Work Text:
Nene Yashiro has made many choices in her life. Good and bad.
Her first kiss. Her first date. Her first boyfriend. It was all there.
She was a hopeless romantic. She dreamed of a fairy tale romance. She'd been bouncing from prince to prince since she was a little girl.
And she'd never had the chance to experience such a story. Because her dates, relationships, and one-night stands had all ended in abject failure. Whether it was because of her chubby ankles, her naive kindness, or her overly high expectations.
Now? Now she reconsidered all those past choices that had led her to this precise moment.
Losing her apartment keys.
It was nothing serious, you might say. She was such an airhead that this sort of thing happened to her all the time. No. These were the consequences that followed this completely harmless action.
It was Amane Yugi, her problem. Her hateful third-floor neighbor. The older twin of her closest friend and the stupidest, cutest space nerd she'd ever met in her life. The jerk had tricked her into a stupid deal.
And just like any good character, Nene Yashiro fell head first into the net.
She loves her life. Of course, that was sarcasm.
Wait, did she just call her neighbor cute?
She stifled a scream into her pillow as Aoi patted her back.
"Come on, come on. It's not dramatic. It's only Amane-kun."
"That's exactly the problem!" she defends herself, raising her face. "It's Amane-kun!"
"Because you love him?" her best friend retorted, without an ounce of pity.
Nene imitated an embarrassing noise similar to a dying kettle. This caused the other girl to burst into laughter, and her best friend hit her with her pillow, quickly turning the discussion into a heated argument. Feathers flew all over Nene's apartment.
The cushion war was won hands down by... neither of them: it was Black Canyon. The hamster had escaped from its cage and run between the girls' ankles. The fear of accidentally crushing the little animal had caused their downfall; they fell like a domino effect, ending up with their limbs tangled up haphazardly. At least they were laughing heartily. Black Canyon rubbed his snouts with his little paws, nonchalantly.
"Hey, Nene-chan?"
"Yes ?"
"What time do you have your meeting with Amane-kun?"
The girl turned her head to meet Aoi's amethyst eyes.
“At 4:15 p.m.,” she replied, puzzled. “Why?”
They looked at each other wordlessly, still slumped on the large heart-shaped rug. Then...
"OH MY GOD, I'M LATE!"
A scream of pure terror was let out. Nene jumped up and rushed to her closet. Aoi snickered as she watched her raid the clothes. For someone who insisted this "date" wasn't important, her friend was literally panicking.
Panties, pants, dresses, everything was thrown out. Nene went through every outfit she owned, her brow worried. Aoi rolled her eyes and stood up to help her. They still had time, albeit half an hour. But once Nene Yashiro gets all worked up, minutes can turn into hours just for the right outfit. They opted for a classic: black skirt, pastel pink Mokke t-shirt, dark tights and a little personal touch; her skull brooch as a hairpin.
Judging her appearance in front of the mirror, the silver-haired girl admitted that she loved the look the fashion queen recommended. The latter clapped like a proud mother. Black Canyon also agreed with a brief, interested glance.
"If it makes you feel better," her best friend continues. "Let's have a movie night after your date! We'll order takeout."
"Oh, good idea!"
She finished the last checks on her purse. Cash, check. ID, check. Phone, out. She cursed and searched for her cell phone, which was charging on her dresser. The screen read:15:49.
She squealed. Stage fright returned in full force. A thousand and one names of flowers spilled from her trembling lips. Her feet rooted to the spot and her body froze. As if her brain had decided that meeting Amane Yugi posed a real, vital danger to her sanity.
Aoi pinched the bridge of her nose, a long sigh halfway between amusement and exasperation. This poor girl is hopeless. So she came to her rescue by stuffing the phone back into the bag and grabbing her shoulders to get her moving.
"It's time, Nene-chan! You have to go!" she tried to encourage her.
"W-wait... Black Canyon..."
"I'll take care of him, don't worry. Go on!"
She pushed the frozen girl towards the exit, cutting short each protest.
"Enjoy! You'll tell me everything when you get back!"
And slammed the door in her face.
Nene stared at the locked door, puzzled.
What a bitch.
However, she adored her for that reason. She wasn't her best friend for nothing.
