On the same day that Souda was slaving over his assignment and Sonia and Tanaka were filming their video, Hinata found himself at a crowded gaming convention dressed as Link and dragged around by a very excited Sheik.
"People cosplay from the Legend of Zelda series every year, but it's a classic for a reason," Nanami had said, holding up a Link costume complete with a finely-made shield and sword.
"Why do you have the costume already?" Hinata had asked, noticing that it seemed too big for her.
"I've always wanted to do a couple's cosplay."
He certainly couldn't have said no to her after that, and the quality of both costumes was very high, which made the whole experience a bit less embarrassing; Hinata wondered if Nanami had made them herself or paid good money to have them sewn for her. When Hinata asked why she wasn't dressed as Zelda instead, since that was the typical pairing, Nanami had replied that Sheik's outfit was cooler.
Hinata couldn't argue that the tight pants were pretty nice, but he quickly reprimanded himself for thinking so and reminded himself to listen to Souda less.
Nanami had essentially brought a small fortune to the con with her, and Hinata watched in bewilderment for most of the day as she purchased all sorts of keychains, stickers, buttons, and art commissions, each one placed with care into her small backpack. By lunchtime, merchandise was spilling out of the pack, which Nanami had to unzip to accommodate all her purchases.
Hinata plopped down onto a bench with a sigh of relief, setting the heavy sword and shield down on the table and digging into his food. Nanami took a seat beside him and began to take inventory of the contents in her backpack. Small trinkets soon cluttered the tabletop.
"Let's see, I have five doujins, twenty two buttons, twelve keychains, six custom commissions, and nine signed copies of games, and I've spent..." she counted the remaining stack of money in her hands, "...about a fourth of my budget."
Hinata began coughing on his food and had to take a few moments to pull himself together. "Woah, how much money did you bring?"
Nanami's eyes steeled, and the red contacts made her intensity all the more unsettling. "This con is a gamer's dream, Hinata. I come here every year and make it a goal to have better cosplays, buy more merchandise, and meet more developers, so I save my money to come do all those things."
"Go hard or go home, huh?" Hinata laughed to himself, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere. He mentally reprimanded himself once more for sounding like such a dork.
Nanami simply replied with a somber "yes" while flipping through one of the books she bought. The two sat in a contented silence, occasionally nodding at passersby that complimented their cosplays.
Noticing that quite some time had passed and Nanami was still reading, Hinata said, "Hey, remember to eat, okay?"
"Mhm," she replied, red eyes flicking over the drawings and talk bubbles.
He sighed and stood up. "I'll be right back." Nanami nodded slightly, so he made his way over to the long lunch line and waited, stopping to take pictures with a few people and really hoping that no one would recognize him if they got posted on the internet. He returned to the table after bumping into several con-goers and almost dropping the tray, which he set down in front of Nanami with a sigh of relief.
She didn't seem to notice the food and continued reading, so Hinata sat down beside her and, with a small smile, wafted the smell of the food toward her with a few flicks of his hand. The book was soon set aside, and Nanami smiled back and nodded her thanks to Hinata before beginning to eat.
"So are you feeling alright? Not getting too sleepy?" Hinata asked, one elbow set upon the table to prop his chin in his hand. "You definitely seem more energetic than usual."
"Of course I am," Nanami replied after taking a swig of water. "I went to bed early last night. Although it seems that I'm always tired no matter how much sleep I get..."
Hinata laughed softly and nodded in response. "School really drains your energy, yeah, but at least we had this last week off. How was your break, by the way?"
"It was good," the gamer smiled. "On New Year's Eve, those of us with nowhere to go for break all went to the beach and just talked and played games. That was the highlight, although having more time to play new releases was nice, too."
"Oh, that sounds fun. I'm sorry I wasn't there; I promised my family I'd go back to visit them for the new year," Hinata said, frowning slightly. "Who was with you?"
"Souda, Tsumiki, Komaeda, and the swindler." Nanami finished her food and put the cloth that Sheik wore back over her face. "And it's okay. We can go to the beach another time, right?"
