Some Girl Are Just Oblivious
"My name's Haku, Haku Yowane."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Haku."
"Actually, we've been in the same class for three years . . . ."
"What?"
Gumi stared at the silver-haired girl in complete and utter shock. Haku, in return, gazed at her feet skittishly. She'd known this was a stupid idea, but Neru had pushed her through the crowd before she could react. After crashing into Gumi, she'd been left with no other choice.
"I'm so sorry!" Gumi exclaimed, looking incredibly troubled as she tried to recall who Haku was. Haku sighed. It wasn't like this didn't happen often, but, somehow, coming from Gumi, it seemed even worse than usual. Gumi stared at Haku in deep concentration for a moment before sighing in defeat. "I'm sorry. I really don't remember you. I feel terrible."
"Th-that's okay," Haku laughed, masking how much those words had hurt her. She smiled grimly and gazed downward. "I'm not really all that memorable."
"No, it's nothing like that!" Gumi exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her frantically. "My memory's not the best, anyway. It took me weeks to remember Len's name, and he's my best friend."
"Thanks a lot, Gumi," Len deadpanned, forcing Haku to recall that Gumi had been standing with her two best friends, Rin and Len.
"But she remembered mine right away because I'm amazing," Rin said, nodding to herself with a self-satisfied smile.
"Not even slightly true," Gumi insisted to Haku. "I'm still not quite sure who she is. She just follows me around."
Haku smiled appreciatively at the greenette's attempt to lighten the mood. Gumi was an incredibly easy-going person. She always had a bright smile and nothing ever seemed to bring her down, contrasting with Haku's eternal gloominess. It was that aspect about her that had first caught Haku's interest.
"You jerk!" Rin exclaimed, pouting furiously. "I'm your best friend!"
In a loud, confidential whisper, Gumi informed Haku "I'm pretty sure she has a thing for Len. Why else would she hang around us all the time?"
"That's my brother, you creep!" Rin exclaimed. She whipped around angrily and shouted, "I'm leaving! Come on, Len!"
"See what I mean?" Gumi said, her eyes locked on Haku's while Haku's face grew progressively redder. "It's all about Len for that girl."
"I'm dating Gakupo, you freak, so shut up!" Rin yelled, storming off while Len hung back, watching her go.
Gumi stared at the blonde boy for a moment before asking, "Aren't you going to go, too?"
Len tilted his head to the side curiously. "Am I supposed to?"
Gumi sighed heavily and cast him a withering look. "You're kind of killing to mood here, Len dearest."
Len sighed in return and cast her the smallest glare. "Well, you were supposed to be my backup date, but I guess I'll go find someone else then."
"D-d-d-date?" Haku stuttered, finally brave enough to interrupt.
"We're going to a Valentine's Day party," Gumi announced, nodding proudly. "Len dearest and I are both single, so we're going to go as each other's dates." Gumi proceeded to loudly interrupt herself. "Wait, I know what I can do to make it up to you!"
"Ah, you don't have to anything like that!" Haku insisted, embarrassed even more when she realized that Len was still standing there.
"I do!" Gumi argued, grabbing Haku's hands and pulling herself toward the silver-haired girl until their faces were inches apart. The green-haired girl's eyes shone with passion as she requested, "Come to the party with me. You can be my date."
"Darn it," Len sighed, heading off now that all chances he had in holding onto his date seemed to have vanished. Haku would've called him back, but she couldn't manage to speak.
"Please, Haku!" Gumi begged. "If you don't, I'll have to go with Len, and that's even worse than going by myself!"
"B-but—" Haku started.
"Please, Haku!" Gumi pleaded desperately. "Have a sense of human decency!"
Haku stared at the greenette in silence for a moment before laughter escaped her lips. Haku had never really laughed before. This was strange. She gazed at the greenette while she did so, amused beyond belief by this girl's energy. Finally, wiping tears from her eyes, she managed to say, "Alright, I'll go with you."
"Yay!" exclaimed Gumi, jumping excitedly. "Thank you so much! I can never repay you for this."
"Don't worry about it," Haku said with an uncharacteristic smile.
"Oh, right," Gumi said, placing a finger to her lip thoughtfully as she stared at Haku. "You came to talk to me about something, right?"
Haku was too happy. She simply shook her head with a smile and said, "Nope, nothing. Really."
Gumi stared at her, contemplating the girl's integrity, and then shrugged. "Alright, if you say so. I'll see you after school, then."
"Right," Haku agreed.
"I'll meet you after school, okay, and we can go back to my place before we head out." She looked Haku up and down, making the other girl blush. "I think I've got something that'll look good on you." The greenette released Haku's hands then and skipped off into the crowd with a smile, calling back, "See ya!"
Haku gave a small wave back, continuing to watch Gumi with a fond smile even after the girl disappeared into the crowd. Neru then came to her side and wondered, "So did you tell her?" Haku, in a dream-like state, shook her head. Neru groaned and muttered, "Moron."
"We're going to a party together tonight," Haku lulled.
Neru blinked in shock and exclaimed, "What?"
. . .
"I can't believe you're ditching me," Neru grumbled at their shoe lockers at the end of the day. "You're such a jerk."
"You told me to talk to her!" Haku argued, feeling guilty for upsetting her best friend.
"That didn't mean to ditch me," Neru hissed, glowering as she slammed her locker shut with such force that all those beside it shook. "What am I supposed to do all night, huh?"
Haku thought for a moment before an idea came to her. "You could be Len's date!"
The response came quickly. "I'd rather die."
Laughter came from behind them, a chiming laugh that Haku easily recognized. She looked to the greenette, who smiled kindly at her and Neru. "I completely understand," she agreed. "You could go with Kiyoteru if you'd like." Gumi winked at the yellow-haired girl. "He's totally into you, y'know."
Neru looked away with a scowl, but the blush on her face was evident. "Fine," she barked. "But only so that I can make sure you don't do anything weird to Haku."
Gumi giggled. "Wasn't planning on it." She grabbed Haku's hand. Haku felt her heart rate speed up. "But this is where you two must part until the party. She's all mine for now."
Neru stared at Haku, commanding her to tell the girl otherwise. Instead, with an apologetic smile, Haku followed the green-haired girl.
. . .
Haku could barely contain her happiness in that time she spent with Gumi afterschool, and it didn't get any easier when they'd gotten to the party. For the first hour, Gumi hadn't left her side. Then, finally, she'd taken a brief break to chat with someone else, and Haku had been kidnapped by Neru, who had somehow gotten into the party.
"C'mon, Haku," Neru said, prodding Haku with her elbow as they watched Gumi chatter on and on with the girl Len had ended up bringing, a snobbish pink-haired girl named Iroha, who had her eyes narrowed at the greenette. "This is the perfect atmosphere to admit—"
"No, I can't!" Haku insisted, shaking her head fervently. "She didn't even know I existed this morning. I can't just throw that on her." She smiled, watching her date with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I'm happy just watching her."
"That's what you've said this entire time and look where it's gotten you," Neru retorted, annoyed. She glanced away for a moment and continued, "Make a decision, Haku. You'll never have a better chance. Here, I'll give you some inspiration. Prepare to watch me do something incredibly idiotic."
Haku watched as Neru hauled herself off the couch where they sat. She stretched her arms above her head, audible cracks sounding. Then, when she was satisfied, she strode across the room toward her date and said, "Hey, Kiyoteru."
"Hm?" said the boy, in the middle of a conversation with Rin and Gakupo. Then, abruptly, he was silenced as Neru's mouth covered his as she pulled him down by the tie around his neck. Haku widened her eyes as Neru closed hers. No way could she do that. When Neru pulled away, the boy wondered, "Neru?"
"I like you," Neru admitted, no shame in her voice as her stubbornness stopped her from blushing. "Will you go out with me?"
Kiyoteru had averted his gaze, only to find all eyes on him. Rubbing the back of his neck, he sheepishly murmured, "Y-yeah, I'd like that."
Neru glanced back at Haku over her shoulder and said, "You see, Haku? Just like that."
And then, all eyes were on Haku. Neru cursed a little and cast Haku an apologetic look. Haku sighed in response and shifted nervously under all those gazes.
"Is there someone you like, too, Haku?" Gumi wondered curiously, walking over to join her date, who was suffering from a severe case of stage fright.
"Uh, not really," Haku mumbled nearly unintelligibly. It wasn't like she could just suddenly tell Gumi, especially with all these gazes on her.
"Pooey," Gumi mumbled, pouting. She sniffled indignantly and said, "And here I thought our date was going so well."
Whispers rose from the crowd. While Gumi constantly flirted in a playful manner with nearly everyone, she'd never blatantly shown a serious interest in someone.
"Well then, I guess I'll take a chance," the greenette continued. She smiled kindly at the shell-shocked silver-haired girl. "Haku Yowane, who I've been a complete jerk to and have failed to notice until today despite how awesome you've proven yourself to be, will you be my Valentine?"
And then there were more whispers. Haku opened her mouth, but she couldn't get any sound out. So, in the end, she merely nodded, earning herself a bright smile from the greenette she'd watched for three years now, once from afar and now from merely inches away.
Or perhaps the inches away part wasn't quite true since Haku was pushed suddenly forward from behind, her lips crashing against Gumi's in the process. She widened her eyes in shock and swiftly pulled away, crying out apology after apology as Gumi laughed. Then, Gumi pulled the girl back and kissed her in return. Haku's cheeks burned, but she'd never felt so happy in her whole life. That in itself was enough reason to forgive Neru for getting her into this strange situation, first by confessing to Kiyoteru and then by pushing her against Gumi a moment ago.
And then, for the umpteenth time that day, Haku smiled and laughed, more than she ever had before. And, in the proceeding months when she and Gumi continued to date, she didn't frown even once.
Author's Note: What kind of pairing was this? Oh, you people. You make me write strange pairings. Well, here's another second place pairing for Valentine's Day, GumixHaku. Hope you enjoyed it!