80: remorse

"You're <i>what</i>?!"

"Uh. We're gettin' married, man. I thought you'd be happy for me. Us."

Aizawa Shota stared at the man beside him incredulously, his bloodshot eyes wide. He shook his head, one hand raising to rub at the back of his neck. "Okay. Yes." He sighed. "I knew this would eventually happen."

"You, uh. Okay there? Y'look kinda upset."

"It's a problem of my own making." He shrugged. "Nothing to bother you about."

"C'mon, it's not like yer jealous or anything!" Hizashi burst out in a loud bray of laughter that stopped abruptly when he saw the pain in his friend's eyes.

"I still harbor feelings for Cheshire. As promised, I won't ever act on them again, however."

Hizashi sucked in air through his teeth sharply. "Sorry, Sho. I didn't realize - "

The drawn features of the laconic man grew more tense but he waved a hand dismissively. "You're my friend. She's... my friend. I'll do it." He turned back to his computer screen, his eyes haunted.

"...and then he like, shuffled off. He looked hella sad." He confided to Nemuri about what happened afterwards, at the teacher's lounge. 

Midnight shook her head. "You know how he feels about her, right?"

"Uh... yeah." He bit his lip, his leg shaking under the table. "I mean, I didn't think he still had the hots for her, seriously, it's been a year. But I knew originally he liked her."

"It took him a long time to find <i>anyone</i> he felt that way about. It's hitting him harder." She paused, tapping her long, red nails on the table top. "Well. He knows he can't do anything about it. That he shouldn't. I think your best bet is to do what he's doing."

"I really wish I hadn't asked him," he groaned, throwing his head back in despair. "I feel like such a crap friend."