✧ — four seasons green tea.

[boba]

Comments

✧ — week five, post-cyoa.

[transmit]

RELOAD FROM SAVE FILE?
> YES.
> NO.

[ > LET HIM GO.
> CATCH HIS WRIST.

you get no meta for now. keeps you on your toes. ]

… Is it really nothing? Doesn't seem like it.

[selfconcept]

[ Fear. Me, Haki. Though I guess it could kinda apply to Hien too.

Hien pauses when Elysium grabs his wrist. He doesn't shake him off, but feels confused. He felt distant, but now he wants him to stay? He thought he would have been let go for sure. ]

"... I thought you wanted me gone."

[ He assumed that this was the point where things would have stopped. Elysium made it clear that he wasn't going to give him the feather, so this moment would have inevitably arrived. The shock of the suddenness got to Hien a bit, but he calms himself down. ]

[transmit]

[ he might note that elysium's fingers are trembling. not blatantly perceptible, but enough that, with his hand curled around his wrist, it can probably be felt.

for what it is, his grip's a little too tight. almost as if just holding on takes some kind of deliberate effort. ]

Doesn't make much sense for me to have reached out to you, then. Does it?

[selfconcept]

[ Hien wants to retort with how Elysium isn't making any sense right now, but bites his words back. He focuses on the grip, how the fingers tremble, and turns around to face him. ]

"Then, if you don't want me to go, I'll stay."

[ He puts his other hand on top of Elysium's. It's not to pry it off his wrist, but it's an attempt to comfort the trepidation that he feels. ]

[transmit]

[ he doesn't want to die. this much is still very true. with the focus on their hands, he resists the urge to flinch when hien adds his hand atop his, biting his tongue down as he glances away. ]

Don't get cheeky.

[ by saying it aloud, he means… despite being the one to hold him back? okay. but he just releases his grip without pulling away, slumping into his chair to force himself to relax. ]

… we started a book together, so we have to finish it. But now you've lost it…

[ why is he still on this… ]

✧ — seven days au

[selfconcept]

[ It's lunchtime, Hien's favorite time of the day, because he likes sitting on a bench in the lone corner of the school's courtyard, munching on his own sandwich in peace. He sits with a friend who takes a bite of their croquette. This school is a little unique compared to the typical high school, in which people start their majors early and have the option to ascend into their elevator university if they choose to. It's also rich. Super, stinkin' rich. Their courtyard is expansive in which they hold many events, whether it's funded by the school or the clubs alone. Every day is a loud day where something is happening one way or another. The headmaster seems to be an eccentric in which they prioritize the life balance of school life and a social life.

Hien, a senior in high school, barely gets by his academics. In fact, he's on academic probation and doesn't have many friends. He's in danger of getting kicked out if he doesn't get a decent score on his next exams.

The fact that he can leisurely sit on the bench while eating his lunch without a care is quite something. It's as if he has no worries while eating his tenth tuna sandwich.

"I wonder who he'll be going out with this week? He's basically got a horde of fans trailing right behind him... must be nice to be popular."

His friend, Rion Branciere, speaks up as Hien watches. It's not as exaggerated as Rion put it to be, but the guy does seem to have a big group of friends. ]

The rising star of the guy from communications? That's what they all say, but is that even his major...

[ "Kinda like you, except he can actually excel in whatever major he's supposedly in?"

Hien elbows them in the side. They sputter.

"Watch it! This is my last croquette for a while! And besides, he probably just dumped his most recent date. Wouldn't it be like a fairy tale to date him. or something. A one-week fairytale. They're really the shallowest of the shallow." ]

If you're so invested in his dating life, why don't you go date him?

[ "Wow... killjoy. What else do you want to talk about? About how your ranking account got banned because you--"

Rion gets elbowed again. Ough... their side. Their food!

"You owe me five more croquettes after this." ]

I don't owe you shit.

[transmit]

[ it's lunchtime, aaaaand elysium's running late. terribly late. so very fashionably late, that the school gates have long shut—which means the only legitimate way in would involve pleading with the guard again to make it the nth time this month. extra awkward, considering he'd only barely scraped by without a punishment the last time with his wide doe eyes and a solemn i promise, really, last time, pinky swear and all.

so! absolutely not happening.

instead, he's here, scaling a stretch of wall he knows hardly anyone passes by, hopefully leading into what should be an equally desolate corner of the courtyard. stone rises up well above his height, obscuring his view of whatever waits on the other side, but once he hauls himself close to the top, all he wants is to be over already. and so he goes, throwing the rest of his body after himself without a second thought. who could possibly be on the other side? no one, he thinks, with all the confidence of the guy who has the audacity to call himself the hottest guy on campus and to date through a new person a week.

but as it turns out, life always enjoys a good prank. there is, in fact, someone on the other side. multiple someones, even! hm.

unfortunately, he's already committed. with momentum doing its thing and no time to course-correct, all he can do is blurt out— ]

Watch out—! [ wahoooooo!! ] Man incoming!

