What is youth?
Speaking strictly and literally, youth is the period between childhood and adulthood.
However, that's not the kind of answer we're looking for.
Depending on who you ask, the answer could be simple or ridiculously complex. Some people might even tell you to fuck off. And honestly, fair enough.
Youth is what you make of it. It can be straightforward or complicated — all depending on you. On who you interact with, who you surround yourself with, and who you like. Of course, it's not just about the people around you. It's also about the things you do. The risks you take. The parties you go to. The things you try, even if you fail. The parts of yourself you discover — or want to forget.
Youth is generally painted as this beautiful time, a golden age people look back on fondly. But that's not entirely true. Youth can be ugly. Painful. Awkward. It's a chaotic time — a period of growth. And growth, by definition, is not always pretty.
Leaving youth is the same as killing your younger self so you could be reborn older… Perhaps that example was a bit too extreme.
Leaving youth behind is like shedding skin — casting off an old version of yourself to become something new. You don't look back. You just keep moving forward.
It's a time of transformation, of change. Perhaps the most drastic change you'll ever experience. And here's the kicker: no one gets to live it twice, and no two people ever live it the same way. Sure, there are similarities, but your youth is yours alone. Unique. Personal. Messy. Maybe beautiful. Maybe not.
Some people have the best years of their life in their youth. Others… not so much. And that's okay. Youth isn't a competition. It's not something to compare. It's just a part of life.
So, Ms. Heath, with all due respect, please stop interfering with my youth — or I'll report you for harassing a minor.
Should I give my final thoughts here?
To me, youth is simply an unavoidable part of life. Whether I like it or not, it's happening. Whether I want it to or not, I'm involved in it.
Youth is just one stage. One chapter. And once adulthood hits, we all become different people. So no, I don't place that much importance on it.
It's something that exists. I acknowledge it.
That's the extent of the relationship between me and my youth.
— Nicholas Darklight.
"Mhm." Darklight suddenly remembered a short essay he had written for Ms. Heath's class on the topic of youth. Needless to say, he received a thorough beatdown from his homeroom teacher afterward. He instinctively rubbed his side at the horrific memory.
"So... let me see if I understand this situation properly." Darklight began, rubbing his temple. "The three of you are part of a friend group that includes students from another class. And in this group, there's an extremely popular girl you're into?"
He paused, waiting for Average Guy's nervous nod of confirmation. "Right," Darklight muttered, nodding slowly. "And you've all been hanging out for… basically the entire school year?"
"More or less," Nicholas (the blonde) answered casually.
Darklight shot him a small glare but let it slide. What he couldn't ignore, however, was the uninvited guest listening in on their conversation.
Wedged right between the two Nicholases was a girl with medium-length black hair and deep black eyes. Their class president and representative — Sydney Foster.
She wore a sickeningly sweet smile, her eyes sparkling with life.
Who knew this cold-hearted woman was even capable of showing an expression that wasn't a scowl?
"What are you doing?" Darklight asked, irritation slipping into his voice.
At the sound of it, Sydney's sweet smile instantly morphed into a scowl, as if it were never there to begin with.
Class prez, it hurts a guy's feelings when you make that kind of face just from looking at him, you know~?
"Shut it, Darklight." It was almost as if she could read his thoughts.
"As for what I'm doing — my romance senses were tingling, and they led me here." Quickly, she pressed her palm against the unfortunate Darklight's face and pushed him away, nearly making him fall. Fortunately, he was able to catch himself by holding onto the table. Sydney then turned back to Average Guy, her sweet smile making a miraculous return.
"Kyaa! You like Little Lily, don't you?! Aww, that's so adorable!"
It was like she'd become an entirely different person.
Little Lily.
Where had he heard that name before?
Ah, right. It was a nickname for a girl named Lillie.
A British girl of small stature, adored by practically everyone. Her hair was a soft pinkish-blonde and long enough to suit nearly any style. She had a new hairstyle practically every week. Her hazel eyes were large and round, giving her an almost doll-like face.
She was the very image of cuteness.
Nicholas Darklight could see the idea. Mentally, even commended the average guy for his taste.
Personally, though, Darklight leaned more toward mature women — especially if they had a mischievous streak. But hey, he wasn't picky. Preferences could change.
Still, if he remembered correctly, Lillie came with a near-impenetrable wall of girl friends — all of whom had the aggression of royal guards when it came to fending off any boy foolish enough to confess.
