"Edward, look Arya making that face again."

"No Alicia, this time is the worst..."

"Look look, Arya spirit leaving his body!"

At the canteen in Academy, that currently so quiet and look empty as only the staff cleaning and preparing the room, they moving as if avoiding certain table at the far corner. Even the one who sitting there is having a complicated atmosphere. Alicia, Edward, and Charles were looking at the certain person who didn't has any energy and they frowned. Arya currently leans his body to the wall with a blank look, his face was pale and his eyes didn't have any light. He turns his head to the left while staring at something far, this uncomfortable sight worried his friends.

At first, they think they will meet him at the Gracia Continent but after waiting for a long time his figure is nowhere to be seen. Thinking something may happen, they leave the continent and back to the Academy only to find this lifeless Arya.

"...I-I was rejected..." Suddenly Arya hit the table in front of him with his head, surprising his friends and even the staff.

"What?"

"She rejected me... I-I can't think anymore... haha... "

"..."

Then, he suddenly speaks in a hollow voice without raising his head. Alicia, Charles, and Edward exchanged a glance, with a sigh his friends decided to be silent and listening to him.

****

It's back at the time when Arya leaves the canteen after giving Iroha and her friends a goodbye. He glances at the surrounding to find someone. All he can remember is the sad and troubled face of her, she wanted to say something before decided to close her mouth and with a sad smile, she leaves. Her pained expression stabbed his heart, and make him unconsciously stand up from his seat.

What happens to her? Does she have something to discuss with me? Arya fastens his walk and decides to head at that location, he hopes his intuition is true. He locks his eyes at the front and when he arrive at the three junctions he didn't notice a person and they collided with a loud bang. They fall backward, where Arya hit his butt on the ground and the other person hit the ground with his back. With his head hung low, Arya didn't see the person face and hurriedly stand up.

The other person groaned before noticed Arya, an angry vein popped in his head and he shouted at him.

"You! You are Arya right, now that I found you I will give you a lesson for what you do to me! Hey, don't ignore me! Where are you going, b*stard!"

"Stop, we can't waste any time. Just ignore him now, we need something to do."

"Tch, I know it."

The person shouted and almost grab Arya neck before he slips and runs away, The person gritted his teeth in frustration when his friend stopped him. Right, it's not the time for this. It's for the sake of revenge. Without Arya notice, several figures walked away.

After Arya escaped, he arrived at the location and his heart is beating fast. How if she isn't here? What will I do if I really meet her? Arya started to feel nervous and hesitated, but his mind finally was thrown out the window, after seeing the scene in front of him.

Yukiha was standing beside the familiar unique tree while gazing far at the sea, her long hair swayed with the wind and the sunlight make it look so shiny. Her beautiful blue eyes were shining but look cloudy. When a single tear dropped in her cheeks, Arya mind was getting a hit.

'I know it, I don't need to hesitate anymore. I want to make her smile. I want to stop her tear, her problem, her troubling face hurt me. I want her to smile, smile without making her cry, ever again.'

Arya steeled himself and approach her when he was 3-meter close, Yukiha noticed him and turn her head at him with surprised eyes. She didn't think she will meet him here right now.

"A-Arya-kun? What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry, I just following you."

"...Eh?"

When Arya was asked by Yukiha, he smiled and make a smug face. Not expecting his reply, Yukiha was dumbfounded and just staring at him.

"Why are you here? Didn't you still speaking with Iroha-chan?"

Yukiha said again her question, but Arya didn't reply and give her a question instead.

"What, are you jealous?"

Dumbfounded at Arya, Yukiha takes her time before speaking.

"...Me? Of course not, you silly. I just didn't want to interrupt you!"

"..."

She then turned his attention to the far sea while Arya had a cold sweat running down his back 'Calm! she is too calm, does she don't even have a feeling to me?' Arya frowned and open his mouth to speak, but Yukiha steals the start.

"If you are asking me why I am here, It's because of your fault because I started to like this place... to think about something."

Then the wind blow and they started to stop speaking, it's continued for a moment before Arya clenches his hand. With a serious expression, he speaks.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Isn't it. So my I know, do you have anyone you like?"

"...None."

"How about me? Do you want to know who I like?"

"Of- No, I don't like which way this will go."

"I know it, but I want to say it. I-I love-"

"No, I-"

"Could you not cut my word? It needs a ton of courage..."

"Eh??"

"I love you Yukiha-san, please be my girlfriends!"

Another wind blows added with the sound of the wave hitting the rock, make a certain loud footstep hidden by the two people. The wind somehow makes Yukiha hair to sway in front of her face, hiding her surprise face. After she repairs her hair, she played with her hair at her shoulder.

"I can't. I am sorry, Arya-kun... You are not strong enough for me."

"What?"

Yukiha shy reply make Arya freeze, for the God sake 'I am not strong enough?' what with that rejection? It even worsts than the friend zone. Arya's head feel like a hammer hit with a strong swing, he feels a strong headache and holds the urge to facepalm.

