Chapter Text
Tomo was normally excited as a general rule, but today was extra exciting because it was Valentine’s Day. Though Halloween was her personal favorite holiday, Tomo was pumped for this year’s Valentine’s Day because she had finally thought of someone she wanted to ask out, and she made a card and everything! Normally, she’d wait for the cards for her to roll in (which never seemed to happen) but this year she thought she’d take the initiative and make a card. Initially, the question was of who she should make it for. She wracked her pea-sized brain for people she liked, and immediately someone came to mind. At first it surprised her who it was, but the more she thought about it, it seemed like there was only one person she liked enough to make her very special Valentine’s Day card for. Whether said person would accept this card was another matter.
Yomi had always figured Valentine’s Day didn’t apply to her. It just wasn’t a day made for people like her. And maybe that’s a good thing. Why should she have to fit in with all the girls swooning over their crushes, with all their vapid deliberation as to whether their feelings will be reciprocated. As if any of it mattered. She set her sights on the future. Academic prowess, financial stability. Dating was irrelevant. Yomi never really got the appeal of the boys. It was all the same to her. She’s ugly and fat. She had accepted and internalized these ideas ever since elementary school. Before she came out she was picked on for being pudgy and effeminate, and now she was picked on for being the school’s resident ugly transgirl. A laughingstock. So it came as a bit of a shock when she found a love letter on her desk.
She hid the note in embarrassment behind a textbook. She looked around, hoping nobody saw how red her face was. Calm down, Koyomi. I’m sure it’s just a prank. She opened the letter, which was adorned with little hearts, crudely drawn in pink colored pencil. It read, in messy block letters:
“Dear Yomi,
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!! I THINK YOU’RE SMART AND PRETTY AND I REALLY REALLY LIKE BEING AROUND YOU!!!
Love, Tomo”
Yomi’s heart went into overdrive. This has to be a joke , she thought to herself. Tomo would never do something so sincere! She’s just trying to trick me. I’m gonna ask about it and she’ll say “HAHA YOU FELL FOR THAT? QUEER!” and I’ll look like a fucking moron. Not gonna happen.
As the rest of the class filed in, Yomi tucked the letter away in her bag and kept her eyes on her textbook. Her face was completely flushed. She looked up and saw Tomo looking expectantly at her from the other side of the room. She blushed and pretended to read her textbook. Tomo… Yomi began to drift off. That girl… all I ever do is enable her. I only exist to be the butt of her jokes, the dull half of a comedic duo, the straight man. But if she really liked me… am I insane?!? Of course she doesn’t like me! Why the hell would she? But if she did…
Ever since they became friends, Yomi had been harboring feelings for Tomo. Tomo was the first person she came out to, and she had never made fun of her for it. She made fun of her for everything else but not that. Tomo would tell her she looked pretty when she started wearing dresses, and changed her uniform. She was Yomi’s only friend for a very long time. The only one. One and only… God! She doesn’t love you, Koyomi. She doesn’t even like you. You’re a punchline to her. Yomi sighed to herself and looked up at the clock. Class was about to end and she had zoned out the entire time. She cursed herself for having thought so much about Tomo. She was always thinking about Tomo. It was very, very irritating. Speaking of which, Yomi panicked as she saw Tomo speed-walk towards her, as the rest of the class filed out at the final bell.
“So… whaddaya think?” Tomo asked her.
“Of what?” Yomi replied, playing dumb.
“The note, dumbass! The one in your hand!”. Noticing she was still carrying it, Yomi hastily slipped the love letter into her bag.
“It was very clever, Tomo. Make fun of the ugly fat girl on Valentine’s Day, that’s a new one…” Yomi said, with more spite than she would’ve liked. Tomo looked shocked.
“What?”, she said, looking almost upset.
“I-it was a joke, right? You’re just fucking with me, aren’t you? Even now- you’re trying to get me to say something stupid so I’ll look like an idiot and you can make fun of me for it. I-it’s not gonna work, you know…” Yomi said, getting increasingly unsure of herself.
“Yomi… I wasn’t joking…” Tomo said slowly.
“You weren’t? You’re not-right now- trying to get me”.
“I… really like you…you’re not ugly at all. I think you’re beautiful, actually…”. Yomi was shell shocked. She didn’t know what to say. Tomo tried her best to elaborate.
“I know what it's like to be alone on Valentine’s Day and see everyone else together, and just feel totally, like, shitty! I don’t want to make that feeling worse for you, cause I love you and everything! We should be the ones making them feel shitty! They should be jealous of us! Together, and stuff! And sure, it would’ve been really funny if this was a joke but I swear it isn’t! I wouldn’t have said anything if I could stop thinking about you all the time but my brain won’t stop and I thought it made sense and I’m sorry I-” Yomi pulled Tomo close to her. They stood there hugging in the empty classroom for a few minutes.
“Tomo… you swear to god you mean it?” Yomi said, after a while.
“YES!!! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT? I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU, KOYOMI MIZUHARA!!!” Tomo yelled, while grabbing Yomi by the collar and shaking her back and forth. Yomi burst out laughing, feeling so much warmth for Tomo.
“And we can be together, despite everything?” Yomi asked. Tomo looked up at her.
“I -yes! I’ll be your kickass girlfriend and if anyone doesn’t like it I’ll beat ‘em up for you!!!” Tomo said, beaming at Yomi.
“I’d really like that. I- love you too, by the way…” Yomi said, astounded at how lucky she was.
“YAAAYYYYY! WHOOOOO!!!” Tomo screeched so loud birds scattered from nearby trees. Yomi had a dumb grin on her face. It had been too long since she’d smiled like that.