"Because I love you."

Whispered the girl weakly with tears in her eyes. She read the astonishment in Shinya's eyes. For a long moment silence fell between the two.

"(Y/n)..." Those words sounded like a death sentence for the girl. A death sentence that would end her agony.

"We've only seen each other a couple of times, how..." The boy's confusion was all too perceptible.

The girl laughed. After all, she had always known that she had aimed too high. In what parallel universe could Shinya Hiragi ever have wanted someone like her? Perhaps in the universe of fairy tales, certainly not in reality.

"It's from the first moment I saw you that I can't get you out of my mind... and when I got to know you better, I only fell even more in love. I... I have no doubts. I love you Shinya." The boy sustained her gaze for a little longer.

"You're putting me in a difficult position."

"For Guren?"

Shinya looked at her surprised. (Y/n) smiled. "Does he really have feelings for me?" Shinya sighed. "While I don't matter to you, do I?" "(Y/n)..." But Shinya did not add anything else. He didn't have the strength to do so.

The love for Shinya had consumed her to the core, more than Guren could have ever understood. That had taken time, although (Y/n) was convinced that her feelings had begun to change before she was rejected.

With the albino it had been love at first sight, something that had come overpoweringly into her life occupying every single space, whereas with Guren it had been very different. He was Shinya's best friend, the filter with which she had always seen him. Shinya's friend. A way to get to know better the person who didn't want to be part of her life.

Yet over time she had realized that perhaps she could aspire to find an island of peace even with Guren. Especially since she had been assigned to his unit and they spent much more time in close contact.

After the scene she had caused in Shinya, the boy had stopped hanging out with the team. He was a big shot in the army, it almost made sense that he had better things to do. Guren knew what had happened too, but she had never gone into too much detail. Guren was aware that she had been in love with Shinya, but it was likely that he didn't know several things. Unless Shinya had revealed something to him.

But Guren's constant care had heartened her and, slowly, she had developed feelings for him too. She enjoyed spending time together and they had many things in common. And so it was Guren who had taken the initiative this time. He wanted to have (Y/n) beside him. He knew that the girl had feelings for his friend, but he also knew that Shinya was not interested. So he had decided to make a move on her. If Shinya didn't want to take the chance to have (Y/n) next to him, he would do it before it was definitely too late.

(Y/n) expected that sooner or later Guren would make the first step, she knew she had to prepare for that moment. What would she do? Would she accept Guren's advances or would she continue to live in a faint illusion? She had thought it over for a long time and, perhaps, she too was entitled to find some happiness in her love life. And Guren seemed willing to offer her just that. Was there any point in shirking to hold on to something that could never happen?

And so, when Guren decided to declare himself, the girl tried to be as sincere as possible with him. She was still bewildered by Shinya, but she was fine with Guren, in short she believed she was ready to start an affair with him if he wanted to. Guren was happy with the answer he had received, less so knowing that Shinya still had an effect on her, but he was convinced that if they were good together he would make her forget about Shinya.

(Y/n) would finally be his.

Shinya had been one of the first to know. Guren himself before going to (Y/n) had spoken to him with a gleam in his eyes that the albino had never seen before. He knew it was early, that perhaps it was a hasty decision, but he loved the girl and did not want to wait even a minute longer. He wanted to marry her and seal their love forever.

Shinya's heart had heaved when his friend had come to him to tell him of his decision, but seeing him so happy, he hadn't felt like expressing the unease he felt at that moment. How could he do that? And so he had agreed to be Guren's best man in case (Y/n) accepted his marriage proposal.

But he hoped that moment would never come.

Deep in his heart he hoped that (Y/n) would not accept, that something would go wrong, that....

He remembered that day of his confession and began to cry. Why had he let her go? Why?

(Y/n) was quite surprised by Guren's marriage proposal, she did not believe they were already at this point in their relationship at that time. And maybe the boy had noticed something was wrong when he looked at the reaction his girlfriend had had. Perhaps not what he had expected. (Y/n) saw Guren's gaze darken, and her heart clenched. "It's just... you catch me by surprise... I didn't think..." "You don't want to marry me?" "Of course, I do." She whispered, but something was wrong.

