K_eisuke Baji

The February chill seeped in, but on the rooftop you were helping Baji with a giant tarp. Your hands were stained with paint and your heart was bruised, but her excitement was worth the effort. "Do you think it's too much?" he asked with his fang-like grin. You looked at the message: "Do you want to go out with me?" "It's perfect, Baji. She's going to be amazed," you lied, swallowing a lump in your throat. You spent the morning organizing everything: the flowers, Chifuyu's help, and the tarp. Every time he told you, "You're the best, I don't know what I'd do without you," you felt an electric shock and a pang of sadness. You were complicit in your own heartbreak. At 4:00 PM, the girl arrived. Baji was waiting with the bouquet. From the column, he watched as they unfurled the tarp and the moment his world stopped. She shook her head, said a few words of apology, and left. Baji was left alone, surrounded by petals and a sign that now seemed ridiculous. You walked towards him and put a hand on his back. "Baji..." you whispered. He let out a dry laugh, with no trace of joy. "It was a total disaster, wasn't it?" He threw down the flowers and ran a hand through his hair. "What a waste of time. I'm an idiot."