"Yeah, of course," Hinata muttered, stumbling over his words slightly. "That's a bit of a weird group, though. Did you all really get along okay? I know Souda can be a bit... overwhelming, but when he's not talking about Sonia, he's fine."
"Yes, they're all very nice to be around." Nanami stood up, effectively ending that conversation and starting the second round of going around the con. "C'mon, we still have about half the booths to visit."
Hinata swung his legs over the bench and stood up, sword and shield in hand. "Where to, noble one?"
Nanami blinked. "You sound like Tanaka, not Link. Link doesn't talk in the games." She then turned and walked off to the second floor, evidently expecting him to follow.
Hinata sighed and muttered, "Well, excuse me, princess," before starting after her. His arms were already tired.
...
On the fourth of January, Sonia and Tanaka's video went viral, and on the fourth of January, Souda experienced true teenage angst.
"Hinata, it's the first day of school," said teenager groaned, rubbing at his forehead. "I'm already bummed enough about that, and I don't need to hear you or anyone else talkin' about that stupid video. It ain't even that cute."
"Yes, it is!" Mioda chirruped from two desks behind him. "A pretty princess and her shy boy friend slash boyfriend filming a vlog together is like something out of a rom-rom-com-com!"
"It's just rom-com," Koizumi corrected, looking idly out the window.
"Ibuki likes rom-rom-com-com better! It's funner to say," the musician grinned, flicking the back of Koizumi's head.
"They're both idiots," Kuzuryuu said, crossing his arms. "A future queen filming with some weird guy is obviously gonna get all kinds of media attention, and Sonia's parents are probably gonna get all pissy at her now. They should've thought about that before they posted it."
"Of course you'd want to stay under the radar," Saionji snickered. Her eyes went from bright to blank in less than a second. "I bet you've killed tons of people in tons of different ways and never gotten caught... is squishing them as fun as crunching little snails?"
Kuzuryuu met Saionji's dead gaze with a glower and said, "Not everyone kills for pleasure, you sick fuck. It's business."
She giggled, eyes sparkling again. "That's what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night, right?"
"Saionji, stop," Pekoyama interjected. "You're causing unnecessary conflict."
"Anyways," Mioda trilled, "as Ibuki was saying, the video is adorbs!"
"Please don't bring that word back," Hinata said to himself with a wince.
"And it's educational! We should get our teacher to show it in science class!" Mioda continued.
Souda slammed his head onto his desk and pulled his beanie over his ears. Hinata gave him a single, slow pat on the back. "Hey, don't worry; everyone will probably forget about it soon!"
"It is pretty cute, though," Nanami said, replacing the batteries in her GameBoy.
"Not helping," Hinata muttered, smiling nonetheless.
The door swung open and Owari dragged herself into the classroom, holding two apples in each hand and balancing one on her head. Nidai followed and slapped her on the back enthusiastically, causing the carefully-balanced apple to tumble to the ground.
The gymnast sighed. "Why can't I just have coffee? I only got two hours of sleep 'cause I was workin' on that damn project."
"Apples are a more natural and healthy way to wake yourself up in the morning!" Nidai replied, picking up the fallen fruit and taking a bite.
"But coffee comes from plants."
"Caffeine is detrimental to one's health if consumed in excess and can cause headaches, muscle tremors, and-"
"Hey, can you two shut up?" Souda said against his desktop.
"You!" Owari seethed, walking up to the mechanic's desk and slamming her hands onto it. "This is all your fault! I had to write about people who test beds for a living while I was almost falling asleep! Do you know how damn hard that made the project for me?"
"Geez, sorry for givin' you suggestions. I'll try to remember not to help in the future."
"Ooh, someone put his sassy pants on this morning!" Mioda gasped. She pumped her fist in the air and chanted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
"Excuse me, who is fighting and why?" Sonia asked, stepping into the room. Tanaka silently followed in behind her, which made Souda scoff when he looked up.
