. "I guess I'll go first." We all lean forward in anticipation as she takes a breath and mutters, "Daichi, from class six."

"Daichi?" I repeat skeptically. "Didn't everyone hate him?" I can barely remember the boy, except for his cruel smile as he killed birds and bugs and the way the girls avoided him like the plague.

"Yeah..." she admits, cupping a hand to her cheek. "But I was into bad boys back then." At our worried looks she removes it and yells, "I'm over it, okay? That was a phase, and a weird one."

Or attention turns to Harue who's sitting next to her and the girl flinches, her eyes darting to Amin and back to the table.

"U-Um..."

"You don't have to say it," I assure her, realizing the truth. I know how hard it was for me to tell my parents; I can't imagine telling people I haven't seen in forever.

"Hell yeah she has to say it!" Miyuki counters and Ryuya nods along. "I already said mine! There's no going back now!"

She nudges her sister lightly with a supportive smile and Harue groans into her hands. When she finally peeks out at us I draw her eyes to mine and mouth Are you sure?

"O-Okay." She takes a deep breath, mirroring her sister, then quickly yelps, "My first crush was Amin!"

The table goes silent, everyone watching Amin for her reaction. She looks a little shocked, but once she recovers herself she laughs and asks, "But you don't like me now, d-do you?"

Harue shakes her head frantically, her cheeks bright red. "I got over it. I actually have...a girlfriend...right now," she trails off awkwardly and the silence somehow grows more silent until Miyuki gets to her feet.

"I know what you're thinking," she addresses us seriously. "Your sister scored before you? I know, it's unbelievable, but sadly true."

Harue pulls her back down, her lip shaking. "Stop it! You're just embarrassing me more!"

I realize I have to  break the silence somehow before she dies of embarrassment. "Hey, congrats," I grin at her and she gives me a surprised smile.

Emi sighs. "I can't believe you didn't know. Some of you are even denser than Haru, and that's saying a lot."

"Why did you think we would judge you?" Yuri asks worriedly. "We care about you and we'll accept you no matter who you are, Harue. You know that, right?"

Her lip trembles harder and she averts her gaze to the floor, nodding. "Thanks. Really."

"Hey," Ryuya pipes up, "Now we have enough to say we're the "straights and gays group!"

I flinch at the word.

The reason I describe myself as "liking boys."

The reason Hijiri's comment made me so angry.

The reason I wanted to forget my past—

"I heard gay people go to hell. Looks like little "spring forest" is gonna burn in hell!"

"Spring forest!"

"Ha ha!"

"How disgusting."

"Eww, he looked at me!"

"What? Are you gay now? That's so gross!"

"Um...Haru? You listening?"

"What?" I blink and look up directly into Emi's worried gaze. She snaps her fingers in front of my face, then sits back as I try and shake the memories away. It feels like they're stuck to me—cobwebs restricting my body and mind. "What was the question?"

"Ryuya was just asking if you were okay with that," Yuri explains, watching me closely. "Are you...okay?"

I brush back my hair, stuck to my burning forehead. "Y-Yeah. That's fine. I'm fine. Thanks."

"For what?" Ryuya shakes his head. "Haru, if something's—"

"Excuse me." We all jump as the waitress brings out two plates of cheap looking food—the kind you'd expect to see at a bowling alley. We sit in silence as she returns to the kitchen, then comes back out and places two more plates in front of us. The last round she brings out four plates, barely balanced on her arms and sets them down, then nods to us and leaves.

We eat in silence, all at different paces, and, unluckily for him, Ryuya finishes first, with Emi right behind him.

"Why don't you share now?" she asks innocently, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin.

"Ghh—" he glares at the table as if willing it to break in half. "I thought you forgot about that."

"Hah! Nope!"

He looks around at our expectant faces, his eyes lingering on mine the longest. After the resurface of the memory I still feel weak in my joints and the world seems cloudy around me. But his gaze whips me back to the present and I inwardly groan. I wish Ryuya never made that bet. I have a sinking feeling I know exactly what he's about to say, and I know it's the last thing I need right now.

"I—"

Miyuki holds up a hand to silence me, her gaze locked on Ryuya. "Don't ruin the moment."

I press my lips together and try to avoid his eyes but they track me down like missles, honed in on their target.

Then they drop to the table.

"My kindergarten teacher," he mutters and I feel the tight thing that was growing in my chest release.

"Aw, come on!" Miyuki throws her hands in the air and Emi shakes her head disappointedly.

"That's so...ordinary," Riporin sighs. "And also kinda lame."

"Ngh!" He gets to his feet and Emi scoots off the seat to let him walk past. "We're playing a rematch!" He points to the nearest game; an air hockey machine.

"You're on!" Riporin challenges, hoping to her feet excitedly.

"Let's change the punishment," Amin decides thoughtfully as we walk over. "The crushes thing was just boring and embarrassing—no offense, Harue." The girl nods and Amin continues: "How about the losers have to buy the winners ice cream?"

"I could go for some ice cream." I force a smile at her. Really, I kinda just want to go home, but I have to stick it out, just for today.

Who knew dealing with Ryuya would be the least of my problems?