Riiiiiiiing~~
As the dismissal bell rang throughout S Academy, Hiori Luce quickly faced Ahna Kaori with a smile. School was finally over and now Hiori could endlessly share to Ahna a spiffing web novel she just read the night before. But before she could burp out a word, Ahna's thin, sickly fingers already jammed her mouth.
"Wait, wait, wait. I know you Hiori, you won't stop once you start gushing about either a new anime crush or a really romantic novel. But not this time, nuh-uh. I still have to pass this freaking Science project and I can't have you bothering me!"
Ahna's eyes were playfully stern as she said this so Hiori knew she wasn't really serious. Prying her face away from Ahna's fingers, she opened her mouth. And dived in excitedly to a detailed and endless report about "The Cultivation Queen", whose ML and FL she was shipping hard. Hopefully, her ship would sail. But of course it would! The main characters will always get together in the end!
Hopefully.
" And then- and then- you know what happened? Feng Jiu was actually the mysterious Lord of the- ppffftt! Mmmmmmm!"
"Aaaaah, shut it Hiori. I may not have been seriously driving you away earlier but I still do need to finish this Science project."
And finally Hiori was able to breathe as Ahna extracted her sickly fingers and determinedly clutched her pen.
"Yosh! Let's get to work, Ahna!" Ahna said to herself while Hiori was fanning air to her nose.
Pouting, Hiori looked at her best friend and could only sigh. Ahna seriously needed a Feng Jiu and Gu Yanyan in her life. Gah! Remembering the two made her clutch her cheeks and squeal in delight. Those two definitely has to end up together!
Looking at the corner of her eye, Ahna was watching Hiori. She was glad that Hiori wasn't too hurt about being ignored, but she couldn't help but despair as she watched her best friend turn to mush by shipping fictional characters! One day, Hiori will surely become sane in fantasy and insane in reality! Aaaaah!
Unable to withstand seeing Hiori turn to an insane person in reality, she put on her serious, nagging, proverbial glasses and stopped working on the Science project for a moment. Or maybe for four moments. Or for eternity.
"Hiori, you do know that I am your best friend right?"
Hearing Ahna speak beside her, Hiori turned to her and asked,
"Uhm- what did you say, again? Sorry, I couldn't catch it. I was busy reenacting that scene where Feng Jiu helped Gu Yanyan get up and unexpectedly ki- AAAAAH! I swear those two better end up together!"
And once again, as if Ahna never spoke at all, Hiori drowned herself in the waters of fiction and fantasy. At least, that's what the despairing Ahna thought. But to Hiori, she was drowning in the overflowing melted gold of happiness for her fictional favorite characters.
But none the less, she was DROWNING. That in itself was already bad enough for Ahna. May it be in the waters of fiction and fantasy or in the overflowing melted gold of happiness (Which could probably poison her, by the way).
So, steeling her determination, she continued.
"I asked whether you know that I am your best friend."
Realizing that Ahna was being serious, Hiori nodded seriously too, indicating that- yes, she knew Ahna was her best friend.
Of course!
Happy that Hiori was finally getting serious, Ahna plowed on.
"As your best friend, I only ever want the best for you. Except probably the best kind of cake. That best is reserved only for me. Also the best kind of Ranz merchandise. That will only be ever reserved FOR ME- "
Indignant, Hiori wagged a finger and intervened,
"Now, see here missy, I don't care about the Ranz merch but the cake? You dare to keep all the good kinds of cake to yourself? YOU DARE TO-"
"So anyway, since I want the best for you that would mean I care enough for you. And you might be asking why. 'Yeah, why bother with someone like me?' But you see, dear, I accept all of your annoying ways. And since I care for you, I wouldn't want to see you drown in the waters of fiction and fantasy or in any melted gold-"
"Wait, what kind of waters are you talking about- "
"Aaand so - (Ahna booming her voice) - I just want to honestly tell you that you should honestly stop immersing yourself too much in FICTIONAL things and instead try to get a better grasp on reality. Study more, gain REAL HUMAN friends more, be more active! Besides, staying cooped up inside your room all day will honestly- "
"Okay, okay, wait."
That's it, thought Hiori, I have enough. Anyone who dares to sever my relationship with Feng Jiu and Gu Yanyan will not be left unscathed! Alright, guardian soldiers of my web novel and anime days, CHARGE!!!
Ehem.
"First of all, stop it with all the "honestly" word. I honestly had enough of that word! Second, DON'T tell me to study more when I'm 3rd in the honor's roll, got a 97 grade in social studies, and won 4 GOLD medals in 4 national Spelling Contests! And the words they puked out to us, contestants, weren't the least bit easy, mind you! Third, I've already gotten myself a REAL HUMAN friend. Aren't you a REAL HUMAN friend? Or are you by any chance pretending to be a human being when you're actually a cold-hearted humanoid created by a mad scientist just to- Anyway, fourth! I LOVE my FICTIONAL things! And I won't ever allow you to break the power of 'Ai'! (Plus thunder effect). Lastly! Actually, that's all- ahahaa."
While Hiori's chuckles drained out to stagnant air, Ahna looked at Hiori seriously and exclaimed,
"Fine! Don't listen to me. And one day, you'll just find yourself living like a witch, cackling at your laptop screen with your hair so messy and everything about you disheveled! Neighbors will walk by your house then run away in fear as soon as they feel that creepy aura you would have because of staying cooped up for so long, while thinking to themselves how that crazy woman living like a witch should be in a mental hospital instead! And even though that might happen, you won't listen to me? Fine!"
