Lazy Lad || Murasakibara Atsushi [Rewritten]

06. Unexpected Apologies

You walked out of the hall completely heartbroken. You didn't care about anything anymore. Maybe deep down, you knew it was going to be hard. But you never expected it to be this hard. You just walked. Walked and walked, until you found yourself home.

You removed your heels—the ones you wore just so you could meet him eye to eye while dancing. The dress? You'd bought it just for him. You'd spent hours trying to look beautiful—for him. And in the end, he didn't even show up. He abandoned you without a second thought. You cried yourself to sleep that night.

-

The next morning, you didn't go to school. You couldn't. You weren't ready to face people, especially not him. You stayed in, watching TV, when suddenly—a knock at the door. You dragged yourself up and opened it. Murasakibara stood there.

He looked... different. His eyes carried guilt. His hand scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. His posture was slouched—like he didn't want to take up too much space. Like he knew he didn't deserve to. The second you saw him, the memories of last night hit you like a wave. The tears. The disappointment. The heartbreak. Without a word, you closed the door on his face. Just like he hung up on you the night before.

Another knock.

"[Your name]-chan!" Your heart stilled. It was the first time he'd ever called your name. "[Your name]-chan," he said again, voice louder, steadier. "No apology can undo last night. But I'm still sorry." You stood behind the door, listening.

"I ate a lot of snacks... then drank soda... I needed to use the washroom. I felt tired. I went home. I didn't think it through. I didn't think about you. That was selfish of me. I shouldn't have hung up on your call either." There was a pause. "I'm really, really sorry, [Your name]-chan. Please forgive me. I'll even share my favorite snacks with you."

You couldn't believe your ears. This didn't sound like him. For a second, you wondered if Himuro had written that speech for him. But even so, a part of you wanted to believe it. Wanted to believe that maybe—just maybe—he meant every word. Still, you didn't open the door. You didn't say anything. He left.

-

The next morning, you walked to school with Nezuko. Neither of you mentioned the prom. She was probably too scared to bring it up. You were too tired to care. Class was boring, as usual. You laid your head down on the desk and glanced over at Murasakibara. He was already looking at you. Your heart skipped—but you quickly turned your face to the other side. You weren't ready to let him in so easily.

During lunch, while Nezuko went to the washroom, you sat alone on the grass under a tree. A shadow fell over you. Murasakibara. He plopped down beside you without a word, his hands in his lap, eyes focused ahead.

"[Your name]-chan," he started, "I know you heard what I said yesterday. But if you want, I'll say it again. Even if it's hard." You didn't look at him. He continued, "Just... say something. Tell me what you need to hear and I'll try to say it." You stayed silent. "What you did last night," you finally said, voice sharp and cold, "is beyond apologies." He was quiet for a while.

Then: "Alright." Another pause. "Our basketball team captain's throwing a birthday party tomorrow night. All the guys are bringing someone. Muro-chin's going with Nezuko-chan. If you agree to come with me, I'll go too." You didn't know how to respond.

Just yesterday, he'd hurt you in ways you didn't think he could. But now, here he was—trying. Again and again. In his own clumsy, awkward, Atsushi kind of way. "I'll be waiting," he said quietly as he stood up. "For you." And with that, he walked away.