Chapter Text
The morning bell clanged through the corridors of Yukigakko High and students scattered toward their classrooms. Akita Neru walked at a steady deliberate speed with her arms folded and gold eyes flicking left and right in a glaze of boredom and faint annoyance. She was not late, not that she would care if she was. What she did care about however was control - over how she looked, over how she acted, and above all else, over how much of her real self anyone saw.
Classmates labelled her one of the "pretty" girls, yet the label felt empty. Her friends always eclipsed her. Hatsune Miku attracted people without effort through an easy charm. Kasane Teto left no space for anyone else with her bold confidence and loud voice that others couldn't help but hear (for better or for worse). So even when Neru tried to stand out (which was often, though she would never admit), her efforts would flop, much like herself it seemed. She hid the sting behind quick remarks, eye rolls, scoffs, and sharp comments that pushed people beyond arm's length away.
"Another day, another flock of idiots" Neru murmured while she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She hoped nobody had heard her snarky comment. She didn't like letting others know she was irked because of life.
Farther along the hallway, Miku was next to Teto, talking without strain and laughing at small jokes. Neru caught some of it, like how Miku chuckled at some small jabs from Teto and how she flipped her hair in mock annoyance. Neru felt nothing. They were friends yes, but they often failed to see the quiet maelstrom that churned within her.
To any onlooker the three girls resembled an ordinary set of companions - Miku's warmth offset Teto's vigour, while Neru supplied the cutting voice of reason (laced with a bit of cynicism). No one could guess that Neru carried frustration beyond-surface-level based off just her looks. Sure she was always a little snippy, the tsundere type, but to people she was always that way, so they payed no mind. Most thought she was just a sour person, never once considering why exactly she was so sour. She wasn't jealous of her friends, she told herself. She simply recognized how unfair life was.
As classes began, the routine of the day started flowing smoothly around her, with a few hiccups thanks to her pencil lead snapping, causing her much frustration. Neru moved through her classes with her usual precision, keeping her responses measured and curt, albeit with a little bit of a bite. She didn't interact with everyone, but she didn't isolate herself either. Friends like Miku and Teto were part of her world, companions she tolerated… and sometimes appreciated (though she'd never admit it) But even their companionship did little to take away the little irritations of being "underrated" in a school that thrived on attention.
By lunchtime, she was sitting with Miku and Teto, pretending to laugh at their jokes and tossing back remarks with her typical snappy wit. Her mask was perfectly in place. She smiled when she needed to, made clever jabs when appropriate, and kept the rest of her thoughts tucked away safely. She would never admit it, even to herself, but somewhere deep down, she wondered what it would feel like to be seen - not just looked at, not just acknowledged, but to be truly seen and heard - to be truly noticed.
And yet, she stayed silent. That was the way she liked it.