Mirai POV 

A week past like a passing wind, it's so fast yet nothing concrete happened. Much hiding, dodging from each other in school, I tried every means to make sure i do not spend any alone time with Yuto, cause I've not thought about how exactly to face him. I'm sure he doesn't know how at all. Perhaps because we haven't talked to each other over a week, at most a few awkward lines, I have this yearning for more of him. I hate myself for having such thoughts, worst still I don't know what kind of yearning it was... as a friend yearning for a good friend or yearning for a lover? with these corrupted thoughts, I couldn't face Ryosuke. luckily, for the past week, he was busy with treatment and school application. yes, he wanted to return to school as a final year student since the doctor has said repeatedly that he's getting better. with only 2 more treatments left, his life is returning to normality. I'm genuinely happy for him, but for some reason every time I talk to him on the phone, he sounded so dull and seemingly disinterested? am I thinking too much? just like my conversation with him on the phone earlier today... it's far from his usual warmth...

"Ryo-chan!"

"ah.. Mirai... what's up?"

"er... I just wanna talk to you..." honestly, I just wanna hear his voice.

"alright, what should we talk about ?" his tone sounded more like I demanded him, it got me a little frustrated but I held it in.

"it's okay if you're too busy..."

I heard a sigh from the other end. why is he sighing? did I do something wrong? geez, it's so hard to understand him.

"why not, I meet you after school? we can hang out"

"you okay with it?" I asked since he sounded so disinterested earlier, and the change was so abrupt.

"yes, I'm better after a whole day of rest yesterday"

"alright. see you, Ryosuke"

"un, see you~"

Normally, the call will end with a kiss but recently, that's how cold it ends. 

However unlike the other days of the week, today was particularly nerve wrecking. The announcement of the annual art competition results, yeah the last chance I can ever win a trophy back. I'm confident my drawing will touch the hearts of the judges, still my heart is pumping so fast throughout the day that I shoved whatever other troubles I have aside for the time being. nothing entered my brain during the lessons. what I'm anticipating is the last lesson where the announcement is most likely gonna be made. I was right. Though the wait was awfully slow, the moment still arrived.

"Listen up class, before we end the class, I would like to announce that the champion of the annual art competition is from our class" Hitomi sensei proudly announced. I was almost on cloud nine, almost able to smell the golden trophy in my hands.

"congrats" Yuto was fast to congratulate me, even before the teacher announced. I smiled joyously and unreservedly towards him and he did likewise.

"lets give a round of applause to Umika!" Hitomi sensei added and the classroom is filled with applause.

I was too stunned to speak, my teeth are chattering, my limbs turned icy cold. what just happened was beyond my level of comprehension. then there were murmurs of students around me, mocking my failure, discussing the shocking change of tides.

"ouch,i thought shida-san was the winner. yet she got beaten by her own best friend. biggest joke of the year" I could clearly hear the remark from my fellow classmates.
 
"Mirai~ listen to me... I can explain," Umika turned around and faced me with a wholly apologetic look. Seeing that I'm in a petrified mode, Suzuka and Chinen quickly called out to me, waving their hands in front of my eyes. Yuto understood me best, he knew I couldn't and don't want to respond at the moment, so he sat beside me and observed me.

"Mirai~" Umika took my cold hands earnestly.

"c-congrats. it's really a surprise, Umika. I'm genuinely happy for you," I was still shaking when I sent my regards. who am I kidding, I'm not happy at all. At the same time, I feel disgusted about myself, getting jealous about my own best friend, seriously Mirai?! I couldn't breathe in this dense atmosphere anymore, the next moment I break away my clique who gathered around our table and ran out of the classroom. I ran and ran, right outside the classroom and stood by the gates. I let my tears run discretely, yet the sounds of sobbing is atrociously difficult to control. At my most depressed moment, someone lend me a shoulder. I leaned on him and let out my cries, as loud as I could cause ultimately my cries are muffled by his embrace.

