heartache | t. muichiro ✓

derealization

「

"at first, a toothy grin was stretched onto his features. his back leaned against the cold brick wall of the alleyway and his eyes narrowed."

」

This is just a dream.

It's just a dream.

It's just a--

"Y/N~!" Definitely not a dream.

Ume's voice in your ears had you perking up and yelping in surprise, nearly falling off your chair and tumbling to the floor. Dark circles peeked out from under your concealer and small bits of your mascara seemed to stain your eyelids.

Your glossed lips parted to exhale in relief at the sight of your white-haired friend. "Oh, it's just you."

"How cruel." She huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Your test got passed back."

Oh. Right. E/C irises flickered down to the pale sheet of paper on your desk, your hand reaching out to snatch the paper as if you were a ravenous animal and pulling it up to your face.

Seventy-one percent.

You groaned and slammed the paper back onto the desk.

--

"One percent. That's such a fucking waste of effort!"

Muichiro stared at the test blankly, studying your answers closely. A content exhale passed his lips before he looked back up at you whilst a finger rested on his lower lip.

"To me, that means you've improved. Does it not?" He asked.

"Well..." You sighed.

"Exactly." He confirmed, "Therefore, you are one percent smarter than you were last test. Progress comes in all different shapes and forms, so it makes no sense to get wrapped up just because your progress this time was slightly slower."

You huffed. "Still, it's just annoying."

"Then, study harder." He shrugged. "Come on, open your book— let's review what you missed."

As you hand grazed the wooden textbook cover, your phone abruptly began to ring and shook wildly on the table. The small screen on the front of your flip phone lit up, the name Arakawa Jiro in pixelated lettering.

Muichiro grabbed the phone and handed it to you. "Pick it up."

"But..."

"Just pick it up, Y/N."

You swallowed the dry lump in your throat and flipped the phone open, lifting it to your ear and shakily whispering a greeting. "Hello?"

Turquoise eyes widened and lit up at your obedience, a twisted and sick delight bubbling in his gut at the sight of you following his instruction. He grinned crazily and mentally thanked whatever higher power was stopping you from seeing him in this state.

"Y/N, we haven't seen each other lately... I miss you..."

The feeling of power.