"I believe three or four separate arguments just occurred in as many minutes, actually," the swindler said while attempting to calm Mioda down.
She huffed. "No fun! Ibuki wants to see a headbanging battle."
"That's not how people typically sort out their disagreements..."
"Well, it should be!"
Sonia coughed. "Nonetheless, let's all calm down a bit, shall we?"
"Hey, you're the cause of all this gossipy bullshit," Kuzuryuu piped up. "You and Tanaka posted that stupid video and now it's all over the internet. It'll probably make international news at this rate."
"I wonder what kinda other videos you filmed together, hmm?" Hanamura chuckled.
Pekoyama gave the chef a blank stare that shut him up immediately.
Sonia tightly clasped her hands in front of her lap and exhaled from her nose. "This will not do. I didn't think my parents would be following an animal breeding blog, but if the video becomes that famous, then there is a strong chance they will hear it through the wine."
Nanami replaced the backing of her GameBoy and said, "Do you mean the grapevine?"
"Yes, thank you."
Tanaka crossed his arms and said, "Will the royal ones take offense to my presence around their esteemed daughter?"
"That is a possibility," Sonia replied, turning to face him. "You see, they are a bit picky about-"
She was interrupted by the entrance of their teacher, who motioned for everyone to take their seats. Sonia frowned and said, "We will have to discuss it later. Shall we go to the usual spot?"
Tanaka trained his gaze firmly on the floor, arms still crossed defensively. "I suppose." He went to his seat, unaware of every other student watching the dispute between the two.
"This is better than reality TV," Mioda whispered to Koizumi, who sighed in response.
"Yeah, this is great!" Souda said, turning around to face the musician. "Maybe her parents will keep'em from dating and I'll finally get my chance!"
"What makes you think you have a better chance than Tanaka?" Hinata asked.
"Shh! I'll worry about that later," Souda hushed. "Just let me enjoy this for now."
Hinata sighed and reluctantly picked up his pencil, wondering if he could take six more months of this.
However, he had to admit that the tinny sounds coming from Nanami's game were comforting. He looked over at her for a few moments, smiled to himself, and looked back down at his paper. Mioda could be heard cooing behind him.
...
After sitting through a day of classes, Souda hopped out of his seat with a stretch. He let out a deep sigh and said, "Man, I'm in a good mood today! I'm not even gonna follow Sonia and Tanaka to the library 'cause I know they're just gonna argue and that makes me even happier."
"Souda, there are so many things wrong with what you just said," Hinata said, standing up as well. "First, how did you know where they were meeting when they said 'the usual spot,' and second, why does Sonia's misery make you happy?"
"Well, duh, I've followed 'em there before and they always meet at that one spot!" Souda tapped at his teeth with a fingernail, grimacing slightly. "But hey, for the second one, she might be sad when they break up, but then I can swoop in and comfort her and then she'll realize how much better off she is without'im!"
"Souda, no," Hinata groaned. "You stalking those two is getting really creepy. I mean, it always has been, but I think it's worse now. And how do you even know they're going to break up? Are they actually dating?"
"Because," Souda replied, crossing his arms, "because I want them to! And I know it's what Sonia wants, too, but Tanaka probably brainwashed her or somethin'." He tugged his hat down and looked around, as if to watch for ghosts or witches. He lowered his voice, though most of the other students had already left the room. "He does all these creepy chants late at night and it freaks me out. I think he does it to freak me out, actually. Asshole."
Nanami finally stood up to join the two boys, cheerful music still emitting from her game. "Souda, I don't know if they're dating, but it's rude to want two people to break up. You're acting like Spat."
Souda quirked an eyebrow. "Sorry, who?"
"Spat. He's the antagonist in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak and he makes all the couples fight with each other, so Hamtaro and Bijou have to make them all get back together." Nanami paused said game and looked up, staring at Souda straight in the eyes. "Don't make Hinata and me be Hamtaro and Bijou, Souda. Whether they're together or separated, Tanaka and Sonia both deserve to be happy, so don't try to meddle with them anymore."
