Summary: Hanamaru thinks at how thanks to her beloved books, she got to discover new and fascinating stories full of adventures as well as they allowed her to meet her redhead friend, feeling less lonely because of it.
Ruby/Hanamaru

Not so lonely

Lonely.

Always so lonely.

That's how Hanamaru felt since she was a little kid, always lonely no mattering the amount of people that surrounded her.

So when she got her first book in one of her birthdays, she discovered a whole new world of fantasy and epic stories and battles that made her feel less lonely, that made her world less dull and she instantly fell in love with it.

She loved the smell of ink and the touch of worn paper sheets that invaded her senses, helping her to evade reality while they transported her to other worlds, some of them really far away from her own one.

She was thankful to them, for those little escapes and those long afternoons at the library, reading and discovering new and fascinating stories but she was even more grateful that those precious books allowed her to meet Ruby, her little reddish sunshine.

One afternoon, she was about to continue with one of those fascinating journeys through uncharted territories when she heard a quiet but cute giggle. Out of curiosity, Hanamaru decided to venture and locate the source of such cute sound, only to find a girl around her age with red hair in two pigtails reading over a magazine about school idols in a very interested and attentively way.

Hanamaru looked strangely at the girl in question before a pair of bright green eyes found her brown ones.

In a second, the quietness that reigned in the library was broken by a piercing yell bouncing against the dozens of bookcases replete of books while a girl with brown hair covered her ringing ears of it and a redhead tried to hide her red face behind her hands, completely embarrassed and terrified of the stranger.

- Silence! – somebody yelled over the front of the library, making both girls jump and lower their heads ashamed.

- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, zura – Hanamaru whispered gently to the other girl, smiling at her reassuringly.

- Zura? – the other girl repeated questioningly, making Hanamaru blush embarrassingly while Ruby just giggled quietly at it, smiling at her – I-It's okay.

- I'm Hanamaru – Hanamaru introduced herself, offering her hand to Ruby who just shook it timidly.

- R-Ruby – Ruby said in a whisper and Hanamaru just smiled wider and kindly at her, helping Ruby unknowingly to calm her nerves down.

Over the next times they met, they'd sit together at the back of the library to read quietly without bothering anybody. Ruby would explain Hanamaru everything about idols and Hanamaru would teach Ruby new and complicated words, exploring new worlds together.

Hanamaru is still remembering how they became friends over the years, silently thanking her beloved books for it, when she feels an extra weight over her shoulder.

She turns her face to find Ruby's head resting over her shoulder while she sleeps peacefully and smiles softly at it, resting her head carefully on top of Ruby's while she keeps going into another world full of adventures.

A couple of hours later, her sleepy company awakes disoriented, noticing the change of colors in the landscape that surrounds them.

- Piggy! – she shrieks startled, confused at where she's supposed to be.

- It's okay Ruby-chan, you fell asleep – Hanamaru whispers to her gently, not wanting to startle her more than she already is while squeezing her hand reassuringly.

Ruby just sighs alleviated and smiles calmly while flushing, watching Hanamaru put the bookmark back in her book before closing it to stand up and offer Ruby her hand to be taken as a gentle smile grows on her face.

Ruby gladly accepts her hand and holds it tightly, going back home together while the sun still shines brightly upon the sky.

Hanamaru smiles widely at it, feeling her world shining brightly and feeling less lonely because of a certain redhead and thanks to her beloved books.