Ryosuke dragged his feet across the corridor to their classroom lethargically as if still half asleep, sipping on a packet of strawberry milk he brought from home as a futile attempt to replace the need for caffine. Along comes Yuto who joined him with a surprise from behind, startling him quite a bit.

"Ohayou Yama-chan!" he greeted enthusiastically

"You scare me, Yuto. Don't do that..." Ryosuke grumbled slightly but Yuto let out a chuckle to irritate him, hence the former ended up surrendering with a brief smile.

"you look so down. what's wrong? Not enough sleep?" Yuto leaned his arms around Ryosuke's shoulder and asked with a sincere tone and eyes full of anticipation.

"yea, I didn't sleep well..." Ryosuke adjusted his black rim glasses which was used in replacement of his contact lenses on days like this where he can barely keep his eyes opened. Yuto noticed the dark circles around his eyes which were slightly covered by the glasses and realised the validity of his friend's answer.

"Ah, that's bad. But luckily you do not have any schedules today, ne. Then you can head home to sleep."

"well, that's least of my worries. I just hope I don't fall asleep while sensei is chanting those math equation."

Yuto laughed. Then the two stopped on their feets just before they entered their classroom when they heard a call from behind.

"Ryosuke!" Umika came running towards them from behind and she found herself in an extremely awkward position since the 2 guys are both focused on her clumsy running. Much more embarrassing was her struggle to speak with her profuse panting.

"slow down Umika... catch your breathe first..."Yuto laughed while Ryosuke just looked at her without much reaction. "Yamachan, your girlfriend is so funny, ne" Yuto teased, hence earning a elbow jerk from Ryosuke which made him gasped.

"is there something you need?" Ryosuke asked in a subtly disinterested tone, and for a whole second, Umika just looked at him blankly without a word. Yuto could sensed the awkwardness in the air, so he knew they preferred an alone time.

"I'll go in first... see you, Umika" Yuto bidded farewell, and Umika gave an acknowledging nod. Swinging his bag across his shoulders cooly, Yuto resumed his journey to the classroom while turning back once or twice to see if they were alright. He sighed and scratched the nape of his neck, wondering if something has happened between them. "Sometimes, I think Yamada and Umika are much closer as best friends than couple...I hope I'm wrong. Gambatte ne, Yamachan!" Yuto thought to himself.

"R-Ryosuke, do you wanna hang out after school today?" Umika said, still trying to catch a breathe. Ryosuke was taken aback by her request and knew it was a way of declaring a ceasefire for a looming cold war and to appease his anger from yesterday. He didn't want to be a meanie, but he couldn't swallow all of the grievance he put up with yesterday at Tsutaya. He knew there was no fault in her, so he wanted to avoid contact until he was sure he wouldn't hurt her with his temper. In the past, he would rather have a outright quarrel with her, but after they started dating, he has become very conscious about her, ever wanting to protect her like a gem in his hand.

"gomenasai... Jump's concert is coming, so I think I should be spending the day training in the dance studio..." it was an impromptu decision cause like what Yuto has advised, he did plan to rest at home, but since he didn't want this to be a lie either, he might as well carry it out earnestly. However, he saw the immediate dissapointment worn on her face even with her head lowered until he could barely see.

"alright" she said with a croaking tone as if she was about to break down in a bucket of tears. "I'll contact you again...when you are less busy". Her heart clenched when she thought of the stark difference in his reaction towards her during their dinner date and after she bumped into Reno. She wanted to blame it all on his narrow-mindedness, but the mere recollection of the hurtful stuff mentioned of him during her conversation with Reno lowered her position to fight against his unfair judgement towards her.

Just as she turned her back against him to return to her classroom, he called her name. Her eyes widdened and her heart revived, feeling all hopeful that he might have change his mind and decided to shove away the unhappiness. He was feeling happy himself when he saw her glowing eyes staring right into his, seemingly conveying her eagerness to hear what he has to say. 

"if you are okay with it, perhaps I can drop by your house for dinner? my family each has their individual functions today so I might have to dine myself anyway..." he asked.

"That's great! My parents will love to have you over! the last time you dropped for dinner is a month ago," Umika sounded like she's on cloud nine, almost like she just got a permission to date from her alltime crush...Ryosuke could barely hold on to his laughter so he pretended to adjust his glasses to conceal the smile b on his face. Nevertheless, he didn't forget to add in a few good words and uphold his usual mannerisms.

