Freshman Year...
You bit your lips, suppressing a yawn, eyes darting towards your wrist to see the time. It was pass your curfew, your parents would kill you for this, but they'd kill you over a low mark on you report card so you die either way. You looked towards your project partner, typing away on his computer, the screen brightly lit and reflected upon his rectangular shaped rims. A stray strand of blond dangles on his forehead, perfectly framing his sharp, yet soft features. The cute (In your opinion at least) geek/nerd sitting at the back of the class that no one bothered to talk to was paired with you to make an article about Shakespeare, a playwright he is incredibly fond of.
Both of you agreed to work on the project in his parent's house (Who are absent, might I add), taking turns to sit in front of the PC to write about your parts in the article. It hurt your eyes having to stare at the bright screen for too long, when he offered to write it for you, considering it was late and weird to have your classmate with you in his house, alone, no parents, nor pets to intervene. It's not like you were thinking of something like that, you are fourteen for fuck's sake but it's just weird. I mean, he cute though... But you were only fourteen, and it's an absolute no-no!
"Is there anything wrong?" His adolescent voice rings out, snapping you away from your thoughts. You glanced at the blond, as he subtly casts his gaze over his shoulder to see you. "You seem to be unwell, are you alright?"
"I'm good, no worries. Just- don't mind me." You gave him a reassuring smile, before he just nods and turns reverts his attention back to the screen.
Huh... He seems to be nice, why does anyone avoid him? I mean, he has the tendancy to be an asshole, but that's because he was defending himself. He has the tendancy to be a 'know-it-all' during class, but maybe he was just that dedicated and enthusiastic about the class... You can never get why people assumes the worst about a person who just want to be silent and often kept to themselves. You often heard your classmates talking about him, saying he's the creep who'll end up planning a school shooting- which is ultimately wrong! You had yourself to blame as well, to be honest... You feel shameful you were one of the people who assumed that as well.
It's been a silent day for you, no one spoke, the only sound there was the keys in the keyboard under his fingertips. You would occasionally look over his shoulders, maybe point out a spelling error and he's thank you for that, but that's about it. It was tense, awkward and natural. It was just bad and you hate it. You hate that you can't come up with a topic without second guessing yourself and ending up in a rock and hard place.
His room was decked with no posters, only rows and rows of shelves filled with you can only assume a secret porn stash hidden in encyclopedia cases... That's what teenage boys do, right? No matter how innocent looking they are, no matter how lame they are, teen boys can be quite the... Thirsty ones. And girls too, don't get me wrong! You cannot be convinced that anyone at this age have NEVER took a peak to the darkest side of internet and a casual dip in adult stuffs- a fourteen year old should NOT see.
But you feel bad for assuming the worst of Nemoto, maybe they're truly just normal encyclopedias, maybe he's keeping a few collection of comics or mangas or literature or whatnot. His room was relatively normal, very neat and clean, not a speck of hair can be seen littering his floor, he must be a major clean freak, I mean come on, he looks the part as well.
Among the row of books formed in order of volumes and various sizes, you spotted a chessboard tucked away at the farthest end of his shelf. This didn't suprise you, he did emit the chess team member and an obvious major nerd, but it did piqued your interests.
You play a little bit of chess, you weren't really a master of it it but I guess it was a great time killer if you're bored and you didn't have anything to do. You once played with the chess master of the school, but the win was totally half-assed when he barely paid attention to the game, nor took it serious as you did. You caught his king in check and didn't tell him about it (He IS a chess master after all, he should have noticed it), and he didn't noticed this and instead moved a different chess piece. By this, you were able to win the game. It wasn't a proud achievement of yours, but at least now you have a topic to talk about wiht Nemoto if he decides to indulge in this conversation.
"So you play chess?" Asked the young, awkward teen as they peeked at every inch of his room in attempt to start a conversation. You hoped to spot an object of your interests that parallels yours. You really can't stand the tense atmosphere and you can only wish that he'd pick up the common social cue and continue this conversation.
"Yes." He shortly replies, typing away, slender fingers fast and precise against the keyboard.
You pouted. So much for starting a conversation. Nevertheless, you attempted to continue this conversation even if it was one-sided. "Oh yeah! I remember seeing you in the chess club, you're an officer in that club, right?"
"They never really cared about the club. They just wanted a way to escape classes, hence joining the club. It really is pathetic." He had his brows furrowed as he spoke, as if he can visualize those moments to himself. Nevertheless, that's the spirit!
"Yeah, it's really unfortunate other students would join clubs for an excuse to skip classes. And when they're needed in the club, they'd disappear! Remember that time the Shakespeare festival had to be cancelled? Well I was a part of that club and we were-..."
The conversation went along, although it was partially one-sided, at least he'd nod along and listen to your woes and worries. It wasn't as awkward as it is, at least there was no longer silence. It was only you, him, and the keyboard.
"- and like the badass bitch she is, Heather smacked the bitch in our class with a rotten egg." With a sigh of conclusion, you were able to catch your breathe. "I can still smell the stench of the rotten egg. But anyways! That's the story of how I was a dumbass by sticking around with Heather but it was fun, don't get me wrong!"
