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Hikari ran her fingers though her hair. In her quest to find the practice room for this new school, she had gotten herself extremely lost, almost comically so. She knew the practice room was in a building, and yet somehow she had ended up outside.
“Daiba-san, there’s something I should tell you...”
Another person? Were they lost as well? Why else would someone be behind the school near the forest outside it?
Curiosity killed the cat, and Hikari’s pretty cat like, so ignoring the death part, why not take a peak at what’s happening?
“I... I like you! Please accept my feelings!”
Oh. So it’s like that, huh? Hikari probably should’ve seen it coming, but in her defense she doesn’t really want to think about romance.
She can definitely see why the guy confessed though.
The person confessing was nothing to write about, just an average guy that reminded Hikari of one of those plain anime protagonists. But the girl he was confessing to was...
Strange.
Not in a bad way, but not in a good way either. Hikari didn’t know enough about the girl to make a judgement anyways, but her blonde pigtails reminded her a lot of bananas. And she had a smile that resonated too much within Hikari. Polite, but with something else Hikari couldn’t name yet.
“I’m sorry, but no.” The girl‘s smile never wavered. It was kind of unsettling. “I’m afraid I’ll have to turn you down.”
The guy exhaled. “Can you at least tell me why? Is there a guy in your life already?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation. I just don’t feel the same way.” The girl said simply, unaffected.
“If there’s another guy, I swear I’m better than he is!” The guy argued. “Please, just give me a chance!”
That smile was dangerous. Hikari couldn’t read it, but it radiated a dangerous energy. “No, there isn’t another person. I don’t like you in that way.”
“But—“
Hikari acted before she realized it. Karen must be rubbing off on her. “Ahem.”
“Who are you?” The guy asked, his eyes flicking down and up again. “This is kind of a private conversation, so if you could—“
“She said no.” Hikari stated. “Why are you pushing her?”
“Well...” The guy stood there, speechless. “I just—“
“You weren’t thinking about her as a person.” Hikari stared right into the guy’s eyes, and took the tiniest bit of satisfaction at his gulp. “You were treating her as an object. If you did care, you’d have backed off already.”
“I...”
“Scram.”
The guy scrambled for his bag, dashing past Hikari. The raven haired girl, meanwhile, let out a sigh of relief. She hated confrontation, but she couldn’t just let someone be harassed like that.
“Kind of pathetic, isn’t he?” Nana asked. She felt so far despite her only being a few feet away.
“I kind of get it, though. Desperate for love.” Hikari mumbled, her voice settling back its to it’s normal, quiet monotone.
“Don’t tell me you’re like him.” The blonde laughed. Hikari didn’t feel anything from it.
“No, not at all.” Hikari shook her head. She almost forgot the main reason she was lost in the first place. “Do you know where the acting club’s practice room is?”
“I was about to head there, anyways.” The girl smiled. “Why don’t we go together?”
Hikari hummed in agreement. She stopped in her tracks, bowing, earning a confused look from the blonde. “Kagura Hikari. I just transferred here.”
“Oh!” The girl paused for a second, returning the bow. “My name’s Daiba Nana. It’s nice to meet you!”
“Dai... banana?” Hikari blinked. “Big banana. Are your parents psychic?”
“Aha, it was completely unintentional on their part!!” Nana laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. “I just happened to be tall and blonde.”
“Banana hair.” Hikari pointed out.
“My hair is just like that when it’s up!”
“Too many coincidences.” Hikari let herself smile a little.
“You’re so cheeky.” Nana giggled. “Not what I expected from my knight in Seisho’s uniform. Thank you, by the way.”
Hikari blushed. “No problem.” The small banter tapered off perfectly as the practice room came into view. Hikari would’ve learned later that the arts sector of the school was detached from the academic section, the supposed main section she’d been wandering around. Entering the main building, Nana faced Hikari.
“This is the main lobby. Most students will just relax here if they have a free period, or do their work here.” Nana explained.
“Schedule...?” Hikari squinted, looking at a list of subjects listed on a paper pinned to a bulletin board.
“Art students don’t exactly want to be here when theater kids are being... theater kids.” Nana smiled. “It was very chaotic before we had the set times, though it’s very flexible and times have been negotiated for favors and stuff.” Nana shook her head. “In any case, the main practice room is just up ahead, with the double doors. You go ahead, there’s a couple things I have to do for the student council along with a friend of mine, Maya-chan.”
“Oh, okay.” Hikari paused, standing in the lobby, before bowing deeply. “Thank you, Nana.”
“N-no need to thank me, really!” Nana laughed, and sent Hikari a gentle smile. “I’ll see you around?”
“Of course.”
—
“I need to talk to you.” Hikari stated, barging into the student council room and closing the door behind her. The confused look from Nana made Hikari breathe and try again. “I... I need advice about something, and I want your opinion on it. So take me with you. If that’s possible.”
It had been a few weeks since Hikari had first met Daiba Nana. There was something strange about the girl, something that Hikari had found odd, something that resonated with the transfer student. Hikari was curious, and she couldn’t help but try and get closer to the other girl to find out what it was. Though, in her attempts to piece together the mystery that was Daiba Nana, Karen had become slightly more persistent. Still her bubbly self, of course, but Hikari needed to do something about it. Her best friend would wait forever if Hikari asked her too, even if it hurt her.
