How Nico became friends with Eli and Nozomi, she can't really remember. Apart from being together in the school idol group, Nico never once imagined that she would be long-time friends with the student council duo that always seemed respected and looked up to whenever they walked the halls of Otonokizaka Academy. Eli and Nozomi's status was very different from hers; and Nico can even say that they were her exact opposites. From their academic achievements, popularity among both girls and boys, height differences and even on the looks department, no matter how much she wanted to deny it – Nico was poles apart from her two best friends.
But the worst for Nico, to be really honest, was the very obvious difference in their bodies: the chest part. It was just so, so… sooooo unfair. Nico lowkey hated Eli and Nozomi for being too gifted with their breasts. Like, where was she even when the chest gods were pouring down their gifts from the heavens? And why must Eli and Nozomi take most of the blessings anyway?
Sigh.
At present, Nico was still stuck with the two chest giants after high school. Oh, the three of them became really inseparable, alright. The reason for that was because Eli and Nozomi became so gay for each other at some point in high school, and Nico unknowingly turned out to be the supportive mother/sister/child/plaything that always kept things in check for the admittedly lovely couple. So now, Nico wasn't just the tiny and odd one out among them. She was also the undisputed third wheel whether her gay pals were on an official date or not.
But what can she do, right? Eli and Nozomi were her best friends. It wasn't as if she could just leave those two in their own world. Nico prided herself for being a great friend who they can always count on, so.
Double sigh.
"Nicochi, are you daydreaming again?"
Nico blinked upon hearing the unique nickname and she quickly turned her head to the purple-haired girl sitting across the table. Nozomi had an eyebrow raised at her but an amused smirk was also underneath it. "You've been doing that more lately, is something bothering you?" Nozomi continued.
"No. I was just… thinking. Of silly things," Nico replied casually before pouting at the book in front of her. They were at the university library at the time and Nico can't even recall how she got dragged by Nozomi to study together when she could be having her beauty rest in her apartment right now.
"Hmm~ Do you miss Maki-chan?" Nozomi teased. She knew how close the redhead was to Nico considering that the two understood each other the most in terms of being tsundere.
"No. And don't even begin with the teasing. We are not an item," Nico said, squinting her eyes at the spiritual girl who looked too ready for an unwanted banter.
"Why so defensive, Nicochi?" Nozomi put a finger on her chin as she tilted her head to the side. "And shouldn't it be 'we are not yet an item'?"
"Will you s—" Nico shouted, but immediately stopped herself when she remembered that they were in a library. She lowered her voice to an annoyed whisper. "Will you stop that?! Don't project your feelings on me if you're missing your blonde husband!"
"Why, I do miss Elichi. But you are blushing already, Nicochi. Why could that be? Fufu~" Nozomi giggled. Pushing Nico's buttons was always a good pastime.
"Shut up, Nozoboob!" Nico replied before rolling her eyes. "Just finish whatever you're doing. It's five in the afternoon already for crying out loud. I wanna go home and sleep."
"Don't be so impatient, Nicochi. We'll still be meeting Elichi after this."
"What? Go meet her without me! You're just going to make out again in public and I do not want to be a witness to that. AGAIN."
"You can do that too once Maki-chan is done with high school, you know~"
"Will you please stop teasing me with that girl!"
"Hmm… With Hanayo-chan, then?"
"UGH."
"Sorry for the wait!" Eli panted, too tired from rushing to where Nico and Nozomi were sitting outside a café near the university. Eli studied on a different school but it wasn't very far from Nico and Nozomi's. "I got caught up on a club meeting again."
"Still workaholic I see," Nico smirked.
"You know me," Eli answered, scratching the back of her neck. "Well, come on now, Nico. Nozomi and I need to show you something."
"Me? What's this? I thought I was clear about not going to the love hotel with you two. Ever."
"Just come with, Nicochi," Nozomi said as she forcibly pulled Nico's arm to stand up. The smaller girl didn't budge any longer and just followed where her two friends were taking her. Nozomi had that face again that Nico (still) feared a lot.
Her poor chest needed to be spared for once.
"So..." Nico said after they stopped walking in front of an apartment building. "We're in your place. Yay?"
"Come on, Nicochi. Let's go inside," Nozomi said. She was smiling sweetly, but Nico knew better than to trust that kind of smile from the mischievous girl.
"Okay, what's really going on here? Why'd you take me to your apartment?" Nico looked at both of her friends in suspicion. "Oh my god. Are you going to make me watch you two do it in there? I am so going home now, bye."
"Do you always have to associate us with sex, Nicochi?" Nozomi said with an unamused face. She knew that it was mostly her fault for always sharing 'bedtime stories' to Nico but tonight was really different. "Just calm down and trust us this time. Please?"
Nico huffed. Nothing can keep her calm where Nozomi was involved, but fine. Whatever. Maybe it won't be so bad since Eli was also there.
"What time is it, Elichi?"
"Eight o'clock."
