Your mind was racing as you finished off a painting for the exhibition.

You were back to square one with Giyuu.

All the time you'd spent working to be friends, had fallen to pieces, unravelled itself.

You rubbed your eyes, your hands  moving to your temples.

Your breathing was steady as the paintbrush almost glided itself down the canvas.

Painting still life was never your strongest suit, but your art teacher insisted on having at least one for the collection.

She had chosen an odd set of objects.

Broken bottles and fruit and...keys.

Which were great separately, but you couldn't seem to understand the connection of painting them together.

"Y/nnnn!" Your art teacher pranced in, just seconds later.

She was a rather...eccentric woman with slightly high expectations of you.

But she was lovely.

"Hey..." You trailed off.

"I have something I'd like you to do. To help you get some inspiration! Because I get the impression you're a bit stuck for ideas," she glanced towards a half finished canvas to your right.

Your mouth hung open for a second before closing again.

"I guess you could say that,"

"Are you aware of the literature festival that's happening here on campus in 2 days?"

Your heart almost plummeted to the floor.

"Yeah. I am," you were almost stuttering.

"Perfect!" her eyes lit up. "I want you to go. I know you're not an English major, but I think it would be beneficial to you. The subjects interlink more than you realise."

"That's fine...!" You forcefully agreed, clenching your paintbrush under the table.

In no time at all, she proceeded to leave you.

It took a moment for everything to sink in, and once it had, you came to  a conclusion.

It was going to be a long and chaotic festival.

-

"I just don't know what to do," you were in the dance studio, talking to Mitsuri, who was practising some drills for a performance.

"It does seem like you're in quite the predicament," she stretched her leg, high above her head.

"Come with me," you pleaded "for moral support,"

She brought her leg down and smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask!"

A wave of relief washed over you as the girl finished dancing. However, the thought of seeing Giyuu really did make your stomach clench.

-

The crisp winter cold was a lot more prominent now. Puffs of condensation left your lips as you begrudgingly dragged your feet back home.

The art show you had been preparing for had been postponed to the end of February, mainly because the event ended up overlapping with an awards evening that the University held every two years, so that took priority.

You weren't bothered about it.

It gave you a chance to prepare more.

-

Days had passed, and before you knew it, it was the day of the festival.

After rummaging through your wardrobe for what seemed like hours, you settled on a black and gold blazer paired with matching trousers and a black corset top.

Mitsuri settled for something similar but in pink and green to match her long braided hair.

"How do I look?" she asked before doing a little spin.

"Permission to steal you from Obanai?" You teased.

"Permission granted!"

-

The festival was held on campus, so it was within walking distance. The majority of it was held inside massive halls that the university used for events like this.

As you approached the venue, your stomach began to churn with anxiety.

You obviously hadn't told Giyuu you were coming, so you were slightly apprehensive of what was going to happen if you bumped into him.

The stalls and talks you attended were somewhat beneficial. It was useful to get other people's perspective on stuff, and it even inspired you to apply some of it to your own work.

However, when Mitsuri left to go to the bathroom, you took the opportunity to get yourself something to drink from one of the stalls that was situated on the far end of the hall.

You ended up just grabbing a glass of water, but as you slowly sipped it, you spotted a mop of black hair from the corner of your eye.

You turned your body slightly, so your back was facing him a little more, hoping he wouldn't spot you.

But within moments, you felt his eyes shift towards you, his gaze almost piercing you.

The air of the room grew hot, and your heart rate increased as his presence became a lot more apparent.

Overwhelmed with the environment, you made your way outside, desperate for fresh air.

"How's your art thing?"  he suddenly asked, standing a few metres away. There was a slight bite behind his voice, one that you hadn't heard in a while.

"You can't really be mad, Tomioka. I didn't have a choi-"

He cut you off.

"I can't be mad? I don't exactly appreciate being lied to, L/n."

"You're being dramatic. We're not even friends for fucks sake." You semi-snapped back

You began walking down the enormous set of stairs that led out the venue.

And, Giyuu made no attempt to stop you.

-

a/n: SHORT ASS CHAPTER BC IM SUPER BUSY WITH SCHOOL THESE DAYS 😞