Something about that carefree blonde girl always made Haku feel smitten.
It was the way she talked. Also the way she looked. Most of all, it was simply just the way she was. With a sassy smile, and a ponytail as high as her spirits.
Haku envied her. She was everything Haku wasn't.
"I know I'm worthless, really..." Haku would think to herself.
"My existence is pretty redundant and I'm stuck being a coward. I'm not like Neru. Nothing good comes out of me. All I do is run away. I'm not funny, I'm not a genius. I don't make people laugh. Not like Neru, anyway.
"If only I could somehow become more like her... then I could stop being so gloomy all the time. I wouldn't be weak, I wouldn't be lonely..."
"Okay, the reason I was late is because... ah! It's because I walked past the pond on the way to school, so I thought, 'why not do a little fishing?'
"You know, because I was going to have sushi for lunch, but I only had rice! It would be nice to actually have some fish in my sushi.
"So anyway, I cast my line on the water, and instantly got a bite! I pulled, and pulled and pulled, until a huge whale shot out of the water and swallowed me whole!
"Inside the whale, there was a huge soccer field, and only the winner of all the matches could escape from the whale. My kick was a little rusty because it had been a while since I had to kick someone's butt, but I took the challenge anyway. But guess what they were using as the ball? A poor, scared armadillo!
"I couldn't believe they would treat an armadillo like that! I befriended the armadillo and together we pulled pranks on everyone. Then we danced around until it made the whale sneeze. Water spouted from it's blowhole and carried us out with it. We went so high, we landed on a pegasus in the clouds.
"The pegasus was kind enough to fly me to school, even though I arrived later than desired. And that is the story of why I, Neru Akita, was late for class this morning."
The whole class began to clap and cheer. Except for one person-the teacher up front.
"Neru Akita." He scolded, pulling out a dunce cap. "Go stand in the hallway. And put this on."
"Aww..." Neru got up from her desk and slumped to the door. "I thought my storytelling skills were finally convincing enough."
"Okay, anyway..." Mr. Hiyama said exhaustedly. "Today we will be learning about the difference between a mixture and a solution."
"Well look who's standing in the hall again. Nice hat. It looks better than your face." Tei Sukone, the school's bully, gave Neru a filthy look.
"I could probably stab your eye out with this thing." Neru clenched her fists.
"There, there. Take it easy." Tei said, condescendingly. "It's not pretty for a gremlin to get mad."
"A gremlin, huh? Oh, I'll teach you not to mess with a gremlin!"
Neru lunged at Tei, who cleverly had her leg out to trip her. Tei dashed away and Neru scrambled up and ran after.
"YOU STILL OWE HAKU TWENTY DOLLARS!"
Mr. Hiyama's entire class could hear the commotion. Some students started shaking their head.
"Neru Akita!" The teacher rushed to the door and slammed it open, just in time for the fallen dunce cap to roll to his feet.
"I told her if she did that one more time, she'd get detention!"
Mr. Hiyama dashed down the halls, his long arms flailing wildly in the air.
"Miss Akita, come back! Please!"
Now that the teacher was out of the room, the classroom began to fill up with conversation.
Haku pulled out a piece of notebook paper and began to doodle. A drawing of a girl and an armadillo riding on top of a whale. The whale was sticking out its tongue, and in its tongue was an entire soccer field.
After the school bell rang, everyone left class except for Neru. She had detention. She put her head down and sighed.
"I mean, it's my fault I'm in detention." She thought. "It's because I'm the way I am. If only I were more like Haku. She doesn't act stupid like me."
Minutes later, the door to the lonely classroom creaked open gently. A familiar taller figure quietly stepped in the room and walked towards Neru's desk.
"Ah, Haku!" Neru cheered, turning her face towards Haku. She then remembered to whisper. "Haku, thanks for visiting. I'm sorry I had to get detention again..."
"It's okay." Haku said, "I'd rather be with you than go home alone."
"Oh, thanks." Neru said. "But... why are you so nice to me?"
"Because of all you've done for me." Haku said. She pulled out a slightly crumbled paper from her disorganized bag and presented it to Neru.