"Sounds like the two of you get along very well..."
"I know right? She can be a massive bitch, but I guess she can be very upfront and straightforward. Maybe I can introduce her to you! A friend of mine is a friend of hers after all!" His typing came to an instant halt. Confused, you glanced at him. "Huh? What's wrong?"
You were truly such an odd one... Here he thought he wouldn't survive the whole day by foolishly inviting you over to do the project. He thought you'd be just there, an irritating bother just lying around his room. An unnecessary bother he invited over for the sole purpose of making the project "together". He never thought you'd be educated about the latter, perhaps more smarter than he is (Not that he doubts himself, he merely found himself in awe as he underestimated you). You were helpful to him, very helpful in fact you had offered earlier to write all of it. Of course he had to decline, somewhere in him knew you'd fuck it up and came to a compromise to evenly divide the article.
In the end, he knows he feels bad for underestimating you. And so it comes to this. to a halt when he heard a particular word. It was unexpected, to be frank, he never anticipated to hear that word from anyone ever. "Friends?"
"Yeah, I mean..." They trailed off as Shin turned to them with a questioning gaze. Upon this new found confusion and wonder, you didn't know how to react which prompted to trigger your own hands to act on its own and fiddle with your shirt. "I am high-key interested in you like- I think you'd be fun to hang out with!"
Friends, huh? A group of people that usually claims they can not be separated but doesn't last, so what's the point of that? Something he yearned, the companion who'll stay with him. The irrational fear of being betrayed, abandoned... He would give everything to have a friend, but at what cost? For all he knew, he'd be stabbed by the back. The bespectacled male uncomfortably shifts around his seat. He doesn't really know how to respond.
"Hmm... It's getting late... Aren't your parents concerned?"
Of course he'd swerve the conversation away, he's too much of a coward to answer. You dismissed this and answered his questions.
"Yeah, it's kinda sorta late... It's actually pass my curfew, they'd kill me. But they'd also kill me for having bad grades." You responded with your arms crossed, a little devastated at the fact that he avoided the question.
"Well I... I think you should get going. It's late after all," Shin offers, as he took his glasses off, wiping the lenses with the small cloth he kept from his pocket. "Let me walk you home, I don't want you to feel unsafe. You do live in a dangerous part of the neighborhood."
"O-oh-" your face coloured with red, you can't help but to avert your gaze away from him. "Um sure! I mean- if you want too... I-I uh- let's go then!"
Sophomore Year...
"I'm surrounded by dimwits." The bespectacled blond grunts softly, rolling his eyes to avert his gaze away from the display of idiocy his friends were having. He was seated across his two friends whom he never saw coming, nor did he ever thought of tagging along with.
In front of him was Y/N struggling to get the chewed gum off Heather's hair when their gum blowing escapade backfired when Y/N accidentally spat their gum on Heather's hair instead of blowing a bubble. Nemoto just wanted to peacefully study alone, when he'd feel incomplete and alone with his two stupid friends... He absolutely appreciates them and was more protective of them than he expected.
He was surprised when he found himself tagging along the two of you, until it was more than that. He wasn't simply tagging along, he was actually a part of the friendship. It all started when you were his project partner from the last school year. After that fated night, you would often walk beside him on the way to school. And every afternoon, you and Heather would walk him in your way to your respective houses. It came to the point that Heather stopped being late to class and wakes up early to walk with you and Shin every morning on the way to school.
Both you and Heather are quite... Interestingly eccentric. He always saw the duo as lazy bums laying around, always messing around and not taking things seriously because of how you would sleep during class lectures, getting into fights with other students (mostly the annoying cliques and bullies)... Until he assumed the worst and found himself wrong. Now he's guilty about that.
He found his tense walls being broken down by two dumbasses who first decided to walk with him on his way to school and in his way to home. It soon evolved to casual hang-outs every weekends, until he found himself comfortable in their company. It's funny to think Shin thought he'd never have a friend, when everyone around him are treacherous snakes... It's the first time he's glad to say he's wrong.
Heather Lilies, a spiteful and spunky girl filled with too much chaotic energy with the urge to fight people when they tear other people down. A courage soul with no quirk but won't hesitate to stand up to other people. He was shocked to hear she doesn't want to be a hero with this paragon-like personality of her's. A very innocent soul who would pretend to know every sexual joke Y/N would occasionally crack to appear mature. Very passionate towards cutesy photography and deepest psychological nature's of serial killers and villains... An odd combination in Shin's opinion but he doesn't judge.
Y/N L/N... Oh how does he start? They got that silly, gummy grin that can radiate light enough to light up a dark room. A surprisingly smart fella despite their numerous displays of idiocy and stupidity. They're a precious soul, to be honest... Very uplifting, very honest... They're the person who'll be a call away, a shoulder to cry on who never judges, never bases suffering and ranks it in a hierarchical structures... There's just something special about you and he can't put his finger on it. It was just one of your charms that drew him in and lead him to trust you. You were yet another interesting person, a person with intense hatred for (insert subject) and with a special interest of (insert hobby) and psychology.
