It was a hot and humid summer, people all around him laughed and giggled. The store business was booming with many teens coming and going, enjoying the peak of their youthful days.
Yoshiteru in the corner of his heart wished he could be like these people too. Normal and without burden. But it was too much to ask, for Zaimokuza Yoshiteru knew for a fact that destiny couldn't wait for no one.
His destiny could be upon him in a blink of an eye or maybe he will have to wait for another decade or maybe his ultimate purpose could be an eon in the making. No one could say for sure, only that one had to be ready to fight when the call is rung.
And what a call it will be, what a final battle will be fought on the field of glory. Zaimokuza Yoshiteru at the helm of it all, commanding his legions of loyalist as the sage of white. His trustee friend and comrade, his oath sworn brother, Hikigaya Hachiman standing at the vanguard, prepared to bring hell upon the armies of the lord of dark, the ender of all things.
Many lives will be lost that day, many wives widowed, many children orphaned, many graves dug. The untold suffering will be like nothing seen before.
But at the end of it all will be a peace that will shine on for a thousand years, blessing every soul with its endless bounty. It will be a peace that will be maintained by the sage of white and the herald of the dawn.
"What utter nonsense is this." Harsh words snapped Yoshiteru out of his day dreaming. His sheepish eyes nervously stared into the frozen blues of his counterpart.
Sweat bathed his large chubby form but he convinced himself it was because of the heavy trench coat he wore in the dead of summer and not from the glare of the infamous Ice Witch, Yukinoshita Yukino. Not that Yoshiteru would call her that in the open, he very much liked to live for a few more years.
Yukinoshita slammed the table making Yoshiteru flinch back into his chair. He heard giggles from his right, three girls clothed to impress eyed him with snickers and ridicule.
Yoshiteru, the white sage fixed his trench coat, locking eyes with the frozen queen. "I take it you didn't approve of the final draft." Yoshiteru nervously combed his gloved hand through his overgrown snowflake hair, fully braced to receive the hailstorm of ice and thunder.
"We made good progress in the last two weeks, fixing plot holes, rewriting your characters and changed up the world building." Yukinoshita annoyance was held in her clenched fist, no doubt holding her glacial temper at bay. "So why did you revert back to the first draft." The noble woman winced, demanding an explanation.
Zaimokuza Yoshiteru large frame slumped against the padded backrest. "Because, it wasn't my story, it was yours" The words came out small and feeble, his eyes were downcast, filled with emotions.
Their gaze met each other, the noble woman anger slowly melting like snow under the sun.
"You really are brilliant Yukinoshita-san." It has been a matter of fact since he first encountered this blessed noble. "You crafted a story only a talented author can conjure, characters relatable and likable. Not to mention the fantasy world you created left me speechless."
Yukinoshita fixed her hair behind her ear, barely noticeable smile graced her already divine features. She was pleased to be praised in such a manner, but Yoshiteru knew she wouldn't say it.
The story Yukinoshita crafted in the two weeks they spent time together was nothing short of what a professional would have done, no even better.
This woman, there was nothing she could not accomplish if she set her heart and soul into it, the white haired teen admiration for the girl grew ten folds.
Yoshiteru watched as Yukinoshita closed her eyes, brows knitted together, deep in thought. She appeared as if she was enraged over something, Yoshiteru panicked over the thought.
Making her upset or angry was the last thing he wanted, the boy very much valued his life, he was still young and much to live for. He wanted his dream of writing a story that boys or girls his age would read and find joy over it.
It was a far off dream but a dream nevertheless.
"What's wrong Yukinoshita-san?" Yoshiteru asked out of concern since Yukinoshita didn't say anything. She just blankly stared at the manuscript before her.
Her glacial eyes cast up, his body freezing over from the glare. Yoshiteru overestimated the magical defense of his trench coat.
In front of the ice queen, his coat, forged by the dwarven lord himself was reduced to cheap paper. Yoshiteru swallowed hard, wiping the sweat from his brows.
"What do you mean, what's wrong? Why aren't you angry?" Yukinoshita focused her gaze, arms crossed over her lacking chest.
There was nothing wrong with a modest chest, it perfectly suited Yukinoshita slim figur…..just where was his mind heading to?
Yoshiteru coughed to clear his head. The heat was definitely getting to his head. "Can you clarify what you mean? Why should I be angry in the first place?"
After all he should be the one apologizing for changing the script overnight. Everything Yukinoshita worked hard for went down the drain.
When Yukinoshita became enraged, Yoshiteru thought it was due to reverting all her changes but that's not the feeling he was getting from her.
It was something else that he quite could not pinpoint. Yoshiteru was an Otaku of a rare breed, even others of his kind tended to avoid contact.
But even to someone like Yoshiteru, he found women even stranger. Their actions and speech were laced with a triple defense spell that could entrap unsuspecting prey.
He should know, Yoshiteru had three older sister's after all.
Yukinoshita complemented on the boy's words, her temper slowly subsiding taking on her usual ladylike demeanor.
That's how she is when dealing with other people. Refined to a fault, speech as soft and elegant as art itself.