"I do miss your mum's cooking. I'll try to reach promptly at dinner time...hopefully there isn't a traffic jam at peak hour."

Umika was still too exhilirated that he caught her in a complete daze. Seeing her homeroom teacher approaching nearer to her classroom, he cupped her shoulders and turned her the other way around.

"heh?" she returned to her senses

"your sensei is coming... stay focused in class, ne. I'll see you at night," he soften his tone as he said to her from behind her back. She could feel the subtle collision upon her chest and the radiating heat from beneath his uniform, not forgetting the firm grip from his hands, all of which has eased her prior uneasiness, replacing it with anxiousness for time to fast-forward such that she could spend a proper time with him to make up for the insufficiencies yesterday. A kiss would have enlivened her for the day, but she shan't be greedy, she thought.

****

There were no plans for practice in the first place, hence Ryosuke wasn't surprise that he was the only one in the dance studio for the afternoon. Fighting against his own fatigue was like engaging in a useless battle with the sandman, his eyelids felt heavy and could barely be kept opened. The hollowness of the studio and the deafening silence only made it more conducive for him to sleep. He took in a deep breathe and recalled his determination to clock a minimum of 5 dance hours, since he had to sometime in this week, hence his efforts today would mean more rest later. He changed into a black tanktop and a pair of cropped jeans, jacking up the volume of the player tuned to the concert playlist. Dance was indeed his soul, cause the more he moved with the beats, the more rejuvenated he felt, such that he soon forgot his sleep deprivation.

Hours past like seconds...before he knew it, he has danced to every song on the playlist and has just completed the last tune from their new song 'Weekender". He crashed onto the cold ground with sweat drenched right through his top as well as trickling down his forehead like a waterhose. He found himself likened to a sweat machine, but would not bother too much about it since it came across as manly. The solid curvature on his arms and his body abs became even more defined after hours of workout and he personally takes pride in it.

After a quick bathe, he noticed the time on the clock was close to 6pm. He smiled to himself as the time was just right for him to reach her house by dinner time. He took out his phone, hoping to drop her a message before driving off, but was surprised to see his phone is completely drained of battery.

"arghh. I must have forgotten to charge my phone," he irritatedly slipped his phone back into his bag and drove off to his destination in hopes that no one was urgently trying to reach him. His eyes twitched endlessly, signalling his fatigue yet again, but never did he expect that this was another sign for an approaching bad luck.

Drawn already to the aroma which diffused out of Umika's apartment, he stood behind her door, patiently waiting for it to open. His tummy rumbled with hunger as the aroma continued to intrigue his taste buds. The door swung open shortly but he was welcomed by Umika's mother, instead of herself.

With an apron wrapped around her waist, she greeted kindly with a slightly surprised tone, "hey Ryosuke! Nice of you to drop by...Umika just went out to help me get something, but she'll be back in a few minutes."

"hai...it's okay" Ryosuke smiled to her while walking into the apartment.

"Anyway, I cooked extra so if you care to join us for dinner, I'll dish your rice and we can start as soon as Umika is back"

"huh?" Ryosuke was in a state of bewilderment as though what Mrs Kawashima said did not make much sense to him. "Haven't Umika told her parents that I'll be dining with them? But it seemed as though she wasn't notified." 

The mysteries did not stop just there, as he was drawn to the sets of cutleries she proceeded to place on the table. Unable to trust his own math, he counted it over and again to find an extra pair laid out even after including him. He concluded there was another guest besides him who should be as important to warrant a whole table of culinary treats that can excite the tastebuds of anyone. However, the mystery didn't last for long and the answers presented breed uncertainty on a whole new level and scale.

"okasan, we're back!" Umika appeared at the door with her father....and..."him?!" Ryosuke frowned as he looked at the trio whose face were filled wiith overwhelming happiness.

"R-Ryosuke?" the bag of oranges fell from her hands as she stood astonished. Her body stiffened at the sight of her boyfriend while his was filled with betrayal and anger.

"Oh Ryosuke, you're here too.. You're in for a sumptous treat, ne...since we have another guest today," her father announced, then picked up the fallen groceries and those on Reno's hands before excusing himself for the youngsters to interact.

Reno couldn't ignore the intense exchange of glances between Ryosuke and Umika, furthermore he began to realise Ryosuke's identity. indeed, he was the one who broke the silence before the roaring storm.

