This is an experiment for me. I thought that it might be fun to mess around with this type of concept and get a little creative with it. It was fun to write despite its shortness, so let's see how it goes. If it goes well, I definitely have a wider plan for this story and know what I want to do with a lot of characters.
Subaru had been an emotional wreck for the better part of a year. It was rough, and a part of him believed that he'd never recover from the slump he'd fallen into.
He tried his best to be like his father — to be what everyone expected him to be — but he couldn't live up to those expectations. People became disappointed in him, distancing themselves and leaving him behind.
Subaru dropped out of school and isolated himself from others. There was nothing for him beyond the doors to his room. He didn't belong anywhere.
The depths of his emotions were easy to read. Subaru could see his rotting heart each time he gazed into the mirror. To his own eyes, he was nothing but an inadequate person.
He couldn't compare to anyone. Why couldn't he be better?
Subaru lived in denial of himself. His interactions with others became scarce. Even his parents never spoke up as they watched him trudge along a miserable path.
He didn't understand them. Why weren't they saying anything? Why weren't they angry?
Wanting to spark a reaction out of them, Subaru worsened his condition. He ignored them, brushed them off, and never gave them the time of day. They never took the bait.
Subaru didn't like it. He desperately wanted them to say something. He wanted them to hate him.
In spite of that, his parents never admonished him for how he chose to live. No matter what, they remained supportive of him and his decisions.
Unbeknownst to him, the situation was affecting them all. It eventually became too much for Naoko and Kenichi to handle.
After Subaru returned from a shopping trip one night, they bore their hearts to him. They shared their feelings of hope and trust, wanting him to understand that while they supported him, they also wanted him to live a fulfilling life.
Feeling cornered, Subaru finally opened up to them, too. For once, he conveyed the extent of his feelings, letting them understand how he truly felt.
In the end, Subaru had not received what he initially believed he deserved. Instead, they had a heartfelt discussion as a family, and they all better understood each other as a result.
He had severely underestimated the love of his parents. It made him feel guilty. His heart yearned to make things right, so that was what he would do.
He vowed to become a better son, but rather than accept his words, Naoko and Kenichi had each given him a smile of encouragement. They looked amused by his declaration, which only served to confuse Subaru until they made things clear to him.
"We don't want you to be a better son. You're already the best son we could ask for. We just want you to be yourself."
"Are you going to continue muttering to yourself, or are you going to eat your lunch, I wonder?"
Subaru blinked a few times. He looked up at his junior as she stuffed her cheeks with a sandwich. She ate it quietly, gazing at him with hints of concern.
"Sorry, Beatrice," Subaru said with an awkward smile. "I just got caught up in some memories."
She stared at him as she finished chewing her food. After swallowing, she took a breath before sighing in resignation. "It's fine. Betty doesn't expect much from you either way, I suppose."
Deadpanning, Subaru replied, "Why do you think so low of me?"
Beatrice took another bite of her sandwich, letting a deafening silence fill their ears. Subaru glanced around the room, noting its emptiness. Not many people used the library during lunch, anyway.
"Betty does not think lowly of you," Beatrice said, pausing to wipe her face before shyly averting her gaze. "We are just very similar people, I suppose."
Subaru's expression softened as his lips curled into a small smile. She wasn't wrong. There was a reason why they sat by their lonesome.
They were losers — social outcasts that nobody wanted to approach. Their only friends were each other.
Subaru didn't blame anyone for not wanting to interact with him. Joining school late only meant that he'd missed any opportunities to make new friends. He was left to wander alone amongst a sea of closed-off friend groups.
With nowhere to go, he found himself perusing the library. He wanted to distract himself through books, but it was there that he saw Beatrice, just as lonely as him.
Her features were eye-catching. She was a small girl with blonde hair, uniquely styled into drills that were tied on either side of her head. She had a cute face, her expression stoic as she quietly read a book.
Subaru kept his distance, too anxious to approach right away. For days, he made a habit of visiting the library, and Beatrice was always there. She kept to herself, reading a new book every day.
Beatrice looked to be a very studious person. Subaru believed that she was probably very smart and capable. Despite that, she was seemingly never acknowledged by her peers. Nobody ever approached her.
Everyone seemed to ignore her existence. It reminded Subaru a lot of himself.
After days of stealing glances at her, Subaru noticed that her expression seemed sad. It made him want to approach her—to at least say something—but he wasn't confident in himself. There was no guarantee that he wouldn't mess things up.
