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You and your best friend, Satori, run down the hallway after school. The two of you had gotten distracted with talking after class, and now you were late for your club meeting.
You were a bit worried about being late. Though your club president, Maniko, wouldn't mind too much, the other two club members tended to overthink a little. One especially, who you spent the most time with, tended to worry and question things if he wasn't reassured.
"We're here!โ Satori cries as he throws open the door.
"Sorry we're late,โ You panted, leaning against the doorway. Running was not your forte.
"Hey you two. It's ok. Glad you could make it,โ Maniko greets you, getting up from a desk and coming over.
"See?" Came another voice, coming from the closet.
Naruki, another club member came out, holding a book. You tried to see the cover, wanting to know which manga he was going to read today, but you couldn't quite see it.
"I told you they'd come. Geeze you worry too much,โ Naruki continues, sending a look toward a tall purple-haired figure, who was seemingly reading in the corner.
You smiled at the sight of the final club member, Yuki. At Naruki's words, Yuki's purple eyes widened, darting from where they'd been looking at you, back to the book in front of him.
"N-Naruki'โ Yuki stammers quietly, most likely not happy with the fact that Naruki had revealed that Yuki had been worrying about the situation.
"Where were you two anyway?โ Naruki questions, setting his manga down on a desk beside him and crossing his arms.
"We got a bit sidetracked," Satori says, laughing sheepishly.
"What do you mean?โ Maniko questions, sitting on a nearby desk.
"I sorta forgot something,โ Satori explains vaguely.
"Seriously? Geeze. What did you forget this time?โ Naruki asks.
"His homework," You state, folding your arms as you continue to lean against the doorway.
Maniko and Naruki both stare at Satori, who shifts a bit. You sigh and decide to help him out.
"It wasn't that much work. We were hanging out last night and I was showing him a video game I like so I guess he just forgot,โ You explain.
"Yeah! That's right!โ Satori exclaims.
"But you were being a meany earlier and scolding me anyway,โ He adds, pouting at you.
"Two things," You begin, holding up a hand.
"First. You still shouldn't forget to do your homework. That's all I was saying earlier,โ You say, and Maniko nods in agreement.
"Second. I'm the one who let you copy off my answers so you wouldn't get in trouble, so how am I mean?โ You finish, making Naruki laugh.
Satori tries to come up with a come back, but can't think of anything. He pouts again.
"You just are," He states, making you, Maniko, and Naruki laugh again.
You hear another tiny laugh from the corner, and turn your head in Yuki's direction, seeing him looking at you. Leaving Maniko, Satori, and Naruki talking and laughing by the door, you quietly slip over to Yuki's corner and sit at the desk beside his.
"Hi," You greet, smiling softly in his direction.
"Hello Y/N,โ He says softly in return, a slight smile curving his lips.
"Is that a new one?โ You question, pointing at the book sitting in front of him and he nods.
"Yes. I bought the book yesterday,โ Yuki tells you.
"What do you think so far?โ You ask, always happy to hear about Yuki's books, as he had really good taste, and explained books very well.
"It's quite interesting so far. There's very intricate lore and world-building, and each character has valid reasons for why they do the things they do,โ Yuki states, his eyes shining.
"Those kinds of books are always really good. Will you tell me more?โ You ask.
Yuki looks down timidly, trying toย figure out if he should continue. You give a reassuring smile.
"It sounds really interesting Yuki,โ You tell him, causing him to relax a bit.
"A-alright," Yuki says finally before continuing to explain the book.
For the next twenty or thirty minutes, the two of you discuss Yuki's book. As he describes the world, characters, and a bit of the plot, though not too much because he didn't want to spoil it for you, Yuki calms down and speaks more confidently.
After a while, Maniko calls over to the two of you, telling you it was time to share poems. Yuki frouns slightly, not liking the interruption. You gently touch his shoulder before getting up.
"The book sounds really great. I'll definitely be looking for it at the bookstore. Also, I have something to show you,โ You tell him, pulling your poem out of your bag along with a binder, filled with printed pages.
