AN: This was a birthday gift for a dear friend of mine! You know who you are.
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership to Love Live! School Idol Project
Shore
She smiles at the horizon as though she has seen a lifelong friend, a periwinkle sky hugging the waist of the world as she stands alone amongst the crowd.
And you wonder why, out of all the people passing by, her presence calls out to you.
You have never been a huge fan of the ocean, if you are being quite honest, but you still appreciate the beach for the calm sounds of the waves and the way the sand gently massages your feet as you trail along the shore. There is no aim or goal, merely a beacon signaling for inspiration to guide you along your next arrangement.
It sounds cliché, even to you, but it is not until you spot that grin leaning on the iron bar of the boardwalk that you feel any sort of spark. The thought makes your heart ache, because you are more than aware that you are not the type to be so bold. You could never bring yourself to attract the attention of a stranger willingly, and your right handed knuckles whiten in frustration around your baby blue floral sundress.
It is a chilly day, you realize with a shiver, and you cross your arms tightly in an attempt to make your white cardigan feel warmer. Your left hand anxiously fiddles with the straps of your white flip flops as you near the wooden platform leading toward the steps. Taking a seat at the edge, you gently pat away the sand from the bottom of your feet and put your footwear back on. You look over your shoulder to gaze back at the boardwalk, looking to get another glimpse of the short source of heat, and blush immediately upon realization.
She is staring right at you.
You can feel your ears radiate with heat as she smirks and waves a hand at you from a distance, and you pray that she cannot see the fluctuating shades of scarlet adorning your cheeks. You wonder if, perhaps, there is someone behind you upon the sand that is gathering her attention but you realize, as you stand up and adjust yourself before walking to the stairs, that her eyes remain fixed on you.
You are unsure if she meant to beckon you or if it was a simple and friendly wave, but you instantly begin to regret not returning the gesture. As you reach the top and make your way along the boardwalk, unfortunately in the direction she is in, you figure it best to just ignore her and ignore this strange mutual acknowledgement altogether. It has been a strange morning anyway.
The boards beneath you are sturdy but manage to creak anyway, your shoes barely lifting off the ground as you try to speedily pass the figure along the railing. The hustle and bustle of sea lovers along the way should be enough to hide you, but the peripheral view of her eyes locking themselves onto yours fills you with immediate dread.
The inevitability feels almost tangible as she lifts herself off the rail and makes her way into the crowd.
"Don't come here," you mutter to yourself, hastening your steps. You do not have an immediate desire to get back to the house, but it is better than being chased down by a stranger.
"Hey, you!" you hear, and you slightly turn your head to look behind you before quickly whipping it back forward. You mustn't look; you need to pretend that you did not acknowledge the voice. Maybe it wasn't for you to begin with, anyway. You freeze, "Yeah, you, with the slanted eyes!"
Your eyebrow twitches as you resist the insane urge to turn around and raise your defenses on high.
"Just keep walking, Maki," you grumble to yourself.
"So your name is Maki?" says a voice from beside you, and you can't help but jump back in shock when you feel a finger poke your arm.
"What the hell are you doing?!" you ask, stopping in your tracks and looking at the shorter figure in front of you. It's the girl, clad in a white skirt and a black pullover hoodie, and she is smiling up at you in a way that should leave you unsettled but, instead, makes your heart beat faster.
You blame the irritation.
"I noticed you looking at me earlier," she smirks, and you can feel your face heating up again.
"Is it s-so strange to look at strangers?" you ask, bringing a finger up to twirl at the ends of your hair while avoiding eye contact.
"Is it strange to approach a pretty stranger, then?"
You definitely can't look at her now, "Yes!"
"I sense a weird double standard," she comments wryly.
You look back at her, your eye narrowing, "Strangers should stay strangers."
"Then how do you expect to make friends?" the girl asks, whipping one of her obsidian pigtails behind her shoulder. You're rendered speechless, unsure of what comeback to make. You had only been trying to repel her, but she has made a good point and you feel a strange sense of melancholy. You haven't exactly made any friends in high school, and it suddenly strikes you that maybe it is the mentality of keeping others at bay that prevents it.
"Duh," the girl smiles, adding a footnote to your train of thought that you realize is too fitting. Perhaps you can prove yourself, however.
