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Worst Day of His Life

by Liza0111

It might be worst day for someone in story, but it’s the best day for us readers especially when you read to the end. Heal your heart with his LOVE as it can be unexpected, to be looking for.

Read on OrangeBat Sanctuary website:

http://www.orangebat-sanctuary.com/liza0111

or click ‘Keep reading’ below.

Happy Sunday Reading!

Love,

Rosiel

Worst Day of His Life

by Liza0111

Tag: alternate universe, fluff, university AU, mention of past SureAse

☂

Inaho never considered himself a charitable or caring person. Actually, most who know him would say he was the exact opposite. “Machine”, “insensitive”, “unsympathetic” were all words that had been thrown at him in the past, and Inaho never bothered to refute or correct them.

While there was a certain amount of personal bias that had to be taken into account, Inaho did not agree that he was emotionless. He had friends whom he deeply cares about, and his older sister Yuki was the most important person to him in the world. With that being said, he couldn’t argue that he tends to lack certain aspects of interest in the world around him. He rarely connected with people he didn’t regularly interact with and he wasn’t as invested in building new relationships with others as he probably should.

That was why he was so unexpectedly surprised on that one rainy day, the first time he laid eyes on him at the bus stop after finishing some work he had to do at the lab.

The fresh smell of summer rain. The unpleasant feeling of his socks getting soaked through his shoes. The sound of raindrops hitting against the ground. A boy with pale blond hair. He couldn’t turn his head away, nor could he tear his gaze from him.

He was beautiful, breathtakingly so.

There was only one piece that was out of place. It was impossible to ignore the tears falling from his eyes. Crying, an emotional response that signals extreme emotions.

Anger…….Happiness…...Sadness. Inaho crossed out the first two options in his head. Sadness it is.

The boy was wearing plain jeans and an oversized blue sweatshirt with their university’s name on the front, a clue that hints they may be students from the same school. He was carrying a large travel bag with both hands. His pretty blond hair is soaked by the rain and drips water continuously, while he stared off into the distance.

Inaho felt like he was disrupting something important as he opened his mouth, but he didn’t let the thought stop him from speaking aloud. ‘Sometimes people just want to be left alone when they are sad’. He remembered one of Yuki’s lectures to him on proper social etiquette. ‘And you should give them space.’ He took her words to heart, but what if the person is standing out in the rain without a raincoat or an umbrella? He determined that the risk of catching a cold was enough to justify his intrusion on the unknown boy’s alone time.

“Your clothes are wet. You can get sick like this.”

As the boy flinched and gawked at him wide eyed, Inaho realized he forgot a crucial part of his dialogue.

It might have been better if he began with something like “Are you alright”.......Well, it’s too late now.

✢✢✢

“Inaho Kaizuka, junior, bioengineering and computer science double major.” Inaho said flatly as he pushed a box of tissue across the small dining table to the blond, who had been sobbing since they first met an hour ago. It took him quite a bit of work to coax him to leave the bus stop, which is something he didn’t have much experience to deal with. Long story short, they were now in Inaho’s modest studio apartment.

He thought he should begin with some sort of introduction, making sure the boy didn’t mistake him for someone suspicious. He merely wanted to make sure he was alright.

“U-um, thank you. My name is Slaine Troyard.” The blond (now identified by the name Slaine) sniffled, grabbed a couple of tissues and blew his nose. “I am also a junior, biology major.” He added the last part with a bit of an awkward tone. Perhaps this wasn’t the format of introduction he was used to. Inaho quietly analyzed the situation.

“Nice to meet you, Slaine.” Another line picked right out of How To Make Friends In A New Environment, a book he received from secret Santa his lab group had last Christmas. Heavy silence filled the air, and Inaho truly had no idea how to proceed any further in this conversation. If this were him a few years back, he would have probably said something insensitive and blunt for such occasion, but he had been trying pretty hard to change that aspect of himself. With the help of his sister and his friends, Inaho believed he was getting better. So now instead of having an untimely exchange, they were subjected to this awkward moment of wordlessness, which was equally as uncomfortable.

This was perhaps not the time to ask Slaine why he was crying at the bus stop by himself, since it was quite obvious whatever the reason was, it was most likely also the cause of his distress. Therefore, it would be an inappropriate topic to bring up. Even he knew that.

“Um…….actually, I was wondering, do you know anyone who is renting out their apartment for a cheap price…….the conditions don’t have to be great, it just…...has to be livable. Bare minimum is fine.” Slaine, still red-eyed and despondent, asked tentatively while still staring at the table between them. “I kind of…….got kicked out of my apartment, this is all I have, and I don’t have a lot of savings…….so……”

“You can stay here.” The words came as a surprise for Inaho himself. He blinked blankly for a few times, his gaze settling on the boy sitting across from him, who seemed shocked to say the least.

