Today's a rough day for me.

Why am I so unlucky? This guy in the mage section just rejected me. I've liked him for quite some time now. We've known each other since the day we entered the Academy of Heroes in the Land of Dawn. Long story short, we've been friends since childhood. He was a well-known mage, too. His name is Cyclops. Yes. That one-eyed cretin caught my eyes. Miss Miya, a friend of mine who took care of me when I was younger, could not believe it either when I told her who it was that caught my fancy. I can remember her giving me a look of disbelief. I can also still recall the words she said when she found out.

"Cyclops? Nana, why Cyclops?"

I mean. Well, why not? Cyclops is strong, y'know? He can trap you in a star-powered prison for a short period of time before annihilating you! He's truly one of the best in the mage section. He's quite knowledgeable, too. When we were kids (Well, when I was a kid. I'm still not sure if Cyclops is around my age.), he taught me and our other friends all kinds of stuff. I don't remember when I started liking him, but I can say I realized it only recently.

"Darn it…" I sighed. I plopped down on the couch with a forlorn look on my face. Why is it that every time I find somebody I really like, they end up not liking me back, or end up being the wrong person for me? I watched everyone else train to take my mind off my latest heartbreak.

A poke at my side caught my attention. I was surprised, so I yelped. I heard a soft giggle and glanced behind me to see Chang'e smiling at me. She's one of the members of our little midget squad to arrive last. "What's the matter, Kitty?" She asks me. After meeting me and finding out about my skill set, she started referring to me as 'kitty'. It was weird for the first few months. It's not bad, though. Chang'e shows affection like this, anyway. It's cute.

"I was…"

"Blown off?" Chang'e continues with a sad smile. I only nodded. "Maybe it's a sign from the heavenly bodies that you shouldn't pursue any relationship just yet!" She tells me. "Sometimes, these things happen to you because it just means that the day when you get to meet that special person for you is near. Don't get too bummed out."

I whined in response. "But I really thought he was the one, Chang'e! I mean, we've been friends since childhood! The fact that I realized my feelings only now has to mean something, right? I felt it. There was something there!"

Chang'e grimaced. "Well, you said that about the last five guys before Cyclops, Nana…-"

"But I really felt something!" I argue. "You wouldn't understand. Zilong's too strict on you for you to even think of liking any guy." I sighed. My friend just smiled at me hopelessly. "Sometimes, I wish I could find out who I'm truly meant for, find out who my red string is attached to…"

"Aren't you a little bit young to be thinking about things like that?" Chang'e asked. I huffed. "I'm seventeen, Chang'e. Miss Miya, Ruby, and all the other girls were like this at this age, too! I'm surprised no one has caught your fancy yet."

"Love, crushes, relationships. Bla, bla, bla." I hear a familiar voice from behind us. The person sat beside me. He crossed his arms and sat cross-legged on the sofa. It was Harley. He kept a small smile on his face. God, we were friends, but I can't help but hate that smug look on his face every time he talks! He always acts like he knows what he's talking about. It's annoying. "Shouldn't you two begin training right now? The instructor won't be so pleased to find out you've been spending your time dilly-dallying when you could be using it for something useful."

"I also just finished." Chang'e replied to him. "Nana, though…"

I hissed at him. "Shouldn't you be training instead of sticking your nose in someone else's business?" The smile on Harley's face only grew wider. "I just finished. I'm on my break right now. So, what's the deal with you, kitty cat? Stepped in your own litter box?"

Chang'e just sighed. "Well, I guess it's about time for me to go." She said. Chang'e couldn't be planning to leave me alone with Harley! "Let's chat later, okay? Big brother might get worried. I promised him I'd be at home before 6 PM."

Harley and I nodded and bid her farewell for the day. Zilong had a habit of being a bit too strict with his younger sister. It has become worse because as Chang'e became older, more suitors would pursue her.

I punched Harley's shoulder lightly, and he laughed. "Really. What's the matter?" He asked me. "I got rejected." I told him with a pout.

"Again?"

"Again."

