Scaredy-cat

The evening sky painted hues of orange and purple as Yui trudged down the narrow street leading to her home. As she approached her door, she noticed an unexpected sight – Nene, sitting on the floor, leaning against the peeling paint.

"Hey," Yui grunted, acknowledging Nene's presence without much fanfare.

"Yui-chan!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet. "Fancy meeting you here."

Yui shot her a deadpan look. "This is where I live. It's not exactly a surprise." she rolled her eyes, unlocking her apartment door.

Nene followed her with a laugh. "I missed you a lot, you know~?"

Yui ignored the teasing, toeing off her worn-out sneakers. "You look a bit roughed up," she observed, eyeing the bandages peeking from beneath Nene's uniform.

Nene waved it off with a casual grin. "Hero stuff, you know?"

Ako, Yui's cat, usually a source of irritation for Nene, maintained its stoic loaf position, ears twitching to acknowledge their entrance but otherwise unmoving.

"That's rare. Ako not in the mood to hassle me today," Nene remarked, nudging Yui with an elbow.

Yui shot her a look. "Maybe Ako's finally figured out you're not worth the effort."

Nene feigned offense, a hand on her chest. "Harsh words, Yui-chan. I thought we were friends."

Yui scoffed, heading to the small kitchen. "Friends don't let friends get on their nerves all the time."

"I consider you more than a friend, though~" said the catgirl.

"Ugh" Yui groaned. How come that girl could say things like that so casually?

Nene plopped down on the floor, eyeing Yui with a cheeky grin. "So, how's the glamorous life of a hero intern treating you?"

Yui, occupied with the task of preparing tea, grunted in response. "Exhausting."

Nene's playful grin didn't waver. "But?" she prodded.

Yui shot her a glare. "But what?"

Nene leaned in, "There's always a 'But' during these sort of talks!"

Yui, annoyed, muttered something unintelligible under her breath, prompting Nene to inch even closer. "Hmm? What was that?"

Yui's face flushed, a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "It's not that bad, okay? I'm kind of... having fun..."

Nene's eyes widened in mock surprise. "There it is, the cuteness I needed~"

Yui's embarrassment transformed into irritation. "Shut up, Nene."

Nene laughed, undeterred by Yui's defensiveness. "It's fine. Seeing you happy makes me happy."

Nene's relentless chatter filled the air, a constant stream that Yui couldn't escape even if she tried. Despite her complaints and grumbling, there was an underlying warmth to the banter, a familiarity that both embraced and irked Yui in equal measure.

As they settled into the cozy room, Yui couldn't help but notice the subtle signs of weariness in Nene's movements. The bags under her eyes, the way her shoulders slumped just a tad more than usual.

Yui changed the topic. "Alright, enough teasing. What do you want, Nene?"

Nene feigned innocence, batting her eyelashes. "What do you mean? I just dropped by to say hi."

Yui rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "You don't just wait outside someone's door for god knows how long and without sending any messages for no reason. Spit it out."

"Maybe I just missed your charming company?"

As Nene delved into her bag with the enthusiasm of a treasure hunter unearthing a rare gem, Yui sighed audibly. What was she thinking? Asking a question like that was not something she'd usually do.

With a triumphant flourish, Nene presented her creation – a diminutive, handmade Yui doll. Its proportions were endearingly inaccurate, capturing the essence of Yui's tough exterior with a comically oversized frown.

"Is that supposed to be me?" Yui deadpanned.

Nene nodded with a proud smile. "One hundred percent accurate representation of Yui Sagara! I wanted to make it cuter, but there's no way it would come close to your actual cuteness, so I opted to make it funny."

Yui reluctantly took the doll in her hands, turning it over as if inspecting a piece of evidence. "You've got way too much time on your hands."

Nene waved off Yui's complaints. "Details, don't worry about them. Now, the real question is, where are you going to put it? Are you gonna sleep with it?"

"Idiot, it's way too tiny for that."

"So you're telling me you have considered it just now?"

"Ugh..."

As Yui examined the doll, Nene's tone shifted. "By the way, I made one for Hiro too. Gave it to him the last time I saw him."

"Is that so?" said Yui absentmindedly, as she was focused on evaluating Nene's work.

"Yeah, took me a few nights to get them just right. And let me tell you, after attempting to make these myself, I have a newfound appreciation for your craftsmanship, Yui-chan."

Nene's voice, initially light-hearted, now carried a weight Yui hadn't anticipated. "You know, after I saw those dolls you made for Christmas, I figured that if I tried maybe we could have a hobby together or something. Just thought it might be... nice, you know?"

Nene's voice trailed off, the cheerfulness draining away like water slipping through fingers. The once-boisterous girl now appeared smaller.

