You Don't Go To Parties

Chapter Two

Kyo sat with his friends, but his mind was elsewhere. He could hear Hiroshi and Yusuke talking, but their words faded into the background as his thoughts kept drifting back to Tohru. He could picture her perfectly—the way her eyes lit up when she was happy, her soft giggle that always made his heart skip a beat, and the gentle warmth that seemed to radiate from her whenever she smiled. Kyo liked his friends, but Tohru was different. She was everything to him—his best friend, the person he loved more than anything in the world. He felt a pang of guilt for ditching her today, even though she'd insisted he go with his friends.

"Kyo!" Yusuke's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and Kyo blinked, realizing both of his friends were staring at him expectantly.

"Huh? What?" Kyo mumbled, shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts.

Hiroshi and Yusuke exchanged looks of exaggerated offense. "Oh, so now you're ignoring us, huh?" Hiroshi teased, clutching his chest as if he'd been wounded. "I'm hurt, Kyon Kyon!"

"Seriously, man," Yusuke chimed in, grinning. "We were having a very important discussion here, and you're just zoning out on us?"

Kyo rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, yeah, I'm listening now. What were you talking about?"

Hiroshi leaned in closer, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "We were asking if you're planning to go to the party on Friday."

Kyo raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "What party?"

Both Hiroshi and Yusuke gasped in exaggerated shock, as if Kyo had just revealed some grave ignorance. "You don't know about the party?" Hiroshi exclaimed, widening his eyes in mock horror.

Yusuke shook his head, tutting as if in disbelief. "It's only the biggest party of the year, man. How could you not know?"

Kyo frowned slightly, unimpressed. "I still don't know what you're talking about."

Yusuke leaned back, crossing his arms with a smirk. "It's this huge party in the caves. The whole school's invited. It's supposed to be legendary."

Kyo shrugged, his interest clearly waning. "Doesn't sound like my scene. Tight spaces, lots of people... I'm not really into that."

Hiroshi groaned, slumping dramatically in his seat. "Come on, Kyo! It's our last year of high school. You don't want to miss out on this, do you? It's your last chance to go to one of these things!"

Yusuke nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, man, you've got to at least say you've been to one epic party before we graduate. Who knows? You might actually have fun."

Kyo was about to respond when the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Hiroshi stood up, clapping Kyo on the back as he did. "Just think about it, okay? Don't be a party pooper."

Yusuke followed suit, giving Kyo a pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, give it some thought, Kyo. You might surprise yourself."

Kyo watched them leave, lingering for a moment as he mulled over their words. He couldn't deny that part of him was curious, but the idea of being crammed into a tight space with a bunch of rowdy people still didn't appeal to him. With a sigh, he got up and headed to class.

When he entered the classroom, his eyes immediately sought out Tohru. She was already at her desk, lost in thought, her brow furrowed slightly as she gazed at the notebook in front of her. The sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow over her, and Kyo felt his heart skip a beat. She looked so serene, so beautiful, that he couldn't resist the urge to be close to her.