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Sugimura fell in love with Shizuku slowly, so gradually that he surprised himself once he realized. He had always known of her presence; that was what happened when you went to the same school and were in the same grade as each other.
The first time she ever stood out to him was when they were eight, during recess. A handful of kids were surrounding her desk, giggling and laughing about something he couldn't hear. As he neared them, it was clear Shizuku was telling them about something funny she and her older sister had experienced.
Shizuku's brown eyes were wide and sparkling as she described how Shiho's exact expression had looked when the tanuki had popped up from behind a tree stump. It was the way she looked as she spoke—so animated—that had Sugimura sitting in to listen to the rest of the story.
~~~
Seiji Amasawa fell in love with Shizuku quickly, so fast that it made his head spin. They didn't go to the same elementary school, and even if they had, Seiji wasn't sure if he would have noticed her. He was always someone who stayed in their own little bubble, focussing on his studies and extracurricular interests.
The first time he ever saw Shizuku was the summer before junior high. His grandfather had told him about a nearby library, and Seiji decided to visit on an especially slow day. She was sitting at one of the tables, two piles of books next to her. One, he assumed, was the read pile while the other was the to-read pile.
Her eyebrows were drawn down in concentration as she read, eyes flitting across the words, and her hand ready to flip to the next page. Seiji didn't want to interrupt, but he wanted to talk to her. He rationalized that if she noticed him first, then he could introduce himself and maybe start a conversation. Shizuku never did notice him, even when he sat right across from her, peeking over the top of a hardcover book.
~~~
Yuko Harada always loved Shizuku. The two of them were practically destined to become best friends. Her mother and Shizuku's mother were pregnant at the same time, and they birthed Yuko and Shizuku exactly one week apart from each other. Their mothers met in the hospital and, after birthing, organized play dates between them nearly every week.
When they both started school, Yuko was initially anxious about it, afraid Shizuku's talkative nature would cause her to find other, better, friends. Yuko didn't have to worry for long. Shizuku stuck to her side like glue. It seemed their opposite natures complimented each other—Yuko grounded Shizuku, and Shizuku pulled Yuko out of her comfort zone.
Even as they grew older, and Shizuku did make new friends, Yuko was always a part of the group. She never felt left out, or frightened they were talking behind her back. Being with Shizuku was safe. Comforting. Their everlasting bond was still as strong as it had been when they were younger. While anything could happen in the future, Yuko was content with living in the present.