Pay For Something Imaginary

“Yuyo Shibasaki! I’ll tell you what, the price of my dignity is on your shoulders!!” Kyashii whacked the bench she was sitting on as Yuyo joined her for lunch. 

It’s just the two of them eating lunch underneath the trees today. Members of the student council invited Minori to eat lunch with them.

“What are you talking about?” Yuyo’s peevish expression went for Kyashii. “Why should I pay for something you don’t even have?” Her tone was idly dismissive as she started to eat her bread.

“Wha–! What do you mean by that? I don’t have dignity?!” Kyashii’s ferocious eyes dropped on Yuyo.

“What, do you have one?” Yuyo asked nonchalantly. She’s wondering what is Kyashii’s up to again. She already figured out that her best friend throws random tantrums over trivial matters, and it’s crucial to keep her in check before she gets her way on things.

“Make sure you pick your words carefully, Yuyo! Do you have a problem with me? I’ll throw down with you right now!” Kyashii is indignant. The plan was to bully Yuyo for the confession incident yesterday, but right now, it seems that the cards are stacking against her since things aren’t going the way she imagined.

“Will you just eat? You’re being way too loud. Here...” Yuyo shoved a small piece of bread into Kyashii’s mouth. “Allow me to eat in peace, okay?”

“Mmhmph!” Kyashii chewed the bread before blabbering again. “You won’t find peace until you ask me what I mean! How could you ignore what I was saying?”

“Just say what you want without making me pay for something imaginary.”

“Argh! You insult my dignity by saying I have none! How can you be so cruel to me? Your kindness to others makes it unfair!” Kyashii rasped.

“As you already know, this is simply me being myself. This is my honest attempt to let you understand who I am. Alright... So, what are you fussing over now, exactly?” Yuyo puckered a brow.

“Oohh...” Kyashii erupted into calmness as soon as Yuyo asked that question as if she hadn’t been angry seconds before. “Well... I was confessed to yesterday by someone in class D.”

“Heeh… And? How does your fictitious dignity relate to this? And why are you implying that I’m involved?”

Kyashii noticed how Yuyo was indifferent to the account she had just shared with her. In most cases, friends get excited when their friends share information about love confessions they received. There’s no sign that Yuyo is one of those.

“W-Well, it’s because— Wait! I told you it wasn’t an imaginary dignity! I have a dignity that you’ve compromised!”

“Huh? How so?”

“It’s because you made me drag two dustbins last week! It was adorable to that guy who happened to witness it! He mentioned it while we were walking on the sidewalk. And some people were able to hear me blurted it out loud! And that’s how and why my dignity crumbled!” Kyashii snarled.

Yuyo shakes with laughter at her best friend’s account. “So, what’s the big deal? Isn’t that great? It doesn’t matter that you are hauling dustbins; someone still finds you attractive.” Yuyo’s lips are curled in a grin as she speaks. Something inside her is tickled at the thought that Kyashii is upset over something so trivial.

“What’s so funny about that?” Kyashii looked at Yuyo without blinking. “Obviously, this is degrading! Suddenly, a guy started crushing on me for dragging trash containers! Yeah… You heard it right! To put it another way, the guy thinks I’m cute just because I’m dragging those bins you made me haul!”

“Heeh... I don’t think that was because you’re dragging the dustbins around. You are just adorable to him. That’s all there is to it. Regardless of what you were dragging that time, he will still think you’re adorable.”

“That’s….”

“That’s why you shouldn’t worry about it, Kyashii. No matter what you look like, you’re pretty. Even your angry expression is cute. Those dustbins have no relevance.”

She just told me I’m cute, didn’t she?

“Wait… You rarely pay me compliments. Did I hear you correctly? You said I’m cute, right?” Kyashii grinned. “At least you’ve finally realized I have some strong points.” Yuyo’s sincere compliments make her happy. Kyashii noted that Yuyo rarely praises people, which makes it look like divine intervention whenever she does.

“I don’t think you can hear details with clarity. Do you have ear problems? I never said anything like that.” Yuyo said, shrugging.

“Is there any chance you could take a break from your bully character?! Seriously, you’re enough to try the patience of a saint!”

Yuyo tittered. “Sure thing, I’ll do that some other time.”

“Hmph! Umm… Yuyo...”

“Hmm?”

“T-The way you reacted a while ago... Erm... It left me wondering if you weren’t interested in dating either.”

“Ahh. Yeah. These aren’t my cup of tea. Love, romance, dating, relationship, and that jazz.”

“Really?! Why is that? Love and its related topics are popular conversation themes among girls our age, you know?”

I thought she just wasn’t into dating. I never thought she wasn’t interested in the general concept of love. Whoa!

