Perfect timing for angst because I'm not feeling great myself currently ;; Itaru with the lines of "Don't you see that this was a mistake?" "Don't say anything, please." Maybe Itaru did something that hurt the reader?
got it! tell me why i went off on this one :/
It kind of sucked that you were sitting alone at your dinner table right now. It kind of sucked that, after having gone on so many dates with this guy, he only saw it as a short little game.
Maybe you were just dumb for not realising it, but Itaru— that charming guy.. Fuck. He knew how to play his cards right.
How many times have you fallen for this scheme? How many people have tricked your foolish self into thinking that, hey, maybe you do have a chance at dating again.
And then— and then he pulls this shit off that makes you revisit the past that created the insecurities you have now, and you can't help but conclude that maybe you just weren't interesting enough for him.
You just can't believe Chigasaki has the gall to bring another woman to the same restaurant you both were talking about not too long ago.
He didn't even notice you at first despite sitting at a table near the reservation desk, and you were kind of glad because you felt like you were going to vomit.
The woman beside him held onto his arm as he asked about their reservations, looking up at his stoic visage with hearts in her eyes. Her finger was absently drawing circles into his bicep as he held conversation with the receptionist.
You figured this might be the best time to wave a waiter down and ask if you could cancel your appointment here.
"I may have to charge you for cancelling even though you haven't ordered yet. Is that alright?" They said with concern lacing their words while at the same time giving you a look of sympathy.
"It's totally fine. I just want to leave." You smiled reassuringly and smoothed down the wrinkles in your clothes. The dread in your heart continued to grow as time passed by, the waiter leaving to go and figure out for you how much you'd have to pay.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I believe you've booked two reservations here. You had an appointment set for seven, and this current reservation overlaps it by an hour." The receptionist said just as your waiter came back with your bill.
You thanked them with another kind smile of yours and looked down at the numbers. The bill wasn't too expensive, but still a hefty price to pay for cancelling. You shrugged it off as best you could and began to count the cash in your wallet, trying to ignore the buzzing fear of being seen by him.
"Your tip." You said to the waiter in a gentle whisper, finger pointing at the 50% you left on the money tray as you stood up from your seat. "Make sure you take it all."
"Oh. Thank you." They exhaled, bowing to you in gratitude. You tucked your chair in neatly as the confused rumble of Itaru's voice made it to your ears and you began to scramble to gather your things. Your heart stopped when he asked if he could check if the people for his other reservation was still here, and you begged in your head for the receptionist to say no.
"Please go ahead." They offered in kind, and you just had to punch yourself in the thigh.
You quickly began to stride towards the other side of the desk to avoid passing by Itaru who was walking in, but he immediately spotted you and cursed under his breath.
"Wait! Wait." He called for you, rushing to reach for your wrist before you could get away; lucky enough you two were out of the periphery of his date tonight.
"Let go." You hissed, tugging at your arm to pull away but to no avail. Itaru's grip on you was firm and gave you no chance to escape, so you took in a deep breath and lifted your head to glare look at him.
"This was a mistake, I swear." He said in a hushed tone. His stoic expression had changed into something more panicked and frazzled, but you couldn't bring yourself to care about the 180. "She invited me and I couldn't say no—"
You snatched your arm away from him with a stormy look in your eyes. Couldn't say no?
"Look. I like you—"
"Don't say anything." You cut him off sharply and held your bag to your body to protect yourself from whatever bullshit he was spewing at you. You took a glance to your side to see your waiter awkwardly hanging around to see if they'd need to diffuse the situation, but you shook your head, smile slowly appearing on your face.
"I appreciate your kind words," you started, your voice morphing into your workplace tone, "but from now on, I'd like it if you refrained from interacting with me."
Your face held a look of disgust towards Itaru who was grimacing, but you ignored it and opted to look at your waiter who was now.. looking proud. Of you. (lol).
"Did you take the tip?" You softly asked them, and when they flashed the bills you left on the tray, you felt your heart ease up a little. At least someone was going to have a good night.
You quickly returned your attention to Itaru who was running his hands through his hair and sighed, holding yourself back from curling your hands into fists.
"Delete my number from your phone. Only contact my work number if we need to collaborate. Bye." You waved your hand dismissively and left in a flash before the man could say anything else, your body filling up with the warmth of satisfaction.
