Ryuko Quest

>You're a no-star student at Honnouj Academy
>You live in the slums, but you're told you have promise if you don't slack off
>Your plan is to rise through the ranks and make a better life for yourself
>After walking into class, you look around
>Damn, all the seats are taken
>All but one
>There's a solitary seat between the window and a girl with a single red bang from her otherwise dark hair
>She looks familiar. You recall seeing her around the school a couple times, but never really paid her much attention
>What was her name? Ryo-somethingorother? Whatever. It doesn't matter
>You proceed to make your way to the window
>You stop in front of the desk you plan to sit at and glance over at her
>She seems bored, and kind of out of it
>You wave a hand briefly to catch her attention
"Hey, mind if I sit here?"
>She glances over to you with a half-lidded stare
>"Hm? Yeah, sure."
>You take your seat and she goes right back to spacing out
>The bell rings and you both open your textbooks
>You weren't exactly sure what is was, but you had a feeling today was going to be a good day

>You're staring out the window at the boring landscape below, about to doze off
>Suddenly, you feel a poke on your shoulder
>The girl sitting next to you gestures to her broken pencil
>"Hey, do you have an extra pencil I can use?"
>You shrug and hand her yours
"I don't have an extra, but you can take mine."
>She raises her eyebrows in surprise
>"You sure? What're you going to write with then?"
>You wave your wand in a dismissive gesture
"I'll be fine. This class is my easiest one anyway."
>"Well, if you say so."
>She takes the pencil from you and nods her thanks
>"You're lucky. I don't get any of this. Not one bit."
>She groans and ruffles her hair in frustration
>Her overzealous display amuses you a bit, prompting you to chuckle
>She glares at you
>"What's so funny?!"
"Nothing, nothing. What part don't you understand? Maybe I can help."
>She points in the textbook
>"This section right here. I'd ask Mako for help but..."
>She jabs her thumb in the direction of a girl with a bowl cut sitting next to her, happily snoozing away
"Alright, let's start from the beginning..."
>A couple hours later, the bell for lunch rings and you pack up your stuff
>The girl you were helping is almost out the door before she stops and turns around to face you
>"Hey man, thanks for the help today. What was your name again?"
"I'm Anonymous, but some people call me Anon for short. And yours?"
>"Ryuko. See ya later Anon!"
"Later!"
>And with that, you make your way to the food court

>Outside, you take a seat on some concrete and open up your bag to remove your lunch
>Only to find a lunch isn't there
>Shit
>Your stomach starts to grumble
>You could've sworn you remembered packing something today
>Did you really forget?
>You slide helplessly onto the ground, spread out like a starfish
"Foooood..."
>A dark shadow looms over you
>You slowly open your eyes to see it's that girl from earlier, Ryuko
>And not just that, she's handing a box of croquettes to you
>"Hey Anon, consider this an official thanks for the help earlier."
>HALLELUJAH
>The girl who was sleeping, Mako, takes the spotlight and crosses her arms
>"Ryuko told me about how you helped her in class today, and then I saw you with no food just now! Mako always brings two lunches for herself because she needs to grow up into a strong healthy woman! But I've decided to sacrifice that, just for today! It's not right for someone to be without food, especially a friend of Ryuko's! And a friend of Ryuko's is a friend of mine! So eat up!"
>Her speech is followed by a flurry of movement that you can barely keep track of. What you do comprehend doesn't make any sense to you
>After she's finished, you blink at the pair of them and smile
>It takes all of your manpower to not start crying and hugging them and pigging out on the food, but your able to restrain yourself
"Thanks Mako. That's really thoughtful of you."
>Mako waves her arms
>"Don't thank me, it was all Ryuko's idea!"
>Your attention goes to Ryuko who sheepishly looks away and scratches her head
>"I mean...it's not THAT big of deal, you just helped me earlier and..."
>She notices you staring and forces the box into your hands
>"Oh shut up and start eating!"
>You don't need to be told twice