The girl patted her cheeks and pulled herself together. She had to hurry! Or she'd be late and call Tsukasa. Except she didn't want to have a stomach ache for her date.
-•-
She walked purposefully to a commercial area filled with small local restaurants, cafes, and shops. Where he should probably be waiting for her.
She stopped at a bar, the meeting place, and looked around. No one. Just people except him. She frowned. Was he late? Not surprising, considering the classes he was taking. The possibility that the jerk had left her stranded crossed her mind. Ugh. Why bother repaying a favor if he was going to drop off a rabbit at the last minute?
The cool late-afternoon breeze made her hair stand on end, and the girl rubbed her arms. Damn, maybe she should have packed a sweatshirt. Even though summer was getting closer, the evening chill would be enough to shake up more than one person. Her ruby-red gaze wandered over the passersby. Still no sign of the amber-eyed boy.
Nene took out her cell phone and checked the time.
16:14.
A little early. That would explain everything.
With a resigned sigh, she turned off her phone, leaving only her reflection shimmering on the black screen. And her heart stopped. A pair of amber eyes met hers through it, just over her shoulder.
Amane Yugi was there. Behind her.
She wanted to scream. To rant. To hit him. Anything that would calm her erratic heart. Her words died in her throat when she turned around. Their eyes met again, their breaths mingling as they were so close. Too close for comfort. She could see clearly that he was out of breath. Now her palms were sweating and her cheekbones were burning.
Why did her gaze fall to his shiny lips...?
Her throat suddenly became dry.
"Yashiro...?"
Shit. She had to get a grip on herself and fast.
"Amane-kun...! I didn't expect to see you!"
Chill, girl. It's just him. Your idiot neighbor. Not one of those failed dates that resulted in pathetic heartbreak.
"Oh yeah. Tsuchimogori-sensei won't let me go, but I managed to negotiate with him," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "I came as fast as I could."
Nene batted her eyelashes. She took a good look at the boy. He was wearing nice gray jeans, white sneakers, and a black sweater with a colorless shirt peeking out from the V-neck and a dark tie. Glasses framed his flushed face, and his hair defied gravity from his running.
It was... new. No, not his outfit. His glasses. She'd never imagined Amane Yugi wearing such a thing. Come to think of it, Tsukasa didn't wear them either. Maybe he did?
So, this dear space nerd had the perfect physique of a complete antisocial. Noticing her fixation, a slight blush spread across Amane's face.
"What? I'm so beautiful you're speechless?" he tried to calm his nerves, a grin on his face.
The girl bit her lip, a nasty smile threatening to appear. Now that's her golden opportunity!
"Maybe you're not so bad after all. Especially since I've never seen you with glasses."
And so it was that Amane Yugi, the first-named idiot, found himself with an embarrassed expression as scarlet as a tomato. He realized he was wearing glasses, quickly took them off, and stuffed them into his backpack, where his case was. The poor boy was swearing and trying, with difficulty, to appear more presentable, making lame excuses related to his studies. The tips of his ears blazed through his wild mop of hair. And Nene would have liked to confess to him that she found him, surprisingly, cute with the glasses.
Perhaps our heroine was wondering if her brain was no longer functioning properly today.
"Ready?" Amane asked, running a hand through his locks, his ears still burning. "The cafe's not far."
Nene nodded. She no longer trusted her voice, and her brain was buzzing with incoherent thoughts. The two young people walked side by side without saying a word. She watched the shops as the brown-haired boy moved forward, his gaze shifting. It wasn't an awkward silence, nor was it clumsy. Just hesitant. As if there was something between them they didn't know existed. A fragile bond forming, irrevocable.
Amane couldn't believe his neighbor's audacity to embarrass him like this. He, who enjoyed teasing her and was rewarded with an embarrassed and annoyed expression. He, who watched her from afar with a gleam in his eyes. He, who was shamefully jealous of his little brother's proximity.
And honestly? He had secretly enjoyed getting a taste of his own medicine.
After a short walk, they finally arrived at the café. Nothing special or fancy at first glance. A beautiful window displayed pastries and seasonal creations, the daily menu on a stand welcomed customers, and the warm tones inspired the rural setting. Simple, warm, and charming, like a shop hidden deep in the city center.