You didn't really know if that night affecting Itaru in any way, but your interactions with him at work definitely lessened to a near zero; only making eye contact and having one worded conversations if you two had to work together on a project.
Ignoring him and pretending he didn't exist most of the time helped you get over the attraction you held for him, but each time he tried to start a conversation with you, you'd turn around and speak to another colleague.
And eventually, you two were only left with a work relationship. It was just like when you first started in the office and you felt like you wouldn't have it any other way.
You didn't notice it, but, Itaru felt the exact opposite. Everyone else but you saw how he'd give you those lingering glances every chance he got and how he'd hesitate to approach you whenever you were near.
Suddenly there were rumours going around that you had broken the heartbreaker.
warning:none really, a bit of swearing? not a lot though.
summary:you were out shopping with friends, smiling, laughing and happy, not until you saw your boyfriend having his lips all over another woman who was clearly not you.
a/n: i'm new to this writing stuff so if it's a bit cringy please bear with it. i'll take criticisms tho, i wanna get better
...
it was a year and a few months since you started to date banri. a few months ever since that confession underneath the cherry blossom tree. as cliché as it is, you decided to confess to him underneath that pink tree behind the school building. you believed in that stupid school rumor that if you confessed in that place and your love decides to accept your feelings, you will love each other for the rest of your life. but if that was true, why were you seeing 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨? he accepted your feelings underneath that damned tree so why is your vision blurring out as you watch your lover, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 banri showering another girl with his kisses and affection. a girl who wasn't you. you stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do. he hasn't seen you yet so it would be nice to just turn around, run, forget about it, act like you didn't see anything and continue with your life with banri. he didn't act cold whenever he was with you, he never showed signs of falling out of love, there was no way he'll leave you, 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩? you tried to run away, but you can't. you broke down infront of your friends who were
were shopping with you, you couldn't help but cry in pure lament. people started whispering around you as your friends tried to lift you up but a familiar voice echoed through your ears in your horror
“𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆? 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴? 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?” banri's hand tried to hold your head up, you slapped it away. the person infront of you had his eyes widen, he knew it. he knew that you saw them. his heart broke into a million pieces when you stood up on your own, still shaking. you lifter your head, glaring at him with your tear filled eyes with pure hatred, no words were said but the fact that you were looking at him with that expression, that expression of shame, disappointment, hate and sadness, it hit him through his chest like a knife stabbed through his chest. he tried to hold you in his embrace repeating the word ‘sorry’ over and over again but unfortunately for him, your friends shoved him away from you. and as you were pulled away from the one you once called the love of your life, you gave him one last gaze and he's in there, in another woman's embrace. as if you didn't mean anything to him at all. you choked in your own tears, “𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙞 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩, 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡. 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙢 𝙞 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙮?” you muttered to yourself. after arriving to one of the comfort rooms of the mall, one of your friends handed you a box of tissues, where did she get those? welp frick frack it, who cares? you need them tissues so you snatched it from her and tried to force a teasing smile, trying to act like yourself but to no avail. she sighed but smiled back
“𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘂𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲.” you playfully slapped her arm and thanked her for the tissues. you started wiping everywhere. you were an absolute mess. you never felt so insecure. you look so ugly and you felt so... disgusting. images of that girl with banri flooded your mind. she was beautiful, maybe even smoking hot, she had pouty lips, long eyelashes, thin waist and everything. and you? what do you have? a great personality. is that enough? no, definitely it's not, especially for men like banri. you stared at yourself in the mirror, tears blurring your vision once again.
“𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡? 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝?...” you whispered, enough for only you to hear. suddenly as you were deep in your envy hole, your phone started to ring. you knew this ringtone, it was the cuppy cake song. the one you always sang for banri whenever he wanted to sleep while using your lap as his pillow after their rehearsals and practices in the mankai company. you remembered how masumi was whining at izumi that he wanted to do whatever you and banri were doing together infront of them. while reminiscing, you didn't notice how your hand was snaking in your purse to get your phone. you answered the call without thinking and was greeted by a screaming banri, not the playful scream she was used to. but an angry scream, no— not angry. he was furious.
“𝘄𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗖𝗞 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗪?!!” you flinched at his tone. you gulped and clenched your fist, weren't you the one who was supposed to be angry? you were the one who was cheated on, not him. so what was he acting like that for?
