Rule #3 : Right here waiting for a day when you’ll return my feeling. I’m okay with this unrequited love because I still can have you in my imagination.As Maiyan walked along school corridor, every student who passes by couldn't take their eyes off of her. Maiyan could attract everyone's attention easily even when she just stood still. Not just she was beautiful, but she also had special aura that would make you fall for her. Her confident reflected in her bright personality. She had everything that every girl in this world wish for.
" Good morning, dude~"
A tall girl with short hair came from Maiyan's behind and then wrapped her arm around Maiyan's neck
"Morning, Nanamin."
Her name was Hashimoto Nanami. People called her Nanamin. She was Maiyan's best friend in high school. Outer appearance, she had calm look. This girl had cool beauty aura. But, if you knew her better you'd know that this girl had derp side, that made her sometimes be called Hashimotroll Nanami. She was one of the Nogizaka top smart student. Sometimes she had sharp tongue and cynical. But deep down, she was a kind girl.
"How do I look today?" Maiyan asked as they walked together
Nanamin looked at Maiyan with confused look. Seeing her friend's reaction, Maiyan pointed at her bangs. It was barely noticeable that Maiyan cut her bangs, only a little shorther though.
"Nothing different. You look great everyday.."
"Really?"
"Oh, com on. You know you never look bad. Not even for a second. I bet even blind people would say 'oh my god, Maiyan is so fucking cute!' when they pas you by"
"Oohh, that's so sweet, Nanamin. I love you.." Maiyan hugged Nanamin's arm and clingy to her best friend
"I must admit it although I hate that fact" Nanamin joked
They were laughing and joking when they heard someone called Maiyan. They turn around and saw a girl approached.
"Good morning, Maiyan! Good morning, Nanamin! Yo~"
"Good morning, Sayurin.." Maiyan answered while Nanamin let out no word.
Sayurin threw a soft punch onto Maiyan's left chest and say " Sayuringo puuunch~"
Maiyan then threw a soft punch to Sayurin's left chest and said "Sayuringo punch~"
"You two are retarted" Nanamin said while seeing the two girls' act.
Sayurin didn't gave a damn on what Nanamin said. She opened her bag and took out a medium size plastic box from it. She gave the box to Maiyan.
"What's inside?" Maiyan asked while receiving the box
"Bomb?" Nanamin guessed. Half serious.
"Chocolate. I made it last night." Sayurin cupped her cheeks. Hoping Maiyan didn't see how her cheeks blushed.
"Ahh~ Thank you so much, Sayurin"
"Let's go to classroom together" Sayurin asked
Before Maiyan could answer, Nanamin interrupted "Wait! Sorry, Sayurin. But, Maiyan must accompany me to nurse's office. I'm not really well today"
"Hehh?? But you look superb" Maiyan were surprised with what Nanamin said
Without gave Maiyan any more chance to speak, Nanamin grabbed Maiyan's arm and dragged her.
"Get well soon, Nanamin!" Sayurin shouted while seeing the two girls left
~#####~
In infirmary
Maiyan and Nanamin were alone inside the room. The nurse hadn't came. Nanamin was laying her body on a bed. She put both of her hand palms under her head. She was looking at the ceiling aimlessly. Maiyan was sitting on a chair next to the bed. She put the box from Sayurin on the table in front of her.
"You're super healthy" Maiyan said while opened the box
"I get headache whenever I see that weird girl."
"She's a very nice girl. Hey look, she even made me chocolate."
Nanamin turn her head toward Maiyan who was showing Sayurin's creation.
"She's a cooking monster."
"You want some?" Maiyan took one and extended her hand to Nanamin.
"Kill me first."
Maiyan took a bite of the chocolate "It's not as bad as you think"
"Poison is better than her cooking"
Maiyan laughed "You are too much"
"Trust me. I accidentally drank insecticide liquor, I ended up being hospitalized for 2 days. When I ate Sayurin's cooking, for then first time and also the last time, I got diarrhea for five days. It made me having phobia to her food"
"At least you wasn't hospitalized because of her food. But, wait, I never knew you ever drunk insctiside. You never told me."
"I don't want to talk about it. I don't have any reason to tell everybody. No sane people would praise me if I said ' You drink beer when you're underage? I swallowed insecticide when I was 9!'. Hell no!"
"Haha. Trust me, her cooking skill is getting improved."
"You are being too kind to Sayurin"
"Can't I?"
"Do you like her?"