"That's sad." Harley said sympathetically. "Who were you chasing after this time? I heard it was Cyclops. Wow. You really liked him?" He asked. I nodded. "Is it really that hard to believe? Cyclops is a strong guy!" The mage prodigy hummed in amusement. "No, it's just… It just came out of the blue. Cyclops is a likeable guy. I'm more handsome, though." I scoffed at his statement.

He leaned his back against the couch and chuckled. "This is the second time you've been rejected this month. Maybe you should lay low for a while."

"You're not my mom, shorty." I stuck my tongue out at him. "I do what I want."

"I'm not short. I'm taller than you now." Harley stated as-a-matter-of-fact. "At this rate, you'll get your heart broken ten times faster than you can recall to base." I looked down at the floor in thought. "Since when did you care, though? I'm so not used to you expressing your concern so openly." I said to him teasingly, grinning.

Harley fell silent for a few seconds, and I looked at him expectantly. He let out a soft sigh. "Because it's tiring to see snot running down your nose every time you get rejected- Ow!" He yelped. "I was kidding, stop punching me!"

I huffed. He rubbed his shoulder and smiled. "You're really bummed out, huh? I would be too, if I confessed my feelings to a friend I've known for years only to find out they don't like me the same way."

The idea of Harley possibly liking someone in our friend group sounded interesting. Harley Vance, the mage genius, liking one of his friends? It sounded like a fun topic to tackle. "You sound like you're talking from experience," I teased him. Years of being a Mr. Know-It-All (Even though he does end up being right most of the time…) is probably here now to slap him in the face. "Any juicy stories to tell?"

Harley scoffed. "What stories?"

"Stories of you liking someone.~" I said in a sing-song voice. "So, who's the lucky girl?" I asked.

Harley looked at me as if I grew another head. His cheeks flushed red and he turned away haughtily. "Like I'd tell you. It's up for me to know, and for you to not find out."

I laughed. "Funny to see ya being so shy. You're usually a smug little jerk." I told the other mage lightheartedly. "I kinda wish I had the power to know my future, you know? Find out what lies beyond. Find out where I'll end up, who I'll end up with… Things like that just riles up my will to live."

Harley only listened in silence. The smile on his face was probably long gone by now as I spoke. "You sound so sure of yourself, Harley. I'm kinda jealous." I admitted. "And when you're sure of yourself, you always end up being right. When I'm the one feeling that way, things always turn out badly." I said sadly with a smile on my face.

There was an awkward pause between us as we both thought of what to say next. Harley broke the silence with an exasperated sigh. "Another reason why I hate conversations like this one is that you end up being so deep. You always sound so heartbroken."

"Aw. Does it hurt you to see me hurt?" I grinned at him wryly. Harley didn't answer me, only replying in silence. I didn't know what that meant, but it kind of made me uncomfortable- made me regret saying that.

Harley stared off into space for a while in thought. I just stared at him. Did I say something I shouldn't have? What was he thinking? Harley was a good friend, but this was one of the rarest times when he would express just how worried he was.

He suddenly looked at me in the eye, and naturally, I glance away. "For someone who gets rejected by every guy she falls for, you sure have the humor to joke about it." He said jokingly. "If you want, come to me and my sister's house in the Academy later. I've been practicing card reading."

Ah, yes. At some point when he was fourteen (I'm older than Harley by a year. That totally proves he should treat me with a little more respect!), he developed a small interest in telling one's fortune. I heard only recently, Lesley got him tarot cards for his birthday. Honestly, he probably just wanted to find more use for his cards other than combat.

I tilted my head and gave him a skeptic look. "Card reading? You mean, fortune telling and whatnot? You believe in those?" I almost chuckled.

Harley shrugged and stood from his seat beside me. "Nana, we live in a world where dragons exist and a world where we have a doll and a talking bird in our squad. Fortune telling doesn't sound so strange when you think about it." He grinned. "Plus, it's getting irritating to see you moping for some guy who won't notice you. Might as well find out together if you'll ever find your 'prince charming'." He laughed.

Harley could come across as a self-centered jerk sometimes, but he truly was a good friend. I know this was just one of his ways to comfort me after everything bad that happens to me. I gave him a cheeky smile. "Fine, jerk."

