Puzzle Piece (Wakatoshi Ushijima)

one - the first day

a/n: This is my first time using honorifics in a story! If I ever use them wrong please let me know so I can fix it!

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Puzzles, where thousands of small pieces come together to make a big picture. Each piece is important, whether a person realises it or not. Though the issue is, only one piece can ever fit in one place. This is the same with people. Some fit with other people's puzzles, slotting perfectly in - sometimes they won't fit until others are placed first, and you can never force a piece into a place it should not belong.

However, with Taru Nakata, that was not the case. She understood people, their needs and she could change her own shape to fit everyone's puzzle. She was the perfect friend, the reliable one, the one to make someone laugh until they cry, the one who people can trust to take them home once they've drunk too much, but also the one who will drink with them all night. She was there for everyone, but who was there for her?

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"Nana-chan!" Tendou shouted as he ran out of his dorm building.

"Tendou-san!" Taru returned his shout, her hand raised and waving at him.

Tendou and Taru were neighbours and had been friends from a young age. The nickname 'Nana' was made by Tendou when he accidentally misheard her name 'Nakata' and called her 'Nanata'. The two laughed about the mistake, and ever since, he called her Nana. The nickname started with him but soon became a nickname many people used for her.

"After so many years, I don't understand how you can never leave on time." She laughed when he caught up and walked in step with her.

"Me and the morning don't mix. You know this! It's the first day, and Wakatoshi-kun already started his morning runs."

"Why are you surprised? He did the same last year."

"I know, I know. I just don't understand how he likes to get up so early."

"The morning is amazing, just because your dumbass is too lazy to get out of bed to see it."

Tendou's jaw dropped, his arms flying out to the side. "YOU LIKE TO GET UP EARLY TOO?"

"I'VE TOLD YOU THIS A MILLION TIMES BEFORE!"

Tendou returned to his usual posture, his hand reaching to his chin. "Oh right, you have." Taru chuckled.

They continued their walk with light chit - chat, talking about what the year would bring and the possible new 1st years for the volleyball team. As they arrived at their classes - which were opposite each other - Taru turned and smiled at him.

"Meet you for lunch?" Tendou said.

"Sure," but just before she turned around to enter her class, she leaned forward and pointed to Tendou's chest. "What's this?"

"How many times are you going to do that? I'm not going to fall for it anymore!"

Taru grinned. "I know." Her pointed finger raised to the knot in his tie, and her other hand grabbed the tail part, and in a swift movement, she pushed the knot to his neck, choking him for a second. He jumped, immediately pulling it loose as she escaped into her classroom.

"NANA-CHAN!" Tendou reached forward, his long fingers only missing the back of Taru's blazer by an inch before his teacher cleared her throat beside him.

"Tendou-kun," she said, pushing her glasses further up her nose, "what did we say about shouting when inside?"

He did not reply to his teacher; his eyes fixed on Taru, who was grinning safely in her classroom. "When lunch comes, you're dead." He threatened, finger-pointing at her before being ushered into his classroom. Taru snickered to herself as she walked to her seat.