Maiyan stopped her eating. She crossed her arms and thought for a while
"Yes. She's nice. And funny. And cute"
"And she often give you free food" Nanamin continued Maiyan's words
"Hmmm...Something's wrong with that?" Maiyans asked with innocent face
"Something's wrong with your digestive system"
Maiyan put her hands on her stomach "Thank for your concern but it's completely fine"
"Maiyan, I mean do you like her more than casual friend? Do you like her the same way like she likes you?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure"
"I wonder when will she get tired. I already tired of seeing her chase after you. It's better not giving her too much hopes."
"I don't!"
"You sure? There's only a very thin line between being too kind and giving too much hope. In the end, it takes two people to make a good kiss."
Maiyan finished her eating. She stood up and sat on the edge of the bed where Nanamin was laying. She brought her face close to Nanamin's. So close that she could her the sound of her friend's breath.
"What are you? A love advisor? You couldn't even confess your feeling to Maimai. You didn't brave to give her love letter and ended up giving it to another girl. Can I trust you?" Maiyan half mocked Nanamin
"Manatsu is so cute.."
Maiyan knocked Nanamin's forehead "Do you forget that she's my enemy?"
Nanamin rubbed her forehead "How can I? She's the only person in this world who can turn Shiraishi-san into Kuroishi-san. But, I must admit that I was getting fished by her at that time"
Nanamin smiled and sticked out her tongue
"You said WHAT?!"
In a very quick movement, Nanamin got up from the bed. She grabbed her bag and run toward the door.
"See you in the class, Maiyan!!"
~#####~
-in a bookstore in Tokyo-
Naachan walked around searching for the magazine stand. She never went to that bookstore before. In the bookstore that she used to visit, the magazine that Naachan was searching for had run out of stock. Recently, that magazine was pretty popular among young girls.
"Ah! There!"
Naachan fastened her footstep and reached the magazine shelf. She looked at the magazine one by one hoping for then magazine that she looked for was there, or she should go to another bookstore. Her smile finally appeared when she saw something that she had been searching for. She picked the magazine and looked carefully the cover. Not the female model that was featured as the front cover that caught Naachan's attention, but one of her friend's name was written on the cover.
"Naachan~"
Someone who was wearing the same school uniform as Naachan was standing next to her.
"Sa..Sa..Sayurin" Naachan stuttered seeing the uninvited person
Sayurin picked the same magazine from the shelf "What a coincident! So glad to see you here. I often go to this place yet I never see you came here before"
"Yeah. It's..It's my first time coming here"
And maybe it would be her last time
Sayurin looked at the magazine that Naachan held
"Hey! Look! We're even intending to buy the same magazine!"
"Yeah..Yeah.."
"Ahh, no wonder. A girl like you must be love fashion. I bet you collect fashion magazines"
"Yeah..Kind of..But not many"
Only magazine with Maiyan in it
~#####~
Sayurin and Naachan were sitting on a bench on a park near their home. After from the bookstore they went to a cafe and then went home together. Their houses weren't far away. Maybe just seperated by 3 or 4 blocks. They were good friends. Not as close as what we call "best friends", but Sayurin might be one of Naachan's friends who talk to her the most. Well, basically, Sayurin is a person who loved to talk. To everyone. Sayurin sometimes call her and Naachan 'Osaka Sisters'. Both of them came from Osaka. It wasn't easy to meet Osaka girls whose age around her in Tokyo. So, Sayurin felt happy when she met Naachan in high school.
Naachan was nodding several times in respond to Sayurin's long talk. Naachan felt comfortable being near Sayurin. She didn't sure why. Maybe because Sayurin talked a lot so she didn't have to worry about running out of conversation subjects. And maybe because Sayurin talked a lot to the point that it seemed that she was talking to her own self so Naachan just need to listen. And, sometimes, just pretending to listen.
Naachan snapped out from her daydream when she heard Sayurin coughed several times.
"Oh god, I felt that my throat is getting dry"
Naachan felt little guilty because she didn't pay too much attention to what Sayurin said. She opened her school bag and took a bottle of mineral water.
"Take it.." Naachan offered it to Sayurin
Sayurin took the bottle and drank the water right away
"Ahh~ Thank you. You're really so kind., Naachan."
Sayurin took out a fashion magazine that she bought before. She flipped through every pages to search the page she wanted.
"Hora! Look at this!"
Sayurin showed Naachan a page of the magazine..
"Maiyan is so beautiful, doesn't she?"
Naachan took a look closer at the page and nodded slowly.
"She always look beautiful" Naachan thought within herself
"What a perfect beauty! You know, I can see her face for hours without ever getting tired~"
Sayurin acted like a die hard Maiyan's fangirl. She even kissed Maiyan's face on the page. Naachan was just observing Sayurin's behavior.
"Do you really like Maiyan?"