Souda put his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay, geez! I said I wasn't gonna because I think they're gonna separate on their own, right? Don't compare me to some stupid hamster game."
"It's not stupid. It's cute." She looked back down to the game again, still speaking. "And we all know you're going to try and break them up again if they can get through this obstacle together."
Souda crossed his arms and didn't bother denying it. "Whatever. I'm gonna get to work, so I'll see you two later." He spun around on his heel and walked from the classroom with a single wave of his hand.
Hinata shook his head slightly and looked over Nanami's shoulder at her game. "So are those two Hamtaro and Bijou?"
"Yes," Nanami replied after a pause. She smiled softly. "They're dating."
"Oh. Cool." Hinata said nothing for a while longer, content to watch the game and wonder how hamsters dated, anyway. He'd have to ask Tanaka later; perhaps once he found his voice again.
...
In the back corner of the library, Tanaka paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back and cape sweeping in circles as he turned to take a few more steps.
"Mister Tanaka, I'm sure they'll understand if we just speak to them!" Sonia pleaded. "Please do not be angry; they are a bit picky in who I date, but we're not dating, correct? So we just need to explain that we are friends and they'll be okay!"
Tanaka ceased movement and glared at the floor.
"Um, but if you do want to date at some point in the future, then I'm sure we could explain that, as well!" Sonia wondered why she couldn't stop talking before she had put her mouth in her foot. Or was it her foot in her mouth...?
Tanaka continued with his pointed silence, putting a hand to his chin in thought.
Sonia figured it would be best not to say anything, so she sighed and reread the message her parents sent her on her laptop, eyes glancing at the particularly worrying lines.
"We are concerned."
"While this Mr. Tanaka seems like a fine young man, he strikes us as eccentric."
"We would like to know your relationship with him."
The princess sighed once more and adjusted her posture. "They have suggested having a video conversation with the two of us. Would you be open to that?"
"What are we to say about the status of our relationship?" Tanaka finally asked, eyes still boring into the carpet.
"That is a good question," Sonia replied, staring into the bright screen. "I suppose they would object to a romantic relationship, but if they could be properly convinced that you are a worthy partner, then I believe they would allow it."
Tanaka burst into a slightly shaky bought of laughter. "Ha! Of course I, the great Gundam Tanaka, the Ascendant Ruler of Ice, am worthy! In fact, it is only fitting that a princess would fall victim to my dark charms." He quickly stopped himself, staring at the floor again.
Sonia giggled. "Mister Tanaka, are you asking me out?"
"I..." He swallowed. He hadn't been prepared for this to happen so soon, not when he still had doubts, but it was now or never. "Indeed! I am asking you to become Our Lady of Darkness, a title most fitting for one such as yourself! Do you accept?"
Sonia stood up and curtsied. "I would be honored, O Lord of Darkness!"
"Excellent!" Tanaka boomed. A librarian came rushing through the rows of shelves to shush him. "...My apologies."
Sonia laughed softly and sat back down, patting the chair next to her. Tanaka walked over to her, failing to hide his smile, and took a seat at her side. He shifted and cleared his throat. "Shall we commence?"
"Yes, let me just tell them what time we'll be calling them," Sonia said, quickly typing something out. She looked to her right and smiled. "Are you nervous?"
"Pah, what a ridiculous inquiry! I fear nothing," Tanaka scoffed. Sonia didn't comment on his shaking hands. "I have faced demons from the depths of the seas and the forests, otherworldly beasts that I bested with nothing but these cursed hands, and yet you would insinuate that I dread a mere earthly couple?"
"Excuse me," Sonia huffed. "They are a king and queen, thank you very much, and some dread is to be expected! Even I am a bit nervous, and there's certainly no shame in admitting it."
"Er... I did not mean any disrespect," Tanaka muttered into his scarf. "I apologize."
