Ambitious Love

"Kumiko, I'm leaving."

Kumiko looked up from her book, staring at Reina who sat across from her. Seeing the girl still rooted to her seat, the brunette glanced at her watch. It was only a few minutes after 4 P.M.

"So soon?" Kumiko closed her book, setting it on the coffee table between them before getting up and taking a seat next to Reina. They both ended up with their backs against Kumiko's bed, leaning into each other casually. Without a word, Reina rested her head on Kumiko's shoulder, letting out a sigh. There was hesitation before she continued.

"I'm…leaving, Kumiko…" Reina let the other girl's name linger on her tongue as she leaned further into her, her arms snaking around Kumiko's waist. Reina sat with baited breath, feeling more uneasy as she waited for a reply.

The brunette laughed, feeling something strange hanging in the air. The way Reina said her name just now was so unfamiliar, full of longing. It was a bit lewd too, but Kumiko tried to keep that out of her mind.

"You already said that, Reina." Kumiko shifted slightly, turning to face her guest. There was another pause. Reina didn't look up.

"I want to be special, Kumiko."

The euphonium player paused at this, wondering why she felt so uneasy at the declaration that Reina was so fond of saying. Turning to Reina and using a finger to lift the girl's chin, Kumiko peered into the trumpeter's deep purple eyes. There, Kumiko saw conflict, guilty, and...pity.

"You're special to me." Kumiko said as she leaned in closer. She pressed her lips gently to Reina's, feeling the other girl kiss her back with equal fervor.

They parted, gasping for breath, Kumiko cradling Reina's face in her hands. The black haired girl leaned in, resting her forehead against the other girl's.

"I know, Kumiko…" Reina sighed, gritting her teeth together. "I know, but I…I am going to do whatever it takes to set myself apart from everyone else." There was a long pause after she rephrased what she just said.

Kumiko bit her lip. She could feel something was coming, the warm trickle of tears coating her hands.

"I…I'm going to be special, so I have to leave." Reina said this with a trembling voice, sudden ragged sobs punctuating her sentence as she collapsed into Kumiko's arms. The mood changed almost immediately, the apprehension exploding into full chaos.

No more explanation was needed. The words and the emotions were enough for Kumiko to infer what was happening. The pamphlets she saw on Reina's desk the a few weeks ago, the new suitcases…there were so many clues.

Kumiko was silent. The girl didn't know what to think, a mix of anger, of sadness, and of disbelief surged through her.

"You…don't have to, Reina…Reina…" Kumiko pressed her forehead to Reina's again, her fingers clutching at those tear stained cheeks.

"I-I'm…leaving next month. It was already decided before the Agata festival…" Reina tore herself away from Kumiko, standing abruptly as she moved towards the door, facing away from the brunette. "I'm so sorry I waited until now before I told you…" She wiped her tears away angrily, feeling overwhelmed by her own emotions.

Kumiko stared in silence, wondering why the sight of the usually composed Reina in tears drove her mad. She was devastated, furious, and heartbroken. Why was Reina the one who was crying?

It just wasn't fair.

In a cloud of emotions, the euphonium player could only distinguish one among them. Her blood boiled. She was livid.

Standing, Kumiko made her way to Reina, spinning the girl around, holding her at arm's length by the shoulders.

"Kumiko, I can't stay…I-" Reina grit her teeth, attempting to wipe away the tears that refused to stop. "I have to-"

"…up."

It was barely audible, but Reina noted the change in the other girl almost immediately. The trumpeter looked up to see Kumiko shaking, her fists balled at her sides, her head down, eyes directed towards the ground.

"Kumiko-"

"Shut up!" Kumiko growled, nearly lunging at Reina as she grabbed the other girl by the neck of her sweater, pushing her down onto the bed behind them.

Reina's eyes were wide as she caught a glimpse of Kumiko's tear streaked face, marred with rage and disappointment. It was a side of the girl she had never seen before.

"S-Stop! K-Kumiko!"

Reina struggled under Kumiko's weight, the slightly taller girl straddled her effectively, nearly sitting on top of the trumpet player. Her hands pinned Reina down to the bed, her nails digging into the flesh of Reina's arms.

