悪魔は僕の部屋の中に
[Akuma wa Boku no Heya no Naka ni]
By Bayou
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Part 13
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A day after he got dumped, Kyou attended school looking soulless. He sighed all the time and bumping his head several times on the door frame because he was spacing out.
Oh his way to the cafeteria at lunch time, Ryoko approached him and slapped him on the back cheerfully.
"Kyou-chan!! Where have you been? I haven't seen you in ages!"
Of course, they were in different major department, and Kyou recently always head straight back home—or to Mochidzuki's home, to be exact—so it was a rare chance they would meet.
"Hi Ryoko-chan," he greeted back blankly.
"What's wrong?" she asked, realizing there's something wrong with Kyou.
"Nothing," Kyou replied.
If the dense girl could notice that something's wrong with him, he must've looked very pathetic.
Ryoko observed Kyou’s grim face.
"Let me guess, you've just got brokenhearted?"
A direct stab to the heart.
"Ryoko, it's good to be honest. But for once in a while, please consider of other's feelings first before you talk," someone said.
Asuka appeared right next to Ryoko and slapped her head lightly with a book he held, and made the girl lolled.
"Sorry," she apologized, "that was insensitive of me."
"That's ok," Kyou smiled wryly.
You always are, anyway. he said inside his heart.
"Hey, Kyou-chan, I still owe you 2 lunches. But how about we ditch the afternoon class and head out to have some drinks? My treat!"
"Ryoko, it's still daylight," Asuka protested.
"Nothing can separate me and the booze. I don't care what time it is; if I want to drink, I drink! Besides, it'll be dusk soon enough."
Both Kyou and Asuka switched glances, they both know that Ryoko was the daughter of a liquor shop owner, so she had been drinking since very young and had high tolerance with alcohol. None of the males in the campus can beat her in the drinking competition. But still, drinking in a broad daylight was kind of too much.
"Well, thanks for the invitation, but I don't drink," Kyou said.
"Now is a good way to start," she said half jokingly, "The place I know serving light cocktails. It's perfect for beginners."
Not that Kyou hadn't had drunk liquor before, but he just not used to it. Ryoko seemed to have different perception, but Kyou wasn't in the mood to fix it.
"Drinking in daytime? Count me in!" someone suddenly butted in and wrapped his arm on Kyou's shoulder.
"Sure if you want to come, Dai-chan," said Ryoko to the source of the voice.
Imejima was clinging at the inspirited Kyou.
"So, what are we celebrating?" he asked.
"Kyou-chan’s broken heart," Ryoko giggled.
"You were dumped by that experienced oneechan?" Imejima said heartlessly, "She kept you all by herself everyday that you don't have time anymore for your friends, and now she dumped you? Ain't that cruel..."
Kyou sighed, "I appreciate if you guys are feeling sorry for me, but please, don't rub it in..."
"Well, what's a friend is for if they can't be by your side in sad and happy times, right?"
"You guys aren’t hearing me out."
"For now, forget about all the sad things, and let's have fun!" Imejima said cheerfully, ignoring Kyou's protest, "Its party time!!"
"Wa—"
"Sent!" Imejima said while pressing 'ok' button on his cellphone.
Kyou was getting more confused.
"Sent what?"
"The invitation, silly," Imejima said.
"You're quick and efficient!" Ryoko complimented him.
"Thank you."
"But I can't," Kyou refused.
"C'mon Kuma-san," Imejima insisted, "You're out of reach since you started dating. Now that you've broken up, why don't you spend more time with your friends?"
Kyou was quiet for a while. Indeed, since he was with Mochidzuki, he was the center of his world. He never hung out with his friends anymore.
Seeing Kyou was so reluctant, Imejima tapped his shoulder to cheer him up.
"Just come, Kuma-san. Besides, I have something to tell you," Imejima lowered his voice to almost whispering.
Kyou held his breath.
Is this it?
After he got dumped, will he confess his feelings?
Kyou wasn't sure what to reply if Imejima confessed to him. Rejecting it directly might not sound so good and could broke the other boy's heart. But accepting it was impossible also since originally Kyou wasn't gay, and the only guy he had interest in was only Mochidzuki.
Against all odds, it'd be better to let it hung and gave vague answers like, "Thank you but let me think about it again."
"I have a boyfriend."
Kyou was in deep thought that he didn't hear what Imejima had said.
He thought he heard something so he asked again.
"I said, I have a boyfriend," Imejima confirmed his statement.
"Huh?"
That was all he could say.
