Chapter 21

“Yuzo!”

Waking up hazily from his desk, Yuzo looked around the room with blurred eyes: he was supposed to be in a math class, but he didn't remember what he had been doing before he fell asleep. Almost everyone had left; it seemed the bell had rung a long time ago.

From behind him, though, the voice that had called his name rang out again, this time softer. “Yuzo, you need to stop sleeping in class; it's a bad habit, you know!” Emma peered over his back, staring at him cross-armed, her bag already in hand.

“... Sorry, I stayed up grinding the limited-time event on Terminal Illusion 2 with my guild last night.” Yuzo yawned and grabbed his pencil. “I was able to get a bunch of really good limited-time loot though, so it was worth it.”

“You’re unbelievable, you know that?” Holding back a smile at his aloofness, Emma eventually sighed, helping him gather his things before the two started towards the door.

…

“So, are you coming with me to the semi-finals next week?” As the two walked out the doors to the school, the sky was cloudy and grey. Yuzo, still not fully awake, shook his head in confusion. “Semifinals? Of what? I didn't know you were in any clubs, but I’ll come watch if you want,” he said, scratching the back of his head shyly.

“Well actually I am, but that's not what I'm talking about—not my semi-finals, but Jason’s basketball finals. His team made it, remember?” Emma playfully pushed his shoulder as the two started out on the pathway down to the street. “Oh, yeah, that semi-final. Nah, I think I'll pass.” Yuzo said, lowering his head.

“What do you mean you’re going to pass? This is like a once-in-a-lifetime event!” Emma further wrapped herself around Yuzo, pushing her finger into his cheek, “If you come, he’ll probably get us the best seats in the house and some free stuff! For a guy with a D1 athlete brother, you really don't abuse the privilege enough.” She teased, “Maybe you should try out after graduation and follow in his footsteps!”

To Emma’s surprise, Yuzo shrugged her off of him, causing her to stop walking.

“...Privilege? Don't make me laugh.” He said, dryly.

“What's gotten into you all of a sudden?” Emma asked, her smile fading into a pensive curiosity. “You’re acting really weird all of a sudden.”

Yuzo squeezed his fist before shrugging and starting to walk again. “Nothing, I don't mean anything. It's just… It's not all it's cracked up to be. You know what I mean.”

“No, actually, I don't. What are you talking about?” She crooked her neck, her pensiveness turning into a burst of irritation.

“Forget I said anything.” Yuzo continued to walk, ignoring her question.

“Yuzo—” Emma grabbed his arm. “I’m not just letting it go. You’ve been acting weird for a while now… And it’s starting to hurt, okay? Everything used to be great; just me, you, and Jae against the world, but for a while now, it's felt like…” She trailed off, pulling her hand away from him as the two stood at the gate. “It feels like you’re punishing me, for some reason.”

The grey sky had gone dark. One by one, droplets of rain started to hit the pavement and started to dampen the two’s hair. Yuzo, for a moment, looked up at the sky, his long, matted hair falling to the sides of his face.

“...I don't know if I can do this anymore, Yuzo. If you don't open up to me, I can't be there for you; I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong!”

“Isn’t that the issue, Emma?” He said, turning to meet her gaze with his eye, “What problems are you seeing? That I don't talk a lot? That I don't want to go watch my brother play some stupid game that he hates and spend time with people he doesn't like? Or is it that I’m not ‘Mr. Popular’ you can bring to parties or show off to your friends? That I'm not some cool, suave athlete like Jae?”

“That’s not—”

“But it is. I’m not stupid, Emma; everyone but you can see that I'm not the guy you want me to be. Even my friends online tell me they don't know why you’re still around…”

The light fall of rain turned into a pour.

Well, I'm sorry. But I'm not Jason, okay? I'm just me. I like video games, manga, and anime. I'm not the type of guy that’s ever going to be like Jason.”

He squeezed the strap of his bag, Emma gasping at the pain and anger on Yuzo's face; his back began to hunch as his breathing grew hyper in the rain. Emma’s breath grew heavy and cold as she stepped back.

“Jason isn't your best friend, but I am. I wish you could just be my friend. Be here for me.” Yuzo began to raise his voice, becoming shrill as he pressed his hands into his chest, struggling to breathe.

A tear rolled down her face. Then, she began to step towards Yuzo, grabbing his collar.

“You’re a jerk, you know that!? I’ve tried to be there for you through everything. I walk with you to school every day! My mom packs me extra lunch in case you forget, or Jason doesn't have enough food for the week. My dad tells me to say ‘hi’ to you for him every day before I leave for school. Even my grandparents ask how you are! And you’ve never given any of them the time of day!” She began to shake as she held his collar, her face becoming matted with the wet hair falling in front of it.

"And don't get me started on Jae; he is killing himself for you! Do you understand that? After you moved out of your mom’s house, I've barely seen him, and he won't talk to me, all because he's so focused on basketball so he can take care of you! So when I asked you to go with me to see his games,”

Emma’s eyeliner had started to run. “That isn't me calling you a loser because you’re not ‘Mr. Popular’ or because you’re not a basketball player...”

Emma’s breath caught in her throat; the cold air stung as the two stood in front of an empty school, on an empty street.

“... But at least Jason acted like he knew I existed. He treated me like I was enough just doing what I could. All I've ever wanted is to be with you and him. More than anyone else in this world, you two were my heroes.”

Emma's voice broke.

“But if you keep pushing me… Pushing us away, all because you can't stand the fact that your brother is giving his life for you, or even trying to do anything with it…”

She then dropped his collar, with a face full of pain and resentment so uncharacteristic it left Yuzo paralyzed and silent.

“I won't be waiting around forever. Call me when you’re ready to grow up.”

Emma then turned and sped away, tears falling as she left Yuzo alone in the rain.