Labyrinth | ✓

s e v e n t e e n t h ♂

Hypocrisy.

Humans are full of hypocrisy, and there's no doubt about it.

They're inevitably everywhere. Someone nearest to me could be one of them, or even I, myself. No matter how truthful someone might be, they still couldn't escape such fact. I might be a total hypocrite on this, but I despised it when people started bullshit about everything.

They will excuse themselves as if they didn't want to get involved, but they will start complaining when they found comfort in someone else. Unfortunately, Seb had turned into one of them, as he probably had told Rena about everything that happened today. From me being an asshole to this... Raphael problem. He was trying to get Rena involved in this mess when she wasn't any part of it.

I shook my head and decided to eavesdrop their conversation. Static noises were the only sounds I heard. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear what Seb said. Rena spontaneously blinked, her blue eyes glittered with restlessness. At the sight of this, my heart hardened and even more flames consumed my flesh.

What the fuck are they talking about? I folded my arms together and tried my best listening closely.

"...Um... Yeah... Yeah, I'm good." Rena muttered. Her other hand was twirling with her braid. "...Um... w-what happened?"

I squinted my eye, only able to catch inaudible murmurs of Seb trying to explain Rena everything that happened. Silence gradually took over the ambience surrounding us. The intensity grew thicker than ever, that if it was tangible, I could cut it with a knife.

"Hmm... what did E-Ed do...?" Rena asked, and at my name, I literally flinched, not because I was surprised or anything. It was because I knew what's the answer without even listening to Seb. I was completely squirming in my spot, tightening my hands together, and clenching my jaw shut. The DS was still turned on, its screen flaunting out the rare Pokemon I had caught.

"Oh... W-well...Ma-maybe you s-should give him some time and be a little bit patient. In that case, Ed w-would have opened up easily." She quickly reasoned, her gaze trailing at me. She gave me a side smile, and I only sighed quietly. I didn't bother to listen anymore, as I grabbed my DS and was about to play, but her following reply interested me.

"Y-you have to understand how Ed feels, Seb..." Her placid tone was a bit distorted. "We have t-talked about this a lot of times, have we? Y-you're his best friend, so you should also be the one who give him comfort."

A... A lot of times?

Immediately, I snapped myself out of my reverie. I thought I only heard things and my ears were playing tricks. However, I discovered Rena was acting out of character, and that was when my mind was at a standstill. It felt like there was nothing I could do but to sit and remained quiet.

It was only for a few seconds before I managed to regain control, and my thoughts instantly jumbled into a big pile of mess. Other than a spreading sea of fire throughout me, countless of unanswered questions swirled inside my head. They all left me in a state of quandary.

So she and Seb had been talking... A thought passed my mind, and this stimulated the flames further.

"Yeah... well, u-um...!" Rena stumbled on her words, her eyes flew wide open. She erratically stood up, wandering around the room and trying to make herself comfortable, but to no avail. I attempted to focus my attention on the DS instead, but I kept shifting between the gadget and Rena. "I... I'm not in my home r-right now, maybe next time!"

Seb's voice was slightly distinguishable, albeit the dampened words. Just hearing him made me want to punch something, the wall, or even someone. Even worse, he was sizing up with Rena as if they were the closest of friends. I restrained myself from doing it, but I was sure that eventually, everything will boil over.