Disclaimer: Sound! Euphonium is not mine. It has actual rights. So Yes, I do not own any of its characters.
A/N: Warning Spoiler at some point. Story takes after episode 8: Festival Triangle. Slow burning Reina/Kumiko.
Resound
1: Solving Rejection
The events of the evening did not cease from Kumiko's mind. It kept replaying, over and over again even if she willed herself to stop thinking of the blue flowing dress and those dark lilac colored eyes. The sound of the wind along their harmonized short performance kept reverberating in her head— her hand tapping into the melody. Their duet still sent chills to her spine like a haunting melody, but in a good way. Her mind kept going back to events that happened in the secluded area in the mountain shrine while sea of lights glowed luminously onto Reina's face. She had to admit. Reina was breathtaking. She knew Reina was already beautiful because she felt attracted to her at certain times but, clearly that night her admiration shifted. But being Kumiko, she paid no mind to it.
As the class dragged on. Kumiko changed her thoughts to something more pressing. Shuichi and Hazuki's fall out. Well it wasn't really a 'fall-out' but it was a really big turning point for her friend — Hazuki's love endeavours. Frankly, she was nervous about today ever since Midori-chan —since she doesn't like being called Sapphire—told her over the phone of last night's happenings. It was something she panicked over when she got the call an hour into her hang out with Reina causing it to abruptly come to an end.
What was with Shuichi anyway?
But questioning that didn't make Kumiko's feeling of guilt and anxiety subside. She knew it way before the Agata Festival and she never even bothered to let Hazuki know. Now she dreads, if Shuichi told Hazuki about his true feelings then, there will be a possibility that Hazuki and her friendship would come to an end. Kumiko did not want that. But what if he did told Hazuki? Kumiko shakes her head. She wouldn't know right now because Hazuki nor Midori haven't approached her all morning. She was getting really nervous right now. What ifs continuously pours into her head somehow making her sick to her stomach. She presses the sick feeling down with a hard gulp as she tried to get a glimpse of Hazuki then to Midori looking for some sort of sign that they weren't mad at her — for not warning Hazuki earlier. Or better yet, for not saving Hazuki from heartbreak. Now, Kumiko Oumae wants to just go back to the night she was with Reina. Reina.There, she admits fully, she felt at peace. She feels her face flush in embarrassment as a ghostly hand—Reina's— trace a line down her forehead to her lips in an agonizingly slow pace. Well, that didn't not calm her. Kumiko shakes her head dismissing the feeling that caused her stomach to feel bubbles and her chest to constrict.
The lunch bell rang through the halls that made Kumiko release the breath she didn't know she was holding.. until now.
"Stand" she follows the voice of the class representative, and stands up,"Bow".
At least now at lunch, she thinks, her starving stomach would take away the thoughts that bothered her. She takes a sit and sighs heavily, but now that there was free time, she thought, her dreaded encounter would not wait. She has to do it, or it was no friends till the end of high school. She glumly sighs again. So much for a new start.
When Kumiko got her little courage, she turns in her seat to meet Hazuki.
"Yo—"
Only to see Hazuki gone. Kumiko's heart drops when she was met by an empty space behind her. When did Hazuki leave? Why didn't she even bother to stay much less say 'Hi' to her. Her fears were coming true and she was hopeless to fix it now. Tears were about to build in the corner of her eyes, she feels really sad right now, she feels really guilty. Why didn't she warn Hazuki of her sure rejection from Shuichi? Why Shuichi Tsukamoto? She questions the guy as if he was there.
Thump!
With a that impact, her chair skids to the window causing her chair to make an awfully loud noise. Her classmate turns to see the commotion, causing Kumiko to blush profusely due to embarrassment.
"M-Midori-chan?" she asks the young blonde who was apparently resting her head on her chest, quietly sobbing.
Concern struck Kumiko. She envelops the petite girl with her arms, hushing her with soothing words in the process. After a good few minutes, Kumiko dared to ask "What's wrong?"
Midori sniffs and looks up to Kumiko. "Oumae-san" she starts. "I feel so bad" she sniffs. With worried eyes, Kumiko continuously strokes Midori's curls. She wonders why Midori was taking this so seriously. Did Hazuki stopped talking to Midori after last night's events? Kumiko was beginning to worry, The rejection must've taken a really hard toll on Hazuki if Midori was like this as well. She has to find Hazuki but she had to comfort Midori first.