"Just be sure to be on your best behavior! No mumbling into your muffler, and sit up straighter," Sonia instructed, gesturing to herself as an example. Tanaka leaned straight up against the back of the chair, sitting very stiffly. "And relax! I am sure it will go swimmingly; if you can charm me, surely you can have the same effect on them." He flushed and didn't respond. "Now, they said that they will be ready in ten minutes, so we can relax until then."
Tanaka exhaled and said, "What will you do if they forbid you to be Our Lady of Darkness?"
Sonia smiled. "I suppose I will continue to date you anyway, Our Lord of Darkness!" She winked, causing Tanaka to fidget in his seat and look down at his lap. He took out the Four Kings to calm himself a bit.
"I must warn you of the responsibilities and potential repercussions of becoming a dark goddess," he said, running his fingers through Sun-D's fur. "You may continue to practice your personal style of ruling, of course, as I will practice mine. I trust we will share a mutual respect regardless of personal preferences." He inhaled slowly and let the breath out in a silent sigh. "But if at any time you begin to find my company... toxic to your well being, I implore you to inform me. If the problem originates in me and cannot be fixed, it is no fault of yours, and the best course of action in that scenario would be a separation."
Sonia pursed her lips for a moment and looked down at her intertwined fingers. "If you ever have any problems or anything that's bothering you, Mister Tanaka, you can always tell me! Of course I will work with you to fix it. I do not plan on separating from someone who needs my help." She raised her head to make eye contact with Tanaka, though he was still focused on his hamsters. He fidgeted under her gaze and only looked up, surprised, when she put her hand on his shoulder.
"I see," he muttered, breaking eye contact again. "I will do the same for you, then."
"Excellent," Sonia said, smiling and giving Tanaka's shoulder one last pat. "I suppose we can work out the finer details later, but I think we're off to a good start!"
Tanaka's shaky laughter broke the silence between the two. "Yes, we shall be an unstoppable force! Beauty and beast, Hades and Persephone, Zhinu and Niulang, Izanagi and -" He was hushed by another librarian, who threatened to kick the couple out if Tanaka raised his voice one more time.
When the two were alone again, Sonia laughed to herself. "I look forward to ruling with you, then!" She nodded at Tanaka, who tipped his head in return, and checked the time, noticing that about eight minutes had passed. "Are you ready to speak with my parents soon?"
Tanaka tucked his hamsters back into his muffler and nodded once more. Sonia used one hand to turn the camera on and the other to clasp Tanaka's shoulder for another moment. The flush in his cheeks faded just as the king and queen of Novoselic appeared onscreen.
"Good afternoon, Sonia," Mister Nevermind began. "I trust the boy next to you is Mister Tanaka?"
"Yes, that is correct," Sonia replied. She turned her head to the right. "Would you like to introduce yourself?"
"Certainly," Tanaka said. He swallowed and declared, "I am Gundam Tanaka, world famous animal breeder. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Mister and Missus Nevermind."
The royals onscreen nodded. "The same to you, Tanaka," they said in unison.
Sonia's mother then asked, "Sonia, why did you not make us aware of this young man while you were visiting? Were you trying to hide your relationship from us?"
"No, Mother!" Sonia said. "It simply never came up in conversation, and I did not see a need to bring it to your attention as we were not dating at the time."
"At the time?" her father echoed. "Does that mean that you are now?"
Sonia nodded, and Tanaka followed her lead a bit hesitantly.
Mister Nevermind sighed. "While we appreciate your honesty, it would have been ideal for you to ask for our approval beforehand. You've done so with all the gentlemen you've dated in the past."
Tanaka made a mental note to ask Sonia about that later.
"Yes, but we just began dating a few minutes ago, you see," Sonia replied. "We have been friends since the beginning of the school year, however."
Sonia's mother huffed and said, "Well, your father and I will have to discuss this privately later. If we do approve-"
Sonia clasped her hands together, eyes shining.
"If we approve, we expect you not to pull any more publicity stunts like the one from yesterday. It makes the whole kingdom seem frivolous if their princess is seen making silly videos about cats."
