Who Am I?

Author's Notes: Hello, it's my first SZS fanfic so do please go easy on me - it's a nice distraction from my usual work. I haven't really written in a while either, so it may be somewhat rusty.

Harumi is so much like me - I think we must be twins. Except she likes yaoi and I don't (and lack epic physical abilities) but she's indeed one of my most favorite characters.

I should also add, whatever manga Harumi reads - I don't know much about, so don't yell at me if I'm inaccurate or the like. I'm also not good at comparing Japanese prices with US prices so excuse me for that too.

Hope you enjoy!

It was a fine Sunday morning, the shopping district was rumbling with busy crowds on search for their most desired items. Or just to get their clothes washed at a Laundromat in case they were too cheap to buy a washing machine themselves. Or some people could have come just to mug other people for their hard-earned money and identities. Or grocery shopping. Which was exactly what Harumi was doing.

The bespectacled and dark-haired girl walked along with the flow of the crowd as she looked over her list.

"Milk, eggs, butter," she murmured to herself. "That's all Mom wants? How so…generic…"

She looked up at the tall buildings around her. "I don't think I can find a convenience store in this parts…"

In fact she had already passed it minutes ago; right after she left home, actually. But somehow she had found herself here instead. It was an old curse that Harumi couldn't break easily. Well, actually, it was just a habit that began when she was only in grammar school but that isn't interesting enough, is it?

Every time she went outside, her feet would always bring her to this very place, no matter the circumstances. Not even earthquakes, typhoons, or blizzards would stop her coming to such a magical spot…

"Ah, my favorite place!" Harumi smiled when she saw the familiar sign overhead that read 'Shinko Bookstores.' "I wonder what will you hold in store for me?"

She then stepped inside, opening the glass door which caused a brass bell to bounce, its jingle echoing throughout the shop.

Harumi enjoyed the cheerful sound for a moment then looked around and set her eyes on a particular rack. She went straight for it with no hesitation. As usual, she checked out the yaoi section first.

"Aha! A new volume of Loveless!" Harumi picked up a paperback and flipped through it. "This is surely a good day!"

Already she had forgotten about her slightly important chores and went on to pick out other manga books that caught her interest. Harumi had already piled up a decent amount in her arms when the theme song from Star Trek began playing. You could call her a sci-fi geek too, I suppose. She took the cell phone from her skirt pocket and answered it. "Yeah?"

It was her mother checking on whether she had bought the groceries yet. Harumi hadn't but she wasn't going to answer that…yet.

"Yeah, I'm on it, don't worry!" was all she said before clicking her phone shut. "I guess I'd better hurry."

After she grabbed another book, she headed towards to the counter.

"That'll be 6000 yen," replied the clerk after he scanned the items.

Harumi gulped. She didn't expect it would be this much…fortunately she had enough cash to pay him. Unfortunately, they were meant for the food she had been sent to buy.

But she didn't care, she made her purchase and started back home with a plastic bag full of new books to enjoy. She always got so carried away with shopping but enjoyed every moment.

Of course, when she got home, she would have to deal with a hour-long lecture on her responsibilities but she would live.

After that and dinner, Harumi would head upstairs to her bedroom where she would immediately lock her door and get down to reading her newly bought books.

It had begun to grow dark as she finished another read, putting it down with her other completed books. The girl was absolutely giddy, she had been growing quite excited with every story she had read in a row. Thus she made a point not to read more than two manga books while at school, otherwise her odd and embarrassing actions would be revealed.

However when she picked up the last book and read the title, her mood turned sour.

"I don't remember getting this book," she frowned.

On the cover was a pair of attractive women in a close embrace; they also happened to be in slightly revealing outfits. Definitely not her taste.

"Still, I bought it," Harumi resigned. "I can't simply let an unread manga go to waste."

So she flipped open the pages, unaware in what she was to expect.

-----

Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnng!!!!!!

Harumi slammed a hand down on the snooze button and groggily sat up in her bed, scratching her disheveled hair. She let out a large yawn, stretching and rubbing her eyes before putting on her glasses.

The girl sat still for a moment before falling back against her comfy pillows, groaning. She was still so tired…

Harumi had the worst dream last night. She read through that book which turned out to be completely yuri - simply put, two girls included in romantic acts whether sweet or dirty - much to her shock. She wasn't used to it; she had always been reading something to do with boys as the main characters whether yaoi or not

To put it simply - Harumi was surprised by the revelation of a new genre in the book and wanted to put it away but couldn't, she had just to keep reading. And when she had finished, she couldn't stop thinking about it. The concept was too much for her to get her head around it; she was so confused and even wondered about herself a bit. Could a girl really love another girl? Could she too?

Her mind was so upset by the thought that she couldn't sleep until late into night due to exhaustion.

Then came the dream.

She had been minding her own business in her bedroom when suddenly the door slammed open and came in familiar strangers. They were very similar to the girls in her classroom but had no faces and they all ganged upon her and…

Harumi blushed at the memory then shook her head to rid of it. As if that would help.

Really, I have to put it out of my mind. I've got school today!

She snapped out of her thoughts when her mom called from downstairs. She quickly put on her summer uniform and grabbed her schoolbag before heading down.

She could smell the cooked eggs wafting from the dining room but she was in a hurry and wasn't in the mood so she simply went outside.

As Harumi walked down the street, lost in her own thoughts; she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see her friends, Nami and Abiru running towards her.

"Oh, hello Nami and Abiru…" Harumi sighed.

"I've been yelling after you for a while now!" Nami said as they caught up with her. "Are you okay?"

Such a normal display of concern…

"Don't say normal!"

"Who were you shouting at just now?" Abiru tilted her head curiously.

