He had the brightest smile she had ever seen. Maybe that was why everyone in her grade flocked to him. Pip wondered what it would be like to have that luminous smile of his directed at her. The girls in her grade would get all giggly and flustered whenever he smiled at them. She was already as shy as can be, so Pip could imagine her shyness shooting through the roof if he were to ever smile at her. Pip was both dreading and eagerly awaiting the day that would happen. Her severe timidity kept her from having human friends and it made her feel awfully lonely. His smile, though it was never meant for her, always made her lonely 3rd grade days brighter and more bearable. More so than even Chukichi, who was her best friend.
"Haruto, can I see you for a moment?" Haruka-sensei, her class's teacher, called from her desk.
Pip stopped the crossword puzzle she had been working on in order to watch Tenjo Haruto rise up from his chair and go meet their teacher at her desk. The pink haired girl didn't mind not knowing the topic of conversation between Haruka-sensei and Haruto, because she was still given a nice reward in the form of the sunny smile spread wide across Haruto's face as he walked back to his seat. Yes, she didn't mind at all going about her days without human friends as long as she had Chukichi and Haruto's smile.
Missing school was very unlike Haruto, which was exactly why Pip and the rest of her class were at a slight loss when the cheerful boy didn't come to school the next day. One day of being absent from school stretched to two months. Haruka-sensei and her class were troubled by his sudden disappearance for the first two weeks but eventually moved on with their only speculation being that he had moved away. Haruto stayed on Pip's mind throughout his two month absence, no matter how much she tried otherwise. The brightness of her days dimmed considerably without Haruto and his shining smile. She couldn't even enjoy Chukichi's company like she used to without Haruto and his unknown whereabouts overwhelming her thoughts, her canine best friend's wet tongue lapping across her cheek being the only thing able to bring her back to reality.
It had been nine months since Haruto's disappearance. The boy and his smile hadn't fully been discarded from the back of Pip's mind but enough had been put away to make moving on easier. Her memories of him came back full force, however, when she caught wind of a duelist by the name Tenjo Kaito competing in the World Duel Carnival, the very competition she had entered in a few days ago. Tenjo Kaito? Either Kaito coincidentally shared the last name of her former classmate or Haruto had a brother she never knew about. The sudden urge to seek Kaito out and ask if there was a familial relation between him and Haruto overcame Pip but she quickly quashed that desire, knowing she'd never go through with it, considering how shy she was. She needed to forget about Haruto. Pip had other things she needed to worry about, like how was she even gonna duel other people in the World Duel Carnival when dueling people face to face scared her. Maybe Chukichi could help her…
It was hard forgetting about the one person who made going to school not so bad when they kept physically and mentally invading Pip's life. The bubblegum pink haired girl expected her and Chukichi's visit to Heartland Theme Park to be a normal one with her and her ever faithful dog friend happily sharing a stick of cotton candy. The sugary treat and Pip herself fell to the ground, however, when the young duelist collided with someone. A low whine sounded in Pip's throat as she stared sadly down at her now inedible snack. She glanced up to see who she had bumped into, and suddenly forgot how to breathe as Pip gazed up at the very boy she had been trying so hard to forget, Tenjo Haruto.
But…something was very off about Haruto. This wasn't the same boy with a smile comparable to that of the sun. It was like the awestruck girl was looking at a completely different person. No longer was he garbed in the blue and white striped shirt and cream colored shorts that matched his warm personality. No longer were his honey yellow eyes alight with warmth and life. Worst of all, no longer did his radiant smile curve at his lips. Everything Pip had known about Haruto had changed.
Hanging on the boy's small frame now was a powder blue shirt hidden away by a purple vest adorned with yellow markings and red, donut hole-like ornaments. The cream colored shorts he would always wear to school were now replaced with gray shorts, and purple bracelets were hanging on his wrists. The same red accessories decorating his vest were implanted into his baby blue hair as well. Pip couldn't detect a single trace of the kindness and warmth that had been so common to his eyes. It was like Haruto wasn't even looking at her, but right through her with his blank, empty eyes. Where had all the life in him gone?