The friend group is small, perfect for Shin's liking. It was chaotic due to Heather and Y/N's shenanigans, and Shin was there to balance it out. If there's chaos in a friendship, then there's the brain cell. It sadly out powers him sometimes.
"Didn't I tell you not to do it?" The one brain cell of the friend group lectures, rummaging through his bag to retrieve his pencil case.
"Oh if you're giving me a scissor to cut my hair I will absolutely NOT cooperate with that!" Heather screams, accusingly pointing her manicured nail towards Shin as he pulls the scissors out. In Nemoto's dismay, he puts the pair of scissors back in his pencil case and places it in his neatly organised bag.
You rolled your eyes at her picky nature, your fingers working on removing the pink goo on her brown hair. "Well, Snappy, it WOULD be more easier, you wouldn't help me take it off and you whine about how it pulls-"
"Well, I'm sorry! But there's no way in hell I'm touching a gum that came from your mouth!" Heather exclaims, nearly attracting all the attention from students within your close proximity.
"Heather, you know that you can grow you hair back again, right?" Nemoto suggests as he watches you fiddle with the gross looking goo on her. "And you were the one that proposed the gum blowing activity in the first place."
"Gum blowing, Nemo, not spitting a chewed up gum on your friend's hair!" Her eyes casted sideways to narrow them at you.
"I didn't purposefully did it! It was an accident! I'm sorry!" You defended yourself. "Hey four eyes could you please fetch an ice cube from the cafeteria?"
"And why in the world do you think they'd give a single ice cube?" He retorts, crossing his arms. "Four eyes? Is that supposed to be an insult?!"
"No-" you replied with a defensive tone. "It's supposed to be a term of endearment, ya know?"
Nemoto simply rolls his eyes... Admittedly, Four eyes does sound cute. Of course he wouldn't admit it out loud. At first it felt offensive, until it slowly subsided. You really have a weird collections of nicknames to refer to people. For crying out loud, you called Heather 'Snappy' simply because she carried her digital camera everywhere with her to snap some pictures.
"Just go get some coins in my bag, treat yourself with lemon water or whatever. Ask them for an extra ice cube in your drink or whatever," you pointed towards your bag lying by the table.
That, he did and he was off. And when he returns with the drink, you took an ice cube and began pressing it to the gum. The pink goo hardens, became less sticky and it was more easy to get it off from Heather's hair.
"Ugh, finally!" Heather grunts, as she straightens her hair by running her fingers between them. "I'm going to take my time washing my hair with a whole bottle of shampoo when I get home." She glared at you.
"Ugh, whatever Snappy," you groaned, pretending to flick the gum on Nemoto's glasses, only to throw it in the bin behind him with a flick of your finger. "Boom! Three points!" You commented, seeing the pink gum perfectly landing in the bin.
Nemoto glares at your attempt to flick at gum towards him, composing himself and letting his guard down. He sighs, finally setting himself to work on the arithmetic problem.
"Okay, now that the gum predicament is finished, let's get back to work shall we?" Shin offers with a sigh, retrieving his pen from his pencil case before flipping through pages and pages of a thick textbook. "Let's begin..."
"I'm surrounded by dimwits." The bespectacled blond grunts softly, rolling his eyes to avert his gaze away from the display of idiocy his friends were having. He was seated across his two friends whom he never saw coming, nor did he ever thought of tagging along with.
In front of him was Y/N struggling to get the chewed gum off Heather's hair when their gum blowing escapade backfired when Y/N accidentally spat their gum on Heather's hair instead of blowing a bubble. Nemoto just wanted to peacefully study alone, when he'd feel incomplete and alone with his two stupid friends... He absolutely appreciates them and was more protective of them than he expected.
He was surprised when he found himself tagging along the two of you, until it was more than that. He wasn't simply tagging along, he was actually a part of the friendship. It all started when you were his project partner from the last school year. After that fated night, you would often walk beside him on the way to school. And every afternoon, you and Heather would walk him in your way to your respective houses. It came to the point that Heather stopped being late to class and wakes up early to walk with you and Shin every morning on the way to school.
Both you and Heather are quite... Interestingly eccentric. He always saw the duo as lazy bums laying around, always messing around and not taking things seriously because of how you would sleep during class lectures, getting into fights with other students (mostly the annoying cliques and bullies)... Until he assumed the worst and found himself wrong. Now he's guilty about that.
He found his tense walls being broken down by two dumbasses who first decided to walk with him on his way to school and in his way to home. It soon evolved to casual hang-outs every weekends, until he found himself comfortable in their company. It's funny to think Shin thought he'd never have a friend, when everyone around him are treacherous snakes... It's the first time he's glad to say he's wrong.
Heather Lilies, a spiteful and spunky girl filled with too much chaotic energy with the urge to fight people when they tear other people down. A courage soul with no quirk but won't hesitate to stand up to other people. He was shocked to hear she doesn't want to be a hero with this paragon-like personality of her's. A very innocent soul who would pretend to know every sexual joke Y/N would occasionally crack to appear mature. Very passionate towards cutesy photography and deepest psychological nature's of serial killers and villains... An odd combination in Shin's opinion but he doesn't judge.