"You do realize you'll probably get rejected, right?" Darklight said flatly, pushing himself up off his desk. "Hell, you might not even get the chance to, with those friends of hers playing bouncer."
Sydney shot him a side glare.
Lay off me, woman.
But Average Guy didn't flinch. He looked down, then back up — eyes locked onto Darklight with unexpected resolve.
"Even if it doesn't work out, I have to tell her. I need to do something about this feeling in my chest. It hurts."
Nicholas Darklight internally cringed but did his best not to let it show. He'd been praised for having a good poker face. Still, it wasn't like he couldn't relate.
"...Not like I don't get where you're coming from. Trust me, I do…" He sighed. "Ugh, whatever. This Friday, right? You're planning to confess at prom?"
Average Guy nodded eagerly — maybe a little too eagerly.
The group visibly relaxed, realizing that Darklight had accepted the mission. Even Sydney was no longer glaring at him — though, true to form, her expression didn't quite reach "pleased."
"Well then. Good luck, Average-kun," Darklight said with a strained grin, standing up and patting the guy's shoulder.
"...Average-kun?" Average Guy muttered, blinking.
Ack. I've been spending too much time around Haru and Dick and watching too much anime… Their weebness is starting to affect me, randomly saying Japanese words instead of English. What's next?
An image of himself calling Ms. Heath "Sensei" suddenly flashed through his mind. He shuddered. Would she get flustered? Beat him with a textbook? Somehow both? Neither option was appealing.
Before he could escape, a pair of firm hands landed on his shoulders and shoved him back down.
"Wait right there," Sydney said, her glasses flashing ominously as she leaned over him. "Where do you think you're going?"
There was a shine across her lenses that completely obscured her eyes.
What kind of anime bullshit is this?
"What does it look like?" he asked, deadpan. "I'm leaving. There's nothing I can do to help. If it was some shy introvert, sure, maybe I could give a few tips. But a popular girl? I've got absolutely nothing. I'm useless here. Frankly, I hate this whole scene — I don't like being the center of attention, you know?"
His voice had turned into a low mutter by the end.
"But that's exactly why you're perfect for this," Sydney said matter-of-factly, still holding him in place. "You're blunt, shameless, and socially immune to embarrassment. Despite my... opinion of you, I'm certain you'll be the perfect wingman for the job. Even you couldn't mess this up, right?" she added in a lower tone.
"Uh... what? Thank you?" Darklight blinked.
"That wasn't a compliment," she replied, finally letting go of his shoulders.
Darklight slumped back into his seat and rubbed his temples. "Alright, alright. Before I even start formulating anything, let's throw some facts on the table, shall we?"
Spiky Hair — whom Darklight had honestly forgotten was even there — blinked and tilted his head. "Facts? Table?"
"Yes. For starters—" Darklight leaned forward, gaze turning serious. "Average-kun, what is it that you actually like about Lillie?"
It was a deceptively simple question — and the perfect test. The answer would either make Darklight walk away or commit fully.
Average-kun flushed bright red, slammed his head on the desk, and covered it with his arms like a turtle retreating into its shell.
That's... a positive reaction? I guess?
Sydney gave him a light slap on the shoulder and whispered, "That's a bit too heavy for a first question. Asshole."
She's awfully close... Usually, she avoids touching guys. Unless... she doesn't even see me as a guy?
"And for the record," she added, turning back to the group, "I can confirm he genuinely likes her. I've been watching them for a while."
And I'm the creepy one?
Nicholas coughed into his fist to shift the atmosphere. "E-Erm. Perhaps you should ask a different question, Darklight?"
Darklight raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Sure." This time, he turned his attention to Sydney, who blinked in mild surprise.
"Well then, since you've apparently been watching them in such a totally-not-creepy way, how about telling us what Lillie thinks of him?" he asked, jabbing a thumb toward the still-crumbled Average-kun.
Sydney's expression cycled from a scowl to a frown, to open confusion... and then a faint blush. She gave an awkward smile.
"Hehe… Uhm. She thinks he's a nice guy?" she said with a sheepish laugh. It was hard to tell who she was trying to convince — them or herself.
No good! Darklight couldn't even keep up his poker face anymore; his pained expression was on full display. When a girl says someone's 'a nice guy,' what she really means is, 'I couldn't care less about him!'
