A True LOVE [ Yandere-kun X Male Rivals ]

[21] Family Line

The tension was suffocating.

As Ayato stared at his teacher's unreadable expression, who shifted his gaze from Ayato's face to the frame in his hands, he felt his body grow tense. His hands tightly clenched the picture, waiting for Mido to respond as he grew worried with the second.

Ayato took the first step to lighten the mood, hoping to remind his teacher of their friendly relationship.

He began hesitantly, his voice slightly wavering. "Mido...I...I didn't mean to intrude."

Mido stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the frame.

Ayato swallowed hard, carefully choosing his following words. "I'm sorry...Look, I'll give you the picture back-"

"Shut it, Ayato."

Before he could hand him the frame, Ayato froze, the words cutting through his skin like a knife. His heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to comprehend Mido's abrupt dismissal.

Feeling a mixture of confusion and hurt, Ayato's mind raced with questions. What had he done to deserve such a harsh response? Was Mido angry with him because he went through his personal stuff? The silence between them stretched on, thick and oppressive.

With a heavy sigh, Mido finally spoke, his voice laced with frustration. "You don't get it, do you, Ayato?"

Ayato's brows furrowed in confusion, his grip on the picture frame tightening unconsciously. "Get what?" He trailed off, the words hanging in the air with uncertainty.

Mido's expression faltered slightly, but the frustration still lingered in his eyes. "That picture... It's not just a random snapshot. It's... It's important to me."

Realisation dawned on Ayato as he glanced down at the photo in his hands. Suddenly, the gravity of the situation became clear to him. He had gone through something deeply personal to his teacher and taken it out, something he wasn't meant to see.

"I-I'm sorry, Mido," Ayato stammered, his voice filled with genuine remorse, something he seemed to feel often these days. "I didn't know... I didn't mean to pry."

Mido's gaze softened, a hint of understanding shining through. "I know you didn't, Ayato. Just... Give me the picture back, okay? And let's forget this ever happened."

Ayato nodded, relief flooding him as he returned the frame to Mido. Their fingers briefly touched, causing Ayato to tense and look up at Mido, locking into his gaze.

There was something strange in his eyes.

It wasn't happiness, anger, or sadness.

It was simply blank, an emotionless pool of nothing.

A sight Ayato knew all too well.

For a fleeting moment, his teacher's eyes appeared hollow before blinking, regaining colour and energy. He momentarily regarded the photo frame in his hand before looking up at his student's tense posture, who appeared hesitant.

Realising he might have been too harsh, Mido feigned a smile, placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave a firm squeeze. "Sorry, kid. I didn't mean to scare you there. This photo...well...it has a history." He concluded with a decisive tone, his hand guiding him through the door and out of the room.

Hesitantly, Ayato followed him, sneaking a glance at the closed door behind him. Despite the unsettling encounter, he couldn't help but grow curious, wondering what it was about that room or that picture specifically that set his teacher off.

As his eyes lingered on the frame in Mido's hand, trailing behind the man, he felt like he had discovered a piece of information about his secretive past, indicating there was more to the man than his friendly face.