"What's wrong with Midori-chan?"Kumiko's head turns slowly to the direction of a familiar voice. Her heart sped up. What was she doing here?
"H-Hazuki-chan!?" startled she exclaims her supposedly missing friend's name. Hazuki was standing before her, sipping her juice drink loudly as it was nearing empty. Kumiko nervously chuckles and her soft calming pats on Midori's became nervous taps signaling Midori that Hazuki was right in front of them. Apparently, Midori was still in her depressed state. But, with this, Kumiko was relieved. Really relieved because she knew everything was going to be okay now.
Hazuki gave her another questioning look, before crumpling her juice box "Seriously, Kumiko. What's wrong with Midori?"
Kumiko shakes her head, telling Hazuki that she had no idea why Midori was acting weird. "She just cried like this" she finishes her report. Hazuki in turn, hmmed as a response. Kumiko took this as a signal to ask Hazuki.
"Where were you?"
Hazuki turns with a 'huh' escaping her lips. Her hands slowly ran through her short hair and stops at the back of her neck. She nervously laughs, Kumiko could only wonder why.
"I really needed to go run to the bathroom..." Hazuki looks afar, obviously embarrassed. Why was Hazuki embarrassed, the thought ponders momentarily in Kumiko Oumae's head. Then it dawned her as she caught a glimpse of what Hazuki's other hand was holding— a pouch. Oh.
This time it was Kumiko's turn to chuckle awkwardly. "I didn't know"
"Yea"
Awkward silence passed between them. Hazuki stretches and goes back to her chair. Kumiko watches taking a point that Hazuki was preparing for lunch. She did so as well but before that though, she had to talk Midori to stop crying.
"—Sapphire Kawashima!" With that leaving Vice President Asuka's lips, Midori went scurrying down the hall to the music storage room to grab a new music stand. Kumiko watched this exchange quietly. Even though she was praised by Asuka for her sound getting better and different—but in a very very good way— she still felt the irk masked behind Asuka's voice. She knew Asuka was pissed at Midori's lack of concentration. If only they knew why… maybe she won't be so hard on Midori-chan.
"Is it that really shaky?" Goto Takuya asks, Kumiko's senpai who plays the tuba. Asuka sighs at the question.
"She's got her head elsewhere" she states. She turns to Kumiko, eyes steeled with determination to know what was happening to their only Contrabass player. Kumiko felt Asuka's face closer than necessary. Her eyes darts to her right as if asking Natsuk, her other senpai to help her with the situation. Natsuki only shrugs.
"So, what is the problem?" It wasn't a question, it was more of a demand, Asuka was serious when she wanted to know things and it made Kumiko really nervous. Her only reaction was to look down, grip her chair and deny Asuka of the knowledge. She didn't want it to come from her mouth with the worry that it might come out wrongly than what she wanted to deliver, besides, this was not her fair share of story— it was Hazuki's.
So, she keeps her mouth shut and looks away from Asuka's burning— determined eyes. But to no avail, Asuka kept pressing on until Hazuki waved a nervous hand in front of the Vice President.
"It's actually my fault" confesses Hazuki, a nervous shimmer in her eyes, her lips though barely noticeable was quivering — Kumiko noted that Hazuki was actually afraid of Asuka Tanaka's rage.
Hazuki goes into telling what had transpired the night before. Kumiko had heard this two times already and have seemingly zoned it out of her head. Her mind was now leading back again to the events of last night, the events she had experienced, the things that happened at the same time when Hazuki's heart was broken. She was remembering Reina. She didn't know why, but she was remembering Reina, not their conversation though, but the way Reina was conversing with her. She remembers the flicks Reina made with her black locks when she was laying out a point to her. The way her lips move when her cheeks apparently wanted to smile. The way she pursed her glossy lips when she was nervous and wanted to act cool and composed. When she was done reminiscing the physical details, the words 'confession' escaped from Hazuki's lip, it brings her to that awkward moment when she thought Reina was a tad bit crazy.
