✧˚ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒅𝒐𝒍

21

y/n blinked rapidly as she stared at ayato, her mind struggling to reconcile the boy she thought she knew with the one standing before her now. there was something so different about him in this moment—protective, decisive, strong. it caught her off guard. she had always imagined seeing those qualities in someone like saikou megamo, the ever-composed and reliable head of the student council, not ayato, the quiet and reserved worker she bumped into at buraza. her lips parted as if to speak, to ask him what he was doing there or how he found her, but the words stayed trapped behind his hand, still pressed gently over her mouth. his eyes scanned the alley's open ends, his gaze sharp and calculating in a way she'd never seen before. his breathing was uneven, and his dark hair clung to his damp forehead, messy and disheveled.

after what felt like an eternity, he let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders relaxing slightly. pulling his hand away from her mouth, he stepped back, brushing himself off as he leaned against the opposite wall of the alley. "sorry about that..." he said quietly, his voice softer than ever. y/n blinked and quickly averted her gaze, feeling an awkward tension settle between them.

"it's...fine," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. she hadn't realized how much the day had drained her until now. all the anger, the hurt, the exhaustion—it weighed on her like a heavy stone. her mind began to wander, unable to ignore the peculiar timing of ayato's presence. it was too much of a coincidence for him to be here right now, at this moment, at buraza of all places. could he have known she'd be here? or did he just frequent this area? she tried to push those thoughts aside, desperately trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but unease prickled at the back of her mind. she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this.

"are you okay?" ayato asked suddenly, his voice breaking through her swirling thoughts.

y/n blinked, caught off guard by his question. "oh," she muttered, her lips trembling slightly as she tried to find the right words. but as the weight of the day bore down on her once again, she felt her composure slip. "i..." her voice cracked, and before she could finish her sentence, tears spilled down her cheeks. she tried to wipe them away quickly, but it was no use.

the dam had broken.

ayato's eyes widened, his expression shifting from calm to concerned in an instant. he glanced around the alley, ensuring no one was nearby to overhear or catch sight of them before his gaze settled back on her.

"y/n..." he whispered, his voice soft and uncertain, as though he wasn't sure how to approach her in this state.

before he could say another word, y/n took a step forward, and then another, until she closed the distance between them. without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face against his chest as sobs wracked her body. ayato froze, his entire body stiffening at the unexpected contact. he stood there for a moment, wide-eyed and unsure of what to do, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure she could hear it. but then, slowly, he raised his hands, one hesitatingly resting on her back while the other hovered near her waist before finally settling there. his face turned a deep shade of red, and his lips parted as though to say something, but the words never came. instead, he simply held her, his grip firm but gentle, as though afraid she might slip away if he let go.