34 - Vignette -Post Game

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Things Like Relationships

Neku's not interested in things like relationships. He's not totally oblivious about them, though. He often hears the girls gossip in the corner of the classroom about their new crush, or accidentally passes another group who are consoling a newly rejected girl.

He never thinks it would have anything to do with him until he walks into Shiki's room and hears sobs emitting from her bathroom.

Of course, the first thought that springs to his mind is that she has been injured, so he rapidly rushes to the door and knocks on it. "Shiki? What's wrong?"

He expects her to tell him everything is okay, because she's stubborn like that. However the bathroom door flings open and she throws her arms around Neku. Her sobs are now muffled as she cries into his chest.

"Shiki!" he exclaims, taken aback. "What happened?"

Her answer is unintelligible, so he repeats his question. "He said 'no'! H- he -" She starts bawling again.

"Who said 'no' to what?"

Another mumble of words that Neku has to piece together. By the time he does, he sure he catches the words 'unrequited love', 'confession' and 'rejected'.

Well, shit.

Neku expects anything but this.

He talks with Shiki a lot nowadays, but it's not like they ever talk about things like relationships. He's sure she discusses things like her crushes with Eri, maybe even Rhyme. Never with him. That would just be weird…right?

Back to the matter literally at hand, since he's now holding her up so that she doesn't crush him, he's in a dilemma about what to say.

What can he say?

"I'm sorry," he starts.

She wails.

Okay, what next?

"That guy's…a jerk."

Shiki shakes her head and sobs louder.

He starts to feel twinges of annoyance. How much does she like this guy to be this upset over being turned down? Neku doesn't even know who this guy is but he was probably a jerk.

Not that it's any of his business.

"Just forget about it."

Her head moves from right to left even more vigorously now and Neku only just manages not to get pushed away by her. Damn, his shirt was getting wet.

"Will you quit it? I don't give a damn who this guy was, but if he rejected you, then he doesn't deserve you. There's no point in crying about it." Shiki freezes and Neku sighs. He places a hand on top of her head and pets it. "You'll find someone better." Someone who won't make her cry.

And then she steps back. She's stopped crying.

Not only that, but now she's giggling at him.

What is up with her mood swings?

"D-did you think that I was the one who was rejected?"

Neku blinks. "Yes? Wait, don't tell me you're the one who got confessed to. And you're crying because...you feel guilty?" That's the only reason Neku can come up with.

Now she's full-on laughing at him. "Neku! Haha – I didn't confess to anyone and no one confessed to me."

"Then why are you -?"

She smiles sheepishly, rubbing her eyes and then pointing to her desk. There was an open shoujo manga lying on it and – oh.

Neku's stares at her.

"Are you telling me that you were crying because of a manga?"

She raises her hands up defensively. "What? Shoujo manga are really emotional! The main protagonist is so relatable to and she's worked so hard but then the guy she likes rejects her confession anyway and it's just so heart-breaking and you know how much I love romances, so it was really sad and I just couldn't stop the tears and Eri is usually the first person I call when I need to talk about my feels but then you came before I could so I kind of spilled it all on you –"

He knows that she's rambling purposefully now, trying to lessen his irritation with her.

There's no need, though, because he doesn't feel irritated at all. He feels relief, even.

He steps forward and she stops speaking when she is pulled against him again.

"Neku?"

He doesn't want her to see his face - it'll just make him feel even more stupid for worrying about her, and for being so glad that she wasn't actually upset.

"Maybe you need to start coming to me first to talk about those things."

"Things?"

"Things like relationships."

Because he's not too sure he even understands their own


A/N: Tadaaaa! This was sort of self-inspired? Basically I was reading manga and I started crying because those things can really get overly emotonal and I'm such a wimp. I figured that every girl has a shoujo manga that they will emotionally succumb to and this is Shiki's. Too bad I don't have a Neku. I went over to my friend's dorm and I was like 'but they're meant to beee and WHYYYY ;-;' and she was just like 'I TOLD YOU TO STOP READING SO MUCH SHOUJO MANGA'. I never listen, though. xD Anyone have a favourite shoujo manga?

Thank you for all the reviews last chapter and thanks for reading this one!

- Dina (16 Sept 2013)