"Mirai~ let it out, you'll feel better"

"Yuto!!!! I am shameful right??? getting jealous of my own best friend? I shouldn't be feeling this way, I should be happy for Umika. but just now, j-just now, I felt like I wanted to strangle her. I wanted to tell her that the trophy should have been mine! I'm really hopelessly selfish! I'm a horrible friend, Yuto!" I tightened my grip around his torso, I wanted him to hold me. I just want to him to be by my side right now. I can't think of anything else but being in his comfort, relying entirely on him. 

"shhh... don't think that way Mirai. no one said friends can't have competition right? friends compete with each other, get jealous of each other... that's pretty healthy. I get jealous of Chinen at times too. as long as friends can sort it out and resolve it together at the end of the day, and habour no ill intention, that'll be okay. I'm sure Umika didn't mean for a direct competition with you. looking at her shocked and apologetic expression just now, she never expected to win you. Both of you are genuinely competing with each other, so I guess you'll have to accept the result. She must have a hard time trying to tell you that she entered the competition too"

I felt so comforted listening to Yuto, I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him with eyes of gratitude.

"arigatou, Yuto..." he brushed my tears from my eyes. Our gazes are fixated at each other, in that instance, we are hooked to each other, as if dazzled by each other's eyes. I couldn't take my eyes off him, and I thought he can't too. no matter how hard I tried, I didn't pull away, I just stood there stationary as though the world stop revolving around us.

*****
Ryosuke POV

I stood at the opposite street, eyeing the scene that filled me with a sense of being betrayed. this scene is all too familiar to me, it reminds me of that rainy day where I saw Haruna with another guy... this is nearly the second time I faced this, yet it hurts equally bad. My limbs weakened, I felt I'm suffocating, my heartstrings is torn beyond repair. I clutched my heart and supported my heavy breathing. there's love transpiring through those everlasting gazes, it's impossible to deny. Yamada Ryosuke, you are prepared to give her up, that's the initial plan, I told myself. letting go when the time comes, was part of the plan! so stop acting like they betrayed you~ not like you didn't know that the 2 of them have much more memories forged than you and her. 

Dazed for a moment, then revived again, I shook my head and reminded myself..."no, that's before I knew I'm not dying, so there's no reason to give her up. Shida Mirai, you are not gonna leave me like Haruna. no, I'm not gonna allow that" I clenched my fist and swore to myself. for now, I'm gonna be a gentleman and not spoil the moment for them. I retreated to a bench along the street and lowered my head to relieve my anger and hurt, as well as a slight migraine and hide my reddened eyes . For the past week, I preoccupied myself with treatment and every other family errands so that I distract myself from thinking about Yuto's confession to Mirai. i couldn't even face her cause i was afraid that if i do, i'll break in front of her. I don't wanna show her my weak side, especially in the battle for love. I was almost certain that their relationship would not end there, but I refused to think more of it as it only makes it more unbearable. I rather believe that Mirai's heart will never waver, unfortunately I was in delusion. he touched her heart. I avoided her and acted ignorant so that the harm inflicted on me could be minimized. I don't wanna be the one who is pushed away, abandoned, like an unwanted dog. blame it on my pride, the men's pride, I just can't afford to be hurt the second time. those past days, I feel so apologetic when I hear her troubled voice and when she searched for my consolation, but I gave her only hostile responses. now, Yuto gave her what she needed, and I'm regretting I'm not the one by her side. Yamada Ryosuke, you're the one who shut her out first. 

*ring

"yes, Chinen?"

"Ryosuke!!! is Mirai with you?"

"no, she's not"

"Ryo-chan... something bad happen"

I patiently listened as Chinen recounted the events that happened leading to Mirai's unstable emotions.

"don't worry, she'll be okay" I assured him. 

"you think?"

"I'm sure. (he's with her)" I mumbled to myself.

"huh?"

"nothing. I'll look for her. don't worry. I'll get back to you as soon as I get to her. you sh