"This is my confession of love" the silky lowered voice of Reina echoes in her ear causing her to blush red. Why was she thinking of that now? Didn't she already dismiss this thought when she was hiking the mountain with Reina? She clearly said that Reina was crazy to even tell her that. But she was not sure if she was completely unfazed by the fact the Reina actually told her it was a confession. Kumiko once again shakes the thoughts away, telling herself she was just making things up. Natsuki was the one who noticed that Kumiko was apparently zoning out the conversation, let alone her friend's confession. She nudges Kumiko slightly successfully bringing back girl back to the problem at hand.
Kumiko apparently felt another wave of unwanted emotion, well mostly rage from Asuka. Oh boy. Asuka abruptly stands up and grabs her Euph and music stand. Kumiko Oumae knew that Asuka had had it.
"She" Natsuki starts as soon as Asuka slams the door shut. Natsuki gazes at the closed door. "takes practice seriously"
Kumiko could only nod in understanding.
Practice ended early as Asuka didn't come back to the practice room. Natsuki, Goto and Riko decided that it was enough for the day and that Hazuki, and of course Midori, fix their problem before the next practice— if they didn't want to piss Asuka further.
As the three were heading out, grabbing their shoes first from their respective lockers, Kumiko was zoning out once again. She was watching the sun play with their shadows. She remembers the conversation Reina and her had before the Agata Festival— it was an afternoon like this.
"So what time and where are we meeting?" Kumiko turns around abruptly, only to see a random senior holding her phone on her ear, then laughing before walking out of the entry way. Kumiko Oumae shakes her head, she was way over thinking things to the point she was seeing Reina everywhere, even hearing her— she was definitely out of it.
"It's the audition jitters getting to me" she tied everything, her lack of concentration to the coming auditions. Typical of Kumiko. She sighs and closes the locker as soon as she heard Hazuki's voice urging Midori to come with them. Well, this was a problem they need to fix first before everything else. Kumiko concludes. She sighs and goes to follow Hazuki and Midori to their destination.
It was fairly late now, and after talking some sense to Midori with Hazuki— though repeatedly with urgency to get to Midori's head— telling her that she was fine and that everything was 'okay' thanks to Midori, that even though it hurts at least she knew earlier that later. This ended with them going to F Burger Joint and Hazuki eating a lot of fries.
In the train they, Hazuki and Kumiko, sat quietly beside each other. Kumiko was fine with this silence but Hazuki thought otherwise.
"You like Tsukamoto-san" Hazuki said. "I knew it before I even told Midori, but I guess I told Midori so that I could have back up and that you would just, you know, back down" Hazuki said with a nervous chuckle.
Kumiko's brows furrows. What is Hazuki going on about? She thought. She let Hazuki continue. She was actually having a hard time compelling her mind not to wonder off right now. It was like this time as well that she had found Reina seated on the other cart through the very same window she was gazing at the moment. "I shouldn't have dragged Midori into it when I clearly know that you like Tsukamoto-san. But I still pushed on and when you back down I— "
"What!" Kumiko was finally letting everything sink in. "Tsukamoto?"
"You like Shuichi" she repeats. "I knew it from the start that's why I asked you about it one time at lunch— "
Kumiko cut her off before this way got out of hand. "I don't like Shuichi! I— me and him — were not. I don't like him like you do Hazuki" she frantically explains.
"Don't deny it!" Hazuki chuckles as she began telling Kumiko how she looks at Tsukamoto. Like she was clearly in love with the guy. Sure, Kumiko will admit, that Shuichi was handsome, by girl standards and by how the band reacts when he's around. But to her, Shuichi was her childhood friend, she knows him fairly well that they just fall into a natural routine. But she knew, clear as day that she doesn't like Shuichi like a boyfriend. It doesn't sit well to the whole set-up right now. It just doesn't make sense to her. Hazuki continues to tell Kumiko hers and Shuichi's reaction when they were together. But Kumiko, no, she was not going to accept any of it.
"The way you look at him, especially when you guys were both talking by the wash area, you were nervously looking at him, well... and me both, that somehow you looked a bit disappointed when I asked to talk to him"
Kumiko's head was going frantic right now. Why would Hazuki assume that? She wasn't panicking because of Shuichi might actually say yes to Hazuki when she decided to tell him she wanted to go with him to the Agata Festival. She was sure of now, she began to think... why was she feeling nervous that day?
Her mind wanders back to that day.