Tanaka tensed slightly but didn't comment.
"Now, Mister Tanaka," King Nevermind began, "what are your intentions in courting our daughter and what makes you think you are worthy of marrying into our royal family? You do realize that the royal line of Novoselic has persisted for one thousand years."
"Father!" Sonia protested. "Is it not a bit early to be considering marriage?"
"Do not fret, my lady," Tanaka said. "I will answer their questions nonetheless." He cleared his throat. "My intentions in courting Miss Sonia are pure, I assure you. She has expressed interest in learning more of my profession, which we have bonded through." He clenched his hands tightly on his knees, trying to stop his tremors. He had not experienced such fright since the last time he lost the devildog earring. "And... and I would gladly rule abreast of such a fearsome and commanding future queen! I have much experience with leadership, being the Ascendant Ruler of Ice, and - " Sonia elbowed his side, hopefully out of the camera's view. "And... I humbly request permission to continue courtship."
The king and queen were silent, evidently not sure what to make of a speech that changed its tone so many times. Queen Nevermind eventually nodded and said, "As I said, we will discuss that last point privately. Are you of royal descent, then?"
Tanaka rolled his shoulders back and said, "While my mother and father do not have noble blood, I am destined to become the ruler of the underworld! I shall tame Cerebrus and unleash long-dead souls into the world with the intent to -" Sonia cleared her throat. "To... dispatch their immortal wisdom onto the earth! I believe if we look to the past, we may find many lost teachings and lessons to be learned."
"Yes, I suppose," the king of Novoselic said after a pause. "Are you feeling well, Mister Tanaka?"
Tanaka nodded and didn't say anything, aware that he wouldn't be able to hear his own voice over the blood pounding between his ears.
Sonia smiled and said, "Mister Tanaka is quite fond of mythology! He has many varied interests and is generally quite well-rounded." She noted that this conversation felt more and more like an interview.
"He is certainly unique," Queen Nevermind said. A knocking could be heard coming through the tinny microphone. "Excuse us for one moment." The king and queen disappeared from the screen, leaving Tanaka and Sonia to stew in a nervous silence. When they reappeared, the queen said, "It seems we are needed elsewhere. Sonia, I will contact you later to tell you our decision. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mister Tanaka."
"Thank you, Mother," Sonia said, blowing her a kiss over the camera.
"Thank you for your time, Missus Nevermind. It was an honor to meet you, as well," Tanaka managed to say.
The queen and king nodded at both students and turned the camera off. Another stretch of silence persisted until Sonia sighed and closed the laptop.
"I apologize, Miss Sonia," Tanaka muttered. "I did not mean to leave a negative impression."
"No, no, you were wonderful!" Sonia said, turning to him and smiling. "It was evident that you were trying your best to impress my parents, and if they cannot appreciate your charms, we will find a way around them."
"Would it not be perilous to incite the wrath of a king and queen?"
"Mister Tanaka, this is not Romeo and Juliet! My parents may get upset with me if they find out, but I assure you that this will not end in a double suicide." She looked down, clutching at one arm. "Just the thought is upsetting... such things may happen in old stories or police dramas, but not in real life! And they haven't approved or disapproved of it yet, so we simply must wait for now."
Tanaka hummed in thought and raised a hand to his collarbone, allowing the Four Kings to scurry into his palm. "As I said, if you feel our mutual ruling of this realm is not beneficial to you, you may back out at any time with my blessing."
"The same to applies to you, of course, but let us not worry about that at the moment!" Sonia put a hand to her chin and said, "Why don't we go get dinner now? We could tell the others the good news, if you're alright with that."
"I do not feel as though I will ever be prepared for Souda's reaction nor the constant heckling that is bound to follow."
Sonia giggled. "That's true, but there isn't much that we can do about that, I suppose. We don't have to tell him directly; he will likely hear it through the... grapevine, was it?"
