Your Love For Mine

This was the last thing I expected to see when she disappeared to call him back for us.

After all, after learning that he was visiting Smooters every day, I could only imagine him ogling waitresses like some kind of disgusting pervert. That was kind of the impression these two had given me of him after we'd followed him around all day.

Which is why my surprise when I saw him walking out of the kitchen with a chef's apron wrapped around his waist was completely visible to anyone who bothered to take a look at my face.

Chase Masters approaches the three of us and carefully scanning all of our faces.

But instead of acting surprised himself, all he can do is offer up his usual indifferent sigh.

"Haaa… Why on earth are you two eating here with Scarlet…?"

"Save it Chase! We're the ones asking the questions here!"

Before anyone else could say a word, Nicholas grabs Chase by his shoulders and begins shaking him violently.

It's so violent that it looks like his neck could snap at any moment.

"Why are you working at a Smooters?! Is this why you're always ditching club early?! What is your relationship with this Rachael girl?! Why are you so damn lucky, you normie asshole?!"

"Agh, aah, auuh…"

"Unhand him at once, Nick-kun! You are making him feel unwell!"

"Ahh."

He lets go a bit hesitantly.

"Sorry dude, that's my bad. You're on shift now, right? We shouldn't be bothering you too much."

At Nicholas' observation, Rachael smiles.

"Well, I can handle it for the time being. But my shift starts up in twenty minutes so you guys will have to wrap up your little chat before then."

She walks behind Chase and undoes his apron. In a way, it almost looks like a mother undoing her baby's bib. I can't help but wonder about the kind of working relationship these two have.

"Okay, I'll be back in fifteen minutes!"

Leaving us with just those words, she heads through the door that Chase had just come out from.

All that's left is the three of us hanging around in awkward silence.

Really what should I make of all of this?

"I guess I should have just been honest from the beginning, huh?"

Chase sighs once more and then sits down at the table.

"The truth is, I've been working part-time as one of the cooks here to help out with the finances at home. Rachael over there was the one who taught me the ropes since she'd worked in that position before, so she's kind of like my senior."

"Ahh, your senpai huh?"

Sigmund nods as if he totally gets it, and continues speaking.

"Still, you could have just told us that from the beginning. Why did you keep all quiet about it?"

"Well…"

His voice trails off.

As if there's some deep reason he'd rather keep to himself.

No, I'm almost certain that there is at this point.

There's still so many things that none of us know about him. He has to be making some kind of effort to hide these things from us.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm sure you had your reasons."

Nicholas pats his back.

"If you don't wanna tell us then it's fine, but you need to trust us some more, dude."

"Certainly. Especially about your hobby for dressing up like a g- OW!"

Nicholas yanks Sigmund's ear similarly to what I did earlier.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Okay, we're gonna head out now. Sorry for uh, following you around and all that. We were just worried about our bro, you know? Can't really help it much. It's like that one popular saying. We're best friends as friends should be."

"That's Barney. You're quoting Barney right now."

"Whatever man, talk to you tomorrow. And don't forget to beat that game I recommended."

Nick turns back and walks off while dragging Sig by his ear.

"Ow, dude! God! And you call Scarlet-san violent? Wait, why are we leaving? I didn't even get to order my chicken strips!! Ugh! We'll talk later Chase! TNT!"

The arguing slowly fades into the back of the restaurant until they finally leave through the front door.

Nicholas, you did that so the two of us could talk alone, didn't you?

Geez, I thought you were scared of girls taking your friends away from you. What the hell, you're gonna make me tear up, idiot.

"Whew…"

Chase slumps back in his chair as the tension finally leaves his body.

"Just what the hell is wrong with today? First that thing with Momo and now this…"

"Momo, huh?"

"Ah-"

I'd honestly said it on reflex, but seeing him freeze up like that just makes me feel even more uncomfortable than I've been all day.

Sigmund already told me that he was the one who put them up to it, but if he reacts like that then it's almost like he has something to feel guilty about.

"Say, Chase… Why did you skip class with her today?"

"… So you already know about that, huh?"

I don't answer. I just look back at him in anticipation of his answer.

"…"

He looks down as if he's thinking hard for a response.

Thinking.

Thinking.

Thinking.

What could he possibly be thinking about, though?

Is there even a reason to think if the answer is going to be the honest truth?

"Hey, answer already. What's with you?"

"No, it's just…"

He pauses once more.

"… Why were you avoiding me last week?"

"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.