"I think I've seen you before... aren't you a TV personality? yes, you are a singer or actor, aren't you?!" Reno stepped closer to Ryosuke who unlike Umika, remained calm while the latter was flustered by the exposure of his identity.

"n-no, you're mistaken.. he's..." Umika tried to salvage but it has only made things worst. In fact, Ryosuke has no intention to conceal his celebrity life anymore as he felt he was only undermining his own dignity. 

"yes I am" he admitted without saying more. Umika was stunned by his counterintuitive response. 

"ah, that's cool. Umika, shouldn't you do the proper introduction..." Reno looked to Umika for the formalities which she dreaded cause she truly didn't know how best should she introduce the boyfriend she couldn't disclose.

"er... Ryosuke, this is my childhood friend, Reno. he went overseas for studies for a long time and has just returned..." she found it extremely retarded to say all these since Ryosuke has already known from yesterday's encounter. this was however less tricky than the next part.

"Reno... er... he's my best friend from school, Yamada Ryosuke..." she eventually still settled on this lie as there weren't other better relationships to draw from. She dared not look at Ryosuke when she announced that they were mere friends, feeling utterly ashamed of herself for having to lie. She could almost feel the deadly aura lingering around Ryosuke as she spoke. 

"nice to meet you" the two exchanged a firm handshake which she thought she sensed not a polite gesture but something more negative that transpired between. their gazes were so intimidating, she could hear her bones shuddering and experience chills down her spine. 

Fortunately, her mother called out to Reno from the kitchen, "Reno dear, come help me taste if this is too spicy for you..." 

"hai!" Reno responded and brushed past Ryosuke. Ryosuke thought he saw a smirk on his face but didnt have the time to probe further when Umika interrupted. She dragged him by his arms to the door which he followed reluctantly and whispered  as though they were colluding for a grave crime. "Ryosuke, I thought you saw my message...I told you today wasn't a good day... you didn't receive?"

"no, my phone ran out of battery... why shouldn't it be a good day anyway? just cause he's here?! and you'll not be able to interact with your best friend freely?!" Ryosuke remarked sarcastically.

"no, you know that's not what I mean... I don't want him to find out who you are... you know that'll be risky."

"that doesn't seem the case... But I should thank you for your consideration... though I prefer you not to use me as an excuse."

Umika couldn't deny what Ryosuke said was partly true. she did not want Ryosuke here when she's with Reno as it will only complicate issues and brew more uneasiness and discontentment. mostly, she didn't want the 2 guys under one roof especially knowing how sensitive Ryosuke is and how easily misunderstandings could arise in circumstances like this. even if he did agree on disclosing their relationship, she is ashamed to feel that she would still decline cause she didnt want to hurt Reno as well. it's undeniably her cowardly and hypocritical behaviour that made her feel too apologetic to face Ryosuke in the presence of Reno. She felt even more ashamed when it seemed Ryosuke has already read her mind like an opened book, yet she still blatantly lie to him without even blinking. 

"Ryosuke, it's really not like this... anyway, if it's making you uncomfortable, I can help you get an excuse to leave... we can meet privately, just the 2 of us, another day?" Umika said with utter embarrassment.

Ryosuke sighed and exclaimed coldly, "I'm here already and you have done your due introduction. I'll play along as your best friend when I'm here. I'm famished and I relied on your dinner plans so lets just get this over with."

Umika clinged onto his arms as soon as he turned his back towards the kitchen. he turned back towards her to see her bitting her own lips out of nervousness and her hands gripping him with strength. his heart soften at the sight of her and could only give in to whatever more she has to say...

"please don't be angry with me..." she begged.

"I'm not angry. lets make this dinner work, alright. it's only gonna be at most 30minutes to an hour. like you suggested, we can meet privately again to make up for this loss of time."

"you mean it?" Umika thought his appeased anger came too unannounced to be true.

"yes. don't worry about me yet. just play your role properly for now," as much as he didn't feel like it, he still gave her a brief smile in order to assure her that he's fine with the arrangement. he knew it worked when her sunken lips curved back into a dazzling smile. 

****
the dining table was underlined with anxiety and uncertainty that if allowed to mature, it may explode in a uncontrollable ball of fury and outcry. Ryosuke has his eyes fixated on the opposite side of the table where Reno and Umika sat side by side. 

"it's amazing how you could have a celebrity family friend, ne Umika" Reno said casually.

"h-hai..."

"you guys have known each other for long?" Reno asked. this time Ryosuke answered as though there was no challenge in responding to the question.

