This is actually loosely based on a tumblr prompt I read a while back, about the class having a communal dream about the Program. Not sure if I want to continue this, or if I properly nailed the characterization, since I'm not as familiar with these characters, but it is a possibility. It was pretty hard to write, tbh.
Mornings like this were Yuka's favorite kind.
In this kind of weather, she didn't mind waiting for Tadakatsu.
When it was too cold, or hot, she shivered or sweated and waited impatiently - well, she never really waited patiently, so even less patiently than usual, she supposed - but on sunny April mornings like today, she actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The breeze flipped her pigtails up and down, and she usually found herself bobbing her head to increase the movement. A couple times she'd pretended to be a helicopter, chasing after Tadakatsu as soon as they were out of sight of his house. Though by now he was in far better shape than her, thanks to all the training he did for baseball.
She had to wait for him at the end of the street, because his mother did not approve of their friendship anymore. When they were kids, she had loved Yuka, and the two of them were inseparable. That was before their parents had the falling out, though. Now, Yuka waited for him every day before school. They always walked together. All three years of middle school they'd been in the same class. Clockwork. It was expected, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Yuka had joked that it was the power of friendship. Shuuya Nanahara had overheard and been amazed by the concept, leaving her in giggles at his earnest attitude. Even Tadakatsu had to break off a smile, despite his own deteriorating friendship with the infamous Boy No. 15.
Today, though, she really wanted to see him with her own, unusually tired eyes. Because of the dream she'd had the night before.
She'd woken up at three in the morning, sweating so badly she'd needed a shower, and hadn't been able to fall asleep for the rest of the night. She supposed it was silly, but she dreamed that their class had been in the Program, and she'd been so afraid that she'd die and never get to see him again.
It was way too dramatic of her, and she tried to force herself to laugh at her foolishness. But she couldn't shake the feeling of cold dread that coursed through her like swallowing an iceberg. Even her favorite breakfast that she'd made for herself hadn't been good enough - she'd had hours to make it, but she'd only stared, waiting until it got cold. She'd ended up throwing it out anyway, unable to eat, though she'd set aside some for her parents, who usually woke up far too early to eat a real meal in the mornings. She regretted it now, as her stomach rumbled, not placated by the tea she'd had earlier. The caffeine made her jumpy, and when her mother had asked if she was sick, Yuka gave some excuse about not being able to sleep because of a horror film she'd stayed up late watching. Her mother had simply scolded her and accepted it. That wasn't too out of character, right?
It was lucky her mother was groggy from sleep and happily surprised by breakfast, or else she would have realized that Yuka did not get nightmares from the silly horror films she loved so much.
It was probably foolish. In fact, it definitely was. But she'd been anxious to see him for hours, unable to knock on his door like she used to. Especially considering it was the wee hours of the morning. She couldn't wake him up in the middle of the night because she'd been too much of a ninny to go back to sleep after a nightmare. What, was she a kid?
Things had changed quite a bit since they were small.
Their mothers and fathers had been the best of friends ever since Yuka and her family had moved there. Over the years, Yuka and Tadakatsu had always been in the same class. It was like . No matter what happened, the two of them were always together. Some considered it luck, but Yuka had once joked that it was the power of their families' friendship that really kept them together.
After Yuka's twelfth birthday, though, things had gotten rather frigid between the neighbors. One day, when Yuka came to play with Tadakatsu, his mother had shouted at her, declaring her an unfit companion for her son and sending her away.
Yuka hadn't cried, or breathed a word to her parents about it, who assumed she'd stopped playing with the more athletic Tadakatsu because their interests had naturally diverged during puberty. He liked baseball, she liked tennis. He watched anime with Yuichiro, while she and her mom gushed over the government-approved soap operas about rich, beautiful women, and their rich, old husbands. He liked sports, she liked horror movies. Yes, their interests had greatly forked over the years, or so her parents assumed when she stopped playing with him, stopped being seen with him as often, stopped talking about him.
But Tadakatsu knew. He'd probably heard, in fact. Instead, he'd started waiting for her when they were walking home from school. Every day. So in return, she waited for him before school. The two of them were always on time. He never talked about what his mother had done, except when she asked. He'd only looked at her and replied that they were going to stay friends, always. The two of them mostly congregated at Yuichiro's house now, playing videogames or doing projects together. Lately, they hadn't been hanging out as much, since Yuka had become great friends with Yukie's group, and spent much of her time with them.
But they always walked together.
Today though, he was a few minutes late. Yuka danced on her toes worriedly, the paranoia from her dream the night before making her space out.
"Yuka, are you okay?"