Yuki's eyes light up when he sees the binder. You smile and set it down next to his book.
"This is a new one. I finished writing the story last night, and wanted to show it to you,โ You tell him, watching a small blush cover his cheeks.
You were a writer, and often enjoyed sharing your stories with your friends and family. Given that Yuki liked fantasy stories, which you wrote often, as well as sci-fi and horror, not to mention the fact that you also may or may not have a slight crush on the shy boy, you often liked sharing what you wrote with him. Plus he gave really good feedback, which you appreciated very much.
"T-thank you Y/N. I really enjoy reading your stories," Yuki says quietly as he pulls out his own poem, looking down at the paper so he won't have to meet your gaze.
"I'm glad," You say, deciding you'd said enough now, and not saying anymore, so as not to overwhelm yuki.
You turn and head over to Satori, who was calling to you. He excitedly hands you his poem, which he'd seemingly written this morning again. Though rushed, it was still really good, and you liked it.
Next, you read Maniko's poem, then Naruki's. You enjoyed reading each one, and they liked yours as well. You were glad yours had turned out alright, since you weren't as used to writing poems as you were with writing stories.
Finally you and Yuki exchanged poems. You smile as you begin to read.
Light
The shadows close in around me,
Filling my entire being with cold.
I try to move back,
Try to move away,
From the judging eyes I cannot see,
But they are everywhere.
I stop moving,
Stop searching,
For understanding,
For normality.
Suddenly,
I notice something begin to change.
A golden light begins to grow,
Chasing them all away,
And I can breathe,
I can move.
The light surrounds me,
Filling my body with warmth,
Because I know I am finally seen.
You look up from the poem, seeing that Yuki is blushing as he looks at you, seemingly finished with your poem. You surprisingly understand the meaning of the poem, or at least you think you do, which makes you feel proud since Yuki's poems are always so deep and beautiful.
The poem seems to be talking about someone feeling alone or judged or both. The person feels like no one truly understands or likes them, until a person or group of people come along who do understand and make the person feel seen, chasing the darkness away.
You wonder who the poem could be about. You're pretty sure the narrator is Yuki, but who is the light? You're tempted to ask, but don't want to fluster him.
"Your poem's amazing as usual,โ You compliment, making him smile.
"Thank you. Yours is quite beautiful as well,โ Yuki states timidly, his purple eyes looking down at your poem instead of meeting your own E/C eyes.
You were glad he liked it. He was the inspiration for the poem after all.
You had forgotten to write your poem yesterday. It was only when you'd finished writing the story, and printed it out to show to Yuki the next day that you'd remembered.
Since you were already thinking about Yuki, your poem ended up being about him. You never mentioned his name, just your feelings, so you knew he'd probably never catch on.
"I'm glad you liked it,โ You tell Yuki.
"I did. Very much. It's easy to see that you put a lot of feeling into your poem,โ He states, his eyes moving over the paper again.
You felt your own cheeks heating up slightly at his praise. It made you happy when the people you cared about enjoyed your writing, but it was even better when Yuki liked it.
He was very intelligent, loved reading, and was an exceptional writer. The fact that you had written something that you weren't used to writing, and Yuki had liked it, caused pride to fill your heart.
"Thank you Yuki,โ You smiled, making him turn his head away in embarrassment.
"You're welcome," He answers.
Since the two of you were now finished sharing your poems, you sat down to read again. Yuki grabbed your story, quickly opening the binder to the first page. You smile at seeing him so eager to read what you'd written.
Before he begins, Yuki looks up again at you, then down at his book which rested on the desk. He reached out with one hand and slid it over to you.
"I know it must be rather boring to just watch someone read, so perhaps you could read my book while you wait for me to finish,โ Yuki suggests.
"Thanks Yuki. I promise I'll keep your place marked in the book,โ You reassure with a bright smile.
"You're welcome. I-if you don't want to read it that's fine-โ He begins, starting to overthink but you cut him off by gently resting a hand on his shoulder.
