"Even if that kindness is… split among too many?"
Her eyes never left his, her stare piercing. "Even so. It's not a matter of quantity, but quality. You, Tysone, offer more than just survival. You offer a reason to keep living. And that is more precious than a warm meal or a safe shelter."
He didn't know what to say to that. It was flattering, overwhelming, and humbling all at once.
"I… I don't know how to fix this. Any of it. Without making things worse." Tysone admitted.
Saeko smiled then, a gentle, understanding smile. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes, we can't avoid the pain. All we can do is be there to help soothe it when it comes." She gave his shoulder a light squeeze before turning away. "You should go talk to her, now. Before she retreats further into her shell."
She began to walk away.
"Thank you, Saeko. I'll talk to Mai. But..."
She stopped, looking back at him over her shoulder. "But...?"
He took a deep breath. "I'd also like to talk to you, when this is done."
She nodded, a hint of a smile touching her lips. "I'll be around."
He watched her leave, then took a moment to steel himself. He was going to confront this, head on. No more avoiding it.
The night was still and quiet when Tysone stepped out of the mansion, his senses on alert for any hint of movement. The air felt cold, crisp, carrying with it the scents of the earth, the trees, and a faint trace of something burning, maybe a bonfire from another house nearby.
In the darkness of the front lawn, Mai stood, her back towards him.
He could tell from her posture that she was hurting, her shoulders hunched, her head bowed, like the weight of her sadness was a physical force pulling her down.
He approached cautiously, not wanting to startle her.
"Mai..." He called out to her, his voice gentle. "It's just me." There was no movement, no response from her, so he tried again. "We need to talk. Can you come over here for a sec?"
She didn't turn around. She didn't even seem to acknowledge that he had spoken, as if she were lost in her own thoughts, a million miles away.
"Mai, I know you can hear me. We can talk here or inside, it doesn't matter to me, but I do need you to talk." He insisted. There was a long moment of silence, and for a while, it seemed as though she was determined to keep ignoring him. But eventually, she sighed and turned around slowly.
"Alright." She replied quietly, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground as she made her way back towards the front steps of the house.
Tysone waited patiently, his expression neutral. He could see the tear tracks on her cheeks, the reddish tint in her eyes from crying. But he didn't say anything, didn't offer any words of comfort. Not yet, at least. First, they needed to clear the air, lay everything out in the open. Then, maybe, they could start healing.
Mai sat down on the steps, her hands clasped in her lap. She didn't look at Tysone, but he didn't expect her to. This conversation wasn't going to be easy for either of them. But it had to happen.
Tysone took a deep breath and spoke.
"You know I care about you, right?" He asked softly. His voice was low, gentle. It was clear he was trying his best to be supportive, even though his own emotions were running high. Mai nodded, still refusing to meet his eyes. He took this as a cue to continue. "Then you'll understand that I'm not mad, just worried about how this will affect your mood and everyone else's, as well as our ability to survive."
"I know." She whispered. "I just can't help it. I'm so confused. Everything has been happening so fast. The way Saya and the others feel about you..." She paused, her voice cracking. "I thought... maybe I could be like that, too. But then I saw Saya and I just... froze."
He sat down next to her. He didn't touch her, didn't even look at her. Just waited. "You don't have to apologize. We both know that you did nothing wrong. You were honest with yourself and your feelings, which is more than I can say for some of us." A moment of silence passed before he continued. "It's funny. A year ago, I'd never thought, in a million years, that Mai Sakurajima would've fallen for someone like me." Tysone chuckled.
His main priority, upon coming into this world, was never that of charming the lovely ladies that inhabited it, but to do his utmost to survive what he knew was upcoming. He never expected the bonds he had created, nor had he anticipated the consequences that those relationships might carry.
His primary concern had been the impending doom, and his efforts were always focused on mitigating that, rather than cultivating a love life.
She smiled slightly, tears coming down silently. "Yeah. It's crazy. But then again, you're kind of crazy yourself." She glanced at him, her eyes reflecting the pain she'd been trying to keep hidden. "You know, when we first met, I thought you were just some dumb delinquent. A bad boy who didn't give a damn about anything or anyone."
He snorted. "Yeah. Well, you weren't too far off."
She shook her head, her voice growing stronger. "No. You're not like that at all. You care, more than anyone I've ever known." Her gaze drifted to the night sky. "When everything went to shit, when the world turned upside down, you were there. You didn't run away, or give up, or go crazy with power like some did. You stayed, and you fought, and you protected."
Tysone didn't respond immediately.
Her voice was a tad softer. "And I... I..."
She stared at him. Shimmering blue eyes. A beautiful, symmetrical face, and an attractive body that could only belong to a girl her age.
"I think I'm deeply in love with you, you dumb pervert."
"Hey... why am I being called a pervert now...?" Tysone chuckled, lifting a hand to wipe the burgeoning tears from Mai's eyes.
"Because look at how many girls you've got pining over you."
She bumped his shoulder with hers, as if to scold him.
He laughed at her joke. "Right? It's a burden I must bear." His laughter died down. "Mai, you know, I like you too."
"...!!"
Mai snapped her gaze away, shoulders trembling. "Liar." She whispered. "Don't lie to me..."
"Hey..." He touched her cheek; it felt so smooth and soft. "I'm not lying, you dumb bunny girl. Why the fuck would I do that? Would I have even came out here to talk to you?"
"But..."
"But you know my situation. Look, I'm in a bit of a predicament. I like you, Mai. How much? A whole fucking lot. So much so, that it's becoming a problem for me, and my sanity, and everyone around me. I might turn into a zombie just from the stress." He laughed at the end of it, trying to make a joke. "But then... there's Saya." Mai flinched, looking down. "And, you know, Shizuka-sensei. And, maybe even Saeko—I don't know fucking know anymore."
"..."
"The problem is that I'm being hella greedy, and a dumb pervert, but I have to ask you this. Mai, would you be willing to..." He sighed, and rubbed his head. "I don't even know how to fucking say this without sounding like an asshole."
"I get it." She murmured, and then looked at him.
He stared into Mai's deep blue eyes.
Mai's lips quivered. She looked so nervous and vulnerable at this moment, as if her heart was hanging on a thread.
"Would you... consider a relationship with... me, and them?"
Her eyes widened.
She looked shocked, but not disgusted, and then contemplative.
"You know..." Mai began, chuckling in disbelief. "It's crazy how I thought about this before. Kind of considered it as a possible outcome. And, it's so ridiculous... I would've never accepted something like this two years ago. In fact, had you asked me that before this... before all this... then I probably would have smacked you, called you a pervert, and never talked to you ever again."
She stood up. He looked at her as she walked down a few steps.
"But now..."
Her hand ran down her neck. "Now, I feel so... I feel so selfish. So jealous... and yet, I'm still happy that I got to be this close with you, and that I get to be by your side." She smiled at him. "It's weird. I feel like I might regret it one day. But I'm too scared of losing you to think too hard about it."
Mai took his hand and pulled him to his feet. Her touch was warm and reassuring, her fingers intertwining with his.
"I'm willing to give this a try. But... only if the other girls agree."
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at P@treon.com/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.