"You need to stop getting into fights." She said, dabbing him with the bag of frozen peas.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Nishinoya…"

"Yeesh don't say my name like that. It's like you're scolding me."

"I am scolding you!"

He pouted. "It's not my fault-"

"Yuu. This is the third job you lose."

"So I'll find another one."

She exhaled angrily. "I'm serious. You can't keep doing this. What did this guy even do?"

"He was looking at Clara! But then turns out that was her boyfriend…so…"

She sighed, "Honestly, protecting women that don't need protecting. You get so hung up on girls you don't even know."

"She was my co-worker!"

"She had just gotten the job!"

He sat quiet, knowing Rinko was right about this one. "Fine, fine. I'll stop getting into fights."

She smiled at that. "Good. Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't miss your cooking for anything!" he affirmed.

She shook her head, and continued to press the frozen peas to his swollen cheek. "There's an opening at the coffee shop down the street. You've been a barista before, right?"

His eyes lit up and he hugged his friend. "Yes! You're the best Koko! I won't lose this one! Promise!" He quickly rushed out, as though he intended to apply right that very second. Rinko watched him bolt out the door, sighing to herself.

Why she was friends with him in the first place was a wonder. He was so loud and extravagant and she just…wasn't. When they first met, she had said her name so softly that he had only heard the last syllable. Hence his nickname for her. Why they were still friends after all this time was an even bigger mystery.

Well, maybe not so much. She was basically his mother, considering everything she had to do for him. She didn't mind though. So long as she got to spend time with him.

He was completely ignorant to all this, of course. It didn't particularly bother her. He had always been kind of girl crazy, but none of them ever seemed to stick. Through them all, she had been there, and while the girlfriends were shuffled around like a deck of cards, Yuu had never tried to get rid of her. So in a way, she felt special. It was also why she couldn't stop doing things for him. Because if she did…then maybe…maybe he wouldn't…

Well she didn't really like thinking about that. So instead, she just kept quiet, and was the reliable and stable friend he needed in his life. After all these years of holding in her true feelings, she'd gotten pretty good at it, but there were moments where she thought she might blurt it all out with no reason or control.

But again, she was pretty good at that sort of thing. And Yuu was always so loud and full of energy that she hardly ever had time to dwell on her own thoughts. It was because of his sprightliness that they had even become friends. She was certainly much too shy to take any action of her own.

They had been quite young, attending a school which was really more of a daycare than anything else. Though they both went every day, they almost never spoke. Until one day, when it was time for their afternoon nap, and it began to rain.

It was quite the paradox; Rinko loved the rain, but the moment the thunder and lightning began, a controlling fear would possess her. It was something that even to this day, she was shamefully consumed by. But that day, even though they had only spoken once before, he approached her, taking her hand as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Koko, right?"

She didn't know if it was the fear or her shyness or whatever, but she did not correct him, and instead nodded her head.

"You look like you're gonna cry. Are you scared?"

Generally, the other boys would have made fun of her. But not him. Again she quietly and quickly nodded her head, as the thunder crashed down, and a hushed scream left her small mouth, her eyes shut desperately tight.

"It's ok," he squeezed her hand, and it was enough to make her open her eyes. He was smiling at her. "You just have to be louder than the thunder is all! See, watch. THUNDER!" He bellowed out and waved his arms, and it was the absolute most strangest thing Rinko had ever seen. Still, she laughed.

"Now you try."

She shifted nervously. "I-I'm not very loud."

He shrugged. "Just try. I'll do it with you. One, two, three…"

"THUNDER!"

Again she burst into giggles, the looming fear of the storm slowly washing away. Of course, they got in trouble that day, for creating such a disturbance. But, she was fine with that. Whenever it rained, and only when it rained, she would quietly curl up next to Yuu, and not once did he protest. She didn't know why he was so nice, but she was grateful for it. And in that one short moment, she had found her best friend, and her first love.

A/N: I love them all but Kei is next and I'm just like Tsukkkiiiiiiiiiiiii. *ahem* hope you enjoyed the update ^^