"I do want to read it. Trust me. I was going to try and find my own copy after school and see how far I got before tomorrow so I could tell you what I thought so far," You tell him, happy to see that you'd made a small smile appear on his face before he nodded and looked back at your story.
"I'd like that Y/N,โ He murmurs as his eyes move across the page.
You feel your heart quicken in your chest as a warm feeling fills you. You pick up Yuki's book, opening it and beginning to read.
You're honestly rather annoyed with Maniko when he calls out to the rest of you that the meeting is over, and that you all had to pack up now. Yuki seems rather disappointed as he looks up from your story. Closing the binder, he hands it back to you.
"You can borrow it for now, and give it back when you're finished,โ You tell him as you hand his book back, seeing his expression.
"A-are you sure?โ Yuki questions.
"Of course. I trust you with my stories,โ You say, handing the binder back.
Yuki smiles at your words. He takes the binder from you, and carefully slips it into his bag.
"You could borrow my book as well if you want. I've already read a great deal, and if you read some tonight, we could discuss it tomorrow,โ Yuki suggests timidly.
You look up from where you'd been putting your poem away in your bag. Yuki twists his hands together nervously as he waits for your response. He starts to open his mouth to take it back or explain, but you smile at him.
"I'd love that Yuki,โ You say, gently taking the book from Yuki and putting it in your bag.
"I'll read some more tonight, and tomorrow if I have time in class,โ You tell him.
"You don't have to read very much. I don't want you to read more than you want to," He quickly tells you.
"No I want to read it. I've been wanting a new book to read, so this is great,โ You reassure as you stand up, the both of you walking toward the door.
"Alright," Yuki says, relaxing a bit.
Satori joins you and Yuki at the door. The three of you walk to the school's entrance together, before Yuki leaves you and Satori alone, since his home was in a different direction.
Before he left, Satori told you to wait while he ran after Yuki. He cought up to the taller boy, who looked at him confusedly.
"What is it Satori?โ Yuki asks as Satori regains his breath.
"I saw that N/N let you borrow a story. Are you going to do it now?โ Satori questions excitedly.
Yuki's eyes widen slightly and a blush spreads over his cheeks. He turns his head away and covers his mouth.
"I'm not sure,โ He answers.
"Come on!" Satori whines.
"We all talked about it last week! Remember? You said you wanted to tell her, and Maniko suggested doing that!โ Satori exclaims.
"Keep it down," Yuki insists, holding up his hands.
"Oops. Sorry Yuki, but are you going to do it?" Satori questions again.
"Maybe," Yuki says quickly before turning and walking in the direction of his house.
"Ok bye!" Satori calls, before turning and running back toward you, who had continued walking.
Time skip.
After an hour of reading, Yuki closed your binder. He had enjoyed the story very much, and was looking forward to telling you what he thought of the plot and characters. The thought of doing so made him smile.
Satori's words came back to him. He sighed, moving your binder to the side before resting his head on his arms.
He wasn't sure if he could do it. He'd liked you for quite some time, but had been too afraid to do anything. Last week, Satori had teased him a bit. He wasn't sure how Satori had figured it out, but he knew, and said something in front of the others.
Yuki had been worried that the rest of the guys would tease him or tell him you were out of his league, but they didn't. Surprisingly, they helped him come up with ways to tell you how he felt. One of those ideas was what he was thinking about now.
Yuki sighed again, sitting up and grabbing a pen and paper before he could think too much about it. He stares at the page as he tries to figure out what to say. For once, he was having trouble putting words on paper.
Finally, he places the tip of the pen on the paper, and begins to write. There were many messed up pieces of paper that ended up in the trash. Letters that didn't sound quite right, or long enough, or way too long.
Eventually, he had a letter that he was happy with. He reread it a few times, checking for any errors, before folding it in half. He opened the binder again, taking a deep breath before placing the folded letter on top of the first page.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Yuki mutters to himself, closing the binder again and sliding it into his bag to take to school the next day.
Time skip.
"Yes! We're on time today!โ You cry as you and Satori enter the club room.
Satori laughs as Maniko and Naruki greet the two of you. Yuki looks up from his book and smiles shyly at you from his usual corner. You smile back, and leave the others to join him as you did the day before.
