Chapter 8: Aftermath

Today's Friday and It's been three days since the whole Battle Royale activity at the field, and Dorothy has been gone ever since that day.

Arthur was thinking about what Sir. Charles told them three days ago,

[Alright class since the events that yesterday has caused so much trouble for the school we're going to have a teacher's meeting today.]

and since then their teacher hasn't told them anything regarding on what they talked about whether it'd be good or bad news.

Sir Charles enters the room in a slouchy way, he looked exhausted, he was carrying what looks like Three huge Math books.

He placed them on the table and said,

"Alright Class we have some unfortunate news, all of our activities for a few months have been postponed by the principal to avoid any incidents like that one."

Everyone let out a cry of disappointment, some were depressed that they have to endure all lectures and no activities for who knows how long, while some were astonished from this news.

But Arthur wasn't thinking about the grim news their teacher announced, he was worried about where Dorothy could be at this hour, it's been three days so far and he has heard nothing of her whereabouts.

He was hoping to find her at the hospital yesterday but unfortunately couldn't find her there.

"Ohhh right ! I forgot." Sir. Charles said.

Their teacher then started writing some gibberish words on the board, it looked like Math equations.

"It's only postponed temporarily, so in the meantime I want you all to relax."

That would've helped the students calmed down if it weren't for the Math questions he was writing on the board.

but hearing that it's only temporary brought peace to the others.

"Good to hear that." Arthur uttered.

As he then turned his gaze towards the empty seat beside him, wondering where she could be but he then thinks,

[Please.. come back to me Dorothy..]

"Alright Class, do any of you know how to solve the Quadratic Equations?." Sir. Charles asked.

Everyone : NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Classes were over it was four in the afternoon, Arthur was walking towards their dorm and he happened to see Dorothy wondering around the field, Arthur quickly went towards her without hesitation.

"Heyyy Dorotthhyyy!." He shouted calling to her.

She stopped walking but she never faced him, but either way he walked towards her and asked,

"Where have you been? When are you coming back to our rooms? Everyone's been worried sick about you.."

She was silent but was listening to everything he was saying, she wanted to tell him, tell him how she felt about all this.

"I... was worried about you."

Her eyes widened upon hearing the words she wanted to hear it from, her heart was starting to beat faster.

Arthur explained to her what has happened for the last three days but it was an unrequited conversation, she listen but never replied, he talked but received her silence.

He then went to her front to try and see her face, her face was somewhat filled with regret.

"Hey.. everything okay?." He asked.

He gave her a smile but instead of receiving a reply, Dorothy averted her sight towards the ground, for her it was simply her avoiding a conversation but for Arthur it felt like she was giving him the silent treatment.

"Dorothy, why won't you talk to me? To be honest I'm really concern about you okay I don't like you going absent for three whole days straight but I trust you so please talk to me, tell me what's wrong?."

Arthur said it out of concern for her, he was worried sick about her for three whole days, but still she never replied.

"I'm sorry Arthur I need to go now." She uttered.

She finally spoke to him but he wasn't expecting the first word she was gonna say to him was that, Just as she was about to leave Arthur grabbed her wrist and gave her a hug.

"Dorothy, please come back, I miss talking to you, I don't want to look at my side and see an empty desk, I want you to be in that desk sitting there whether staring at the window beautifully or just having a nice chat with me to avoid our teacher's discussions."

She was flustered in this moment, she doesn't know what to do, she wanted to break free of his hug but her body wouldn't listen to her.

"I don't want you to go through these things alone I want you to know I'm right here when you need someone to talk to.. when you need a shoulder to lean on."

Arthur was bursting in tears, Dorothy felt a liquid drop on her shoulders as she herself was about to cry, her eyes were teary as she finally let loose and yelled,

"I've gotten Patrisha hurt because of me! I've dragged our class into something dangerous because of me! and more Importantly I've gotten you hurt because of ME! what if you died Arthur? I don't want to loose you, I don't want to feel alone again, not when I finally found someone I can talk to! but the world's just unfair! I'm not your normal average girl who loves to go shopping!."

She said everything she wanted to tell him, everything that was bothering her from the start.

"I don't care." He replied while hugging her tightly.

"I'm being targeted by Assassins I don't know when or where, but I'm always a target and could bring harm to those I love." She said as more tears were streaming down her face.

