1 Anniversary

Zenith sat in the quiet confines of the tutoring room trying her hardest to make Biology understandable. 

Currently though, her gaze was fixed on the whiteboard in front of her but her mind was elsewhere. 

"Helloooooo," an annoying voice called out. 

Zenith didn't hear it. 

"Hey, sleepyhead," that voice chirped, breaking through Zenith's reverie.

She blinked, tearing her gaze away from the whiteboard to find Asuka standing beside her, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Zenith had spaced out while looking right at her. 

"You were saying~?" 

"Sorry," Zenith shook her head again, trying to inject some energy into herself. "Lost my train of thought." 

Asuka chuckled which prompted Zenith to glare a little. 

"More like lost sleep. You look like you're gonna faint." 

Zenith turned away. 

"You better pray I don't. Hell, I might just take a little nap right now. Then what are you gonna do?" 

Asuka raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah right. As if you don't want to keep tutoring your cute bestie~" 

With a big, dumb grin, Asuka struck a pose, one hand behind her head, sticking her hip out. 

Rolling her eyes, Zenith shook her head.

"Calling yourself cute isn't cute." 

With a playful pout, Asuka leaned against the edge of the whiteboard, her gaze lingering on Zenith's face.

"If you say so."

Zenith couldn't help but stare for a moment, though, her heart skipping a beat as she took in Asuka's features.

The way her golden hair fell in soft waves around her face, the sparkle of mischief in her sapphire eyes, the graceful curve of her figure, hugged by skintight jeans, short heels, and a crop top.

[Whatever.] 

Zenith did her best to pry her eyes away...

... Failing, naturally. 

Still, as she got back to her actual tutoring, Zenith's voice filled the room, clear and confident as she delved into the intricacies of cellular biology.

"Alright, so let's talk about the cell membrane," she began, her gaze shifting between the whiteboard and Asuka. "It's like the gatekeeper of the cell, controlling what goes in and out. Picture it as a selectively permeable barrier. Kind of like a bouncer at a club."

She sketched out a diagram of a cell membrane and labeled its various components as she spoke.

"Now, the cell membrane is made up of a double layer of phospholipids, with proteins embedded throughout. These proteins act like little gateways, allowing specific molecules to pass through."

Zenith's hands moved with practiced precision as she continued to explain, her words flowing effortlessly.

"But it's not just about letting stuff in and out. The cell membrane also..." 

[Huh?]

Asuka's gaze focused on Zenith as she worked, but despite what Zenith felt was an engaging explanation, her head dropped like she was about to fall asleep. 

Sensing her distraction, Zenith paused mid-sentence, setting down the marker and turning to face Asuka.

"Hey, are you even listening?" she asked, a hint of concern creeping into her voice.

Caught off guard, Asuka blinked, her gaze snapping back to Zenith's face.

"Huh? Oh, um, yeah, of course," she replied, her tone unconvincing.

Zenith arched an eyebrow skeptically. 

"Alright then, pop quiz time. What's the powerhouse of the cell?"

Asuka smirked. 

"Really? What is this, kindergarten?" 

Zenith sighed. 

"Yeah, alright. I think it's time for a break."

At the mention of a break, Asuka's face lit up with excitement, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Yes! Let's go grab some snacks!"

"I mean, we don't want to walk too far away from the room, we still have to renew...." 

Asuka was already marching out. 

"Okay." 

With a resigned sigh, she relented, following Asuka out of the tutoring room and into the bustling halls of Heart's Reach Community College.

---

As Zenith and Asuka stepped out of the college building, students bustled about, chatting and laughing as they made their way to their next classes.

Asuka's eyes lit up with excitement as she glanced around, taking in the sights and sounds of the campus.

"Hey, Zenith, do you mind if we take a picture together?" she asked, pulling out her phone.

Zenith's brow furrowed in confusion.

"A picture? Why?"

Asuka flashed her a playful grin.

"Come on, I want to brag a little." 

"About?" 

"About being BLESSED with your lovely company," Asuka, once again, threw that big, stupid grin her way. 

With a shrug, Zenith relented.

"Uh... sure, why not."

Asuka wasted no time, throwing her arm around Zenith's shoulder and pulling her close.

She felt Asuka's warm touch against her skin, the scent of her perfume filling her senses.

