Reason for Kindness (ANB Neil Fanfic)

Chapter 5: Acquaintances

A/N: Two chapters in one day! I just really want to write this scene I guess. This one will be a bit shorter than normal. Oh, and it's Yuki's POV again. I won't be doing Neil's POV too often.

Once I reach my farm, I work a bit and do some small things that need to be tended too. For instance, fixing the fence around the barn and chicken coop, cutting down some trees, installing an alarm system to keep Dunhill away...

Seriously. I'm sick of his early morning visits.

I'm brushing Hikari when I look down at my watch to see that it's about closing time for the shops. That means that Neil will be dropping off my chicken soon. Yawning, I head inside my house and climb into bed. I'm sure that my chicken will be here in the morning.

---------------

I wake up the next morning an hour early. I get ready for the day and start to head outside to watch the sun rise. As I open the door, I expect to see Dunhill, but instead see Neil walking up to my door. I give him a small wave, but he doesn't return the gesture. Oh well, he usually is never happy to see me. But he normally at least waves.

"Hey Neil! What's up?" I ask him with a bright smile. The spring air feels wonderful, and the smell of flowers surrounds me. I love spring, but I can't wait for the fully-bloomed flowers that summer brings.

"Sorry that I didn't drop off the chicken after work yesterday." He tells me. "It started to rain right after I closed up shop, so I thought that I'd stop by today and drop her off." I nod. I thought I heard raindrops after I had gone inside. It looked pretty cloudy yesterday evening as well.

"That's fine. I went inside early anyways, so I wouldn't have been outside to take her."

"Oh, okay." He says, and then looks away. Why does he seem different than normal? Is something bothering him?

"What's her name?" He asks me. It occurs to me that I haven't thought of a name for her yet.

"Hmm...I had a stuffed chicken when I was a little girl. It's name was Megumi. I suppose I'll name her that." Neil rolls his eyes and I laugh. "Yes, I'm naming my chicken after a stuffed one. Don't even bother saying anything."

Shaking his head, Neil says, "I left her in your coop."

"Alright, thanks."

There's an awkward silence before I finally break it.

"So, what do you have planned today?"

"It's my day off, so nothing really. Maybe a bit of foraging later."

"Oh, okay. You need help with that? I'm a master forager." I say with pride. He keeps a blank expression.

"No thanks, I can do it myself."

"Oh, okay..." I notice that he's carrying a couple of small paper bags in his hands. I wonder what they're for?

"Why do you have those bags?" I ask.

"I'm delivering food to Emma for Hana."

"That looks like a lot of food."

"It is. Emma's sick, so she prepared a lot."

"I can help you carry it if you want."

"No, I'm fine."

"But it looks like a lot for one person to carry."

"I said that I don't need your help."

"But really, I could just--"

"I said that I don't need your help!" He shouts at me, and I flinch. What is he yelling for? I just offered to help him carry some bags.

"You don't have to yell Neil, a simple "no" would have been fine." I glare at him, and he glares right back.

"I did tell you, but you wouldn't drop it."

"I was trying to be a nice friend!"

There's silence after that. He has a conflicted look on his face, and I grow confused.

"Neil?..."

"We're not friends." He states. I stare at him in shock. What? But didn't he just say yesterday...

"We're not?" I ask, obviously upset. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to be." He says bluntly. I feel tears starting to form. He doesn't want to be friends? I put so much effort into getting him to open up, and I thought that I did. Apparently, I was wrong.

"You don't want to be?" I ask incredulously, getting angry. Who just makes a statement like that out of the blue? "Well, thanks for letting me know. I won't bother you anymore." I say as I feel a tear run down my cheek. Why do I care so much? He's only ever been rude to me. Why did I make such an effort in the first place?

Neil stands in his place for several more seconds, looking like he doesn't know what he should do.

"Just go." I say, pointing to the path. "I know that you have other things you'd rather be doing." He gives me a curt nod and walks off. I open my door and slam it shut. Who does he think he is? Waltzing onto my farm, just to tell me that he doesn't want to be my friend? Fine. We don't have to be friends. We can simply be acquaintances. From now on, business will be the only reason we talk to each other, if that's how he wants it.

A/N: Oops. I think I may have gone a little bit overboard...don't hurt me .-.