-0-0-0-

"So, what does it say?" I ask him. Harley was staring at the cards positioned in front of him. His face was so serious, eyes deeply concentrating and calculating as he tried to decipher the meaning behind the selection of cards on the desk.

There was something I failed to notice in Harley, it seems. I never noticed it until recently, but Harley was… cute. He had fine features any young lady would fall for. Whenever he'd smile that- that annoyingly smug smile, he looked intimidating. The way his green eyes would light up at the notion of magic, the way they'd appear so cold and analyzing when he was actively listening or interested in something… It was all so…

Beautiful.

"Well," I was snapped out of my thoughts. I felt my cheeks heat up after realizing that I've been thinking weird thoughts about my friend. Harley brought his hands together and rested his chin against them, staring at me with his usual smile. "You already met your precious prince charming."

"What?" I gasped.

"You already met him. The equivalent of a soulmate, it seems." He explains to me casually, even though he knows fully well I'd be happy about that news. He closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side. "And he has already met you. You two have crossed each other's paths a long time ago, but because of your desperation in finding the perfect person, you pursued different boys, and each attempt only ended in failure." He tells me in an almost monotone way. "He's aware of this, and because of that, he may find it difficult to approach you." My cat ears lowered slightly. Does that mean I've already met the one for me, but because of my impatience, I might not be able to meet him ever again?

He opened his eyes and looked at me with a serious expression on his face. "But," he said before I could voice out my thoughts. "Don't worry too much. Any moment now, you might find out who is truly meant for you. You just need to be careful. You never know. One day, you'll be walking to the training room, and your answer would be right there in front of you."

"How do I know this isn't any phony crap?" I uttered bitterly. "This might just be you trying to get my hopes up."

Harley's eyes narrowed slightly, and he smiled. "The cards don't lie, Nana. You'll see soon enough."

I frowned and looked down at my lap. Before he could say another word, I stood up and said a quick thank you before leaving.

-0-0-0-

A week after I came to Harley and Lesley's house has passed. I'm still thinking of the things Harley said before I left. The way he looked, the way he spoke to me and showed his genuine concern for me…

I felt my heart beat faster than normal. What did he mean by everything he said? It all sounded so cryptic. Was he lying? Harley didn't seem like the type to lie about things like that. Plus, he sounded quite sincere. Not only that, but Harley himself was on my mind the entire time. My cheeks flushed red at the thought of him. Suddenly, everything from the past began to resurface, and I remember all the things he did for me when we were younger.

I didn't know why these memories were all suddenly returning, but it only meant one thing, and I can't be falling for one of my friends again. Oh no.

In that period of time, I tried my best to avoid Harley all week.

"Hello, Nana!" Angela greets me. We were both in front of the Supports' training room. She wasn't a human. She was a doll with the artificial soul of one. She was such a sweet girl. "You seem to be down. Is something wrong?" She asks me. I shook my head and gave her a smile. "I was just thinking."

Angela stared at me with her red, glass eyes. She was smiling at me expectantly, which- although was cute – was kind of creepy. "What were you thinking of?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a lot of really dumb… love stuff." I answered awkwardly. Angela hummed in response. "Did you find someone new you like?"

"I, well… no. I think?" I sounded really unsure of myself. "It's just, Harley did this card reading on me a week ago, and what he said totally stuck." I admitted to her in a whiny manner. "He said I already met my meant-to-be, but apparently I keep walking past the person!"

Angela's smile only seemed to widen even more. "You were with Harley?"

"Well, yeah." I admitted to her. Nothing was wrong about that, right…? "He's the one who offered. He said it was getting annoying how I constantly whine about getting my heart broken." Angela clapped her hands in delight. "I see! So Harley was trying to comfort you! He is probably trying to make his move on you. I'm happy for him." She chirped cheerfully. Wait, Harley was making a move on me?

"Did he ask you out on a 'date' yet?" Angela continues to ask. I stuttered out nonsense, unable to think of an answer to any of her questions. A date? "You see, some time ago, he kept talking about how he was going to make you realize that… oops…"

Angela seemed panicked for some reason. "I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to tell you, haha."

