'Can you please make a group chat with some of the others? I need to explain about yesterday'
Kuramochi is typing...
Yeah, with who?
'Just... Miyuki and Sawamura, and whoever else might need to know'
Right, and hey what happened yesterday?
Where'd you go?
A good minute passes by.
You've been added in a group chat with Kuramochi, Eijun, and 7 unknown numbers
'Who else is in it?'
Chris, Isashiki, Yuki, Masuko, Ryou, and little Kominato
They already know about what happened
And they kinda deserve to know why you're not there and why that all happened
You kinda bailed, it's good to have a second coach for us main players
You switch from Kuramochi, not needing to read more about how you messed up.
'I'm confronting them later today...'
Carlos is typing...
That's great
Let me know how it goes
'I will'
'I'm just really nervous.. haha...'
Don't be
You'll do fine. Just tell them everything you told me last night
And if they don't wanna be around you anymore, then letem go
'Right... I'm doing it later after they finish with their practice'
'haha.. im terrified'
You'll do fine, I promise
'Thanks :)'
'How's geometry going?'
Eh, could be better
I'm still about to fail, tho :/
'What's got ya caught?'
I mean, it's all the previous bad grades, and I also don't understand any part of geometry
I gotta go, I'll text ya as soon as I can
'Right, see you'
See ya
You sigh as you head walk around the city, trying to push away the unneeded guilt for skipping out on practice. Wandering aimlessly, the sun begins to dip, and you're tempted to stay out and not return to Seido.
But that's dangerous, and you're stuck trying to speed up to get there before it gets too dark and trying to slow down to delay the conversation.
Finding your dorm empty, you smile faintly in relief. Thankfully, the girls seem to sleepover next to every night. You turn out the main light and flick on the desk lamp. With your knees against your chest, you genuinely debate chucking your phone at the wall and running away.
Finding your impulse control at the last moment, you sigh and hop onto the group chat, deciding on typing a long explanation in one text instead of blowing up their phones.
'I'm really, really, really sorry for not being around and dragging you into this, and I owe an explanation. For most, really all, of my life, I was always bullied for my inability to talk from people. Of course not everyone cared about that, you guys were really, really accepting as far as I know, and that really means so, so much to me. And going as far to learn sign language? Eijun, Kuramochi, Chris, it baffles me that you did that, but at the same time, I was really happy. But I know how it goes. It's always happened, that once people like you realise I'm getting bullied, they understand that it spreads to them sooner or later. The bullying, I mean. So they distance themselves. I thought if I could distance myself first, I wouldn't end up getting as hurt, because it was my decision.'
It won't let you type much more. Fair enough.
You send the large block of text, continuing on in a second text, anxious as to how they'll react with so much to read.
'But I realise that was extremely selfish of me to do that, because it put you in a confused state. I'm sorry to be so selfish like that, and I'm sure you won't think it'll pan out that way, with you distancing yourselves, but it will. I hope you understand that I think it'd be best to simply cut ties now. Thank you, though, I enjoyed managing and helping the team and hanging out with you all'
You reread your words before scrolling down.
Kuramochi: I'm really sorry you had to go through that
If I'd have known, I would've gotten you out of that situation far sooner
But I don't understand why we have to cut ties now.
Eijun: Agreed!!! Let's make it different this time, then!! Besides, everyone back home was fine with it, so it's the same here!!!
(Y/N): 'Eijun..'
'Back home, everyone was nice, I'm sure'
'But I'm sure they warned you at least once to stay away from me, right?'
Eijun: Well
Yeah
Unknown1: How the hell could I understand that?
Don't judge us just cuz that's what always happened before!
Unknown2 is typing...
(Y/N): 'Please don't see it as judging'
'I just want it to be easier for all of us'
'For the moment being, may I please know who everyone is, so I can type it into the contacts? I don't have everyone's number saved.'
Unknown2: I think we can come to a different agreement, and this is Chris
Eijun: This is Sawamura Eijun!
