Last chapter for this time around!
Pairings : Undecided
Warnings : Teikō Middle School Days.
Disclaimer : I own only the OCs.
Chapter 40 - The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time
Saturday, Cleaning day
The six girls seat themselves on a table located closest to the corner of the room, they gravitated towards the seats almost naturally as if unconsciously avoiding public eyes for their gathering.
None of them is sure about what to say, they are classmates so they are bound to know each other name already so there's no need for introduction. And suddenly asking them a question or telling them something seems a bit too friendly?
Well, whatever it was that is keeping the girls from speaking their thoughts, Momoi doesn't share. And like the bright cheerful she is, she starts the conversation with her own special brand of smile and cheer.
"You're Akimoto Manaka-san," she points at the bundle of nerves that was the girl who represents the girls to invite her and her bestfriend, a dark-brown haired girl with a height few inches under her brunette and a caramel-coloured eyes that looks rather sweet and appetising in a way that it reminds of the sugary treats.
"You're Shinkawa Tsumugi-san," she shifts her finger to the black-haired who stands an inch or two above the first girl, her black-hair is almost inky black and her eyes are unnatural grey colour which appears murky at first glance but is shimmering with hidden depths at a closer look.
"You're Kumamoto Anzu-san," her finger again changes direction, this time at a rather petite bright coloured female whose hair is orange, actually orange, natural or dyed, it is legitimate orange, her eyes are dark blue, and it's as if they are a stormy ocean and pulls in anyone staring at it a second too long.
"And you're Shimizu Honoka-san," she finishes pointing before putting down her finger, the last girl has a rather dull-brown coloured hair but her eyes are almost as red as a certain President which quite frankly, unnerves the brunette who is reminded of her sadist President even at the mere sight of the colour red she has found herself avoiding more lately.
"I'm Momoi Satsuki and this is my bestfriend in the whole wide world, Manai Yume, better known as Yuu-chan!" she proclaims proudly, arms already encircling the frozen girl's shoulders who turns stiff after the introduction which is more like Momoi introducing them instead of how it should be.
After that abrupt introduction, the brunette is even more unsure what to say. The other four girls are actually speechless as they blink another several times as if to get rid of an illusion. While the pinkette is all smiles with flowers blooming around her countenance. Then after what seems like forever, one by one, the four girls laugh.
"Hahaha! Bestfriend Yuu-chan, eh?" Kumamoto laughs out loud, amused by Momoi's antics and how said bestfriend had frozen stiff.
Akimoto is giggling softly, she has thought that this will be somewhat scary. At class, they often see the brunette acting friendly with the pinkette but she is always so closed off and she is kind of scared she will reject their offer to lunch. The brunette never turns people away but she never comes to them either, it's like she's creating a wall between them and some others don't think well of her because of that.
Shinkawa is actually amazed by Momoi, the girl really knows how to diffuse tension and to overturn them in her favour. She has favourable opinion of the brunette since that day the girl recalls her name even when they have never talked before but she believes that the brunette has a certain standard in friend which is only met by Momoi.
"Manai-san is actually frozen stiff. It's kind of amusing, this is so different from when you girls are in class," Shimizu notes, her red eyes glinting with amusement which reminds a certain brunette of her President.
Momoi isn't finished though, she is determined to change their opinions of her bestfriend because she knows that the brunette isn't anything like the rumours! "Yuu-chan is nice, she is not unfeeling or unreceptive towards others," she begins, her arms tightening around the still silent girl who appears to be experiencing culture shock.
Then with a smile so blinding and a tone of absolute certainty, Momoi beams towards the more agreeable girls. "Yuu-chan is just shy!"
As soon as those words left her lips and reaches the ears of said 'Yuu-chan', the brunette explodes in the colour red, a full-on blush covering her face who now couldn't even lift her head to see the other girls because she is too embarrassed by her bestfriend's proclamation, her limegreen eyes disappearing under the curtain of her honey-amber coloured fringes. It doesn't take five seconds for the girls to change their mind of the brunette.
