Work Text:
“Is that the story, is this the ending that you want?” I asked Yakishio as the bus stopped before us.
“It. It’ll have to do.” She responds with hesitation in her voice. A glimmer of a sad smile adorning her face. As she approached the stairs of that bus I knew this could be a scene where the protagonist could come in at the last second and see her off, but Ayano already decided his story. So now Yakishio is truly left with no one to follow after her, because she asked me to be alone.
The sounds of the doors trying to come to a close made me realize that despite me being a side character, who’s never fallen in love. Maybe. Just maybe I can help her in some small way.
“Nukkun!?” Yakishios voice lightly yells in surprise as I hop onto the bus.
“I-I don’t know much about how you're feeling, and I know you told me to give you some space but…” I try to say something but words are failing me. “You’re one of the few friends I have! And I can’t stop myself from wanting to help.”
With a slight nod Yakishio sits down and I sit down across from her, luckily today isn’t a busy day for this bus or time since it isn’t evening yet.
This silence sitting between us as the sound of the engine and passing cars fill the background. I pull together my words in my head, trying to come up with something to say. It’s a minute or so before I decide what to say. “If- if you don’t mind, I have a story I’ve been thinking about. Would you mind if I told you about it?”
“N-not at all, since you listened to mine.”
With a deep breath and the words in my head I started to tell the tale. “In a not so distant land to that Prince and the girl he took to the ball lived another not so distinct boy. He loved to imagine stories.”
The stories of having friends to one day feel what it’s like to be someone seen.
“He never stood out, living in his head. Those that knew him saw that he had a lot to say but he continued reading and learning, even if it meant he would be alone. That was until he met the prince.”
Me and Ayano, we first met at cram school and we always happened to sit next to each other.
“Every once in a while he would talk about someone that was his inspiration, someone who he thought to be a distant star. Yet that star would help guide him even if the star was a bit clumsy at times.”
Knowing everything I know now. I can say with certainty that Ayano and Yakishio liked each other at some point, but that timing had come and gone.
“Even so it wasn’t long after the prince and the boy went their separate ways, that was until the boy was admitted to the same academy. That’s where he met the guiding star he was told so much about.”
Looking up at Yakishio, small tears threaten her eyes.
“The boy started to spend time with the star, not intentionally but he had started to become friends with it and a few others he never dreamed of becoming friends with. Now that star wants to fade away.”
Standing up despite the bumps I grab onto the handles, nervousness filling me up. With one last deep breath.
“But I don’t want my friend to go away. There’s still so much I have to learn from her.” I say with a smile on my face. I extend my hand to her, holding out the handkerchief that Kaju told me to keep on hand.
Her hand reaches out to mine, grabbing onto the handkerchief and using it to wipe away the remnants of her tears. “You’re a pretty cool guy when it comes down to it huh Nukkun.” She says to me with a snicker.
“I was raised to be an honorable young man!” I reply while puffing out my chest. Due to the overexpression of my movement she started to laugh, her laugh was infectious enough to make me start laughing as well. It feels nice to hear her laughing like she used to before her awkward laughing earlier today.
I’m sure I’ll be getting some very long messages and calls for Yanami tomorrow but it’s worth it in order to cheer up one of my friends.