“𝙬𝙃𝙔 𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙎𝘾𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘼𝙏 𝙈𝙀?! 𝙄'𝙈 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙒𝙃𝙊'𝙎 𝙎𝙐𝙋𝙋𝙊𝙎𝙀𝘿 𝙏𝙊 𝙎𝙉𝘼𝙋 𝙊𝙐𝙏! 𝙄....” your voiced cracked, tears started falling again. you felt helpless, trapped like you fell in a void with nobody to be your hero. a pregnant silence passed. you had so many things to say. you wanted to know why he thought it was cool to date two girls at once. why he was kissing another girl other than you even though he promised that you were the only one for him, even buying you promise rings. but no words left your lips.
“𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸... 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗲, 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹, 𝗶𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆... 𝗶 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻. 𝗶 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗶 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿—” you chuckled bitterly at his weak attempt of an apology.
“𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚. 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙖 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚. 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙚? 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞'𝙙 𝙜𝙤 𝙬𝙃𝙤𝙊 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙, 𝙞 𝙖𝙢 𝙨𝙤 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮.” you heard his gasp from the other line, he has never heard your sassy side before. you had always been his sweet angel, his fluffball. he was left speechless.
“𝗶'𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹. 𝗶 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗶 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀...” was the only thing he could say.
“𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁? 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲. 𝗶'𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲. 𝗶 𝗯𝗲𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂” his voice was cracking, he was definitely crying, it made you feel like crying too. it made you think for a second, to forget what you saw and continue to love him but as you were thinking about it the picture of him kissing that girl in that shop hit you. no... you can't continue like this. you can't be happy like this.
“𝙞𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙧𝙞, 𝙞 𝙙𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪... 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪” you cried, you could almost hear your heart shattering, hearing your own words and banri's soft cries from the phone.
“𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆— 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲. 𝗶 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗶 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗶 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗢𝗨. 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿? 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁? 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂? 𝗶'𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶'𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗺. 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲— 𝗹𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀. 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀, 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗵?” he was stammering, you wanted to tell him that you were in the second floor's bathroom, just infront of that candy story you loved so much but you knew what your friends would do to him once he tries to get near you. they would murder him with words and push him away. if he doesn't listen they'll go on combat mode and you never really liked violence.
“𝙞 𝙒𝘼𝙎 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙤. 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞'𝙢 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝙞'𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙧𝙞, 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝙞'𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮” and with that you ended the call, blocked him and went to one of your friends’ car as they drove you home. banri was still in the mall, eyes reddened as he bawled his eyes out after that conversation with you. he was hopelessly looking for you until yuki and kazunari spotted him and forced him to come back home and call it a day. he tried to go to your own apartment, basically kicking off the door, thankfully one of the old ladies who lived somewhere near your apartment spotted him and asked him to leave. you never left your home and never touched your phone which was bombarded with messages from people from the mankai company, asking if you were okay. you felt somewhat soft knowing that they have warmed up to you as you were always visiting and helping them whenever you could. you helped them cook once when omi was doing a late night photoshoot, tsuzuru visited home and everyone else wanted something else than izumi's famous curry. you lent a hand to tzusuru when he was writing a script for the winter troupe and it ended up bomb. you remembered how proud and how bright banri's smile as he kept repeating ‘that's my girlfriend's work. ofcourse it's perfect’, tears left your eyes as you punched yourself internally.
in which [codename] and april are paired up for one dangerous mission.
» warning:
major spoilers (mainly centered around chikage utsuki and hisoka mikage), mentions of death, heavy AnGsT
» author's note:
• i will be using [Codename] here instead of [Name] for most parts of the story. your codename can either be your birth month or whatever codename/nickname you want.
» playlist:
palaye royale - tonight is the night i die
pierce the veil - texas is forever
palaye royale - anxiety
April clicked his tongue as he tapped his foot impatiently. August was being the usual worrywart that he is, checking everything before they head off for another mission.
Saying that this mission will be easy is an understatement that he shouldn't jinx. In fact, this mission was classified as an S-rank mission. The most challenging one.
"You got your ear piece?" August asked [Codename], which nodded as she pointed to her ear.
"How about your gun? Your dagger? Binoculars? Did you pack your first aid kit? What about-" August rapidly fired questions one after another as he checked both of April and [Codename]'s bags.
"August, please, we're going to be late." She sighed.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop." August raised both of his hands in a surrendering manner as he chuckled and stepped back from their bags.
