MARLBORO NIGHTS ⚘ LONELY GOD
"I don't wanna go to school tomorrow I can't study thinking about you."

Miya, in the end, had lost.

Clutching on the fabric of his hoodie, he grits his teeth at the humiliating failure he had caused. if only he hadn't recalled the bitter memory, then he could've won. he shouldn't have been so distracted—so carefree. once he had let down his guard, he had received the unpleasant flashback. if he wasn't so reckless, he would've been fine.

Why was I trying to get along with them anyway? they aren't of use to me. this isn't even a beef, I can't gain anything from it. what am I doing? I don't get anything from this, should I just ditch them?

"Chinen?"

Miya stiffened, jolting his head up to glance at the owner of the voice filled with concern. they looked blurry, unclear, unfamiliar. his sight was jumbled, he was panicking.

Am I not worthy? what did I do all this time?

"Chinen, calm down."

A soft palm cupped his cheeks, the warmth that radiated off their hands had managed to retrieve the boy from the depths of negativity.

"Lets sit down, you must be tired. I'm sorry, was that too much? did I do something wrong? I'm sorry."

Ah.

"Why are you even apologizing?" Miya scoffed, dropping down on his tush, crossing his legs in the process with furrowed brows. "I don't know." [name] responded, the uncertainty was visible in their tone.

Miya glanced up at [name], finally realizing that the hood no longer covered their appearance. messy [c] bangs framed their porcelain face perfectly, the evident hairstyle clearly exposing the fact they didn't brush their hair as it was allover the place. [c] eyes were glistening like a crystal-clear lake that was filled with the blessing of nature, yet it lacked a bit of luster, as if they were no longer the blossoming age of 13, the immaturity of a child no longer seen in their crystal orbs but a glint of wisdom and maturity, resembling a person who has seen the world and its true nature.

(holy shit dhmu im gonna become the next william shakespeare)

"You were pretty good though—not as good as me, but you get the point." The innocent smile he held wasn't genuine, as it was only there for a vibe of mockery. "I won though, so does that mean I'm better than you?" [name]'s lips tugged upwards into a devilish smile, as Miya sent them a glare.

"No, that was just a stroke of luck. if it was a beef, you would've lost for sure." He tilted his head, emerald eyes staring into [name]'s [c] hues as if his stare could slice through them in one flick.

"Don't get too cocky now."

[name], their brows raised, was surprised at the sudden statement. the maliciously playful statement brought them a sense of hilarity, causing them to laugh.

a quizzical look appeared in miya's visage, perplexed at the sudden burst of amusement, before he erupted into a grin filled with blithe. [name]'s laugh was contagious that it was even spreading to him, how cute.

He was a bit glad that the area was empty, rumors would start to spread about his vulnerability and people would mock him for acting like a child for just a moment—despite being thirteen.

It was the time for them to seperate. they had fun for hours and they wish for the day to proceed on, but they still had their usual daily lives. the pair being reluctant to say goodbye, they did so anyways as [name] offered to give him a hug, which Miya got flustered to and ended up avoiding every attempt they pulled to embrace him.

"Oh, wait a minute," Hurriedly shoving a hand in their bag, they took out a hairpin with a pastel frog design. "Its yours now," [name], with a soft yawn, quickly clipped the hairpin on the side of his hair, as the young boy stiffened at the close proximity.

"Thank you, this means a lot." He mumbled, his eyes glistening in joy at the gift he received from his new friend. "I'm glad to hear that." Exclaimed the [c]-nette, quickly carving the memory in their brain as one of their best moments.

after giving eachother goodbyes, the two had divided.

Miya being alone once again, he wasn't able to contain the slight burst of joy as his cheeks tinted a bright red, placing a finger on the hairpin.

it was the first time a friend gave him a gift.