Unknown1: Isashiki Jun
Kuramochi: Sawamoron, she already has your contact
Eijun: Right! Sorry!!
Unknown3: Yuki Tetsuya
I think we can negotiate a better outcome than that
Chris: I think the only thing that should change is that we should try to diminish the bullying.
Eijun: That!! That's a good idea!!
Unknown5: Agreed, though I feel (Y/N) must've already tried to rid of it. Miyuki.
Unknown4: Wouldn't it have been fixed already, if she told someone? This is Haruichi Kominato
Unknown6: Have you told a teacher or someone? Masuko
(Y/N): 'Of course I have, though the teachers seem just as annoyed from my muteness as the select students do'
'And even if they give them a 'warning', it's not like they can get them in trouble'
Miyuki: It's the ones who have ins who do it, isn't it?
Those girls I saw get away with a lot
Kuramochi: Oh, they're the same ones who threw pain all over the classroom and didn't get punished
Miyuki: Yeah
(Y/N): 'The tall one with black hair and brown eyes is my dorm mate'
'Now that I think about it, she's in your class, isn't she?'
Chris: Please tell me you haven't been dealing with her that often
(Y/N): 'Oh, not at all. They go out to other's dorms for the most part, actually. It's quite peaceful in the dorm as long as they're not there.'
Kuramochi: At least there's that...
Haruichi: I'm with my brother, he lost his phone.
Eijun: Oh!! Older Kominabro said he lost his phone!!
Haruichi: He says he wants to tell you that
If he'd known, he'd do things I wish not to type
Eijun is typing...
Kuramochi is typing...
Eijun: He says he wishes he knew so he could find them and slowlyalhskfoEIONnfaeIE94'20
Kuramochi: Sounds like Ryou
Dumbass, read what other people are typing!
Haruichi: You're welcome
Miyuki: ...
Haha
sounds fun over there
Chris: Back to the current issue at hand
We need to stop what's happening.
Tetsuya: We could
Tetsuya is typing...
Tetsuya has stopped typing
Isashiki: We could what..?
Tetsuya: It was more of a fill in the blank
Miyuki: .. right..
(Y/N): 'Don't worry about it, it's fine'
'It's just always like this, no getting too worked up over it now.'
Isashiki: Too bad
We're changing it anyway.
(Y/N): 'Can we save this for later?'
'My roommates are back now, they don't like the light from my phone'
Miyuki: Go under your covers?
(Y/N): 'She took them because she liked them better than hers'
Kuramochi: Haha
That's it.
You quickly turn off your phone and tuck it under your flat pillow, fumbling for the charger in the dark to plug it in. Turning towards the wall, you keep in a sigh and close your eyes.
You hear loud thumps on your door, and you sigh, pushing your face into your pillow. No, this is the last thing I want... You're going to get in trouble, anyone with sense can see that!
"Ugh! Who's here at this time that's so loud," one of your roommates groans. "You get it, you're on the bottom."
"Fine," the other grumbles. "Shut up, I'm coming!" Opening the door with a slouch, she mutters some curse before asking, "What do you need?"
She fumbles to the side as the intruder pushes through.
"Come on," Kuramochi says, grabbing your wrist. "This is bullshit."
You glance up at him with pleading eyes, a silent last request to let it all go. He glares back, and you sigh lightly and grab your phone and let him drag you off. A few moments after the girls slammed and locked the door, you tug your wrist back.
'Why?'
"Because. C'mon, you can crash at our place."
'That is very much not allowed.'
"I don't care!"
'Maybe you should, we're both going to get in trouble if we're caught!'
"I. Don't. Care. We'll figure something out in the morning, but the way you're living is twisted. I know you've been through a lot, and I know you probably don't trust us. Which is understandable. But I need you to put your trust in others one last time, and you'll see that you deserve better."
You lift your hands to sign, but you can't think of anything. You nod and wrap your arms around the boy, half hoping he's right, half expecting disappointment.