Naachan didn't know what came suddenly into her mind. She just felt a sudden curiosity. And a sudden courage. Sayurin turned to Naachan and smiled widely.
"I like her so much!"
"How much?"
Sayurin looked at the vast sky above her "It was love at the first sight, I guess"
~#####~
FLASHBACK
It was Sayurin's first day in her new school. Her family moved from Osaka to Tokyo because her father was transferred by his company to the main branch in Tokyo. For the 14-years-old Sayurin, it was her first time she came to Tokyo. And she'd live in Tokyo for pretty long time. Sayurin was wandering around her new junior high school looking for then headmaster's office. Her new school was much bigger than her old school in Osaka. Sayurin was mesmerized by it.
Sayurin was walking on the school yard when a student in front of her pointed somewhere above Sayurin's head.
"Hey, You! Watch out!!!"
Sayurin turned around and looked above. All she could see was a round thing came closer onto her face. It was too late for her to run away from it.
"Oouucchh!"
A baseball ball was landing successfully onto Sayurin's forehead. Leaving a light bruise on it. Not only that, the ball made Sayurin knock out and fall onto the ground. Sayurin touched her forehead and rubbed it.
"It hurts!" She screamed a little
A girl were approaching Sayurin. She stood in front of Sayurin and bowed.
"Hey, are you okay? Sorry, I hit the ball to the wrong direction" She apologized
"YOU!!"
Sayurin looked at the girl and was ready to scold her.
But...
Sayurin couldn't mutter any word from her mouth. A scenery beyond her eyes made her tongue stiff. A pretty girl was panting a little. Her bangs was soaked because of her sweat.
"You're beautiful..."~#####~
"Maiyan is very kind to me. Even from the start. Everyone said that I was weird, but she didn't. She even praise a person like me. When everyone else says that my 'sayuringo punch' thing is childish, she doesn't mind to do it with me. She even laugh when I tell her my lame jokes. Sometimes I'm too clingy to her, but she didn't push me away. For me, she's perfect."
Sometimes Sayurin questioned whether Maiyan is a human or not.
"You're so lucky. She likes you back, right?" Naachan could feel heart heart twitching inside her chest
"I~ don't~ know~"
"But, she ever said she like you"
Sayurin smiled and shook her head
"If you hold her hand, she'll hold you back. If you hug her, she'll hug you back. If you say you like her, she'll say that she likes you too. Maiyan is that type of person."
~#####~
FLASHBACK
"Nanamiinn~"
Sayurin called out Nanamin who was reading a book in school library. Sayurin then sit across Nanamin.
"Nanamin, you're not going home yet..Why are you here?"
"Definitely not to meet you." Nanamin replied
Sayurin was type of a girl you supposed to meet at shopping center, ramen restaurant, or anime store, not at library.
"Is Maiyan still at school? You two usually go home together" Sayurin looked around, hoping to see the one she adored.
"She's at the archery club room,"
"Yahoo~ Thanks god. Thanks, Nanamin" Sayurin got up from her seat with happy face
"Hey! It's better if you don't go to her." Nanamin said while her eyes keep on focusing on the book
But, Sayurin was being Sayurin. All she wanted to do was to meet Maiyan. She had something to give to Maiyan.~#####~
Nanamin walked toward the school gate. Her driver had been waiting for her. Suddenly she saw Sayurin walked out of a school building with sad face. Nanamin could guess what happen. She approached Sayurin.
"Hey, you! I can tell by your face that you're broken-hearted right now. I've told ya not to go."
Sayurin didn't say a word. She just turn down her face. But, Nanamin could hear a little cry from the girl in front of her. She opened her bag and gave Sayurin a little pack of tissues.
"My shoulders aren't shoulders to cry on. But, at least, tissues can help wipe away your tears."
Sayurin took the tissue that Nanamin offered.
"So, Sayurin, since Maiyan already with someone else, I think you should stop chasing her from now"
"Maiyan was rejected..."
"What?! No way! How's that possible? You're lying, doesn't you?!"
Nanamin couldn't believe what she had just heard. Only dummies who would reject Maiyan's confession. Only dummiest of the dummies.
"This is for you"
Sayurin gave Nanamin a little plastic box the she had been holding. Nanamin opened it and saw heart-shaped chocolate inside.
"You were supposed to give this to Maiyan, right? I can't take it. Besides, I hope you don't forget that I have kind of trauma toward your food."
How could she gave the chocolate to Maiyan? Her heart was in ache.
"Then just throw it somewhere"
~#####~
ONE WEEK LATER
Matsumura family owned a restaurant near her house. It wasn't so big but it pretty popular. Sayurin sometimes helped her parents there is she had day off, as a waitress. Her parents didn't allow her to enter the restaurant's kitchen or there would be possibility the restaurant will get burnt.