Y/N L/N... Oh how does he start? They got that silly, gummy grin that can radiate light enough to light up a dark room. A surprisingly smart fella despite their numerous displays of idiocy and stupidity. They're a precious soul, to be honest... Very uplifting, very honest... They're the person who'll be a call away, a shoulder to cry on who never judges, never bases suffering and ranks it in a hierarchical structures... There's just something special about you and he can't put his finger on it. It was just one of your charms that drew him in and lead him to trust you. You were yet another interesting person, a person with intense hatred for (insert subject) and with a special interest of (insert hobby) and psychology.
The friend group is small, perfect for Shin's liking. It was chaotic due to Heather and Y/N's shenanigans, and Shin was there to balance it out. If there's chaos in a friendship, then there's the brain cell. It sadly out powers him sometimes.
"Didn't I tell you not to do it?" The one brain cell of the friend group lectures, rummaging through his bag to retrieve his pencil case.
"Oh if you're giving me a scissor to cut my hair I will absolutely NOT cooperate with that!" Heather screams, accusingly pointing her manicured nail towards Shin as he pulls the scissors out. In Nemoto's dismay, he puts the pair of scissors back in his pencil case and places it in his neatly organised bag.
You rolled your eyes at her picky nature, your fingers working on removing the pink goo on her brown hair. "Well, Snappy, it WOULD be more easier, you wouldn't help me take it off and you whine about how it pulls-"
"Well, I'm sorry! But there's no way in hell I'm touching a gum that came from your mouth!" Heather exclaims, nearly attracting all the attention from students within your close proximity.
"Heather, you know that you can grow you hair back again, right?" Nemoto suggests as he watches you fiddle with the gross looking goo on her. "And you were the one that proposed the gum blowing activity in the first place."
"Gum blowing, Nemo, not spitting a chewed up gum on your friend's hair!" Her eyes casted sideways to narrow them at you.
"I didn't purposefully did it! It was an accident! I'm sorry!" You defended yourself. "Hey four eyes could you please fetch an ice cube from the cafeteria?"
"And why in the world do you think they'd give a single ice cube?" He retorts, crossing his arms. "Four eyes? Is that supposed to be an insult?!"
"No-" you replied with a defensive tone. "It's supposed to be a term of endearment, ya know?"
Nemoto simply rolls his eyes... Admittedly, Four eyes does sound cute. Of course he wouldn't admit it out loud. At first it felt offensive, until it slowly subsided. You really have a weird collections of nicknames to refer to people. For crying out loud, you called Heather 'Snappy' simply because she carried her digital camera everywhere with her to snap some pictures.
"Just go get some coins in my bag, treat yourself with lemon water or whatever. Ask them for an extra ice cube in your drink or whatever," you pointed towards your bag lying by the table.
That, he did and he was off. And when he returns with the drink, you took an ice cube and began pressing it to the gum. The pink goo hardens, became less sticky and it was more easy to get it off from Heather's hair.
"Ugh, finally!" Heather grunts, as she straightens her hair by running her fingers between them. "I'm going to take my time washing my hair with a whole bottle of shampoo when I get home." She glared at you.
"Ugh, whatever Snappy," you groaned, pretending to flick the gum on Nemoto's glasses, only to throw it in the bin behind him with a flick of your finger. "Boom! Three points!" You commented, seeing the pink gum perfectly landing in the bin.
Nemoto glares at your attempt to flick at gum towards him, composing himself and letting his guard down. He sighs, finally setting himself to work on the arithmetic problem.
"Okay, now that the gum predicament is finished, let's get back to work shall we?" Shin offers with a sigh, retrieving his pen from his pencil case before flipping through pages and pages of a thick textbook. "Let's begin..."
He takes a deep breathe and began to read some problem about the topic at hand. You know Heather far too well she'll listen, only for her mind to slowly drift away like a sail boat in an open ocean. You know yourself far too well you would see him speaking... It but it seems like it wasn't the words that pulled you into a deep dream. His voice was just so... Compelling to listen to.
Look at him and his chiseled chin and cute glasses and hot physique. Not to mention, his rear. You always notice his thick behind whenever he'd walk in front. Oh he would smack you for saying it out loud but you know it's worth it.
"The sniper from the rooftop fires a bullet that travels about seven hundred sixty metre per second-" the bespectacled male blabbers on as you stared at nothing. He's been talking about bullets and maths and guns... You really can't take the boy seriously even if he tries to be serious.
It's been a year since you've repeatedly tagged along with him. He was quite the loner and you figured he'd a great person to add within your very few friends. Along the way, you found out your hobbies were quite parallel with each other. Your interests were very similar and both of you were quite the contradictory, but you got along very well. If they said opposite attracts, then they sure aren't quite wrong.
It took some time to get him to open up, but you eventually cracked the boy and you found out he is quite the freak himself, not in a bad way though... Well yes, but no but that's not the point. He was distant at first, until he eventually warmed up over time now both of you were inseparable. It's just funny to recall it for some reason.