"i believe it was since after you left...so that makes it more than a decade of friendship. I think I know her pretty well" 

"I see, you sure do. thank you for taking care of Umika while I was gone," Reno surprised everyone with his purported courteous statement which sounded like a call for battle. Umika coughed as she felt the intensity between the 2 guys building up. Reno immediately reacted by giving his attention to her, leaving Ryosuke helpless as an audience.

dishing food for Umika should have been Ryosuke's job, nearly everyone around the table knew that except Reno took over the role intuitively like as if it was his natural rights. Her parents were mindful of how Ryosuke has been suppressing his jealousy and wanted to clear the air by subtly reminding the past in hopes that he wouldn't misunderstand their intimacy.

"It has been over 10 years since Reno left Japan. it feels so surreal now that you're back. it's a trip down memory lane just reminiscing how the 2 of you were such adorable playmates" Umika's mother explained, while eyeing Ryosuke to get his acknowledgement.

"you nailed it, Kawashima-san.. when I was away, I think alot about how life would have been if I'm still here. there's something I need to admit though, this has made such huge impact on me that I have got to return to Tokyo.."

while her parents looked at Reno in anticipation, Umika and Ryosuke were in jittery that what they believed was the reason would not be told. Ryosuke's fist clenched tightly beneath the table as he suppressed his fear for what will happen next.

"believe it or not, it was Umika..." Reno announced proudly. Umika was in such shock that she wasn't able to respond it immediately. she didn't dare look into Ryosuke's eyes as she could already feel it shooting flames.

"what do you mean by that?" her parents asked curiously, ignoring the cues of an impending storm building up around Ryosuke.

"I came back for her, I missed her so much," it was a simple 2 phrases but the 3 youngsters knew exactly what its underlying meaning was. Umika fumbled as soon as she heard it, clumsily knocking over her bowl of soup, wetting Reno and her clothes.

"oh my gosh. Gomenasai!" she apologised profusely but he wasn't a least bit angry, instead he was preoccupied with checking if she's scalded.

"are you okay?" Reno was so concerned that their intimate touches came naturally undebatable. it was unbearable for Ryosuke to watch. just as he was about to retaliate, he was out beaten by Reno yet again.

"Umika, get changed before you wreck your clothes, and fetch a top from your dad's drawer for Reno" her mother instructed, and it was almost instantly that Reno held Umika by her arms. "lets go," he announced their leave as if flaunting to the fuming Ryosuke. Umika and Ryosuke's eyes met in a brief instance but both could not agree on the minds, almost like he shut her away from the conveyance of thoughts. he turned away from her apologetic look as he did not have the heart to see more of the skinship between the 2 individuals functioning under the guise of what he felt was suspicious. as soon as he watched them disappear from the stairs, the deafening silence that follows made his unsettled heart seemed more evident. the awkward exchange of glances with her parents only made it worst.

"er...let me help clean up the mess..." Ryosuke offered as an excuse for a breather. as soon as he left for the kitchen, he felt slightly relieved from the tension and returned his sanity for even a short moment. he reminded himself to remain his cool as his trust for Umika should and must represent that long friendship and hurdles they both sustained. 

"yes, have faith in her" he repeated to himself, but the  murmurs from behind the door made it hard to focus. he leaned against the kitchen door and listened in to the secretive conversation of her parents.

"could you sense the tension among the three kids? especially Ryosuke... his eyes could kill," her mother said discreetly.

"obviously I saw it too. needless to say, our girl has messed up again. she most certainly did not come clean with Reno about her relationship with Ryosuke"

"I don't think it's our girl's fault. she did that to protect Ryosuke. you know how delicate his reputation is, anything can wreck his career. I think our daughter is a clear victim in this"

"true that. I wouldn't deny. that's why I have been thinking she's much better of with Reno... at least she doesn't have to put up with all the ridiculous celebrity rules. although I favour Ryosuke alot, but his childishness sometimes makes him a less attractive love partner as opposed to Reno who appears much more dependable."

"so you prefer your son-in-law is Reno..?" 

"I'm not gonna explicitly say that. but you get what I mean..." her father said, earning the agreeable nods from the wife.

Hearing every word from her parents behind his back felt like blunt arrows cut deep into his vulnerable heart, shattering it into bits and pieces, leaving it to bleed.  he clenched his fist and grit his jaw tight to prevent his sorrows from escaping, while his free hand wrung upon his right chest over his heart to ease the pain from the tearing heartstrings. tears brimmed in his eyes as he realised how badly he fared as opposed to his rival, much worst than that was the honest thoughts about him which he only knew now. the pain was more excruciating than hearing his anti-fans slam about him. 