The reverie Pip had been in was broken by a growl behind her. Pip looked back at Chukichi, her crystal blue eyes softening and a kind, reassuring smile forming at her lips. Stroking his mud brown fur, Pip said, "It's okay, Chukichi. He won't hurt us." Chukichi stopped growling but switched to glaring at the boy instead.
The fact that she was in the presence of Haruto finally dawned on Pip and she hid herself behind Chukichi's much larger frame, bashfully peeking her head out to stare at her former classmate. "H-Hi, Haruto-kun."
Haruto, who hadn't said a single word since knocking into the girl, stared at Pip with unblinking eyes. "Everyone's laughing."
Those words made Pip draw herself further out from Chukichi. "H-Huh?"
"Everyone's laughing," Haruto repeated. "Why is everyone laughing?"
Before Pip could try to decipher the meaning behind those strange words, her former classmate was lifted up off the ground and into the arms of an older, taller boy she recognized as Tenjo Kaito.
"There you are, Haruto," Kaito said, his concern shown clearly in his eyes. "You had me worried. You know you can't just leave the tower like that."
If the boy had been affected in any way by the chastisement, he didn't show it. Haruto wrapped his arms around his older brother's neck before burying his head into the crook of it. "Everyone's laughing, nii-san. Why is everyone laughing? Screams are nicer."
The disturbed look on Kaito's face mirrored her own. J-Just what had happened to Haruto during his nine month absence? The Haruto she knew would never say such things. The troubled look on the older duelist's face was replaced with sadness, Kaito's hold around Haruto's waist tightening as he brought a hand up to the back of the younger boy's head in a show of both affection and sorrow.
"Let's get you back home," Pip heard Kaito mumble.
Pip froze as Kaito turned around, Haruto choosing that moment to open his closed eyelids to stare at her as his brother hauled him away. It was only when Haruto and his piercing eyes disappeared into the crowd of people that Pip was able to relax her paralyzed body.
Two months later would be when Pip saw Haruto again. Not thinking about him was more of a chore than when he first disappeared but Pip was trying her best. Pip had just arrived at school and was on her way to her classroom. The little girl noticed as she neared her classroom door that her class was being awfully loud. The shy elementary student lengthened her short strides, curious about the commotion going on inside. Pip opened the door to a crowd of 3rd graders encircling someone, Haruka-sensei standing off to the side with a smile on her face. Questions were being thrown at the person at the center of the crowd left and right.
The brunette, bespectacled woman perked up before glimpsing over at her timid student. "Ah, Pip."
Despite her classmates' ridiculous rambunctiousness, they somehow heard Pip's name leave their teacher's lips and turned to stare at her while parting to give Pip a good view of who they had been crowding around. This moment was no different from when Pip met Haruto again after nine months at Heartland Theme Park, with the ability to breathe once again escaping the girl and her blue eyes stretching wide to the point of being on par with the size of saucers. The only thing that hadn't changed about Haruto was the clothes attiring his body, being the same ones he had worn when they crossed paths at Heartland Theme Park. Other than that, this was the same Haruto before his mysterious absence changed him beyond recognition and she was so relieved.
Haruto's brilliant smile faltered slightly upon locking onto Pip, carefully studying the girl for a moment before his eyes flooded over with recognition. "Pip, it's so nice to see you again."
Pip never thought she'd see the day where Haruto was smiling at her of all people. Her, whose shyness pushed her into posing as Chukichi during a portion of the World Duel Carnival. Her, who was only capable of befriending Chukichi and the other dogs she looked after. Her, who was so invisible. As if breathing wasn't hard enough for her right now, Haruto had to go and make it more difficult for her by crossing the classroom until he was right in front of her.
