shackles » todoroki

Chapter 3: Rejected

"Haruto, Wait!" Emi yelled at her friend, hoping to get him to come back to the park table they were occupying. She gave up soon after, when she lost him between the crowd of elder men who were strolling by the lake. Breaking the news to her closest friends has gone worse than she imagined, haruto didn't even utter a single word before abruptly leaving the table.

She huffed in annoyance then proceeded to sit down, facing her other friend's disappointed face.

"So thats it?" Fuji said, breaking the excruciating silence. Emi shrugged, not quite knowing how to respond to fuji.

Fuji's expression softened, as she reached her hands across the table to grab emi. This notion made emi look up. "Did you meet him yet?" she asked in a soft tone, emi visibly relaxed, and nodded wordlessly.

"So .. how hot?" Fuji asked, then raised an eyebrow.

"I-um-" Emi stammered, then flushed a deep crimson color. She hadn't really thought about it, she recalled his harsh demeanor, they way he turned away from her and left her a humiliated mess. but she had to admit that for a split second when their eyes met, he wasn't so grotesque. She felt her ears burning with the realization and squirmed in her place.

She was cut off by a burst of laughter, she looked up to see her blue haired companion covering her mouth to stifle her giggles. "Ems, I was only playing around." She said as she winked. Emi sighed, she should have expected this from her friend's fickle behavior.

"I'll be there." Fuji said in determination. Emi felt the weight being lifted off her chest, she was a nervous wrack as it is and didn't know what she'd do if her best friend wasn't present during her big day.

"I-Thank you, Fuji." Emi said, she couldn't be more grateful to have her companion. 

"Don't sweat it." Fuji beamed.

-

"It looks beautiful on you, emi." Naoki commented, as she smoothed down her daughter's dress. Emi inspected the tight fitted dress, she felt strange wearing such an ornate ensemble and longed to be back in one of her simple dresses.

"Its wonderful.. except for, well the fact that I can't breathe .. or move." Emi replied sarcastically as she moved around, trying to get used to the weight of the dress.

Her mother rolled her eyes then turned to the consultant standing by. "We'll take it." She smiled broadly.

She turned, only to be met by her daughter's disbelieving look. "Come now, emi." She grabbed her daughter's upper arm and pulled her close. "I'll take you to your favorite coffee place." Naomi whispered in her daughter's ear.

Emi looked up to her mother. "Deal." she said, her love for caffeine will cause her downfall someday she thought and huffed in defeat.

-

Emi practically burst through her room carrying all her purchases from today, her arms aching as she threw all the bags in the corner of the room. She fell on her bed with a thud, her eyes felt heavy and she slowly started to fall asleep.

The sound of banging jolted her from her hazy state, she looked to the window in panic. She threw her legs of the bed and took cautious steps to her window. She unlocked the window as she felt her heart hammering in her chest. Her stiff shoulders dropped when she saw who was right outside.

"Haruto." She acknowledged him and sighed in relief. "What are you doing her?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself as the cool night air hit her.

"Can you come outside?" he said, his eyes pleading her.

"I'll be right there." She said, then made her way out the room to the front door. She carefully walked through the hallway as not to walk up any of her family members. The last thing she needed was her father scolding her for talking to another male outside in the dead of night.

Emi unlocked the front door and walked over to her blonde friend who hasn't moved from his spot. "Don't you think this is a bit creepy?" she said, as she stood before him.

He started scratching the back of his neck. "I-uh, wanted to apologize for .. earlier." he said, not quite looking her in the eyes.

"No apologies needed." Emi replied, she didn't expected him to take it well either way. She knew of haruto's feelings toward her since middle school, He was always the one to come to her aid, thrust a flower in her hand on all of her birthdays, and got into altercations with whoever dared to speak ill about her.

"Are you really going to marry him?" He asked, the pain in his eyes was clear. He asked her like he couldn't believe what was happening. He reached for her hands and gently held them in his own, his eyes searching hers for the truth.

"I am." Emi said, and regretted it the instance she saw haruto's face.

"Dont." Haruto said, he was holding her hands tighter now. "Haru-" She was cut off by his pleas. "Don't marry him, Emika." He begged. "I love you- I've always loved you."

"I-I can't, please understand." she said tearfully. It was killing her to reject him, haruto was the kindest person she has ever known, and she was tearing him down.

He slowly pulled his hands away, and looked at her, a few minutes passed before he spoke again. "So thats it?" he said, echoing the words she heard from fuji merely days ago.

"I guess so." she replied, not really knowing what to say. She wiped her tears with the hem of her sleeve and mustered up the courage to say her next words. "Are you coming?" she held her breath, awaiting her inevtible rejection. Why should he come to her wedding when she coldly rejected him?

"Of course." Haruto said, making her still in her spot, Haruto noticed her bewilderment. "Just because you rejected me doesn't mean I stop being your friend." He said, as he ran his hand through his blonde locks. "You're one of the most important people in my life, and I- I don't wanna lose you." he said, and managed to give her a small smile.

"Thank you." she said, as she ran into his arms shutting her eyes tightly and propping her head against his chest. Haruto didn't say anything, he simply let his chin rest atop her head and embraced her tightly.  

-

So yeah, haruto is a sweetheart <3 / hope everyone is enjoying the story so far..

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