Since this is just a oneshot I see no need to do my usual A/N, but I will say that I do not own AKB0048. Sadly. If I did, there would be a lot more episodes. A LOT. So clearly, I do not own it.

Anyhow, this is the first installment of Proof, which is a series of four oneshots revolving around a building romance between Mayuyu and Yukirin.

Keep your eyes open for the second part, Proving Her Love, and check out my Tumblr (stated on my profile) if you want to request anything or see updates on my writing and maybe even a few teaser excerpts I'll post before putting them here.

Now I'll get to the story. Enjoy!

It was a day like any other. There was a handshake event happening, which always meant the day would be interesting. This particular case would be no exception. It was destined to begin peacefully, with friendly fans and cheerful idols. Yes, today seemed to be just another ordinary day. Yukirin had no way of knowing that this day would send her emotions into a confusing flurry and eventually bring about a new side of her: the side of a girl who would no longer be sure if she was content to remain just a friend.

It started simply enough. The successors were put in lanes, with two idols at tables on each side. Yukirin was at a table with Mayuyu; Sayaka and Tomochin were across the lane. Halfway through the event, everything was pleasant.

Then it happened.

Yukirin had just said goodbye to a mother with a small child when a teenage boy reached her. As soon as he could, the fan grabbed both of Yukirin's hands and grinned at her.

"I can't believe I'm meeting you!" he said excitedly. "You're the cutest idol."

"Thank you," Yukirin replied with a smile, blushing. It didn't matter how many fans said something to her; their kindness made her happy and a little embarrassed every time.

"I can't believe they put you in the lane with her though," he continued, glancing at Mayuyu. Yukirin stiffened. "Why would they put you with someone who can't even have feelings?"

"Can't have feelings?" Yukirin echoed. Her smile fell away and she tried to pull her hands back but the fan wouldn't let go.

"Well she's not human. She can't feel," he said bluntly. It took all of Yukirin's strength to not respond.

That particular line of thinking was expressed all the time even though it was incorrect. It was frequently disproven too, but it still came up and it offended and hurt everyone in AKB0048 every time someone said it.

"Well thank you for coming," Yukirin told him politely. She forced a smile, hoping he'd take the hint and leave, but he stayed there, still gripping her hands.

"Of course since she's not human no one can ever really care about her either, so it's okay," he added.

That crossed the line.

Yukirin looked at Mayuyu and found that her friend had been affected. Mayuyu never showed it much but Yukirin could always sense when she was hurting, and right now she knew she was. In the lane across from them, Yukirin saw Tomochin holding Sayaka's waist, presumably to keep her from jumping over the table to confront the fan. There weren't many other fans there at the moment and it was mostly silent so Yukirin knew Sayaka and Tomochin must have heard it all.

The few other people who happened to around were glaring at the fan who had spoken too. The young woman who had been talking to Mayuyu seemed particularly angry, but Yukirin knew her own emotions were stronger than any of theirs, and she knew she had to do something to make the fan see just how wrong he was. Only one idea came to her mind.

It was something Yukirin had never done to anyone, but she knew she had to do it now. She knew she might regret it later, but she didn't care. She just wanted to prove that her own opinion was right and that the fan's was wrong.

"Really?" she asked politely. He nodded eagerly, too excited about seeing her in person to realize her true feelings about his statement. "Well if it's true that no one can ever care about her..." She ripped her hands away from the fan's grip and turned to Mayuyu, shaking. She couldn't tell if it was because of anger at the fan, nervousness at what she was about to do, or a combination of both, but she couldn't think about that because she had to take action now. There was no time for second thoughts.

"What?" the fan said, somehow still oblivious as to how Yukirin really felt about the matter.

"If no one can care about her, why would I do this?" Yukirin asked, then wrapped her arms around Mayuyu's waist, stepped into her, and gave her a gentle kiss.

As soon as their lips touched, Yukirin felt a bolt of energy shoot through her. Mayuyu was warm and soft, just like Yukirin imagined any regular human would be. It was her first kiss so she wasn't quite sure of what to do, but she felt comfortable being this close to Mayuyu. It was even better when her friend held her closer, returning the kiss. Yukirin was surprised but she didn't protest. She wanted to stay like that as long as she could.

The kiss seemed to last forever, but that wasn't long enough for Yukirin. Her whole self was warm and tingling. She felt the comfortable pressure everywhere their bodies touched and her heartbeat was so strong in her chest that she felt it pounding throughout her whole body. Everything about that moment was perfect.

"Are you two done?" Sayaka called, interrupting them from across the lane. There was a smile evident in her voice. "There are fans waiting, you know." Yukirin knew she should break away but couldn't. She didn't want to. Much to her surprise, Mayuyu let the kiss go on for several more seconds before slowly stepping back and returning to the table to greet more fans.

Yukirin looked across the lane at Sayaka and Tomochin, who were both smiling at her, and even from that distance she saw Sayaka shoot her a wink. Yukirin blushed and hurried back to her place at the table so she could shake the hand of an eager young girl, trying to pretend nothing had happened in the hopes that doing so would help her escape her embarrassment.

But as the event went on, Yukirin couldn't keep herself from sneaking glances at Mayuyu every now and then, smiling whenever she did. She could remember everything about the kiss and found herself unable to focus on her fans because she was so distracted by the memory of how it felt. She didn't know why, but she found herself hoping that she'd be able to feel it again soon.