"Okay, then what do you want?" you sigh, though your muscles stay a bit tense. After all, this is some random girl who has approached you in the middle of your vacation. It almost screams 'horror movie.'
"I wanted to know if you want to play some games with me."
You blink, "What?"
"I noticed that you were alone, and – wait, you are alone, right?"
In truth, not quite, but, "Yes, I am. Why?"
"And so am I, so…"
"You want someone to play games with?" you ask, and you are unsure what your tone implies aside from the fact that it has grown softer. Between sympathy and understanding, you cannot tell, but you would not admit it even if you knew.
"Yeah," she says bashfully, a light blush applying itself upon her cheekbones.
You can't resist smiling a bit, "Cute…"
"What?"
"N-Nothing! F-Fine, what do you want to play?" you ask, your guard once again in place.
She smirks but does not seem to comment on it, "Boardwalk games."
"Well, yeah," you roll your eyes, "but which one?"
"Oh!" she laughs, "Sorry, um… since you agreed to play, how about you choose?"
You shake your head in exasperation, wondering why she bothered to ask if she had nothing in mind. You put your hands on your hips, looking above heads and around bodies at the games lining the area. You frown a bit at the thought of playing some of them; it's not exactly in your character. However, there is something familiar that catches your eye.
"How about that one?" you inquire, pointing at a small stand not too far down. It takes her a moment to look and find what you're directing her attention toward, but she manages to spot it. She nods, already beginning the trek down. Making sure to keep up, you ask, "What's your name, by the way?"
"Nico," she says," and I already know yours is Maki."
"Creep," you grumble, settling with the smug grin she gives you as you both approach the upcoming booth.
"Hello, ladies, would you like to shoot hoops for a prize?" the attendant asks, and both you and Nico nod simultaneously.
"Do you want to go first?" you ask, turning to Nico as the attendant presents three basketballs in front of you. You hand the employee a pair of bills.
She scratches her cheek as she fidgets in place, "Uh, I don't know."
For the first time, she seems nervous and unconfident. A part of you wants to smirk at the fact that she stalked you just to play a game and that she won't even play now, but the better part of you merely takes a ball in hand and nods with a smile.
"Okay, I'll just win you something, then," you say, rolling your shoulder as she takes a step to the side. The confidence in your voice is a surprise even to you, but you suddenly feel the need to impress.
"Oh, you're going to win something for you favorite Nico Nico Nii~?"
You deadpan as you turn your head to look at her, "What?"
"Nothing, nothing, go ahead!"
After clearing your throat, you get ready and focus primarily on the basketball hoop ahead. If you score two balls, you get a small prize and, if you score all three, then you get big prize. You're feeling generous.
It goes by in a blur, but shooting all three basketballs into the hoop proves to be nothing.
The incredulous expression on her face is satisfying when you turn to face her with a torso-sized, black cat plush in your hands.
"For you," you say softly, forcing yourself not to come off too pleased or happy.
"How did you…?" she blinks a few times, gently removing the cat from your hands and pulling it in for a hug.
"I play basketball for my school," you admit, trying not to stare at how cute Nico looks.
"Really? I play tennis, actually. But, seriously, that was incredible! It only took you, like, four seconds," she mumbles as she stares into the purple eyes of the toy.
"It's no big deal, it's a small distance and, uh, stuff," you blush, looking away. It is clear to you that this was a game she hadn't expected you to pick, which is probably an indicator that she does not perceive herself to be too great at it. You nod your head toward the rest of the booths along the way, "Do you want to play something else?"
"I'll win you something even better, I promise!"
"It's not a competition, I just wanted to win you something."
"No, no, I promise I will get you something!"
And it is then that you learn how incredibly passionate and stubborn Nico is.
Once she spotted a water gun booth that had a similar cat plush, but with white fur and red eyes, she could not bring herself to play anything else. She insisted on winning it, but the issue was that the booth requires multiple players as it involves a race to fill a tube to the top. You smiled and laughed at her crazed, determined antics, and you even joined in on one or two of the games so that you could give her one less competitor. You would miss on purpose as she heatedly battled other folks for the top prize.
