Chapter Text
It was no surprise to Toya Aoyagi’s groupmates and friends that he was in love with Nene Kusanagi. Every time Vivid Bad Squad went to see one of Wonderlands X Showtime’s shows, he would prattle on and on about how Nene was so mesmerizing and amazing at her craft. He praised her even more than he did Tsukasa and that speaks for itself. In fact, every time he brought up Nene in front of his group, An would tease him about it but Toya, being the oblivious idiot he is, was completely unaffected by it. Unlike Akito who turned into a flustered mess the moment a certain pink-haired idol was mentioned. For the longest time, Toya hasn’t noticed his feelings for her and simply thought of it as admiration.
That is, until now.
Lately, Toya has had a light pink blush on his face whenever he was in close proximity with Nene. It was subtle, but there, and An being the, in Akito’s words, “nosy little bitch” she is, noticed. Around the fifth time she saw him blush, with a grin on her face, she mumbled under her breath,
“This will be fun ♪~”
Of course, no one knew what An Shiraishi was planning at that moment, but she seemed extremely determined.
***
After one of VBS’s practices, the group was hanging around Weekend Garage when An suddenly brought the topic of Nene up while lounging in a chair, just as Toya was about to sit down between Kohane and Akito.
“So Toya, what’s up with you and Kusanagi-san? You’ve been hanging around her a lot lately, and you always have some sort of blush on your face.”
Toya’s face instantly turns a shade of light pink, and before he could answer, Kohane chimed in seemingly interested.
“Yeah Aoyagi-kun what’s up with that? An-chan’s been talking to me non-stop about that.”
For the first time, An’s teasing leaves him completely flustered and dumbfounded.
“Uhhh…Umm…Well, I uh… I-It’s nothing.”
The normally composed and calm Toya starts stumbling over his words, leaving the rest of his group staring at him, wide-eyed, in shock, before An speaks up.
“So that’s how it is hmmm~”
“No! It’s not like that!”
If someone were to walk in on the group right now it would look like poor Toya was caught red-handed doing something he shouldn’t and was now being interrogated thoroughly by the VBS members circled around him. All four of them sat at a circular wooden table with four chairs placed around it. Kohane was now intently listening in on the conversation, An had a smug smirk on her face, and Toya was now staring at the ground, his cheek tinted with a now obvious shade of pink. Thankfully, Akito stands up, put a protective arm around him, and speaks in his defense.
“How about you fuck off An, and mind your own business.”
“Oh~? Idol lover boy wants to pick a fight with me? Surprising. You know, I could call Mizuki right now, she might even be with Ena who would be happy to know that her brother has a crush on her best friend…”
“Wait! Don’t do that!”
Aaand an instant fold. Akito’s face was now dusted with an even stronger shade of pink to match his best friend, leaving An cackling maliciously at the sight of the two boys in front of her being a flustered mess. Blackmail really was the best. She then gave Kohane next to her a high five, the score is now 2-0, girls.
“Lesbians…” Akito grumbled, earning him a kick from An under the table.
***
Once he got home, Toya wondered if he really was in love with Nene. Lately he’d been feeling more nervous around her, but enjoyed her company a lot nonetheless. Unfortunately, they were no longer in the same class and didn't see each other often.
It’s complicated I guess.
How could one enjoy the company of another person, yet still feel a sense of intense anxiety around them?
Toya pondered this thought for quite some time, to him, it didn’t quite make sense. He thought about how he always admired her, she was beautiful and graceful and-
Oh. I really am falling for her.
Toya blushed slightly.
I really would like to confess to her soon. After all, it isn’t healthy to keep feelings bottled up inside.
He glanced over at his calendar and noticed that Valentine’s Day wasn't too far off, just a few weeks away.
He smiled, a feeling of pure happiness welling up inside him.
That’s the perfect day to confess.
***
Now armed with the information that Toya had a huge crush on Nene, An decided to be a good friend (Ahem, wingman) and try to get their relationship moving along. She skipped along the school hallways humming the tune of one of her group’s songs until she spotted Nene and initiated a conversation with her.
“Heya! Kusanagi-san!”
Little did she know this conversation she had with Nene would create a butterfly effect that would spiral into a horrible situation.
***
Toya Aoyagi walked along the vast hallways of Kamiyama High and saw An skipping with joy and wondered how someone could be this energetic in the morning, but it was An after all, and as far he knew, that girl is capable of being bright and cheery 24/7.
“Heya! Kusanagi-san! Can I talk to you for a sec?”
Toya heard An call out to Nene and spotted her ahead. Despite wanting to say hi to her, Toya assumed it’d be rude to interrupt their conversation so he hurried along. Until…
“So Kusanagi-san, is there anyone who’s caught your eye lately? Or…”
An lowered her voice.
“Is there someone that you like?”
While An may have whispered that part, Toya heard it clear as day and stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t believe that An could be that blunt about it, he then hurriedly hid at the end of the hallway and listened in from there.
“Ah, um… not really I guess, why?”
“Oh, uh it’s nothing, do you have a type though?”
Again, Toya couldn’t believe how An could be so pushy about it and started to worry if Nene was getting uncomfortable. To his surprise, Nene sounded completely unfazed.
“Uh… no? The truth is, um… I don’t think I could ever love anyone again, I don’t really feel like sharing why, it’s kind of personal, sorry.”
“Oh… sorry for asking.”
An didn’t push it and simply walked into their classroom.
Toya looked over and saw that Nene had a dejected look on her face.
Hearing the conversation Nene and An had in the hallway made his chest feel tight as he slowly started walking away. It should be good that she didn’t have anyone she liked. Right? But he didn’t think about it that way because the way she said that sentence and her expression afterwards made him feel like she really meant it. Suddenly, he felt a lump form in his throat.
Instantly, it felt as if he was submerged in water, like he was being consumed and overwhelmed by his feelings for her. Drowning… in this sea of his feelings he knows will never be reciprocated.
I’m drowning.
Help. … --- …
And then…
He starts to feel like he’s suffocating, he can’t breathe, and suddenly-
He rushes to the nearest restroom and coughs violently into his hands and-
“What the…”
Tiny flower petals seemed to rest in his hands and they weren’t just any flower petals. Their hue was a soft spring green color, reminding him of a certain someone. In fact, just thinking about her made his chest hurt again.
It hurts…
Just then, a ginger haired boy happened to come across the scene and rushed to his side.
“Toya are those… flower petals?”
“Akito? I-I think so…”
"You’re not going to like how this sounds but… I think you’ve caught the hanahaki.”
“The what?”
***