“Oh, sure! I’ll try my best.” Nana gestured to Hikari to take a seat. “I thought you might want a little privacy.”
“Thank you. That’s very thoughtful of you, Nana.” Hikari gave a small nod as she seated herself to the right of Nana’s seat.
“Tea?” Nana asked, bringing out a small tray cart with a tea set from the concern of the room. “This technically belongs to one of our juniors, but she said we could use it at any time.”
“Please and thank you.” Hikari said.
“Type and any additives?”
“Jasmine if you have it, and three sugar cubes and a lot of honey.”
Nana got to work on the tea, speaking to Hikari as she did so. “So, what exactly do you want to talk about?”
“My best friend confessed to me.” Hikari stated, facing slightly away from Nana. “I want to turn them down. I asked for them to wait for my answer, and that’s it, but I don’t know how to break it to them.”
“Is this someone you consider close to you?” Nana asked, pouring the tea into two cups. She added the sugar and honey to one cup and left the other plain. “Do you consider them a good person?”
“Yes.” Hikari nodded, playing with her star hairpin. “We promised to perform Starlight, the play Starlight, when we were little. I don’t— I want to keep that promise, but I don’t want them to drift away...”
“Childhood friends...” Nana surmised, placing the sweetened cup in front of Hikari, who took a small sip of it.
“Mhm. And I wish I could like them back in that way but... I didn’t. If there was one person I‘d ever want to have feelings for, it’s them.” Hikari looked down at her shoes. “But I don’t.”
“You’ve never... like liked someone?” Nana’s eyes widened.
“It’s weird, I know, but—“
“No, no, not at all! I’m... quite the same way actually.” Nana gave Hikari a comforting smile. “I’ve never had a crush on anyone.”
“Oh.” Hikari blinked. So there were other people like her. “So how do you turn people down?”
Nana put a finger to her chin in thought. “Mmm... it’s kinda tough in your case, but the same basic principles apply. Just be clear about it, just say that you don’t feel that way and if you want, you could tack on an apology at the end too, for not returning their feelings.”
Hikari mulled over Nana’s words, gently swirling the tea in her cup. From the corner of her eye, she could see Nana daintily drink her tea, refined and graceful, as if she’d practiced this over and over again until she was exhausted. It was too perfect, Hikari thought. It was so flawlessly flawed.
“I see. Thank you, Nana.” Hikari smiled politely. It wasn’t her place. “For the tea, the company, and the advice.”
“Y-you’re welcome.” Nana looked struck, looking at Hikari as if she’d suddenly teleported into the student council room. “Anytime.”
“I’ve taken too much of your time.” Hikari finished the rest of her tea, stood up, and bowed. “I’m sure you have some things to do. I’ll find the way to the practice room, don’t—“
“Wait!” Nana reached out to Hikari, taking her hand. Startled, Hikari turned to face Nana, stumbling as the blonde pulled her closer. Hikari noted the way Nana’s hands were so still and calm, complimented by her awestruck gaze on her and the slight flush of her cheeks. “I...”
“...Nana?” Hikari asked. This wasn’t normal, was it? Though, the painfully empty feeling inside Hikari was familiar, so maybe it was.
“I think I’m falling in love with you.”
“I...” Hikari tried to pull away, but Nana’s grip tighter ever so slightly. Not enough to stop Hikari if she wanted to, but enough to convey that she wanted Hikari to stay for a little while longer.
“I’m sorry for springing this onto you so suddenly, and with no fanfare too...” Nana looked away. “You don’t have to respond. I know you don’t feel the same. Just let me have these feelings for you.”
“What... what do you mean?”
“Let me have these feelings.” Nana repeated. “You don’t have to return them. I don’t want you to return them. I won’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with and I won’t be public about it. Only when it’s the two of us. And you can call it off whenever you want.”
“You want... a one sided love?” Hikari froze in shock.
“Yes.” Nana gently caressed Hikari’s cheek. Hikari didn’t like it... but she didn’t dislike it either. She was neutral. “Can I have this?”
Hikari thought about the question. Nana was like her, before, someone who hadn’t liked anyone. Nana was a mystery, a mess of contradictions. She’d learned to love, though. She lo— liked Hikari. Could Hikari learn to love her back? But she didn’t want that, did she? She didn’t want to be loved and cherished, which Hikari didn’t understand at all. To be loved and cherished like in stories was something Hikari had dreamed of since she was a child. Hikari didn’t understand it. She didn’t understand Nana.
Hikari nodded. “Yes.”
But maybe she could learn.
Nana surged forward and kissed Hikari. Nana tasted like her name, like bananas, and like jasmine tea. She was warm. Hikari liked the warmth.
Nana pulled away, breathless. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem...” Hikari trailed off. This definitely wasn’t normal.
“And also, don’t fall in love with me, okay?” Nana smiled, kissing Hikari again. “It'd be a shame if the person I liked loved something I hated, right?”