"Awwww!" all four girls squeal in adoration, actually squeal with the high-pitched noise. The sight is merely too cute for them, somehow, the colour red and its variation really suits the brunette.
It's like looking at a newborn fawn trying her best to stand on its four unstable hooves, or a trembling fluffy-little lamb that scares at the smallest disturbance. There's just something about the blushing brunette that evokes a protective tender feelings in the hearts of the four adolescence girls.
Seeing their reactions, Momoi nods to herself, satisfied. She knows she is not alone in finding that a blushing Yuu-chan is a very cute and adorable Yuu-chan. She just looks so cute blushing that she often finds herself teasing her about a certain captain too often just to see that reaction. After all, only few things or people can invoke such reactions from the normally quiet brunette.
Of course, a certain redhead unknowingly shares the pinkette's opinion regarding of the brunette and he is quite relentless in his efforts. That and he finds the girl's reactions as amusing as it is entertaining.
By the end of their lunches, the brunette was only able to get a few words out still with red brushing her cheeks and the other girls actually gazes at her warmly like they know something she doesn't. They even invite the two girls to join them for lunch again sometime, when they feel bored of boys for company as the two girl's lunch group is mostly made up of the opposite gender.
Sunday, Sweets day
Murasakibara chews another handful of jelly-beans after the brunette hesitantly finishes telling him the story. "It went well then," he concludes to the brunette's shock.
"Went well? It went well?" Yume questions incredulously. What part of the story she told him describe the 'went well' part? It went weird after the first few minutes!
The purplehead nods languidly, "Mm. My older sisters often have the same reactions," he informs her as his mind-eye relieves those times his older sisters let out a high-pitched sound that hurt his ears.
"Not all the times, just sometimes," he doesn't try to hide the relief in his voice.
"When?" she asks, her tone eager to know. After all this could be the explanation as to why to those girls squeal like they did. What is this reason? It's to her knowledge that girls squeal when they find stuffs they find cute or adorable. She just can't accept that they actually find her mortification cute. That can't be it!
Not like a certain redhead who seems to make it his daily mission to fluster her and derive amusement from her embarrassment! The girls are nice and friendly, they are nice people. They are definitely not a sadist whose smiles are capable of showing both sides of a coin. Right...?
As Murasakibara turns his gaze at the shorter brunette whose limegreen eyes are shining earnestly, expectant and waiting for his answer, he finds himself understanding what those girls found endearing in her. He doesn't squeal though so he expresses himself by giving the girl a soft pat on the head, similar to complimenting a young child.
"Mana-chin should stay this way, just like this. Not growing up is fine too," he muses as his large hand occupies nearly the brunette's whole head.
This, Yume takes offense. "I want to grow taller, Murasakibara-kun," she frowns, trying to swat his hand away even when it is obvious he has the upper-hand in terms of strength.
"Stop doing that!" she protests after failing to get his hand to budge from its perch on her head. What's with her head and boys taller than her?
"Why do you and Daiki-kun like doing this so much? Is it the height difference? I'm not that short! I am of average height, average!" she fumes, tone steadily rising with annoyance. She isn't that short!
Ignoring said girl's outburst, which is rare for her, the purplehead merely continues patting her head like he would a dog. He finds her honey-amber coloured hair to be soft to touch and quite therapeutic. The brunette, realising that she is ignored, reacts in a way that has her reddened cheeks inflated like an angry squirrel. She is going to increase her intake of calcium as soon as possible.
Murasakibara hums contently, "Mm. Mana-chin should just stay this way," he repeats with more certainty.
There really is no reasoning with the purple giant. Yume sighs at this thought, resigning herself to not receiving a satisfying answer from him. She can still make him stop this ridiculous action he is doing though. "How many bulgogi-flavoured maiubou do you want Murasakibara-kun? There're heaps of orders and we can only secure three boxes."
As expected, the movements of his hand stops completely, his lavender eyes sparkling with delight as the new conversation steals his full attention. A bit of drool can be seen making its way to his mouth, which is why it doesn't surprise the brunette when he says with a tone of complete certainty that he wants "All," three of the boxes.