"Please be careful out there." August said with a sincere smile gracing his face.
"We'll bake a cake when this mission is over, right? December?" August added as he nudged the sleeping figure beside him.
December who was dosing off was awakened and sleepily nodded in agreement.
April snarled. He didn't like sweets. There was no way in hell they would bake a spicy cake for him. It would taste too disgusting.
"...Buy me marshmallows." December added before closing his eyes and sleeping again.
[Codename] chuckled, ruffling December's bed head even more.
April didn't understand how she didn't feel any uneasiness for their mission. If she did, she was damn good at hiding it.
"April, you good?" [Codename] asked as she looked up to stare at April directly in the eyes.
"Yeah, let's get this over with quickly." April nodded to himself. They could do this right?
April and [Codename] took the train to their destination. Despite the common belief that agents and spies wear all black outfits, they didn't. They were wearing casual clothes to fit in.
Their mission was one of a kind. These type of mission didn't happen too often. Their data was breached, they failed to protect their valuable information so it has come to this. They had to personally get them back.
"Chikage, you're thinking too hard about this." [Name] sighed as she leaned her head on Chikage's shoulder.
Currently, the pair was still on their way to the enemy's hideout. The hideout was located near a cliff at the last station.
"And you aren't." Chikage responded sharply.
He couldn't help it, their lives were at risk everyday, that much he knew but this time is different. Their lives might end tonight. Not to mention, The Organization only sent two people.
He understood that December and August were one call away in case of emergencies yet he couldn't help but worry.
April sighed, being the worrywart was August's job. He should trust himself and [Codename] more. They weren't chosen without a reason after all.
"Why don't you carry Hisoka's marshmallows for me, yes?" [Name] said with a close-eyed smile. Chikage sighed. He had no choice, his partner has already pushed the bag of sweets into his arms.
"Why do I have to carry this for that sleepyhead?" Chikage asked in a futile attempt to maybe avoid the task at hand.
"Because he's important to you, just like how you're important to me." [Name] replied in an instant.
Chikage felt his heart skip a beat. That's right. They're a family but why does Chikage feel different for [Name]?
"Come on, ease up, hun~" [Name] cheekily said as he poked Chikage's cheeks.
"Here, let's listen to some songs." [Name] said as she took out one of her earbuds and forced it into Chikage's ear.
I know I can't live much longer
Hear the angels sing
Tonight is the night I die
Believe me, believe me when I say
Tonight is the night I die
What a morbid humor [Name] has. Then again, it could be true. Tonight might be the night where they die.
Chikage's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the words from the bridge of the song that came from the pair of earbuds in his ears.
___
[Codename] cursed under her breath as she felt another bullet graze her skin. She fired another round of bullets against their enemies and hid behind the wall of the hideout.
Their mission has gone haywire.
"April?" [Codename] whispered to her earpiece. There was no response.
"Damn it..." [Codename] cursed under her breath yet again as bullets started penetrating the wall she was hiding behind of.
April could see [Codename] from his peripheral vision yet he couldn't hear her. April was fending off enemies too like [Codename] was. It wouldn't be wise to communicate as of the moment anyway.
April and [Codename] were suppose to ambush the enemy organization yet they were the one ambushed instead. It seems like someone from The Organization leaked their plan.
[Codename] fired a couple of bullets from her gun before ducking behind another thick wall.
She bit her lip and pushed back her cries as she ripped her coat and used it to apply pressure to her bleeding wound.
April focused back to the enemy in front of him. He was trained to do this. He should only focus on himself and his enemy, yet deep down, April knew he was worrying for his partner.
April felt felt a bullet graze his non dominant arm. He grit his teeth as he swiftly reloaded his gun and shot the man in the head.
The Organization told them to finish off the mission with minimum casualties yet this was another story. April couldn't take it.
"April!" a voice called out to him. April gritted his teeth. What was this idiot doing? Why was she calling his codename like that? Why-
As if time was on slow motion, April saw as a man from the enemy team managed to sneak up on [Codename] and hold her hostage while she was dealing with her wound.
Without hesitations, April cocked the gun and aimed it at [Codename] and her captor.
"Do it, boy. She'll die." The captor said as he placed a gun at [Codename]'s temple.
