二人のラブストーリー

Love Story of Two

A Nibutani Shinka x Togashi Yuuta one-shot fic

The air smelled of Christmas, she thought.

The streets were all decorated with lights that come and go. The neighborhood is a parade of colors. Everyone walked the snow-filled cement under the hidden moonlight. She looked up to see the ice flakes fall. She was lonely.

"It's cold," she whispered.

She must admit, joining the stupid club Rikka put up might be her first best high school memory. Getting rid of her eight-grade syndrome, Dekomori having a copy of the Mabinogion – It was a real pain in the neck, but everyday had been fun nonetheless. Little by little, she discovered in herself that she can act around them in her own self. And so she did.

She's been feeling anxious around the boy. Had it not been that he was a former chuunibyou person; she wouldn't feel relaxed toward him. She found out that every moment, every meeting with him was quite enchanting, like taking a stroll around the sparkling forest of faeries.

Sometimes she wished she could stay in that place forever.

She remained feeling that way until she realized that she had let herself fall into the depths of her own heart's darkness.

But you are the world's greatest mage. You must not involve yourself in the darkne-

"Shut up, Mori Summer" she gritted between her teeth as she pressed on her arms tighter. In this situation, she would've wanted to wear his Dark Flame Master coat. That, at least, would have taken a bit of the cold away.

.

.

The sound of students cheering.

The way he turned his back, with his hands on his pocket, wearing that troubled look.

She had asked him. "What about Takanashi?"

"I'll go look for her."

Though it stings a bit, she kept her cool composure as she watched his back disappear in the darkness of the night.

Then suddenly…

Indecisively… desperately, she called out for his name.

"Togashi-kun."

He stopped.

Go say something, she told herself. Something that would make him feel better…

"I think you did the right thing."

Crap. Shinka, you're crap.

"Thanks."

.

.

She was just a friend to him. Rikka is the one he cares for the most. For if it isn't Rikka, then why would he rush off at the sound of her name?

She knew more than anything else, for she was the great Mori Summer who has lived for the past 700 years. But she knew in herself that deep down inside her, she wants to cry.

.

.

"Oh, I heard you got scouted by the Drama Club."

The space between their backs separates them, but she knew better.

"Yeah, kinda."

"What are you gonna do?" were his words as they were both putting the used books back into the bookshelves.

She would have thought of a better answer, but then…

"Dunno. Why'd you ask?"

"Dunno."

Baka.

.

.

Baka. Baka. Baka.

She took a step closer into the darkness, leaving the enchanted world of illuminated bulbs behind. In this side of the street where she walked her way to her house was dark, reflecting her own emotions, and was only lighted by a dying hope as if tomorrow might never come for it. She hated that she felt the same way, too. She paced her way quickly, with every step in sync with the sound of her heart breaking.

"Togashi-kun," she clasped her hands against her breast, as if in prayer, whispering the name that grew so dear to her.

"Nibutani-san!" Someone shouted from behind her.

It was the boy's voice, no doubt.

She moved her head to its direction, letting a few strands of hair come off, covering her sight. Her left hand slid it on her ear, while the other hand remained attached to her chest.

She saw the silhouette of the boy, closing in with every large step he did. Her cheeks felt hot amidst the cold wind. Was this her answered prayer?

"How did you know the way here?"

"I… had to ask… Kumin-senpai… for… for directions," he said in between heavy breathing, his hands holding his knees, his back bent down. He shivered in the cold, and as soon as his shoulders stopped shaking, he stood up.

"We… we need to talk."

A tear fell on her cheeks. Both of them stood motionless with the winter breeze passing between them.

She gulped on her own courage and opened her mouth to speak.

"I like you, Togashi-kun."

The boy let out a loud shriek. She saw his cheeks turned red, and she let out a soft laugh.

The boy, Togashi Yuuta, was even more embarrassed with the sudden confession that he didn't know what else to say. What else is there to say when you both feel the same towards each other?

"Ni-Nibutani-san, I…"

The lights behind him were like big fireflies glowing in the snowy night. She thought it was the most beautiful thing she ever saw.

"I… I should have said that first."

She felt her walls of doubt and insincerity crumble down. They both smiled at each other, their own way of expressing their true feelings. They knew there's no turning back now that they've flipped the next page of this two former-chunnibyou's love story.

She took a step closer to him, little by little, until she's close enough to actually hear his own heartbeat. Then, in a whisper she said,

"Now, will you call me Shinka, starting today, Yuuta-kun?"