~-~Four Years Ago~-~

Shirogane's POV:

"Alright, so we need to show everyone the value of 2D people, I repeat 2D! Just because the essence of the characters can be found in a 3D figurine does not mean that they should like a character just because of the merchandise!" Yamada lectured proudly as everyone stared blankly at him.

"Any questions?" He asked nasly, "uhh...what if the anime is in 3D? Like Beaststars?" One brought up.

"...alright since there are no valuable questions, this meeting is over. Festival is in two weeks everyone and we have had no volunteers to be catgirls so get on that please!" Yamada instructed before he returned to the desk on the other side of the room returning to work on his handmade sculpture.

"Wait...he was serious about that?" Danuja asked in a sweat, "bro! I can't even talk to a girl how the hell am I going to get one to wear cat ears?! This isn't K-On!" Kenshiro protested.

Tatsuo grinned "I mean do we have to get a catgirl? I prefer-" "Don't even finish that sentence you mouth breather" Hideyoshi yawned.

"Hey you didn't even know what I was going to say fatso!" Tatsuo yelled annoyed, "hey...isn't Shirogane a girl...?" Ito mumbled.

Oh no.

All at once the club gathered around me as if observing whether or not I would be enough for Yamada's weird requirement.

"I mean...she is plain looking..." Tatsuo mumbled, "then you go ask one of the hot girls I'm sure they'll love what you'll ask them" Ito chastised.

"Hey we don't even know if Shirogane even wants to yet guys" Hideyoshi argued.

"SHIROGANE PLEASE! YOU'RE THE ONLY GIRL WHO COULD HANDLE THE CLUBS SMELL OF ONION RINGS SAVE US AGAIN!" Kenshiro begged.

"I don't like this idea...." I confessed, "it's better than the bunny girl costume from last year though" Danuja brought up.

Kirigiri never forgave us...

"Didn't last year make people think we were some sort of hentai club?" I mentioned.

"Well hey this time it isn't lingerie, the headmaster can't say no this time!" Tatsuo argued.

"Guys she's already said no, let's just scrap the idea again and do some weird mascot thing or any other cosplay" Hideyoshi said trying to reason with them.

"But...fine..." Tatsuo said disappointed. "Ooh do you think the school will let me wear my Scouts jacket?" Danuja asked excited.

"Hopefully not" Kenshiro shivered as I laughed quietly the group dispersing to work on other club preparations.

"Hey...thanks" I called after, Hideyoshi looked around to see who I was talking to. I snorted, "I'm talking to you, seriously thanks for doing that..." I told him.

"Oh wow, uh it wasn't really much. Sorry Takura- or Danuja gets excited and goes along with people easily" he said.

"Yeah I'm not very into those cosplays when I'm the only one, cosplay is fun to do with a group isn't it?" I asked.

"I wouldn't know, they don't make much in my size" Hideyoshi admitted with a shrug.

"Aww that sucks, I love it a lot I couldn't imagine not being able to do it just because of my weight" I mumbled.

Hideyoshi just shrugged, "costumes aren't my thing, on Halloween I do the bare minimum with a clown mask just to have fun with my friends so don't feel sorry for me." He said confidently.

"Oh ok then..." I said awkward not knowing what I should say as Hideyoshi started to walk away.

"Hey!" I randomly called out, he raised an eyebrow. "If you don't mind...do you want to work on the festival banners with me after school tomorrow?" I asked unsure.

"Sure, I'll bring sweets" he said with a grin.

~-~-~

"What..." I muttered as Hideyoshi struggled to balance out the glass jars, "bitch please let me in my arms are killing me and I think someone thought I was a drug dealer on the way over" he begged as I stood back and allowed him to come inside.

He didn't waste any more time and dropped all of the jars on the couch and sighed in relief as I went to inspect them.

Inside were little rock candies shaped like stars, "my Grandma made those for us" he said still out of breath.

"Aww that's nice" I said, "but...this is a bit excessive isn't it?" I asked picking up the jars and setting them aside.

"You're telling me! Grans is always excited when I make new friends, she goes all out so I can 'win them over' he said with a shrug.

"She runs the candy store near the school, I'm not supposed to tell you this but these are the botched ones that didn't meet her perfectionist standards" he laughed.

"Oh wow, well I got our banner stuff laid out in the back" I told him as he followed me to the small garden area where the white paper laid out.

"Well looks like I'll have to draw the most nightmare inducing Pikachu man has ever seen, stand back this might give you trauma" he joked as he began his work.

Atua help us all...

"Seen any good anime lately?" I asked, he shook his head, "nah I watch with Mirai, you know the evil pomeranian in class? But she's been busy so I've been starving for content, I'm almost desperate enough to watch Pokemon seriously" Nao said shuddering at the idea.

"How...awful?" I fumbled not sure how to respond to his complaining. He didn't seem annoyed and kept rantimg.

"It's a sad and lonely life Shirogane, my pain is one only heard by a few of the ground plebs and societal outcasts" he whined overdramatic.

"I'm sure it is, I think you're a bit lucky though having Masako and Danuja, I don't have anyone to watch anime with in class" I told him.

"Aren't you friends with Amami and Akamatsu though?" He asked as I looked away from the weird demon spawn he called Pikachu.

"Yeah, and they have watched at least one show with me...but I can tell they're not into it" I sighed disappointed. I even handpicked those series just to try and get them to see what I see in anime but failed.