April felt no conflict. He trusts [Codename]. He knows what he has to do. It's easy in fact, shoot the man and she'll escape by herself. That's what they were taught and trained to do.
April felt his heart pound in his chest as he heard ringing in his ears. It felt like April's soul left him for a split second.
April pulled the trigger without hesitation. That was the cue for [Codename] to move, to get out of the way, yet, she didn't.
Panic. That was all April could feel and think of. Why isn't she moving? It's the queue, for goodness's sake!
April watched in horror as [Codename] struggled to free herself from the man's grasp. It should be easy for her, why isn't she-?
April found the answer within a second. [Codename] was bleeding out, and damn she was bleeding out fast.
April stood frozen in his place as he watched the bullet from his gun enter [Codename]'s chest, pass through it and into the man's heart.
April couldn't think of anything but the words that he heard from the song that he and [Codename] listened to as he watched her fall to the ground.
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I look at you as I take my last breath.
As I die and fall to the floor,
My pain and suffering is no more.
April saw red and nothing else.
Bodies of dead men littered the floor of the hideout. April gave no ounce of mercy to his enemies. He didn't spare anyone's life.
As the moon shines so bright in the sky tonight, April who was bloodied and tired, trudged his way to where [Codename] is.
She was still laying in her own puddle of blood, barely breathing. [Codename] grasped April's cheek in her shaky hands.
"A-april..." she coughed out.
"...Why didn't you-?" April asked but was abruptly cut off by [Codename] coughing out more blood.
April hurriedly sat [Codename] up, leaning her into a sitting position against the nearest wall.
"H-here we are... crashing once again..." [Codename] forced herself to speak after coughing once again.
"No!" April exclaimed rather loudly. After calming himself down, he added,
"Save your strength for later. August would be so worried." April reminded.
"L-listen... I-i wouldn't last... long." [Codename] said, her voice merely something barely louder than a whisper.
[Codename] closed her eyes and took a deep breath which worried April. She couldn't die right now. Not after what he did.
[Codename] gathered all of her remaining strength and pulled April's lips into hers.
April couldn't focus on anything else but her moonlit face.
April couldn't do anything. He didn't do anything but reciprocate the feelings she couldn't say. He kissed her back with the same intensity as she was giving.
The kiss would've been bittersweet, if not for the salty tears that were falling from their eyes and the metallic taste of blood in between them.
[Codename] pulled back to breathe. She opened her eyes to meet April's pair of own.
"I- Why- I'm sorry..." April uncharacteristically stuttered out. If [Codename] had the strength, she would've laughed.
[Codename] slung both of her arms around April who was kneeling on one of his knee to support the both of them.
She buried her head into April's chest and held on to his warmth. Something that was slipping past her fingertips as her life was being taken away slowly and painfully.
"I'm sorry..." April whispered into her ears. Those were the two words he was repeating over and over again.
"I have no-thing t-to forgive, April..." [Codename] breathed out with a smile.
"J-just protect... them.. for me, p-please." [Codename] added before leaning her head back to the well behind her.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw a flicker of movement in the corner of her eyes.
For the last time in her life, she shouted his name to warn him.
"April!"
Two gunshots can be heard in the dead of the night.
___
August was extremely worried when April was catatonic after arriving back from his and [Codename]'s mission.
He was carrying a lifeless body on his back, specifically [Codename]'s lifeless body.
In an instant, August covered his mouth in shock as his eyes quickly became waterfalls of tears.
It has been exactly a week since that tragedy happened and April was yet to speak.
April wasn't talking, he wasn't eating, neither was he sleeping. He was just in his room 24/7.
August didn't intend to be such a nosy senior to April yet he couldn't help himself but use his position to find out what has happened.
They're a family, they should also know.
August wishes he didn't, though.
Upon reading April's mission report, August barged into April's room. He wasn't angry, no. He's more disappointed that April kept it all to himself.
For the first time in a week, August saw April with his eyes closed. April had bags under his eyes, his skin was becoming sickly pale. Littered on the floor were bottles of alcoholic beverages.
Despite the storm of conflict that was brewing under August's heart, he forced himself to smile as he unfolded April's blanket and draped it around the sleeping man.
"April, rest well. You only did what you thought was right." August said as he ran his fingers on April's emerald shaded hair.
As August turned to the door, his eyes glanced upon a bag of marshmallow on April's bedside table.
