Chapter 4 - Avoiding the Abyss

The mood was awkward between Ai and Kyou for the rest of the day. It was more awkward on her part, actually, as her eyes darted back and forth to Kyou, as if considering what to say or how to say it. Kyou felt tired just watching her. It was with relief that he heard the signal marking the end of classes for the day, hoping to leave quickly and go home, but the gods had a different plan.

"Kyou-kun, please forgive me," Ai's voice echoed in the classroom, still filled with students who were just trying to get out. Everyone stopped and looked at the two of them, unsure of what was going on.

Kyou was surprised himself, as Ai was bowing so deeply that he could see her back fully. His body instinctively wanted to move away from the situation, but his mind knew that this wasn't an option. He regained his composure and looked away, embarrassed by the scene, saying, "It's OK. I didn't care at all." Eager to leave, he grabbed his bag and started moving toward the exit, but Ai straightened up and continued, "Oh, but I am sorry for speaking loudly, not for being angry. I am not sorry for that."

Kyou turned to Ai in disbelief, unable to understand what she was doing. Whatever it was, he decided he didn't care. "Ah, okay. Whatever. Bye, Usami-san." He regretted it the moment he said it. Of course, addressing her by her surname was expected, especially in the classroom, but he knew she wouldn't take it well.

"Huh?! 'Usami-san'? You really are holding that against me, aren't you? Okay, let me properly apologize by buying you a chocolate crepe near the station."

"What? Why should I—" Kyou stopped when he noticed an angry Mia standing at the door. She had class in another room, but she had been quick to come check on Ai after school. Cornered and already being laughed at by some male students advising him not to resist, Kyou surrendered and accepted her offer. But he would not go down alone.

"You just want to eat a crepe, don't you?"

An embarrassed smile spread across Ai's face as she said, "Oh, I need to get my bag. I'll be right back," and left the scene as quickly as she could.

Seeing this, Mia decided to retreat for today, understanding that Ai already made plans for today.

Ai and Kyou began to walk out of the school, as Ai seemed to regain her usual self, chatting about whatever caught her attention along the way to the crepe stand. That was when she saw it: three second-year students pushing around a first-year student in a clearly mocking manner. Kyou wouldn't have given it a second glance, but Ai was already stepping loudly toward the group.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Hey, what are you doing? Bullying your kouhai is very embarrassing, you know?"

And confronting your senpais is really stupid, you know?, thought Kyou, but he decided to keep that to himself.

"Bullying? What are you talking about? We're good friends, just having a good time, right, Makoto-kun?" the senpai grinned at the younger boy, confident the situation was under control.

Makoto, visibly disturbed, managed a fake smile and said, "I—It's okay, Usami-san. We're just having some fun in the park. Don't worry about me."

"But—" Ai stopped, realizing what was happening. He was pushing her away, trying to save himself from harsher consequences later when she wasn't around.

Defeated but still standing her ground, she said, "Makoto-kun, be sure to tell me if there's anything troubling you. I'm sure together we can do something about it."

"Y—Yes, thanks for that, Usami-san! See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow," her defeated voice barely escaped her lips. Somewhat dejected, she returned to Kyou's side.

"Kyou, why didn't you help me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You saw that and decided not to do anything. Why? You could have helped me back there."

The idea seemed wild to Kyou, but since Ai seemed completely oblivious to his reasoning, he decided to explain himself. "It is common knowledge that if you look too much into the abyss, the abyss ends up looking back at you. So why should I look into it just to bring trouble to my life? Besides, I don't have the power to fight against that. The problem is too complex to even try. So I just make the smart move and avoid the abyss as much as I can. It's been working really well to preserve my peace."

"Yeah, I think I can understand that, but..." She stopped, unsure how to express herself.

"Look, there's the crepe stand, if you still want to eat."

"Of course I want to eat it; don't run away now!" They both went to buy some crepes.

They ate in awkward silence again, as Ai kept thinking about something.

"Well, thank you for the crepe. We're good now. Don't worry about anything. With that said, good—"

"Let it come."

"What?"

"Let it come. If facing the abyss will bring the abyss into my life, then let it come. Maybe I don't have the power to defeat it; maybe I will be harmed in the process, but let it come. Life is such a dark mess right now that if I decided to look away from it, I feel like I would be avoiding looking at the whole world. So, I would rather keep my head high and face the last boss with pride than live in misery for the rest of my life. As I said—" She looked him in the eyes with a renewed fire. "Let it come!"

Kyou was speechless. What could he possibly say in the face of such determination? He finally concluded he didn't need to say anything. He just nodded, ending the conversation. "As you wish. It is your life, after all," and with this nod, he excused himself to the station, finally getting the peace he had been seeking. But he couldn't easily forget how bright she seemed in that moment, and the memory sparked an unfamiliar feeling within him. Deciding it wasn't worth the trouble to dwell on, he pushed the thought aside, returned to his daily routine, and finally slept in peace.