“Is romance something you’re interested in, Kyashii?” Yuyo gazed closely at Kyashii.

“W-Well... Romance is something I enjoy. I would even say I’m romantic at heart. I’m just not interested in going out on dates. At least for the time being.”

“Hmm… I see. Is that to say you turned down the guy who made a public confession to you yesterday?”

“What’s the point of mentioning that it’s a public confession, though?!” Kyashii scowled. “But, yeah, I did… I’m not feeling like dating anyone right now. Up until now, I haven’t found the right one.”

“Heeh... I told you, you’re a fussy girl,” Yuyo scoffed.

“Gaah! I’m not! Hmph! With no punches pulled, none of the guys who confessed to me made me feel at ease. My ideal date would be someone who makes me feel comfortable from the moment they ask me out.”

“Aren’t you being overly idealistic?”

“I’m not! It’s just that... It’s too much for me to bear when I don’t feel at ease with the guy. The worst that could happen is the guy getting pissed because I can’t hold a conversation properly. I can’t imagine how awkward that would be. Or what if I’ll just bore him to death? Stuff like that.”

Yuyo stifled a smile of amusement. “I think you’re overthinking things, Kyashii. In any case, you’re capable of holding a conversation. You might not have noticed, but you’re the one who keeps our discussions going.”

“Huh? Not really… I can only talk to you about anything because I feel comfortable with you. And I also have to be on the lookout for any bullying attempts on your part!”

“Well... I’m sorry if that’s how you feel. It’s just that in some cases, I find your reactions cute.”

“Aha~... You can no longer deny that you said I’m cute~...”

“I’m talking about your reactions, not your facial features.”

“Same difference! Dummy!”

“A straight shot back at you.”

“What?!”

“Nothing... Anyway, if you go through a romantic catastrophe one day, I’ll give you a heads-up. I’m not the best person to talk about it. I can only offer my ears, not solutions.” Yuyo gave Kyashii a cheeky smile.

“Romantic catastrophe?! Umm… Okay, I get it. But, Yuyo… Don’t you think you’re missing out on something if you don’t do stuff like dating while you’re still in high school?”

“Certainly not. I’m having fun with things I like, such as reading, watching documentaries, horror movies, and other stuff. And I’m not a stranger to the concept of love and dating, either. I’m not just into those trite idealistic ramblings you often see in movies and online. Welp!” Yuyo grimaced.

Kyashii let out a tiny giggle at Yuyo’s reaction. “Umm... Yeah… It was just a curious question. That guy from yesterday told me we only get to be in high school once, so stepping out of my comfort zone will help me appreciate it more. Keeping that in mind, my thoughts got triggered by it.”

“Hmm…. Well, his points are valid. Maybe you should listen to what he said if you’re unhappy with how things are going in your life.”

“But… But I think things are going well for me right now. My mind doesn’t wander to dating. I enjoy spending time with my friends, especially with you.”

“Heeh... I’m flattered. Thank you... Then what are you worried about?”

“I’m just wondering if I’m completely confident that everything is fine in my life right now or if I’m just trying to trick myself because change scares me. As I reflect on it now, change can be quite scary at times, isn’t it?” Kyashii let out a long sigh.

“Hmm... That sounds about right to me. I think people fear change when they are undecided about what they want, are too comfortable in their daily lifestyle, and are disinclined to let go of unhealthy habits. Uhh… From what I understand, our resistance to change comes from the fact that we don’t want to confront certain parts of ourselves. So, it’s hardly surprising why you are wary of change, Kyashii. I wouldn’t say that’s unusual.” Yuyo mused with a faint smile.

Uwaah! The way she expressed herself is so cool… She's so awesome!

“That’s a heart-stirring thought... I really think you’re amazing, Yuyo. It’s remarkable how mature you are for someone our age. I like that about you.” Kyashii smiled heartily at Yuyo.

“Hmmm... And it’s amazing how you’re quite childlike for someone our age. That’s something I like about you, Kyashii.” Yuyo grinned.

“Arrgh! Forget it! You’ve perfectly shattered my sincere admiration for you, you jerk!”

Yuyo was laughing hard. “Ahh... I guess I’ve had my fill of Kyashii’s annoyed reaction for the day.”

“You’re not planning to do that every now and then, right?!”

“That’s tough to answer. Would you like to find out?”

“No! I will totally blow you out of the water!”

Getting even with this annoying human being isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. Her ability to piss me off is exceptional!

Umm... But… Something about this seems off.

My reaction to her bullying isn’t really one of anger. Quite the contrary, I’ve been enjoying it quite a lot, haven’t I?!