>The three of you spend your lunch period together, talking and laughing about a wide variety of things
>Before long, the bell rings and you all are start walking back to class
>The rest of the day passes like any other would. You listen to the lecture of the teachers, take some notes...etc.
>The sun begins getting close to the horizon, bathing the world with an orange light as the last bell of the day rings
>"Hey Anon, wait up!"
"Hm? Oh, hey Ryuko!"
>After catching up, she matches her pace to yours
>"Blegh, these classes are so BORING. I thought they'd never end."
>You look around briefly
"Hey, where's Mako?"
>"She left early to help out her mom with making dinner. Their family is bigger than most so they've gotta make a lot of extra food."
"Gotcha Are you going to help out your mom?"
>Ryuko suddenly gets quiet
>You look over and see her face dark and cloudy
>"My mom's been dead for years."
>You're taken aback quite a bit by this. In an attempt to lighten the mood, you try changing the subject
"Well...at least you've got your dad, right?"
>This seems to only make it worse
>"My dad was killed a few months ago."
>Well...shit
"I'm...I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
>She sucks in some air and sighs before smiling at you
>"Eh, it's fine. Don't worry about it. I live with Mako and her family, so I'm not alone."
>She stops abruptly, bringing you to a stop as well
>"Hey, look at that! You walked me home! What a gentleman!"
>She playfully slaps your back and turn away in embarrassment
"I was just following you."
>She readjusts her pack and stands at the doorway
>"Well hey, since you're here, wanna come in? I could use a bit more help with my homework."
"Yeah, sure."
>You nod and follow her in

>"WELCOME HOME RYUKO!"
>A projectile Mako comes flying over in the general direction of the doorway
>Ryuko smoothly sidesteps and Mako slams into you, causing you both to crash and tumble through the house
>You feel like a little kid being tackled by a tiger
>Her nuzzling may be cute, but her tight hug feels like the jaws of death
"MAKO...YOU'RE...CHOKING ME..."
>Mako releases her grip and smiles
>"Oh, hi Anon! When did you get here?"
>You roll your eyes and turn your attention to a giggling Ryuko
"Dammit, you set me up, didn't you?!"
>"Sorry, it was either going me or you."
>Mako blinks and jumps off of you, accidentally stepping on your groin
>"I've gotta help mom finish dinner!"
>You roll over and moan in agony
"WHY..."
>Ryuko is doing her best not to laugh, but the effort is pretty much pointless
"This is your fault."
>She rolls you over and helps you sit up
>"Sorry, sorry..."
>You glare at her, but her smile makes it hard to stay mad at her
>You clear your throat and open up your bag
"Alright, let's get started."
>She makes a face, but pulls her bag open as well
>Once you get comfortable, you start your own personal tutoring session

>"I'm bored."
"Aw, come on it's not that bad. Let's finish up this chapter at least."
>Ryuko groans and rolls over onto her back
>You decide to continue
"Alright, and then you-"
>A wad of paper hits your face
"What the-?"
>You glance over and see Ryuko throwing crumbled balls of paper at you
"Hey! Stop that!"
>Your pleas are meaningless however, as the assault of never-ending paper continues
"Alright, two can play at this game!"
>You scoop up some of the paper balls that had fallen on the ground and hurl them back at her
>She manages to dodge the majority of them, but you feel a twinge of satisfaction as a few hit their mark
>The all out war of paper continues for a little while longer
>Then Mako appears out of nowhere right in the middle, getting pelted with all of the paper balls
>Ryuko and you both cringe, but Mako seems utterly unfazed
>"Dinner's ready!"
"Aw shoot, what time is it?"
>You look outside and see the sun has already gone down
>"It's okay Anon, there's always room at the Mankanshoku table!"
"Are you sure? I don't want to impose..."
>"Nonsense!"
>You're practically dragged to the table by Mako
"Hey, hold on! Wait!"
>Before you even realize what just happened, everyone has begun eating
>"Eat up Anon, or Guts will eat all of your food!"
>You look down and see a small dog helping himself to your plate
"Hey!"
>You push him aside and begin eating like the maniac everyone else at the table is