At first you thought he was simply shy, but oh you were wrong. He's as blunt and shameless as he can get, but has numerous impulse control to keep him in check. And he says this, as I quote, "My taciturn nature does not equate tepidity."
You and Shin were quite the duo in terms of academics. Both are intelligent, intellectual. The classic duo, really. A power couple, as they say, but you two were just friends. Both of you were notoriously known as the duo that often debate in opposing groups, making class debates quite entertaining. You really love catching him off guard with your slightly perverse antics, the way he would innocently redden at your inappropriate comment or compliment... Oh yeah, Heather's there too I guess.
"Love your quirk, I could totally see you use that on me. Make me confess all the things I wanna do to you~" is a particular favourite of yours during debates after his nose bled. You didn't intended to do that, nor did you thought of the possibilities, but it was just amusing nonetheless. Trust me, he had an earful of teasing from you and Heather after that.
You snorted from that memory, catching the attention of the tutoring boy hell-bent on getting you back at your academically excellence. The purple eyed Shin rolls a pamphlet, his eye twitching from sleep deprivation. He narrows his eyes the absent minded fools, lips slightly puckered in a small pout.
"Hey-!" He smacks your head with a brochure, then Heather by the shoulder.
"Ow!"
"- are you even listening?!"
"If you're asking me about the speed of a bullet being shot from the rooftop with a sniper in about seven hundred sixty metre per second and if they were meant to aim it to your direction I'd catch it for you, of course~" Recovering from your absentminded state, you fired a particularly flirty statement at the boy for a smooth recovery. He rolls his eyes at your answer with a sigh.
"It's endearing you'd catch a bullet for me, but you weren't listening, were you?" His purple eyes darkened with annoyance.
You sheepishly smiled and shrugged at the pissed off blonde. Shin turns to Heather, the same irritation and disappointment heavily emphasized in his gaze.
"What about you? Were you listening?"
"I'm sorry! My mind tends to drift!" Heather reasons, throwing her hands back in a dramatic manner.
"Geez, both of you are hopeless!"
Junior Year...
"Well if it isn't Y/N-..." Heather spares a glance to her phone, the illuminating screen lighting her enhance features. Eye lids tinted with red in a neat, light layer of make up and dotted with silver glimmering within the faint light, paired with a sleek, black eyeliner elegantly done... Shin assumed it took her at least nine times to perfectly apply it on her eye lids, for he knew Heather is the person with the most unstable grip in materials. Or perhaps she hired a make-up artist to do it for her.
"-fashionably late... As always..." she sighs, as if she wasn't exactly shocked at this particular issue.
Both Heather and Shin stood by the school gate, waiting for the certain (hair colour) haired person to arrive. It's been thirty minutes since Shin arrived along with Heather. As she says, Y/N has always be known as the late comer. They're never punctual and he found himself constantly annoyed by it... But he thought it'd be worth it once you'd be there... He asked you out after all and he's more than willing to compensate with your ridiculously high level of tardiness if it meant spending the night away with you, his best friend.
He didn't know why he asked to be your date for the prom, but the thought of you dancing with another made his chest squeeze a tad bit tighter than usual. He found the idea quite... Disturbing? Oh he doesn't know how to describe it, it felt like a pit of agony, sheer misery and... Envy? No, definitely not! He wasn't jealous or anything, he was simply protective over you. He would do the same thing for Heather (she wasn't asked out by anyone much to her chagrin... Her bitter and heartbroken emotions about it were barely vague) but it doesn't quite feel the same when he's doing it with you... It's normal... Right? It's normal to feel this sort of protectiveness towards a friend. Yes, definitely normal!
It's been so long, he's been feeling these symptoms whenever he's around you. Shortness of breathe, tightened chest, a particular ache in his stomach, abnormal heart beats... He tends to smile more than usual, he often wound himself thinking about you, he'd feel a "subtle" lingering feeling of disgust, envy and hatred whenever you're around other people... Maybe it was how a normal friendship feels, but he doesn't feel this way towards Heather even if he consider her as his friend.
He confided in Heather about this predicament of his, since she was a major psychology geek, she might know what this is. She listened to him intently like the good therapist friend she is as he rambles on and on about the things he was confused about these symptoms. Heather instantly connects two and two together and presented Shin Nemoto with a diagnosis...
"Shin, you're not dying from a disease nor developing a mental illness. You're in love."
It shocked it to say the least. This? Love? Why does it hurt all over? Now that he mentions it, the pain he feels... The shortness of breathe, irregular heartbeat, the random pit in his stomach... It all feels so good, but hurts so bad. He sighs, rubbing his closed eyes as he tries his best to get his eyes adjusted to the contact lenses. He thought he'd look more better without the glasses, but he knows full too well he'd be basically blind without them. He decided to buy himself contact lenses and chose to wear it just for tonight.
After all, it's prom. He wanted to look a little different to spice up the evening for a little bit, even if he has little interest towards this social gathering. He just wasn't used to not wearing his glasses, it felt so... He feels so incomplete without them.