His eyes narrowed in confusion. April didn't like sweets. Why would he keep a bag here with him?
Upon closer inspection, there was something odd about the bag of marshmallows.
First would be the bullet sized hole on the packaging of the marshmallows. The second thing August noticed was the bullet inside the bag.
Little did August know, it was the bag of marshmallows [Codename] forced April to carry for the whole entirety of the mission. It was also the same bag of marshmallows that saved April's life in the end.
Perhaps, August will leave April for now. He would let the latter rest up until he's fine again. He'd let April do his thing on his own pace. August swore to himself that he'd be there for April, whether the latter likes it or not.
After all, you can't put a band-aid on a bullet hole that's still bleeding.
in which [name] [last name] painted tsumugi tsukioka’s favorite flowers until that day where one of them suddenly left. (song used.)
warning: angst
Tsumugi Tsukioka buried himself under a pile of blankets when he heard the news that [Name] [Last Name] is back in town. His roommate, Tasuku was getting slightly annoyed.
"You're worrying the kids." Tasuku said from his bunk bed.
Tsumugi tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable hiding place under his blankets.
"Please tell them I'm not feeling well. Also please DM Itaru-san to take over for tonight." Tsumugi uncharacteristically grumbled under his breath, groaning as he turned over again on his bed.
"She's in town, isn't she?" Tasuku asked as he fiddled with his phone, opening the messaging app.
"Yeah. She almost saw me in the cafe earlier..." Tsumugi groaned and buried his face into his pillow.
"Just apologize." Tasuku said with a shrug as he climbed down his bunk bed. Exasperated, Tsumugi gasped.
"I-I can't just do that!" he exclaimed as he sat up and accidentally hit his head on the ceiling.
"A sorry isn't going to fix my mistakes." Tsumugi added, caressing the bump on his forehead. Was he always this clumsy?
"You could at least try." Tasuku said as he hung a towel around his neck and left the room, possibly going on another afternoon run with Sakuya.
Tsumugi stared into the painting of a narcissus flower that was hung up on his wall.
Is she still painting flowers for him?
Strange maze, what is this place?
I hear voices over my shoulder,
[Name] [Last Name] looked around cafes and flower shops around Veludo Way. To no avail she couldn't find her ex-boyfriend. Tsumugi Tsukioka, to be precise.
Nothing's making sense at all
It has been months since he suddenly disappeared and left her. He didn't even return her messages or calls. Not even an explanation on why.
Wonder, why do we race?
When everyday we're runnin' in circles
Now she's in Veludo Way, the town where Tsumugi would most probably be at. He grew up around here after all. All she wants for now is closure.
Such a funny way to fall
Clutching her heavy satchel in her hand, she took another step forward. All she wants is to find Tsumugi and maybe even talk to him, for the last time.
Tried to open up my eyes,
I'm hopin' for a chance to make it alright
Tsumugi Tsukioka finally gathered himself enough to go outside of his dorm room and into the kitchen.
"Eh? Tsumugi-kun? How are you feeling?" Muku asked the winter troupe leader.
"Tasuku-san DM'd us, saying that you weren't feeling well." Muku added.
"Ahahah... I just hit my head." Tsumugi said as he pointed to the bump on his head.
"Good luck on studying, Muku-kun." Tsumugi said and walked to the fridge. He filled up the ice bag with ice and placed it on his forehead.
"Ah, is that so? Get well soon, Tsumugi-kun!" Muku said as he took his leave.
When I wake up, the dream isn't done
I wanna see your face and know I've made it home.
[Name] [Last Name] felt like an idiot. Her mind is telling her to 'Give it up! He left you, remember?' yet her heart seems to scream the opposite.
She just can't give it up. She knew Tsumugi was someone special in her life when she met him at a cafe. Tsumugi brought back her will to continue painting.
The days they spent together lounging in her apartment. She just can't throw them out of the window no matter how much they hurt.
If nothing is true, what more can I do?
I am still painting flowers for you
[Name] clenched her fists. She'll find him no matter what. She'll find him and give him the last painting she did.
Shown my cards, give you my heart
wish we could start all over
There was nothing [Name] loved more than sunny afternoons with Tsumugi in her apartment. Sunlight illuminated his face as he tended to [Name]'s dying houseplants. His tongue stuck out of his mouth in sheer concentration.