After such an outburst from Ahna, nothing more was said between the two of them. Silence could only rule the non-existent conversation. Only silence until-
"You know, its not like my immersion in such kind of stuff is an addiction. I merely really love them. So, don't worry, I won't end up living like an old hag. I got my good looks AND good brains after all.'
Hiori then winked at her. And just like that, silence was thrown out of his throne and the two best friends started talking again.
Truth be said, the two best friends hadn't had much history yet. They had only met on that school year and so, they only knew each other for about seven months. The reason why they got together well enough to become best friends was because each found the other's personality to be highly compatible to theirs. Hiori was pretentiously easy-going but deep inside her personality, she was painfully serious and critical on her self. While Ahna pretended to be, or can be sometimes, serious on the outside. But she didn't have much personal problems in the inside. Hiori found this kind of person with an honest pure heart to be refreshing and so quickly warmed up to her. And not just because of that but also because Ahna would understand her cringey and twisted jokes and was fun to jam with. While as for Ahna, who knows what really made her befriend Hiori. Maybe it was the natural attraction of a good person to help another fellow human being?
Hopefully not, thought Hiori as she stared back at her best friend while she continued lecturing on her. I wouldn't be able to take it if she befriended me out of pity.
"And so- Wait, are you even listening? Hellooo? Hiori?"
Seeing Ahna's waving hand come to perception, Hiori snapped up and came back to her senses.
"Huh? Yeah. Sure, I do. Don't forget the strawberry topping."
Ahna looked at her, scrutinizing.
"Wha- What?"
"I didn't ask whether you'd like me to buy a cake for you and what flavor it would be! Uuugh! I swear, whoever your husband-to-be will be will definitely have to be rich to afford getting you some hearing aids!"
Sheepish, Hiori replied,
"Well, you'd have to tell that to my dozens of anime crushes. One of them might be willing to become real, marry me, and buy me hearing aids. Hahahha- Okay, okay, that was a joke.'
Hiori immediately cut off her laughing as soon as she saw Ahna's scrutinizing look becoming worse.
"Hmph. That joke of yours might seriously turn real and you'll one day find yourself being chased around by anime characters-'
"And all of them hot!'
Hiori intervened, with big red hearts in her eyes.
"Nope- all of them chasing you because its not your anime crushes that came to life. Its the anime antagonists that did, BUWAHAHAHHAAH."
Ahna was quick to put a damper on her active imagination.
Sigh.
"On a much serious note though, you might actually fall in love with someone in the net as you go through your craziness in your different crazy accounts. You better be careful."
Ahna continued.
"Who? ME?"
"Yes, you."
"Little me falling in love with someone who is probably an internet sensation? Someone who is every bit of real human flesh? Nah, I'm warning off all real and very much alive male human beings. My femaleness is only attracted to fictional *boohoo* supah handsome males. So, no need to worry."
"Idiot. I wouldn't worry if you're only warning off the silk-like predators found all over the Internet, crawling with their sticky hands out to squish every woman they find. But you are actually warning off all live male human beings. What best friend would be unworried when she imagines seeing her best friend become an old maid?"
"Er- There aren't any kind of best friend who would be wor- Ouch! "
Before Hiori could finish her sentence, Ahna roughly hit her on the head.
"Don't even finish that sentence, dummy."
With tears on her eyes, Hiori could only apologize,
"Sorry. Oh I'm really sorry, Great Ahna. Promise, I won't warn off live male human beings. Except the sly silky ones."
Satisfied with her answer, Ahna beamed.
"Great! Then-"
"Who's there?? What the- What do you think are you still doing here?! OUT! Out! its past 5 already! No one should be here anymore!"
It was the school caretaker!
Laughing and surprised, Hiori pulled Ahna and tried to get out of the door while Ahna was in a flush trying to collect her things, Science project almost forgotten. The school caretaker had just found them out and even Ahna can't believe she had allowed herself to still be in school this late. Time has passed by too quickly while she and Hiori were talking!
"Honestly, teenage girls these days..."
Hearing the school caretaker's words as they were running away made Ahna's ears turn red. Oh, how she hoped the caretaker didn't recognize her and wouldn't call home!
Meanwhile, as they were running away, Hiori was breathless with exhilaration and adrenaline. She can't quite stop herself from laughing even after they got out of the school grounds and on to the bus stop.
That was the most exciting thing she ever experienced! Being nice and friendly on the outside after all was boring and tiring.
"*Pant *pant - So, Great Ahna, what do you think of our Great Escapade? Ahahhaa...Haha...Hey."
When Hiori turned to look at Ahna, she found that she was not listening. She was also quite breathless but not from exhilaration or adrenaline. Rather, it seemed that it was from exhaustion.
Knowing that Ahna had a fragile body, Hiori worriedly said to her,
"Quick, here's your bus. You better get home now. Rest, take care, and make sure to call me once you get home!"
She yelled the last part as she was now running to keep up with the bus after sending Ahna off.
When the bus disapeared at the bend of the road, Hiori made her own way home.
And whilst walking under the stars, Hiori thought of what Ahna had said about falling in love with someone in the internet and after some time, she concluded that that was indeed very unlikely.