>After dinner, a pile of clothes are thrust into your arms
"What are these?"
>"They're pajamas, silly! It's too dark outside to go home!"
"Y-you want me to spend the night?!"
>Mako nods energetically
"Well, I mean...I guess I could."
>You glance over to the bathroom and see Ryuko already changed into orange bunny pajamas
>Holy shit that is so damn cute
>She blushes a bit and turns away from you
>"Wh-what?! I'm not gonna sleep in my school clothes!"
>You quickly turn away, realizing you're staring
>And Mako is already changed
"CRAP that was fast!"
>You get changed and walk over to the general sleeping area to see the lights are out
>Not much room is given for you to lie down in
>You may have to sleep in the hallway
>A hand grabs your wrist and pulls you to the floor
>Your face is right in front of Ryuko's, who is blushing madly
>"You can sleep next to me tonight, but if you try anything funny..."
>She points a large red sword at you
>You nod dutifully
"U-understood."
>"Good."
>She puts the sword away and stretches. Not too much later, you can hear her tiny snores
>It's a tight fit, but somehow that provides comfort
>Soon, you too fall asleep

>You slowly open your eyes
>At first you wonder where you are. This doesn't look like your house at all
>But as you wipe the sleep from your eyes, your senses return
>And you feel the body of another on you, snoozing peacefully
>You slowly look over and you see Ryuko's head using your chest as a pillow
>Your heartbeat gets a little faster and you consider your options
>You could leave her like this until she wakes up, but she might not be too happy knowing you let her sleep like this
>Deciding it's the best course of action, you gently shake her
"Ryuko..."
>She stirs a little bit, yawns and stretches and looks up at you blissfully
>You two share eye contact for a little while before the realilization hits her
>She jumps up and her blade is pointed at your neck
>She's blushing like a maniac
>"P-p-p-p-pervert!"
>You furrow your brow, taking slight offense
"Hey, I had the decency to wake up you instead of letting you sleep like that, didn't I?! Besides, it was YOU who was sleeping on ME."
>Mako yawns and sits up
"Hey hey hey...what's with all of the racket...?"
>She puts her blade away and turns away from you, but her face is still red enough to be noticeable in the dark room
>"Let's...let's just get ready for school."
"Agreed."
>Ryuko, Mako, and you eat your breakfast, get dressed, pack up your bags and make your way to the academy
"Y'know, it's kind of nice to have some friends to walk to school with."
>Mako pokes her head in your direction
>"You didn't have any before?"
>You sadly shake your head. You've been a bit of a loner up until this point, but you didn't really know what you were missing
>"Well then, it's decided!"
>Mako hooks her arms around you and Ryuko
>"From now on, we'll all spend more time with each other!"
>You look over at your new friends and smile
"Yeah...I'd like that."

>Later in the day, the three of you are walking to your next class when you're stopped by a club president
>They bear a 2-star uniform, and you can't help but begin to get a little nervous
>Ryuko seems relaxed about it though, to the point of folding her arms behind her head
>"Alright, alright, whaddya want?"
>"Matoi! I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to senpai!"
>You step forward, ready to intervene but Mako stops you
>"Ryuko's got this, don't worry!"
>http://youtu.be/-SSz_F5wOiM [Embed]
>"LIFE FIBER SYNCHRONIZE! SENKETSU!"
>When you look at Ryuko again, you nearly have a hear attack
>Her thighs, waist, hips, breasts, butt and any other lady parts aren't covered as they normaly would be
"I...WH-"
>With a single swing, she completely tears up the 2-star uniform and leaves the club president scampering away
>"Heh, it seems these guys have gotten easier lately."
>You can't help it. Blood is gushing from your nose freely and your jaw is hanging open
>Ryuko notices this and punches you, her face very much red
>"Stop staring at me like that, you pervert!"
>You could've sworn you felt your ribs crack
>She changes back into her regular clothes just as quickly as she'd transformed
"What WAS that?!"
>She folds her arms and pouts for a moment, before deciding you've had enough of the silent treatment
>"That was my kamui. Pretty good, eh?"
>She gestures to her clothes and you nod dumbly
"Look, sorry for staring it's just...it's not everyday you see your friend transform and show off more skin than usual."
>She smiles and lightly punches you in the arm
>"Man, you really ARE a pervert."
>She begins walking away, prompting you to chase after her
"Hey, even if I'm a pervert at least I'm not an exhibitionist."
>"And there's nothing wrong with that!"
>You both pause before laughing at Mako's sudden interjection, and continue to class