Nene stood there in surprise, her eyes sparkling with admiration. Amane hid a small smile as if he was delighted to have achieved the expected result.
He invited her inside. And... wow. The room was even more charming. Wooden walls and floors, small square tables decorated with satin tablecloths, and softly glowing fairy lights. The whole place screamed the charm of an autumn chalet.
A few people and couples were enjoying their slices, chatter was whispering here and there, and ambient music was playing in the air.
“It’s... magnificent,” Nene murmured, amazed.
"I'm glad you like it... come on."
Amane offered her a hand. His neighbor felt her stomach tighten and gently placed her palm on his. She let herself be led to the back of the room, still marveling at her surroundings. It was calm and soothing. They sat near a wall dotted with small nature photos. The quality of these were clearly taken by an amateur photographer. There was even a shot immortalizing a squirrel nibbling on its nut!
Nene had a pleasant sense of familiarity as she analyzed them.
“I have to admit, you have good taste,” she confessed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
The brown-haired boy raised an eyebrow. The girl realized her words and hid behind a menu on the table.
"I mean... ahem, Tsukasa-kun..."
"...Tends to take you to fast food restaurants?" Amane added to her, amused. "Don't worry, you're not the only victim of these disastrous gastronomic choices."
The silver-haired girl found herself letting out a laugh at that comment. Yes, Tsukasa had a tendency to choose the worst restaurants, but thankfully, the food was still good.
They then took their time examining the menu. Everything looked tempting, and Nene had to choose between giving in and being sensible. Many of her dates criticized her for the portion size, making similar remarks like, "A pretty girl shouldn't eat this or that," "Are you sure you want that? It'll make your ankles look fat again," and "Remember to exercise once in a while."
She pauses in thought. What's she talking about? Amane doesn't care what she's taking. Why bother then? The knot in her stomach, which she hadn't even known existed until now, tightens. Her teeth nibbled at her lower lip, unconsciously spoiling the balm she had applied for the occasion.
"Hey, it's Radish-senpai!"
The woman's magenta eyes shone as she recognized the voice. Mitsuba graced his presence, notepad in hand and elegantly dressed in his waiter's attire. His pink hair was neatly combed into a neat bun, leaving only his bangs to frame his pretty face.
"Oh, Sousuke-kun!" beamed the white-haired girl. "What a surprise! I didn't know you worked here."
Amane blinked and looked back and forth between the two of them, who were catching up on each other. Still, he shouldn't have been surprised, since he and his neighbor shared friends in common ("Don't thank me!" his brother had shouted at one of his parties). That didn't stop jealousy from sprouting inside him like a leech.
“Mitsuba-kun,” he greeted with a tight smile. “I forgot you’re on duty today…”
"Yugi-kun," he turns around, his eyes teasing. "It's a surprise to see you come out of your cave, accompanied by a charming young lady."
Oh no. That idiot knows exactly what he's doing. Amane's eyes widened while Nene blushed in spite of herself. Mitsuba didn't hide his smirk. It was obvious he was taking malicious pleasure in teasing the couple. The brown-haired boy glared at him.
"Shut up, idiot. Do your job."
"Harsh."
The pink-haired boy scoffed but complied anyway since other customers were waiting. Nene ordered a homemade hot chocolate with toasted marshmallows with a hint of caramel and a strawberry madeleine, while her neighbor opted for a mocha milkshake with warm coconut mousse and a plain donut for an extra charge. The waiter wrote down their order with an exaggerated professionalism that would have made the girl snicker. Once the pink-haired man disappeared behind the counter, Amane turned to her, a pout on his lips. Nene rolled her eyes.
"How come he has the right to call you that and not me?"
She sniffed, amused.
"At least he never makes fun of my ankles, unlike you."
"You're exaggerating," he defended himself sulkily. "I compliment you on them every day!"
Her eyebrow raised, convinced nonetheless. The amber-eyed boy slumped back in his chair, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out. God, he reminded her of a capricious child.
Terribly cute.
Shit. No intrusive thoughts, come on! He's not her type!