"Err…n-no one…" Nami mumbled quietly, glancing away.

In meantime, Harumi wasn't even listening to them. More rather, she was staring directly at Nami…her body to be more specific. The normal girl had been in her dream last night and her figure was so average…yet so perfect…

"…Harumi?"

Harumi realized what she was doing and turned beet red in her face before dashing off like a sprinter from the Olympics.

After the dust settled, Nami turned to Abiru. "What just happened?"

But the bandaged girl was off in her own world, grinning stupidly. "Hee…a cheetah tail would suit her perfectly…"

Nami just sighed.

-----

Ding…Dong…the school bell was ringing…

Harumi sat at her desk, her head resting on her arms as she thought about earlier that day.

I've never felt like this before, even when I was with Nami…why is this happening? I'm so confused…

She slammed her fist onto the desk, gritting her teeth.

It's all that stupid yuri manga's fault! Why did I ever read it?

She then rubbed her temples. Just forget, try to focus in class…

She wasn't even in a mood to read her book during a period as she usually did so she might as well give paying attention a shot.

But even she couldn't do that.

As Nozomu walked in late and talked about his attempted suicide (this time, he had tried to dive into an aquarium full of tiger sharks at feeding time but no avail) and despaired about today's economy crisis; Harumi's gaze drifted.

She looked at all of the girls in her class. Again, Nami was averagely pretty; the loose bandages on Abiru gave a sense of eroticism; the pigtails looked rather adorable on Meru, and while she felt nothing for her, she had to think that Maria was rather cute too. Fuura was cute as well but her overly positive nature creeped her out. Not to mention Chiri too, she was more scary-looking than she was good-looking.

As Harumi looked in the other direction, she caught a glimpse of the stalker girl hiding under their teacher's desk. Whatever it was she wore, it looked very nice on her; like a maiden.

Finally Harumi looked to the back where the foreigner Kaere was sitting. She felt her face warm at the sight of her. She was one hot blonde! When Kaere stood up, her tartan skirt flipping up; Harumi couldn't take it anymore.

She erupted.

Nozomu was just writing down phrases from The Stranger when fresh red blood splattered against the chalkboard. He turned around in alarm. "What just happened?"

He noticed Harumi slumped over her desk, bleeding intensely from her nose. "Who could've done this?"

He then glanced at Mayo whom was holding bloodstained brass knuckles.

Nozomu turned away. "Nah, it couldn't have been you Mayo, no one with such mean-looking eyes could do such thing!"

He cleared his throat. "Will someone call the nurse?"

-----

Harumi woke up couple hours later to feel her nose aching and wrapped under a bandage. She then sat up on the sterile white bed to see that she was in the nurse's office.

How long have I been out?

"Oh you're awake Miss Fujiyoshi," said the younger sister of Nozomu whom was sitting nearby in a pale pink nurse's uniform.

"Rin? Why are you here?" Harumi blinked. "More importantly, why are you dressed like that?"

"That is not of concern to you," she replied softly. "School is over, you better head home."

Wow, had she been knocked out that long already?

Harumi shakily got to her feet but grew used to her footing after she walked around a bit then headed outside to return home. As she left, she couldn't help but think that Rin had a sexy backside…

Again, on her way back, she was in deep thought.

Why did that happen? Why did I start to feel like that now? This isn't right… she sighed deeply. Today's just not my day…

As she reached the front steps of her home, the door suddenly swung open and standing before her was her older brother.

"Oh hello Mikakei," Harumi sighed gloomily. Mikakei was the third oldest brother in the family after Ichikakei and Nikakei. There should be a pun somewhere in their Japanese names.

"Hey now, what seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Long story, I'll tell you inside," Harumi slunk inside. Out of all her brothers, she always got along with Mikakei the best.

As they had their glasses of iced tea in the kitchen, Harumi began her tale of her day today and her odd, perverted dream.

"…And you know, I've been feeling so weird," Harumi exhaled. "I don't feel like myself anymore, you know? I'm just so confused…what should I do, Mikakei?"

"Just tell me…how did it start?" he asked.

"Well, it started with this manga that I read," she replied, holding up the yuri manga.

"Hey! Where did you find it?" her brother sprang up. "I was looking for that!"

Harumi froze, blinked then turned furious. "So it was your fault that I had to question my sexuality today! You jerk!"

She threw the book at his face and ran upstairs, sobbing all the way.

-----

Harumi was curled up on her bed, her face hidden in her pillows. Because of her stupid brother, she would never be able to rest until she knew who she was. She couldn't even bring herself back to drawing her manga like she usually did, either…

Why did he have to leave that book lying around and turn my life upside down? Damn Mikakei…

Then the door opened and her brother stepped into her room.

"I'm not in the mood," Harumi's muffled voice rang through her pillows.

"Don't worry," said her brother. "I know a sure way to get you back to normal."

Harumi sat up, she was now paying him full attention. "And how do you figure that?"

"Easy, you just need to read something more suited to your tastes," he grinned and tossed her a brand new manga book - a yaoi one, the one she used to enjoy reading.

Harumi wasn't very convinced that it would help her but she took it anyway and began reading it.

Eventually she relaxed and began feeling more giddy. Her thoughts of women quickly disappeared and were replaced by men. Her brother thought it wise to get out of here quickly before she went into full fangirl mode.

"I'll be going now, enjoy!"

Before he left; Harumi grinned, yet it was somewhat creepy, and whispered. "I know what I must do, I can rest easy now, thank you Mikakei."

After he was gone and she finished reading, she hurried off to her computer and began working on her story. She was more relaxed now that she knew who she was.

Always a yaoi fangirl at the heart.