"Damn, you guys are lucky for having dates..." Heather sulks, crossing her arms under her chest with her red painted lips pouted. "Apparently I'm too ugly and dull to be asked out..." Shin rolls his eyes. There it is again, Heather's crippling self-loathing she loves to carry around with her.
"Don't say that, Snappy," He found himself using the nickname Y/N would often use towards her. "They're too low to match your standards anyways."
"You're planning to confess to Y/N, right?" Nemoto almost chokes on his spit at the sudden change of topic. "Hey, answer me four eyes!" she aggressively presses forward, as if she wields a deadly weapon in her hands. He drops his gaze elsewhere, away from her scrutinized eyes, pretending not to hear his best friend.
"Bro," she puts her hand over his shoulder. Shin hesitantly glances at her. She may be small and looked incapable, but her iron grip was kept tight on Nemoto's shoulder as if she was holding him in place. Her eyes shone with determination and reassurance. "I think now's the time to confess. There will be people who'll ask them to dance, whether it's a friendly dance or they'd have romantic pursuits. You never knew if one of them would confess to them."
Shin looks away, unsure. "What if... What if it ruins our friendship? What if it would make things awkward between us?" Millions of thoughts raised in his head, all the possibilities of various scenarios ran in his head, as if he's watching ten thousands of different movies at once... All leading to a bad ending, he doubt you'd want him. "I don't want that... You guys are my only friends. If I let my feelings for them get in the way, I might not only lose Y/N's love... But their friendship as well. Both of your friendships..." He looks up at her, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "I don't want that... I don't want to be alone..."
Heather's gaze grew stronger. He never thought he'd say it, but he is intimidated by her. The girl he found annoying in class as she picked unnecessary conflicts with other annoying people in class, a girl who seems to be a blind airhead, who became his best friend through Y/N, who has an enormous love for psychology and photography... "I know Y/N like I know my own mind. If they were to reject you, they wouldn't ghost you or anything. You'll remain friends. They're kind and thoughtful and generous and contagious."
"So you're saying I'll feel less pain when they'd reject me? Did you just assumed they'd reject me?" Shin glances over his friend dressed in her glittering black dress.
Her jaw slacks, brows raised as if to say, "Are you serious" but slowly falters and rolls her shoulders back. She puts both hands over his shoulder, lips pressed in a thin line. Her grip tightens, as if it was more possible. Her dominant aura rises, she lectures him like a drill sergeant would, but less screaming and more heartwarming.
"Look, what I am saying is concealing feelings might be destructive. It's like hiding ant emotions. Sadness, anger, anything. If you don't spill it out, it will burst into an uncontrollable... I don't know, but it night be bad." Heather states. She makes a point but Shin was not quite convinced yet. "Like I said, there'll be other people who likes them. They might ask them to dance and they'd confess. Do you really want that to happen?" Okay, now that struck him down. Shin's face changed into what Heather would describe as a look of determination. The corner of her lips curls up into a smug smile, satisfied she has proven a point. "You don't want that, don't you?"
"You're right," Shin finally looks up with determination, the first time he made a proper eye contact with Heather. "I'll confess to them. I won't get my hopes up, but I certainly shouldn't expect the worse either."
Heather smirks, roughly patting Nemoto's shoulder. "That's my bro! So determined and shameless." She wraps her arm around the boy's shoulder.
"Hey..." He calls towards her. She glances at him, brows raised. "Thank you for that... I really needed it."
"Nahh, no problem! That's what friends do! I'm more than willing to play matchmaker, wingman, photographer and therapist for my friends." She pats his shoulder. "Nice shit by the way, I like the tie. It makes your eyes pop. Y/N would be turned on." She teases, playfully jabbing a finger in his ticklish waist, causing him to flinch away from the girl.
"Oh don't say that!" Shin laughs, getting his hand around Heather's neck where he knows she's ticklish in.
Poor Heather bursts into an uncontrollable laugh, retracting her neck back as Nemoto fumbles with her neck. "Ahhh! No! Not the neck! Stop you'll ruin my make up-!"
"What's up, bitches!" Shin stops, retrieving his hand away from Heather's neck to stare at you. He found himself in awe as you stood in front of him, jaws dropped and eye dilated.
You were dressed in your best and looked distinctly different from your normal self... It was like he was staring at a new person, but he knew that voice of your's and he adores it. He couldn't help but to smile.
"Sorry I was late, it's difficult to squirm myself in my attire." You shyly leaned your weight from side to side, gazing at the ground from embarrassment.
"Nonsense you look great!" Heather scoops you in her arms, squeezing you tightly and lifting your from the ground for a short moment. "C'mere Four eyes, you're joining too!" Shin was shocked to get his wrist grabbed by Heather with her unusual strength and gathered him for a hug, squeezing him with Y/N. He doesn't know what tricks are up her sleeves, whether it was intentional or not she was playing matchmaker, but he just can't think about that. He chose to cherish the moment with his friends, and his crush. He gave in, wrapping his arms around the two people who has been there for him.
Once the group hug was over, Heather pulls her digital camera from her purse with a grin. "Come on! Let's take a pic and then we'll head inside!"
"Fine by me!"