Things could turn out like they always did in the past, but Subaru couldn't let that fear hold him back. He realized where his thoughts were going, shaking them away and mustering his courage.
Subaru acknowledged his lack of conviction and bolstered his resolve. He wanted people to accept him for who he was, and to do that, he needed to put himself out there.
He walked up to her. Beatrice looked up at him, her expression stoic until he finally extended his hand. With a big smile on his face, Subaru stated, "I'm Natsuki Subaru! I hope we get along!"
In the present, Subaru put his elbow against the table, resting his head in his palm. "It wasn't easy trying to be your friend, you know."
Beatrice's cheeks flushed red at the memory. With nervous laughter, she twiddled her fingers, averted her gaze, and said, "L-Let's put that behind us, I suppose."
Subaru grinned. He understood why she was embarrassed.
When he first introduced himself to her, Beatrice hadn't made things simple for him. She was the splitting image of a tsundere, and it took a lot of effort on Subaru's part to get her to open up. After many days of continuous attempts, he was able to win her over.
He liked to think that it was his earnest and genuine nature that finally got to her, but Beatrice would always insist that he just annoyed her too much. He could tell that she was lying, but he didn't mind.
They were inseparable friends — their only friends. They both had their quirks, but those qualities never hindered their ever-growing friendship.
"Admit it," Subaru teasingly began, "you really cherish me."
Beatrice bashfully took a breath, giving him a half-hearted glare. "Of course Betty cherishes you. You're Betty's best friend, in fact."
It was Subaru's turn to be embarrassed. Beatrice wasn't usually so open about her feelings, so her admission caught him by surprise. He clammed up, and his cheeks matched the tint of her own as awkwardness overcame them both.
Beatrice decided to focus on her sandwich again, taking another small bite. Subaru followed her lead and took out his own lunch, gazing at it with a hint of eagerness.
His mother had packed it with tender love and care. The food looked delicious, and he was determined to thank her when he got back home.
He dug into his food and they ate in silence. Minutes passed, with neither of them simply having nothing to say.
Upon finishing her sandwich, Beatrice revealed a book and immediately opened it to a specific page. Subaru noticed this, finding himself wanting to start another conversation just as she began to read.
"You're really into those kinds of books, aren't you?" he asked, swallowing a bite of his food.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," she said with a sigh, glancing up at him. "You already know that Betty enjoys reading. It's a relaxing hobby, I suppose."
Subaru heeded her words, making sure to finish his current bite before speaking again. "But don't you enjoy light novels too? Or even some manga?"
Before responding, Beatrice actually gave his question some thought. Eventually, she replied, "It's not that Betty doesn't enjoy reading that type of material. There are some that Betty really enjoys, but it's simply a matter of preferring to stay educated, I suppose."
Subaru didn't answer, but Beatrice chose to close her book anyway. She looked up, giving him her full attention.
"It's not a bad thing to be studious, I suppose." Beatrice gave him a pointed look. "You could really pick up a thing or two, in fact."
With a sheepish chuckle, Subaru turned his head away. "I know, I know. I'm just not the best at it, which is why I also appreciate all of the help you give me. Even though you're just a year below me, you're really smart. I admire that about you."
Beatrice faltered slightly. She shifted in her seat, clearing her throat to regain her composure. "T-Thank you, I suppose."
"By the way," Subaru said without missing a beat, "do you have the answers for the work? I was really struggling with it."
Immeasurable disappointment overcame Beatrice in that moment. She deadpanned at him, letting out the biggest exhale that she could.
Noticing her reaction, Subaru gave her a weird look and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I suppose."
Taking a breath, Beatrice looked down towards her bag and pulled it up onto the table. She took out a few sheets of paper, handing them to Subaru.
"Betty doesn't mind helping you," she began, "but maybe you should start learning how to solve these yourself."
Subaru took the papers with a wide grin on his face. He didn't seem to register her words which, knowing him, she'd already expected.
Before she could comment on his lack of awareness, Subaru gave her a thankful look and replied, "I really appreciate everything that you do to help me. I love ya, Bea."
Beatrice felt her cheeks flush a deep shade of red, rising in temperature. Her heart rate accelerated and she could feel a tightness in her chest.
She rapidly shook her head, snapping out of her daze. She glanced down, speaking in a timid voice. "Be careful when saying things like that. You could really stir a maiden's heart."
Suddenly, Subaru's face became serious. With a firm tone, he stated, "I can tell you right now that no girl is ever going to get flustered after hearing those words from me."
Beatrice gaped out of sheer disbelief. She wanted to speak but continuously failed to find the right words to say.
