Roommate Romance

Chapter 5

It's funny how fast time passes. And everytime a day is over, it feels like the distance between Toma and I grows bigger and bigger. He's slowly drifting away from me… "maybe I shouldn't have told him to avoid me that time."

"Who are you talking about?" Xia interfered with my thoughts.

That made me realize that I was talking out loud unconsciously. "Ah, nothing. Don't mind me."

"Uh-huh, right." She gave me a look of disbelief. "Something's bothering you, you can't even focus on your part of the research right now."

Looking at the screen of my laptop, it was still an empty draft. I really am distracted by these annoying thoughts.

"Ugh, I guess I need to take a rest first."

"Okay, just don't forget we have to pass this next week." She told me.

"Yeah I'll be taking my leave now." When I was about to put my things in my bag, Xia suddenly mentioned something that blew my mind.

"Oh! Have you heard?…"

"Of what?"

"Your friend Toma got a girlfriend, I saw him yesterday with the girl. They looked good together."

He got a… girlfriend?

"W-When!? How come I haven't heard of this?" I asked.

Then Xia had a face of realization and pity on me. "Oh my, then Toma might didn't want to inform you about this…" She spat her conclusion. Although I badly want to deny it, her guess makes sense.

"Y-Yeah." Toma doesn't want me to know this… I pushed him away after all. But why is it like this?

I don't get it…

"Yuji, I'm sorry but maybe it's not like that-"

I just wanted to be without him for a while…

"I'll finish my part tomorrow, see you."

But why does it slowly feels like he's changing…

"Yuji, wait!"

Toma getting a girlfriend… without my help? Wasn't I supposed to be his wingman?

I ran away all the way back to the dorm, barging inside my room to rest myself. "Ha… it's stupid… I'm stupid. I was the one who wanted this but… why do I regret it like this?"

Like I've said, time pass by so fast. I didn't knew the sky were already dark, and I didn't noticed that Toma was already changing his clothes in this room. "Oh, you're already here."

"Mhm, yeah." He awkward greeted.

Then I couldn't help myself but ask. "I heard you got a girlfriend. Is that true?"

He looks at me with a shocked face but it eventually changes, showing me a genuine smile. "Yeah, I do. I started dating Cami a week ago."

"R-Really? That's great, you always liked her. Congrats." It's kind of weird how they started dating though. Did Cami broke up with Duke, and dated Toma soon after?

"Thanks." Either way, I'm kind of happy for Toma he got what he dreamed for.

Still…

"That surprised me, I thought you wouldn't care if I started going out with Cami hahaha!"

'No… don't think that…'

"What are you saying, you're the one who surprised me. To hear you suddenly dating Cami, I thought you'll want my help on that." I said.

'Didn't you said I'm gonna be your wingman?'

"Ahh… about that, I had Noru help me with that-"

'What?'

"-and I didn't want to bother you since you looked busy these days."

And there it felt like Toma is really kicking me out of his life.

'Haa, I really feel stupid.'

***

It wasn't so long when I began to realize what my life would be without my bestfriend Toma. He was always the sociable guy while I was just someone who tagged along. I wasn't so friendly with the other guys he always used to hang out with other than me.

So whenever lunch time arrives, I always find myself sitting alone at the cafeteria. Then I often see Toma with his other friends with him, as well as his girlfriend Cami.

"Never knew it would be like this." I muttered to myself, sometimes wishing I never suggested to avoid one another.

"…hey."

I looked at the person by my side and saw Xia. "Oh it's you."

"Yeah, got a room to spare here?" She asked with a cheeky smile.

"There's plenty of room as you can see, so be my guest." I told her, with a bit of sarcastic tone.

"Hahaha, sure." She sat right next to me. Ugh, of all places, this girl is really annoying.

"I saw that you're alone here," She began to talk as she peels of the wrapper on her sandwich. "So I thought I had to join you for lunch."

"Tch, I don't need you pitying me. I'm used to this."

"Right, and I used to see you with Toma before. Like, most of the time until you pushed him away."

Her words hit hard, but it was none of her business so it pissed me off. "You've got nothing to do with my life, so stop prying okay?"

Then she looked at me with a face I can never understand. It was actually the first time I ever received that kind of look. "…I know that." She looks away and continued, "I knew you would say that."

"Then if you do, stop pestering me about Toma, okay? If you like him so much, you should go and talk to him. Not me." I told her.

Her silence lasted for a minute until she talked again.

"But I don't like Toma," she faced me again with a face slowly turning red. "because it's you that I like!"

…

"W-What?"

"Y-You… Yuji, you dummy!" She ran away with her food and left me.

I was dumbfounded by the sudden moment. To think Xia would confess to me… "What!?"

Xia liked me!? I couldn't believe it. My mind wasn't able to process what happened, and I couldn't even finish my lunch because I lost my appetite from thinking about it over and over.

That was actually the first time a girl ever confessed to me. As I got to the boy's restroom, I looked at myself on the mirror and observed my looks.

My heigh is pretty below average for a guy, and I don't even look manly like Toma nor those other hot guys… so how the hell Xia would like someone like me!?

Is it because of my personality?--nah, I know myself that I was always rude to her.

Is it because of my intelligence?--I'm not that smart though, so maybe that's not it.

Or… is it…

sfx: bump.

While I was looking at myself on the mirror, a guy bumped on to me. "Oh, excuse me." He said.

"It's alright." I said, still a bit dazed.

But instead of proceeding with his business, this guy still continued talking to me. "Hey, aren't you Yuji?"

"Y-Yes, and who you might be?"

He smiled, but it didn't felt so nice. "I'm Noru, a friend of Toma."