"...Even I don't understand how they lasted this long." Tsumugi commented.
The plants were watered seldom, never even given appropriate portions of fertilizers or good quality soils.
"Hah, Tsumu give me a break. Even i don't tend to myself when I paint." [Name] responded as she dipped her brush in the cup that. She whirled it around a couple of times, cleaning it from paint.
"...Tsumu?" Tsumugi asked.
"Huh? Is there a problem?" [Name] asked as she pried her eyes off of the canvas for a second.
Tsumu... Tachan- er, Tasuku used to call him Tsumu when they were younger. How is he right now? Tsumugi hopes he's doing well. He hopes Tasuku isn't too mad at him for quitting theater and leaving town. But who is he kidding? of course he would be mad-
"Tsumugi?" [Name] asked snapping him out of his internal conflict.
"Oh, yeah. You can call me Tsumu, it's... cute, I guess?" Tsumugi said with a smile. Unfortunately for him, [Name] wasn't fooled with his smile despite being an actor.
Nothing's making sense at all
Try to open up my eyes I'm hoping for a chance to make it all right
"Excuse me, miss?" Someone tapped on her shoulder, getting her attention.
"Uh, me?" [Name] asked as she turned around.
A tall man around 6'0 feet with dark hair gave her a slip of paper and then quickly took his leave. He was with a much shorter teen with red hair, both clad in sportwear. The note read "If you're looking for Tsumugi, find him at xx xxxxxx road, Veludo Way. xx:xx this evening."
...To come and think of it, that man oddly resembles the 'Tachan' Tsumugi has talked about.
"You're sure it's her right?" Tasuku asked Sakuya.
"Yeah!" Sakuya huffed. "She's the girl in the picture you showed me." Sakuya added in between breaths.
Tasuku knows Tsumugi too well, he knows that the latter needs a push when it comes to things like this. As his closest friend, it is his duty.
When I wake up the dream isn't done
I wanna see your face and know I've made it home
After a long, exhausting day, [Name] was at her last resort. She stared up at the building in front of her. On her way here, she heard that this was the dorm the actors of Mankai Company live in. Actors, huh? She must be at the right place after all.
She rang the doorbell once. She can hear the ruckus inside the building. The sun was starting to set too. She rang the doorbell twice this time. Within a minute a girl around her age was at the front door.
"Uhm, hi. What can I do for you?" A girl with chocolate colored hair and pinkish eyes asked her.
"My name is Izumi Tachibana, the director of the company." She introduced herself. [Name] cleared her throat. Go big or go home it is. This is the moment she has worked hard for.
"Ah, yes. I'm [Name] [Last Name]. I'm actually looking for Tsumugi Tsukioka. Is he here?" [Name] asked.
"Ah! Tsumugi-san? Please follow me inside. I will tell him you're here to see him." Izumi said as she let [Name] inside the dorm.
"Ahahah... That would be very nice. Thank you. I feel bad but, can I ask a favor? Please don't tell him my name..." The girl with [Eye Color] eyes trailed off.
"So, kinda like a surprise for him? Got it." Izumi said then smiled mischievously.
"Ahahah, kinda like that." [Name]laughed nervously. It may be a surprise but not a pleasant one.
"Tsumugi-san laughs like that too..." Izumi said to herself without realizing she spoke out loud, making [Name]'s face flush.
"Please wait here on the lounge." Izumi said as she left to find Tsumugi.
On the lounge were a group of teenagers sitting on a circle with another man around her age. He has brown hair that were dyed with blonde highlights. It seems like he was helping the kids while he was fumbling with his phone. [Name] spotted a familiar shade of red hair among the teens that the man was tutoring.
"Ano,, excuse me?" [Name] poked Sakuya on his shoulder.
"Ah! You're here! Tasuku-san would be glad to know you're here. Unfortunately he had to go on a quick errand." Sakuya informed her.
"Eh? Who is she?" Yuki asked.
"It's the girl Tasuku-san was looking for!" Sakuya answered with his usual enthusiasm.
"Oooh! Man, even Tasuku-san has found someone!" Taichi-said. "I'll be popular with the ladies too!" He exclaimed.
"Er, does this Tasuku happen to be Tachan? Or like Takato if I recall correctly?" [Name] asked.
"Ehh? You don't know Tasuku-kun?" Muku asked, confused.
