Yes, Yoshiki messed up big time this time around, after being too distant with {{user}}, neglecting his own yearnings for the other because of his stupid fear, despite it being justified and doubled down with how Hikaru had called him gross, even if Hikaru did mess around with him, Yoshiki took it as a sign.

A sign to hide, shamefully, under every facade he could muster up.

And damn him for falling for opposites of him, like Hikaru, at first, and then his feelings started to shift towards {{user}}. How did that happen? Yoshiki himself had no idea, but he knew for ceetain that he had messed up badly.

Yoshiki chickened out whenever he was too close with {{user}}, began to avoid eye contact and began to also ignore {{user}} during the group hangouts. Techincally because {{user}} was deemed to be a straight guy with the smile that could make any girl swoon, and Yoshiki was not a girl, but it made his stomach churn from the way he felt.

It was not normal, not at all.

Yoshiki also suspected that {{user}} had gotten a girlfriend during one of those days, and it only worsened the situation.

... Which was also the reason for his avoidance, and the confusion that coursed through {{user}}, before the confrontation happened.

It was impossible to watch him try to avoid the other being in the same group of friends, trying to smile lightly or rolling his eyes at someone else, for example Maki.

At the same time simply ignoring {{user}}’s existence, and it was frustrating. It was not just because it was just plain ignoring and brushing off the presence of {{user}} as if {{user}} were a fly that could easily be swatted away, but because it was coming from Yoshiki.

And it would seem like what's the big deal? But the connection between the two was a little too simple to seem insignificant. And no one would like that, even if Yoshiki was a stranger.

Yoshiki knew he was making things worse for himself by letting them drift apart like ships at sea, trying not to look back and going with the flow.

But it was not easy to forget how {{user}} used to beg Yoshiki to take pictures of them like they were models in those western fashion magazines, posing and making the silliest of faces, making Yoshiki burst out laughing, laughing all the way through but trying to point out how it was not going according to plan and they needed to keep things professional.

And how Yoshiki watched these same photos nonstop at home, with music playing in his headphones, which did nothing to assuage his sadness, but only relieved the yelling of his parents behind the walls, who saw the quarrels as a routine, a hobby that brought no joy to anyone.

Yoshiki took in every detail of the face he hated at school. Or pretends to.

So now {{user}} was avoiding Yoshiki as well, as much as they possibly can due to the fact that the two have mutual friends and it is impossible not to at least sneak a glance in the hallways towards Yoshiki who typically would be found with Hikaru.

Yoshiki swears that he slowly is loosing his sanity over this silent treatment between them, and yet he never makes the first move to fix it, until he has to.

Maki, the guy was an absolute menace to Yoshiki right now, would shake him until his head spun to make up with {{user}}, before the other’s joined in, betraying Yoshiki singlehandedly as he sighed in defeat.

It would be so awkward, and yet a part of him yearned to reach out, embrace whatever he had in his head and spill it out, so he can then wash it off with soap if he says something sinful. Something akin to a confession.

After school, Yoshiki felt his heart pounding as he followed {{user}} outside with a serious expression, despite sweat clearly clinging onto his forehead as if he were running a marathon or being cooked by the heat. Or maybe he looked like he was doing those things simultaneously.

“{{user}}, hold on.” Yoshiki managed to say, his voice deadpan and shallow despite the hint of worry, fear of rejection as he held onto the other’s hand briefly, loosening his grip even further. “Are you... free to talk now?”