"Hi," You say, happily sitting beside him and taking his book out of your bag.
"Hello Y/N,โ Yuki greets, pulling your binder out of his bag and nervously setting it on the desk.
"How are you?โ You ask, your eyes meeting his.
"I'm doing rather well. And you?โ He answers shyly.
"I'm doing pretty great. I got to chapter eight in the book earlier,โ You say proudly.
"Wow. What do you think so far?โ Yuki asks in return, seeming happy that you'd worked so hard to get farther in his book.
"It's amazing! The plot doesn't move too slow or too fast, and the main character actually has flaws," You say.
"Thanks so much for letting me borrow it,โ You add, smiling at Yuki again, who turns his head away to avoid your gaze.
"Y-you're welcome. I'm very glad you enjoyed it,โ He mutters.
"I finished your story last night,โ He tells you, timidly sliding your binder toward you.
"Oh you did? What did you think?โ You ask curiously.
"It was very interesting. I enjoyed reading it very much,โ Yuki informs you.
You blush slightly at his words, making Yuki feel a little proud. He had actually made you blush.
"Thanks Yuki. I'm really glad you liked it,โ You say, lifting your binder from the desk, about to put it in your bag.
"W-wait!" He cries, quickly reaching out aย hand to grab your wrist.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice," He stammers quickly.
"It's ok Yuki. What's wrong?โ You ask, E/C eyes filled with concern.
"I just wanted to let you know that I think there's an error on the first page,โ Yuki murmurs timidly.
"There is?" You ask.
"Yes. I'm sorry i just know that you take a lot of pride in your stories, and that you dislike others seeing errors in your stories so I-โ Yuki tries to quickly explain, but you gently cut him off.
"Hey it's ok. I'm glad you told me. You said it's on the first page?โ You ask, opening the binder.
"Yes," Yuki quietly confirms.
"Alright," You say, opening the binder.
Yuki takes a deep breath as he watches you. You find the folded letter on top of the pages of your story. After looking at Yuki for a second, who was looking down again, you unfold the paper and begin to read.
ย
Dear Y/N,
I've never done anything like this before, and most likely won't do it very well, but I'm going to try. Please bare with me.
When you first joined the Literature Club, I wasn't exactly sure what to do. As you know, I'm not very good at interacting with new people, so on your first day I was rather nervous.
However, when you spoke to me, somehow I felt at ease. You truly enjoy reading and writing, and I don't feel like I'm inconveniencing you by talking about my interests.
You make me feel seen and normal. I always enjoy our time together, and look forward to spending time with you in the future.
You are a kind, smart, patient, and creative individual. I never thought I'd feel this way for someone, but you're quite unexpected. I couldn't say all of this aloud, so I chose to write it here, and hope my feelings come across well.
I love you Y/N, and have for a while. If you do not return my feelings, that is alright. I just wanted you to know.
Sincerely yours,
Yuki.
ย
Your eyes had been gradually getting wider and wider as you read, and your face had grown flushed. Yuki was worried that he'd embarrassed you too much, and was about to apologize but you moved first.
You reached out and took his hand, smiling softly at him. Yuki relaxed slightly, his hand tightening around yours.
"I'm glad you told me. I feel the same,โ You tell Yuki, your cheeks still pink, though not as dark as Yuki's, who's blush had covered his entire face.
"I'm glad,โ Yuki murmurs.
Satori, who had seen the whole thing, was about to run over to the two of you, but Maniko cought his arm. Satori looked back at him and Naruki, who both shake their heads.
"What?" Satori asks in confusion.
"Give them a minute,โ Maniko says softly, gesturing to you and Yuki, who were now sitting close together as you read Yuki's book, happy expressions on your faces.
"But what about poems?โ Satori asks.
"It can wait a bit,โ Maniko answers, smiling at the pair.
The other three watch you and Yuki read, Yuki shyly slipping an arm around you so that you could see the book better. You rest your head on his shoulder, glad that you'd checked that error right away.