She snapped out of her daze and up at Tadakatsu, before melting into a relieved grin at the sight of him, blocking out the rising sun with his broad shoulders and enormous knapsack, wide hand waving in front of her face with the same dirty fingernails she knew so well. He was fine. See? It was silly to get so worked up over a nightmare. Just a dream. Like any other, really.
"I'm great! But you look a mess," she opined, deciding not to mention the freaky dream she'd had. Today was the day permission slips were due for the class trip, and he'd had trouble convincing his mother to sign anyway. She didn't want to make it worse.
His acne seemed even redder than usual against his strangely pale skin, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He shrugged. "Nightmare, I guess."
Yuka was not superstitious.
Yuka was not paranoid.
But the way he said it, reluctantly, as if he didn't want her asking questions, freaked her out a little. Whatever Yuka was called, she was definitely, definitely observant. It was a skill honed from her sensitivity, her perception and ability to relate to others and understand their feelings - an important tool when combating their sadness with humor. It required finesse.
The two started walking.
What she liked best about walking with him was how easy it was. There was no need to force themselves into walking in unison. His wide steps slowed for her, and he looked down over his shoulder to listen to whatever she was saying, quietly. He'd grown even taller in the past few months, and now sort of towered over her. Sometimes he helped her carry her sports gear, or she'd carry his bag when his arm was hurting from practice. It wasn't that far of a walk, but Yuka always liked spending the twenty minute intervals with him.
It could probably be cut shorter, she had admitted to herself on more than one occasion, but she purposely kept her steps languid. He never asked her to hurry up. He was never impatient with her. He never snapped at her. He always laughed at her jokes and smiled at her when he saw her. One of her favorite parts of the day was seeing his 'good morning' and 'good night' smiles.
"You know," he said, slowing down himself, until eventually stopping. She was a few steps ahead of him, and turned to listen. "I wouldn't leave you behind. Not ever. You know that, right?" His voice was gruff and low, and he coughed, as if the reason he sounded so strange was a cold.
Yuka grinned at him cheerily, though it felt slightly more forced than usual. Like baring her teeth. "I already know that! You're here now, aren't you?" She was referring to his mother's freak-out. It was well-known she policed his friends. He'd even recently given up his friendship with Shuuya Nanahara, resident prom king.
"I'll wait for you after school." he said seriously. Tadakatsu was not normally this serious. Yuka rarely allowed her friends to be that troubled around her. But for some reason, she did not have it in her to make any jokes at the moment.
Swallowing hard, she nodded gratefully. He'd been there forever. Before his mother decided she wasn't good enough, before Yukie and her group had befriended her, before Hardcore Souma and her crew had begun teasing her, before he'd even met Yuichiro, his best friend.
"I had this really weird dream last night..." He confided after a moment.
Yuka stared at him, dumbfounded. "Me too."
Her voice was quiet, and she placed her forefingers together nervously, waiting for him to continue, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. He didn't smile back.
"Together?" They asked, and he did smile a little at that, stretching the balls of his cheeks with little dimples that made her relax enough to blurt:
"I... dreamt we were in the Program."
Their voices rang out in unison, his deepening pitch not blending at all with her own, and they gaped at one another, shocked, before Yuka began to giggle nervously, hoping she could turn it into a joke. "Thank goodness! I thought I was crazy," she admitted, her voice a little too high-pitched. "It must've been those chips Yuichiro brought us. You know, eating before bed and all that."
Tadakatsu bit the inside of his cheek. "Yeah..." he said slowly. "Must've been." He began walking towards her, and they headed towards the school. "You know, though..." he said thoughtfully. "I mean it. Even in the Program. I wouldn't leave you, Yuka."
She shook her head. "In my dream... I left you. And I woke up so scared that something bad would've happened to you..."
Other students began milling around them. He shook his head, forcing a smile at some of the guys who waved at him. Yuka knew a few of them, too, and waved mechanically. She heard Haruka call out to her, and turned slightly, waiting for her friend to catch up. She felt oddly unsettled by the entire conversation. It was not like her to be so upset about this. Perhaps it was because Tadakatsu was upset too. She hated seeing her friends down. But behaving like a helicopter seemed... inappropriate, right now. And she didn't think it would work. He wasn't sad, he was just... solemn.
"We'll always stick together."
But after he promised that, he began walking into the building, each step taking him farther and farther from where she stood, waiting for Haruka, torn between chasing him and asking him to wait. In the end, Haruka caught up, red faced and breathless, and Yuka did neither, and eventually lost sight of him as he walked, alone, into the school and out of her reach.