Tanaka nodded. "We will have to face the repercussions of that in the near future, then." He stood still for a few moments before tucking his hamsters back into his scarf and offering his elbow to Sonia. She looped her arm through it readily and the two headed out, one with a notably ruddy complexion and the other with a spring in her step.
...
Arriving in her dorm the same night, Sonia set her bag down and, noting that Tsumiki wasn't back yet, allowed herself a smile and a celebratory dance. She collapsed onto her bed and faced the ceiling, kicking her feet about and feeling like a little girl. Some of her energy escaped in the form of a contented sigh, and she flipped over to hug her pillow. She was aware that her behavior embodied the image of a typical lovestruck schoolgirl, but she could pardon herself just this once.
She buried her face into the fabric, kicking her feet up in the air again. She was dating Gundam Tanaka! He had finally asked her out after months of getting to know each other, and now she was dating him and he was dating her and this revelation was so amazing to her that she couldn't stop repeating it over and over. She sighed it into her pillow, she heard it like a chant in her mind, and she was likely going to realize it in spurts in the coming days and get excited all over again.
She didn't trouble herself with thoughts of Souda, who could be dealt with later and, frankly, was unlikely to succeed in further attempts at keeping Sonia and Tanaka apart. Because they were dating. Sonia smiled again at the thought.
Eventually, the princess emerged from her reverie and started her homework. It went a bit slower than usual, considering how many breaks she took to stare into space and grin to herself, but she'd completed most of it by the time Tsumiki entered the room.
"Hello, Sonia," the nurse said quietly, padding over to her own bed and setting her supplies down. "Did you have a good day?"
That question opened the floodgate. "Oh, Tsumiki, it was wonderful!" Sonia exclaimed, setting her books aside. "Mister Tanaka and I met in the library after school to speak with my parents on camera, but before that he finally asked me out!"
Tsumiki smiled and said, "That's... that's great, Sonia! I-I'm so happy for you two, and I'm glad he finally worked up the courage." She sighed. "If only I could do that..."
"I'm sure any boy you asked out would say yes! You're very charming in your own way, Miss Tsumiki." Sonia lay on her side, propping her head up with one hand. "Is there anyone that you want to ask out?"
"Well..." The nurse sat down stiffly on her own bed and twiddled her fingers. "Maybe... um, there are actually two in our class that I-I think are very nice, but I can't date multiple people!" She sniffled. "Everyone would think I'm sleazy..."
Sonia shrugged the best she could in her current position. "It's a rather open-minded school, no? Are you okay with telling me who they are?"
Tsumiki whimpered. "I... yes, I can trust you, Sonia, right?" She smiled slightly, as though she already knew the answer but looked for confirmation nonetheless.
"Of course," Sonia replied, smiling back. "I won't tell a soul!"
Tsumiki nodded and looked down at her lap. "Well... I've been seeing Komaeda in the infirmary every day since the start of the school year because he needs constant supervision to make sure his condition doesn't become unstable. And I-I'm not sure if I just talked to him at first because I felt bad for him, but we've been talking a bit more lately and he's really very nice..." She cut herself off, covering her mouth. "Sorry, sorry, I'm rambling!"
"No, not at all!" Sonia said. "You may continue if you like."
"Okay, well... I just feel stupid for having these kind of thoughts about anyone because w-what kind of desperate person would want to date me?" Tsumiki asked, drawing her knees up to her chest. "A-and the other crush is even less likely to happen and you'll probably think I'm weird or something..."
"No, I would never think that!" Sonia protested, sitting up and propping herself against her headboard. "And I feel like any sensible young man would want to date you, Miss Tsumiki. You're kind, hardworking, and you care deeply about others."
Tsumiki fidgeted. "U-um... I do care about others, but I don't know if anybody would want to date me, especially not..." She buried her face into her raised knees and mumbled something.
"Hm?"
She tilted her chin up, took in a shaky breath, and softly exhaled a word that sounded suspiciously like "Souda."
Sonia blinked. "What was that?"
