Upon Deaf Ears Pt. 2

I'm not the confrontational type. I never was, nor have I ever claimed to be. In the past, I've always stayed silent. It was the easiest solution to get it over with quickly. This time, though... I don't know why, but I feel like I'd regret it if I just stood there and took all of this, especially from them.

Finally, their true colors were revealed. While Mitsuki was glaring at me in anger, Yoshino was calmer yet radiated a much more sinister aura.

"Take the bait, huh?" Mitsuki asked sarcastically. "Whatever could you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Everything you wanna say to me, go ahead and get it all off your chest."

"Is there anything we have to say to you?"

"Huh... Suddenly, it's more like you're the one who's playing hard into your role instead me. Are you acting as if you don't know what's going on? Or are you really that blind?"

Her eyes widened, and she exploded. "What?! Y-you..."

"Yozora..." Yoshino muttered. "Choose your words carefully. I don't care if Manager Na likes you, but you will not speak to my junior like that."

I couldn't help but let out a frustrated chuckle. This is really happening. If Nae finds out, she'd kill me for sure, but... This isn't something I can just let go of. Not anymore.

"So, what?" I asked. "First, you accused me of being a stalker and attempting to assault Mitsuki. Now, you've called me out when I was minding my own business. Well, I'm confronting you, yet you've got nothing else to say."

"What do you want us to say to you?"

"A reason. Whatever it was that made you look at me and talk to me. You could've ignored me, but you didn't. You stopped me just to spout some random nonsense as if I'm supposed to do something about it. Well, I'm here, so tell me why. At least then, I can understand a little.

"Tch... You're pretty confident," Mitsuki muttered. "Do you think we owe you an explanation?"

"After putting me on the spot like this, I think you do."

My whole life, I've been nothing but a scapegoat for people to throw their problems onto. This time is no different, even if they are some egotistical idols.

I'm tired of feeling like this. I'm tired of feeling like the whole world is against me. I'm tired of feeling completely helpless when people point fingers at me for no reason.

"Interesting..." Yoshino mumbled. "You're a rare case, Yozora. Here you stand, in front of two members of Sunayomi. So many people out there dream of being in your position right now, meeting us in person, and talking to us. Even though you now have that opportunity, you're speaking like this. It baffles me."

"Does it?" I scoffed. "Is it that surprising that I'm being the way I am when I'm standing in front of 'the' Sunayomi? Here's a reality check for you. Not everyone knows your name. Not everyone cares enough to try. I certainly don't, so stop acting like I do."

For a moment, Yoshino's eyes widened. She quickly played it off. Her mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out. I waited and waited, but she neglected to speak again.

"Has the realization finally sunk in?" I asked.

"Yozora! You're being too harsh!" Mitsuki exclaimed.

"Harsh? Do you really think so? Are you saying that I was overreacting when I was accused of being a stalker? Do you think that's a trivial accusation to toss around wherever you please?"

"T-that's..."

"Mira," Yoshino called out. "That's enough. We... We were wrong."

"What?! Just because he said we're wrong doesn't mean that we are! He could be lying!"

That's right. That's how it always went. It's never anything concrete, just a bunch of what-if scenarios that causes them to tear someone down as a way to satiate their own selfish vindication.

"Since you won't believe me, I'll put it this way," I said, catching their attention for the last time. "I don't care that you're idols. I don't care that you're famous, celebrities, or whatever. In my eyes, you're just people. Whatever status or authority you think you have doesn't apply to me. You think I'm a stalker that's out to get you? What a coincidence that I happened to have worked with YE for the last year, right? Quit kidding yourself."

"You... Who the hell do you think you are?!" Mitsuki shouted.

"Mira!" Yoshino cried in an attempt to stop her, but she didn't.

"So what if we were wrong? Given what happened, would you say that anyone in our position wouldn't have felt the same way we did? Even then, what gives you the right to speak to us like that?! You're just a nobody!"

Her voice echoed so loudly that I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the building heard it. The way her brows were crossed, eyes narrowed with her teeth bare... It made me angry.

Why is she the one who's upset? Why is she blaming me when this all started with her? Why... am I always the one at fault when I've done nothing wrong?

"A nobody... huh...? Then you shouldn't be worrying about my opinions, because none of that matters to you, does it? No matter what I say, it'll just fall on deaf ears... like always. But, I wouldn't expect anything less from someone who has a superiority complex with the mindset of a child."

In the span of a single second, Mitsuki reached for my drink and splashed it onto me. I could only react by tilting my head away, as the liquid slid down my face while dripping off the many strands of my hair.

Slowly, I turned to look at her, and when I saw her eyes, I had lost my motivation to feel any kind of emotion. They were burning with rage, yet I could do no more than simply look back at her with an empty face. There wasn't an expression, and I knew that, because my eyes, my mouth... my head... Everything feels so heavy.

Her face... All of a sudden, I'm being reminded of Mom.

"I don't like you..." Mitsuki growled. "At all."

"...I don't really care."

Suddenly, the door to the break room clicked open, and Manager Na walked in, completely clueless as to what had just happened.

"Ah, Yozora!" he grinned. "Good. I was just about to go... looking for... y-you..."

His smile dropped the moment he saw me drenched in the blue energy drink while the can was rolling across the floor, still leaking.

We looked at each other, and for the first time since I began working for him, I saw a genuine look of anxiety coming from those eyes. Without saying a word, I walked past him. I'm sure he wants an explanation, but I'm too tired right now.

So tired...