Max:So Just...leave me alone!

Iroha:Max...

Iroha tried again, reaching out with a hand, but he shoved her away in frustration. The impact knocked her back into a chair, and food splattered across her shirt, staining it with remnants of breakfast. Tears welled in her eyes, and Max's heart sank as he realized the distress written all over her face.

The realization of his action crashed over him, but it was too late. Iroha's tear-stricken face, paired with his classmates rushing to her aid, only deepened his despair. It was a profound betrayal—he was the one who had pushed her away, not the other way around.

As he fled the cafeteria, their whispers trailed behind him, a mix of concern and confusion. He needed to get away. The walls closed in on him as emotions coursed through him—shame, self-loathing, and an all-consuming sense of unworthiness.

Katsuragi's voice rang in his head, echoing his dilemma.

Katsuragi:How can we be a team and friends if he won't talk to us?

She was right. But how could he talk? How could he reveal the truth behind the façade he wore? How could he admit he felt like a misfit among the extraordinary?he didn't Belong!

Max ran, heart pounding and breath quickening, desperate to escape the chaos he had unleashed. He felt like an imposter, a dark shadow sullying the light of camaraderie that had illuminated the room just moments before. The laughter, the warmth—it all faded behind him, leaving only guilt and embarrassment.

He veered off into a secluded corner of the school, a small garden flanked by walls of ivy that seemed to swallow the sounds of the bustling cafeteria. There, he sank to the ground, back against the weathered stone wall, pulling his knees up to his chest. The fresh whimsy of the flowers around him couldn't mask the dull ache of his heart.

The echoes of Iroha's startled gasp and the sick thud of her body hitting the ground stirred bile in his throat.

Max:'How could I have done that?'

he wondered, squeezing his eyes shut as if he could scrub the memory from his mind as He overwhelmed himself with self-criticism, replaying each moment like a broken record.

Sure, Iroha was a Void, but she didn't deserve that! What kind of leader is he,if he....

Max:'What kind of leader am I,if I can't even control my emotions?'

Max stumbled into an empty classroom, his breath ragged. Leaning against the wall, he slid down to the floor, letting the tears flow freely.

Max:'What's wrong with me?'

he thought as he was struggling to make sense of the turmoil inside him...Maybe it wasn't too late to find a way back, to acknowledge his feelings or just go home.

Meanwhile, Iroha, still reeling from the unexpected confrontation, wiped her tears and rose from her seat. With a determined stride, she left the cafeteria in pursuit of Max. She didn't find him far; he was slumped against the wall in a secluded corner of the hallway, shoulders heaving as he tried to suppress his sobs.

Max:I-I'm such a fool.

Max muttered under his breath, the words losing themselves to the fading hum of the school beyond the classroom door. He pressed his back harder against the cold wall, as if he could dissipate through it and escape the crushing guilt. His heart raced, pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribcage, each thump a reminder of his failure—a label he had put on himself as a leader.

Max:How can I face them again?

Meanwhile, Iroha approached cautiously, her footsteps muffled by the soft carpet in the hallway. She had scrubbed the remnants of breakfast from her shirt in a vain attempt to cleanse the weight of humiliation that settled over her like a dreary fog. Max's reaction had blindsided her, but the hurt in his eyes afterwards told her this wasn't just anger; it was something deeper, an ache that mirrored her own.

Iroha:Max?

she spoke softly, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

He didn't move as She took another step forward, peering into the dimness that surrounded him.

Iroha:Please, can we just talk?

At the mention of her voice, a flicker of awareness crossed his features, but the rest of him remained still, consumed by whatever tempest raged inside. He felt like a paper lantern, fragile and diminished amidst the looming shadows of self-doubt.

Max:Iroha, I...

His voice cracked, the weight of the words trapped within him like heavy stones.

Iroha:You don't have to say anything.

she insisted, sitting down beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost brushed, but not quite touching.

Iroha:I just want to know why you pushed me away.

Max:You don't get it,I feel lost...

he continued, his voice barely a whisper.

Max:Everyone expects me to be this perfect leader, and I'm... I'm not." The admission shattered the resolve he'd built around himself, leaving him feeling exposed.

Iroha, wiping the remnants of breakfast from her shirt, looked straight into his eyes, piercing through his haze of self-doubt.

