Characters: Rima Mashiro, Nagihiko Fujisaki
Café Buono!: Rubbish Dreams (ガラクタノユメ)
Rima sat on the steps to the middle school, crying. The blonde was curled up in her signature ball shape, head down and knees hugged up to her chest.
They didn't understand, not family, not Amu, not the fan-boys, no one. She wasn't acting like an like a jerk towards Amu and everyone else because she wanted to. No, it was for reasons far more complex than that.
Rima's left hand shook as it left her knees and went up to her cheek. She closed her eyes as her left hand slowly rubbed at her cheek. On her hand was make-up, and on her cheek was a purple-ish bruise.
Her parents had been fighting again, the first time in two months. This time, it had been whether or not they should tell their daughter about a divorce that might not happen. Rima had tried to calm them down, but discovered her mistake as soon as her mother had accidentally slapped her out of anger. They had never hit her before, and a divorce now seemed inevitable for her parents.
What about the use of her outer character? Rima had used it out of force of habit. Before she met Amu, that was how she dealt with her insecurities. Since nothing had happened for two months, Rima hadn't known how to deal with her sudden situation, and used that character. It had also been, however, to hide the bruise. If her friends had gotten close enough, they would've seen it, and tried to help her. She didn't want her friends interfering. Who knows what her parents could do in anger?
But all of that seemed useless now that Amu had seen through it. The pink-haired girl had confronted her on her behavior, and given an inspiring speech the first day of school. The former queen's chair was at her breaking point. What else could she do now? Was it anything even worth it?
Just then, Rima heard laughter, and recognized it as the basketball team. She quickly buried her head further to her knees, resuming the ball position.
One of the voices from the basketball team shouted to the others, "Hey, you guys go on ahead. I have something I need to do." The rest of the team gave replies that Rima couldn't hear, and retreated. The owner of the voice walked up some of the steps to the school before stopping.
Rima tensed, and ceased making any sound. She didn't want that boy seeing her in her current state.
The boy squatted beside her and asked, "Rima-chan, are you alright?" Rima recognized the voice now that it was closer, and was surprised. She tilted her head just the slightest, enough to see him, to confirm. It was exactly who she thought it was, Nagihiko in his basketball uniform.
For a brief moment, when Rima tilted her head up, Nagihiko spotted tears. In an attempt to comfort her, he used a hand to brush the hair out of Rima's face, which prompted her to look up at him. Upon seeing the bruise, Nagihiko was surprised and concerned, and asked again, "Rima-chan, are you alright?"
Rima, well beyond her breaking point, didn't care anymore and just gave in. Even if it was friend stealing Nagihiko, she needed someone to talk to, "No, do I look alright?"
Nagihiko put his hand down and asked gently, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Blunt and to the point, Rima explained, "Mom and Dad were fighting again, and accidentally hit me. I used my outer-character to hide it from everyone in school, but Amu confronted me."
"What did she say?"
Rima wiped the tears away with her sleeve as she replied, "That I have no reason to hide my true self from friends who care, even if I don't tell them what happened." She hugged her knees tighter and said in a quieter tone, "'I'll never achieve my dreams if I give up'."
Knowing that Rima had more to say, Nagihiko stayed quiet and listened.
Rima's eyes started tearing up once more as she said, "But, she doesn't understand. My family issues are too much for one person. Not to mention that I'm not good at anything, nothing is happening right, and my dreams are all rubbish."
Nagihiko looked at her, not quite believing that this girl was the same one that called him a "purple-head." He moved his hand to her shoulder and turned her to face him as he said, "You really don't think that do you?" Rima, released from her ball position, stared at the ground in response.
Nagihiko gave her a serious look, as he said, "You can call your dreams rubbish, and you can put yourself down, but those dreams will still be there. If you hold onto those dreams with everything that you've got, you'll get stronger, you'll find love, and you'll find what you were meant to do."
Rima listened to his words, not quite believing that they were from a crossdresser's mouth. While she knew what he said was true, she had trouble believing it, and so asked with doubt, "Really?"
Nagihiko smiled gently and nodded. Rima paused for a moment, thinking, before whispering a quiet, "Thank you." Upon hearing the two words come from her mouth, Nagihiko gave the former queen's chair a much needed hug.
Maybe her future would be ok, and maybe that former cross-dresser wasn't as bad as she thought.