𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓 ➛ ryusae

chpt 14 ➛ shidou

We need to talk

He looked down at the message at his phone, his eyes widening. He was currently in Kaiser's dorm watching Karasu and Aiku down shots like they were water. If he wasn't planning on drinking before, he definitely wasn't planning on drinking now.

Sae wasn't the best at communication. His dry tone and responses never quite executed what he was actually feeling. This could be nothing—a simple conversation to recap their day, or maybe just a casual exchange before bed. But something about the message felt heavier than that. Shidou couldn't shake the sense that this wasn't going to be just another chat. Deep down, he knew: this was something more.

Shidou's fingers hovered over the screen, debating how to respond. He could play it off with his usual confidence, send back something cheeky or lighthearted to break the tension he already felt simmering beneath the surface. But something about Sae's tone—or rather, the lack of it in those four words—made him hesitate.

"Earth to Shidou," Karasu called out, his voice slightly slurred as he pointed at Shidou with an unsteady hand. "You've gone non verbal."

"Yeah, what's up?" Aiku chimed in, smirking as he poured another round. "Found out that Sae's not into you?"

Shidou plastered on a grin, slipping his phone back into his pocket with a dramatic sigh. "Oh, you got me," he said, leaning into the banter like it was second nature. "Sae finally realized I'm too good for him."

Karasu let out a bark of laughter, nearly spilling his drink in the process. "Yeah sure, Shidou. Keep telling yourself that."

"Or maybe," Aiku chimed in, lounging lazily in his chair, "he's just not into the whole 'feral golden retriever' vibe. Can't say I blame him."

Shidou shot him a mock glare, but it didn't have its usual bite. "You better be careful, Aiku. Keep running your mouth, and you'll be the next one upset over the one-sided crush you got on a girl."

"Oh, so you admit it's one-sided?" Karasu teased, leaning forward with a grin. "Finally, some self-awareness from Shidou everybody. Round of applause."

"Wait wait," Kaiser interrupted, perched on the arm of the couch like a king surveying his court. "What's this? Shidou and Itoshi Sae?"

Shidou groaned inwardly, his grin tightening. Aiku had let it slip earlier—something about Shidou being annoyingly fixated on Sae—and the group hadn't let it go since.

"It's nothing," Shidou said quickly, waving them off. "You know Aiku, he talks out of his ass half the time."

"Not this time," Aiku said with a smirk, taking another sip of his drink. "I just speak truth. And what I hear is you making googly eyes at Sae like a lovesick teenager."

Kaiser let out a delighted laugh, clearly enjoying himself. "Oh, this is rich. Shidou, chasing after Itoshi Sae? I almost feel bad for you. Almost."

Shidou rolled his eyes, leaning back against the couch with exaggerated nonchalance. "Y'all are obsessed with me, huh? How's it going with Ness then?"

Kaiser just clicked his tongue, muttering 'touché' under his breath, and the room erupted into laughter. Shidou forced himself to play along, but beneath the surface, his mind was elsewhere, spinning with the weight of the message on his phone.

We need to talk.

Sae wasn't the type to send something like that unless it mattered. Shidou knew it. And that knowledge sat heavy in his chest, no matter how much he tried to shrug it off.

As the group's attention shifted, Shidou pulled out his phone again, holding it low so no one could see.

Shidou
about what?
all ok??