Chapter 51: Operation "Fail at Apologizing"

This silence is loud.

It's way louder than Toujo's stupid jokes. It's louder than Daiki's annoying '1v1 me' shouts.

It's deafening.

Fuji Kenji is a ghost.

He exists. I see him.

But he doesn't see me.

He walks past my desk. His eyes are forward.

He answers questions in class. His voice is calm and perfect.

He eats lunch... somewhere else. Not in the cafeteria.

He has erased me.

And I am 'Bloody Twilight'. I am supposed to LIKE this.

This is my 'peaceful life'.

It's not peaceful.

It's agony.

"You look like a dead fish," Toujo observes, poking my cheek with a chopstick.

I don't even have the energy to smack him.

We are at our lunch table. The table is empty. Rika is here. I am here. Toujo is here.

It feels... wrong.

"Just talk to him, Aoi-chan," Rika sighs, pushing her food around.

"I TRIED," I grunt.

Flashback... Yesterday.

I waited for him after class. My heart is a *stupid, traitorous drum.

He walks out.

"Fuji," I say. My voice comes out like a croak.

He stops.

He turns.

His face is blank. Polite. The one he uses on teachers.

"Yes, Isuzu-san? Can I help you?"

Isuzu-san.

Not 'Rival'. Not 'Aoi'.

It feels like a slap.

"I... we... about the beach..." I stammer.

I am 'Bloody Twilight'. I can break bricks. I can't say 'I am sorry'.

"I am afraid I don't know what you mean," he says, his voice like ice. "If you are referring to the incident, I am glad you made a full recovery."

He is dismissing me.

"But I..."

"Excuse me," he says, not unkindly, just... finally. "I have a student council meeting. Have a good afternoon, Isuzu-san."

He bows. Slightly.

And walks away.

He doesn't look back.

End of Flashback.

"He... 'student-counciled' me," I mutter to Rika.

"He 'student-counciled' you?" Toujo cackles. "That's COLD! Even for an 'Ice Prince'! That's like... sub-zero!"

"Toujo!" Rika snaps.

I put my head on the table.

My phone buzzes.

I look.

A new chat request.

From 'DaikiJerk'.

I deleted his number. He is using a new one.

DaikiJerk: "Twilight? Please don't block me. I am at the school gates. I brought you that 'Ultra-Rare' skin from 'Cyber-Blade' you wanted."

I stare at the message.

I block the number.

My phone buzzes. A new number.

DaikiJerk: "Okay, fine! How about a new controller? The one with the pro-grade triggers?"

Block.

Buzz. New number.

DaikiJerk: "TWILIGHT! PLEASE! I AM A WRECK! Hiroto is calling me a 'plot villain' and Fuji looks at me like he wants to murder me! (More than usual!)"

Block.

"He's at the gates again, isn't he?" Rika sighs.

"He's been there every day," Toujo says. "It's kind of pathetic. The first-years are treating him like a zoo animal."

I put my phone on 'silent'.

I can't deal with the 'Liar'.

I need to figure out how to talk to the 'Hero'.

And I am failing.