He turned around, his eyes wandering across the library until he found what he was searching for. Glancing at Beatrice, he pointed a thumb behind him and said, "I bet if I approach that girl and say the same thing, I'll get slapped in the face."
Not knowing how to reply, Beatrice could only mentally agree to his words. Her gaze followed his gesture, landing on a girl who happened to be perusing the nearby bookshelves.
After observing her for a few seconds, Beatrice froze up. She looked at Subaru frantically, showing concern. "Subaru, do not — and I mean do not — approach her, I suppose."
"You think I won't get slapped?" Subaru gave her an energized look, mistaking her warning as some kind of challenge. "Well, I'll prove you wrong!"
He stood from his chair before pivoting on his feet. Even with his overwhelming nerves, he still walked up to the girl with as much confidence as he could muster.
Normally, Subaru was too antisocial to approach others so willingly, but he had to prove a point here. Besides, if he knew what was coming, it couldn't be that bad, right?
"Excuse me," he called out, his voice soft yet firm.
The girl turned to him, and Subaru met her ocean blue eyes. He faltered for a moment, becoming allured by the glow of her platinum hair.
He cleared his throat, regaining his composure and gathering his resolve. With a straight face, he said, "I love you."
An awkward silence festered between them. Neither of them spoke, and with each second that passed, Subaru could feel his confident mask slipping. The girl only blinked at him, and the slap that he expected never came.
In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, Subaru bowed his head and quickly muttered, "S-Sorry."
He kept his head low as he turned tail and went back to his table. Beatrice eyed him, her expression both smug and bemused.
"Good job," she teased, crossing her arms. "You just harassed the student council president, I suppose. How do you feel?"
Subaru's body tensed as he instantly turned to her in shock. "The who?!"
"The student council president," she confirmed, her face softening with pity. "Betty understands that you didn't know, since you only came back recently, but still … Betty did warn you."
She shrugged nonchalantly, clearly amused by his predicament. In a panic, Subaru turned to look for the girl, wanting to apologize and make things right, but it was already too late. She was gone.
Holding his head in shame and defeat, Subaru slumped over the table. Beatrice sat up, reaching over to gently pat him on the head. "Don't worry. Betty will always be your friend regardless of what happens, in fact."
Despite her words, he didn't feel reassured. If anything, he was even more sure that something bad was going to happen.
He really messed up this time. He should've just listened to Beatrice's warning instead of being an idiot like usual.
"Now, if only you could confess to Emilia with that type of stride, I suppose."
Subaru groaned at her comment and did his best to hide his face. He could never confess to Emilia like that. She was one of the nicest, cutest, and most genuinely kind people in the whole school. Someone like him would never stand a chance.
He glanced up at Beatrice, narrowing his eyes slightly. She smiled smugly, sporting a knowing look as she patted his head with a faux sense of comfort. From that look alone, he had no doubt that his friend was already aware of that.
Subaru let out a long sigh, asking with a dejected tone, "Are you at least going to be on later tonight?"
She stopped patting his head, moving back to her seat and sitting upright. Her eyes narrowed at him from across the table, causing him to avert his gaze.
"Right. Stupid question. Sorry."
Beatrice's expression eased after his apology, accepting it right away. They stayed quiet in a comfortable atmosphere, and before they knew it, lunch break was already over.
As they both stood to leave, Subaru addressed Beatrice one last time, "Thanks again for the worksheets. I really do appreciate it."
"You're welcome," she replied with a neutral expression. "You can repay me by reading that book I recommended to you a few days ago, I suppose."
He smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Sure! The title really got my attention, so I'm sure it'll be a good read!"
She smiled as they waved to one another, parting ways and heading back to their respective classrooms.
Subaru continued the day normally, finding it as boring as ever without anyone to talk to. The only difference now was that he was actively looking over his shoulder, fearing the potential consequences of flirting with, or essentially harassing, the student council president.
When he went home that day, Subaru was more exhausted than usual. He greeted his parents, thanked his mother for lunch, and closed himself off within his room.
Subaru took a deep breath and sat at his desk, relaxing in his seat. He turned on the computer, waiting patiently as it started up and revealed the lock screen.
After inputting his password, he quickly found himself on the desktop. He grabbed the mouse, directing the cursor towards his browser—
RING RING.
Before he could do anything, a notification popped up, force-opening a very familiar program.
BettyBrigade has started a call.
Subaru smiled. If nothing else, at least he could take his mind off of things by playing some games for a while.
