bubblegum princess

chapter sixty nine

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒
welcome to the final show;
A CONFESSION
HE IS WILLING
TO TAKE !
⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

𝞋𝞎

It felt like he was drowning.

The heaviness on his chest made it feel as if he were sinking into the depths of the ocean, a suffocating void pulling him further and further down. Every breath felt shallow, like he was grasping for air that simply wasn't there. His mind felt foggy, weighed down by something he couldn't quite shake off.

Was it guilt? The crushing weight of regret? Or was it something more-something deeper, something that clung to his bones and refused to let go?

Was it the distance between them?

Boruto felt lost. Confused. Empty.

He and Seiren never fought. Sure, they bickered, threw teasing remarks, and occasionally got on each other's nerves, but it was never anything serious-never anything that left a hollow space between them. And yet now, that space felt immeasurable, a silent chasm that neither of them dared to cross.

And the worst part? He had no one to blame but himself.

The events of yesterday played in his head like a broken record, each replay more painful than the last. He could still feel the warmth of her fingertips before he tore himself away. The lingering sting on his palm wasn't from the force with which he pulled back-it was from the way her eyes dimmed, from the raw confusion and hurt that flickered across her face.

And yet, she let him go.

She didn't chase after him. She didn't call out his name or demand an explanation. She didn't get angry, didn't push him away, didn't fight for clarity.

She just... accepted it.

And that made it so much worse.

Boruto hated that about her sometimes-hated the way she was too kind, too forgiving. How she let things go even when they hurt her. How she always put others before herself, even when she was the one who needed to be fought for.

She was too good for him. Too soft-hearted. Too fragile to be caught in the mess that was his life.

Maybe that was why he could never bring himself to tell her the truth-to tell her how much she meant to him. Because deep down, he knew. He knew that he was too reckless, too selfish, too much of a disaster waiting to happen. He knew that one day, one mistake, one wrong decision would ruin everything.

And yet, here he was.

Tearing them apart with his own hands.

Boruto clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He wanted to apologize. He needed to. But the guilt-the expectations-the weight of everything on his shoulders held him back like invisible chains.

His plan to prove himself to his father was finally taking shape. He should've been proud. He should've felt accomplished.

But instead, all he felt was emptiness.

The fire in his chest, the determination that once fueled him-it was flickering.

The thrill of proving his worth, the satisfaction of finally being noticed-it was fading.

The pain of his choices was catching up to him, fast and unforgiving. Karma, in every sense of the word, was already nipping at his heels.

And now, with his hands cold and his heart heavy, one thought echoed louder than all the rest.