Love Live! Everlasting Shine (Mari Ohara x Male Reader)

Chapter 1 - She Shines

As another dull day went by, I sat in the library, today typing on my laptop as I got to work on my story for an upcoming writing competition. These are always fun to compete in and plan something out for, but way too often I procrastinate and crunch to get it done just barely before submission time. I groaned to myself and stretched out as I started having trouble writing dialogue for a cocky and more confident character that wouldn't make him completely unlikable, and as I stretched out I heard the thud of a book being put in the return box and a girl walking away from it.

"Yeah alright, focusing on my actual duties will help me refresh my mind. I closed my computer and headed over to the return box to quickly mark the book as returned, and after noticing what the book was about, a small smile formed on my face. This was the book that Mari was looking for the other day.

"Well I guess things are gonna be a little bit more interesting today." I said to myself

I marked it as returned before I borrowed it myself, and after putting my laptop in my bag, I put a note on the desk saying I'd be away but should be back soon, and headed off to pay Mari a visit.

I headed to the chairwoman's office, since I thought Mari might be there, but as I arrived at the door, I knocked not wanting to bother her by barging in, but after a couple of minutes I didn't get any response.

"Alright, I guess she isn't here..." I muttered to myself

"Hey, are you looking for Ohara?" I heard a girl's voice say

I turned to see who it was and said "Uh yeah, I said I'd bring her something but I guess she isn't here right now."

"I guess not. I saw her heading to the roof earlier, but I don't really know if you should head up there right now." the girl said "They're probably practicing up there."

"Oh right, Aquors." I said. I tend to listen to metal and hard rock, and haven't really checked out idol music, but I've at least heard of them. Especially because of how popular their group is around the school. "Thanks for the info, I'll keep that in mind."

I quickly headed back to the library to grab a sticky note before heading towards the roof. I do want to talk to her again, and I don't really know when I'll get the chance, but since she needed this for her project I'll just leave this propped up against the window on the roof entrance so she'll see it as she heads back in the building.

As I headed up the stairway to the roof, I could hear a couple girls singing up ahead, alongside the sound of their footsteps. I gotta admit, their singing is really pretty, and while I'm typically not too into idol stuff, I wouldn't mind listening to more of this.

As I got to the door, I saw Mari practicing with eight other girls, they were currently dancing, and as I was about to place the book on the window sill, I heard Mari say "Y/n? What are you doing here?"

The others stopped and looked toward the door one with red hair in twintails recoiling at the sight of me, and my mind filled with thoughts that I'm bothering them and getting in the way, and so through a leap in logic I cannot comprehend, I decided to finish my business and leave quickly. I opened the door and placed the book on the ground before I said "Sorry to bother you, just wanted to bring you this."

After which, I closed the door, and promptly left, mentally criticizing myself for disturbing them when they are working hard. I hate feeling like a nuisance, and I hate that whenever I feel like I bothered someone I feel like a nuisance. I let out a sigh and decided that I may as well just go back to the library and hang out there until I can leave for the day.

Mari's Perspective

As I saw Y/n leave, I realized that the book that he had brought was the one I needed for my project. I had been hoping it'd come in soon not just so I could get to work on that, but because Y/n seems pretty interesting to me, and it would be another opportunity to talk to him. The way he can change from being quiet and more shy like this to somebody whose burning passion becomes so visible when he gets excited makes me want to see what more there is to him than that.

"Wait, isn't that the student who takes care of the library?" Hanamaru asked

"He is, when we went there the other day Mari got along with him really well and he said he'd tell her when the book she wanted for a project in history was returned." Dia said

"Yeah, although it looks like he decided to just bring it to me instead." I said

"I guess he figured he'd make it quicker for you" Kanan said

"Yeah, and if he's going to do that, I'm just going to have to come by and thank him for thinking of me." I said, smiling to them before we returned to practicing.

Y/n's Perspective

As I sat in the library, trying to pass the time where I didn't need to do any of my librarian duties by trying to write, but I wasn't able to get into it, and as I tried to push onwards anyways, it felt like what I was writing was forced and rushed, nowhere near as good as how it ends up in other situations. In the end, I let out a small groan and closed my laptop, calling it good, and deciding I may as well just read or something to pass the time. Wanting to distract myself from my thoughts, I pulled out the novel I had in my bag about a group of teenage vikings from a fictional country heading out onto the waves to hunt down a thief who stole their countries greatest treasure, and let myself get dragged into the story, my mind imagining so vividly what it was like where they were, to the point that I didn't notice somebody was talking to me until they put their hand in front of my face.

"Huh? Sorry, what can I help you with?" I quickly said as I grabbed a sticky note to mark my page before looking up and noticing it was Mari "Oh, hey."

Mari smiled at me and said "Hey Y/n, thanks for thinking to bring the book to me."

"No problem. Sorry for disturbing you girls' practice though. I guess when I realized you weren't in the chairwoman's office that I should have just waited for another opportunity to bring it to you." I said apologetically

"It's fine Y/n, it was really sweet of you to think of me." Mari said "Besides, you didn't really disturb us, we were more curious as to why you came by."

"Alright, if you say so then I'll take your word for it." I said

"Great, now if you're about ready to go, how about we head home together?" Mari suggested

I checked the time and figured that nobody was gonna come by this late, so I'd just call it good. "Yeah, alright, sounds like a plan." I said, putting my stuff in my bag and taking care of the last few things before I can leave. As we head out, I feel a smile growing on my face as I talk to Mari, enjoying her energy, and for the first time all day I can feel the cogs in my head start to turn as I feel myself finally getting some ideas that make me want to write rather than what I'd get from forcing myself.