Before Zenith could react, Asuka got onto the tips of her toes and pressed a quick kiss against her cheek, catching her off guard.

She had to stand on her toes like that, of course, given that there was a full head of a height difference between them. 

"H-Hey!" Zenith protested, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

But before she could say anything else, Asuka snapped the picture, her thumb tapping the screen of her phone.

"All done!" Asuka exclaimed, beaming at the image on her phone. "Let's see how it turned out."

Zenith's heart pounded in her chest as Asuka held out the phone for her to see. She couldn't help but feel a pang of apprehension as she caught sight of herself in the photo.

There she was, her disheveled black hair falling like black water over her shoulders, her boring brown eyes staring back at her with a hint of uncertainty, her awkward, slightly square body shape awkwardly squeezed next to Asuka's incredible figure. 

"It's fine," Zenith muttered quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Asuka frowned, sensing Zenith's discomfort.

"Just fine? I think it's adorable!"

With a forced smile, Zenith nodded, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"Yeah, yeah... it's great."

Without another word, Asuka posted the picture to Z, adding a playful caption about their biological adventures.

As the likes and comments began to roll in, Zenith couldn't help but feel a sense of unease gnawing at her insides.

She knew she should be grateful for Asuka's friendship and the moments they shared together. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that she would always be just a shadow in Asuka's radiant light. 

Nothing but a mere backdrop to her friend's vibrant personality and infectious charm.

[I mean, they call it the, uh... Cheerleader Effect or something, right? Cute girls stick with way uglier girls to make themselves look cuter? Is that...?]

"Okay, so," Asuka clapped her hands together, "what are you in the mood for? Italian, Chinese, Mexican...?" 

"I dunno." 

"Italian it is!" 

With a decisive nod, she flagged down a passing waiter and placed their order before turning her attention back to Zenith.

As they sat at their table, the aroma of garlic and tomato sauce filling the air, Asuka launched into a lively recount of her day, regaling Zenith with various tales that... she wasn't particularly interested in. 

"...And then this guy comes up to me and tries to flirt," Asuka exclaimed, her voice tinged with amusement. "But let me tell you, he was doing a horrible job. I couldn't stop laughing!"

As Asuka continued to talk, Zenith found her mind drifting, the sound of her friend's voice fading into the background, once again. 

"Zenith? Hey, are you alright?"

Asuka's voice pulled Zenith back to the present, her words bring Zenith back from the clouds. 

Blinking in confusion, Zenith shook her head slightly, forcing herself to focus on Asuka. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she replied, offering Asuka a weak smile.

Asuka studied her for a moment, concern etched in her features.

"Are you sure? You seemed...distracted."

Zenith waved off her concern with a dismissive gesture.

"It's nothing. I was just... thinking about something." 

Asuka nodded, accepting Zenith's explanation without further question.

"Anyway, as I was saying, this guy asks me if I want to go out sometime."

The words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Zenith's heart seemed to stop.

"Do you plan on accepting?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Asuka shook her head, a playful smirk curling at the corners of her lips.

"No way. He was nice enough, but definitely not my type."

A wave of relief washed over Zenith, though she couldn't quite explain why.

"Oh..." she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Another word followed that. 

One that started with "g". 

But, Zenith said it so quietly, Asuka didn't hear. 

---

As Zenith and Asuka kept walking, their conversation was interrupted by the sight of a familiar figure approaching them. It was a tall, lean young man with fiery red hair and piercing green eyes.

As he drew nearer, a warm smile spread across his face, and Zenith felt a pang of discomfort in the pit of her stomach.

She didn't know much about him but she could guess the most important parts. 

"Hey, Asuka," he greeted, his voice smooth and confident. "Long time no see."

Asuka's smile faltered slightly at the sight of him, but she quickly regained her composure, returning his greeting with a polite nod.

"H-Hey, Dylan. What's up?" she asked, her tone casual.

Dylan shrugged, his gaze shifting to Zenith for a moment before returning to Asuka.

"Just passing through, thought I'd say hi," he replied, his eyes lingering on Asuka for a moment longer than necessary, and then passing to her unremarkable friend. 

Zenith shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, feeling like an intruder in their conversation.

"You wanna grab a coffee or something?" The boy asked. 

Asuka hesitated for a moment, her expression unreadable as she considered his offer.