"You…" Kumiko still had her head down, shaking now as the sobs racked her slim frame. She shook as she let the tears fall, feeling betrayed that this was the reality that had played out. "Why didn't you tell, me? Reina! Weren't we aiming for nationals?"

"I'm sorry. I never meant for…for this to get so far! K-Kumiko, please-"

Reina was cut off as Kumiko crushed her lips to the other girl's. The dark haired girl struggled at first, but gave in, her tears flavoring their kiss heavily with salt. The kiss was desperate, rough, not like the countless ones they shared in empty classrooms, in the secrecy of their bedrooms.

Reina's lips were red and swollen when Kumiko relented, coming up to give them both some much needed air. They were both breathing heavily, Kumiko's shoulders rising and falling along with her sobs. She paused for a long moment, watching Reina cry silently on her bed. Guilt flashed across Kumiko's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had manifested. It was replaced by disappointment. She had fallen hard for Reina and it was hard to accept that she had to let this go.

Without another word, Kumiko stood, and took a seat on the floor. She curled up with her knees drawn up to her chest, trying to stem the flow of tears. She buried her face in the fabric of her pants, shaking her head and willing reality to be anything but this.

There was drawn out silence in the room, Kumiko seated on the floor, and Reina still on the bed. The black haired beauty curled up on her side, letting the tears flow freely down her cheeks. The salt stung her bleeding lips, but she supposed she deserved that. The pain was refreshing, distracting her.

"Where?"

The word broke the silence suddenly, but Reina knew what Kumiko was asking.

"America."

"When exactly?"

"March 15th."

"Why?"

"Full scholarship to Julliard."

Kumiko flinched at the name and she knew that she had lost. The exchange carried on until this point and then silence again.

"Hey, don't you think that there's something really wrong here?" Hazuki leaned over to Midori, gesturing not so subtly to Kumiko and Reina who were both sitting apart from each other. The two were usually inseparable, drawn to each other almost instantly once the lunch bell sounded. However, today it was lunch time, but neither of them had budged. They were both seated at their respective desks, already eating their lunch.

The two girls cleaned up quite well, the eyes red and swollen from crying were barely noticeable unless one looked closely. The frigid atmosphere, however, was more than obvious and everyone in the class caught wind of it.

Whispers were already starting, buzzing loudly around the classroom. Everyone was wondering if it could have been a falling out due to a fight over a boy. Tsukamoto Shuichi's name came up every once in a while, making the Midori and especially Hazuki wince at the absurdity of the comments.

The day carried on with neither Kumiko nor Reina saying a word to each other. There were sidelong glances exchanged. None of their classmates noticed. Their eyes would always meet and always end off darting away.

It was a strange mix of glares, longing looks, and exasperation.

Unfortunately, this matter carried well on into March. It was like a messy divorce, with Kumiko keeping Hazuki and Midori, while Reina retreated to the rooftop with her trumpet at lunchtimes, the haunting brass of her trumpet audible if one happened to be on the upper floors at the time.

The gossip seemed to die down as the days passed, but every once in a while during band practice, when Kumiko and Reina were forced to interact in some way, the whispers stirred up again. The icy exchange between the two always elicited sneering looks from the upperclassmen who were still jealous of Reina, but sympathetic sighs from Asuka and Kaori.

Tsukamoto Shuichi was the only one who didn't notice the change in either Kumiko or Reina. If anything, his advances were even more aggressive to Hazuki's disappointment. To an observer, it was strange that Shuichi continued to pester Kumiko, when her responses reflected her barely present interest in him. It was only when Kousaka Reina was in the room that Kumiko's affect changed. She always put on her best fake smile, laughed loudly at Shuichi's jokes, making subtle touches far more obvious. It was apparent to everyone except for the lovestruck Shuichi that Kumiko was using the trombonist to make Reina jealous. It was true, but no one could have guess Kumiko's motive for her vindictive actions.

All the while, Kumiko would always steal glances at Reina, wondering if she elicited even the smallest reaction from the stoic girl.

