The Drafts

By: Aviantei

An Uta no Prince-sama One Shot

[Twelve Shots of Summer Second Raid 10/12]

Mehiseru Ritenshi nearly curses as she drops her folder, papers spilling out everywhere. She spills onto the floor, too, landing straight onto her ass, hissing as she hits. Mumbling out a sorry, she goes to clean up her mess of half-completed music scores and finds a pair of glasses in the process.

Here, she says, and holds them up without looking. Their supposed owner receives them, only to bend down and pick one of Ritenshi's drafts. Making matters worse, Shinomiya starts to hum the scribbled melody line, only to stop halfway through with a scoff.

What the hell are you even writing? he demands. It seems he's the bad attitude version of himself today, which means he'll be completely unforgiving of any of Ritenshi's composition failures. You were actually planning on turning this in? Are you planning on failing?

Ritenshi's cheeks flush dark, because Shinomiya's right. He's a composition genius and absolutely right, but she doesn't want to admit it. Give it back, she commands, reaching for her score. Shinomiya only holds it out of her reach, easy considering his height over her. It's not like you have to take the grade for it, or even sing it. What do you even want with it?

A few more futile attempts of retrieving her work later, Ritenshi focuses on picking up her other scattered drafts. She glances to Shinomiya, who is evaluating the song in his hand. Ugh, what's his deal? If he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to be a jerk about it…

This isn't like your other songs, Shinomiya critiques, his voice filled with near disdain. It's like you're forcing it out.

Ritenshi almost flinches. Really, at this point, she has been forcing notes onto the page, just making things up. Inspiration and effort are two different aspects of creativity, but it feels like the later isn't cutting it right now. At this rate, her grades will drop, and what will happen then?

But she holds her hand out and gives Shinomiya the best glare she can muster. The score in his hand is the only one left of her mess that Ritenshi needs. Give it, she repeats.

Shinomiya tosses it into her lap, looking as annoyed as ever as he stands up and strides down the hallway. Ritenshi stands and walks in the opposite direction.

The next time she encounters Shinomiya is when she's hunched over her drafts in the library. Ritenshi is surrounded by papers, all of them failed revisions of the song he so blatantly dismissed before. She doesn't even notice him at first, mindlessly tapping her pencil and testing melodies in her head.

Wow, Shinomiya remarks, you've written a lot of these. That's amazing.

Well, it seems like he's in a much better mood today, that's for certain. Ritenshi lets her guard drop a bit, but not entirely. She hasn't figured out just what makes Shinomiya tick yet, and she doesn't want to run the chance of having her work insulted when she's not prepared for it.

So she says, It's not that impressive.

No, that's wrong, Shinomiya automatically counters, and he's so earnest that she can't believe that two so different people inhabit the same body. You've done a lot of work. I don't think you usually put this much effort into your songs even if it's for grades.

Ritenshi grimaces. She knows he's not doing it on purpose, so she lets the partial insult slide.

What are you working so hard for? Did you find a muse?

That's a rather poetic way of putting it. But in the end, that's not right at all. Shinomiya's hard glare doesn't count as a muse, nor do his smiles. It's not a challenge, either, because she doesn't stand a chance—against Shinomiya's compositions or the utter everything he puts into them when he sings.

I just want to make something he'll like to sing…

Shinomiya blinks, and it's only then that Ritenshi realizes she's voiced her last thought out loud. That sounds like a muse to me, Shinomiya remarks. Wanting to make music for the sake of someone else, right? He frowns a bit, looking over her drafts. There are so many sheets of scores where Ritenshi has scribbled out the page in frustration, just wanting to eliminate the utter crap she's tried to pass off as music.

If you're stuck, then think of things that remind you of him, Shinomiya suggests, and Ritenshi wonders how he'd react if she mentioned it was his alter ego she's trying to impress. At least, that's what helps me come up with lyrics: thinking of the people important to me.

His smile is so soft that Ritenshi knows who he's talking about—the girl with the pink girl enrolled in the composition track, maybe even Kurusu, his close friend. He obviously cares about them, and Ritenshi knows her own reasons are shallow in comparison.

But she tries anyway. She closes her eyes, thinking of the moment she saw Shinomiya on the television screen by accident, how she couldn't focus on anything else, couldn't think of any song other than his for days. Something raw but honest, a complete expression of the things that ordinary people are afraid to share with others.

Thank you, she says. I think I know what to write now.

You're welcome, Shinomiya says, and by his smile, Ritenshi knows he thinks the thanks are for his advice instead of everything else.

Ritenshi is able to provide a draft of her song for her assignment, but she's still not completely satisfied with it. In retrospect, her melodies weren't awful, just misplaced. She adjusts keys and measures, all while thinking of how the notes would sound coming out of Shinomiya's mouth.

Even in its incomplete state, the song earns enough recognition to be played for the class by Tsukimiya-sensei, and Ritenshi lets herself feel proud.

The weekend approaches, and Ritenshi keeps working on the song, taking things out and adding things in repeatedly until she can't find any error with what she's done. Of course, Shinomiya would still put it through the ringer, but it's the farthest she can go with her own effort. So on Sunday afternoon she heads to the boys' dorm and hopes he's home.

Kurusu opens the door, looking surprised to see Ritenshi there. You came to see Natsuki? he asks.

Shinomiya, she corrects, the one with the foul attitude, not the nice one. Immediately, Kurusu scowls, but that's something she's figured as the norm. Sure, when Shinomiya's not in a good mood, he can easily be classified as an ass, but that's not reason to treat him badly in response. Listen, if it makes you feel better, we won't go far, but you can't protect him forever.

The words are a bit harsher than she intends, but they work. Kurusu grumbles, then closes the door. Ritenshi almost considers banging on it, but it opens up soon after, with Shinomiya taking his friend's place. He looks irritable, but Ritenshi did come unannounced.

I want to talk, she says, and Shinomiya looks at her, then to the papers clutched against her chest.

Let's make it quick, he replies, nodding his head towards the dorm's exit.

I already heard your song in class, Shinomiya says, looking almost disinterested. Are you telling me you actually made something worthwhile?

Ritenshi holds out the score, not letting herself waver. Sing it and find out.

Well, this was just an excuse to flesh out a character and experiment with the whole style of not putting your dialogue in quotations. I personally blame The Things They Carried.

But! This was written for the [Twelve Shots of Summer: Second Raid] challenge. This week's prompt was "Music Machina," which my brain decided was an excuse to try writing UtaPri. Since Ritenshi's a composer in training, a figured it fit the bill and ran with it... Also: any excuse to write Natsuki/Satsuki.

Ritenshi's actually an older OC concept that I never fleshed out very well...she mostly had a design and a name, and that was it. I had a few old doodles, but I pretty much revamped her personality and gave her relationship with Natsuki and Satsuki a lot more depth that I had before. She'll be a fun character to write more about some day.

And on the traditional advertising note, if you want to read some wonderful one shots, go and check out the [Twelve Shots of Summer] C2 and forum! We've produced a wide variety of material this summer, so there's more than likely something to wet your whistle with. Want some prompts to sneak in some writing before summer ends? We're the place for that, too!

Next week's prompts are "Flower Blooming in the Slums" and "To Only Start a Fire," which I will be writing two separate pieces for Accel World and KagePro respectively. Huh, I wonder where I'll get the time for that...

Thanks for reading!

[POST] 080915