Zenith held her breath, feeling a knot of tension form in the pit of her stomach.

But before Asuka could respond, Zenith felt a surge of relief as her friend shook her head, her voice firm but polite.

"Sorry, Dylan, I'm busy tonight," she said, offering him a small smile.

Dylan's expression flickered with annoyance for a moment before he shrugged, trying to play it off.

"Ah, no worries. Maybe some other time," he replied, though there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

With a nod, he bid them farewell and turned to walk away, disappearing into the crowd without a second glance.

Zenith nearly breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Oh? Were you afraid I'd say 'yes'?" Asuka asked, aiming one of those annoyingly bright grins her way. 

"No." Zenith tried to reply firmly. Apparently, she wasn't too convincing. 

She'd assumed this was an old boyfriend of Asuka's. 

Mainly, because Asuka had plenty of those. 

Asuka's expression softened, a hint of nostalgia flickering in her eyes.

"Dylan's just an old friend. We used to date back in high school, but things didn't work out."

"Uh, okay. Dunno why you told me that but, cool." 

Asuka shrugged, a wistful smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"You looked like you wanted to know." 

"I couldn't care less." 

"Yeah?" Asuka leaned in close, looking up into Zenith's brown eyes with a smile. "I wonder about that." 

[Jesus Christ, get away from me. I can't handle this.] 

---

The sun dipped low on the horizon, the fading light casting long shadows across the pavement.

They walked side by side, their footsteps echoing softly against the quiet hum of the evening.

As they strolled along, they heard the distant wail of sirens cutting through the evening air. At first, it was a single ambulance, its siren echoing off the buildings in mournful tones.

Zenith glanced up, her brow furrowing in concern as she tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. But before she could voice her thoughts, another siren joined the chorus, then another, until the air was filled with the cacophony of multiple emergency vehicles converging on a single location.

Asuka's gaze flickered to Zenith, her expression mirroring the concern etched on her friend's face.

"That sounds serious," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Zenith nodded in agreement, her heart sinking with a sense of unease that she couldn't quite shake.

"Yeah... I hope everyone's okay."

Asuka glanced over at Zenith, her expression somber.

"Hey, did you hear about the news today?"

Zenith shook her head, her gaze fixed on the ground ahead.

"No, what happened?"

Asuka's voice was tinged with concern as she spoke.

"There's this weird disease that's been discovered up in Starlight City. It sends people into a coma, just like that." She snapped her fingers. 

Zenith's brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't seem overly concerned.

"Huh, that's strange... I guess." 

Asuka nodded, but her gaze lingered on Zenith, a flicker of worry in her eyes.

"By the way, uh, are you alright? You seem...distant."

Almost immediately as she said that Zenith's mind drifted again, her thoughts consumed by memories of a day long past.

A day she would never forget.

She remembered the sterile, antiseptic smell of the hospital, the harsh fluorescent lights that cast everything in a stark, unforgiving glow.

She remembered the sound of machines beeping in the background, the steady rhythm of her sister's heartbeat growing weaker with each passing moment.

And then, she remembered the moment when it all came crashing down.

When she watched helplessly as her sister slipped away, her hand growing cold in Zenith's grasp.

"Zenith?"

Asuka's voice pulled her back to the present, and Zenith blinked, shaking herself out of her reverie.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

But Asuka knew better. She knew the pain that Zenith carried with her, the weight of loss that hung heavy on her shoulders.

"It's been rough this year, hasn't it?" Asuka said softly, her voice filled with empathy.

Zenith nodded, her gaze dropping to the ground once more.

"Yeah, it has."

Today was that day, after all. 

The anniversary of Zenith's sister's passing. 

It was usually hard to stay focused, but normally, Zenith wouldn't even be out of her home on this day. 

Were it not for the woman standing before her. The woman who, unprompted, walked up and embraced Zenith right now, wrapping her arms around her friend in a comforting hug.

The woman who'd pulled Zenith out of the hole that event had pushed her mind into. 

It was a debt she owed Asuka that she would probably never be able to pay back. 

"It's okay," Asuka whispered. "It's okay." 

A single tear slipped out from Zenith's eye as she returned the hug. 

"Yeah," Zenith replied, letting out a deep breath. "It'll be fine." 

In her mind, she added: 

[As long as you're around, it'll be fine.]