"I may have overreacted, I apologize." Yukinoshita straightened her posture, her clear sapphire drew the white haired teen in.
"I understand why you went back to your original draft, and..what I want to know is why didn't you get angry when I 'hijacked' your story." Yukinoshita puzzled over the matter, unable to find the conclusion.
Yoshiteru quickly processed her words and recalled what the herald of the drawn, Hikigaya Hachiman said in regards to the raven haired heiress.
Yukinoshita was a talented and gifted girl, completing every task and action in unmatched excellence. It was no surprised that she would become a target of jealousy and back-bating.
When Yoshiteru approached Yukinoshita for help in reviewing his story he wished to submit to an online writing contest.
He fully expected to harshly rebuke him and then move on as she didn't like to associate herself with him for too long as she found him disgusting and unbearable.
But Yoshiteru found himself spending the next two weeks with Yukinoshita. The two spending around a good hour or two in this small cafe with pastries and tea.
The boy learned a good deal with the help of the fair lady, guiding him through the process of writing and correcting his misguided ways.
But she also started to change key aspects of his story, morphing them into her own design and will. The final product she proposed was nothing like what Yoshiteru envisioned.
To put it simply, it was a hostile takeover but one without malice. Yoshiteru understood that she was trying to help him, in her own way.
The last few days was hard for the boy, the sense of inferiority and lack of talent crushing him under foot. This girl had destroyed him without even meaning too.
Yoshiteru was sure countless events like these had taken place before. The animosity the girl might have faced in the past, from family, friends and peers alike.
So that's why Yoshiteru went back to his original draft. An act of rebellion, his resolve on full display.
"Because you were just trying to help me, how can I get mad at you for that." Yoshiteru smiled. The peached haired girl, Yuigahama would vomit at the sight and he expected Yukinoshita to do the same but to his surprise she didn't.
Yukinoshita rested her back against her chair, eyes closed and in deep thought. She looked calm and not to mention beautiful. In that moment, Yoshiteru wished he had a photographic memory so he could preserve this scene deep in his mind.
"But you won't be able to win the contest with what you have." At least she didn't call his work an insult to humanity like the first time. That really hurt his feelings.
"I know and I am fine with that." There was always next time and he will keep trying until he got it right.
Perhaps he can ask her to review his work again, a desire to be praised by her willed up inside him. To show her just how much he had improved, that her lessons did not go unheard.
Yoshiteru was looking forward to it.
"I see. I have read your draft and at least you cleaned up your style. It wasn't as unbearable as last time." Did she unexpectedly praise him? Yoshiteru couldn't tell.
"Since you have made your decision, I see no reason to continue our meetings anymore." Yukinoshita started to gather her materials ready to leave.
Yoshiteru panicked, he didn't want her to leave like this, not without thanking her for all she did for him.
The white haired thought hard until an idea struck him like a bolt of lightening thrown by the wind spirits themselves.
"Yukinoshita-San, if you may let me repay you for helping me out." Yoshiteru fumbled himself on his feet, sweat running through his hair.
Yukinoshita raised her brows, then soon after hugged herself in defense, a disgusted looked cross her features.
What's with that reaction all of a sudden? In the two weeks he spent time with her she never did that.
"I refuse." She was all to quick to shot his proposal down. She then smiled and relaxed her body. It felt like she was going to say goodbye.
Before she could, Yoshiteru attacked first. "It involves cats." He spoke quickly, his voice loud causing others around him to glance his way.
Yoshiteru hoped his trick worked, and judging from the way the raven haired beauty mouth was half open, maybe it did.
Yoshiteru wasn't a crafty person, never was. Yet he felt like he used Yukinoshita's weakness against her to go through with what he wanted.
And it paid off.
Currently Yoshiteru was standing a respectable distance away from Yukinoshita.
The Ice queen within her was nowhere to be seen, instead a defenseless girl on her knees was jolly petting a golden cat who greedily rubbed its soft fur against the girl's fingertips.
Yukinoshita surrounded by cats, smiled in content.
Yoshiteru heart skipped a beat, he wondered what was wrong with him. His mother did say it was high time he lost his body fat, that it wasn't healthy.
The cats sung in union making the raven haired heiress giggle in delight.
How lucky was he? Yoshiteru doubted that even his friend and comrade Hikigaya has seen this side of the high born noble.
He was thankful to Hikigaya for giving him this opportunity. It was the evening of that day where he bear witnessed to Yukinoshita hidden self.
The heiress was crouched down, cutely calling out to Hikigaya's cat. It was an unexpected sight which left him stunned.
In that scene, the image of her being a strict taskmaster and a ruthless tyrant crumbled into dust. Instead he saw a girl his age being innocent, smiling tenderly towards a small creature.
Despite his large frame, he was thankful he wasn't discovered instead his friend Hikigaya had fallen victim to Yukinoshita's icy fury.
Frankly speaking, Yoshiteru was jealous. He saw how Hikigaya and Yukinoshita shared a moment with each other. Like there was a special connection between them. Even if in the end one side gave a death threat to the other.
But now it was different, there was no Hikigaya or Yuigahama. There was only Yukinoshita and Yoshiteru. Granted, the boy had to stand ten feet away, he was still happy he got to enjoy the moment.
