Unrequited.

It was a weird word on Chiaki’s tongue. It was a silly word, he thought. He had almost never believed in such a thing as one-sided love. If someone loved someone else, it would be obvious to the both of them and they could both love each other equally! That’s how it worked, in his pretty head.

He had no idea that one-sided love was a very clear reality for him. But not in the way that he would think.

Kanata. His best friend, they had known each other for years. And that’s all it was. Just two boys that were best friends. Sure, they did some things that could be perceived as romantic by the normal human being, but the two were far from that anyway. Plus, it was all just platonic. Nothing more, nothing less.

Present day. Chiaki had just finished a rehearsal with the rest of RYUSEITAI for an upcoming song. He was very much excited about it, if it weren’t for the fact that Kanata had to step out mid-practice to their shared bathroom. Chiaki really thought nothing of it, though he did find it a tad bit concerning that this was becoming a regular occurrence.

Maybe Kanata had caught some new illness? But if that was the case, he could take a break any time. It was weird. Too weird to be left alone.

After small conversations with the rest of the unit, Chiaki quietly excused himself to the bathroom where Kanata had gone. He paused as he was about to open the door, as some rather strange noises were heard from the other side.

It sounded like.. crying? Talking? Chiaki really couldn’t tell, but he was definitely growing more concerned the longer he stood at the door.

“Kanata..? You in there, buddy? Is.. something wrong?” Chiaki eventually called out, giving three soft knocks to the wooden door. He couldn’t imagine how he could forgive himself if something did happen to his best friend without his knowledge.