✪ Boundaries || HanaNene ✪

P R O L O G U E

She also was quick to note how much of a tease he really was. He would always tease her big, fat ankles which he nicknamed, "daikon legs", much to Yashiro's dismay.

He was also a really fun person to be with, but he was such a sweetheart. He had such a big heart for everyone around him. Yashiro really thought that his trait was his greatest strength.

Yugi Amane really wasn't that bad, he was actually, really cute and kind.

It wasn't long before the two became the best of friends. Every day, she and Yugi would always head to the school rooftop to eat their lunches at talk about how their days went. They had one-on-one talks during this time, and every Friday, they had confession talks where they have to confess a secret they've been hiding from the other friend. Everything went really well.

Yashiro didn't know when it started, but she ended up liking Yugi Amane.

It was probably around the last year of elementary when she started seeing how attractive her best friend looked. Whenever he'd smile over something she said, she'd feel a weird feeling in her chest. When he laughed, she'd all of a sudden blush and feel flustered.

That's when she knew, she liked him.

Obviously, she didn't want to tell Amane that she had feelings for him. That would be too bold and too unladylike of her. After all, boys are supposed to be the ones to make the first move, aren't they? So, she waited until her feelings grew even stronger than she could ever imagine.

But one day, Amane was suddenly a different person.

He came to school with a bunch of bruises and wounds on his body. He also started cutting classes and failing his subjects, which was very unlike him. He was also acting differently, he started acting conservative.

Yashiro was worried. A bunch of her teachers had approached her to ask what was wrong with Amane yet she couldn't answer a single one of their questions. It was as though a sudden wall created by Amane to shut the outside world out was placed between the two of them. He didn't even hang out with her anymore and would disappear immediately after they were dismissed from lunch and dismissal.

She sat alone in the rooftop, eating the bento she has packed for herself just this morning. It was a Friday, their confession day. Like any other day, she hoped and prayed that Amane would show up and explain everything to her.

Finally, today he came.

"A-Amane, you came!" Yashiro exclaimed as she saw him, his eyes back to normal. He had a happy smile plastered on his face as if there was nothing wrong at all. Yashiro. A large smile formed on her lips without Yashiro even realizing as she stood up to greet him.

"Yo, Daikon. It seems you've started without me." He flashed a small smile, reaching where Yashiro stood and patted her head. She pouted a bit as he ruffled with her soft and silky hair and removed his hand from her head. They both sat down back at the floor of the rooftop, and Yashiro was ready to scold Amane.

"What's with you avoiding me all day? Is something the matter? Where were you during Math period yesterday? And what's with all the wounds you've been getting? Listen, if you have a problem just tell--"

"Can we not talk about it?" Yashiro stopped talking and froze in shock upon seeing those soft amber eyes she knew glare at her with such coldness. It was different from the times that he got mad at her. He didn't glare coldly at her when he was angry, he still had the soft look in his eyes.

Was this the Amane she knew and loved?

"Ah, I'm sorry..." She answered, continuing to silently eat her bento. She felt so stupid for ruining Amane's mood. It was obvious he didn't want to be interrogated with a bunch of questions. 

The atmosphere was a bit awkward for the two. The wind blew past them as the Yashiro uncomfortable continued to eat her bento in this awkward silence. Neither she nor Amane wanted to talk at all, but obviously the air would only clear up if one of them spoke.

That's when Yashiro remembered she had to give him something.

"Ah, that's right. Amane-kun," She zipped her bag open and rummaged through her stuff, looking for the item she wanted to give to Amane. He watched her curiously as she pulled out a small, miniature rocket keychain made from polyester clay.

"This is for you. I made along with the clay project in Arts Class, I hope you like it!" Amane took the keychain from Yashiro's palm. He held it from the metal chain and looked at it. The rocket wasn't exactly perfectly made. Some of the edges weren't smooth, and one side of the wing was higher than the other.

Though, he knew he was going to treasure this gift.

He sent a large, genuine smile at Yashiro, his first genuine one after a long time, "Thank you, Nene!"

After a few days, Yugi came to school with bandages covering almost every part of his body, covering him up like a mummy. The light in his eyes was completely gone. They were replaced with dullness and sadness. Yashiro was really concerned, he was different from how he was just a few days ago. She wanted to ask him about it again but she was afraid of what Yugi would say when he tells her to stop.

As a few more days passed, Yashiro and Yugi grew more and more distant with each other. He was even more silent and conservative, and he always asked Yashiro if he could have his own space. Of course, Yashiro always agreed, thinking that it would be better to just let him sort his own things. This carried on for one more week.

That was until he stopped coming to school.

At first, it was just a few days. Then those days became weeks, and those weeks became months. It came to the point that Yashiro missed him so much, she wouldn't talk to any other person in her classroom at all.  She was worried sick with what could've happened to him. She tried going to his place, but apparently the Yugi family didn't live in the house anymore. 

Then, the day came when the horrible news struck her.

"Your classmate, Yugi Amane, has passed away due to a suicide committed in his own home. May we all please pray for his soul and his family as they mourn the loss of their..."

Yashiro heard what her teacher said, but she still couldn't wrap her mind around it.

How did she have not known? How did she not connect the dots with everything that's happened? The bruises, his cold behavior, his responses to all her questions about him.

Why didn't she see it sooner?

She was such a terrible friend.

Yashiro screamed in pain, not caring if her classmates would think weirdly of her. She didn't care anymore. All she wanted was to see Yugi again. To tell him how she felt, and to say goodbye, even for just a moment.

Tears fell out of her eyes as she continued to weep in pain. She couldn't believe her best friend, her crush, was gone.

Yugi Amane was gone.