Chapter 48: The Hero Who Ran Away

Rage is easy.

Rage is my comfort zone.

Rage makes sense.

This...

This awful, twisting, burning feeling in my stomach...

This is embarrassment.

It's horrible.

I am pacing the living room.

Rika is trying to talk to me.

"Aoi-chan... that was so cool. But are you okay?"

"Where is he?" I snap.

"Daiki? He's still on the balcony. I think he's 'buffering'. Like a stuck video," Toujo says.

"Not him!" I growl. "The other one!"

"Fuji?" Rika asks. "He... oh. Aoi-chan... hes not here."

My pacing stops.

"What do you mean 'not here'? He was here this morning. I saw him. He was reading his stupid book."

"He left," Hiroto says.

He's the only one not scared of me. He looks... sad. Like his 'show' is ruined.

"He left right after you all went to the kitchen," Hiroto explains. "Right after I told Toujo and Rika what really happened."

"He... left?" I repeat. "Like... left left?"

"He called a car," Hiroto sighs. "A fancy black car. He looked... really 'brooding'. Very 'Chapter 10' of my new script. He was frustrated."

Frustrated.

He left.

He heard them saying they were going to tell me the truth.

And he left.

He didn't want to be here.

He didn't want me to... what?

To 'thank' him?

My stomach twists again.

He... he KISSED me.

(It wasn't a 'kiss'. It was 'medical assistance'. My brain needs to remember that.)

He saved my life.

He breathed air into my lungs.

And I... I ignored him. I smiled at Daiki. I wore Daiki's hoodie. I laughed with Daiki on the balcony while Fuji watched from the beach.

Oh, God.

Fuji watched.

That's why he looked 'broken' in the chair.

He saw me fall for the lie.

He watched me choose the 'liar' over the 'hero'.

And now he thinks I'm... an idiot.

(I am an idiot.)

He thinks I'm a stupid, shallow fool who fell for the 'bad boy' lie.

He's disgusted.

He's frustrated.

And he left.

He ran away so he wouldn't have to face my *stupid, embarrassed 'thank you'.

This is the worst day of my entire life.

My anger is gone.

Completely.

Now it's just... this awful, hollow feeling.

"Aoi-chan?" Rika asks, touching my arm.

I flinch.

"I'm going home," I mutter.

"What? But we're staying all..."

"I'M. GOING. HOME."

I grab my bag.

I don't have a car. I don't have a plan.

I just walk out the front door.

"Aoi! Wait!" Toujo yells.

I hear them scrambling behind me.

The beach trip is over.

The romance is a lie.

My 'hero' is a coward.

And the real hero...

He hates me.