"Perfect," Nozomi whispered. "Is everything ready?"
"Yes. We just need Nico in there."
Nico knitted her eyebrows tightly. "Woah, woah, woah. What do you mean you just need me there? Seriously, what the heck is going on here?"
"Nicochi..."
Nico immediately moved her eyes on Nozomi, only to be frightened by how her friend was smiling like an evil gay mastermind (which she really was). She squinted her eyes for the nth time to challenge Nozomi and was about to switch her view to the unmoving Eli, but the smaller girl's sight was suddenly blocked by a black cloth that wrapped her head entirely.
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FU—"
The next thing she knew was her entire body was on someone's shoulders and that they were moving. Fast.
"PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN WHOEVER YOU ARE OR I SWEAR I'LL RAISE HELL ON YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!" Nico screamed hysterically. She kept twisting her body in the hopes of falling from this mysterious strong person's shoulders but to no avail.
"Sure, as if you can do that, Nico-chan! Nyahaha!"
Nyahaha?!
"WAIT! You're—"
All of a sudden there was light, and Nico was sitting on a chair in the middle of what she made out to be Nozomi and Eli's living room. When her eyes finally adjusted to the instant brightness, she saw eight awfully familiar people smiling at her as if she was the most breathtaking person in the world.
"SURPRISE!"
Nico's mouth dropped open. Several thoughts were running wild in her head; was it her birthday today? No, that already passed a few months ago and she even celebrated it alone. Maybe she won the lottery or something. But she didn't even buy a lottery ticket for that to happen, so—
"What in the world is going on here, you idiots?!"
"Tonight is number one idol Nico Yazawa appreciation night!" Honoka answered, jumping out of the eight-girl crowd they had. "Nozomi and Eli told us that they want to throw you a party, so here we are!"
"A party? For me?" Nico shrieked. "But why?!"
"Actually, we felt really bad when we couldn't celebrate your birthday with you last July. All because we were all really busy that month," Eli explained with a sorry smile. "Nozomi and I kept in touch with the others until we all had this same free day to throw you your well-deserved party."
Nico pursed her lips and looked everywhere where she couldn't see her friends. "J-Just that? I already told you guys that it's okay! I needed my rest that time, remember? It's not a big deal if I don't get a party from my only friends. I'm not that needy."
"Well aren't you unappreciative," Maki commented, twirling the ends of her hair as usual with an eyebrow raised.
"Who even told you that you can be here?!" Nico replied in an instant.
"What did you say?!"
"My, my, let's not get heated with a love quarrel this early, shall we? I'm sure Maki-chan just missed you, Nicochi~" Nozomi interrupted with a giggle.
"No I don't," Maki said.
"Nobody cares, tsun princess."
"Aaaand as I was saying—" Nozomi raised her voice this time. "Since we're all here already, why don't we just get this party started?"
"Yeah!"
The night carried on with lots of food and stories about how everyone loved (and hated, no thanks to dishonest Maki) the number one idol Nico Yazawa much to the twin-tailed girl's delight. That aside, everything just felt like the old times when they still had more freedom to have a get-together with all nine of them.
"You guys didn't really have to do all of this," Nico said, looking out at a distance where she could see the stars dancing in the night sky. She stood on the balcony with Nozomi and Eli, the three of them holding half-finished drinks in their hands. The others were still inside laughing at some gag that Honoka and Rin were doing in the living room. They were probably teasing Umi and Maki.
"This isn't just a belated birthday party, Nico," Eli started after a quick swig from her cup. "We probably never thanked you enough for sticking with us through a lot, especially with me and Nozomi. We really appreciate the friendship."
"Considering how you kept up with us, I think you also deserve to be called the number one friend that anyone could have," Nozomi added.
True, Nico probably could have had it easier if she stayed a loner. She was already used to it then, and being attached to anyone but herself just didn't fit the strong and independent woman image that she worked hard to perfect. However, Nico would be lying if she also didn't admit that Nozomi, Eli and the rest of µ's made her life a lot more colorful and rowdy.
It may not have been easier with all the ups and downs they went through together, but it was sure great to have friends who deemed her important.
Nico sighed at the thought and smiled. "You guys are hopeless. Plus, I already know that you both love me so much. Who doesn't love the great Nico-nii anyway?"
"Yeah, yeah, no need to be so proud that both Maki-chan and Hanayo-chan loves you, Nicochi."
"Why do you keep teasing me with those two? Do I look like some kind of pedo to you?!"
"Fufu~ We love you, Nicochi~"
.
A/N: The truth is... this was supposed to be a birthday fic for the Nicoknees ahaha. But I never got to finish it in time orz. I apologize if it seems too forced and awkward without the birthday theme :v And even if it is, let's just all take some time to appreciate the resident basic bitch of Mews. It wouldn't be as fun without Aunty Nico's nagging in the house tbh
Strong and independent woman Nico Yazawa sounds fitting, though. #feminazi JK! :))