A Thousand Cranes for a Wish (USHIJIMA X OC)

Do What I Would Do

Umeko awkwardly attempted a power pose she had drawn before. "U-um, I don't..."

Shirabu sighed. "It doesn't need to be a stereotypical pose like all the ones you see. Your power pose will be different from other people's. Stand in a way that makes you feel strong."

"But I don't feel strong." She whimpered, already losing hope.

Shirabu thought for a moment with his eyes closed then reopened them. "Tilt your head up slightly and look straight ahead. Now cross your arms over your chest." He instructed as Umeko's image started to come together. "Move your hips to the side slightly and put more of your weight on that leg."

Umeko did as told and surprisingly found herself easily able to slip into that position. Her head slightly cocked back was a nice touch that added a more prideful air around her.

"Make the face that you would make if someone were to spill something on your art on purpose." Shirabu was surprised with how much of an expression change he prompted. Her face was pure and utter loathing. Her blue eyes that were once filled with tenderness and uncertainty were replaced with bitterness and disgust. Simply put, she looked like she was seeing the scum of the earth. "Great! Now just don't use that face on me." Shirabu chirped pleased with himself.

"Alright." She nodded then her face became softer again.

"To match that face, I want your voice to be sharp, perhaps stern will work better. Project your voice without shouting. You want your words to cut through their soul. No mumbling allowed. Got it?"

"O-ok"

"Excuse me?"

Umeko hastily got into her 'power pose' and corrected herself. "Got it! No mumbling and be certain in my words." She tried to channel her inner 'theater kid' and pull out as much of herself as she could. She wanted to look like she had an unassailable confidence. Umeko wanted all her movements to say that she was the greatest person who ever walked the earth and that everyone else was lucky to bask in her presence.

Shirabu circled her once more, he was proud of the outcome. It was a startling difference from the doormat Umeko was before. "If you are ever roped into doing something you don't want to and are unsure of what to say, ask yourself, 'what would Shirabu do?' and if you don't know, then pretend like the person you are talking to is the person who ruined your art."

Umeko nodded and formed mental post-it notes to remember.

Shirabu continued. "Now that you have this knowledge, let's re-go over what happened in the library. Pretend I was one of the kids who needed help. I ask you what the book I'm holding is classified as, but you are busy, what would you say to me?"

Umeko clicked her tongue and scowled at Shirabu. "The classification is written on the spine of the book if you took a moment to read it you would know."

Shirabu nodded. "Good, good." He figured that even through the responses were a little extreme, they would probably mellow out with her soft-spoken nature.

After a few more scenarios, Shirabu was finally satisfied. Hopefully she would take what she learned to heart.

- ----THE NEXT DAY-----

Umeko hummed as she folded her cranes. She was in a particularly good mood that morning and decided to go to the club room earlier than usual.

"G'mornin Akiyama!" Sakuma burst through the door looking just as energetic as Umeko felt. "Today is a great day don't 'cha agree?" He put his hands on his hips and stood proudly. "The golf club has won the qualifiers so they can enter the competition for nationals! All my hard work has paid off! And even better, soon all the sport clubs will be having their Interhigh tournaments." Sakuma did a little happy dance before he grabbed a stack of blue paper. "I'm so excited you have no idea."