"They really love your friend, don't they." The owner of the cat Cafe giggled happily. She was used to female customers coming in and playing with the felines. It was rare to see a male in her Cafe.
Yoshiteru should know because he had worked in this fine establishment for a month or two during last year summer break. Now that had paid off.
"And she loves them too, and thank you for the discount." Yoshiteru wallet had suffered much in the last two weeks with him paying for the food for both him and Yukinoshita.
She insisted she pays for hers but since it was his request, it didn't sit right with Yoshiteru.
The old woman laughed heartily, "Since you brought a beautiful girl in, I had to make an exception." She turned towards Yoshiteru, eyeing him intently, "say, do you like her by any chance?"
Yoshiteru was thankful the owner whispered the last part, if Yukinoshita happened to hear it, he would most likely die. "No, she is someone I admire and respect." It was the truth, Yoshiteru's feeling amounted to that much and nothing more.
Besides, there was someone else she had feelings for.
The owner silently spied the boy, a smile gracing her aged face. She didn't say anything and went back to the counter to tend to the other customers.
Yoshiteru stood there like a brick wall, an underpaid knight protecting the princess as she tended to nature's animal.
The boy was content with just watching from afar, he knew his presence would ruin the moment. Yoshiteru was satisfied with this much.
This was how he felt until a cat approached him, then another then a third. They were all over him in a blink of an eye.
It was at that moment Yoshiteru remembered that the felines liked to play with his trench coat. When he worked in the cafe he would leave his coat home as it was most likely to be destroyed.
But now it was too late, the creatures were upon him, ruthlessness tearing at him. One even stomped his face, his glasses digging deeper into his nose
It was then he heard giggling, he half spied Yukinoshita standing over him clutching her stomach.
The sight of her took his breath away, he momentarily forgot he was buried under a rubble of fur.
The owner swiftly came removing the evil creatures off of him while Yukinoshita helped him on his feet. For a girl as slim as her, Yukinoshita sure was strong. It reminded him not to mess with her.
Yoshiteru apologized for interrupting her cat petting session but Yukinoshita shook her head.
"It's fine. I think it's time I head back home." The heiress addressed him with less stiffness, a more casual tone setting in.
"Oh, I am glad you had fun." Yoshiteru was perplexed by Yukinoshita's softer tone. It felt like she was genuinely talking to him and not just out of formality or to slap him away.
"Yes, and I think I will visit this establishment in the future so thanks for showing it to me." Was she really going to come here again? Was she sure she could do that? In the two weeks Yoshiteru spent with her he learned quite a few things about Yukinoshita, one being she had a bad sense of distance.
She would get lost on her way to their meeting place and Yoshiteru had to go fetch her. It was another special side of Yukinoshita no one has seen before.
For all her perfection, she was surprisingly clumsy. On their way to the cat Cafe, Yoshiteru had to walk slow and train his eye on her all time, lest she walks into a random alleyway.
In the crowded pathway, he would have suggested to grab hands or at the very least hang onto his coat. But doing so would invite death and Yoshiteru would rather not have death as his guest.
Yukinoshita unexpectedly offered a hand and Yoshiteru froze not knowing what to do. He quick gathered his wits and tried to shake her hand. But before that could happen, Yukinoshita avoided his hand entirely and grabbed onto his collar in a death grab.
Forcing the boy down to her level, she glared frozen daggers into him, leaving the teen paralyzed. "If you tell anyone about me visiting this place, you can forget about being an author." Her voice was like a sweet melody laced with poison and dread.
Yoshiteru shook her head up and down not wanting to give her a chance to carry out the deed.
Yukinoshita nodded, content with herself. When she released him she brought out a napkin and clean her hands as if she had touched a cruel disease. "I will take my leave then, good luck with your writing contest." Before the heiress left, she smiled down at the golden cat and patted its head one last time before leaving.
Once Yukinoshita was gone, Yoshiteru exhausted the last of his strength and fell to the floor. The smiles and the laughter was a lie, a deep deception. The heiress real self was that of a demoness ready to devour the world.
As the mage of white, it was his oath bound duty to combat her and bring peace to the world.
Yoshiteru recalled the threat and shivered. Maybe its best not to pick a fight with her. Cats gathered around him once again, as if comforting him in his distress, he patted one, feeling the soft fur glide through his fingerless glove.
It strange, when she was with these creatures, did the heiress let down her guard. Yoshiteru wondered just what kind of spell do these creatures cast to trap the ice queen. He might never know.
A/N: This was just a random one shot I was messing around with before it got nuked when my PC crashed and I decided to rewrite it after some time. The rewrite started off good in my opinion, at least better than the first drift which was written for just dumb fun.
Honestly, I am a bit disappointed. This Fanfic could have been better in my opinion, but with my current level of writing this is the best I could do. I think I got Zaimokuza's voice down and not so much with Yukinoshita's, I barely did her character justice in this one.
But ah well, in the end I had fun writing this and I hope anyone who reads it can also enjoy it. If not then leave an angry review or a dislike as it brightened up my day :D