Chapter 44: The Moonlight and the Lie

Night.

I feel better.

Rika forced soup into me.

Toujo was scolded into silence.

Hiroto has been 'banished' to the guest room to 'think about what he did'.

Fuji... disappeared. He went 'for a walk'. Alone.

And Daiki.

Daiki is still here.

He is sitting on the balcony, playing a game on his phone.

I walk out. I am still wearing his hoodie.

(I stole it back from my room.)

"Hey," I say.

He jumps. He almost drops his phone.

"Twilight! You're up! You should be resting!"

"I am fine," I say. "My leg is sore. My ego is bruised. I am not an invalid."

"Right. Right."

We stand there.

Awkward.

The moon is huge.

A *perfect, white circle. Shining on the ocean.

It's... disgustingly romantic.

"So..." he mutters, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You really scared me. Don't do that again."

He's trying to be serious.

He looks like a grumpy cat.

I smile.

A real smile.

He sees it.

His eyes go wide.

"What?" I snap.

"You... you smiled," he stammers. "Like... not a 'Bloody Twilight' smirk. A real... thing."

My face is on fire.

"Shut up."

"No, it's cute!" he says.

"I am NOT CUTE!"

"Okay! Okay! Terrifying! You are 'Bloody Twilight'! Got it!"

He's laughing.

I am laughing.

What is happening?

"Thanks," I say, looking at the moon.

"For... what? Laughing at you?"

"For... you know," I mutter. "Back there. In the water. Saving me."

He stops laughing.

The guilt flashes over his face again.

But I am Aoi Isuzu. I am terrible at 'feelings'. I miss it.

"Yeah... well..." he says, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyone would have done it."

"Fuji didn't," I say, my voice colder than I intend. "Hiroto didn't. Toujo didn't. You did."

This is it.

This is what he wants to hear.

His lie is working.

He steps closer.

We are standing by the railing.

The moon is shining.

He is a gamer. He is a simp. He is a liar.

But right now.

He's my 'hero'.

And my stupid heart is pounding.

He is looking at me. Like he wants to ... I don't know.

This is too much.

"I'm cold," I lie, pulling his hoodie tighter. "I'm going inside."

"Oh. Yeah. Okay."

"Daiki?"

"Yeah?"

"You're still a jerk," I say.

"I know," he smirks.

"But... you're okay."

I run inside.

I don't see him pump his fist in the air.

I also don't see the figure down on the beach.

Way down.

Standing by the waves.

A white-haired idiot.

Watching us on the balcony.

Watching us laugh.

Fuji Kenji clenches his fists.

He just got punched in the face by 'fate'.

And this time...

It hurts way more than a nosebleed.