Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 12: Unveiling

Jumping into the romance category after being friends for years was not the smartest choice and Arisu knew that. Karube and Chota knew that as well but that didn't stop them from needlessly teasing him about what happened. After you had run away from him, clear panic in your eyes, he sat in the room alone for a few hours before walking back to his room. Well, it was much less his room and more one that he shared with Chota and Karube.

"So let me get this right," Karube wheezed from the floor. He stretched out his limbs, shirt completely unbuttoned as his body was coated in a thin sheath of sweat. "You just kissed them. No romantic mood set up, didn't prepare them... not a single word?" Arisu groaned into his pillow, shoving the scream that he wanted to let out back into his throat as he was forced to relive the embarrassment. Having the night to himself was good but now that Karube and Chota were up with full energy, there were no secrets to keep back. "Dude, that is not how I taught you!"

"Even I know better and look at me!" Chota exclaimed, drying his hair with a towel while changing into his shorts. There was little for him to comment on considering the fact that he quote literally never imagined you in such a way. Just the idea of him pretending to be Arisu in order to understand the situation made him sick to his stomach. It was like imagining a close family member in a romantic situation. "Look we all know that (y/n) and romance do not mix. I mean do any of us remember that college dude that tried to get with them. (y/n) was up all night throwing up at just the idea of what the guy insinuated."

"They are dramatic..." Karube commented, throwing his shirt off and taking a spare towel in hand so that he could start his shower. "If it makes you feel any better, I think that they would run away after anybody kissed them not just you. It might be a natural reaction for them."

The final straw of irritation hit Arisu when a pair of dirty boxers hit his back and Karube laughed his way to the shower. Glaring at the clock, he watched as the numbers slowly changed to two in the afternoon and Chota leaving the room. Their words did little to bring Arisu any relief or sense of normalcy. Sure, they made sure to let him know that talking to you would be the only resolution to the issue but other than that, they were just as lost as he was. Had he ruined his friendship with you? Yes, probably.

Were you ever going to trust him to a certain degree? No - well, he hoped that you would since he didn't really ever lie to you. He did try to gently clue you in but like Karube said, you always had an adverse reaction to anything slightly sexual or romantic. God, he needed a drink, or maybe just some fresh air to escape the smell of sweat.

Walking to the center of the beach was just as disorienting as the first day he came. The couples dancing and being borderline indecent were lurking in every corner of this building, even the elevator. There was no way to escape their presence even if he were to walk around blindfolded. To a certain extent, their presence was mocking him - reminding him of his fatal error that might have pushed you away forever.

Crying in the club was not something he had ever done but it would be a new action to cross off on his many embarrassing stories list. The lights flashed their obnoxious blues and purples, slightly disorienting his already messy mind. Taking a drink right now would not be the wisest decision but just sitting in the middle of a bunch of dancing bodies would also put him on the certified creep list.

Yeah... sweating bodies really were not his thing. Escaping the smelly room, he managed to squeeze himself through the crowd and to the pool area where at least the air relaxed him a little. Throwing himself back on the beach chair that he found free, Arisu slumped his entire body forcing him to relax. The obnoxious laughter of the other players was still annoying to a certain degree but it did bring some temporary comfort to his tensed body.

Eventually the quiet voices of random conversation turned into the familiar disturbing moans of sex and Arisu really started to regret leaving his room. Karube's teasing or non-stop gossip would be much better than having his personal space be disturbed. At least the couple was far away enough for him not to hear most of the details, but just the knowledge of what was going on behind him already made him want to tear his ears out.