That day Sayurin was having a day off and she was in the restaurant as usual. The visitors were crowded in weekend and Sayurin needed to use more energy. It was pretty tiring for her. But, she would get extra pocket money after help her parents.
"Onee-chan, your friend is looking for you! She's waiting for you outside" Sayurin's little brother said.
Seemed like Matsumura Papa and Mama were too lazy to hire some more waitress in weekend so they make their daughter and son help in restaurant.
Sayurin tilted her head "Heh? Who is it?"
"Don't know. I haven't seen her before"
After cleaned up a table first, Sayurin went out outside restaurant. She looked around and found someone she unexpected. Or maybe unwanted. Because she had been avoiding the girl for a whole week.
Maiyan was waiting on her bike in front of restaurant. She smiled and waved her hand when she saw Sayurin came to her.
"Hi, Ringo-hime! Hime!! Come here!"
"Maiyan.."
At first, Sayurin could believe what she saw. But, Maiyan's voice made her sure. She loved the way Maiyan called her name.
Sayurin stood 1 meter in front of Maiyan. The nearest distant for the last one week.
"Hi~ Haven't seen you for a while. Here, for you.."
Maiyan reached out her right hand so Sayurin could see that she was holding a box.
"Just wanna say thank you for the chocolates that you gave me last week"
"What?"
Maiyan laughed when she saw Sayurin's clueless face "You don't remember? I got it from Nanamin."
"Nanamin? Ah!Yeah..Nanamin. How could I forget? Haha"
Sayurin really thought that Nanamin would throw her chocolate into deep blue sea or give it to a hungry dog. Or maybe she would bury it in a graveyard.
"Come on, take it."
Sayurin took it from Maiyan's hand and said "Thank you"
"I actually wanted to make the chocolate by myself. But, I'm so busy lately so I couldn't find a spare time and just buy you cakes. I hope you'll like it. Hehe"
"You don't have to be bothered about it"
Maiyan shook her head "I truly want to give you this. You know, my mood was really bad last week. But thanks to your chocolate, it could make my feeling brighter."
"Really?"
Maiyan nodded "Yeah. I'm sorry, I can't return the favor properly"
"Never mind. Just seeing Maiyan, it makes me happy already."
So much happy.
Sayurin and Maiyan then talked for some moments until Maiyan had to come back home. They waved her hands and Maiyan took her leave. Sayurin looked at the box that she hugged. She closed her eyes for a moment. She had made up her mind.
"MAIYAN!!"
Maiyan, who was riding, stopped her bike and turn around to see the voice's owner.
"If it's makes you happy, then I will keep on making chocolate for you! You don't have to return this favor! Really! Just..Just..Just keep on be friend with me and smile to me!"
Maiyan smiled after hearing Sayurin's words. She showed her thumb and shouted "OKAAYYYY!!!"
Both of them stared each other and burst out into laughter. For Sayurin, that day she realized one thing. It was painful to be near Maiyan when Maiyan didn't love her the way Sayurin did. But, it was more hurtful when she had to put distant and couldn't see Maiyan's smile. It was agonizing not be able to hear Maiyan's voice. She came to realize that maybe she should satisfied enough with just being an admirer. And maybe having one-sided love wasn't too bad. Maybe...
~#####~
Spin-off ( Something that only Nanamin and God who knew)
A waiter gave Nanamin a list of menu the store offered to its customer. Nanamin observed the menu for a while before she said "Give me the expensive one. The MOST expensive one."
After waiting for 5 minutes, Nanamin walked out the chocolate store with grin on her face. "Maiyan will love this!"
There's no way Nanamin would give Sayurin's chocolate to Maiyan. Some researches reported that chocolates contain substances that would lighted up someone's mood. But, Nanamin doubted Sayurin's chocolates had such substances. Although Matsumura Family run a restaurant, but Sayurin was a cooking monster. She didn't inherit cooking skill from her parents. Maybe God forgot to give her when she was born. Nanamin afraid if Maiyan ate Sayurin's chocolate, she wouldn't feel better. Moreover, she might even get depressed. Lately, the incident of Japanese teenager who attempt suicide had been increasing. Nanamin didn't want to risk her best buddy's life.
She entered her car and sit at the back seat.
"Where are we going next, Ojou-sama?" the driver asked politely
"Maiyan's house.."
"Yes, Ojou-sama." The driver turn on the engine
"Hey, this is for you" Nanamin gave the chocolate that Sayurin gave her earlier to that old man
"Thank you. But, what is this, Ojou-sama?"
"Nuclear weapon.."~##END OF RULE 3##~