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WcRonald’s was an interesting place. The milkshake machines always seemed to be broken, at least one area of the takeaway was cautioned off by a wet floor sign and didn’t dry the entire day and the napkins were always stuck in their dispenser.
Despite that, it was a buzzing centre of popularity: teenagers and tired moms galore would flock there for some small WcFries or salt-filled burgers from the Saver’s Menu. And damn, did it taste great.
That’s what Nanami thought, kicking back in the booth she had managed to capture, right in the middle of rush hour. Lady Luck was shining upon her today - just not enough to get the strawberry milkshake she wanted, as always. A caramel frappuccino substituted quite nicely though.
It was nice to come to a place like this. Back before she formed Morfonica, she would dream about doing simple teenage activities with her friends, like going window-shopping or visiting a takeaway after school. Besides, it was an eternal trend: fashionable normality to the maximum.
At long last, she was able to come. Sure, it wasn’t after school and right then she was sitting alone - but not for long.
“Heya, Nanami-chan!” Hina cheered, giving that loose-wristed wave they usually did as they plopped themself down onto the booth seat opposite her. “Glad you could make it!”
“Aha, I’m usually free on Sundays~,” she commented. Mid-morning was a bit of a strange time to arrange this, but she didn’t mind. “How come you wanted us to meet up at a WcRonald’s?”
“Well… it’s got two of my favourite things. Fries, and Aya-chan embarrassing herself!” enthused Hina. “Plus it’s local. And I’m gonna bring some extra fries back for my big sis later on.”
Hina was as warm and friendly as they always were, and it was their idea to propose this meet-up. Nanami had been looking forward to getting started and talking to someone like her, but she wondered how she’d be able to work it in… How would she breach the topic without it feeling stiff or out of place?
“Um, so… About why you wanted to meet up…”
Hina had always been open and excited about being aro. They thought it made life more interesting for them - romance was another boppin’ puzzle to figure out about people, they had said. And they liked the freedom being aro gave them when it came to navigating their own feelings, relationships and the world around them. With them being such an open book, it was only natural that Nanami would feel comfortable enough to be honest about the fact she was aro too.
She had thought a lot about her experiences being aromantic, and what it meant to her, but now that an opportunity had arrived to explore those ideas with another person… What was she meant to say?
“Oh, yeah!” Hina exclaimed, a new kind of light restored to their eyes - the same as when Nanami told them they were the same. “So we’re both aro, huh? That’s all zappin’ to think about!”
“Aha, it sure is… Um, I didn’t expect to meet someone like me. We’re pretty rare and all…”
“Huh? Well, I guess we are…” They looked almost bewildered. Had they not noticed before? Did they never think to reason why people had questions, or sometimes reacted strangely when they had come out to them? “But not too rare, y’know! At least not in my circle. Like… you see Aya-chan working the counter over there?” Hina’s head turned to watch her. “Aha, did she really just drop all that change? She looks so funny trying to pick it all up!”
“Uh… Yeah, I do.” Nanami was more so concerned for her wellbeing than amused.
“Well, she’s cupioromantic! Loves romance but doesn’t really get the feelings others do about it herself. Isn’t that fun to think about?” questioned Hina. “The subject’s close to her, but it also isn’t. I dunno what she likes so much about the idea of it in her own life though. It’s always just a bit weird and empty to me, and there are a bunch of rules no-one ever talks about but expects you to follow… It’s so much work, and for what?” They swung their legs forward, kicking them against the base of the table. “Good for her though.”
“Wow… I never knew that about her before,” Nanami marvelled. “Are you sure she’s okay with me knowing, though?”
“Oh, sure!” they chimed. “She has a few restrictions around who can know, but you’re a friendly face so she won’t mind. Hey, we should invite her to one of our aro meet-ups sometime! I know a few others too.”
They had barely just begun the first one… but the idea made Nanami’s chest fill with a bubbling anticipation.
“Yeah, that sounds like it’d be good,” she agreed. “As for me… I don’t want a romantic relationship either. It only makes me feel bad… like I’m lying, and I don’t really feel comfortable within one either. It makes me feel icky and terrible… I don’t get how other aros do it.”
“Really? It makes you feel guilty?" They seemed to think on that for a second, before restoring their usual vigor. "Yeah, I guess I can see why. We can just hang out at the cinema while all the alloros have their fun, then,” planned Hina. “Ah, while we’re on the topic! What do you think about kissing?”
A pause. “Like… each other?”
“Uh… no?” they checked. “Just in general. It seems kinda gross to me. I don’t think I’d enjoy it. Plus, what if they taste weird?”
This was going in a strange direction. What would someone taste of, anyway? Nanami was sure it wasn’t strawberries and sweetness like in the movies.
“Uh… not so sure I’d wanna do it. Maybe a peck, I guess. On the cheek is nice.” She thought of the times she had felt the urge to kiss one of her bandmates on the cheek - they’d be weirded out, however. Friends don’t really do that. Even though she would have liked to…
“Yeah, I get that. Me neither. We’re pretty similar, huh?” Hina concluded. “Aya-chan’s all for that stuff. I told her I think it’s weird though, and that was the end of that.”
The way Hina said that, it made it sound as if Aya had asked to kiss them once. Had she?
“Um, so… what kind of relationship do you and Aya-senpai have?” Nanami tested out. “Since it kinda seemed like she, uh… and all…”
“Uh… not lovers, not officially anything in-between?” they theorised. “I feel kinda differently to her than I do you, I think. All shooby in my chest and stuff. But she seems kinda interested in me too when she does weird stuff like asking for my opinion on kissing in that kinda way, but if she’s looking for a romancing with me, then bzzt! Entry closed. Although thinking about it, a QPR wouldn’t be bad… yeah, I’d like that. Fine with the way we are now though. How about you?”
“Oh, I don’t really feel queerplatonic attraction. I don’t want a relationship like that either,” explained Nanami. “It’s good to know that about you, though.”
“Good to be good! Hey, you think I should get a Big Wac? I’m huuuungry! I could eat a house.”
It was eleven AM. Didn’t they have breakfast earlier? Or was their stomach just a ravenous black hole?
“If you want,” she suggested. “It’s kinda early though…”
“Bleh, lunch hours are so old-fashioned! This appetite lives in the moment. I think I’ll go and get one.”
And with that, they sprung up from their seat in an instant, acting exactly like the whirlwind they were. Cheering out Aya’s name with a volume skyhigh enough to give the poor girl a heart attack, they left Nanami to sip on her now-lukewarm frappuccino all alone.
The caramel packed a delicious wave of flavour when it hit her tongue. It was nice to go to WcRonald’s with friends, she thought. Not because of any undying social custom, but because it was nice to talk with Hina - and consume a whole lot of tooth-rotting sugar.
Looking over at Hina and Aya’s rapid back and forth, Nanami was glad she wasn’t entirely normal for once. How would she form bonds like these otherwise?
Hina was right: it was good to be good.
Good to feel good.