yogen | npc contact.2

[... hmmmm.]

Eight hours, I guess? Maybe nine? But only 'cause I was sleeping. Not counting that...

[... ... ...]

An hour, maybe?

[he talks between times he can't. he is not a quiet person whatsoever. not in the least. if you need complete silence for anything, around subaru akehoshi is not it.]

[ ...

It makes them smile, just a little bit, because it doesn't surprise them at all that Subaru is like that. That hour is probably class time when he's not allowed to talk, they think, and even then it must be tough. ]

Mm... It'd be nice if I were that sort of person too. I'd be able to lead you better, and I wouldn't have to rely on everybody around me.

I love you the way you are though, Keigo! You talk enough for me, and I still rely on plenty of people around me! Being talkative just means I get on everyone's nerves twice as fast~.

[but there's no shame or guilt in that]

Besides, [with a squeeze of their cheeks,] it just means you and me fit pretty well together. Don'tcha think? ♪

[someone who likes talking, someone can stand silence... subaru could probably try for half an hour more of quiet time if he had something to focus his hands or mind, like a certain shopkeeper]

[ Their soft mochi cheeks... Hard not to smile when he does that, and tells them he loves them, and that they're good enough how they are. It's warm.

... ]

Yeah. I think we're good together too.

[after the days of no smiles, of disinterest and disassociating when the world darkens, seeing keigo now makes it feel so special. a real star in the pitch of night, sparkling and shining, a glittering memory subaru'll hold close like all the others. it's a relief, a joy, and his ears warm as much as his heart squeezes in delight.]

Wanna know something cool that just happened, Keigo?

Hm? What happened?

[ Honestly, their first thought is the tin can-dle that they throw a glance at to see if something changed with it, before looking back at Subaru. ]

[nothing has changed, except they definitely need to put something better under it because that tin can-dle is really gonna be its name with how the wax is no doubt gonna pool and seal the bottom to the paper.]

My wish came true.

Can you say what it is? Since it came true.

[ Like how you're not supposed to say birthday wishes out loud or else they won't come true, but after the fact it's fair game. ]

Yup! You're gonna think it's not worth wasting a wish on though~.

[as said by someone who's probably been told that before, that he shouldn't place such mundane and normal occurrences in the hands of the stars. they're better suited for goals to keep in mind, things you wanna keep looking forward to in the future, wishes that might fade with time and replaced with something else.]

Whenever I go up there, I always wish to see my friends smile! And really recently, I've been wishing to see you smile. [because he loves it, because he loves keigo.] So you made my wish come true!

[yeah. that's all]

[ Wishes are for grand, impossible dreams, ones so far away you can't help but ask the stars to lend you a little help. Seeing one's friends smile is too simple a wish... but their own smile really did feel like a grand, impossible dream when they wake up frazzled and go through the day miserable and do their best to appear simply mopey around the people who care. ]

...It wasn't me, or the stars that made the wish come true. That was all you, Subaru.

Mmm~.

[maybe. but how's he put it... he'll drop his hands from those soft, squishy cheeks and take keigo's with them, content. swaying from side to side a little, but content.]

You're the one who smiled. It doesn't matter what caused it, even though I'm happy it's me, but I wanted to see you smile and I did. So you fulfilled that wish. If that makes sense?

[if his wish to see everyone's sparkling, happy smiles, then it doesn't matter what causes it; if he can see them, then it's enough.]

No.

[ Because even if they physically smiled, they can do that bright cheerful practiced shopkeep smile and it still wouldn't be a smile like one Subaru can draw out of them. A real smile has emotion behind it, and that takes another person to make them feel like smiling. ]

Give yourself more credit.

[so it's like that. subaru can accept that, even if he was trying to make them feel good too, and he'll hug them, sinking against them with all his weight... like a dog deciding now's the time to try and be a lap dog, except they very are much not fit to be a lap dog.]