So it's painfully one-sided, huh? What a pain... If I could just get more insight into that girl's thoughts…
Darklight clasped his hands together and glanced sideways. "Oh, Nicholas. Couldn't you ask Sera? Don't all popular kids know each other?"
Spiky slammed his palm against the desk. "Hey, that's—" He stopped, struggling to find the right words.
For some reason, Darklight felt like messing with him.
"What? Racist? Sexist? C'mon, say the right word. Just use that brain of yours... if you've got one." He had a rather disgusting smirk on his face.
Spiky stood up from his chair, frustration flashing in his eyes. But he froze when Nicholas raised a calm hand. Grumbling under his breath, he sat back down.
What a loyal dog. Darklight froze and blinked in surprise at his own thoughts. Did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something? Then again... I did have a nightmare.
"I suppose this is revenge for earlier?" Nicholas asked, his eyes sharp with a touch of suppressed animosity.
"Something like that," Darklight replied coolly. His composure had returned — his thoughts clearer now that he understood his mood.
"Oi. Max!" Sydney raised her voice sharply. "That kind of behavior's not allowed, you hear me? Even if this guy deserves it, school fighting won't be tolerated!"
Oi, class prez. Even when you're taking my side, it still doesn't feel like you're on my side.
The spikey-haired guy, Max, shrank back slightly, choosing to stay silent for the rest of the conversation.
Nicholas took a deep breath, his soft smile returning. "What Max meant to say was that it's kind of stereotypical to assume all popular kids are automatically friends with each other."
Darklight raised an eyebrow. "So Sera isn't friends with Lillie? Even though she hangs out with you guys?"
Nicholas suppressed a sigh. "Well, she is. But that's beside the point—"
"We can pick this up later after school," Darklight cut him off, rising from his seat. Then, mid-step, realization hit him. "Ah." His lips formed a small 'o'. "I'll be busy helping out the student council after school."
It wasn't an excuse this time — just a flat statement of fact. Average-kun and Nicholas both visibly deflated at the news.
"It's fine," Sydney said, brushing it off with a wave of her hand. "Since I'm on the student council, I'll just go over the plan with him later."
Her relaxed tone completely contrasted her earlier annoyance, and it made Darklight's head spin.
Her mood swings give me whiplash… "Eh? Class prez, you're on the student council?" Darklight asked, genuinely surprised.
Her chill demeanor instantly turned into a glare. "Hah? Darklight, I'm the student council president."
Oh... "The more you learn every day?" he joked half-heartedly, trying to play it off.
Her scowl deepened. "This is exactly why I dislike you. You never listen to people and treat everything like it's some kind of joke."
With that, she turned away, grabbed her bag, and marched out of the classroom. Lunch break had started a while ago.
"I suppose I'll ask Sera for the time being," Nicholas said, offering a polite nod. "Thanks again for your help, Darklight." The polite smile on his face made something twist in Darklight's gut.
Average-kun followed behind, mouthing a grateful "thank you" before disappearing out the door. Max trailed after them without so much as a glance in Darklight's direction.
"...Idiots," Darklight muttered. "Don't thank me when I haven't even done anything. And I want my precious minutes of break time back."
He turned to the two dumbasses who had been silently watching the entire spectacle unfold. They were no longer holding back their laughter — both were red-faced and teary-eyed.
"Oh, Nicky-chan," Haru wheezed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "That was like an anime."
"Oh gods, I can't stop crying," Dick added, wiping his tears with a tissue. "You were so serious. It was like watching the protagonist of some rom-com."
Darklight's eye twitched. He cracked his knuckles — loud and deliberate. His smile was slow and menacing.
"Oh, I'll give you both a real reason to cry," he said, voice deceptively calm, yet laced with dark promise. "So… which one of you bastards started that false rumor about me having five girlfriends?"
Haru and Dick immediately froze. Whatever was left of their amusement drained from their faces.
"You two really are trying to ruin my reputation, huh?" Darklight added, rolling up his sleeves.
"Now now, Nicky-chan," Haru stammered. "Let's not do anything rash—"
"It was Haru!" Dick shouted instantly, pointing a traitorous finger.
"Traitor!" Haru yelled, betrayed.
What a dick, heh Dick... Darklight thought with a grin. With the class president no longer around… he could cause a scene.