“This is a one bedroom apartment, but the couch is usually unoccupied. You can use the space here in the living room too.” Inaho couldn’t exactly pinpoint the reason why he was offering to share his personal space to a stranger, but for some reason, it felt like the right thing to do. “And…...you don’t have to pay me.” He attempted to once again justify his actions, perhaps having a roommate would be nice, he hadn’t had that since his first year in college. Slaine seemed…...trustworthy, and not too difficult to get along. Yuki-nee would be happy to hear that he made a new friend.

“Thank you.” Slaine wiped off the tears on his face, thanked him carefully and promised. “It will only be temporary. I will find a place soon, before school starts in the fall again.”

✢✢✢

Turned out it didn’t take long before the truth of Slaine’s backstory revealed itself, taking Inaho no effort at all.

Slaine was crying over everything. By that, he meant, absolutely everything. One morning Inaho was preparing breakfast for the both of them, and Slaine just started sobbing into the palm of his hand without any sort of warning.

“What is wrong?” Inaho asked, one hand holding the frying pan and the other frozen in mid-air while passing the plate of pancakes to Slaine.

“We used to make pancakes together. It almost always ended up failure…...b-but she had so much fun with it.” Slaine said sadly as he took the plate, sinking back to the comfort of the couch. “Thanks, Inaho.”

That was right. Her. Asseylum Vers Allusia, Slaine’s childhood best friend slash ex-girlfriend of seven years, also the source of his seemingly endless anguish. At first Inaho offered to have Slaine create a list of things that reminded him of Asseylum so he could avoid making him relive his pain, but Slaine merely smiled ruefully and told him “everything reminds me of her”.

And that statement was found to be accurate; there were ample evidence, to the point where Inaho stopped asking him about it all together. He no longer questioned anything when he caught Slaine sighing at the sight of very commonplace objects, knowing that he probably recalled memories he shared with Asseylum again.

He didn’t ask about the details of their breakup, it would be a violation of privacy and he felt that Slaine would not be interested in discussing this topic with him. Now wouldn’t be the best timing, he believed.

Instead of asking questions, he decided that another approach would be more preferable. He tried to stay around Slaine whenever he found him sad and alone in the apartment, until Slaine slowly pulled himself away from the memory and moved on to different tasks.

✢✢✢

There were plenty of other things he was discovering about Slaine besides his past romance with a girl named Asseylum Vers Allusia. Inaho found out that Slaine was a decent choice for a roommate. Unlike Calm, his friend and freshmen year roommate, Slaine mostly kept to himself, and hardly complained about anything. He was more than grateful to Inaho for taking him in, and made efforts to show that in various ways.

“This is?” Inaho inquired when he came home to a plate of unidentifiable object on the dining table. Slaine scratched his cheek, looking away embarrassedly.

“Uh, it was an attempt at omurice……”

“Is it?” Inaho poked the “omurice” carefully with his chopsticks, assessing whether or not eating this would put him at the risk of foodborne illness. “Thank you, Slaine.” It's the thought that counts, not so much the taste. And ultimately, Inaho didn’t feel like betraying the hopeful gaze belonging to Slaine Troyard.

Luckily, the omurice made by Slaine didn’t make him sick after eating it. It only took him several cups of orange juice to get the burned flavor off his tongue.

He was also starting to learn more about Slaine as a person through his observations. The way he liked his eggs cooked (scrambled), the time he usually wakes up (around 12pm), and the type of food he can make (primarily sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were his expertise). He memorized them without a second of thought. It is essential that he at least had some knowledge about Slaine if they were to become friends.

Most of the days, Inaho spent time at his research lab. Summer classes were another option for him, but he didn’t feel the need to as he could fit in all his major requirements just fine before graduation. Usually, when he came home, he would be greeted by Slaine on the couch. He would ask Slaine what he spent the whole day doing, or what he planned to do with his future, but he wasn’t sure if that would be a violation of social norms, especially when Slaine was still so obviously affected by his breakup with Asseylum. The topic of Slaine’s family seemed even more sensitive to bring into conversations. The frequency of his breakdowns had been steadily decreasing, but he still woke up to the sound of Slaine crying in the living room, every once in a while. He still looked at pictures of the two of them together on his phone, Inaho was 97% sure. There was no need to confirm it.