'And so the plot thickens. It's like an otome game.' Itaru thinks to himself.
"I think I heard Tsumugi-san call Tasuku-san 'Tachan' sometimes." Tenma comments.
"Ah, that's right. I'm actually here for Tsumugi." [Name] said with a smile.
If nothing is true, what more can I do?
I am still painting flowers for you
"[NAME]?!" Tsumugi exclaimed.
The group in the lounge was quite in shock. They didn't know how or why but the timid, subtle and gentle Tsumugi they came to know could be loud. They could practically feel Tsumugi's shock. If this was a cartoon, Muku was sure Tsumugi's eyeballs would've fallen off by now.
"Uh, hi Tsuki-chan. Surprise?" [Name] said with a smile that didn't quite reached her eyes.
They were now both on the courtyard of the dorm, viewing the flower beds Tsumugi religiously takes care of.
"This is a nice place to paint." [Name] comments as she opened her bag to take out her sketch book.
"...I'm sorry." Tsumugi apologized, not daring to lift his head to see her expression.
Is she mad? Perhaps she's hurt. Very hurt. What he did could never be justified. He left her in the middle of their relationship just because he felt the need to go back to Veludo Way to act again. He didn't leave her anything. Not even a message. Tsumugi knows that he should at least contact her yet he couldn't. He felt like a coward. Ever since he left he put it off for tomorrow, until it turned to days, weeks and months.
"I'm not mad anymore." [Name] confessed.
"I'm very hurt, still. I hate how you just left everything." She added.
"I hate what you did, really really hate it. I despise what you did. Somehow, I can't tell hate you. Even after you pulled that. Even after you hurt me." [Name] said.
Tsumugi felt his heart break into a million pieces. Of course he hurt her. There wasn't a day that passed where she didn't cross his mind. He couldn't count the days where he longingly gazed at the flowers she painted for him.
"I can't hate you because I love you too much to do that! E-even after you left..." [Name] felt her voice crack. She was holding back tears she didn't know she had. She choked back a sob as she said.
"Even after you left, I am still painting flowers for you." She whispered, loud enough for Tsumugi to hear.
I heard everything you said,
I don't wanna lose my head,
"I kept the painting you gave me for my birthday..." Tsumugi said truthfully.
"I wanted to reach out to you but I was so scared." He continued.
"You could've just told me. I would've supported you along the way..." [Name] replied,
"[Name]...:" Tsumugi said. He felt so much worse after hearing those words. If he just told her, everything would be much easier. If only he did...
"I wanted to give this to you." [Name] said as she pulled out a framed painting from her satchel.
"Sagiso, meaning my thoughts will reach you in your dreams." Tsumugi said once he laid his eyes on the artwork.
"I'll always think of you, even if you don't love me in the same way." [Name] said before closing her eyes and embracing Tsumugi in a hug.
Tsumugi froze up as he felt tears through his clothes and unto his shoulders.
"Who said I don't feel the same as you do?" Tsumugi replied. He felt tears prick his eyes.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I'm sorry, love. I'm sorry." He repeated through his tears.
When I wake up, the dream isn't done,
Tsumugi wiped his tears on the sleeves of his coat, to no avail, tears flowed freely from his eyes again.
The room was littered in paintings, paintings made by [Name]. They were mostly paintings of flowers both she and Tsumugi loved.
Today, there was nothing Tsumugi hated more than waking up in the morning. He felt very contented in his dreams, thank you very much.
Tsumugi hated it but he has to face the truth. When he woke up, the dream was indeed, done.
I wanna see your face and know I've made it home
He only truly felt home when he saw you. A picture could never replicate those feelings, specially the picture in front of the room.
If nothing is true what more can I do?
Tsumugi has one thing to do. That one thing is to accept the truth, yet he can't do it. This isn't true. It must be one of his extreme dreams. Like the one where the scene of him leaving you was on repeat.
Deep down, he knows he has to face the truth. He has to face [Name] in her casket. He has to say his speech for her eulogy. He has to face the truth that she's gone.
There's nothing he can do when her heart stopped beating. What can he do now?
There was nothing he can do to stop the incoming car that hit her. What can he do now? Wipe his tears?
Tsumugi closed his eyes, in an attempt to sleep. Maybe if he did, he'll dream again.
Maybe he'll dream again of that time you looked for him and gave him a painting of sagiso flowers.