"Wow, it's so good!" Neru said. "Hey... is that me?"
"Yeah..." Haku said shyly. "You're on top of the whale."
"It's... just like my story." Neru said. "That's so funny! It's perfect!"
Neru suddenly put her hands to the back of her head and wailed.
"Why are you so much better than me at everything, Haku?" She pouted.
"Eh? Th-that's not true!" Haku stammered.
"But, you've never gotten detention!" Neru said, enviously. "You're not like me. You don't always get in trouble. Plus you enjoy art. My family keeps trying and trying to get me interested in art, and I just can't do it! I wish I could be more like you."
"Oh."
Haku didn't express it, but she was really surprised and thrown-back by Neru's honest words.
Haku always wanted to be someone else. She didn't see anything special about herself. All this time, Haku wanted to be more like Neru.
"But Neru... why would you want to be like me?" Haku said, honestly. "All I am is a coward."
"Well... I've never thought that about you." Neru said. "You're brave. You're brave enough to be true to yourself."
"But I can't even stand up to Tei." Haku said, shaking her head. "All I do it let myself get beaten. I'm not like you, Neru. I'm a wimp. I have to depend on you to take care of her."
"And that's okay." Neru said. "We can't all be the same. I wish I didn't get mad so easily. Heck, if I was more like you, I wouldn't even be here in detention right now!"
There was a silent pause.
"Also, you want to know why I hate Tei so much?" Neru said. "Because she won't leave you alone. Because she keeps picking on you... So I try to take care of her for your sake, so that you won't have to, Haku! But I always get carried away..."
"But... that means... all the times you've been to detention was because you wanted to help me?"
"Yeah, that's right! Now that I think of it..." Neru said.
"That's so nice... I don't think I could ever pay you back, Neru..."
"What? No... it' okay." Neru said. "It's for your sake... Haku? Are you crying?"
"I'm so grateful..." Haku said.
Haku hugged Neru, who slowly hugged her back and rubbed the top of her head.
"You don't have to be though. Fighting isn't the right thing to do. But it's the only thing I know how to do..."
"But that's so cool, you're like a superhero, Neru!" Haku suggested.
"Haha, thanks. But in the real world, I'm just a loudmouth. Please don't become like me, Haku. I'm a bad example."
"Again... I wish I could do something to pay you back." Haku said.
"For what?" Neru asked.
"For being friends with me..." Haku said. "Because I always wanted... a friend, and I've always admired you... ever since I first met you... and when I was in a pinch, you were there for me. You didn't have to, but you did it anyway..."
"Haku? You got it all wrong..." Neru looked away, embarrassed. "I'm the one who always wanted to be your friend."
"Really?" Haku said.
"Mm-hm... You always looked so lonely. When I saw the things you drew in your notebook, I became interested in you. I've always loved the way you think. I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't know how. I was always glancing at you in class, hoping you'd notice..." Neru said. "But you didn't. It's alright I guess. I'm bad with that sort of thing. I guess I'm really not as brave as you may think I am!"
"Now that I know that..." Haku said, surprised, "It changes a lot of things... I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Neru asked.
"I'm sorry for always being so quiet. I'm sorry I didn't notice you wanted to be my friend, but at the same time, I wanted to be friends with you! So I'm sorry... we could've been friends a long time ago, if only I'd known..."
Haku began facing the ground sorrowfully. Neru took both Haku's hands gently, and lifted them up. She looked into Haku's eyes, and smiled upliftingly.
"It's alright." She said. "What matters is that we're friends now."
Haku, suddenly overcome with emotion, began sniffling.
"Haku..." Neru sighed, hugging her. "You know, if you keep crying like that, you'll run out of tears and start crying soy sauce."
"Then I'll just eat it with your egg hair, egghead!" Haku joked through tears.
Neru began patting Haku's back in an attempt to calm her down.
"It hurts to see you like this, Haku. You're just fine the way you are."
"But if I were more like you, I wouldn't be crying right now..." Haku sniffled.