He made sure to leave enough food in the apartment, a copy of the keys, and a bit of cash he told Slaine could access in case of an emergency. From Slaine’s narrative on the day of their encounter, he surmised that he wasn’t in the most ideal financial situation. Slaine never touched that cash. He knew at least Slaine wasn’t starving himself, and was rather relieved when he came home to his kitchen restocked with food.

Inaho had never been in a relationship before, so he couldn’t exactly relate to what Slaine was going through. But at least Slaine was motivated enough to go out and purchase food for the both of them on his own. That was promising, wasn’t it?

✢✢✢

“Oh my god, I can’t believe that was the ending. What a disappointment.” Slaine huffed as he shoved more popcorn into his mouth, glaring at the ending credits shown on the TV disapprovingly.

“The plot was obviously flawed…….none of the problems were solved and the screenwriters made it seem like it was a happily-ever-after.” Inaho commented, taking a sip of his orange juice. The show they just watched was utterly disappointing, although he didn’t exactly feel “disappointed” because his expectations dropped drastically after the third episode.

“The action was cool though, wasn’t it?” The mention of the actions in the show seemed to lift Slaine’s spirits. The show had no shortage of breathtaking fight scenes that were still very enjoyable to watch. “And the soundtrack is great, too!”

“Yes.” Although Inaho was still more or less hang up on the disastrous plotline and the dissatisfying ending, it was not the worst thing he had ever seen. It served its purpose as entertainment.

He realized that his movie-watching had only started recently, under Slaine’s influence. In his spare time, he read up some more of How To Make People Feel Better After a Breakup, he grasped the idea of “coping by distraction.” After noticing how Slaine seemed to enjoy watching various TV shows, he went ahead and signed up for Netflix, and he could tell Slaine absolutely loved it.

At first, Inaho left Slaine to use the account on his own, but Slaine had looked too lonely watching by himself on the couch. Something was lacking.

A week passed by, and Inaho came to learned that Slaine’s taste in TV shows was quite terrible, and consistently picked out the worst one on the list. Thanks to Slaine’s “training”, Inaho’s tolerance to horrible television had increased exponentially.

“Are you hungry? I can fix up something for dinner.” Slaine took a look of the white board on the wall and promptly got up from the couch. Inaho didn’t mind cooking, but Slaine insisted that it wasn’t fair for Inaho to do everything while he was basically a freeloader. Under Slaine’s instructions, Inaho created a schedule for the both of them, evenly splitting up chores around the apartment.

“I can help.” Slaine’s cooking skills were not good to begin with, but he did improve a lot under Inaho’s teachings. At the very least, he stopped burning food on a regular basis.

“Let’s have pasta tonight. That’s quick and easy.” Slaine took out a box of pasta from the kitchen cabinet, humming softly, apparently in a good mood. Inaho watched as Slaine happily took out cooking pots and the tomato sauce they had left in the fridge, a strangely comforting feeling settling inside his chest.

It was weird, but even though it had only been a little more than a month since Slaine moved in and entered his life, he was started to think that he wouldn’t be able to get used to life without seeing the blond every day.

Sure, there were still plenty of things he didn’t know about the blond, plenty of things he would like to know about him. He didn’t even know if they could be considered friends or only roommates, but he’d like to spend more time with Slaine. It was becoming a habit of a sort, to return home from his work to see Slaine. He didn’t want anything to change. It was uncharacteristic for him to think this way, but he truly believe that they would get to know each other better and become even closer-

“Slaine…….there is something I would like to ask your opinion of.”

“Yeah, Inaho?” He replied cheerfully as he turned around to face him.

There was a hint of hesitation in his voice; uncertainty in his action was rarely seen in him. He came up with the idea a few weeks ago, and he thought that it would be a good decision that served their best interest. “What do you think about finding a new apartment for next semester? There will be more room, and you won’t have to sleep on the couch. I can help pay for your half of the rent if you need me to.” He paused before continuing.

“You can start fresh, I think it would be good for you.”

The smile on Slaine’s face froze, then it slowly slipped away from his features, until there was only sadness left.

✢✢✢

Inaho didn’t understand what he did wrong. He didn’t understand what was in what he said that made Slaine react that way. He was running out of ideas, his mind going a million directions as they ate their dinner in complete silence. He wanted to follow his usual protocol, to give Slaine the space he needed when he gets sad, but for some reason, he couldn’t allow himself to do that.

In preparation of the worst case scenario, Inaho even made freshly baked cookies for calming Slaine down. He had never tried this strategy before, but he hoped it would be effective in reducing his stress level.

“Slaine…...do you want to ta…...lk.” Carrying the tray of cookies to the couch, Inaho carefully sat next to Slaine, who was staring out the window. Slaine sighed heavily, like there was a million tons of brick on his chest.

“I am sorry for ruining the mood tonight.” He began, his gaze still fixed on the window. It was raining outside, exactly like the day they met. “I…...I just remembered something because of what you said.”

“What I said? About finding a new apartment?” Inaho asked. Slaine shook his head.

“No…….the part about starting over.” Slaine smiled weakly at his unforgettable memory.

“It was what Asseylum told me the day we broke up.”

✢✢✢

Dreams are stupid. Slaine learned it at a young age when his parents got divorced. His life didn’t play out like how he imagined it to be. His parents did not stay together like he had always prayed for. He thought his life was falling apart. There was no happy ending. His parents didn’t even remained in friendly terms.

However, his hopes were rekindled when his father took him and moved to another district. There he met Asseylum Vers Allusia, a girl who was the same age as he. Her smile was like the sun. Her voice, the most melodious tune. Her hair, like a river of gold. She was more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen, and he thought he would never have the chance to speak to her. But as it turned out, it was her who came to him first.

“You must be Slaine! My grandfather knows your father! He has been talking about how you two are going to move here! He said we could be great friends!”

“Can I call you Slaine? I have been really lonely for the past few years, there isn’t anyone our age! Please, Slaine! Be my friend!”

Asseylum was ecstatic when he visited her house. Her joy was his honor. Her company was the greatest gift. He wanted to stay with her, protect her, to become her knight.

The happier times of their childhood soon ended. The burden of carrying the family name was placed on Asseylum’s shoulders. Despite generally liking Slaine as a person, Asseylum’s grandfather disapproved of their growing friendship.

Slaine didn’t need verbal confirmation to know that he was no longer a welcomed guest. He took the cue and distanced himself from Asseylum, trying to ignore the ache in his chest whenever he saw another blond showing up around her. Klancain Cruhteo. A respectable young man with the right family name. He was Rayregalia’s plan for her. Their future together was inevitable.

Their final year of high school before college, Slaine made plans to bury his memories and go somewhere far away. He was accepted into the university of his choice, one that is located hundreds of miles away.

He didn’t expect to see Asseylum standing right in front of his house. With two large suitcases by her side, she grinned at him, holding out her acceptance letter to his face.

“Let’s run away together, Slaine.”

She whispered as she hugged him with all her strength.

Some dreams do come true. He believed it with all his heart when it first started. They found an affordable apartment together. University was refreshing and exciting. And he didn’t think he could be any happier. They each found part-time jobs in order to support themselves. Everything was new to them but they accept the challenge that came with their freedom.

He thought this could continue forever. He thought that they could work out everything as long as they were together. But it didn’t work out that way. Asseylum always tried to put up a brave smile and tell him nothing was wrong, that her grandfather would surely come to understand their perspective one day. But he never did. He tried to pretend he didn’t see the pain in her eyes, didn’t hear the desperate plea she made on the phone. At the end, their love didn’t help them survive reality.

The last hope was shattered when Asseylum fell ill and was no longer able to work. Bills were piling up; he had to skip class in order to earn the money he needed. He was beyond exhausted both emotionally and physically, and the impact was not subtle. It bled through every aspect of his life, and soon he found himself in the worst state possible, financially, psychologically, and academically.

Rayregalia came for his granddaughter the day Slaine had organic chemistry final exam. He didn’t show up to his exam and instead stayed with her till she had to leave. They both knew this was the end of their relationship.

“Slaine, please, forget about me.” He still remembered the way tears rolled down her pale cheeks, yet her smile was bright and hopeful as she held his hand.

“Forget about me, and start your life over.”

✢✢✢

“How could I have forgotten about her? She was everything to me; our time together was a part of me. I could never do that.” Slaine sobbed as he buried his face into his hands. “That is just…….impossible. I can’t do it.”

For a few minutes, Inaho was left without words. He couldn’t possibly understand the pain Slaine felt for losing his future with Asseylum, but he was sure that he had to do something. Because this couldn't be what she had wanted.

“Slaine.” His voice was softer than he imagined. There was a lot that needed to be, but he didn’t know if he could express them properly. “Perhaps, what she meant was for you to let go of the past, so you can move on with your life.”

“I know…….and for the longest time I believed that there was no way that I would be able to let go. She was just too important to me.” Slaine let out a broken chuckle. “But until you said that, I was actually doing alright for a while. I didn’t realize that, and it made me feel horrible. I haven’t talked to her since, and here I was saying how much I loved her. But a month passed and I already stopped thinking about her. Everything I said before turned out to be a lie.”

