Different Starts: A Bad Romance Story

Description: (See Different Starts for more details) "... So this is just one tacky love story then?" "Not everything has to be a bad love story." "That wasn't a no."

Inspired by: "Along Came a Spider" (Overwatch fanfic by ShingetsuMoon) "He had no idea" (Naruto fanfic- either version by xXHaneliXx)

Different Starts is a "tag" to symbolize that Makoto meets one character far earlier than canon, and they play a huge role in the story. EX, "a More Realistic Hope" has Monaca, "A Broken Act" has Junko.

Notes: If it isn't clear I do not write happy-go-lucky Makoto Naegi... anyways this one is also a genderbend, because why not.

.o0O0o.

Once upon a time... huh?

I'll admit to being an introvert, a horrible one at making friends at that. But nowhere does being an introvert mean that I desired isolation.

I wanted friends. Desperately.

And then... I met someone I would call my equal, someone who needed just as much attention, needed friends our age, needed social contact.

And we hated each other's guts

It is actually a funny story... a story that began, 'Once upon a time...'

.o0o.

The air was frigid, the streets aligned with seasonal decor.

However, the coffee shop I frequented, was unusually quiet. I was alone.

It was me, my coffee, the barista, and the belongings of a stranger who had left them. Perhaps they were in a hurry or had decided they weren't useful. It was just a small notebook and pen.

My curiosity eventually took over, I bounded over to the seemingly simple notebook.

Written on the cover of the compound notebook, were the words "Of Teardrops and Fantasies" in an elegant font. However, that was all there was to the cover, it was a pure black notebook with just those four words on the cover.

At this point, I looked into it and was amazed by the writing. Incredibly neat, and a myriad of notes, ideas, brief concepts, and so much more.

They must have forgotten this. For me, it was a treasure trove of material. It was-

"Hey, Makoto-chan, you shouldn't be snoopin' on other people's stuff."

The bubbly barista called over teasingly.

I raised a brow and asked back, "Don't you have a counter to run? Besides, do tou even know who this belongs to?"

"Not a clue, girl," she answered back, "Been here since I started my shift two hours ago. Other than you, four others came in, a couple, a businessman in a rush, and my coworker who forgot his cell."

I rolled my eyes, "So let me be curious, I'll leave it here."

For the next hour, I sipped on my Iced coffee- yes I like iced coffee even in the dead of winter, sue me- as I read through the notes.

It was very clearly an idea book for a romance story.

However... the concepts were all cut and dry, the ideas never explored or explained. It was as though they had a dozen dots, and no strict connection, not even intentional blanks.

For the average reader, they seemed all unique, not a thread of connection.

But I was not your average reader.

I pulled out my sticky notes, which I usually used for annotating the book I was reading that I had to do a report on, but I felt the need to at least leave suggestions.

So I commented on almost everything. Anything that I saw even the hint of a connection I wrote it down.

Jotting down where the character struggled, where they could develop plot or characters when a mystery cleared up or a problem was added.

By the end, an hour had gone by, and my set of stickies were now only half of what it was before.

I decided to leave a personal note.

"I am sorry for reading this, but after I saw the first few pages I just couldn't stop. I noticed you tended to create ideas but never really finalized them. Creating point A and point Z but never figuring points B to Y between them.

I'm incredibly sorry if you seem offended by my notes.

A non-E Mouse"

After signing, and realizing my coffee was gone, I grabbed my backpack of materials.

"Leaving Makoto-chan?"

"Yeah, I should be going, kaa-san wanted us all to be home for lunch."

"Come back tomorrow?" She asked.

"Tomorrow... Sunday, yeah that'll be fine, what time is your shift?"

"Same as always, about ten-ish. If I get here on time." She answered cheekily.

I rolled my eyes, "I'll be here quarter past."

"Alright, see you around!"

As I left that corner coffee shop, my mind couldn't help but wonder who it originally belonged to.

.o0o.

It was so different back then. It was so different before the eighth year.

Before she moved. Before she left me. Before she... no, before we changed.

Before we met, we made peace with the seemingly depressing fact we were both alone. When we met we butted heads more than anything. When we split, we thought we'd still have this awkward dynamic of creating the world's best...

But when we met face to face again...

Everything changed.

.o0O0o.

Yep... This is another sort of flashforward looking on a flashback, but still starting just after the flashback story. Confused? Me too. I hope you enjoyed xD.