[ that tenth tuna sandwich might be the next casualty if hien doesn't move out of the way soon. ]

[selfconcept]

[ The first thing Hien does is reflexively raise his leg to kick something (or someone) that seems like a threat, but Rion, aware of Hien's violent reflexes, reflexively smacks him in time for that to stop. The result is a close call for Rion, who is just out of harm's way, but for Hien? He catches the trespasser in the fall, making Hien fall onto his back as a result. Ow. But at least someone acted as a cushion. Now that they have time to process what just happened, Rion looks on, amused.

"Oh, speak of the devil."

The tenth tuna sandwich is now on the ground. It's completely unsalvageable with the dirt and all. A casualty...

But despite what just happened, it doesn't hurt all that much. This guy is lighter than Hien expected him to be. ]

Get off already...

[transmit]

[ the landing is less than ideal and more inelegant than anything he would have wanted to be seen doing, but otherwise not the worst. or, well. that's still technically up in the air, because elysium's next immediate reaction after his little 'oww, ow, ow,' fingers pushing his hair out of his face, is to blink his eyes open and find himself staring straight down at the person beneath him, hands braced on the ground and effectively trapping him below.

he opens his mouth to say something, then seemingly settles on something else entirely. ]

'Speak of the devil'? That's a new one. Unless you mean it in the way I'm devilishly handsome.

[ an airy laugh as he takes a breath and scoots up. ]

You okay?

[ he peers down, probably a little too close for comfort, easing the rest of his weight off him while his eyes roam the rest of his body, searching for any telltale signs of discomfort. ]

I'll owe you for the sandwich, but I can't exactly pay away any injuries. … Lemme get you to the infirmary just to be safe. [ a glance over his shoulder to regard the other person, ] Sorry, senior, but you don't mind cleaning up here, do you? I'll return the favour—and if you've heard the rumours like it sounds like you have, you know I mean it.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien watches Elysium while being in this questionable position. When their faces are close, Hien notices things like how he smells, the texture of his hair must be really soft, and he seems cute in general. Maybe the little red streak in his arm is a charm point. He's cuter than Hien expected him to be, but he wouldn't say that Elysium is the hottest person on campus. He opens his mouth to say something, but Rion speaks up first:

"Sure, sure. Just get Hien over to the infirmary. Carry him in case something happened to his spine."

They're only a little serious about that last part. Looks like Hien doesn't get a choice. ]

✧ — week five, epilogue.

[transmit]

SKIP TO NEXT CHOICE?
> YES.
> NO.

"I killed you."

"[…] I still lifted a blade against you, regardless if it was real or not."

[ in which i don't low roll and—

elysium's sword pierces thorns' heart clean. perhaps not on the first try, or even the second, but eventually—it does. hien can finds thorns emerging from the river in a way that might feel familiar: he's alone, his clothes marked with fresh slashes and punctures that could've only come from a sword. nearby, there's a clean change of clothes and a towel, which suggests he wasn't left entirely on his own… though it's still strange, considering the periods between returns and transitions into the new maze had always been characterised by lulls. either way, elysium is nowhere to be found.

if hien goes looking, he'll find elysium atop purrfect penance's rooftop, positioned just out of easy sight, eyes fixed on the 'sky' above. if he doesn't, well. that's what week six is for. ]

[selfconcept]

[ It hasn't been that long, but when he sees Thorns climb out of the river—those slash scars, and the clothes just being there as if this was all planned out, he holds himself back from asking Thorns what happened. He has a bad feeling about this, and despite deciding that Elysium would be more comfortable without his presence, he can't help but to worry. Shouldn't he have been here if he wanted to see Thorns? That's his closest friend, and... honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if he was the one Elysium liked.

So he goes looking for him, teleporting in every place that could possible have anyone in it. He goes through multiple rooms in the manor and is on the outlook for possible abnormalities in case if Elysium happens to be inflicted with a curse that makes him look different. He goes through the entire Purgatory relatively quickly, until he decides he wants to take a break, so he goes to the rooftop of Purrfect Penance and—

There he is.

He hesitates in calling out to him and since he arrived by teleporting, he's a bit away from Elysium. He's not sure what to say, but the concern is obvious. ]

"... Elysium?"

