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Here’s a fun fact about Furina that not a lot of people at her highschool know. When she’s stressed, she braids hair.
She looks at her friends around her at the library table she and her friends ate lunch at before putting her head back in her hands and glaring at the opened text book in front of her. When her older sister told her not to not take AP government she definitely should have listened.
A comforting hand was placed on her shoulder. Furina glanced back up to see who it was. Navia. Her hair was already braided. In fact, Furina had done her hair 3 times in the past week and it was only Tuesday. She had two beautiful twin Dutch braids, a staple of Furina. A Quick Look at the woman behind Navia revealed Clorinde, again, hair already braided. In all honesty, Furina has been friends with Clorinde since they joined middle school at the same time. If it wasn’t for furinas abhorrent braiding habit, she’s pretty sure the woman would have her hair completely chopped off by now. It was currently in one slick fishtail braid.
“Furina, I’ll be right back, ok? I think I have something that will make you feel better,” the blonde said before hurrying off, girlfriend in toe.
Furina needed someone news hair to braid as she looked around the rest of the table. Charlotte's hair was in a waterfall braid, courtesy of period 2 that they had together. Chevreuse’s hair was too thick and had too many layers. She had already tried, and failed, multiple times this year.
In a desperate attempt she looked around the room. Lynette and her brothers were sitting in a corner, she already had milkmaid braids and she had also made a small padawan braid under Freminet’s right ear. Lyneys hair was too short for any type of braiding. Chioris hair was always on fleek and the last time she had tried braiding it she got a slap on the risk and a threat on her own hair.
She looked at the textbook, hoping to at least get a few more terms down before she would start crying. As she scanned the pages a familiar hand landed back on her shoulder, Navia was back.
“Hey,” Furina looked up from her work. Her eyes landed on a familiar face next to Navia’s. A boy from her government class. She glanced at his long hair before quickly ignoring it and going back to the conversation.
“So Furina, this is Neuvillette. He and I grew up in the same neighborhood. His hair is so messy right now though and he really needs a good brush up, me and Clorinde think,” Navia said.
Furina looked at the man in question, a very passive expression on his face, but not objecting in the slightest. In fact, she’s fairly sure she saw a small nod in agreement.
“Neuvi here says that he saw you braiding Yanfei’s hair in class at one point and he wants to know if you’d be willing to do his.”
Now this got a reaction from the man, his eyes grew slightly and he seemed to be biting back his lips as his cheeks grew slightly pink. Not obvious to most but an excessive amount of theater will leave anyone able to pick up on subtle body language. He was… embarrassed. Maybe he wasn’t expecting Navia to actually say the reason he was here, in hopes that Furina wouldn’t question it. Still, at this point Furina would braid a cats hair if it was long enough.
She pulled the chair that was next to her out from under the table and gestured for him to sit in it as she stood up. Furina did her best work standing.
Neuvilette was tall. He must have been at least 6 feet as he quickly sat down in the chair, back straight, as if he was a prisoner and not a student. Whatever, this was not for Furina to question, she prayed to the gods and Navia had delivered a long haired, and fairly attractive man if Furina said so herself.
She studied his hair. Long, around tailbone length with slight bangs. It was currently held in a blue bow, a sister or 2 if she had to guess where it came from, judging by the two pink Bobby pins he had on his bangs. She could work with this. A French braid would suit him. She thought to herself, meticulously removing said Bobby pins and bow. She handed them to him, quietly mumbling that she would ask for them when she would need them and he gave a curt nod.
She barely paid attention to Navia and Clorinde leaving as she started the braid.
A mess up around a third of the way down caused her to start over. Again she didn’t realize as Charlotte whispered to Chevreuse as the two left together.
As she began the second time Neuvillette seemed to notice the textbook she had left open.
“We have a text tomorrow, yes?” He asked in a low voice, trying not to disturb the few people around.
“Uh huh, but I’ve been struggling on this chapter recently,” Furina admitted, engrossed in her braiding process.
”Would you mind if I explained it outloud? It helps me to understand when I force myself to teach others.”
Furina paused. Braiding and learning at the same time? Neuvilette seemed smart. He must be doing well in that AP government.
“I don’t mind as long as you don’t mind me asking questions.”
“Of course. Ask as much as you want.”
Time seemed to slow. The two mainly just enjoying each other’s presence as Neuvilette droned on about the legislative branch vs the judicial branch.
As Furina had finished up the braid, adding the blue bow, which she had inadvertently learned was from 5 younger sisters, she felt herself stalling, not quite wanting this moment to be over. Neuvilette seemed to notice this hesitation.
“Navia told me you braid as a stress relief. I… don’t want you to feel pressured or anything. But if you would like to study later on, I would be happy to give you my phone number.”
His cheeks were flushed bright red. Furina could only assume hers looked the same.
“No! No, it's no problem at all. I mean, I’ve been meaning to find a study buddy in this class anyways. So I don’t mind in the slightest. May— maybe we could, uh, meet at the coffee shop by the main road later today.”
It took all her strength to not hide her face in her arms and curl up into a ball. But as a small, pleasant smile crossed his face and held out his hand all she could feel was warmth.
“It’s a date then, Ms. Furina.”
“Yes. A date.”