บท 10: Disruption
The university rooftop hits different at sunset. It's been our spot since middle school, where Haruka and I would skip class to make out and plan world domination. Some habits die hard, I guess.
"MMMWAH! MWAH!" I plant two loud kisses on Haruka as we collide in a hug that makes our tits squish together. The familiar scent of her perfume wraps around me like coming home.
"There's my fav baddie!" She kisses me back, her tongue flicking against mine for just a second. "So, what's the tea?"
I break down the whole situation, watching her face shift from confusion to interest to something else I can't quite read.
"Paired Resonance Trial..." Haruka blinks those gorgeous blue contacts of hers. "Makes my head hurt just thinking about it."
"Yeah, I'm not too clear on what the fuck that means either." I shrug, trying to play it cool. "BUT, I'm sure I can learn."
"Huh." Haruka's tits bounce as she shrugs. "Well, if they allow an audience, you know I'm gonna be in your corner cheerin' my boo~"
"Aw~ Thanks babe." I give her another quick peck that tastes like cherry lip gloss. "But, I want ya to do more than just cheer for me."
"Oh?" She tilts her head like a confused puppy. "What do you mean?"
"Well, the way this works I actually need a partner. And, they said I could get partners from other classes. So..."
. . .
I watch it slowly click in her pretty head, like watching a lightbulb turn on in slow motion.
"OH! You want me to be your partner?"
[God, my bestie is so smart.]
"Yep," I nod, already planning our victory pose. "What do you think?"
Real talk? I expected an immediate "fuck yes". But Haruka actually hesitates, those delicious red lips of hers pulling into a pout that usually means she's about to turn me down for a shopping spree.
[Eh? What's happening right now?]
"I... dunno, babe," she finally says, and my heart does this weird stumble.
"Really? You don't wanna do it?"
"It's not that," Haruka sighs, and fuck me if that sound doesn't hurt worse than my first failed spell. "I'd love to. But, Akari, I'm nowhere near the level of mage you are. I feel like I'd just hold you back."
"What? No! No, no, no, no." I wave my hands like I'm trying to erase her words from existence. "You'd never hold me back!"
Haruka looks away, and something in my chest cracks when I realize she's actually serious.
"... For real?"
"For real!" I grab her hands, looking straight into those contacts she wears because she thinks her natural brown eyes aren't pretty enough. "I promise. You're one of the best mages I know!"
She sighs again, and I hate how small she sounds. This isn't my Haruka, my ride-or-die who'd flash her tits at stuck-up professors just to make me laugh.
"... Let me think about it, aight?" She says, squeezing my hands. "I'll get back to you on it."
"Aight, aight," I nod twice, trying to ignore the way my stomach's twisting. "Think about it."
[Please say yes. I can't do this without you.]
---
{Haruka}
[Why the fuck did she have to ask ME?]
I sigh heavy enough to fog up a mirror, my platforms clicking against pavement like a countdown to inevitable disappointment. The city wraps around me in a blanket of magical neon, billboards casting their judgment across my face. The enchanted light makes my brown skin shimmer like I'm wearing that expensive highlighter I borrowed from Akari last week - the one that costs more than my weekly food budget.
Some Class-1 bitch smiles down at me from above, her perfect teeth stretched across half the skyline advertising some bullshit spell-enhanced energy drink. All sanitized charm and zero substance.
[That's gonna be Akari someday,] I think, pride and something darker mixing in my chest.
I tug at my uniform, suddenly feeling like a kid playing dress-up in her mom's clothes. My crop top's too tight, my skirt's definitely riding up too high, and these thick thighs are basically screaming for attention I'm not sure I deserve.
The memory hits me like a slap to the face.
---
First day of middle school. Me in the bathroom fixing my makeup, feeling myself in these new blue contacts until this blonde hurricane burst through the door like she owned the whole fucking building.
"Fuck, fuck, my eyeliner's crooked!" She'd cursed, attacking her face with some convenience store makeup wipe that was definitely making it worse.
[Even back then, she was something else entirely.]
I'd offered my liquid liner without thinking twice.
"Need help? That makeup wipe's just gonna make it worse, babe."
Our eyes met in the mirror - her pink against my fake blue - and something just clicked. Like magic, but realer. Better.
"Oh my god, yes! You're, like, literally saving my life!" That million-watt smile nearly blinded me. "I'm Akari!"
"Haruka. Now, watch..."
We ended up skipping orientation, posted up on the roof trading beauty spells and pretending to care about boys neither of us actually wanted. When she casually lifted both our bags up five flights of stairs without breaking a sweat or smudging her fixed eyeliner, I knew exactly what I was looking at.
[An actual star in the making.]
---
Some delivery drone buzzes past my head, snapping me back to reality with its annoying-ass beeping. I step onto the glowing crosswalk, glancing up at some massive holo-screen showing another arena battle. The crowd's losing their collective shit over some basic-ass purple spells.
[Akari's been a star since day one,] I think, my chest tight with pride and something that feels dangerously close to jealousy. [But me? Nah girl, fuck all that noise.]
My phone vibrates against my thigh, the charm bracelet Akari gave me jingling as I pull it out. Like I don't already know who it is...
[Bae💕]: No pressure babe but like... let me know soon-ish? It's in a week after all 💕
I freeze right there in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at my screen until the words blur together. The city pulses around me with magic and money, every surface screaming success and power and everything I'm not.
[I don't want that.]
The thought hits harder than my first time going down on Akari.
I don't want the billboards. Don't want magazines asking if my blue contacts are "authentic" or if my tits are real. Don't want to stand in the spotlight next to someone who burns bright enough to put the sun out of business.
Yeah, I love looking cute as fuck. Obviously. But real talk? My role's always been crystal clear:
The best friend. The hype woman. The one who screams herself hoarse when Akari finally gets her moment...
... The one who kisses away her pre-test jitters and makes her forget about pressure with my tongue down her throat.
I start walking again, slower now. My perfectly curled hair bounces with each step while I think about all our moments together. Late-night study sessions fueled by energy drinks and stolen kisses. All the spells we practiced until our hands shook. All the laughter between makeup tutorials and the dreams we whispered in the dark.
Another billboard catches my eye - some power couple flaunting their perfect magic and perfect marriage and perfect fucking everything.
[That's not me. Never has been.]
But...
[... She needs me though.]
I groan loud enough to make some salary man jump out of his expensive shoes.
[You're too nice for your own good, you dumb hoe!] I scold myself. [Fuck it. Fine. Obviously, I'm gonna do it.]
I pull out my phone before my common sense can kick in:
[Me]: Hey babe 💕 I'm in. Let's show these basics what we can do! 😘
The response hits faster than my heart rate when she kisses me:
[Bae💕]: YAAAAAAAS!! OMG ILY!! 💖✨💅
I smile despite the anxiety eating at my stomach like cheap convenience store sushi. Slipping my phone away, I keep walking, eyes forward instead of up at those judging billboards.
[The things I do for you, girl...]
I'll help her reach the stars. That's enough. It's always been enough.
Besides, someone needs to be there to fix her eyeliner when she gets nervous before big moments.
[Well, that's my job. Always has been.]
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