27 Bonds - Part 7 (2/2)

”What? You were the one avoiding me! Don't pin this on me, loser!”

”Don't give me that! You were dodging me in the hallways all week! Look, if you want to quit with this ridiculous charade then just tell me next time! Just quit pitying me like that!”

”Pity? What the hell are you talking about? Are you saying you made a move on Momo because I 'pitied' you?!”

”Move?! I didn't do anything like that!”

”Then why?!”

I slam my fists on the table.

”…”

Of course I know.

I mean, I'd have to be an idiot not to realize it.

The reason this all hurts so badly.

I may have tried to believe that it was because Momo had knowingly done something with my ”boyfriend” behind my back, but…

Even I'm not that delusional.

This isn't about Momo or anything. It's about him. It's always been about him.

I realized it today, but… Neither Nicholas nor Sigmund really understand who this person– who Chase Masters really is. None of his friends at school probably understand anything about him at all.

Yet when he's with me, he goes so far just for the sake of helping me out of trouble. He's already done so much for me, in the week I've known him that I…

”…”

I think what I said to Rachael was more than just a slip of my tongue.

”'Why'? It's because she was in trouble.”

”…”

”She was in trouble, so… I had to help her.”

”You had to, huh?”

My heart sinks.

Ah, I see.

So, that's just the kind of guy he is.

He'll help any girl who's in danger. It doesn't matter if it's me or not. He's just… a really nice guy.

I don't know.

That just makes me feel even more insignificant. I did think it was strange that he'd go so far at first, but I guess it makes sense. Our entire relationship, the bond I thought we had, all of it was just a charade in the end.

He said so himself.

I guess I just, really had no idea what kind of person he was either.

And because of that, because of my inexperience with boys, I ended up mistaking his kindness for something else.

”Listen, it happened because…”

”No, it's fine.”

I stand up.

I can't take this anymore.

I hate this. I hate all of this.

”Scar… let?”

It's so unfair.

He's the first guy I've spoken to normally since I enrolled here, and yet I took him completely for granted. And now, I can't even look at him without thinking of Momo's face. And seeing that hurts more than I've ever been hurt before.

It's funny.

For some reason, I thought that if something were going to play out between us, if by some chance something did happen, then it would play out in some spectacular Disney-like fashion.

But as it turns out, my life isn't a Disney movie.

It's just another one of Shakespeare's many tragedies.

I turn back to him.

”It may not have happened like I planned to last week, but I think now is fine.”

”Now? Um, for what?”

”Let's end this relationship.”

”…”

He goes quiet.

The suddenness of my words had caught him off guard. He looks genuinely surprised by my suggestion.

But.

”I see. That's just how it has to be, then.”

He smiles and looks down at the table.

Without resistance, huh?

Well, that's how it should be.

It's not a real relationship, so there's no reason to get upset and put up a fight.

In the end, I was just…

”Okay, that's that then! I'm heading out now, okay?”

”Uh… Scar?”

”See ya!”

I run off.

Without looking at his face, I make a dash toward the exit of the restaurant.

You know, it's funny.

The thing that hurts the most about this isn't realizing that I never meant that much to begin with, but that this whole thing was my fault.

It was my mistake for avoiding you. For taking you for granted.

I should have realized how I felt about you instead of calling you a loser all the time.

But now, it's all going to be a distant memory.

This is just my punishment for calling you those things.

Because now, my life is going is going to be that much emptier without that loser.