Sundays were the days most kids left the school to do whatever, and those who stayed mostly stuck to places like the gym, pool, and rec room. That's why Kuwata Leon was confused when he heard the piano being played when he passed the music room. As far as he knew, no one in the school really knew how to play, at least, he'd never heard anyone play before. The sound was akin to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," but every note was hard and distinct, and Kuwata could tell it was probably a beginner at the keys.
With nothing better to do than slake his curiosity, the all-star peeked his head through the music room door, which had been cracked open just a little, where a surprising sight greeted him. The one at the keys was none other than his classmate, Ikusaba Mukuro.
To say Kuwata was surprised would be an understatement, but we'll just say he was surprised. After all, Ikusaba was the SHSL Solider, yet here she was, determination painting her features as her pale fingers plunked on the keys.
She plays like a solider, he thought.
To his surprise, Kuwata found himself smiling. In the last year, the baseball player had seen the solider go from only talking and hanging out with her sister to being relatively comfortable around most of her classmates. She was no social butterfly for sure, nothing like Maizono, whom Kuwata so had his heart set on, but she was close friends, it seemed, with Naegi and Oogami, shared a mutual respect with Kirigiri, and even had a girl in the upper class she practiced swordplay with. To see her here, at the piano, with that kind of determination… it reminded Kuwata of himself, trying to learn to play guitar.
The all-star found himself quietly moving towards the piano, closing the door gently behind himself. At first he was surprised when she didn't immediately notice him, but then realized she was so absorbed in the ivory keys that he could approach without so much as a glance. He waited for her to pause in playing before he spoke. "Hey Iku-"
In less than a moment, Kuwata found his back pressed roughly against dark wood with a blade pressed against his throat. An undignified squeak escaped him "I-Ikusaba! It's me, Kuwata!"
"I know who you are," she responded and released him. He stood in relief.
Kuwata laughed sheepishly. "I thought you were going to slit my throat there for a second!" In retrospect, he realized, not making his presence known in the first place wasn't the best idea.
"You're lucky I didn't. Why are you here?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
The all-star held his hands up in defense. "I was just walking by when I heard someone playing. I didn't know you knew how to play."
"I taught myself. I was warming up," she said as she sat back down at the bench.
Kuwata waited a moment, the sat beside her. She glanced at him briefly, then turned the page of music. Her hands hovered over the keys for a moment, two, then dropped to her lap. "I'm no good, am I?"
The sadness in her voice took Kuwata aback, and it was a moment before he could respond. "Well, I think you're pretty good! Sure, you might play a bit like, well…"
She turned to him, pale blue orbs meeting teal. "Like a solider?"
"Um, I…" he trailed off, biting his lip. This wasn't how he'd wanted things to go.
Ikusaba's gaze fell back to her hands. "I knew it. It's the only way I know how to play though. You're the first to find out."
"So no one's ever heard you play before?" A nod gave him his answer.
Was this the same Ikusaba he had class with? It sure didn't seem like it. The Ikusaba he knew was calm, composed, and self-assured, only showing the occasional, almost imperceptible smile or frown. This Ikusaba was… different. It was the only word the all-star could think of to describe her current state.
"Why are you staring at me?" Her voice jolted him out of his thoughts and he scrambled to recover.
"Oh! I w-was just… thinking," he stuttered out. Why did he feel so flustered all of a sudden? It was only Ikusaba. "It sounds like you've got the basics down, you just need someone to help you out a little! And I know the basics, so… maybe I could help you!"
"You know how to play?" Ikusaba's eyebrows lifted ever-so-slightly to indicate her surprise. "I thought you played guitar."
"I do, but if I'm going to be a SHSL Musician, I should know a little about a lot of instruments, right?" Kuwata relaxed a little. Music, that was something he could talk about a little.
"I guess so…" the solider replied with a thoughtful look. "So you'll help me?"
"Of course! Musicians got to help each other, you hear?"
They sat there playing so long both students lost track of time as they settled into an easy rhythm with each other. Kuwata would play a short tune, which Ikusaba would play back to him, and then he would respond with bits of advice and encouragement. Then, at some imperceptible point in time, the melodies of the two, all-star and solider, blended into a lovely, if inexperienced, harmony. Ikusaba's noted turned from hard and distinct to gentle and flowing. Kuwata watched in amazement as she relaxed, hard determination transforming into comfortable, quiet joy. Eventually, the all-star ceased playing, hands simply resting on the keys, eyes glued to the girl beside him as he saw her in a completely new light.
If he had to pick a single word for how he felt at that moment, it would be honored. The solider and the all-star were not close in any sense of the word, yet he was the one the first to discover her secret, the first to listen to her play. Teaching her to put feeling into the notes she played, into the melody she wove, Kuwata of all was the one sitting beside her. It was like watching a flower bloom with unprecedented beauty, and he was breathless in awe. He tried taking a deep breath to calm his racing pulse, but it was no use.
'No, this isn't happening. This is Ikusaba! I like Maizono!' he thought, scolding himself, but then paused. 'I do like Maizono…'
'Don't I?'
"…ata? Kuwata!" It was Ikusaba's voice that snapped him back to reality for a second time.
Eloquent being he was, Kuwata let out a well thought out and articulate response.
"Huh?"
"I said," Ikusaba repeated, just a hint of exasperation in her voice, "that we should probably get going; it's getting late."
Suddenly, the all-star had to get out of the room as quickly as possible. He swiftly stood and started towards the door, flashing a grin behind him and saying "Well, I guess I'll get going then! I'll see you later, Ikusaba, keep practicing!"
Before he could take a few steps, though, a slender hand grabbed his own. He turned to her again as she spoke. "You'll keep this a secret, right? I don't want the whole school to know, not yet."
"Of course! If you want it to stay secret, my lips are sealed," he said and made a zipping motion across his lips with the hand she wasn't holding. Was it just him, or was she suppressing a laugh?
"Thank you. I'll see you later, then, Kuwata." She let go of his hand.
"See you later!" he shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted from the room. Before he knew it, he was outside under a small tree by the track, staring at the hand the solider had held not even five minutes before.
Kuwata Leon would have suspected that he might need to rethink his crush on a certain idol, except for the fact that the navy haired girl was nowhere in his head. Instead, his thoughts were laced with short raven hair, sharp pale blue eyes, and the melodies of the piano in the music room upstairs.