Work Text:
Nene’s Amane’s
Guide to Finding Love
At First Sight
- Read a bunch of shoujou manga
- Establish an impossible type
- Fall in love with anyone fitting said type
Nene tore the page out of her notebook, crumpling it into a ball and chucking it into the bin across the room. It bounced off the wall and landed squarely into the trash bin. If it were any other occasion, she’d have cheered.
Was he making fun of her now?! She was being serious!
She heard a chuckle from behind her and instantly turned in seething rage. Amane had the audacity to feign innocence and intrigue at her foul mood. “Is something the matter?”
“Oh, you bet something is the matter.” Nene growled as she pinched his cheeks. To his credit, her classmate only flinched, never uttering his discomfort. “Care to explain why my notebook has been vandalized?”
“But I was just voicing my own thoughts and opinions! It’s advice!” His speech was slightly warped but the girl in front of him understood him clearly. This. Would. Not. Do.
“You were just making fun of me!” Nene huffed as she collected herself. Tossing her notebook back into her bag and slinging it onto her shoulder. “If you keep this up, you’ll never find a girl to like you!”
“Ah, wait for me!” Amane quickly gathered his things and sprinted to her side. “But you know, I wouldn’t want any girl to like me back.”
“Oh, boys then?”
“No! I just want one specific girl to like me.” He twisted the strap of his bag nervously. “But it seems impossible at the moment.”
“You like someone?! Who is it? Why didn’t you tell me?” A barrage of questions escaped her lips before she could hold back. “I’ll help you! But you know, I think you need to stop teasing people so much first, it can come off as hurtful. Like the time you called Mitsuba’s hand an ugly crow claw when he accidently got paint all over it and chipped his nails. Or when you make fun of me like just now. Otherwise, nobody’s going to like you, not even me!”
“...I’ll keep that in mind.” Amane mumbled as they closed the school gate behind them.
“But you know what? Your little prank actually gave me an idea!” Nene spun in a circle as she fished out her notebook, flipping it to the page after the ripped paper. “Summer break is starting so I’ll have a lot of time to find a guy who’ll like me back! And I’ll ask all of our friends for their advice!”
“Good luck.” Her friend hesitantly patted her back as they parted ways. Nene turned back one last time before the corner of the street, watching her friend’s back as he continued walking down the street.
It looked oddly comforting.
Kou's
Guide to Finding Love
And that was all she could write before he ran away with a face as red as the tomatoes she grew at home.
Day One of summer break and still no boy in sight.
To be fair, her standards were a tad bit high. Still, was it wrong to be hopeful during these trying times?
Nene knew there was one goal unrelated to her pursuit for love and that was to find a part time job. Where was she going to find one when every other student in the city was also scrambling for any chance they could get? It’d take a miracle to—
The wandering student was suddenly knocked onto her bum, a small curse sounding above her. As quick and harsh as the cuss came, it was replaced with a gentle drawl of, “Are you okay, Yashiro-san?”
“Fuji-kun?!” Nene immediately shot up to her feet, dusting the back of her skirt and checking her hair. “I’m alright! Are you?”
“Not a scratch nor a cut on me,” he laughed. “What were you thinking about? You seemed really lost in thought.”
“Ah, it’s nothing,” she waved off in a hurry. No way was she going to admit to dreaming of love and grabbing a quick buck. But wait… “Actually, I was looking for a part time job.”
“I getcha, it’s tough to find one at this time of year.” Fuji rolled his shoulders, shooting a sympathetic smile. Suddenly his face lit up. “Hey, how about you work for my family?”
“Your family?” Nene asked skeptically. “What type of job would it be?”
“Like a servant, I guess.” He admitted casually. Nene flinched. “But the pay is good, I promise.”
“So I just do what you guys ask of me? It’s nothing outlandish or illegal, right?” The withering glare she received made her want to curl up in a ball of shame.
“What do you take us for? Look, do you want the job or not?”
“I’ll… I’ll take it.” It was jarring to see such a hateful look morph into a kind face in a matter of seconds, but Nene kept that thought to herself.
“Great. If you want, you can come over now. There’s a bunch of stuff we can have you do.”
What had she gotten herself into?
“Good morning, Yashiro.” Amane spared her a pitying glance as he poured the two of them coffee. “You look spent.”
“Understatement of the century,” she grumbled as she gratefully took the mug from his hands. “You work one week at Fuji-kun’s mansion and then tell me how you feel.”
“Well, at least he gives you the weekend off.” Her friend shrugged. His expression darkened when he saw her stretch her arms above her head and rubbing the spot on her back between her shoulder blades. “How’s your body holding up?”
