note: i couldn't find any fanfic about this manga, so this is probably just my thoughts making the best out of me once again, and because i root for yuna x rio ship, haha. AU-ish; no actual plot just plain drabble at how i so much apprecite Sakisaka Io's work - omoi omoware furi furare.

(he believes that happy endings are endings disguise in tragedies)

—

i. happily ever after

"It is a tragedy."

He looks at her, brow lifts to a picture of doubt, as if to question her conclusion. Small words of: how did you know? How sure are you? - swirl around in the air.

She reads through it, and says, "the princess married someone else instead of the prince."

Her words aren't what he expects.

"How does that become a tragedy?"

She stares at him, patient as she is. Rio-kun is everything but tragedy. He doesn't understand the concept of fairytales, just by looking at him, she realizes that there are simple things that could really complicate him. She couldn't blame him though, since they hardly share the same beliefs when it comes to this. So she resists the urge of releasing a repressive sigh of defeat. Rio-kun may be clueless, and pessimistic, and honest but he isn't hopeless - sure, there may be times, but still, she will make time to explain things for him.

She will make exception for him.

"It becomes a tragedy because the love was thrown out in favor of the king's wish, and they didn't get to have their happy ever after. The prince dwells in the dark with a broken heart."

"How sure are you?"

She tilts her head to the side in a slight confusion, "I just assume it that way - it's an open ending, Rio-kun."

"No, Yuna, I meant, how sure are you that the love was thrown out? Have you considered the possibility of her falling in love with the one she married?"

"Wouldn't that sound as if a rebound?"

He shrugs in complete nonchalance. "It doesn't necessarily have to be the same, Yuna." He graces her a look, then he adds: "ever heard about Fitzgerald's famous quote of never the same love twice?"

And as if a point was made across, she looks at him with her starry eyes, blinking in the moment of realization. "O-oh, w-well, that was a good point, but you see, it's not easy when you didn't get to be with someone you love - and isn't that a tragedy to consider also?"

There's a pause.

And he first lets her thinks of what to say again next.

"…tragedy...in some emotional way?"

His pensive expression says that he is somewhat unconvinced, yet he allows her words to seep through his head. There are things that he still wants to say more but wisely dismisses it so. What's the point, when they possess different beliefs. He shrugs, "it's an open ending after all."

She huffs, arms crossed over her chest. "First love never dies you know?"

"I know." He whispers slowly.

She stiffens, and quickly peeks over to glance at him after realizing that single mistake she's done. Why must she brings that one back, of all the replies to consider?

Now the atmosphere seems heavy - there's no way the conversation would flow by flawlessly.

She somehow wishes to revert the time to when she shouldn't have said those words.

"But I guess you're right, Rio-kun, the possibility of the princess to fall in love with someone new can happen." She tries to drift the subject; tries to shift his focus to the concept of happy ever after again.

He nods. "Yeah."

"By the way, are you finish with math? I can't figure out item number 7. Can you?"

"What was it?"

"Mhm..."

"Was it the age problem?"

She snaps her attention back to him once again, "yeah!"

"Figured so," he says, as he goes his way down from the swing. "I'll teach you tomorrow."

She lights up, and grins. "Mom will make cinnamon rolls, I'll give you and Akari-chan some."

"Thanks!" He smiles in a sincere languid manner - one that aches her chest slightly. "Bye Yuna." Then he waves, leaving.

(and then he saves her from the brink of worst ending)

—

ii. once upon a time

He has always been so distant to her; always so far away despite the smiles he has given to her. Because as genuine as it is, she always, always thinks that - it is a kind of smile meant for everybody.

She is never an exemption. Never, will she ever be.

"Ah, Yamamoto-san,"

She stiffens. It's his voice that she's heard just now, isn't it?

Hesitatingly, she turns around, with a nervous smile gracing across her lips.

"You forgot your pen." He says, as he approaches her.

She casts a glance at the pen, and eventually at him. A confused look plasters across her face briefly: "it's not mine." She says.

"O-oh?" His words stammers against his tongue, as he finds himself scratching the back of his head out of utter embarrassment. "Is that so? I'm sorry."

Then as if realisation sinks through, she halfheartedly wishes that she makes a lie for the sake of it.

But it's Inui-kun - she would definitely not going to do that to Inui-kun. He's nice, kind, dense and somehow (there are times) seems a tad bit mysterious too.

She can't look past his gentle smiles, and soft-natured personality, that adds to how enigmatic he projects himself to be. And that's just all the reason there is why she has to be careful - careful to her actions; to her words; and to how she puts an impression of herself to people.

Because unlike Yuna who has always been into ideals, and fairytales - she, however, is about the way of how realities are made of.

"It's okay." She smiles at him.

But even so…

With one last grin, he bids her a goodbye.

—even so…even if she never fancies the idea of good old tale of happy endings, she still hopes for a perfect once upon a time. So with a breathe of unsettling tense as she watches him departs, she calls for him.

"Inui-kun,"

He turns around, graces her a patient look, and: "mhm?"

Taken completely off guard, she rattles for coherency as she approaches him. "I…" - the way he stops, waits, and listens, have moved the feelings that grow inside of her.

"About yesterday, I'm sorry for leaving you behind. The girls from our class want me to help them with their magazine project."

"Yamamoto-san sure is popular, huh?" He half teases. "But I understand."

"Thank goodness." For some reason, she never misses the fact at how he unconsciously brings his hand to rub the back of his neck, while his other hand tucks beneath his pocket.

"That can be said," somehow, his hand finds comfort beneath the warm of his pocket, and then he speaks, once again. "Are you planning to go anywhere after class?"

She shrugs. "Nothing in particular - just probably gonna drop by the stationery store for some stuff."

"Ah…" There was a pause, and then: "want me to go with you?"

A hesitant;

A reckless thinking;

A faint blush, and an immediate reply, she blurts out, "sure!"

Somehow she feels that something precious within her drops to the floor. But for some odd reason, Inui-kun's bemusing smile is like an assurance that he's already caught it.

And she couldn't be happier to think that once upon a time is as good as happy ever afters.