It wasn't like Kumiko to be so petty, but Reina could see that she was desperate, desperate to stop her from leaving in her own way. It made her sad to see Kumiko bare her true colors to everyone else. If anything, Reina was jealous, but not of Shuichi, but of the fact that Kumiko was showing her 'bad personality' to all those other people. It was a side of Kumiko that used to be reserved for Reina, but now, she had no rights to any part of Kumiko.

The days continued to fly by and a growing anxiety welled up in both Reina and Kumiko as the date drew closer.

With three weeks left…

They still weren't speaking to each other, but Reina noticed Kumiko's gaze softening. She saw the regret.

With two weeks left…

Kumiko had stopped by Reina's house one day, a box of pastries in hand. She was planning to apologize, but turned away at the last minute.

With one week left…

Reina had seen Kumiko at her apartment the previous week. She had just gotten home and was watching the girl from down the hall, watching her struggle to ring the doorbell.

Reina returned the favor, determined to sort things out with Kumiko before she left, but found herself standing at the brunette's door, her hand frozen before she could knock. She didn't know what she wanted to say, what she could say.

Little did she know, Kumiko had watched Reina's hesitation from the window on the second floor.

With just one day left…

Reina ended off her last day at Kitauji in band practice.

"Class, there are only a few more sessions before we break for the end of the year. I just want you all to know that it's been a great pleasure teaching you all so far. You have all certainly exceeded my expectations. Best wishes to the third years who are graduating and also…" Taki sensei stopped mid-sentence, sharing a nod with Reina in the trumpet's section. "I'm pleased to announce that our very own Kousaka Reina will be departing tomorrow for a specialized program at Julliard. I'm sure that we are all very happy for her and our thoughts will be with her on her journey." Taki Noboru clapped and the class politely followed.

Reina stood and bowed politely in thanks before she quickly sat down again.

Kumiko's gaze was vacant. She avoided looking in Reina's direction, fighting the urge to break down in tears again. She had cried herself dry these past few weeks, becoming desensitized to the sound of Reina's name, Reina's voice, and the obvious lack of Reina in her life. She had to get used to it sooner or later, right?

Kumiko sighed as she locked up the music room. Orange sunset was already streaming through the windows, but she didn't even care that cleaning up the storage room took her over two hours. She just needed a distraction, a distraction that would draw her attention away from the exact moment her heart would shatter. It didn't happen yet, but Kumiko suspected that once the reality of Reina's departure settled in, the shatter would be deafening.

"Kumiko."

The girl in question paused, not turning around at the sound of her name. She thought she was the last one to leave, but she wasn't. She didn't expect her to still be here. After the slight pause, the euphonium player continued on, walking briskly away from the voice.

"Kumiko, I was waiting for you. I need to talk to you."

Footsteps quickened after her and Kumiko panicked. It was unsightly as Reina would say, but she didn't care. She picked up her bag and started running down the halls and down the stairs. She felt the tears coming again, feeling weak for letting Reina control her life like this.

"Kumiko! Wait! Please!"

The cries fell on deaf ears, Kumiko trying to gain more distance. She slid around the corner, almost knocking down a teacher who yelled at her to stop running. She didn't care. Once she reached the front gates, she didn't bother changing her shoes as she bolted outside. It was a strange type of desperation.

She was running from Reina, running from the last moments they would spend together. It was as if Kumiko thought she could run away from the reality of things.

The brunette was jostled from her thoughts as her foot caught on a loose tile. She went sprawling forward, spilling the contents of her bag onto the concrete before she reached out with her right hand to brace the fall. Kumiko fell hard onto her palm, feeling a searing pain shoot up her hand and into her wrist.

A crack resounded.

Kumiko was doubled over on the ground, white hot pain paralyzing her. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes

"Kumiko!" Reina collapsed beside the girl, struggling to keep calm as she paled at the sight of blood pouring out from a gash on Kumiko's hand and forearm, her wrist angulated in a strange way. Reina swallowed hard, wondering if the sight of white poking through Kumiko's skin was bone.

"R-Reina…ahgh…" Kumiko grit her teeth in pain, cringing as she held her obviously broken wrist.

"I'm going to get help. I'll be right back, Kumiko." Reina scrambled to her feet, her schoolbag forgotten beside Kumiko.

