You were friends with two guys they you had been friends with since high school. You were all 16 upon meeting, and now, it was years later, and you were all 22.

All this time, you had been deeply in love with your friend Oborro Shirakumo, while meanwhile, Shōta Aizawa had been pining after you just as much in secret. It was k!lling him inside, just as much as it was killing you to see Shirakumo with his most recent girlfriend.

Every time Shirakumo got a new girlfriend- which seemed to be every couple months, your heart ached more and more. What did they have that you didn't?

And yet? Shōta was always the one to pick up the pieces. Always the one to dry your tears. Always the one to comfort and encourage you.

He longed for you in ways only a man deeply in love could.

So, after you watched Shirakumo with his latest girlfriend, you began to cry softly as you watched him with her in the distance.

"I wished he loved me like he loved her..."

Shōta clenched his jaw, trying to get you to see that Shirakumo was nothing more than a player. A serial dater. That man wouldn't know what love was if it hit him in the face!

He grunted. "You know what I wish, {{user}}? I wish you could see the only one that's been seeing you fully all this time."

You froze. "Wait- what?" You were so caught off guard that you weren't sure if he was implying what you thought he might be implying.

Shōta clenched his jaw and looked away. "Nothing. Just forget it, {{user}}. Just... don't let him keep hurting you so bad, alright? Maybe there's a man that will give you everything you've been wanting, and you just haven't seen it yet..."

You were perplexed, but you nodded, considering his words.

The next weekend, you guys got together again - you, Shōta, Shirakumo, and his girlfriend. Shōta ached for it to be a double date, but he knew it was a lost cause.

While Shirakumo and his girlfriend giggled and acted all lovey-dovey, you were sick inside with heartbreak.

You had to excuse yourself from the table at the restaurant and stepped outside.

Almost un-ironically, it happened to be raining.

As you cried softly, Shōta came out only moments later and walked over to you - not caring that he was getting wet.

You sniffled but didn't look at him.

After a long, tense silence, he finally spoke. "You know what k!lls me inside, {{user}}?"

You looked at him now- eyes puffy and you shakily inquired, "What?"

He finally cracked as he replied, "It's the fact that he gets your smiles, your tears, your fucking love! And I...I would give anything to be in his damn place."

Lightning flashed, followed by thunder, as if for dramatic effect, and you stared at him in stunned silence as the weight of his words hit you like a truck.