"I don't care Dorothy!."

"What do you mean you don't care Arthur!? I don't want you getting hur---!?."

Arthur hugged her even more as he placed his head on her shoulders, she became even more flustered.

"Dorothy.. this is my decision... I love you."

Her eyes widened and her heart was about to explode, she was feeling heavy all of a sudden from the certain circumstance.

"Everything about you is what I love.. I'm always gonna be here for you Dorothy no matter what, you can trust your life into me and I'll trust my life to yours.. It doesn't matter if you don't tell me about yourself now.. I have my whole life to know that."

She was in tears, the tears fell as Arthur was proclaiming his love for her, her hands were gripping very tightly on his shirt as she was thinking about what Dr. Sara said during their meeting.

[Umm what would you do.. if a boy likes you.. Dr. Sara.]

[Hmmm now that's a good question.. love really is difficult but.. either way it's normal.. if he likes me then I'll try to understand him and if he tells me he loves me I'll think and ask myself.. Should I accept him? Should I respond to his feelings he confessed to me whole heartedly?.. Who knows.. It's really a question of how you see that person.. your decisions rely on how you see that person.. that's what I think at least.]

[you love him don't you?.]

[I-I-I Don't know, I'm not a normal girl.]

[But does he think of that?]

[Yeah I love that idiot so much.]

"I love you Dorothy Ritsu, I really love you I want to spend more time with you, I wanna grow old with you I wanna see your smiles everyday."

Her hands were starting to loose their grip as she then faced Arthur directly and said with a messy and teary face.

"Arthur.. pplease forgive mee."

She screamed and cried as loud as she could and I was there comforting her, letting her release all the emotions she vented during her absence or maybe even before that.

It was already nighttime and Dorothy was starting to calm down, she then asked.

"Did you really mean what you said?."

"Yes. I love you Dorothy Ritsu."

"If you're lying I'll make you swallow one of my fireballs."

It wasn't at least terrifying as it sounds as tears were falling from her eyes, Arthur understood how she felt that night.

"I accept."

"Ehh? you accept?? but that would kill you!?."

"If it means proving my love for you then I'd gladly swallow a fireball for you." He said.

She hugs him while sniffing adorably and Arthur then says,

"Let's go back to the room?."

She nodded adorably, when they were heading to their room Dorothy was clinging to Arthur's chest, she was embarrassed to let others see her face so she clung to Arthur and let him guide her to their room.

"I'm mean you know.. I can be annoying sometimes.." She uttered.

"I know.. but I still love you."

"I can be weird sometimes, I can be clumsy."

"I know that too I mean you were already weird from the start but I'll still love you."

"What is it that you see in me Arthurr.. I don't have any good qualities for you to like me--!!."

Arthur shushed Dorothy as he then said with a smile on his face.

"Dorothy if you say you're ugly I'll say you're beautiful, if you'll say your stupid then I'll say you're smart.. I won't accept you looking down on yourself.. you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in this world, and I'm glad to have met you in that gym."

She couldn't reply to that, she already reached her limit and was already steaming from the heat, she was extremely flustered and don't know what else to say.

Once they reached their room Arthur tucked her to bed and said,

"No matter what Dorothy, I'll always love you."

He caresses her hair while giving her a smile, She then covers her embarrassed face with her blanket and mumbles,

" ----ove ---ou."

"--?"

He couldn't get what she said under that blanket.

"----I---ove---you."

"Couldn't hear you there, what did you say Dorothy?.."

She unveils her face to say it more clearly and says,

"Hmph! I said, I love you too."

And then goes back to covering her face with her blanket, Arthur then went towards his bunk at the top and was staring at his ceiling thinking about what she told him earlier.

[She's been guilty all this time she didn't want her friends getting hurt, she didn't want me getting hurt, So I must become stronger no matter the cost, so that I won't worry her ever again I'll become stronger for Dorothy.]

meanwhile inside the blanket below Dorothy shed another tear, but it was because she had a dream about her experiences when she was young.

~ A man stabbed by multiple weapons ~

Was what she was dreaming, she then thought to herself,

[Do I really deserve love? Do I really deserve to be with Arthur? when I murdered someone..]

Dorothy was having a hard time making up her mind, even when she gave Arthur an answer to his proclamation of love earlier.

End of Chapter 8: Aftermath