Unconditionally Yours.

Part 1

As an introvert, the thought of spending time with an extroverted friend can be daunting. Especially at school, where there are so many people and social interactions happening at once. But this was the exact situation I found myself in when my best friend, Shizuko, begged me to hang out with her during lunchtime.

"Sorry Shizu... but I'm too lazy to even talk with you right now...."
"Oh c'monn Y/N!!"
"Dunno...."
"Get up N/N! Lunchtime is almost ending."
"I just had an algebra test, give me a break..."
"Well, you can't continue your day without eating now, do you?"

At first, I was hesitant and tried to come up with excuse to avoid the situation. But ultimately, when I raised my head up, I couldn't say no to her puppy dog eyes. Pfft, she really loves pulling that trick on me.

So, reluctantly, with a sigh, I agreed to join her for lunch.
"Alright, you convinced me."
"Haha! Yay let's go!" She instantly brightened up and gently grabbed my wrist.

As we walked to our usual spot on the rooftop, she was chattering away and greeting everyone we passed by with a bright smile.

"Y/N and Shizuko are such a cute duo~"
"Hehe! I know right!"
"They're so golden retriever and black cat."
"Omg yes!"

I don't feel like they're even trying to whisper quietly because I could hear them from a mile away.

As we sat down, I couldn't help but feel out of place. My friend immediately started talking to the people around us, introducing me to her other friends.

"Hey Y/N?" Shizuko quietly whispered, while other girls were busy chatting.
"...Yeah?"
"You alright? If you don't feel comfortable here, we... can go back inside. It's okay if you don't like them."
"Huh? No, I'm alright! I just spaced out. No worries!"

It was easy to tell by her expression that she didn't believed me, but she eventually shrugged it off with small 'alright then'.

"By the way Y/N! Your hair looks so good today!" One of Shizuko's friends complimented me.
"Oh! Uh, thank you!"
"Of course!"

Slowly but surely, I started to relax and even contribute to the conversation. I found myself laughing along with my friend and her friends. It felt nice to let my guard down. All of them are so friendly.

"Did you guys saw that Shidou guy flirting with senior Sae by the way?"
"Really?! No way! When did you saw that?"
"This morning, but i think he have been doing it for weeks now."
"I didn't knew he was attracted to males!"
"He does NOT looks straight, I'm telling you." I deadpanned.
Shizuko laughed, "Bahahaha! I know right? His hair and eyeliner just explains everything!"

Before I knew it, lunchtime was over, and we had to head to our next class.

Shizuko whined, "Oh man.."
"Let's go Shizu, we have history now."
"History!? Then let's hurry! Teacher is gonna kill us."

She hurriedly grabbed her lunchbox and pulled on my wrist.
"We are going now! See you guys!"
"Bye Shizuko!"
"Bye Bye Y/N!"

Luckily, we managed to get into our class before teacher came in.
"Whew! We did it Y/N!"
"Yeah..." I panted quietly.

As I sat down on my seat, I catched pair of eyes staring right at me.
"What's up Reo?"
"You're exhausted, huh?" He teased.
"Well maybe because I just ran with my full speed from rooftop to this class?"
"Alright alright, no need to be like that!" He raised his hand in mock surrender.

He even dared to laugh while I was trying to calm down my lungs.

"Not funny Mikage."
He grinned, "I think it's plenty funny."
"Whatever." I buried my face in my arms, "I'm gonna sleep for a bit. Wake me up once teacher comes in, okay?"
"Sure." Reo nodded.

I slowly woke up from my slumber, only to see everyone packing their bags and leaving the class. Huh?

"Reo? Where's teacher?"
"Oh! I was just about to wake you up! Teacher didn't came. I think he got sick or something, not sure tho."
"Hm... Okay then. Where's Shiz-"
"Y/N!!~"

Oh, there she is.

"Ehh? I planned on waking you from the sleep once i come back! Seems like I got a bit late."
"Where did you go?"
"I went to the bathroom 3 minutes ago! I didn't heard the bell ring to be honest, but atleast the lesson ended."
"Yeah.."

Shizuko leaned towards my face with her elbow on my desk.
"Did you had a good slumber sleeping beauty?"
"...What's up with that nickname?"
She chuckled with light blush, "Why not? You are beauty after all. Right, Reo?"
"Definitely." He added in, with small mischief smile.
"Ugh, you two..." I groaned with vein on my forehead.

Me and Shizuko had been best friends since kindergarten, and every day after school, we walked home together. It had become a routine for us and a time we cherished the most. She doesn't gives me any choice, she just drags me with her since we live in the same street. Not that I mind anyway, I like her company.

As we walked out of the school gates, the warm afternoon sun hit our faces.

"Evenings have been getting very warm lately, dontcha think?"
I agreed with nod, "Yeah, you're right. It's the end of February after all, spring is finally coming."
"I can't wait! I wanna go out without wearing these coats."
"Same here."

As we continued walking, we passed by the local market, where we sometimes stopped to buy our favorite snacks.

"Hey N/N, want to drink something or a snack?" Shizuko pointed with her finger at the nearby store.
"Nah, thanks. I have some snacks waiting for me at home already."
"Alright then. I quickly wanna buy some lemon water though, are you okay with waiting for me?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "Sure, I don't mind."
"Great! I will be fast."
"Don't rush! We don't have places to be at." I yelled out while she was running towards the store.
"But still! I know how much you wanna go home!" She yelled back and eventually got inside.

As the sun slowly started setting, the sky turned into a breathtaking mix of orange and pink hues. We stopped for a moment to admire the beauty of the sunset, something we did almost every day.

We shared a comfortable silence, taking in the peaceful and serene moment.

After finally reaching our street, we said our goodbyes for the day.

Shizuko turned her head over her shoulder, "See you tommorow N/N!"
"Yeah! See you!" I waved with two hands.

Me and Shizuko parted ways and entered into our houses.

"I'm home!"
"Welcome back!"
My mother peeked her head out from the kitchen, "How did your day went?"
"It went nice as usual, nothing new." I answered, taking off my coat.
"Hmm, I see. Well, wash your hands quickly and come sit down! Dinner is ready!"
"Alright!"