Chapter 45: The Truth Bomb (And The Fallout)

The next day.

I am avoiding Daiki.

Because I am a coward.

My stomach is doing 'flips'. I hate it. It feels like bad sushi.

I am in the kitchen, making coffee.

Rika, Toujo, and Hiroto walk in.

They look like they are staging an intervention.

"Aoi-chan," Rika starts. Her voice is serious.

"We need to talk," Toujo finishes. He is not joking.

This is bad.

"What?" I grunt, not looking at them.

"It's about the 'plot', Angel!" Hiroto blurts out. "The 'narrative'! It's WRONG! It's a LIE!"

"What lie?" I ask, turning around.

The three of them look at each other.

"Aoi... what do you remember?" Rika asks, gently.

"I remember... the cramp. The panic. And Daiki ... Daiki pulling me out."

They all wince.

"He DID pull you out!" Toujo says. "He and Fuji! They both grabbed you!"

"But... Aoi..." Rika takes a breath. "You weren't breathing."

My blood goes cold.

"What?"

"You weren't breathing, Angel!" Hiroto shouts, waving his hands. "You were blue! It was TERRIBLE lighting! And Daiki was just SHAKING you! Yelling *'Twilight'!"

"And then...?" I whisper.

"And then Fuji... he saved you," Rika says, quietly.

I stare at her.

Fuji.

My 'fever dream'.

The face. The lips.

Oh, God.

"He... what?"

"He GAVE YOU CPR, AOI!" Toujo yells. "Like... MOUTH-TO-MOUTH! He KISSED YOU! To SAVE YOUR LIFE! It was the most manly, romantic thing I have EVER seen! And Daiki just STOOD THERE!"

I drop my coffee mug.

It shatters.

All over the floor.

I don't move.

CPR.

Fuji Kenji.

His lips.

On mine.

Because I was DYING.

And Daiki...

"Daiki... he lied," I whisper.

"He didn't 'lie', Angel!" Hiroto corrects. "He 'omitted'! He stole the 'protagonist moment'! It's the oldest trick in the book!"

He lied.

He let me believe he was my hero.

He let me ... 'like' him.

All night. On the balcony. He let me praise him.

I am so stupid.

I am so embarrassed.

My entire body is red.

And then...

The embarrassment is gone.

And something else takes its place.

Rage.

Pure. Cold. 'Bloody Twilight' Rage.

Not at Daiki.

Yes, at Daiki. A lot.

But mostly... at myself.

For being a fool. For being 'weak'.

For believing a 'simp' over a 'prince'.

"Aoi... Aoi-chan?" Rika asks. "Are you... okay?"

I look up.

My eyes are cold.

Rika flinches.

"Where," I hiss.

"Where is he?"