Once the photo was taken, you all decided to head inside. Shin can't still recover from your sheer beauty. I mean, who would? You're just simply beautiful, one of a kind. You're beautiful in your own way and he hates that there times you wouldn't see it.
There was music, there were lights, teenagers engaging in socialization, dancing, food! The school has outdone itself as always, it is one of them the finest establishment after all. Pictures were taken, jokes were exchanged, discussions about who has the nicest ass in the school is, it's all in good fun. All these activities, and he can't seem to get his eyes off you. You were just simply... Beautiful. He has said it millions of times by now, but... It's just true. He wouldn't tell lies, he hates them, why would he?
As soon as the lights dimmed, the music transitions to a more... Slow music. Perfect for couples, friends, classmates and coworkers alike to indulge in. Shin Nemoto glances over you the moment the dance floor was being occupied by pairs and pairs of people. You simply gazed at them, the faint glow of the purple lights bathing your figure as you witnessed them. It was all so... Ethereal.
"I've never been asked to a dance before..." Heather sighs, putting her chin atop her opened palm whilst she settles her elbow atop the table, enviously watching the others slow dance to the soft music.
"Yeah, me neither..." Y/N replies, looking over the dancers with a longing gaze. Shin couldn't help but to feel the sheer amount of determination flooding his senses. He gathers his courage and pride, watching you.
He promised himself he'd do this. He needed to set his feelings free before others would. He doesn't want to get his hopes up, nor does he want to expect the worst to happen. Now's the time, it was now or never.
"Hi..." A boy from your class greets anxiously by your table, but it the evidence was clear in his eyes as his gaze was solely directed towards Y/N. For a moment Shin froze... Was he... Was he already beaten? "May I have this dance?" He asks. Shin's determination scattered, seeing you considering his offer.
Heather worriedly glances over him, pity in her eyes, when he lights up. She pursued her lips and pulls Y/N by their sleeve. "Oh my god, Y/N, he's sooooo cute! He's the guy I've been telling you about!" She 'subtly' whispered to you.
"Oh damn, he is?" Your eyes widened. You really didn't want to dance with him, but rejecting him might be rude. You considered it, but you were quite sure that the person that asked you out should be your first dance. Shin asked you out after all, you just aren't sure whether to make the first move or not. Now that Heather is saying this, you aren't sure whether to dance with the boy or not.
"So... Can you like do me a solid? Can he dance with me instead?" Heather attempts to negotiate, eyes wide in eagerness.
"I don't know about you, Snappy, it depends on him-" as soon as you said this, Heather projectiles herself in the poor boy's arms, purposefully pressing her chest against his arm. Shin knows what's up and be appreciates her for doing it.
"Hi! Shuichi! You're looking hot as always! I don't know about you, but I think it's the punch drink taking right now," Heather almost slurred in her words, pressing her chest further on the mutant student's arm, he looks away from her tempting cleavage as an act of chivalry, but he won't deny the fact she's making him feel things. "Can you make this girl's come true to dance with her crush?" She flutters her eyes at him, with an adorable pout.
"Oh, okay!" He agrees almost immediately, and it sent him away from Y/N. Before Heather can drag Shuichi away, she turns to you mouthing a 'thank you' and winking at Nemoto, before she vanishes with her first dance.
Shin nervously looks over you, clearing his throat. You glanced over him. He holds his hand out, shyly averting his gaze away from your innocent ones. "May I have this dance?" He was honestly surprised he didn't stutter, he assumed he would have at least stammer in his words and get words mixed up.
With a gentle smile, you took his hand. "Of course, I'd love to..." His cold, clammy hand settles with yours, the burden being lifted from his shoulders... A little bit. It was not over yet. He firmly clasped your hand, leading you into the dancefloor. On the way there, you spotted Heather dancing the night away with the mutant student with a smile on both of their faces. Once you fou d the perfect places, you assumed into your position and just swayed from side to side to the beat of the music.
"I like your tie, it makes your eyes pop." You complimented, grinning from ear to ear.
"Funny, Snappy already said the same thing." Shin replies, adding a little bit of choreography on the dance, leading you. "Thank you. You look nice in this evening as well."
"Only this evening?"
"Uh- n-no-" the blond stammers, regretting his choice of words. "Th-that's not what I meant, I was trying to say-"
"Shhh, I was just joking," you giggled at his anxious state. "I was just messing with you bro."
"I swear to god, Y/N. You'll be the death of me." He twirls your around, before dipping you... For a moment he had the urge to kiss your lips until he lifted you up.
"So Heather found her one true love tonight, I guess." You started, glancing over Heather and Shuichi dancing as if they were in their own world. "I never really got to know him that much, but I think he's a nice guy. A bit of an odd ball being constantly bullied in class, but I think he's cool."
"Yeah-..." Shin trails off, looking over the side to avert his gaze. "-Cool..."
You glanced back at him with a hum of confusion. He didn't reply, he simply kept looking away. With a challenging look, you firmly grasped onto him, before spinning him around and dipping him low to the ground, catching him off guard.
"Hey!" He utters in surprise and shock. "Oh my god Y/N you should have informed me about that!"