"I-I know it's stupid! Because he likes you and there's no way that he'd want someone like me over a princess, b-but he's so... happy, even though he's been bullied like me, and maybe I just envy him or want to get to know him better or something, but..." She trailed off and groaned. "I-I tried talking to him yesterday, but I stuttered even more than usual and sounded even stupider than usual and I don't deserve to speak with any of you anyway!"
"Tsumiki, do not stress yourself out over it! The fact that you had enough courage to speak with him is a step forward." Sonia shifted and bit her lip. "May I ask when this crush toward Mister Souda developed?"
"Very recently... I-I didn't have anywhere to go for the break, so he and I and a few others went to the beach and talked, and it was really nice; he told me about how the other kids picked on him when he was little, so I could sympathize..." She gasped. "Oh, no, I didn't mean to tell his secret! P-please don't tell anyone that I said that!"
"My lips are sealed," Sonia said with a smile.
Tsumiki lay down and sighed. "I should just stop talking now... I-I'm sorry to waste your time. I really am happy for you and Tanaka, though!"
"You can always speak with me! I will never consider your concerns a waste of time," Sonia replied, turning over onto her stomach and relaxing into her mattress. She hummed in content. "I think I'm quite done with work for tonight regardless."
Tsumiki let out a breathy giggle. "Could you do mine for me, then? I'm exhausted."
"Miss Tsumiki!" Sonia exclaimed, grinning. "You know I cannot do that; we will both get in trouble. I'd love to help, though."
The nurse exhaled softly. "In a few minutes... just let me rest a bit."
The two lay in silence for a few minutes until Tsumiki uttered a hesitant "um" into the still air, catching Sonia's attention. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you! I-I was just wondering if your nightmares have gotten any better lately."
"Ah, yes, that," Sonia muttered, turning over onto her back. "Well, you said that they were likely stress-related, and I did notice that they were more frequent when I went home..." She shook her head and frowned. "I feel so guilty! It is my duty to serve my country; I should not be miserable over the thought of it."
"Well, I can't say I understand the feeling, but I do know that it's normal to feel stress over big responsibilities like that," Tsumiki said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "I mean, knowing you're going to be running a whole country must be really, really scary, but... you can do it, Sonia!" she cheered, causing the princess to startle at the abrupt raise in her voice. "Oh, I'm sorry, I did it again! I-I just mean that you're obviously very well-suited for the job... and I know you'll be great at it." She smiled. "So don't stress yourself out. Or, um, I don't mean to tell you what to do, but at least try not to...?"
Sonia giggled. "Thank you, Miss Tsumiki. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome," she murmured, the phrase sounding almost foreign to her. She snickered after a moment. "I... I'm sure being with Tanaka will make you less stressed, right?"
"Tsumiki!" Sonia gasped, mouth breaking into a smile. "Do I detect some innuendo?"
"Oh, no! Oh, no, I'm sorry!" The nurse took a pillow from underneath her head and buried her face in it.
"No, it's fine! Please don't apologize again," Sonia said. She sighed and walked over to her roommate, standing over her with her hands on her hips. Then, with a small smile, she began to tickle Tsumiki's sides.
"No!" she squealed from under the fabric, giggling and kicking her feet about. The pillow found its way off the bed as Tsumiki clutched her sides, trying to pull Sonia's hands away through her laughter. "Okay, I'm... I'm not..." she snorted, "I'm not sorry...?"
"That is correct!" Sonia said, pulling her hands away. She giggled. "I like this side of you, Miss Tsumiki."
The nurse took a few deep breaths and tried to stop herself from laughing. "I... I'm not sure how to respond to that." She blinked. "Thank you?"
"Correct again!" the princess said. "Now, shall we start on that homework?"
Tsumiki sighed and sat up. "I guess that would be for the best," she said as she hauled her backpack off the ground. They sat down at their shared desk and began working, often interrupted by more silliness that made the whole process longer but less painful. Both went to bed after getting out the last of their giggles, and when Sonia woke up the next morning, she couldn't recall any bad dreams.