Chapter 69: Arle & Rulue: Fit for a queen? by huskynator/kirbymanx

It was a Friday, Arle had arranged to spend the final quarter of the school day to mutually support Rulue with each other's preferred sports.

Currently Arle was playing 1-on-1 basketball with Rulue, the Queen of Primp High's signature sport on one of the courts in the courtyard.

Rulue was on the defense, she didn't let Arle dribble past her.

"Shorty!" The blue-haired basketball beauty senior student name-called Arle.

Lady Rulue

Sexy Basketball Queen

"Get past me already." Rulue was annoyed this was the best she could get for amicable practice.

"I'm trying but I can't see your face since you're so tall!" Arle snapped back.

Arle's only a centimeter below average for her age and sex, while Rulue was indeed pretty tall for her sex. Arle's at a disadvantage and not just a height one. Rulue was just better than her.

Arle tried to bounce the ball between Rulue's legs and catch it on the other side, but Rulue intercepted the ball and dribbled it over to Arle's side of the court, practically showing off with a slam dunk resulting in the crowd going wild! 3 cheers for Rulue.

Rulue soaked the praises and compliments in. Arle felt a little hopeless. It's 2 - 5 in Rulue's favor.

She knew nothing was at stake. No shame in losing at the best, but Rulue wanted Arle to be on her level.

The two played until the bell rang and Akuma gave permission for everyone to go home. Neither of them had it in them to compliment each other on a good game. Both of them could tell neither were satisfied being matched together.

They just gave each other a mutual fist grip to give the appearance to the unobservant onlookers some of the Coach's favorites were being sporty.

With the school over Arle and Rulue, still sweaty, would jog to the 3rd nearest grocery store down the mountain. This is where the two would usually chat about what's going on in their life. But they couldn't really find it in them to say anything.

They both agreed this wasn't a contest at least…

When they were at the mountain's feet and slowly approached Primp City, Arle mustered the will to break the ice.

"Rulue, are you okay?" A question Arle usually asked in a semi-rhetoric tone. Rulue was taken aback.

"..." 'Should I say something?' "..." Rulue wrinkled her mouth. "I'll tell you when we have our protein drinks…"

Arle wasn't used to hearing Rulue talk to solemnly.

"Okay…" Arle complied. The two continue to jog in awkward silence. "Hey, wanna cut it short?" Arle pointed to the 2nd nearest grocery store.

The two jogged in place so Rulue could think about it.

"I'd rather not, but suppose…" Rulue took her time. "I'm just worried about my future a little." Rulue sighed out as they entered the store.

"Huh? How so?"

Rulue took her sweet time… "Everything about me feels like a ticking time bomb of unfulfillment, Arle…"

"Huh?" Arle tried to think about what angle Rulue would talk about. "How so?" She said, walking with her fellow athletic to the protein drinks.

…"Not so much "How so?"" Rulue picked her protein products. "It's more a case of… uh…"

Arle couldn't remember a time Rulue let out an "uh" besides maybe while trying to reign herself in from being complimented by Coach Satan.

"It's a case of what isn't gnawing at me." The girls walked to the register. Rulue looked at Arle as they kept quiet as their items got scanned. Arle was first so her products got scanned.

But Rulue looked at that and put her stuff on Arle's end of the divider. Arle and the cashier looked at her.

But before they could reply. "I'll pay for her's." Rulue bluntly told the cashier while she opened her wallet.

"Oh gee! Thanks, Rulue."

"Don't mention it. It gets us outside faster." She just said.

The two sat down at the nearest place where they could. Both opened up their drinks, and Rulue immediately took a gulp while Arle waited.

"Ready to talk about it?" Arle offered. "Are you okay?"

Rulue took another gulp upon hearing Arle's concern… "Yes. But also not… My family is rich, so I'll always be okay in that sense. And that's what people will tell me to invalidate anything I say. I understand it, it's terribly rude. But I understand it."

Rulue had successfully shut a sparky remark Arle had and Arle knew Rulue knew based on her sly smirk. But that good feeling didn't last as she remembered the topic.

"Are you gonna pursue professional track running after you graduate?"

"Duh. I love what I'm doing. And if I'm not running I'll do something else to get my adrenaline pumping, hopefully for a career."

"...Oh, I see." Rulue would've slumped, but she wasn't caught dead yet.

"I'm confused, did I say something wrong?"

"No. That's just the difference between you and I, I suppose. If I may be blunt, I want the widespread glory."

"Nooo." Arle sarcastically replied, getting an annoyed glare from the blunette but Arle wasn't scared.

"Arle, can you name any women in basketball?"

"Uh…"

"I thought so. I love basketball, I am the best basketball player I know my age, and you know I love being a woman."

"You sure flaunt it, yeah."

"If I wanna pursue professional basketball those two loves of mine will bite me… Lawrence probably will be more famous in Basketball than I ever will after I graduate." Rulue stomped the ground at that thought.

"Jokes aside, Rulue. I get how you think how you think you won't find much fulfillment after Primp High…"

"My looks will fade too…"

Arle had found that obvious, but she supposed that would hit Rulue harder than it did herself.

"I am a woman of physical labour. Office jobs are positively dull. I'd sooner die than be the face of a company where my employees do all the real work." The cracks in Rulue's composure became more and more obvious.

"I uh never kne…" It was a little hard to watch.

"I'm born a generation too late to fall in love with Coach Satan. And I don't have that many positive relations outside him, Mino, Raffina…"

The blue-haired baller seemed to struggle to say something.

"Ah!" She felt something on her shoulder she glared at Arle's face.

The shorter one reflexively retracted her hand. "G-Geez!" Arle's face conveyed the sarcasm she didn't say out loud. "Just tell me, I won't tell."

Despite Arle's agitation in response to her own… Rulue believed her… "..." Still… her neck sheepishly looked at the ground

"I just don't have any genuine friends outside of them…"

Rulue's voice cracked and it did not go unnoticed. Arle once again planted her hand on Rulue's shoulder, and Rulue reflexively did the same mean glare again, But seeing Arle's eyes… She fought it back.

"Is it because you feel like not enough people like you for you?"

Rulue was taken back as her eyes widened. She slowly raised an eyebrow. "Y-You sound like you speak from experience."

"...I do… do you feel left out too?"

"Yes!" Rulue burst out in an unladylike fashion before recomposing herself.

"So you are human~" Arle gave a shit-eating grin.

"Shut up!" Rulue yelled.

Neither was agitated though.

"I'm so sorry I didn't recognize that, Rulue… I feel like that too. Everyone loves me, but Silvie and Lagnus have more friends than I do. I'm friends with them too sure, I like them a lot, and they like me a lot. But they don't feel like my friends. I just kinda feel left out…"

"Yes! Ohoho! Yes~ I feel the same with Raffina's and Raina's friends! You get it." Rulue smiled! "That makes this so much, easier Arle. Will you please stay in touch after I graduate? Please Arle, please? If you want that is." In that last sentence, Rulue quickly recomposed herself.

"So what you're saying, Rulue, is that we're friends." Arle cheekily said.

"Please answer my question." Rulue spoke in half-deadpan.

"Sure, I'll keep in touch."

"Thank you so much, Arle~"

"Hehe~ no problem. Wanna go see a movie?"

"Why not? I'll pay."

"You don't have to… But I'm not gonna complain~"

The two ran to the nearest cinema a kilometer over in high spirits.