>The day goes by much like the previous, until it's over and time to go home again
"Well guys, I guess I should get going."
>They both look your way and frown
"Aww, do you really have to go back home?"
"Yeah, I do. Sorry Mako, but my family probably misses me."
>"Alright...see ya tomorrow Anon."
"See ya Mako, later Ryuk-"
>She's not there
"Huh. Guess she already left."
>You open the door to your house
"I'm home!"
>But there's no response
>And there never would be
>You've been living alone since you came to Honnouji Academy. Hell, your family wasn't even in the same region
>What you told them about your family missing you was a lie
>No one missed you, and no one ever would
>You fall to your knees and your eyes start to water
>"...Anon?"
>You turn around and see Ryuko standing at your doorway, stunned
>Shit, you forgot to close the door
>You turn around and frantically wipe your eyes, hoping she won't notice, but knowing it's futile
>"Anon, were you crying just now?"
"NO!"
>She crosses her arms, not having any of your bullshit as most good friends will do
"Maybe a little..."
>She walks over and helps you up
"Yesterday, you talking about not having any parents... I can kind of relate. They may be alive, but they don't care about me. I haven't seen them in years..."
>Ryuko's face has shifted to one of sad empathy
>"Why didn't you come back with us then?"
"I didn't want to burden you guys with having me around."
>She gives a quick half-hug, probably to avoid getting to sentimental
>"Anon, you're not a burden. Now c'mon, let's go home."
>She leads you out the door and the two of you walk to your new home

>You could really get used to having a family that cared about you
>But you could ESPECIALLY get used to cuddling with Ryuko every night
>Your not sure if she knows she does it, but after she falls asleep you treats you like a body pillow
>But just when did you become okay with it?
>You've noticed you have a stronger affection for Ryuko than Mako, and you're not sure why
>You think long and hard about this one night as her arms are wrapped around you
>Then, it hits you
>That shit hits you like a fucking brick wall
>You look over at her sleeping, and see her deep breaths
>And it's in that moment that you realize you love her
>Whether or not she feels the same way doesn't matter, you're going to do everything in your power to make her happy
>You fluff her hair a little bit as you make your silent promise to her
>This causes her to squeeze you tighter
>You can't help but smile
"Goodnight Ryuko."
>It might have been faint, or maybe it didn't even happen at all
>But for a moment, it looked like she smiled

>A couple of weeks have passed, with them being mostly the same
>Occasionally, Ryuko has taken down a couple club presidents
>It's gotten to the point where they don't even faze you anymore
>You're usually seen cheering her on from the sidelines with Mako
>But during the walks to and from school, you can't help looking at her
>It's gotten to the point where you start to get a bit anxious if she's not around
>However, you notice she's been avoiding eye contact lately
>One day, you decide to confront her on this
"Hey Ryuko, you seem to be a bit nervous lately, what's up?"
>"Huh? Oh...it's nothing. Don't worry about it."
"You know, I'm here to help if you need me."
>She smiles and nods
>"I know. Well, I've gotta get to class. See you later!"
>She takes off down the hallway
>Still, you don't feel at peace with her hiding things from you, even if they're insignificant
>Regardless, it's her choice and you decide to let her be
>The warning bell rings and you sprint to class

>More time has passed
>You still spend time with Mako and Ryuko, but it's started to feel hollow
>Ryuko has even moved to a different place across the room
>It made your heart hurt a bit, but you still have her best intrest in mind
>Every time you ask Ryuko about the growing distance between you two, she somehow dodges the question
>"I've gotta get to class!"
>"I wonder if Mako's mom needs help with dinner?"
>"Can I have some help with this problem?"
>Faked
>Her affection towards you feels faked
>So you do the next best thing
"Mako, wait up!"
>"Anon! Hiya!"
"Mako, doesn't it seem like Ryuko's been acting weird lately? I'm worried about her."
>"Silly! Ryuko's been fine! Don't you think these walls could use some color? Maybe a splash of purple!"
>Dammit, not her too!
"Come on Mako, I'm being serious. What if there's something seriously wrong with her?"
>"Oh no! I just realized I promised to help my family around the house today! Bye!"
>She skips away and leaves you standing in the middle of the hallway by yourself
>But...why?
>Why are they pushing you away?
>You sigh with defeat, and do the last possible thing you can

