Chapter Text
You’re just like everyone else.
From your unmodified school uniform, grades that isn’t an achievement but isn’t a failure either, and looks that seem like a carbon copy of everyone in this school, you are the very definition of average.
And that’s why you can’t seem to comprehend why Naomi Inoue of all people, chooses to sit next to you every lunch break after class and talks to you like you’re on her same level.
She’s beauty, she’s class, she’s grace. The girl herself was descended from the heavens. And you? You’re the second definition of the phrase ‘down-to-earth.’
You look at her as she’s chewing food from her exquisitely prepared bento packed full of different dishes that may as well drain your entire allowance for a month. Around her, almost everyone is staring like they’ve just seen the most bedazzling and shiniest prismatic diamond (even though diamonds don’t even shine nor are they prismatic). One guy passes by, sees you, and gives you the stink-eye.
Rude, your eye twitches. What did I even do to that guy?
“Y/N— Y/N, are you even listening?” You glance back at Naomi just to see her pouting at you like an immature child. There goes the Naomi you know.
“Sorry, Naomi, I was just spacing out.” A lousy excuse, but Naomi knows better than to bug you about something you don’t want to talk about.
Naomi clears her throat, “Well, whatever. I just wanted to say…” You gulp in anticipation of her words as she dramatically places the heel of her hand against her forehead and sighs. “I’ve forgotten my mini fan and my beauty just can’t stand this summer heat.”
And there you have it: Naomi’s classic. If this girl hadn’t been inserting herself into your school life ever since she transferred, you would be surprised, exasperated even, at the mere audacity of her dramatic request without even using the word ‘please’ once.
You reach into your bag, grab your pink mini fan and the gleeful Naomi takes it from your hand before you can even hand it over to her. The ever-considerate ‘angel’ turns it up to the max setting and you predict in your mind that it will only last several more minutes before it dies out.
“What would I ever do without generous beings such as you, Y/N.” Naomi says it so benevolently as if she is the one doing you a favor and not the other way around.
“Get your hundreds of fans to fan you instead, I guess.” You reply sassily and start fanning yourself with your hand.
Naomi scoffs, “Unbelievable. I would never hand myself off to those demanding people. They already see me, isn’t that enough for them?”
“Considering a lot of them keeps on talking to me, asking me to send you a message…” And unironically, a paper airplane comes flying towards you, hitting your head and falling onto your lap. You already know the content of the paper just from the inverted handwriting that is see-through from how thin it is. Another sigh. “It definitely isn’t enough.”
“It was a redundant statement, of course they don’t think it’s enough. They’re ungrateful and demanding. I don’t want to associate with those people.”
“But don’t you think you should give them a chance? I mean…” You interlock your fingers on your lap and avoid Naomi’s gaze. “I look and act just like them, you know, and yet you still talk to me.”
Naomi looks you up and down while squinting before leaning back on her seat. “Are you seriously comparing yourself to those people? I mean, sure, you’re not as gorgeous as I am, but the first thing you did when you met me was avoid my gaze, just like you’re doing now.”
You feel a flush coming on. “Wow, you still remember that?”
“Of course I do! You think I’m a grandma now? Can’t even remember my own friend’s first impression of me?”
Your heart makes a thud in your chest when you hear her call you a friend for the first time ever. Sure, you two have been hanging out and she has been giving you the gifts she receives from her admirers, but the thought of Naomi Inoue herself calling you a friend has never once crossed your mind, and it looks like it didn’t cross hers until this moment either.
“Mmmm… *chew* *chew*...” Naomi gulps. “Because of that, I figured you’re definitely the most self-deprecating pitiful insecure freak I’ll ever encounter and I needed to friend you up ASAP.” Your heart falls just as soon as it thudded earlier. Was it really necessary to say that part? You shrug; for Naomi, it’s probably something as mundane as asking about the weather. “And how I was right. Well, I am always right, but it’s amusing to me how you still doubt your own self-worth when a beauty like me is talking to you and referring to you as a friend.”
“Well, when that’s the reason…”
“Why? Isn’t it a valid reason?” Her tone carries genuine disbelief, putting you in disbelief as well. “I’ve always thought people like you make for the most genuine and loyal of friends. Plus, as this school’s kind and benevolent angel, I have a sworn duty to heal and protect all of its students.”
She really did buy into that image… You give her an exasperated smile. With that statement in mind, you think back into all of your time with Naomi. She has always been a little self-conceited and she does things most of the time for herself like she is doing now with you, but her intentions have been well. “I guess it’s one valid reason… It’s just not the most conventional one.”
“Well,” she says, flipping her silky smooth pink hair up in the air, standing up so she can flex her heavily modified school uniform with multiple heart charms and pink adornments, and grins like the devil, “does this look conventional to you?”
You blink rapidly several times before staring at her audaciousness, then you attempt grinning the same as her. “I guess you aren’t after all.”
Naomi flinches and you look at her confused. “What?”
“It’s just…” Naomi giggles into her hand and you start dreading her answer. “...You looked like Baldymort for a second there! BWAHAHAHAH!”
It takes a second for her statement to click, but soon, it finally clicked for you. “WHAT?!”
However, Naomi just keeps on laughing, practically ruining her angelic image in the heat of the moment. You look around and the cafeteria has already started becoming more vacant anyway, fewer people are looking at Naomi and if they are, they’re probably just admiring how she still looks so pretty even when she’s laughing like a horse.
That’s when it hits you:
Maybe it wasn’t the most conventional or the ideal of friendships, but moments like this where you can banter and just take each other lightly makes even a connection with the most snobbiest of rich and pretty girls worth it.
You can’t imagine trading that connection for anything in the whole wide world.