"Wait, Angela- what do you mean?" I asked her, but before she could answer me, she waved goodbye. "I just remembered Diggie wanted help sorting out the reference books in the Support section. I'm sorry, Nana. Let's talk later, okay?"

Just like that, she entered the room and left me. I pouted. My heart began to beat faster at the thought of Harley being… you know… involved with all the courting and dating and stuff! He never showed interest in any of that, and all this time, I just thought he was a flirt with no real intention of dating any girl.

-0 -0 – 0-

After a few more weeks of avoiding Harley, my feelings only grew stronger. It might sound bizarre for me to feel that way for him after only recently finding out a lot of things, but when you think about it, it's not that weird.

Cyclops was a phase. That kid from the fighter section was a phase. Now that I realize it, there's something very different in the way I feel for Harley. It's like… there's this constant spark whenever I look into his eyes, or when we bump each other down the halls. It was a spark I never felt from anyone else I've had a temporary crush on.

It was about time I faced him. I might have even made him feel bad because it was pretty obvious I've been avoiding him for weeks. We were still friends. I shouldn't be treating him that way.

I took a deep breath before opening the doors of the Mage's training room.

Harley was there, reading. It was common for him to be there before anyone else. Lesley seems to have taught him the importance of punctuality. I approached him. God, I hope my face didn't seem too red. The last thing I want is for him to make fun of me while I'm trying to get the truth out.

"The card reading you did earlier."

"Oh, what's this?" He said in amusement, looking up from his book with that smug smile on his face. For some reason, I don't feel irritated looking at it anymore. It didn't seem smug… just… knowing. "Haven't seen you in a while. Did you come to me to admit I was right?" He asked me cheekily.

"Shush, you." I said in a joking manner. "There's something I need to ask you… about the thing you said… and about the tea Angela accidentally spilt the other week."

Harley seemed displeased to hear about that, but he wasn't surprised. "Maybe it was a bad idea to tell her." He muttered.

"When you said all those things… were you referring to yourself?" I asked him slowly. My heart was pounding against my chest. Harley only stared at me with a blank look on his face. God, I hated it when he does that! I never know what he's thinking. He only smiled at me again.

"What makes you say that?" He asks me back.

"I just realized everything recently. Why do you think I've been avoiding you?"

"You just didn't want to admit I was right."

"Well, yeah, there's that." I admitted. Harley closed his book and stood. He approached me. We were standing so close to each other, I can almost hear him breathing. Oh god.

"How long have you felt that way?" I asked him, looking down in embarrassment. "You know. For me." Harley didn't seem to have a problem giving me an answer. "Not too sure. All I can say is, I've liked you for a long time." He said to me in a casual manner.

"If you have, then why didn't you tell me? All these years… You knew we were connected, didn't you? Connected in 'that' way. The soulmates kind of way…" I sounded a little disappointed. Harley only gave me an apologetic look. "What if I ended up with someone else because you were too slow to tell me?"

"If I did, that would mess up the natural order, now. Wouldn't it?" He said wryly, tilting his head to the side slightly. "Didn't I tell you? The cards don't lie. You'll end up with me regardless of the routes you take." He laughed. Harley sounded a bit too relaxed. I knew under all his pretense, he was just as nervous as I was.

"Jeez… And I thought things couldn't get any weirder." I sighed. "Well. I don't know about you, but this is one of the cutest and strangest confessions I've ever done." I told him. Harley lost the smug expression on his face and looked at me with genuine happiness present in his eyes. How long has he been waiting for this moment?

"This is kind of strange, isn't it?" He took my hand and looked at me. "Since the cat's out of the bag anyway, let's cut to the chase."

He pressed his lips gently against the back of my hand and looked at me with anticipation. "Nana. May I have the pleasure of taking you out on a date?"

I smiled at him and flicked his forehead lightly. "Of course you can, you sneaky jerk."

WEW IM SORRY

THAT PROBABLY DIDN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE

BUT THE IDEA SOUNDED SO MUCH BETTER IN MY HEAD

*I made Nana older than Harley by a year bc

She was released a year before him I think hAHA

I JUST LOVE THE IDEA OF A HERO ACADEMY OK

THELITTLETACO IS SUCH A SWEET BEAN, A GREAT INSPIRATION