"But Haku! If it wasn't for you, I would be totally lost. I never would've stopped and asked myself important questions." Neru said. "Well... you like, have all the qualities I lack and wish I had. That's why, when I'm with you... we become one team."
"A team?" Haku asked.
"Because when we're together, it's like... the good things about us... combine. That's why I need you, Haku. I need you..."
"Okay..." Haku said weakly, wiping her eyes on her long sleeves. "I guess you're right... I guess if you say so, then we are like a team... because when I'm with you, I feel like I can do things I can't do when I'm alone..."
"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Neru took Haku's clenched fist and gave her a fist-bump. Haku cracked a smile, as if the sun had shone through the clouds.
"Maybe you are everything I'm not..." Haku said, "But if Neru needs me... then I guess that's just fine."
"Yeah..." Neru visibly blushed, and covered her face, trying to hide it. "Wow... I said some sappy stuff... it wasn't like me at all..."
"Hm... then I guess a little bit of me is rubbing off on you then." Haku said, mocking herself.
"Pfft, I guess so." Neru answered jokingly. "You're always saying some pretty mushy stuff to me."
"But it's because I like you!" Haku shouted. "What do you want me to say then? Egghead..."
"Well, it's good to see you're back to normal." Neru said. "Now please... don't try to be like me. That would be weird. Rice brain..."
Haku stuck her tongue out at Neru, who stuck her tongue out back. Both girls doubled over laughing.
"Haha, see what happens when we're together?" Neru gasped for air.
"So I guess... since you're an egghead, and I'm a rice-brain... together we make tamago nigiri..." Haku laughed.
"Gahaha! We do... wow..."
"When apart, it's incomplete..." Haku said fondly, "But when eggs and rice come together... it's like... a miracle of..."
"Okay, I know you're going to say more sappy stuff." Neru said, hiding her moved emotions. "Hate to break it to you, but there's no sap in tamago nigiri."
"Well, I think your egghead must be scrambled, Neru." Haku said. "Scrambled egg-head Neru!"
"Says the one who... who... um..." Neru stammered, her face slowly turning pink.
"Wait, what?" Haku said. "The great comeback master, Neru Akita, can't think of a comeback?"
"Aargh!" Neru lowered her head in frustration. "I... I guess not. You win, Haku! Wow... I never thought I would ever lose an argument. This is embarrassing..."
"I know right?" Haku said, "Someone like you, losing to someone like ME? That's impossible!"
"Hey, don't rub it in!" Neru pouted.
"Eh?" Haku said, "I was just mentioning how surprising it was..."
"Well... maybe we have the qualities we lack somewhere deep inside of us after all..." Neru said.
"But still, we should always stick together." Haku said, taking Neru's hand. "We're like a perfect match."
Neru felt embarrassed, but she smiled anyway. It was just then when she noticed...
"Aw, crud! Detention's been over for fifteen minutes! We should've been out of here a long time ago!"
"Oh no!" Haku replied.
"Hurry! We have to make it out in five minutes, or else the school's doors will close on us!"
"Aaah!" Haku shrieked.
"Quick, let's dash to our lockers and grab our bags! I'll race ya!"
"Oh really? You'll regret that when I beat you!" Haku said.
"You mean a million years later?" Neru replied.
"No, I mean right now!"
Haku took off running down the hallway, and Neru followed closely.
Author's Note: Kind of "bleh" Haku x Neru drabble that sort of illustrates why I love their dynamic together. They're like opposites, but they need each other because together, they become one team where their good qualities combine and their bad qualities cancel each other out.
Sorry it's just friendship for now, my fellow yuri monsters. I know you may be hungry for some yuri, but please don't eat me! ; w ; ("yuri monsters"... LOL)
BUT, I am planning a sequel where they confess their feelings for each other. They've liked each other since the start, but it eventually grows into full infatuation before they realize their feelings are more than just friendship.
At first, they're scared and confused and don't know what to do. Should they embrace it and start going out, or should they try to cover up their feelings and hope they go away? And what happens when the latter option just doesn't seem to be working out? D: