To love and be loved
It was a boring morning in Otonizaka High, way too boring in Nozomi's opinion.
Looking through the window while her history teacher droned on about the Battle of Okehazama, the girl couldn't help but let her mind wander; her thoughts were of varied nature, but more often than not they revolved around a certain blonde haired girl who sat in front of her.
It has been three years already since she met her, three wonderful years in which Nozomi had fallen deeply and irremediably in love with the quarter russian. She didn't know when it happened exactly, looking back now, maybe she fell for Eli right at the beginning, that fated day when the blonde entered her classroom for the first time.
She remembers a lot of little details of that day, the cold gaze Eli leveled at her new classmates while she introduced herself, her rigid and stylized posture, her clear and precise voice that washed over Nozomi, who clearly had been staring since the blonde entered through the sliding doors… Really, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it had been almost like love at first sight, almost, because Nozomi knew her feelings before couldn't compare to what she was feeling these days… well, months was more accurate.
Since joining μ's things had changed, the friendship that she worked so hard to forge during the last two years was slowly but steady becoming something more, at least on her part. Stealing glances, lingerings touches, accelerated heartbeats and soft blushes when their eyes met… Nozomi was at the same time glad and exasperated at the oblivious and dense nature of her best friend when it came to this things, she was sure that at least Nico had already realized what Nozomi tried so hard to hide everyday, even Kotori sent her knowing glances from time to time, it usually happened when a particular longing sigh escaped her traitorous mouth, just like right now, but this time it wasn't the ashen haired girl who was there to notice it.
-Nozomi.
Another sigh escaped her while she continued to look distractedly through the window, hand on her cheek.
-Hey, Nozomi.
A wind Kami passed before her eyes, floating freely in the air, a warm breeze surely following it. This made her smile a little, some people where really smart and good at music like Maki, others like Umi where good at sports and lyrics or were born with a natural beauty and grace, just like Eli… and Nozomi, well, she was blessed with seeing the kami on things; rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places and people, it really helped with her fortune telling too, but it had a little drawback. Most people couldn't see the kami, didn't even believe in them, so Nozomi mostly kept to herself about her ability.
The reason for this was that what people can't see, can't understand… it scares them, and Nozomi had already learned the bad way what scared people are capable off, what the fear of not knowing can make them do.
Shaking herself mentally out of that kind of thoughts, she focused on the good things her ability gives her everyday, like her interesting talks with the ghost in the second floor's toilet, with whom she had formed a strange friendship with, or to be able to see the kind spirits at the temple she works at, who keep her company every morning, even the formation of μ's was, in part, thanks to that ability too.
-Hey! Nozomi!
Her name being shouted so near to her face makes her jump a little, turning towards the voice she is met with a pouting Eli and an amused Nico. The only ones remaining in the classroom are the three of them.
-Class ended a while ago .- informs the shorter one.- welcome to the real world by the way, Eli has been calling your name for a few minutes now.
-Ah, sorry Elichi.
Her apology is met with a turned head and a little ''harumph''.
-Really Nozomi, what were you thinking about? You looked really deep in thought there .- her twin tailed friend interjects.
-Nothing too important, I was just mentally reviewing the choreography for our new song.
-That so? .- asks Nico, not at all convinced.
-Yes, that so Nicochi. Do you want me to punish you? .-Nozomi says smiling, making a groping motion with her hands.
Protecting her breast with her arms, her short friend retreated quickly, muttering something about going to see Maki.
Still smiling, the girl with turquoise eyes turned to her remaining friend.
Her cute, pouting friend who was looking right back at her, making her heart skip a beat or two.
-What's wrong Elichi? You look like someone ate your last chocolate bar .- laughed Nozomi easily.
-Nozomiiii… .- whined Eli, pouting even more if possible.
-Whaaaat? .- she answered in the same tone used by the blonde.
-Hey, don't pick on me like that, you meanie.
It's moments like this that make Nozomi fall even more in love with her friend, seeing this rare side of Eli that the student council president only shows to her.
-Sorry Elichi, I'll be good.
-Okay, then be good and tell me what you were really thinking before.
''I love you'' almost escapes her mouth, that inevitable feeling of wanting to comply to everything the blonde asks of her settling over Nozomi.