Needless to say, the plush currently in your arms resulted in a big hole in Nico's wallet.
"I didn't even eat yet," she groaned, "and there is nowhere for me to cook."
"You cook?" you ask, curious.
She smiles, "Yeah, I usually cook dinner for my family. How about you?"
"I don't know how to cook, actually," you whisper, a little too ashamed to admit that a meal is carefully provided by a maid or butler back in the city. Even here, on vacation by the coastline, your family prefers to go out to eat at restaurants rather than sit at the beach house and cook a meal.
You narrow your eyes at the curious idea that, perhaps, either your mother or father know how to cook at all.
"That's okay, I only know how to cook since my mom works and I have siblings," Nico shrugs, walking quietly alongside you as the stars above begin to erupt from within the cotton candy clouds from up above. The moon smiles down at you in the form of a crescent, and you wonder why you feel content in this moment.
"I'm an only child, so," you remark, stepping up to a stand selling fried Oreos.
"And what's that like?" she asks, standing patiently as you purchase a big bag. The contents are fresh and undoubtedly delicious as the aroma dances across your nose. You both go to sit at a nearby bench.
"I like being alone, but," you blush as you hold out the open bag to her, "some people are okay to be around, I guess."
She smiles, a bit more sweet and genuine than usual, and she reaches into the greasy bag, "Thanks."
"No problem," you say, taking out an Oreo for yourself.
You realize how hard it is to ignore the way your skin tingles as your hand accidentally brushes against hers.
And there are many more moments such as that which make you blush. The way she encourages you at a game – regardless of how much you tell her you suck at balloon darts – or the way she'll nudge you from the side with her arm in a caress that feels too long to be casual; it leaves you struggling for breath despite the potent sea salt air that is provided.
The warm glow of boardwalk lights hugs her figure in such a way that you yearn to hold her, and you briefly wonder why that kind of thought would ever enter your mind.
You have an inkling.
"Let's go on the ferris wheel, Maki!" she suggests, and you know that you cannot resist even if you wanted to.
The pier is further down, but the colorful lights and sounds of entertainment are hypnotizing. Rides of all kinds litter the long stretch, from a carousel to a miniature roller coaster. You admit, you're excited.
Nico did not realize that the ferris wheel required tickets, but you pay for them despite her protests. You don't have the heart to tell her that, quite frankly, you're a snobby rich kid. A part of you wants to shower her in gifts after spending so much money on obtaining a prize for you. She makes you feel like there is a whole other world out there of better people and better experiences, and suddenly you wish that you could live a simpler life.
You aren't the biggest fan of heights, but the way she holds your hand makes you feel safer.
She must have noticed the way you were shaking, but that has come to a halt.
The glittering lights of the pier captivate you as you ascend higher into the sky. Normally, you do not look down but, with the strangest girl beside you, you are able to find comfort in the joy of the people below.
A thumb lightly traces circles along the back of your hand, and your heart begins to slam against your ribcage.
"Thank you for hanging out with me," Nico says softly, and you notice that your cart has stopped at the very top of the wheel. Turning to her, you blush. She is staring up at the moon, but as she turns to face you, you can't help but return the smile she gives you.
Under the dark expanse of the universe, you briefly wonder how she can shine brighter than the stars above.
"You're," you gulp, your eyes darting back, as you realize your gaze is lingering on her lips, "not such a stranger after all."
She raises an eyebrow, and you aren't quite sure who is leaning in more, "What am I, then?"
It isn't in your nature whatsoever but, in this brief moment of clarity, you can't help but think that catching up and being bold with your feelings would be a good first experience.
It happens in a blur, but the moment your lips meet hers is one that you quickly understand that you never want to forget. Her fingers weave themselves with your own, and you let go of your cat momentarily so that you can pull her in gently by the back of her neck while her other hand caresses your cheek.
It is a simple but full kiss, and a perfect first.
When you part, it is with a frown that Nico can't help but laugh at. Despite the dark blush on your cheeks and the embarrassment creeping up the back of your neck, you enjoy the sound as though it were music. Hands remain in place, and you look her directly in the eye before speaking.
"Again?" you whisper, realizing that this potential horror movie has twisted into a summer romance.
She smiles sincerely before leaning in for another go.
"Sure."