“You don’t need to punish yourself for letting go, and you weren’t lying.” Inaho frowned. He didn’t think that would make any sense. In a way, it was like Slaine was punishing himself for letting go of Asseylum. He felt guilty for not holding on longer because his misery was evidence of his affection and devotion. “It’s human nature to long for happiness.”

“I don’t know…….” Slaine sighed as he closed his eyes. “I just…….didn’t expect it to be this easy.”

The next day, Inaho woke up to an empty living room.

Slaine was gone.

✢✢✢

Inaho didn’t feel hopeful for multiple reasons, for example, the fact that Slaine didn’t take the copy of the apartment key was an indication that he didn’t plan on returning. He didn’t leave note. He didn’t have anyway of reaching Slaine, as Slaine’s phone broke a few days after he moved into here.

Of course he wondered countless times where Slaine was, but he also recognized that Slaine was a legal adult. If he decided that leaving this town altogether was the cure to his heartbreak, then he should be able to do so without interference.

Summer was ending, and Inaho’s lab was collecting the final set of data before they worked on publication. Days without Slaine felt empty and dreadful, but he tried his best to focus on his work.

It would be selfish to keep him. Inaho told himself over and over whenever he thought of the blond. This was his life, and he believed after that night, Slaine made some kind of decision. He should respect his choice.

Two week passed and there was nothing. Inaho thought of what he told Slaine about letting go, and somehow, he felt like he could relate more to Slaine’s thoughts now. He didn’t want to forget either.

It would be easier to move on without Slaine Troyard, but he wanted to hold on just a little longer.

“You seemed stressed out lately, Inaho. Why don’t you take a few days off? School is starting soon again and you should get some rest.” His professor patted him on the shoulder as he walked out. “Come back next week, we are almost done here anyway.”

There was no place he wanted to go. Inaho mulled over his choices, and concluded that nothing was particularly attractive. Heaving a small sigh, he decided that he might as well just go grocery shopper since he skipped that last week.

Walking over to the bus stop, he took out his phone to make a list of items he need. Some vegetables, bread, orange juice, eggs…….

“Hey, you taking the bus too?” The familiar voice made him raise his head in a heartbeat. He almost couldn't believe his eyes.

“.......Slaine?” Inaho stared at the boy standing before him, carrying the same travel bag he had before, wearing a brand new outfit and a new smile. “Where did you go?” He could feel his heart beginning to soar, even though he had so many questions.

“I…...I am sorry I disappeared on you, Inaho.” The blond said sheepishly. “I thought a lot about what you said to me, and I came up with the idea that maybe, I needed closure. So I bought bus tickets and went back to see her. Turns out she was doing well. I think she moved on too, and she is getting along with her grandfather better now. We talked a lot and cried a lot, but I think it is what I needed. I don’t feel as guilty anymore.” He took a deep breath. “I have decided…...I am going to get my life back together. I think I’ll have to delay graduation for a year to retake the classes I failed, but I’ll work hard on it. I just called my previous boss and she said I can come back to work. I still don’t have a place to go, so I was thinking…...the idea you had about getting a new apartment would be great.”

“Sure.” This was the first time Inaho felt like he couldn’t keep up with the load of information getting processed. Is this reality? “And if we can’t find anything, we can stay at my current place, if you don’t mind.”

“Great! Well, please take care of me, Inaho.” Slaine beamed. “Let’s make this year great!”

✢✢✢

His name is Slaine Troyard, junior, biology major. His life was a mess, and he is still in the process of getting back on track, but so far, life is getting better.

He also has one secret that he was keeping.

He might be falling for his roommate, just a little. He wouldn’t have been here without him. He seemed emotionless at first glance, but it was him who turned the worst day of his life into something that changed his life forever in a positive way.

He can’t say for sure, but he thinks, his feelings are mutual.

Now isn’t the time for all that romance stuff yet, because he is more worried about his upcoming organic chemistry exam. Inaho has been helping him study, though, so he thinks he’ll be fine.

He now knows for a fact that there are a lot for him to live for, and moving on doesn’t mean he is selfish and heartless.

He is starting his life over.

The future is still bright.

Mistakes can be corrected.

And…...he thinks he is ready to love again.

END

☂

Author’s Note:

Hello! Thank you for reading this story! I have lost count of how long I have been in az hell, but somehow I am glad that I am still here. Even though az left a lot of salt in my heart, I was able to meet some really amazing people in the fandom and I have to thank az for that. Thank you to Rosiel who organized this amazing project! <3

Liza0111

#ALDNOAH ZERO #az anthology #liza0111 #inaho kaizuka #slaine troyard #orangebat #inaho x slaine

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