He needed to make his presence felt in case her parents has forgotten he was there, hence cleared his throat loudly. Avoiding their eyes, he quietly walked to Umika and Reno's seats and cleaned the area with the cloth in his hands.

"Ryosuke, we can handle it. just leave it... we're so sorry the dinner got so messy though..."

"it's okay, I'll quickly clear this up," he ignored them and continued what he was doing. Right after he was done with it, he further excused himself to the toilet to cleanse his hands, allowing her parents more room for gossiping which he wanted not to hear more. 

However, just when he thought there is nothing worst than this, he was outright wrong. he became embroiled in a whirlpool of emotions that threaten to tear apart the hard-earned relationship Umika and him have earned after surmounting all prior challenges since young. the gap that gives Ryosuke a glimpse of the interior of her room was so appalling that for once in his life, he felt his heart stop pounding. his eyes widened and his hands wrung upon the sides of his pants while the flame in him surged up to his head, with tears rolling in his eyes uncontrollably.

Umika immediately pushed Reno away from her lips as soon as she realised Ryosuke has witnessed the forbidden intimacy.

"Ryosuke?... please hear me out first... it's not what you saw... let me explain... I beg you..." Umika's eyes brimmed with tears as she clinged onto his sleeves. he looked away as warm tears escaped his eyes. he gritted upon his teeth to ease the unbearable hurt stabbed upon his chest. no words escaped his mouth and he feared if any escaped it would leave only regrets. he wanted to turn away and exit the confined space that's suffocating him but by bit, but yet he clinged onto her, leaving him no choice than to hurt her.

"let go off me. I've seen enough and heard enough" he forcefully shook off his hands and stormed downstairs to retrieve his bag and out the main door. Her parents were stunned by the sudden change of events, but were helpless in such situations.

Umika lost her footing, fortunately Reno caught hold of her. however, she mustered her courage and swung her palm against his cheeks with a thunderous slap that echoed to the first floor. "why must you do that?! you are so despicable!!!" She ran out in hopes to catch up with Ryosuke, while Reno barely recovering from the slap trailed after her without hesitation. 

"Ryosuke!!! Chotto matte Ryosuke!!! it's really not like what you saw!" Umika grabbed his arms tightly, unwilling to let go, afraid that he would disappear for good. his heart wavered to hear her cries, it is truly not like he didn't want to hear her explanation, yet his pride couldn't just accept what he saw as if nothing has happened. "maybe it wouldn't hurt just listening?" he thought... unfortunately, Reno was right behind her, making it impossible to dissipate his anger. 

"let go... we're all tired so nothing is gonna make sense at this time," he said coldly while his eyes remain mindful of the one behind.

"but just hear me out... it wasn't like what you saw... he kissed me... it's not my initiative... I..."

"I really don't wanna hear, Umika!"

"but.. b-but...."

"ah... you are seriously not a gentleman... your girlfriend is crying for your forgiveness and yet you just heartlessly shove her away... you're pathetic just like I know of idols like you..." Reno interrupted with a underlying tone 
of mockery.

"what?!! how dare you...!" Ryosuke rushed towards him with his fist clenched into a ball, ready to swing at him, but someone stood in the way.

"Chotto! Ryosuke, don't do that..." Umika cried to stop the feud which will only leave regrets and dire consequences to his career.

"i dare you to hit me, hit me with your anger, don't put it on a nice girl like Umika! I will not hesitate to go all out to protect her!" Reno continued to trample on the broken heart of Ryosuke. what the former has said seemingly established Ryosuke as a third party of the relationship which he thought was exclusively theirs.

"Reno! I don't need you to protect me... Ryosuke is my...."

"your boyfriend, I know! but he doesn't deserve it. look at how childish he is with managing his own feelings. he didn't even want to believe you."

Ryosuke couldn't restrain himself anymore, blurting out a whole chain of piercing words that cannot be retracted or erased. "yes, you're absolutely right! I'm a childish idol who cannot give you any security but whin over things like this and throw temper unreasonably! everyone is right about me!!!i don't even dare tell people you are my girlfriend! I could only be sneaky about it and you know how horrible that felt!"

"but I told you I didn't mind..."