[transmit]

[ he figures that if anyone could find him, it would be hien. it doesn't make him particularly happy to be right, drawing his knees up to his chest to bury his face in them. if there's a posture that tops the chart for wanting to be left alone, this would be it. there are few times elysium lets himself be seen vulnerable; fewer still—none—where he wants someone else to act on it. ]

Do you know how to take a hint?

[ he takes aim for biting, but it falls short and comes out tired. ]

[selfconcept]

[ Does he? His concern for Elysium overrides the tone of Elysium's voice and how he should back off, but...

Despite everything, he just wants to help while knowing that he could be coming off as overbearing. He cares about him too much, but he keeps his physical distance.

Hien doesn't say anything, but remains in place.

Knowing how to take a hint? Probably not, no. ]

[transmit]

[ well.

there's not much he can do if hien decides to stay. he turns back to what he was doing before—steadying his breathing, trying not to think about what he's done. his friend felt guilty for taking his life; their friendship had already been strained. like this, at least, they're on the same playing field. aren't they? there's nothing for him to feel guilty about anymore.

no. if anything, there's one person here who comes out worse, and it's hard to ignore the constant reminder of that. the longer hien looks, the more obvious it probably is that elysium's trembling. if he could claim his actions under a curse or the influence of something else, woulnd't that be great? but yet again, this is just who he is. someone with the capacity to sever any and all of his relationships, so long as he can justify it well enough. it's held true both in his past and his now. ]

✧ — week six.

[selfconcept]

[ Some time in the middle of week 6, Hien sends Elysium a message. ]

have you been to the springs yet

[transmit]

[ belatedly realising we never got our sausage party hot springs night oh no ]

There's a salon

[ LIKE THIS TAKES PRECEDENCE ]

[selfconcept]

[ ok


well. He suggested the springs for health reasons, but. ]

i can do your hair

[transmit]

Obikawa already did it
Want me to do yours?

[selfconcept]

[ If it was possible for Hien to feel jealousy, he'd go and punch Obikawa's shoulder. How dare he take away this opportunity... but no, instead, Hien is more curious on how Elysium looks. ]

sure
be there soon

[ He's doing his best to give Elysium more agency...

It doesn't take long for Hien to arrive at the salon. ]

"They really cleaned up well after the war in here..."

✧ — seven days, week two.

[transmit]

[ time passes, as it always does. the weekend comes and goes, along with a plush and an assortment of sweets. the gift is thoughtful in the way money and effort can be thoughtful, carefully chosen, neatly presented, and with a price tag that can be flaunted, despite their status as students with no real jobs. no one's thinking that far, when all that matters is the objective value of it. still, despite that effort, people always find something to fault.

it isn't really about the gifts. it never is. luxury clothing, branded bags, high-end skincare and perfumes. elysium couldn't care less whether they make their way back to him. it's about what the glamour supposedly covers up—if he's their boyfriend, shouldn't he want to spend more time with them? shouldn't he be disappointed that he didn't come first?

it puts elysium in an awkward position. affection shouldn't have to be instructed, and being told what to do and following through is what it makes it feel false. he smiles anyway, easy and apologetic, because that's what he’s good at.

she frowns. she holds my melody to her chest and clarifies that she's the one breaking up with him, not the other way around. the rumours were right—he's too polished, too accommodating. in the end, fairytales are just that: he doesn’t seem to understand what makes relationships feel real. what does he actually want?



it's monday and elysium is once again running late. ]

[selfconcept]

[ It's a Monday and Hien is eating in the courtyard as usual. Rion has gotten extremely busy as the student council treasurer so they have even less time to hang out with Hien.

...

He stops eating to climb the brick fence and peek. Is Elysium coming this way again...? ]

[transmit]

[ HE IS… he is a tiny dot charging straight at him, toast clamped in his mouth. please step aside unless you want another collision, as his gaze is clearly intent on using some close by metal bars as a vault.

this is exactly how he's going to die one day, doing ridiculous things like this. ]

[selfconcept]

[ The metal bars as a vault... hm. Hien goes back down and tries to figure out which direction Elysium might vault to, but he figures he can make some last minute changes. He can try to catch him if something goes wrong, but what if it doesn't?

...

He'll just see how it goes. ]

[transmit]

[ imagine if he just keeled over here

just kidding, he's already actively dying in the other thread, so he's allowed to be an extra fuck just this once, landing perfectly light on his feet with a contented breath of air. ]

Safe—!

I knew you'd know better this week. I'll be counting on you to keep the coast clear.