Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 46

_Chapter 46~ Don't Push Me Away_

          It was hard to speak. Aki's last yell had provoked Ryu to go as stiff as a statue and him, irked by this all, then shouted at us to figure this out ourselves before storming off.

          A heavy silence floated into the air, and I found it difficult to raise my gaze from my shoes. My heart felt like lead in my chest, my throat completely dry. I couldn't find it in me to swallow—muster any words to say.

          Koshiro? Wasn't that the name those delinquents had brought up? What did that mean? Those delinquents that cornered me... they were involved with Aki and Ryu? My lips pressed together. Although this was supposed to be the solution to mend the rift between Ryu and I why was this suddenly becoming a confusing mess instead?

          The slight movement of Ryu that I caught from my peripheral vision caused my head to jerk upwards. When I settled my vision onto him I saw the vivid wistfulness enveloping his features. It was clear he was despondent about something—and such a thought was able to spurn a stinging feeling in my own heart.

          "I-Iwasaki...."

          I didn't even the realize I produced my voice until he turned to look at me. Immediately, his countenance grew somber and he quickly pivoted on his foot, hastening down the road we came from.

My mouth fell in surprise and I stood there, immobilized for awhile. Biting hard on my lower lip, I pushed past the reluctance holding my feet in place and pursued him.

"Iwasaki," I called out, attempting to catch up with his fast strides. "Wait! Iwasaki!"

"Don't follow me!"

My body recoiled back a step, not expecting to hear the venom in his voice. He froze in place also, as if in regret. Due to the darkness, I was only able to spot his back from the streetlights hovering above us.

"But..." I started, swallowing back the lump growing in my throat. "Look, I'm sorry for tricking you about that delinquent stuff. But Aki's the one—"

"If you want to listen to that idiot's ideas, why don't you go after him instead?" Ryu snapped, voice not harbouring any means of nonchalance in the least. "Figure out another way to needlessly worry me."

"I... Iwasaki, I-I'm sorry," I sputtered, feeling the prickling sensation at the corners of my eyes. This was different from all our other arguments, that was for sure. And it was only leaving me with a horrible premonition.

"You've gotten too involved with me," Ryu said, tentatively. "You... shouldn't stick around neither Aki, I, nor even anybody else in that academy if you want to be kept safe."

"Kept safe?" I echoed, unable to believe my ears. "Iwasaki, what happened the day I ended up in the hospital wasn't your fault!"

"It was! You don't know it, but it was." Ryu swivelled around to face me, running his fingers through his hair. "I tried to ignore the fact after Aki told me, but I can't anymore. You've already gotten injured enough because of me; multiple times, too."

"I haven't gotten hurt because of you!" I snapped, my voice rising an octave. "I'm just an idiot so I do things without thinking all the time! Even sitting on your lap that day—I was one not focusing on my surroundings! If only I did look before I sat down. If I did—"

"—you wouldn't have to had gotten involved with me," Ryu finished for me, dropping his head and balling his fists. "Shoved to the ground and humiliated—all because I'm an ass that only wanted to keep everyone away from my life so I wouldn't have to hurt anyone anymore. And yet look where I've come; absolutely nothing has changed."