Hange Zoe Short Story Collection

Line Without a Hook (Part 10)

"Darling, when I'm fast asleep, I've seen this person watching me saying, "Is it worth it? Is it worth it? Tell me, is it worth it?"

"You're moving away?" Hange asked, their eyebrows furrowed, as they watched (Y/N) pack a cardboard box in her room. They had come to her house just to give her a book...but they had been greeted by cardboard boxes everywhere.

"Oh, yeah. I didn't tell you? We got this mansion by the East side," (Y/N) glanced over from where she was organizing her jewelry. "It's really nice. It has a pool."

Hange stood there, unable to say much else. They had been neighbors with (Y/N) for years. And she was just going to move away? They looked forward to walking home with her and her spending time at their house...not like she did that anymore. Ever since she had become an actress, she started to slowly drift away from Hange. And that hurt. Had they done something wrong? Were they just embarrassing?

"You should come visit sometime," (Y/N) continued, her tone indifferent.

"Yeah, sure," Hange inhaled deeply and took a couple of steps back, hesitating near the doorway. "I guess I should go...and leave you to pack."

(Y/N) glanced up, smiling softly at Hange. "I'll miss having you as a neighbor. It was fun growing up with you, Hange. Thank you for giving me a great childhood."

For some reason, Hange felt a strange burning sensation in their eyes. Did they want to cry? Maybe. They wanted to beg (Y/N) to stay, to tell her that if she moved it was likely that the two would't remain friends anymore. What happened to all the dreams that they had planned together? Going to the same high school...going to the same college...they were supposed to continue to grow together. It wasn't supposed to end here. Hange didn't have anyone else.

"Bye," they choked out before leaving the room. It felt as if they were saying goodbye to a part of them. A part they would miss forever.

The rest of the dance went by smoothly. (Y/N) was on edge, her gaze flickering to Nanaba every so often, making sure that the blonde didn't do anything out of line. Nanaba didn't do anything. She stayed eerily silent, her entire attention on Miche. It made (Y/N) restless. Some would have thought that the silence and lack of protest meant that Nanaba would do nothing...but in reality, it meant that Nanaba was planning something big. (Y/N) felt a little panicked at the thought of saying goodbye to her reputation—no one would hire her once they found out she broke into city hall. Or perhaps she was being too dramatic...maybe they would hire her. Maybe she was being too paranoid and too scared. All that mattered was that she had done the right thing.

Hange was okay and happy. They had brought her a plate of fancy appetizers after Nanaba had left. Their thumb had softly swiped at her cheek after she crumbs had been left behind when she had bitten into a pastry. They had asked if she had wanted to ditch the rest of the dance and go somewhere else and she had said yes. They had given her their jacket when they went outside, urging her to stay warm. They had helped her gather her dress in her arms to prevent it from getting dirty from the snow on the ground. Their hand had brushed the small of her back gently. Their eyes had glittered under the moonlight. They had been perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

It made becoming Nanaba's new enemy worth it. Since Nanaba wouldn't drop (Y/N) back home in the limo, Hange had walked her home. The entire three miles. In the cold and dark. Their arm around her waist.

The entire night, her heart swelled with what felt like acceptance and content. She was finally happy where she was. Wasn't it funny? She had chased after money and fame, but those didn't give her the same feeling of peace as Hange did. Age really brought around wisdom.