"I see. All three boxes then," Yume nods, she has expected his answer even before she placed the order. Dealing with the purplehead as his personal snacks supplier, she has known his monstrous intake and thrifty spending. Thus, she has made an early order to secure another box of the newest maiubou for sale in the convenience store.
Murasakibara isn't the only customer after all and she needs to maintain the convenience store's wide variety of goods availability. The children in the neighbourhood would be looking for the new flavoured maiubou as soon as they got out of school. The fact there's one leftover box though, is something the purplehead does not need to know. If he knows... well, there's nothing to guess there.
Now that his hand is off her head, Yume can walk freely unhindered so she is satisfied. Her mind though, is returning to the concern for the purplehead who loves to consume snacks and sweets which is categorised as unhealthy foods. Recalling how much cakes he ate earlier, she feels the need to remind him something she has told him before.
"I already said this, but do remember to brush your teeth, Murasakibara-kun. It's better to lay off sugars and replacing it with snacks containing less sugar like chips for a while too," she tells him, mainly to relieve the concern in her chest for him.
Hearing this, the purplehead stares flatly at the brunette, making her to fidget on her feet. "Mana-chin is like kaa-chan," he voices his thought, remembering his mother's words about his diet, and someone else's too.
"Aka-chin is like that too," he states almost monotonously.
An image of a certain redhead pops in her mind and Yume nearly loses her footing for the third time for the same reason that day. Somehow, the thought of Akashi holding a ladle in hand and wearing an apron much like a mother incites a strong urge in her to run. Akashi will make one scary mother. The word mother itself is already terrifying, and Akashi as a mother will bring about a whole new meaning to that word.
"...It's a blessing Akashi-kun is born a male," and thus will never be a mother, she muses softly only for her ears.
Shaking her head off that horrifying thought, she returns her focus on the present and her situation. "We can split up here, Murasakibara-kun. I can go home on my own. I'm taking the bus," she points a finger to the bus stop where her bus that will take her home stops.
"I'm going too," he says bluntly. "I picked up Mana-chin so I have to get you home or Mu-chin and Ri-chin will ban my sweets."
The two females of five Murasakibara siblings are a bit hard on the youngest about being a gentleman for the ladies, while also being the most lenient to his sweets and snacks consumption, they are also the quickest to ban him from it when he is not behaving.
The brunette sweatdrops at this, it seems his older sisters have a firm grasp on their youngest brother, which considering the purplehead as an individual, seems to be a good thing to do. He needs to be pushed forward most of the time to get a move on and she worries he might have walked into a hole if no one is watching him. It's worrying. He is worrying.
"...Okay. The bus is coming in five minutes," she relays this as they both take a seat on the empty bench at the bus stop.
Now that they are seated, the height difference between the two teens seem to shrink, allowing Yume to look closer into the purplehead's expression as he chews another handful of colourful jelly-beans. Despite his towering height, she can see that the male before her is just a boy, there's a youthful quality in his features only a teenager possesses.
In the space of a minute, Murasakibara has slipped another handful of jelly-beans into his mouth. It's almost awe-inspiring, the speed and the amount her fellow student is consuming. "Are those really tasty?" she questions curiously.
The answer to her question is a wordless nod as the purplehead is focused in his treats, his cheeks quickly expanding and shrinking with the addition and loss of food he thrusts into his mouth. Seeing him like this, the brunette can't help but wonder aloud, her eyes transfixed on his currently stuffed cheeks, "You really like your treats, don't you, Murasakibara-kun?"
It is more of a thoughtless remark than a question, even then, the brunette has half-expected to be answered carelessly and nonchalantly like he had before. After all, this is Murasakibara. So when he stops chewing, a short glance sent her way before his gaze returns on the road as his eyes shows signs of recalling a distant memory, she is quite surprised.
"I never run around when I was a kid. It's too much of an effort. Kaa-san said that I was lethargic," he tells her in an even tone.