"Sorry about what happened at Heartland Theme Park." Haruto paused to smile slightly at the dramatic gasps sounding from behind him. "I wasn't myself then."
Pip decided it was time she found her voice. She stuttered out while clutching the hem of her striped dress and avoiding eye contact, "I-It's okay, Haruto-kun. I-I'm just glad you're back."
"Me too," Haruto smiled.
Pip had expected things to revert back to normal but life just loved throwing her a few curve balls. This particular curve ball was a new student named Kamishiro Iris. Kamishiro? A duelist named Kamishiro Ryoga competed in the World Duel Carnival and placed in the top four. Were Iris and Ryoga related or were their identical surnames purely coincidental?
"Class, I'd like you to meet Kamishiro Iris," Haruka-sensei said. "Everyone be sure to make her feel welcome."
"I'm very pleased to meet you all," Iris said politely with a curtsy.
Pip's eyes widened a fraction when Iris brought her hand up to wave at someone. Following her line of vision, the shy girl quietly gasped to see it was Haruto she was waving at. The boy returned the friendly wave while giving her a warm smile. Did they know one another? She wondered what it would be like to be Haruto's friend. Just imagining him directing that wonderful smile of his toward her simply because they were friends was enough to warm Pip's insides. She couldn't help feeling a bit envious of Iris for already being Haruto's friend. Why, if she were Haruto's friend she'd never take him and his smiles for granted.
Spending her lunches alone was something Pip was used to but not exactly fond of. Sometimes she wished she were allowed to bring Chukichi to school just so she wouldn't feel so lonely at lunch and school in general. Haruto's smile would've made her feel better but everyday at lunch she was robbed of seeing it due to Haruto always sitting to where his back faced her. It wasn't so bad though, since Pip still had his laugh, which was a close second.
Unfortunately, Pip couldn't even have Haruto's laugh today, since it had already been fifteen minutes into lunch and he still had yet to enter the cafeteria. She had been keeping a close eye on the cafeteria double doors just in case he finally walked in. The cafeteria wasn't the only place they were allowed to eat lunch at so maybe he was eating at a different spot today…with Iris. The possibility saddened Pip. She expected changes to occur with the addition of a new student to their class roster but it still didn't make adapting to it any less difficult. If Haruto was never hers to begin with, why did it still feel like Iris was taking him away from her?
"Hi!" a friendly voice chirped.
Pip jumped slightly at the voice, blinking a few times before craning her neck upwards to look at Iris and Haruto. She blinked at their sudden appearance at her table. They must've entered the cafeteria while she was engrossed in her thoughts.
"H-Hello," Pip said in a quiet voice, keeping her eyes trained on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"You're Pip-chan, right?" Iris said, a cordial smile on her face. "Haruto told me all about you. I'm Iris."
Pip chanced a look up at the mention of Haruto speaking about her. 'Haruto talked to Iris about…me?'
Haruto saw how uneasy their company made his classmate so he gave her a lucent smile, hoping it would make her feel more comfortable. Confusion washed over him like a wave when Pip's body suddenly went rigid before she ended the contact between their eyes. He didn't know Pip very well due to her painfully shy, quiet nature but he could tell she was a really nice person that just needed to be coaxed out of her shell. Haruto hoped his and Iris's attempt to befriend her would get her to talk more.
Haruto kept his smile firmly in place and asked, "Would it be alright if we sit with you, Pip?"
Shock coursed through Pip's body at Haruto's request. She had always thought Haruto smiling at her was a hopeless dream, never once expecting it to be a reality until life through her for a loop and made her foolish dream a reality. Being friends with Haruto was too much of an impossibility to even be considered a dream. Well, classifying it didn't matter. In the end it wouldn't happen. That's what Pip always told herself but maybe it was time to stop telling herself that.
Mustering up her best smile, Pip said while staring down at her lap, "S-Sure." If this was change, then it was something she could certainly get used to.