>You sling your pack over your shoulder
>You don't own much, so you don't have a lot to take with you
>Ryuko and Mako have been all sorts of cryptic, but you know when to take a hint
>They don't want you around for whatever reason
>That's fine, you had a feeling you were only a guest there anyway. Good things never last
>You neatly fold the pajamas they let you borrow and gently set them down near the door
>You exit the Mankanshoku house one final time to go back to your abandonded shack
>The sun is starting to dip below the horizon, and that beautiful golden light covers the slums
>Before heading home, you stop off at a bridge and look at the running water below
>Despite your aching heart, the waters calm you a little
>Another sigh escapes your mouth as you hang your head
>You lose track of time. The sun has now completely set and a chill wind has begun to below
>When suddenly, you hear a voice
>"A-Anon?"
>You open your eyes and turn to see Ryuko standing there with tears in her eyes
>You're surprised to see her like this, as sadness isn't an emotion you've seen her display
"Anon, where have you been?! I've...we've been worried sick!"
>You blink
"I thought you guys didn't want me around anymore?
>She looks hurt
>"Of course we want you around! You're our friend!"
"Then why did you guys keep pushing me away?"
>"DUMBASS!"
>She punches you square in the chest
"OW! What the hell was that for?!"
>By now she's crying freely. You panic internally. What the hell was going on?
"I didn't want to hurt you...or be hurt by you."
>She must have seen the expression on your face because she quickly changes tracks
>"No, not like that! I just...I really, really like you...alot..."
>Her blush gets deeper
"Ryuko..."
>The time has come

>You take hold of her shoulders and make her look into your eyes
"Ryuko, I love you."
>You almost feel the heat from her face as it glows a bright crimson
>"Wh...what?"
"I love you Ryuko. I have for a while now. I want to be with you more than anything, but I want your happiness more."
>She squeaks as you pull her into a tight hug
"I know you didn't mean any harm, but by trying to hide how you felt you ended up making me think you didn't want anything to do with me."
>She starts to squirm and protest
">I didn't mean t-!"
"I know. But I have to know..."
>You pull away breifly to look her in the eyes again
"How do you feel about me?"
>She seems to have regained her composure a bit, and she takes a shaky breath
>"Close your eyes."
"...Why?"
>She punches you arm
>"Close 'em dammit!"
"ow! Okay, fine!"
>You close your eyes and for a moment, nothing happens
>Then you feel something brush against your lips
>It takes you a brief moment to realize what's happening, but when you do your heart almost triples in pace
>Her kiss is tentative and soft, possibly to see how you react to it
>Much to your dismay, the kiss ends as she pulls away
>When you open your eyes, she's staring at you expectantly
"Well that wasn't very fair, I was caught off guard."
>She giggles and wraps her arms around you
>"Dumbass..."
>You both stand in embrace under the stars for a while longer, then she pulls away and looks up at you
>She's blushing again
>"M-maybe we should try again...? Since it wasn't fair. For you. I mean. Uh..."
>Her flustered actions only serve to melt your heart a little more
>You smile and lean in

>You haven't kissed many girls in your life, if any
>But even if you have, they all pale in comparrison to the kiss the two of you exchanged
>Such passion could only be found in love. There were no traces of lust
>You could have sworn your hearts were beating in sync as you felt her small but strong frame pressed against yours
>Once you both feel satisfied, you pull apart and stare into each other's eyes
>Without the need for words, you begin walking back home
>She slips her fingers through yours and the two of you lock hands
>After the connection has been made, she holds onto your arm and leans on you for the duration of the walk
>Your nightly cuddles with Ryuko have returned, only with her being awake this time
>She's a surprisingly snuggly person, considering the tough front she puts out
"G'night Ryuko."
>"Night Anon."
>She nuzzles your chest a little bit, her breathing slows, then she emits tiny snores
>You try to stay awake to enjoy the sensation, but her feel relaxes you to the point where you too, fall asleep