“A little sore, but it should be fine.” Nene gave a small jump in her seat when she felt light pressure on her sore spot. She bit her lip to hold back a groan. It felt so good.
Amane continued up to her shoulders and rubbed them accordingly. He asked, “Are you sure you want to keep working for that guy? He’s working you to the bone.”
“But he pays well, just like he promised.” Nene shook her head, her braid falling loose in the process. “And I get to spend time with him sometimes…”
“He watches you slave away?”
“...He watches me slave away.” She admitted.
“What do you find so attractive about this guy anyway? And don’t say his looks.” Amane warned as she opened her mouth. Nene shut it with a pout. When she continued to keep it shut, he rolled his eyes. “Really?”
“I can’t help it!” She whined.
“Can’t help what?” Came a voice from the staircase. Tsukasa came trudging down the steps with half lidded eyes, rubbing the sleep from it as he got closer. “Morning.”
“Good morning,” the others chimed. Nene gestured wildly, throwing off Amane’s hands from her shoulders.
“Don’t you think Fuji-kun is really attractive? Well, he’s not as handsome as Minamoto-senpai, but still! He’s got some charm, doesn’t he?!”
“Who?” Right, Tsukasa had a hard time remembering anyone who didn’t interest him in some way. Nene sighed. Clearly, this was a losing battle. A lightbulb lit up in her mind.
“Tsukasa-kun, help me out, please?” She pulled out a compact planner from her small purse and clicked the accompanying pen before sliding it across the table to the younger twin.
“Guide to Finding Love?” He read slowly with slurred yawns in between. Nene started to push her untouched coffee towards him but was beaten to the punch by Amane. The older brother tilted his head in acknowledgement before heading to the counter to prepare another cup.
“Fill it out, please! How would you go about finding love?”
“Hm…” Tsukasa looked at the notebook, to Nene’s hopeful gaze, to his alert brother, and back to the book in front of him. He grinned. “Got it!”
Tsukasa's
Guide to Finding Love Amane!
- Think of Amane
- Hug Amane
- Love Amane
- Amane!
Oh dear...
Nene looked up from what he'd written, puzzled.
She only got a knowing smirk in response.
Natsuhiko's
Guide to Finding Love Scoring a Date
- Flirt
- Flatter
- Be kind and charming
- Score!
Pass.
But not really.
She was already feeling her legs cramp as she ran back and forth the hallways, down the stairs, into the kitchen or the laundry room and back. Amane had taken one look at their upperclassman’s unhelpful advice and shaped it into something she could use.
“Why not try to get that guy on your good side? So you can take a break and if you really want to, get him to like you back. I guess.”
Her pounding heart wouldn’t calm down, her traitorous mind reminding her of her failed attempt at catching Minamoto Teru’s attention at the beginning of high school. And who could forget that silly How-To guide Amane had jokingly gifted her and promptly took back the moment he realized she’d been seriously taking it’s advice?
“Fuji-kun,” she started weakly, trying to summon some courage when he looked up from his book across the room. “You know, you’ve been really kind to me, giving me a job and all. I really want to thank you for it.”
“No worries. You’ve been really helpful.” He nodded at the stack of books in her arms. Nene tried not to blush as she sorted them out and put them back on the shelves.
“I was thinking, maybe I can get a break once in a while?” She tried her best smile. “My body’s been really sore these days after all I’ve gone through and my feet are tired.”
“Are you implying I’ve been unfair?”
“No! No, of course not! I’m just a weak girl, remember?” Nene backtracked once he narrowed his eyes, hoping he wouldn’t catch her lie. Weak? As if. Her time in the gardening club was nothing to laugh about. But he didn’t know that and she truly was getting tired, so perhaps he could spare her some time?
“Ah, I guess I can see that.” Her employer hummed as he flipped the page of the novel he was reading. “You can take breaks once in a while, just expect a pay cut if I find you slacking off.”
Her body felt heavy at the threat.
“But I’m quite surprised, Yashiro-san.” He continued without looking up. “I’d have expected you to have some muscle and endurance from all that gardening. Your feet are tired? With those legs, it’s hard to imagine how hard it is to hold your own weight.”
She almost crumpled to the floor at the end of his judgment.
Mitsuba's
Guide to Finding Love Loving Him
- Admit he's cute
- Know he's cuter than you
- Admit your feelings for him
- Be rejected
- Continue to love him regardless
Someone was seriously stroking his own ego here...
“You’re not wrong,” Amane snickered when she told him her thoughts on this newest piece of advice.
