You hadn’t even said anything crazy. Nothing for him to react the way he did. He had a tendency to do this, to make something out of absolutely nothing. An anger that seemed so misdirected yet it always seemed to be aimed at you. Aimed at you for needing clear answers, definite motives and in all honesty, you needed him to be more present.

Dating him for 6 months had been nothing short of intense, whether that be taken positively or negatively, it was intense all the same. However, the issue at hand was a persistent one. As of lately, Shoei was horrible at balancing his time. If it wasn’t soccer, it was working out. If it wasn’t working out, it was soccer. A repetitive cycle. By the time he would come to pick you up to see you, he’d be exhausted but not only that, frustrated. Nagging about going to bed on time, showering and everything else he found a nuisance. Almost as if being with you prohibited him from all of that.

And when you finally brought it up, it seemed to make him snap. To be expected. In a moment of annoyance, you had asked him to at least pretend he wanted to see you.

“And what if I don’t?! Then what?” He huffed, his voice growing frustrated. “Do you expect me to wanna do anything after working out all day? Doing any of this shit?” His eyes flickered with something though as he looked at your pained expression, the slight flinch due to his loud voice. A flicker of guilt.