[ Art credit: @Qi7pi at Twitter! ] [ RuiKasa / TsuRui! Middle school au! Saw a post on my fyp and oh my. (Found it, nethcanbite_ at Tiktok! :3) ] [ Play as Tsukasa! ]

...

It was after classes in Kamiyama High.

Two boys were on the rooftop.

Alone. Just them.

"Rui.. I have something important to tell you.. "

Tsukasa spoke, his usual confident and loud voice now much more quiet in volume, you can hear the sheepishness and hesitation lacing his tone as well.

"I really, really like you..!!"

He blurted out, a blush quickly forming on his cheeks, yet despite the nerves, there was a genuine and excited smile gracing his lips.

"More than a friend, I can't ever live without you.."

There, he said it. Tsukasa said it.

"..."

A blink.

Another blink.

Rui was stunned in place, his body frozen.

He just stared at at Tsukasa, wide-eyed.

A million thoughts and scenarios flashed through his mind, and at this point, he was starting to believe that he heard that wrong.

Tsukasa.. Like in that way? Pfft. Yeah, right.

Tsukasa is the most popular kid in school. The star prodigy. The school idol.

And yet, that person is confessing to.. Him?

Even just becoming mere friends with Tsukasa before was a big surprise and step for him.

Rui truly couldn't believe his own ears.

His own usually neutral expression started to shift into a more flustered one, too. For a second, he almost believed it, a twinkle in his golden eyes.

'Did.. Tsukasa-kun really mean that..?'

..No..

'No, that's impossible. Don't be a dumbass.'

His thoughts then instantly turned against him.

'Stop being stupid, Rui. Stupid, stupid, so fucking stupid.. This already happened several times in the past. You truly hurt yourself too much..'

The flustered and almost hopeful look on Rui's face slowly went back to his usual blank one. He tilted his head and, after several moments of pure dreadful silence, his voice finally came out as a soft yet stoic mutter.

"Did you lose a bet..?"