The Other Half On The Second Floor

Chapter Nineteen

Kaito abruptly walking out without a word raised concerns within me. I poked the food Kaito had brought without an ounce of appetite in me. I only caught a glimpse of his face but I saw concern masked on the skin of his face. After less than ten minutes he renters the restaurant.

He rapidly walks back to our table without saying anything concerning his sudden leave. He stares at the untouched food and looks up at me. "Eiichi.. you haven't eaten. I thought you were hungry." He grabs a fork and uses the utensil to cut a piece of the food off and hands it to me. A smile spread across his lips. A pained one. Pain filled the smile that he tried putting on for me. I grab the fork into my hand and stuff the small piece into my mouth. A feeling of guilt and gloom inside my stomach instead of food.

I decide not to ask him about what had just happened, and instead, tried enjoying the rest of the day.

—- ♡ —-

After our midday meal, we continue touring around the amusement park. Kaito seemed as if he had gone back to how he always had been.. but a gut feeling told me otherwise. I wasn't sure if Akiyama had gotten the same feeling as I did, but at the very least Kaito didn't seem to be having trouble getting along with Aki anymore.

Well... that's what I thought until that one moment. It lasted no more than a mere fifteen minutes, yet it affected everything all so fast.

We had just gotten off one of the many rides we had rode. Aki and I were especially laughing at the expressions on our faces during the drop, but Kaito was the only one not laughing along. His face went pale at the sight of the image. I didn't notice it until we asked to purchase the photograph for the sake of memories, but Kaito stopped the both of us and pulled me outside. Akiyama, of course, followed us. That had been my breaking point. The secrets, expressions, everything. I was tired of it all and was desperate for answers.

"Hey, Kaito! What was that about? That was a funny picture!"

"Not that one.." he mumbles, "Let's get a picture from a different ride."

I pulled my arm away and stayed in the place I had been standing on. Kaito and Akiyama stop in their tracks as well and turn to me. "What's going on? You've been acting odd."

"Nothing-"

"Stop lying! I know something's up."

He doesn't make eye contact with me. "Eiichi.. Akemi was in that picture-"

"Is that what this is about?! Akemi?" The fact that Akemi was here at the same time as us was shocking, but for some reason, I was filled with too much anger to care about Akemi now.

He stays silent for a minute or two. An odd tension between us formed, I could feel how uncomfortable Akiyama was on my right. When he looks up, his expression said he was irritated, annoyed, and maybe a hint of rage. A hidden rage, one that he hadn't shown until now. "No.. this isn't about Akemi." he points his index finger at Akiyama. "This is about him! I don't trust him or his smug face! Why do you like him so much, huh?" His voice broke a bit, but grew louder. "I don't understand... Why is he getting between us?! Is it because he reminds you of that coward Nanase who, as you should be reminded, gave up on you?! How naive, no, stupid do you really have to be?" A sudden stop. He stops speaking the awful words sputtering out of his mouth with immediate regret. He pants as he recollects air that escaped his lungs whilst yelling. The anger that was once bubbling within me abruptly changed into nothing but sadness, and the urge to blow chunks. Not a single one of us could say anything, but out of all three of the awkward-met boys, Akiyama clearly had the most to say. His left hand held tightly to the edge of his brown jacket, biting his lip in which I assumed to withhold the temptation to also spill words he'd later regret.

He went to grab my arm, "W-wait, I-"

I pull away finally from his attempt to grasp me into him. I felt eyes on us from all directions, that feeling.. it'd returned. The one I dreaded the most, the one I despised the most. The moment I turned around and took the first step away from Kaito, it felt like the first step to being back in the same place I was before last year. I forced the urge to want to burst out and sob to stay within me. I could feel the tears build in my eyes and it burnt. My cheeks felt as though they were on fire and my body, ready to give up. I... wanted to give up again.