"It's also lonely being the only girl in the club, especially when well...that happens..." I added. Hideyoshi paused.

"Fuck them then" he concluded, I looked at him shocked, "just cause bitches don't like what you do in your free time or what you like caude of whatever gender you are doesn't mean you have to give a damn.

"People have been giving me shit for everything I like doing or am interested in all my life, but you know what? Fuck them! I don't care because that stuff makes me happy, repeat me, not them so they can go jump off a bridge for all I care I'm still going to watch anime and play video games and pull pranks with my friends" he said almost proud.

"That's...I couldn't think like that..." I admitted brushing some hair out of my face as I tried to focus back on the project at hand.

"Why not?" He asked, I shrugged, "just not confident enough I guess..." I mumbled wanting to escape this conversation.

Hideyoshi set down his pencil looking at me with a serious expression, "when I was younger I used to live with my parents." He started as I was unsure where he was going with this.

"My parents as the worst. They never paid attention to me and instead would fight with each other or work all day to the point almost every night they forgot to feed me. I had to take people's lunches when they weren't looking because that tiny rice ball was all I was going to be able to eat that day.

"Eventually I got caught though, and the teacher made me apologize in front of the class and the students reactions were ruthless and they beat me a lot for that. My parents still didn't care, and I was tired of being hurt so I fought back, I was a skinny legend back then though so uh I lost.

"Then I got in trouble for fighting as if I started it, I mean I guess I did since I did steal their lunch but come on.

"So yeah eventually my parents got called in for this and they didn't even bother to punish me which made me even more of a tiny angry gremlin. I just wanted them to react and respond to what I was doing, anything to show they cared.

"Well that backfired and I got left on my grandparents doorstep for them to take care of me. Best thing that has ever happened to me.

"My Grandma made me enough food to let me become fat. I loved it, I actually had never been happier, even if it meant them actually punishing me for fighting and making me take school seriously I didn't care because for the first time in my life someone gave a damn.

"But then people bullied me because I was fat. How ironic. They bullied me for the new hobbies I found that made me happy for the first time, they bullied me for the choice of friends I made, when those people were the first to ever see me and accept me.

"And that's when I finally had my great enlightment while chowing down on some donuts.

"I don't give a damn anymore. I don't care if people don't like me for what I like, that's their problem, I have done nothing to deserve all that hatred, and for the times I do hurt people I will own up to it.

"See what I'm saying?" He asked, I nodded but quickly added my contradiction, "it's not that easy to do though, I'm not you. Most people aren't like you" I bashed.

Hideyoshi shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you then, all I really can advise you on is to find something or people who make you happy and the weirdest- I mean best you, that you can be"

...

It's not that easy...

~-~-~

I dodged the photographer taking photos of the club, as I felt myself blushing. Even though I had avoided the cat girl embarrassment I ended up having the worst acne crisis in history, and even worse my makeup had run out so I couldn't even cover it up.

"HEY! SHIRO!" A voice called out as I started to go over to see our classes maid cafe, "I got something for you!" Hideyoshi called excited as he proudly stood in his Ash cosplay along with balancing takoyaki and a box.

"Oh nice cosplay" I told him, "thanks! I got Kazue to make it for me, only costed my immortal soul" he said with a shrug.

"Anyways I got this for you, Tak and I went to Akihabra and I thought you would find this cool" he said handing me a small box.

I opened it up to see a piplup phone charm, "aww this is adorable" I admired pulling out my phone.

Hideyoshi smiled, "Yeah, I kind of felt bad for how you felt like shit when we were preparing for the festival so-"

"Thanks for the free food" a voice called out as I looked down to see Masako.

Hideyoshi immediately went red from rage, "BITCH GET BACK HERE!" He screamed as Masako ran away with his food, some other members of DICE also ran after the pair.

"MAKE SURE TO GO FOR HER EYES THEIR HER WEAK SPOT!" Fujioka screamed laughing excitedly as I stood aside the chaos, the shouts of faculty to get them to behave made me chuckle as I rubbed the piplup charm again.

He's a good person...huh?

~-~-~

Hideyoshi...no Nao.

Nao always seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders. He didn't serm like the trouble maker that others made him up to be. He wasn't an exceptionally kind person, he wasn't cruel either.

He didn't ever seem to care what the world thought of him, he just went with the flow doing small favors for people he liked and ignoring the rest who dismissed him for either what he did with his friends, his appearance, or hobbies.

I admired that about him. That kind of courage it took to be himself, and proud of himself at that.

I thought...he seemed to have loved and accepted himself for who he was. I thought I had this guy figured out, but I really knew nothing in the end.

Nao Hideyoshi jumped. He jumped off that bridge. He allowed the cold dsrk water to swallow him whole. I wonder what led him there that day.

Was him interacting with me, talking about his family, was that all a cry for help and not a show of strength? Why? Why did the end call for Nao? What weight did he carry on his shoulders?

And if...if none of that was a lie....did he love his friends that much? That knowing he wouldn't have been able to stop them from the fate they had laid out for themselves, jumped with them in order to stay with them?

Nao....you didn't even act suicidal...I have so many questions for you, I thought we could have been friends.

I would have liked being your friend.

So why...?

How could someone like him do what he did?

Why did Nao jump?