"I just needed a little something to spice up the night, ya know?" You teased, jabbing him by the chest before lifting him up. "You're too quiet and less condescending so I did that."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." He was simply collecting his thoughts, readying himself to say such words. He braced himself and took a deep breathe. "Hey... I need to tell you something."
"Yes, Shin?" He meets your gaze and couldn't help but to feel speechless. But it automatically came back to him, knowing he recited his confession in his head hundreds of times. He took a deep breathe.
"I like you. In a more-than-a-friend way. " He was straightforward at his statement, not letting any fleeting moments float by as he suffers in his own pit of anxiety.
You were stunned for a moment, not knowing hot to answer. Oh you knew the answer to that, you were just unsure how to react. You averted your gaze, your pace with his dance was slowly being out of sync with him.
"I-is there something wrong? You can reject me if you want. We can just forget about it and move on if you'd like." Shin was quick to respond, not wanting to make things immediately awkward between the two of you.
You pursued your lips and nodded to yourself. "Shin use your quirk on me. Ask me about how I feel about you."
He was slightly taken aback by this, looking at you in shock. "Are... Are you sure? I thought you hated it when I use it on you?" You can only nod to him as a response. He looks away for a moment, unsure but agrees to it. He clears his throat and activates his quirk. "What do you feel towards me?"
Purple waves traveled through the air, headed towards your direction. Your lips were sealed shut for a moment of resistance, until you opened your mouth to speak.
"I have feelings for you too but I'm scared to admit it because I'm afraid of rejection and not being the same again and I like your ass." As soon as words were finished spilling out of your mouth concealed your face by pressing it against his chest. "I hate it when you use your quirk on me..."
"You... You like me too?" Shin found himself in confusing euphoria.
"Well didn't you use your quirk on me to spill the truth? I don't want you to use your quirk on me twice and ever again." You looked up at him with a glare. "But do you really mean that?"
"Y/N," he stops dancing, his gaze intently focused in yours. "I stand by everything I said. I don't like the concept of deceit, so why bother lying to you? And ehat good do I make if I lie to you? Of course I mean when I say I like you."
You nodded, wrapping your arms around his neck. He returns this gesture by wrapping his arms around your waist. "Can we take this relationship slow?"
"In any pace you want... I'll respect that." Shin whispers were only meant for your ears, as he sways you from side to side. Shin will surely at least treat Heather with an ince cream tomorrow or something.
"Thank you, Shin... I love you."
"I love you, too..."
Senior Year...
"Say cheese!" The flash of the camera distracted the couple just about as they were about to lean in for a kiss. They turned to see Heather dressed in her best, with her trusty professional camera. "You lovebirds get a room."
"Whatever Snappy, but can you like get the photo of us developed? You know, like the photos with the three of us and our couple pick?" You asked, looking away from your loving boyfriend to consult Heather.
"Sure! I'll get to it in like tomorrow!" Heather grins with a wink. "So what's your plan for tonight? Everyone's going to the grad party tonight, are you guys coming?"
"Oh hell yeah!" You said. "I mean, it's the last day of high school and I'm totally gonna live it up. Do you wanna tag along, four eyes?"
"I'm going to watch over you and Heather. I know the two of you have zero impulse control." He shook his head. You pouted at him, rolling your eyes but couldn't help but to laugh at his protectiveness.
"I will miss you guys." Heather projectiles herself to take the both of you in her arms. "I'll be studying in a different school away from you guys and I don't know how to feel..." You can almost hear the sob in her voice being denied.
"Don't worry, Snappy... It's not like we're going to lose connection! We can always talk over the phone! And if we get the chance, we'll intern in the same company!" You beamed at her, stroking her back to comfort her.
"Really?"
"Yes really!" You reassured. "Distance should not make us strangers, okay?"
She sniffs, pulling away from the hug. "Look at me acting all sappy and we just graduated from High school..."
"Couldn't blame you, time sure does pass by." Shin comments with a soft smile, wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you close.
"Yea... It feels like a blink of an eye when high school started, now we're here..." you leaned your weight onto Shin with a distant eyes of longing. "Damn, to think it's only the beginning..."
"Yep, it sure is!" Heather wipes the stubborn tear that made way out of her eye to avoid ruining her make up. "But seriously, I'll miss you guys."
"We'll miss you too Heather. Remember we're always there for you no matter what..." You looked up to Nemoto. "Right, Four eyes?"
"Or course, we will."
Heather smirks. "Since you guys are moving out together, makes sure to chose an apartment with thick walls."
Your cheeks were tinted red, averting your embarrassed gaze away from Heather and Shin. He does the same thing.
"Anyways! I can hear them calling us for a class photo!" You attempted to swerve the conversation away from the topic. "Onwards we go, Four eyes and Snappy!" Playfully tugging their wrists, you dragged them behind you as you sped towards the others to take a class photo.
A/N: Because my mind refuses to move on with new ideas and keeps bugging me about this one and hey! It's all fluffy uwu
Thank your for reading, I beat my previous word limits which was over 7,000+ and I'm at 8,732 (including A/N.) Thanks for reading!