Friends Don't Kiss || Tokomaru

1. A sad loser obsses over her best friend's sister (like usual)

I love Mondays. I get to walk to school with my childhood best friends, Makoto and Komaru Naegi. Makoto's always cheerful and manages to lighten up the mood regardless of the situation, he's also a great  test reader, him and Byakuya. Since he's incredibly positive and Byakuya is negative, they balance out well.

There's also Komaru, who I'm more excited about. Komaru... isn't someone you can explain so easily. She'll talk about everything and nothing and everything in between. She'll make super complicated plans and end up going to drink boba tea instead. She'll like a boy band then burn all her posters of them in a week. She'll complain about maths and ace the test. She'll text you at 3 in the morning and climb in through your window.

I love her.

I smile to myself, I love loving her. It's so easy and thoughtless and I could write long epics purely from thinking of her.I could force myself through any issue if she asked me to.

Hastily braiding my long purple hair, I quickly wear my Hope's Peak uniform. I grab a print out of the chapter I wanted to run by the boys, and consider stuffing toast in my mouth.

I didn't, I just grabbed a waffle and scarfed it down plain. I hear my mom yell something from the kitchen, and yell back a "Uh-huh!" before rushing out.

I can already hear her complaining about me to mom.  I dont care, I'm going to see Komaru! Komaru!

~~

"So, its just us, huh?" Makoto grinned, unable to see the fumes fro my ears. Turns out Komaru is walking to school with someone else.

"Don't even try it." I spit out. He knows I'm in love with his sister, and he isn't the best help.

"I mean, the guy wasn't even that cute. I think."

"It's a guy?!"

"oh dear."

"Just. Distract me. Can you and Byakuya read this over in break?" I ask him, trying to clear my head.

"He's with some other girl in break today, remember? Plus, I told Kyoko I'll sit with her mystery club in break."

"I- why am I the only one without a girlfriend!"

"Well, maybe someone'll come around? Like my sister for example." Makoto tried to cheer me up, humiliating me in the process.

"I'm not as lucky as you though. You got loads of cute chances with Kyoko."

"Maybe you are, look what I got yesterday." He awkwardly pulled a poster out from his book bag, a pudding cup falling out with it as well. "Oh heck my pudding."

"Well shit, a party? Your inviting a socially awkward nerd to a party?"

"Language!" He said, stuffing the cup back in to his bag. "Anyways, I'll come with, promise. You don't even have to drink."

"Oh fu- frick yeah I'm going to drink. I'm not a lightweight like you! So what, you want me to pick up chicks at-" I squint at the cursive writing, "Enoshima Junko's Heart-Stopping House Party!" I read in a typical valley girl voice.

"Don't say it so negatively!"

"How else would I say it!"

"Just. Are you coming? It's this Friday."

"Why should I even bother, I'm never gonna get a girlfriend." I mutter.

"Komaru might come."

"She has a boyfriend."

"You can still hang out with your best friend, even if she has a boyfriend." He argued.

"Fine. Only because your forcing me."

"I mean, what's the worse that could happen?"

"They get married, have seven kids, one miscarriage, I move away and live alone with 17 cats named after different flowers and one named coffee bean, one day she visits me but her child is allergic to cats so the child dies and she hates me forever."

"Did you breathe saying all that? Listen, Toko. Calm down, it won't be all that bad. Promise." He held out a pinkie, and I'm suddenly reminded of the day we met—in the pouring rain, years ago when I first moved here—when he did the same.

Our pinkies wrap around each other, then I pull away abruptly. "You never change."

"Is that a bad thing?"

~~

Doodling hearts in the corner of my notebook, I feel myself doze off. I look up at the board and sigh. I know all this already. If only I didn't. School would be so much more interesting if I was clueless.

Maybe that's why I'm so obsessed with loving. I have no experience, I've never even had my first kiss. I manage to write love stories but how much do I really know about love? I wish things would change. When they do, maybe I'll be happier.

I remember before Komaru cut her hair, I would braid it sometimes. She felt like my younger sister for a long time. I'd braid her hair, but I never really noticed her until she cut it. Until she was allowed to hang at the run down mall with Makoto and I up til dawn, and we'd scramble around to get back to our homes. Until she read one of my chapters aloud for me and pointed out that one of my dialogue was a bit robotic. Until she stayed over at my home helping me write dialogue between two lovers, when I looked at her and realized how lovely her slightly raspy voice was and how soft her skin must feel.

"Hey, Toko, are you listening?"

"Oh yeah, sorry Chihiro. What did we have to do again?"

I hate school.

Looking over at Chihiro again, I grimace. He's such a sweet boy, always caring for others. It disgusts me. "I heard your book got a deal, Toko! That's so great!"

"It's a pain in the ass to write. I've got to go talk to some fishermen later this week." I admit.

"Whoa! That sounds cool! You get to meet so many new people."

We chat mindlessly a bit, mostly him asking me questions and me answering as we try to make a chart together. He's not bad company, but my mind keeps wandering back to a certain muddy-green haired girl.

I wonder what she's up to?