Obsession with Her

Chapter 1 - Origins

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship.

Zariana was the type of girl who preferred the company of her headphones and a good K-drama over the noisy clamor of high school hallways. She often found solace in the vibrant worlds of anime and the melodious tunes of her favorite K-pop groups. Her quiet nature made her seem almost invisible to her classmates, but she didn't mind. To her, the universe in her headphones and the stories on her screen were far more interesting than the mundane reality of high school life.

Amy, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Amy was the kind of girl who could walk into a room and instantly become the center of attention. Her outgoing personality and infectious laughter made her the quintessential main character in everyone's story. Despite their differences, Amy shared Zariana's love for K-pop, anime, and BL dramas. But where Zariana kept her passions to herself, Amy wore them proudly, sketching scenes from her favorite shows in her notebook and belting out K-pop lyrics whenever the mood struck her.

Their paths first crossed during the early weeks of freshman year, in the most unexpected way.

It was just another typical school day, a few weeks into the semester, when Zariana had finished her lunch. She was heading to her favorite spot in the school garden, a secluded bench under a large oak tree, perfect for listening to music and watching the latest episode of her favorite K-drama. As she rounded the corner, she nearly collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.

"Whoa, sorry!" a cheerful voice exclaimed.

Zariana looked up to see a girl with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. She was holding a sketchbook and several pencils that had scattered on the ground from the near collision.

"It's okay," Zariana mumbled, kneeling to help pick up the pencils.

"Thanks! I'm Amy, by the way. You're Zariana, right? We have English together," Amy said, her smile never wavering.

Zariana blinked in surprise. "Yeah, I think so. Nice to meet you, Amy."

"Nice to meet you too! Hey, do you like anime?" Amy asked, noticing the keychain of a popular anime character dangling from Zariana's backpack.

Zariana's eyes lit up. "Yeah, I do. You?"

"Absolutely! I'm obsessed! I was just heading to the garden to do some drawing. Want to join me?"

That was the moment everything changed for Zariana. She hesitated, but there was something so genuine about Amy's offer that she found herself nodding.

"Sure," Zariana said, a small smile forming on her lips.

Amy walked alongside Zariana. "Hey, what kind of anime do you like to watch?" Amy asked since they shared a common interest.

"Oh uh... it's silly really." Zariana mumbled, feeling a bit shy to talk about the fact that she liked watching romcom, romantic comedy anime, and most likely BL's as well. She kept things like that to herself since it was her comfort, and she didn't really want people to know and ruin it for her.

"Oh come on, I am sure whatever it is you like is not as bad as mine. Here, I'll tell you my faves first so you don't feel pressured. I like to watch gay anime, and dramas like Jdrama (Japanese) or Kdrama (Korean), also called BL's (Boy Love). And I also love a good romantic comedy, those make my night. I tend to binge-watch them instead of studying." Amy chuckled, as she sat down on the bench.

"So what about you? You don't have to feel discouraged since I just put myself out in the open," she added with a playful giggle.

"Oh well, honestly me too... I also enjoy listening to K-pop and other music genres, but K-pop is just more fun for me," Zari explained, sitting across from Amy, her head lowered slightly in embarrassment. Though it felt a little odd, since she now knew someone who liked the same things she did, she still felt a bit out of place. Most people in school liked the newest American or British actors or celebrities, but Zariana was an outsider who gravitated toward Asian-themed trends.