"it's not about you! it's me! I mind! I mind not being able to tell others you're mine! what kind of boyfriend am I when I can't even do simple things like this! I could only stand in a sideline, watching other people woo you! and incidents like today will just happen over and over and there's just nothing I can do about it! your parents are right, you are better off with less troublesome people like me then you could openly date without considerations! so just leave this childish dude alone and hang out with your childhood sweetheart!"

"Ryosuke~please.... I never thought of it that way... besides, I have no feelings for anyone except you...." her hands still held firmly by his wrists, unwilling to let go regardless how forceful he tried to shake her away. this time, his glare settled on her stained lips of another man.

"that lips of yours.... it now only reminds me of how much problems that come in between us... call me narrow-minded but maybe I'm just not prepared or matured enough to face my own romance! this may well be a misunderstanding but it is set upon a legitimate issue.  I thought we could resolve it like we surmounted other problems we have faced, but maybe this one is a tact too much"

"Ryosuke~" she cried bitterly.

"lets call it a day, just go back individually and rest. we can think better alone, then possibly we'll know how to fix it maturely!" Ryosuke finally hardened his heart and pushed her away once more, and she fell right into Reno's arms. the 2 guys met eyes and Ryosuke could almost see the celebratory eyes in Reno, trampling on top of his broken heart.

"Ryooooo!!!" she tried to run towards him, but Reno bosomed her tightly from behind, restraining her from going anymore forward. Her welled up eyes clouded her view of the street and the small figure of her boyfriend gradually disappeared before her eyes. that lonely backview of his surface reminds her of the many solo battles he was left fighting because of his tough celebrity burden, and this time, it was her who set off the battle and left him alone. 

She dropped to her feet with warm tears running like the stream in amazon river. She found herself in the warm comfort of the unfamiliar arms which cradled her, the feeling was so distinctively different from the tender embraces of Ryosuke's... she knew for sure that her heart can't accept anyone else except him, so she loosened herself from Reno's arms and sternly faced him after brushing off the fallen tears on her drenched face. "Gomenasai Reno... please leave me alone..."

"you know I love you, and I can do a billion times better than he did... I shouldn't have left you the other time, if not, we would have been a pair instead of that dude," he cupped her shoulders and tried to convey his heart to her, but sadly she didn't have the heart to hear.

"but you did leave! No doubt Ryosuke is an idol and being friend with him all these years wasn't at all easy, but he has treasured this relationship more than anything else! he is not pretentious and is in fact very humble! I love him and I am not afraid of what I have to go through with him!"

"there's no future with loving an idol! he's only gonna hurt you, just like how he failed to understand you earlier!!!!how long can you stay invisible for him? Forever?!"

"I can if I have to!!!"

"you can't, I'll prove to you that the two of you can't work out and I'm a much better choice! I'll show you there's nothing he can do that I can't!"

Umika pushed him away, opening a path for herself, then ran against the wind brushed against her skin back into the house. 

"Umika, what's wrong? what happened to Ryosuke? and why are you crying, dear?" both uptight parents ran forth and hugged their daughter worriedly.

"okasan, otousan... I love Ryosuke... I really love him... I know it'll work out, why can't you guys just have faith in him and us?" Umika cried as she faced her parents who looked lost. 

"what are you talking about?" her father exclaimed but later gasped when he saw the pale face of his wife, seemingly telling him "Ryosuke has heard our conversation~"

...Umika loosened herself from their grip and shut herself in her room, buried under her blanket and sobbed through the night with her mind and heart thinking through every fond memories of Ryosuke, afraid that when she wakes up the next day, she would forget all of them and lost him for good. 

Ryosuke, on the other hand, was not in any better shape. He soaked himself for almost an hour in cold shower, washing away his endless streams of tears which trickled down his skin along with the bathe water. he cupped his mouth tightly so his cries wouldn't alert his family, but his reddened eyes wouldn't lie. 

"Niichan, are you okay?" Misaki was quick to notice his brother's unusual silence.

"I'm just tired. good night" Ryosuke brushed past his sister restlessly, closing the door to his bedroom tight shut. he tried to sleep, but whenever his eyes closed, the kissing scene of Reno and Umika would replay in his mind repeatedly. 

"maybe i wasn't prepared after all. maybe it is wrong from the start...Umika, what should we do? what we feared is happening..." he clenched on his chest where his battered heart lies, sensing his irregular heartbeat. he laid on his side with his blanket pulled over him; tears fall profusely until it ran dry...