"Calling a girl a radish, I don't think that's a compliment," she continued vaguely, waving her hand.
Of course, she wouldn't dare tell him she was starting to like that nickname when it came from her irritable neighbor. He groaned.
"But it's...! It's...!" He searched for the right words, his cheekbones burning. His hands gestured aimlessly as if it would help him think better. "It's not fair! I'm supposed to be the only one who gets to call you my little radish!"
"I'm not your little radish!" she hissed at him, her eyes dark. "Fuck you, Amane-kun! Really!"
Okay, she probably spoke a little too soon. She hated that stupid nickname. And the guy had the nerve to laugh in her face.
Mitsuba cleared his throat. Their attention was suddenly focused on him; they hadn't even seen him approach with trays balanced on one arm.
"I don't want to interrupt your argument, but if you want me to come back later, I—"
"No!" they cried in unison.
He arched an eyebrow, not the least bit impressed. Then he shrugged and assigned them each their orders.
"Bon appétit, lovebirds!"
The protests fell on deaf ears when he took his leave to serve other tables.
"Why did I agree to this deal in the first place..."
"Because I'm irresistible and romantic? Come on, Yashiro. I'm pretty sure none of your dates took you to a nice cafe."
Nene hates to admit he has a point. She narrowed her eyes.
"Please shut your mouth and enjoy the romantic moment, mister-I-am-irresistible-and-not-at-all-my-type."
"Oof. Words hurt, you know?"
"Shut up, I said. You're ruining the mood."
Despite everything, they couldn't stop the laughter from bursting from their throats. The white-haired girl was smiling so hard that her cheeks were starting to cramp. Amane hid his behind his glass of milkshake. So they enjoyed the peace and quiet and the soft music while enjoying their sweet treat.
Nene finds herself gazing at the boy in front of her. Noting every detail of his appearance, like his facial expressions, his skin imperfections, and even the unique design of his moon-like eyes. She knows she should never compare the twins, except that she's always fascinated by the differences, no matter how subtle.
Because it often happened to her that she confused Amane with Tsukasa. The older twin didn't mind bothering her just for that. Now, she could tell them apart by their attitude: Between an antisocial person and a ball of energetic chaos, it wasn't hard to guess who was who. The only downside was that Tsukasa sometimes tended to blend in, imitating his brother's calm demeanor when he needed to get some fresh air. He himself had admitted that he didn't really like being social because it exhausted him, so he would discreetly withdraw, giving him time to recharge his social batteries before sowing chaos again.
Now that she had a good look at her neighbor, who was sipping his milkshake, the straw stuck between his lips, his cheek propped up by his hand, and his thoughtful gaze toward the neighboring tables, she noticed several things about him: the amber iris formed a crescent moon and the pupil was softer. Hence her tendency to describe them as lunar eyes. His brother's possessed the same shades of amber but sharper and wilder. As if Tsukasa embodied the solar storm itself while Amane represented the lunar calm.
Hey, her English literature teacher, Yako, will surely give her a good grade for those poetic metaphors. Heh.
Well, his eyes weren't the only visually noticeable difference; there were also his teeth. As he took large bites of his donut, she noticed that Amane's canines were much shorter than his younger twin's.
The more she looked at him, the more she found him... handsome. Handsome and seductive in his own way.
Flushed with scarlet, she tried to stifle her confused thoughts by drinking her hot chocolate. The corners of her lips twitched in spite of herself, and her heart raced considerably. And as she had guessed, Amane didn't care about her plate and asked if he could taste a slice of her strawberry madeleine. They chatted, bickered, and enjoyed each other's presence during this date.
Towards the end of their tasting, the brown-haired boy offered to buy her a cake to go. Nene slid her sparkling gaze towards him.
"Can I? Really?"
"Yes, just ask Mitsuba-kun."
When the wolf was mentioned, the pink-haired waiter reappeared and collected the dishes, not without further embarrassing our favorite couple.
"Is there anything in particular you'd like before you go?" he asked them after the teasing.
"If our radish—"
A kick hit his knee under the table.
"...the young lady here wishes it," Amane rasped after a sharp intake of breath, his smile tight. "We'll have a cake to go."
