Blue Spring Tragedy | Kou Mabuchi x Reader

32: The Cultural Festival

The end of the summer holidays hunted her down like a predator: this time, she couldn't escape. Groaning at the prospect of returning to school, she laid awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling, dyed a pale blue from the moonlight seeping into her room. It must have been four or five AM: another night she couldn't sleep.

Tossing to the other side, (f/n) let her mind drift to the concerns she had. While she wasn't eager to return to school so soon, there was a tiny spark of excitement ignited inside her because she would meet her friends again. She'd see their bright faces and talk to them once more. Friends were one matter. On the other hand...

How would she greet Touma? How would he react when he saw her? Did he look any different — after going to a beach hotel with his family for the summer?

Hesitation always blocked her from calling him. Hesitation always stopped her from texting him. Hesitation was always hiding like a green, sickly monster sitting in the corner of the room, stagnant yet overwhelmingly terrifying.

Thinking only seemed to frustrate her more. Turning around yet again, she huffed. Didn't mean her mind stopped thinking. Instead, another boy appeared in her mind. More specifically, a raven-haired, brown-eyed boy who she had grown closer to over the summer holidays. It was quite unexpected, seeing how much they hung out with each other. Even after that moment of vulnerability on the beach, she and Kou had hung out again because she had left her textbooks at his place. Besides, she wanted to see Kuro anyway, and wanted to spend more time with the boy (even though he teased her about it, (f/n) would never admit it. Kou wouldn't press it).

Nestled in her bed, she remembered when she had almost broken down in the arms of her friend. At the time, her mind was tired and overwhelmed. Fatigued, she used her tiredness as an excuse to skip on what was troubling her. There was a sadness that had gripped her, a fear that had chained her, and she wasn't quite ready to be honest yet. Good thing she had avoided Kou's questioning. Even if it wasn't intentional.

Raising her hand in front of her, (f/n) remembered the way his fingers felt in hers. Warm. Secure. Almost desperate.

(F/n) blushed. It was an ambitious move – that, she knew – but for some reason, her fear was stripped away in that moment of spontaneity. The way Kou's hands trembled worried her. She didn't want him suffering. She knew he had suffered long enough, and she knew what it felt like.

Comfort.

Though she craved for it, it always seemed that she was the one giving and not receiving.

Even so, she was content. Because it meant that Kou wouldn't be hurting anymore.

-

Begrudgingly, (f/n) woke up for school the next morning. By the time she arrived, she found that not many students were in their classroom, and if they were, they were either chatting, sleeping (for example, Kou) or trying to finish their summer homework last minute (Aya tried to, but he was drooling all over it). But after (f/n) hung her bag on the table, her attention was snatched away by another familiar face appearing at the door of her classroom. Her face brightened. She skipped over.

"You didn't forget about our 'tradition', did you?" The blond boy asked as she trotted over to him. His skin was tanner than before (she was told that he had went to the beach with his sisters) and his hair was a little puffier. Touma had his bag around his shoulder, meaning that he had just arrived at school.

"Of course not," A large smile stretched across her face, "I don't think I ever would. Want me to walk you to class?"

"It's fine, we still have some time." Touma stated, looking at his wristwatch. When he looked back up, there were quite a fair number of eyes watching them. The class grew quiet. "Let's go talk somewhere else." Touma stated, uncomfortable with the way they were being watched. He abruptly took her hand, speed walking down the hallway.