Today she had come rushing to his door for some ice cream, a traditional remedy for her heartbreak. Tsukasa had merely gotten up from his bed to join them on the sofa as they watched some of her favorite romcoms and promptly continued to sleep, his head resting on his brother’s shoulder after Amane had adamantly demanded he stop taking up space and using their guest’s lap as a pillow.
“But you know, I think you can learn a thing or two from him.” Nene gave him a disgusted deadpan stare. Amane openly laughed at this. “I’m not saying you should be as conceited as he is, I’m just suggesting that you look at yourself in a positive light more often.”
“What’s there to like about thick legs?” She lifted one in demonstration. “Radish legs.”
“Did he call them that?” Amane asked quickly. When she shook her head, he backed down. “There’s really nothing to like about that guy. Just ditch him.”
“But there’ll be rumors if I quit as soon as he mentions my legs! There’ll be talks of how a radish maid thought she had a chance with him and they’ll all link it to me and then they’ll laugh and talk behind my back and—”
“Yashiro.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her out of her spiralling thoughts. “It doesn’t matter. He’s been neglecting your health. He’s been insensitive to your needs. If it’s money you need, I can help search for a new job with you.”
Nene looked up from her hands. Through the window’s bright light, Amane seemed like one of those princes that came to the rescue when all hope seemed lost, extending a hand to the princess in her time of need. The soft light that glowed behind him added with the shy smile she knew he reserved only for her made her heart skip a beat.
The smile only for her, the help he willingly and readily gave when she asked, the times he waited for her and walked her home when it got late, the light teasing that would lead to genuine apologies when he knew he crossed the line, his excitement when he talked of the stars, and awe whenever she showed the fruits of her labor played like a film in her mind as she looked up to her prince. No, her knight.
Because knights were the unsung heroes of their stories whenever royalty couldn’t handle it. Never always their type, they could still make any princess feel full in their hearts with actions alone, just like he’d done with her. Just like he’d done with her many times before.
Oh.
Think of Amane.
She was thinking of him.
Hug Amane.
She did just that, ignoring his startled gasp and groaning brother.
Love Amane.
She loved him alright. She’d been a fool to not have sooner.
“Amane-kun,” Nene whispered into his ear. “Thank you.”
Amane's
Genuine Guide to Finding Love
- Meet the love of your life one unassuming day
- Tease her the moment she makes eye contact with you
- Continue getting to know here after finding out she's more than she seems
- Support her when she needs it, keep her in check when she starts blindly running into trouble
- Realize you're in love after she just smiles at you
- Act as if nothing is wrong
- Get a roundabout confession after you yourself can't work up the courage to do it
“It was my smile?”
“Your smile, your kindness. Your eyes, your perseverance. Your legs, your stubbornness. Everything.”
“You sap.”
“Your sap.”
“Fuji-kun, I’m quitting.” Nene resolutely stood her ground, her uniform on hand. She handed it to him firmly.
“Is that so? Thank you for all the help you’ve provided us up to this point.” He nonchalantly took it back and nodded. “You’ve found a better opportunity?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
“Then I wish you the best of luck.” Her former employer didn’t look back as he made his way back to his room. Nene stood dumbfounded at the lack of reaction. Here she’d expected things to have gotten worse! “And Yashiro-san?”
“Yes?!”
“I apologize for my words a few days ago.” Having said his piece, he shut the door behind him, lock clicking in place. She was rooted on spot, processing his words a few times before ultimately shrugging with a beam and exiting the mansion. Amane stood waiting at the gate, eyes focused on the phone in front of him. The moment he saw her leave without injury, he gave her a thumbs up.
“Did it go well?”
“Yep! Like you said, I was overthinking it.” Nene laced their fingers together, swinging their arms happily. “So, about helping me find a job…”
“Now?! You sure are impatient.”
“Are you taking back your words?”
“Me? Never. I was just thinking that a date would be a nice celebration, wouldn’t it?”
“And I’m the one who’s impatient?” Nene laughed. Stopping at a crosswalk and waiting for the light to turn green, she replied, “But a date would be nice. The cafe down the street?”
“The breakfast special?”
“The couple’s drink?”
“Splitting the bill?” Amane squeezed her hand when she returned a giddy smile at his suggestion.
“It’s a date.”
Nene's
Guide to Finding Love
In One Summer
- Have a friend who always has your back
- Do some stupid things
- Confess
“Isn’t that leaving out some details?”
“Well, I wanted to keep things simple. Love isn’t linear and as easy as people make it seem. Besides, finding love in the most unexpected places is what makes it fun. You never know when the one who loves you the most is the one who’s been besides you this whole time. All you had to do was open your eyes.”
“You sap.”
“Your sap.”