“Two strawberry madeleines, please!” added his neighbor, beaming.
Mitsuba gave them a critical eye before leaving with the plates and glasses. The amber-eyed boy turned his attention back to the girl, his brows furrowed and his lips pursed.
"It's my knee..."
"Sorry, but you deserved it."
Nene wasn't sorry about anything, except that the treacherous smile showed she was loving this outing. Then Amane dared to point it out to her, and another kick was fired. After the poor victim had finished whining about the phenomenal strength of radish legs, they left the cafe with a papercraft takeaway bag wafting from it the exquisite smell of warm madeleines.
Nene had to admit she'd really appreciated her neighbor's invitation. The pre-date jitters had quickly faded away, as she'd enjoyed herself so much. And... it was better than any of her previous dates.
Too bad he's not her type of guy.
-•-
Amane escorted her back to her apartment. Arriving at the door, the young girl hesitated for a moment.
"Well... I guess we'll see each other in class tomorrow?"
Damn. It was always the moment she dreaded the most: the awkward goodbyes.
"What? Are you already looking forward to seeing me?" the idiot teased her, grinning.
She punched his shoulder, her cheeks warming, and the amber-eyed boy snickered. Somehow, he was good at lightening the mood and not making things awkward. The white-haired girl realized this now that she wanted to hang out with her idiot neighbor... as friends, of course!
Wait. They're friends, right?
Nene had never considered it that way before today.
"Actually, yes," she began, thoughtful but shy. "Thank you for this coffee... I really enjoyed it. I'd be happy if we had another one sometime."
She froze as she realized the implication of those words. Amane raised an eyebrow.
"As friends?"
"I-if you want, of course!"
The adorable space nerd rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. She hated to admit that she loved seeing him as embarrassed as he was playful and teasing. Then he nodded. Reassured and lightened by his answer, she stood on tiptoe to place her lips on his cheek in a chaste kiss. Amane squealed in surprise and his entire face transformed into a ripe tomato. He blinked a few times. Nene giggled, amused, and prepared to head home since a girls' sleepover awaited her. Then she remembered something.
"Ah! One last thing, Amane-kun."
The young man tilted his head. The silver-haired girl offered him a genuine smile as she patted his chest. Her fingers lingered for a moment on the cotton.
"You should wear your glasses more often. They look good on you for a space nerd. See you tomorrow!"
The door slammed behind her and Amane remained frozen, his face burning hotter and his mouth gaping. He cupped his cheek with one hand, the kiss still stinging his skin. And it was with a goofy smile that he went back up to his apartment.
The door opened onto a mess. Notebooks were scattered all over the floor, revision papers were scattered here and there, just like laundry. A PS5 cover was forgotten on the carpet next to a white controller. Oh, and an empty plate from lunchtime on a piece of furniture. Nothing made sense anymore, and that was normal for the Yugi twins, who didn't know the definition of cleaning. The usual noise of fighting, voices, and music echoed throughout the room. There, sitting cross-legged on the living room couch, was his younger twin. His fire-type Pokémon starter t-shirt concealed the fact that he was only wearing star-printed boxers. Amane preferred not to point out that these boxers were his. Tsukasa looked up from his laptop where an episode of Miraculous Ladybug was playing, a Mikado stick in his mouth and a red sock missing.
"Oh hey, Amane! Did it go well with Nene-chan?"
His older brother grumbled under his breath, the tips of his ears still feeling hot. The other brown-haired boy chuckled then raised his arms in the air, not caring if he threatened to knock over the bag of chocolate sticks. With a tender sigh, Amane hurried over to wrap him in a big, tight hug, to which his brother purred happily, returning the embrace with force.
"I'm going to take a shower and we'll watch the sequel to Miraculous Ladybug?"
"Yeah!"
In a playful mood, Amane closed the computer lid and fled into the bathroom before Tsukasa could utter a scandalized "Hey!". He immediately popped his head back out of the crack.
"Tsu? Am I dreaming or have you already continued the series without me?"
The youngest's guilty look spoke volumes enough for the older brother to lunge at him with a war cry. Laughter and bickering echoed through their small apartment.
Amane can say it was a beautiful day.