She felt her heart was too heavy. And she wasn't the only one who realized it. Guren had also realized how dull her answer sounded. He convinced himself that this insecurity stemmed from his sudden proposal. After all, they hadn't even been together for a year, he must have genuinely surprised her. And yet. Yet he couldn't help adding that.

"I have already asked Shinya to be my best man."

An icy coldness fell between the two.

"To Shinya?" Asked the girl, too quickly compared to the slow response earlier.

"Yes. He agreed." And he looked her straight in the eyes. He wanted to make sure Shinya was no longer a problem for the young woman. He read relief in her eyes. "Oh, good. I guess I'll also have to decide who my best man will be! Help, it won't be an easy choice!!!" Guren calmed down and pulled the girl close to him. "I can't wait to marry you, my love." "Me too." She whispered.

The next days were hectic between preparations and the minds of the soon-to-be newlyweds were burdened with a thousand different impulses and, all too soon, the fateful 'yes' day arrived.

(Y/n) admired herself in the mirror for the last time. Who knows whether Guren would have liked the choice? She felt like a real princess.

Who knows if... she stopped her thoughts before they wandered off into nothingness.

It was Guren she was marrying. It was with him that she had built a life project. With him she wanted to spend the rest of her days.

Yet ... why did she want so badly for Shinya too to recognize how gorgeous she was that day? Yes, she wanted him to see her in all her glory and regret not having her by his side. It would be some sort of compensation for how bad she had been.

The notes of the wedding march echoed through the church; all eyes turned to the bride as she walked down the nave. All bewitched by her beauty. Starting with the groom, who had never seen her so radiant. So she really wants to marry me!

But another pair of eyes watched her with a strange intensity. They were Shinya's eyes, completely enraptured by her.

More flashbacks of that damned day came back to his memory. Why had he remained silent in front of (Y/n)'s words? Why had he not revealed to her how much he cared for her? How much he wanted her to be his? Yes, why? Fear and insecurity had stopped him.

It had already happened to him that Guren stole his betrothed, he certainly didn't want to repeat the experience. After all, Guren's friends all had a soft spot for the boy, while (Y/n) it was to him she had come. It was him she wanted, but because of his complexes Shinya had not taken that opportunity. And he knew it. He knew it perfectly well. What he was about to do was an infamy.

An infamy that Guren would never forgive him, but he would never forgive himself if he let the woman he loved slip through his fingers. If with Mahiru Guren had come before him in this case things were different. It was Shinya who had had the girl's heart first. He had to find out if (Y/n) had really forgotten him.

And so just before the initial promises were spoken, he decided to go completely mad.

"I object!"

All eyes were soon on him, but Shinya only looked at (Y/n). He wasn't sure if he had the courage to look at Guren. Yet it only took an exchange of glances with the girl to realize that he had made the right choice.

He turned towards Guren who was staring at him astonished. He had not yet seen him turn towards (Y/n). Guren also knew what was going to happen. He knew very well.

"Guren..." Whispered the girl, shaking her head. The boy turned towards her and then turned back to look at Shinya.

"Why now? If you knew..."

"I'm sorry, but I've already let her escape once and regretted it bitterly... Besides... This time I got to her heart first."

"(Y/n)... Why did you do this to me?" The girl hesitated.

"I thought I could be happy with you too, but..."

"You never stopped loving Shinya."

"I'm sorry." She whispered through her tears. "I actually never stopped hoping that you really wanted me, ever, deep down I always did."

Shinya approached her, taking her face in his hands. "I have always wanted you, always." And, under the amazed and astonished gaze of Guren and those present, the two exchanged their first passionate kiss.

Good evening <3

I'm back with this new chapter and I really hope to write more in the future, I know I have some requests I still have to finish but I have no specific plan on them, I'll gess I'm just going to write when I feel inspired <3

Anyway, whould you have left Guren like that??

30/07/2022