"I-I think you at least can defeat me... At the battle last times, but..."

"Are you saying, 'If there is someone who can defeat me, I will marry You...!' that one!"

"..."

'She didn't reject it! even looks embarrassed! Which age are you born in!', Seeing Yukiha just hang her head while spinning her hair in her finger make Arya open his mouth wide.

"My father make me had a fiancee, but even if he can't defeat me in the armed fight, I will still reject it."

"..."

"This day, my father introduce me to another son of a certain company. He said I already at the age for marriage and must find a suitor. But remembering my mother, Father decided to add some criteria. He said he has a lot of money and refused the challenge, I reject him and we have a fight. I accidentally broke his bones, and he cursed at me. My father protects me, but I escaped here. So, I can't accept you... yet."

"..."

When Yukiha started to speak about the fiancee thing, Arya flinched for a moment. But his expression changed into 'Are you serious?'. And when the topic changed to when she break some bones Arya have a complicated expression which to cry or laugh. When he reach 'I can't accept you', it's stabbed his heart. He didn't hear the last word but the last bomb makes his heart shatter.

"I will say it again, I can't accept you. You are not strong enough for me, and I think you will never be. I need to go now, see you."

****

"I see, it's good drama. Where I can buy the ticket again?"

After hearing the story, Edward folded his hand and speaking with a serious expression.

Hearing it, Alicia shouted at him and make him almost fall to the ground.

"Edward stop it! You know Arya hit point already reach zero!"

"Wait, Alicia, where did you hear that reference? You aren't a gamer, are you?"

"Of course not, Charles."

Meanwhile, Arya keeps his head on the table and presses it hard at the wooden table with trembled body, a small sob can be heard.

"He is crying..."

"It sure is..."

"Are you sure he is not laughing at us?"

A small thud and a cold glass appeared beside Arya's face. He takes a peek and sees the staff put a box of tissue and she wink at Arya before leaving to take care of her job. A warm feeling filled his frozen heart and he slowly rises while taking the cold water, when he try to bring it to his mouth, his hand trembled and make the glass to shake.

"Wait wait! you will wet the floor! Put it down. Put it down!"

"Wha Arya, calm down!"

"Slowly! take it slow! You will wet yourself!"

Various think happens and now Arya sitting still with still weak body. His friends already make sure he is far for anything, he will just break it. There is the time when he suddenly grabs the table edge while murmuring something, they were confused before Edward sprung in action. 'Stop! Don't do something from Anime you always watch, like flipping out the tables!' He holds the table and with the help of the others, they stop Arya from doing something weird.

Now with a glare, they restrain Arya for anything he will do, even when he try to raise his hand. With a sigh, Edward started to help his unlucky friend.

"You know, isn't she just say you didn't strong? How about you make yourself more stronger."

"... Do you know that behind the mountain, another tall mountain wait for you?" Arya answered Edward with a smirk.

"Please speak without deep meaning!"

Arya unconsciously speaking when Edward asked about her, but he already lacks spirit and just answered half-heartedly.

"... Do you know how Yukiha fight? Do you know how many times I fight? Do you know how many times I fail-"

"Are you really going to Surrender? are you really want to retreat from that battle?"

"..."

Am I gonna surrender? Arya closed his mouth and staring upward. Suddenly her figure can be seen, her smile. Arya started to think about her, of where they meet at the first time. He started to feel that she is beautiful, maybe it's a love at first sight. Unfortunately, his mind interrupted by Edward.

"Good grief, are you really that easy to broke. So what if you are rejected, no is it even refusal? What if it was a challenge? It's right that you are now is Weak, but there is still time! She is still the second year, for the God sake. You still had 5 semesters to try. Just be strong and beat her and bring her to a bed! And it's not like you can't still be her friend to check her out, you fool! Dang, the name of Arfool really suits you!"

"Edward! Please, there is children here. Mean your language!"

"..."

Edward started to yell at him, his word stabbed at Arya heart and this time the hurt feeling seems different as a strange power filled his body. 'You are right.' Arya thought started to be normal. But Alicia shout takes their attention, Alicia was standing while covering Charles ears with her hand, she makes a glare like a mother tiger protecting her little cub. However, Charles showed an innocent smile with pokerface. A cold sweat running down Arya and Edward face seeing this scene.

"Sigh... you are right. I... I just need to be stronger right?"

"You d*mn right, Now lets-"

"No. Not today... I am too worn out. I will back to the dorm first."

After they calmed, Arya nodded at Edward and agreed with him. Hearing it, Edward pointed to himself with his thumb and want to invite him to the Gracia Continent, but Arya already standing up and heading toward the dorm leaving Edward with awkward pose with his mouth still opened.

****

"Edward, You have a good speech there."

"N-no. its just my past experience..."

"I see, why aren't you try to be a sage? You can help another person with your wise word, right ?"

"T-thanks. But I will refrain..."

"Hey hey, Do you know where is Iroha?"

"Ah, now you mention it, Charles. Where is she? Do you know it by any chance, Edward?"

"... No."