"Wooow, very daring, Dai-chan!" said Ryoko, giggling in teasing manner. She was actually eaves dropping Kyou and Imejima's conversation. "Are you gay?"
Imejima smiled, "Well, I wasn't sure at first, but someone made me realized my actual sexual preference. I was in love with him."
He glanced at Kyou meaningfully that made him sure that 'someone' the other boy pointed out was him. But he used past tense talking about how he loved him, so was it over now?
"But finally I manage to get over him and find a new love," he grinned playfully.
"Such a shame," Ryoko clicked her tongue in disappointment. "You're one of the great candidates for the girls to get hooked on, but you’re declaring yourself a gay now."
"Are you telling me that I'm not good enough for you, Ryoko-chan?" Asuka pouted.
Ryoko laughed and circled the boy's arm with hers, "I don't mean that, it was just there's so many girls who set their eyes on Dai-chan will be disappointed. Not me. I got you."
She boldly kissed Asuka right on the spot and made the boy blushed so hard his face looked like a boiled crab.
The gang chatted for a while and then head down to the pub Ryoko mention. Kyou had no other choice but to tag along—or dragged along, to be precise.
The pub wouldn't be opened until 6 a.m., and before that, the place was a café. But Ryoko seemed to know the owner, so he let them in while they're preparing everything to switch from café to pub.
One by one of the invitee came, mingled in, and had some fun. But even with the entertaining atmosphere couldn't cheer Kyou’s foul mood.
He couldn't stop thinking of Mochidzuki.
How's he been?
Did he still have nightmares?
Was his phobia really cured?
Kyou wanted to touch the soft skin, pearly-white, warm body. He wanted to kiss him, caressed him, and held him in his arms. He missed him so much it drove him crazy.
And without thinking, he chugged down the liquors that were served on the table until he's wasted.
"Oi, oi. Somebody ought to stop him!" one of the invitee said, wincing his eyes while seeing Kyou gulped down the liquor as if it was water.
Imejima rose and approaching Kyou. "Kuma-san, that's enough. I think you've had too much drinking." he said, taking the glass off Kyou's hand.
Kyou was too wasted to resist, so he let Imejima took his glass away.
"Booze is always a bad way to forget bad things," Imejima smiled wryly. "C'mon, I'll take you home."
Imejima took Kyou's arm and put it behind his neck, holding it while wrapping his other hand on Kyou's body to support him up.
"Ryoko-chan, cover up my bills for me, please. I'll pay you back at the campus tomorrow."
The girl nodded, understanding the situation. "I'll cover Kyou’s bill too, since I was the one who promised paying for his share."
"Thanks. Have fun guys." Imejima smiled and walked away difficultly, carrying Kyou's large body.
"I’ll help."
Asuka offering himself to help Imejima taking Kyou outside, and returned after seeing Imejima and Kyou off with a taxi.
* * * * *
Kyou woke up with a severe headache. He was at home, and he noticed that someone else was with him. Imejima came out from the kitchen with a glass of cold water.
"Here, drink this," he offered him the glass.
"Thanks."
Kyou took the glass and drank it.
"Sorry... I've troubled you..." he said in shame.
"You have to be careful when you drunk, Kuma-san," Imejima said, "Someone could've taken advantage with your condition."
Kyou was quiet, remembering what happened on the day he was drunk for the first time, and Mochidzuki took his virginity.
Imejima's eyes widen in disbelief seeing Kyou's reaction. As if it was confirming of what he said.
"Don't tell me someone did something to you when you're drunk?"
Kyou nodded faintly, "I sorta lost my virginity at that time."
"How foolish!!" Imejima raised his voice, and apologized. "Sorry. But how could you be so careless?!"
"Well... He's my friend and I trusted him. I never thought he'd do something like that to me."
Imejima paused in a long silence.
"Wait, him? ...You slept with a guy?!"
Kyou nodded and rest his forehead on his intertwined fingers.
"I thought you're not gay!"
"So was I," Kyou said in low voice, "And I still don't think that I am. He's just..." he paused, "...special."
"And he was the one you're dating now? Wait, let me correct it, your ex sex-buddy?"
"Yeah."
Imejima slapped his forehead, and rubbed his face down.
"And here I was who thought you're totally straight and would never have guts to walk on the 'other side'."
"I never said that I was dating a girl."
"Yeah, but you stay vague either. You never said that it was him or her, only that person. And you never correct me when I mentioned him 'oneechan'."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry," Kyou apologized.
"So, wanna tell me what happened?"
Kyou lowered his gaze, took a long silent, and told him everything.
[To be continued]
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