Iroha:But you ARE!

she insisted, unwavering.

Iroha:You have what others always forget...Heart!

Max turned his head to her, the mix of confusion and admiration in his expression.

Max:Heart? I pushed you away when all you wanted was to help. What kind of leader am I if I can't even control my emotions?When I joined this school, I thought I could finally belong somewhere But all I feel is like a misfit among all of you.

Iroha:Max, leaders are meant to feel. They're meant to struggle. If you think pushing people away is what makes you strong, then you're wrong. You're not a misfit; you're human.

Iroha said, her tone imbued with a warmth that reached deep into his heart.

Iroha:You don't have to wear a mask around me. You can be real.

Her words wrapped around him like the soft tendrils of ivy that framed the garden. In that moment, something shifted. The heaviness in his chest began to lighten, the burden of isolation easing ever so slightly.

Max:But....Iroha,what if I fail them?

Max's voice trembled with vulnerability.

Max:What if I disappoint everyone?

The corners of her lips quirked upward slightly, and she nudged him with her shoulder, a small gesture of solidarity.

Iroha:What if you don't?What if you surprise yourself?

Her unwavering belief ignited something within him, a flicker of hope that hadn't been there moments before.

Max:You really think I can...? After what just happened?

Iroha:Absolutely. You've already taken the first step by being honest with me.

Iroha said, her grayish teal eyes shimmering with determination.

Iroha:Now it's time to be honest with yourself and with them. You're not defined by one moment. You're defined by how you choose to rise from it.

Max felt the tension spidering through him begin to dissolve.

Max:I just... I don't know how to fix this.

he admitted, leaning his head against the wall as Iroha smiled softly, a mirror of the resilience he admired.

Iroha:You can start by talking to them, by letting them know what you're facing. You're not alone in this—you've got a class and A team that wants to support you.

A sense of resolve began to bloom within him, taking root amidst the fears that had once overwhelmed him.

Max:You're right....

he murmured.

Max:I can't keep isolating myself,I need to try.

Iroha:Exactly.

she said, her hand reaching out, finally bridging the gap between them to rest atop his.

Iroha:Let them in, even when it's scary. You just might find that your flaws are less intimidating than you think.

Max looked down at her hand, warm and steady. As he met her gaze, it was as though a light had ignited within him. He felt a connection—a thread of friendship braided with understanding and compassion.

Max:Thank you, Iroha.

he said, awe laced in his tone.

Max:For being here...for helping me see.

Iroha:I'll always be here...

she replied, a gentle smile lighting up her face, the kind that dissolved the shadows lurking in his heart as Max chuckled through his tears, the sound breaking the tension that had layered the space between them.

Max:& for a void,you know how to cheer people up.

he added, the mischief creeping back into his voice as the weight of his earlier turmoil began to lift.

Iroha spun to face him, her expression morphing from playful to alarmed.

Iroha:H-how did you know I was a Void?!

Max grinned, the remnants of his sadness fading,He knew this was a touchy subject, but he couldn't resist teasing her a little and how he knew?he played SDRA2.

Max:I just do But don't worry, I won't tell anyone because I know you're not a monster.

His words brought a smile back to Iroha's face, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to fade. They sat in companionable silence, finding solace in their shared truths.

Iroha:I guess we're both a bit lost, huh?

Iroha finally observed, her gaze sweeping the vibrant blooms swaying in the gentle breeze.

Max:Yeah...

Max admitted, feeling a weight lift off his heart.

Max:But...maybe together, we can figure it out.

Max admitted, feeling a weight lift off his heart as Relief washed over her, and she grinned in return.

Iroha's face broke into a genuine smile, and as she turned to him, she leaned in suddenly and pecked him on the cheek, turning his face crimson.

Iroha:Consider that a 'Thank you' and an acceptance of your apology.

she said with a skip in her step as she walked away, leaving him in stunned silence.

she said playfully, skipping away with a bounce in her step, leaving Max watching after her, dumbfounded but beginning to feel an unexpected buoyancy in his heart as Max stared after her with a bewildered smile, his thoughts swirling in delight as he realized...Maybe he did belong after all.

But little did he know, this unintentional kindness was only the beginning because With their tentative bond forming, he was unknowingly starting a chain reaction that would soon lead to a harem of heartfelt connections that would redefine his place in the world.