-Hey, isn't that Umi-chan? .- she asks instead.
As her incredibly infinite luck would have it, indeed, there there was Umi in the door of the classroom, looking for them.
''Well, most probably looking for Eli'' thought Nozomi while looking at Umi quickly approaching them.
-Eli, Nozomi, good morning.
-Good morning Umi -. greeted back Eli, all cool and composed now.
The turquoise eyed girl smirked slightly at that, turning her attention to her underclassman.
-What brings you here Umi-chan? .- Nozomi asks then, a bit curious.
-Ah yes… I wanted to speak with Eli about some of the new moves for the choreography -. answered the navy haired girl shyly.
-Umi-chan! So diligent! -. exclaimed Nozomi smiling while getting up from her sit.
Patting Umi slightly in the back, she starts to make her way out of the classroom.
-Don't let me keep you then, see ya later at practice calls over her shoulder.
-Wait, Nozomi!
Turning around, Nozomi can see a frown settle over Eli's features, her eyes, usually a clear blue, are now murky with worry.
Mustering all her willpower, the purple haired girl plasters a megawatt smile on her face.
-Elichi, everything is fine, I'm fine, really, so stop worrying, okay? -. Nozomi says sweetly.
The frown in Eli's face slowly dissolves, and a timid smile takes it's place.
-Okay -. answers the blonde under the watchful look of Umi who, even not understanding what's going on, still realizes something happened between her two friends.
With a quick wave of her hand Nozomi exits the classroom, not looking back.
Maybe, if she had, she would have seen the smile in Eli's face crumble, seen the sympathetic look that Umi sent to her blonde upperclassman while giving her shoulder a little squeeze.
Maybe, if Nozomi looked a little closer to the blue eyed girl, she would realize the way Eli looked at her, really looked at her when she thought nobody else was watching. The way her eyes followed her every movement, focused on each smile the priestess gave her. The way that Eli always looked for any excuse to touch her.
But of course, Nozomi didn't, not yet at least. Being able to see more than normal humans has it's drawbacks, after all.
She was perceptive, she could see the way people felt about each other, seeing the kami always helped with that , but, when it came to what people felt about her, Nozomi had a hard time figuring it out. She learned to discern the basic things, when people were getting annoyed, what made them tic, what made them happy, but Nozomi never really understood love; friendship, yes, it was the thing she longed for all those years, her childhood dream one could say.
And now that she had achieved it in the form of 8 amazing friends, Nozomi was starting to learn new things, to love and, in the near future, she'll learn to be loved too.
-Not long now .- says the spirit of a little girl sitting on a toilet, smiling widely.
Washing her hands in the sink, Nozomi turned slightly to look at her, sending the ghost a questioning glance. Her only answer was a little wink before her little friend slowly disappeared inside the toilet.
Exiting the bathroom, the violet haired girl stopped, and, on a whim, drew a card from her deck of tarot cards.
''The upright fool, uh?''
Smiling to herself, she continued on her way, with a new dream in mind to pursue.
OMAKE
-Hey, wasn't that Tojo-sempai exiting the second year's bathroom? -. asks a girl while making her way to said bathroom.
-What? You kidding?! I didn't get to see .- whined her her friend.
-What was she doing here?
-I don't know, maybe searching for the ghost that lives in these toilets? the easygoing girl entering the bathroom.
-As if -. scoffs the girl looking around the bathroom nervously.
-You scared? .- asks her friend teasingly.
-No! And hurry up, we don't have all day.
-Yes, yes, I know.
Once inside the stall, the girl was about to lower her panties when…
-Why! Hello little girl, wow, white panties, in this day and age it's really hard to see such pureness a voice from inside the toilet.
Otonizaka high's legends say that the sharp shrieks of those girls managed to break all the second floor windows.
Later that day, in the student council room, Eli decided to someday discuss with Nozomi the strange ''do something about the perverted ghost in the second year's bathroom'' petition she just received.
Author's note: I believe Nozomi really has a hard time coming to terms with being loved and I wanted to show a little bit of that in this fic. Hope you liked it :)
Pd: sorry if there are any errors, english is not my first language, so I'm still learning it little by little