'Kay~. I like being the one that makes you smile anyway! I'm not gonna shy away from taking credit, especially over something like this. ☆

[he's spoiled at heart, he found something he liked after being nothing but an outcast for years and then wanted more of it like a fire consuming dry tinder. smiles can be worth a dime a dozen to some, but... knowing he's the cause of them, that his music and presence and anything else is what makes them shine so bright, that's special]

It's definitely not worth upsetting you either. I'd rather see you mad over something like... how many fingers we have.

[ wait—- ]

How many fingers do you have?!

[ WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ]

[oh good this favorite thing, stupid question time!!!!]

Eight!

[he'll hold up a hand, with everything but his thumb raised.]

Four on this hand, and four on the other! Thumbs don't count as fingers, but everything on your hand is a digit! Right? Or would you say that you've got five on each hand, with ten in total counting your thumbs as fingers?

Ten total...

[ what... this is going to be one of those Cool Science Facts they'll squirrel away for the next time they see Amami and then they'll tell him proudly as if they hadn't just learned this two hours ago ]

["oh no" i say, knowing this is the small-time chaos subaru lives for. then amami will accept it as fact, because keigo said so, and then it'll begin to spread around the school...!!!!!]

Yup! Totally blew your mind, didn't I? I kinda wanted to see if you'd argue with me about it, though~.

[ This is exactly what's going to happen ]

I don't know enough about human anatomy to argue... And you wouldn't lie to me about fingers.

[ Because that would be a stupid thing to lie about. This information is going to get spread all over the school and if there's any exam questions about fingers you bet everybody's going to say they have only eight ]

["And you wouldn't lie to me about fingers." i am so sorry the utter trust keigo has in him is failing at this very moment. and there is only more to come the instant subaru hears that, grinning widely.]

In that case~... You've come to the right person! I know a ton about human anatomy, I'd be happy to tutor you a little! Even if you're probably not gonna need it, ahaha~☆

[because they don't go to classes................]

Edited (hated having two "moments") 2021-09-26 02:19 (UTC)

[ Yeah, they can't think of a time when they'd need to know human anatomy to that much detail, but if Subaru is smart, ]

Are you good at math?

Yup! I've got some of the highest grades in my class, no matter the subject!

[unfortunately, subaru is an honor student when it comes to grades and classwork, despite never studying, forgetting his books, and drawing his dog in the margins of his notes. i don't get it. but it's canon, and it's true.]

Ama-chan's the opposite though, when test results come around you've gotta look for his name in the middle of the pack. ☆ He's a total slacker when it comes to attendance, so you'd think it be at the bottom with the rest of 'em, but he's blessed with some brains in that pretty head of his!

[ how they were going to ask Subaru for help in math but instead they're hearing him trash talk Amami's grades instead. Middle is... okay? Is it good? bad? npckun has no frame of reference, it's not as if they ever had formal schooling. ]

You have to help him... If he gets too much make up work, he'll have less time to play.

[ ?? assuming he bothers to do the extra work, but anyways, please help Amami with his grades, this is still a school ]

[it's my defense mechanism i saw "are you good at math" and heard the rattle of the reaper's chains.]

It's fine, I'm already getting him to go to class more~! He'll have plenty of time to play with you still... and you can sit with us when we're suffering through homework too, if you want. ♪

[they can do it in the store... or when keigo Has to take breaks they can kick it in the study hall...]

Anyway, why do you ask?

Maybe... it'd be nice to be able to learn things at school too.

[ more Science Facts they can brag to Amami about... ]

Anyways, I had some math questions I needed help with, and I'd ask Tarou-nii but he's no good. Sara's helping me with one of them, but there's still six more and they're hard.

[he'll make them his little student then, and make them do some of his busywork...! it's a learning experience.

also....... these, huh. boy. he sure checked out when these got brought up at the sleepover. this isn't high school level at all, but far be it from subaru not to give something a shot. especially for someone he loves. amami is lucky he's sub-par in grades.]

Oh... What one is Sasara helpin' you with? I don't wanna cross over with her.

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