❥ Soulmate AU; Where your soulmate gets a mark on his skin, the moment you fall in love with him.

• Semi x Een •

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I felt like I was standing alone.

I always stood alone. On my own two feet. Even when I stood beside my friends.

But over the past few months, I had become so used to having Semi stand beside me... Actually, a couple steps ahead, while he looked back a little at me.

It had always been like that.

I didn't think there was a hallway in Shiratorizawa where Semi and I hadn't walked at, that way.

He was always with me.

So, when I see him taking a couple steps ahead, walking to receive his graduation scroll, I felt my eyes tear up.

Just seeing his back, walking further and further away from me made me feel a little lonely on the inside.

I knew that if I told Semi how I felt, and the reason why, he'd probably lecture me on how I was starting to be too dependent on him. And he was right, since I admired people who were independent and worked hard for their own goals and dreams.

It wasn't healthy, how much I had grown used to him.

The fact that we would be together even in Tokyo, the fact that I could trust him... Those were the only reasons why I could control my tears before I collect my own scroll.

It was a simple piece of paper.

But that one sheet of paper had proof that my journey at Shiratorizawa Academy High School had ended.

Hichimiya was the one standing beside me, and she was bubbling with so much excitement that she was bumping into my arm every three seconds. She looked so happy, yet I fully noticed the reddened eyes of hers, while she glances at Tendou.

And while we stood, singing the school anthem for the final time, I knew that all of us, the entire senior batch students of Shiratorizawa had one thing going on in their minds.

How much we will miss this place, which we had grown fond of and considered as our home.

Our bags had been already packed. Desks cleared, duvets removed, cupboards emptied out. The little glow-in-the-dark stars were gone, and so was Hichimiya's string of polaroid pictures - most of them of Tendou making faces - that used to hang over her bedpost.

Our hearts slowly break when we lock our dorm rooms for the final time... And realise we have to return the key to the dorm mistress... The fact that we'd never have to open the room we'd been living and grown used to, for the past three years...

There was a lot of hugging. Some of my hair pins had come loose, group hugs, arms around my shoulders as we took group-selfies...

And finally, the vehicles start to arrive.

First, it was Kaizawa, Reon, and Kanzaki, who all got enrolled to the same college. They wave goodbye, boarding the bus. And not just them, but most of the others huddled at the gate board this bus.

Next was Aimee. My beautiful best friend of six years, who had gotten accepted to the college of her choice, at Kyoto. She stood, her suitcase neatly packed and locked, a side bag carefully aligned so that it didn't cause creases in her clothes. Her hair had grown out a lot this year, gorgeous black hair that matched her equally dark eyes.

"I love you Een. Please be careful. And keep your room clean. And eat." She has to say, embracing me. I see a smile forming on her face when I remember to hug her the way she wanted to, making sure I didn't cause the clothing of her dress to mess up. She then glances at Semi, the two of them exchanging a fiery stare.

"I'll leave her in your hands. The moment I find out you hurt her, I'll chop you into ten hundred pieces and keep it to feed my dog back in Kyoto."

"You really do care about finances, don't you?" Semi has to say, holding a hand out. Aimee squints her eyes at him, rubbing a hand on her dress and wiping her hand before they exchange a handshake. "I'll do my best. She's mine now."

I have to stuff a cookie in my mouth to stop my squealing.

"Your 'best' sucks," Aimee has to point out, "But I guess it's better than nothing."

"Good luck with your three hearts then. Maybe there'll be someone who thinks your mark is the best thing that has ever happened."

Aimee rolls her eyes; she was still hesitant, but of course, I could understand enough that it would take time for a person to change bit by bit. And Aimee and Semi were both trying to get along, for my sake, and I realised that some time apart would actually do them some good. And like that, the queen of our squads leaves, in a hurry to make sure she doesn't miss her flight.

Next was Semi and I. Hichimiya had insisted on waiting until we had to leave. We had a train due, and we had a hard time letting go of our friends who we had spent the most time with. While Semi and Tendou exchanged an embrace, Hichimiya and I end up sobbing, ruining our makeup. We weren't going to say we didn't care about it; we did, but we couldn't help it. 

"I love you Hichi, please take care, okay?" I say, trying to get her blonde hair that was starting to stick to my dampened cheeks. She is pouting when we move away from a tight hug, sniffling and attempting to get rid of the snot she had before Tendou glances at her. And after he does, his glance turns to me. I feel my heart start to cry when Tendou extends his arms out towards me.

My precious, reliable best friend Satori.

I didn't have any words to say while we exchanged hugs, because I blindly trusted that there was no one on earth that could keep my idiot of a best friend - who was now lecturing my soulmate - happy, besides him. And not just that, I came to realise that Tendou was the one person I could trust to do the right thing, and him being the Guess Monster had nothing to do with this.

"Thank you for everything, Een-chan. Thank you for helping us. For me, for Hichi-chan, for Eita-kun. Thank you for not letting me go, for caring about Hichi-chan. I can't decide whether it's you who's the lucky one to date Eita-kun, or if it's him who's lucky to have you. You're the best, Een-chan." He has to say, laughing a little while he runs a hand through his spiked hair.

"You too, Satori. I couldn't be here without you." I say, my last word turning more into a sob than into a word.

"You're giving me way too much credit!" He has to say, his eyes wide while he raises both arms in shock. Hichimiya giggles at the fuss her soulmate is making, and Semi and I can't help but join her as well.

Hichimiya and Tendou were the most important part of Shiratorizawa that I would miss the most. Semi says that it's the volleyball court, for him, and I realise that his answer is justified.

I had made some cookies last night, as a snack for our train ride back home. I had made three batches of cookies, each batch better than the previous. Sayaka-sensei had helped me with the ingredients, and when I pack a dozen cookies of the lastest batch and hand it to her, she had an unbelievable expression on her face.

"For me?"

"I can't thank you enough for the memories. And for helping me. And supporting me, and Eita." I say, smiling when she blinks in shock. "Thank you for being the kind of teacher I dream of being, in the future."

I was sure I saw tears in her eyes when she accepted it with a big smile on her face. In fact, it was even bigger than the smile on Goshiki's face, when I gave him his share of cookies as well.

I had convinced Semi to say a few things to Shirabu as well, and I overheard him say that he was leaving the entire team's brain - setting, in this case - to the brunette. As hard as it was to read Semi, it was even harder to read Shirabu, who had simply given a bow and thanked him for everything. Semi looked a little pissed, but I was glad we had worked things out. Even Mitsuki had come to the gate to say goodbye, whispering into my ear that she would find someone a thousand times better than Semi and appear in front of us one day.

Ha. You wish, Sawa-chan.

The three-hours inside the trpass by so fast, it makes me a little irritated at times. How do I never notice that we sit for hours and hours just leaning against each other, and not realise?

"Well. We did our fair share of emotional breakdowns."

"Shiratorizawa was the best thing that happened to me."

"Me too, Een. And you aren't the only reason why."

When the train doors open, I drag my suitcase and follow Semi. He pauses for a second, and I stand on my tip-toes, looking over his shoulder.

We see Takeru, raising a hand to get our attention, while Semi's mom stands beside him, holding up a poster.

A poster, that reads 'Welcome home, Eita and Een!'

Really now, so much feels on one day was so unfair.

I'd have lost my head if Semi hadn't been holding onto my hand.

Semi had warned me that college would be a game changer.

He did, but... I simply had no idea that my life would turn around so much, the second I step off from the platform.

But it did, it really did.

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a/n; u'd think i'd be rly nais since i like fluff and all but um, just like my child skittled  i'm a very sadistic writer lololol oops