When kids his age runs around boisterously, climbing places they aren't supposed to and playing everything like there's no tomorrow, the youngest Murasakibara will only sit himself on the staircase and watch the others while he gets comfortable. He feels tired most of the time and expending that much energy like others do is just out of the question, a fact that puts a frown on his mother's face.
"Kaa-san is a dentist," he fingers the numerous jelly-beans in its bag but not taking any of them out, "we don't have sweets at home."
For a dentist whose sole job is to care for the wellbeing of the teeth and its correspondence, sugar is the number one threat. At their home, most of the snacks served during snack-time are hand-made and the ingredients are carefully selected to ensure the minimum amount of sugar used. Store-bought snacks are also personally checked by his mother for the same reason.
The first taste of pure sugary sweetness for the youngest Murasakibara is in the form of an inconspicuous round strawberry-flavoured lollipop his older sister sneaks in for him. One quick harmless lick is all it takes for him to get hooked for a lifetime. Eventually, their mother finds out that her youngest child is eating something he's not supposed to. But by then, it's much too late.
"Mu-chin noticed I get more energetic after eating sweets she sneaks in for me. Kaa-chan thinks so too," he says.
From the lethargic son who dozes his days away to a barely passable energetic child, their mother reluctantly agrees to his increased consumption of sugar as it allows him more activities to be done. One non-negotiable condition is letting their dentist mother checks his teeth once a week and if he ever has cavities, his sweets will be banned until he recovers plus an additional week following his recovery.
"I get to eat sweets. Kaa-chan checks my teeth. No cavities is good. Cavity means no sweet," the purplehead simplifies his story in few words.
Basically, high sugar consumption is necessary for the giant to perform like average kids his age. It turns out that there is a valid reason behind the purplehead's monstrous intake. While it is enlightening, there's still the concern of him contracting diabetes though, so Yume voices out her worries.
"It's okay," he replies in a nonchalant tone as if he's talking about someone else, "I have high metabolism and I eat healthy at home," he finishes with confidence.
Avoiding diabetes is not just about eating healthy though, sugar consumption is much more risky. Even so, since Murasakibara's mother ensures his teeth are healthy despite his eating tendencies, she believes his general well-being must have been considered as well.
I have to wonder though, the brunette turns her inquisitive gaze towards the top of the purplehead she could barely see now that he is seated. Is his height the result of his monstrous intake? this thought crosses her mind, unbidden.
It appears her stare isn't very discreet because it doesn't take long for the subject of her contemplation to notice and realise what the brunette is thinking. Murasakibara responds by patting her head, a gesture he is quickly developing a habit of towards the brunette.
"Mana-chin will grow taller if you eat a lot like me. Milk isn't that effective," he tells her in a sage-like voice filled with wisdom that comes from experience. After all, he doesn't drink as much milk as he does the others.
Yume disagrees. "Milk works better, it contains protein and calcium which have been proven to help enhancing height," she asserts firmly, her nose scrunches up in distaste at the gesture she believes is denouncing her height.
"I stopped drinking milk after third grade. It's not the milk," he is fully convinced of his belief. Isn't he the proof?
Indignant, the brunette argues her point, "Milk works better! I-I will prove it to you when I grow... t-ten centimetres in a year after increasing my milk intake!"
That's possible, right? She cringes inwardly if she can't make her words proven in a year or so. She is in her growth-spurt, ten centimetres are highly possible. Definitely possible.
"...and stop patting my head, Murasakibara-kun!" she adds petulantly, shaking her head harshly to dislodge the hand nestled on top of her head.
One of the reasons why her growth is obstructed must be due to how often those boys whose height surpasses her, rest their hands—therefore additional weight—on top of her head. This matter must be properly handled. It is not amusing nor is it entertaining mind you, this concerns her growth and thus her future! If there's any traces of amusement appearing on the giant's countenance, she fully ignores it.
And no one needs to be informed of the brunette's quick visit to the nearby grocery store to procure several cartons of milk after her company escorts her home that day, determined to prove her point in the year to come.
So yeah, how is it?
Reviews are very much appreciated!
Next time, It's the start of the Preliminary matches! So, who will appear next to Yume?
