Stars shine the brightest during a supernova
this is crossposted from ao3
warning there is one misspelling i only corrected on ao3 and not my notes so i dont remember where it is, ignore it
this fic is gonna be 10x better if youre listening to first love/late spring from mitski while reading it
also if you take this in a shipping way i will personally murder you
as much as we dont want to admit it, the most powerful moment for everything in the universe is when they are the most vulnerable. The most common example of this would be a supernova, a stars death. As dust clouds drift away from their original position, the former star gives off bright light, light so bright it would blind you the moment you looked at it.
humans are no exception of this fundamental law. we never see someone truely, until they finally let themselves be vulnerable and break down.
this especially was the case for one person, Yoshi Nanase. Everyone knew him as Nanashi, nevertheless, everyone had separate opinions of him. Some thought he was weird, some people loved him, may it be a little too much. Out of all the people he knew and had grown to care for, only 2 people knew him, or atleast, one of them believed she had known him.
Misane had known Nanashi for awhile, wether it was in the year 2230 or in the year 2222, she believed she had known him. She couldnt have been farther from the truth, until the day she had finally gotten Nanashi to break down and finally let himself be vulnerable around someone.
Almost everyone knew Nanashi wasn't alright mentally. From his comments about him hating himself, to the small comments hes made about how much he had been bullied. What most people didn't know though, is that even with his small comments on his mental health, very few people had seem him when he let himself be vulnerable.
The truth was, even with how much he loved everyone, not everyone had loved him. After he had dropped out of middle school due to bullying, he had learnt to hide his emotions from people, all so he wouldnt get hurt again. If he let himself be too vulnerable, he would just end up back where he started, being bullied to the point he was constantly coming home with bruises and other small injuries.
up until summer, the only person he had ever let himself be someone vulnerable around was his cousin, Mikado. Of course, Mikado already knew Nanashi was hiding his emotions, they were the same after all. Mikado couldnt say anything though, not like its easy to tell your younger self youre from the future.
But, that one summer, had changed everything for Nanashi. Who wouldve guessed finding a girl in your bed one day would change the entire course of fate. Misane was also pretty aware of Nanashis mental problems, but not as well as she believed she did. She had known him in the future, but the version who she was standing next to in the control room at the top of the 307 tower right now, was a completely different person.
"The control room is up a head"
They were in a comfortable silence up until this point, so the sudden words caught the white-haired boys attention. Why say something now?
"hm? Misane-chan?"
The shorter girl lowered her head ever so slightly, before turning to Nanashi "first let me apologize," She had started "I hid many things from you. Even if it caused you to hate me, even if it caused you to lose trust in me... I did it wholly out of the desire to help you, Nanashi."
Obviously considering how much Nanashi had loved misane, albeit platonically, he didn't get the comment. He couldnt hate her even if he wanted to. What he also didnt get, is why Misane had gone out of her way to help him so often.
"... why?"
"What I feared most was... that you would choose to vanish from this world. That... that was scarier than anything."
Nanashi let out a small, sad, laugh before continuing the conversation
"No, I was wondering why you went that far for me?"
"well, thats as I said before." Misane quickly caught on to the fact Nanashi wasnt alright in this moment. "...it was quite embarrassing to say"
"Still, if that troubled you, Misane-chan... If it made you unhappy, I'd hate that"
Nanashis expression quickly changed. He almost immediately went from the usually happy, yet off putting guy, she thought she had known, to finally showing how he truely felt. His voice tone also changed with him, normally it was very bouncy and higher pitched, but, he had lost the spark in his voice.
"I dont want to meddle to much in people being happy or not. But I couldnt stand it if I was responsible for troubling them," The taller boy had glanced away from her before continuing, "It wouldn't matter if and when I vanished. Like everyone says, I'm worthless. I don't think anything of being unhappy, I dont mind"
Nanashi had tried to add a small laugh onto the end to make it seem more lighthearted than it was. Though, it almost made it sadded.
It was obvious to Misane at that point he was lying. She knew he was affected by how people thought of him, no matter how much he lied and said he wasn't bothered.
Nanashi had finally looked back to her, "so why..? Dont be so nice to the likes of me"
"... Is that all you wanted to say?"
"I dont have a name. I dont have a 'me'. I want to fit in like someones lost puzzle piece"
"All pieces have their own shape. Even you.... have one"
Nanashi had began to slowly back up from her, out of instinct.
"I know. The more time people spend with me, the more they begin to feel a certain feeling. one they didnt start with."
Everything Nanashi had started saying hurt Misane, more than his self deprecating comments already did
"And thats fine. In fact, its correct! I dont know why theres something wrong. so it must be myself whos wrong"
He began laughing. Not in a cute or funny way, but in a way that made Misanes stomach clench. She hated how he can go on about stuff like this, then just laugh. For Nanashi however, he was only laughing to keep himself from crying.
"Out of billions, im all alone. It doesnt matter i f I exist or not, does it?"
"Are you done!?"
Misane had stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. Nanashi had stumbled backwards, he wasn't exactly expecting her to pull him into a hug like this.
"...misane-chan?"
She had moved her chin onto his shoulder, it was comfier for them both. Misane had continued to hold him like that in silence for a few moments to give him time to process the sudden embrace from his best friend
"I told you before, I like you. So I want you to know sorrow from happiness! It wouldnt be any burden at all on me!"
Nanashi had finally returned the embrace, even if not fully
" You aren't worthless. Someone said you were just like a program - but he was wrong!
Nanashi, you're just clumsy, a little slow, overeager"
Misane had finally begun to slow down her scentences.
"A little cowardly... and too kind. that's all"
"no... dont do this. I don't know what to do..."
Nanashi didn't know how to react. He was so used to everyone constantly making fun of him or physically hurting him. He wasn't used to actually being cared for.
"I dont know what I'm supposed to do here... what is this..?"
"thats your heart. Its your self" Misane was releaved she had gotten through to him. Even if it pained her in the process
"You arent nameless. Youre Yoshi Nanase! the Yoshi Nanase... who I... love. ... You can show yourself. More and more of yourself!"
Nanashi had wrapped his arms tighter around her, properly returning the hug
"So can I... laugh?"
"yes"
"can I yell?"
"yes"
Nanashi knew what he wanted to say next. even if he was terrified to. He had buried his face into the smaller girls shoulder
"well... can I... cry?"
"yes."
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