"I'm going with this kid here!" Oh god. Did I really do that? She wasn't expecting who she grabbed, but she didn't know if it was pure luck or bad luck that Reina decided to step out of the damn club room. Now, her senses were overriding, the sensation of Reina's hand on hers were making her feel things she didn't know she could feel.
"— Station" the ding of the train pulls her out of her thoughts.
"Hazuki, believe me, I don't— " but before she could finish what she wanted Hazuki to know, the train stops and Hazuki jumps out of her seat. She watch as her friend looked at her intently, a sad smile on her face.
"Even if you deny it today, I know. So, when you come to terms with it, you know… you can tell me everything" with that Hazuki winks and leaves through the other side when she saw Tsukamoto Shuichi enter the other. Kumiko looks over to where Hazuki's eyes where to meet Tsukamoto's distant ones.
Kumiko. Now you've done it.
The night dragged on with the replay of her and Hazuki's conversation on the train. She glances at her little cactus. The one thing that she, apparently, has comfort talking to about her small problems— if you can categorize her solo monologue as little and not her going crazy. So, Kumiko walks up to her little cactus, starting her usual monologue.
Do I like Shuichi as Hazuki suggest? she asks herself, then surely she'd answer with her other voice giving her cactus an unusual small voiced personality. Sometimes, talking with inanimate objects get things through her.
So now, will it get through to her that Hazuki actually thinks right about her being in love with her childhood friend or not? But after a while of talking, sense doesn't seem to come to her. She sighs. What was she even thinking? She shouldn't make herself be bothered by these things when she was cramming and having nervous breakdowns due to the upcoming auditions. She needed focus and this, the problem with finding out her true feelings for Shuichi Tsukamoto, was not helping.
Kumiko sighs, she goes up to her bed and cuddles with her toy bear. She decides that it's best for her to end the day and cease all thoughts. Tomorrow will be another day to solve everything.
She was really fidgety and she was hiding this fact really well. After her encounter with Natsuki at the school's back garden, memories of her middle school problems caught up with her. She was shaken when the flashbacks came back instantly. It didn't help that the audition was a few hours away and that everyone, and she meant every single one of the band members, were feeling tensed as well. So, after she met with Hazuki and Midori in their classroom after cleaning duty, she went straight to the music storage room.
Kumiko as if automatically bends down and pulls out her Euphonium. She slowly opens the case and gazes back at her own reflection from the said instrument. Fear struck her again. What's wrong with me? She scolds herself. She knew nothing is going to come out of being afraid to surpass Natsuki in the auditions but she can't help it if she was remembering something really horrible.
The slide of the door startles her, she quickly hid her trembling hands in her back afraid that someone, even unintentionally would notice that she was not okay and was really shaken up before the auditions, that would be embarrassing and she didn't want to experience yet another extreme feeling when she's feeling so many right now.
"What's wrong?"
When she moves her gaze upward to meet the person who stood before her. She only caught a glimpse of the familiar hard case of a trumpet before her face was squished between two very familiar and warm hands."Reina" she mutters between her distorted lips, barely passing the right syllables to say her name.
"I'm going to do my best, so you have to, as well" she said, no, to Kumiko there was not 'just' saying to Reina, yes, Reina doesn't say, Reina demands of her.
She smiles even though her face was squished between her friend's hands. Hands that she openly accepts to experience. "I will" with sadness in her eyes. Momentarily looking away. She feels a tug on her face, forcing her or maybe just willing her to look at her captor. She turns to look at the familiar, endearing lilac eyes, "I will do my best" she repeats now with determination in her eyes as well. She didn't want Reina to know how weak she was. She didn't want to burden her with something petty as an event from the past. Even though she was afraid of what will happen, one thing she knew, she won't let Reina down.
She chuckles, finally realizing that the black haired individual before her was not planning to let go of her face, so, she did the same and squishes her 'friend's' face. They shared a bit of laughter and that had calmed Kumiko's nerves instantly. With Reina, there was peace.
Reina nods and let her hands fall down to her sides. Without another word, she leaves the room leaving Kumiko to ponder on things. But, Kumiko, now with new goals was nervous not of the auditions but to how close Reina was to her face. She could not stop blushing.
AN: So what do you think? Read and Review. Much appreciated!
To be continued...