Nene leaned back against the wall. "You know, I got into the hero course through a special recommendation. People saw potential in my quirk, and I guess they thought I could do something good with it."

Yui, unaccustomed to such moments of emotional openness, felt a slight discomfort settling in the room.

Nene glanced down at her hands. "During my internships and all, I did hero stuff, sure. But it was always under the eyes of pros. They were there to guide, to intervene if things got too messy."

A wistful smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Getting my provisional license felt like a step forward, you know? Like, 'Hey, you're a hero now, go out there and make a difference.'"

She took a deep breath.

"So, you know about that big villain attack a few days ago, right?" she began, her tone more serious than the usual playful banter.

"Fushimi Ward," Yui thought to herself. The recent villain attack had cast a long shadow over the city. The media had offered few details about the event though. It was almost as if there was a soft cover up over it.

"I guess, they thought my quirk could be useful. You know, with the whole misfortune thing. It could be useful to hinder the actions of the villains," she continued. The usual mischievous glint in her eyes was replaced by a more somber gaze.

"So, there I was, in the midst of all the other heroes. Saurus, this big-shot pro, was there too. It was... intense," Nene said, her words trailing off as she relived the memory.

"I've faced villains before, nasty ones too," she admitted, her tone hushed. "But that time... it was different. A villain, but not like anything I'd ever seen. That villain... that thing. It looked at me, Yui. Right in the eyes."

A shiver passed through her, and she hugged herself as if to ward off the lingering chill. "I froze. It was like time stopped, and all I could see were those eyes. Pure malice, like it wanted to consume everything. In that moment, I felt so small, so powerless."

She hugged herself, seeking comfort from the lingering chill of that memory. "If it weren't for Saurus, I... I don't even want to think about it," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "He reminded me of what I had to do. Without him, I wouldn't have gotten Kaga out in time."

Nene's voice caught, and she took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. Yui, sitting next to her, felt an unfamiliar knot in her stomach. She had seen Nene in action, always confident and cheeky, but this was a side she hadn't witnessed before – so much fear.

Yui awkwardly reached out, her hand hovering uncertainly before finally patting Nene's shoulder. It was a clumsy attempt at comfort, accompanied by a mumbled, "You did what you had to do, right? Saved Kaga and all. I'm sure you did your best."

"I don't feel like my best would have been enough..."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself. It was a big operation, and you did save the others right?"

Nene looked up, a mix of gratitude and sadness in her eyes. "Yeah, I guess I did ," she echoed, managing a faint smile. "Thanks, Yui. You're terrible at comforting others though, but I appreciate it."

Yui scratched her head. "Excuse me for not being used to stuff like this."

"Sorry..."

Nene's fingers traced the edges of the doll in Yui's hands. She tried her best to change the topic, feeling like she had overwhelmed Yui.

"This is actually the third attempt," she admitted, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Every time I heard a noise at night, I'd get so startled that I'd mess up my progress."

Yui chuckled, leaning back. "I know the feeling. Ako here managed to scare me sometimes while I was busy."

"Really?"

Yui grinned. "Yeah, but that was a long time ago. Just need to get used to things. It's not like you're gonna jump every time you hear your parents move around the house."

"Nah, they're never home. That's why I've been getting so scared at every little sound."

Yui fidgeted awkwardly, a bit unsure of how to navigate the situation. "Look, it's not like that villain is gonna come back for you. You've got the other pros, you've got your friends, and... well, you've got me now, I guess."

Nene's eyes softened, appreciating the sentiment.

"And, uh, you can drop by whenever, too. I mean, if you ever feel like it."

Nene perked up at the idea, a small spark of hope glinting in her eyes. However, Yui, feeling the need to clarify, quickly stumbled over her words. "Not that you should get the wrong idea or anything. It's just, you know, maybe we could... I don't know, work on improving your crafts or something. It's annoying to think about all the materials you've probably wasted, and, uh, I've got some tips to share. Plus, you could help me with homework, so..."

She scratched the back of her head, her face a light shade of pink. Nene, however, seemed genuinely pleased at the prospect. "Yeah, that sounds great. I'd love to learn more, and it's always nice to have some company. I mean, who wouldn't want to learn from a pro like you?"

Yui's embarrassment intensified, but she managed a sheepish grin. "Pro might be pushing it, but I'll take the compliment. Just don't expect any sugarcoating. I'm not really the nurturing type, you know?"

Nene chuckled, a warmth returning to her eyes. "Wouldn't have it any other way... Thanks."

"Next time, give me a heads up before a talk like this," Yui mumbled, still holding the doll in her hands. "I just... I'm not used to this kind of stuff, okay?"