Requested by @Splatoon2 writer
You woke up for the day and tried to sleep. Wait why were you getting up?
Right, you mutter. Just playing ranked matches for X Rank. Hopefully you were able to get there. After all, S Rank isn't enough. You took a shower to take your mind off of lingering thoughts.
You put on your Annaki Mask, Enchanted Robe and Deepsea Leather Boots.
You ate some normal breakfast, nothing special. You pick up your favorite weapon, the Kensa Undercover Umbrella. Hey, it's a pretty handy item to have, since one:
It's an umbrella you can use when you are stuck in rain!
And it's used for self-defense.
So you went to a train, and the weather looked like it was going to rain pretty hard. The news did say that it was going to rain for the whole day and tomorrow.
You went on the train and put on your headphones plugged into your squidphone. You just listened to the music that went through your head.
One of these people, who had a slicked-back hairstyle and had green emerald eyes. You glance over to him, and he tries to initiate a conversation.
You didn't try talking to him. You just walked off to Inkopolis and into the lobby.
One more ranked match. Just to get into the X-ranked tier.
You readied your weapon.
Stage? Wahoo World. Mode? Rainmaker.
3
2
1
Go!!!
You went over to a side route that can completely hide you from sight, and inked your path to there. You heard the rainmaker shield blow up behind you, and you saw your teammate being led into a trap.
You sneakily went in ink and swam to where they were and splatted them. You took out your torpedo (the sub weapon) and aimed it to the farthest person that was like a sniper.
This sort of repeated over and over. Until your teammate got to the geyser. That's when you held in you special.
"Special Weapon: Rainy Cloud Season!" You shout. Drops of your ink color rained on the opponents, eventually splatting them.
Your team won. Instead of looking at the fact that you had reached to X Rank, you stood there like a glum sack of turnips. "Now I have to keep improving myself..."
"Hey, you there!" An male inkling called you out. "Yeah?" You say.
"You did really well! Not to mention that you're at the X Rank! I applaud you!"
You sheepishly rub your head and say "It really wasn't anything I should be proud of. Honestly, I kinda was a bit careless with my path in the match."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for one instance, when I was defending my teammate, I had my guard down a bit. Anyone could've splatted me if I didn't notice. And my special, anybody could've escaped that one. Even the side routes can lead to my mistakes. And another thing—"
"Look, you did really great. Don't be so hard on yourself. How 'bout...we talk over this over some drinks from Crusty Sean's Food Truck?"
"Wait, you're acknowledging me as your friend?"
"Yeah."
——
"So..why don't you think you're so great?" Gloves asked.
"It's obviously because I don't want to think about myself on a pedestal or anything like that."
"Look, (Y/N), I don't care about that. All that matters is that you did your best."
"Then...why?!"
You were interrupted with a hug by the inkling. To comfort you.
"Look, I don't know why, but I felt like.. you were really sad when you were battling. Just... don't think you're pathetic when you're battling. Well, I've seen your past battles and your match with my team and I..."
"I know it's weird but I guess I like you, for how much hard work you put into getting your way into X Rank, along with your team."
He gave you a hug. You cried because you felt like someone actually felt how hard you were working. And gave you some appreciation for it. You were crying not because you were sad.
You were crying because someone finally knows and acknowledges how much effort you put in.
"Thank you," you mutter.