"No! Don't!"

Kumiko's good hand shot out and clasped Reina's tightly, stopping her.

Reina looked down, her eyes meeting Kumiko's frantic ones. She didn't know if it was the pain the girl was in, but it was the most honest face she had seen on the brunette since their falling out.

"Please don't leave me…Please, Reina." Kumiko begged, the tears streaming down her face.

The dark haired beauty was frozen in her tracks, but without another word, she sat down, cupping Kumiko's face with her hand gently. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

Hours passed, a flash of chaos, paramedics, doctors, and nurses lingered in Kumiko's mind. Everything was quiet now, even her thoughts.

A voice suddenly interrupted the emptiness.

"Are you sure we don't need to phone your parents, Kumiko?" Reina sat beside the brunette on the hospital cot, their legs swung over the edge of the stretcher.

"It's fine. They're not home this weekend and my sister won't be home until later tonight." Kumiko was quiet, absently running her fingers across the rough material of the cast that enveloped her hand and continued up her arm.

"You won't be able to play the euphonium for at least a few weeks, you know?"

Kumiko stayed silent.

"The doctor said that they've set the bone and that it should heal without any obvious scarring. Isn't that good news?"

No answer.

Reina looked down at her own hands, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. She couldn't help but feel responsible for what happened to Kumiko. If it wasn't for her, Kumiko probably wouldn't have broken her wrist. If it wasn't for her, Kumiko wouldn't have even been in this mess. Reina felt a pang of regret, wondering why she was so aggressive in pursuing the euphonium player. She could have spared them both so much pain.

"I…I'm going to go then…" Reina motioned to stand, shouldering her bag, but she felt a tug on her skirt. She looked down to see Kumiko's fingers grab a fistful of the fabric.

Sighing, the trumpeter couldn't help but let a smile tug at her lips. "Let's get you home, Kumiko.. We'll go see the doctor and get you discharged. I'm sure he said that everything was in order."

Kumiko nodded, her hand still grasping Reina's skirt.

Shaking her head sympathetically, Reina gently removed the other girl's hand from her uniform, threading her fingers through Kumiko's as she led them both out of the room.

They stayed like that as they carried on with Kumiko's discharge, as they exited the hospital and as they made their way down the streets.

The two girls walked in silence, Kumiko's hand resting lightly in Reina's, letting the moment be what it was.

"I'm in love with you, Kumiko."

Kumiko grimaced, the words struck her like a knife in the heart.

"But I also love myself…I want to be special, different from others." Reina sighed, squeezing Kumiko's hand.

There was silence before Kumiko replied, biting her lip.

"I know, Reina."

Kumiko stopped, pulling Reina back. The dark haired beauty turned, her gaze inquisitive. It was the girl's tone that caught her off guard. It was almost like a resignation.

"I've decided to stop being selfish." The brunette grasped the other girl's hand tighter, finally looking at and seeing Reina for the first time in weeks. It had certainly been too long since she had had her fix, her daily dose of Reina.

"What do you mean, Kumiko? I-"

Reina stopped mid-sentence, her jaw dropping at the sight of a smile on the brunette's face. It was rare these days. One of her sincere smiles.

"I'm going to be happy for you, Reina. I'm going to get over you and I'm going to be rooting for you. You're getting what you want. You're going to be special." Kumiko smirked as she confidently stated her intentions. "I'm in love with you too, Reina, so I've decided that I'll see you off with a smile." The brunette seemed to contradict her own words as she started to tear up, struggling to keep her smile intact as her bottom lip quivered.

"I'll show you, Kumiko. I'll show you how different I am from everyone. I'll…make this worth everything that we're giving up here." Reina smiled through the tears, studying Kumiko's face, committing the girl's features and expressions to memory.

"I know you will, Reina. I know…"

They shared a moment of silence before they leaned in closely, their lips pressed timidly against each other's. The kiss was apprehensive at first, but then they fell into a familiarity before desperate desire overcame them.

The two girls were oblivious to the students and housewives who had stopped on the streets to stare. They were lost in each other's presence, half-laughing and half-crying as they parted from the kiss.

They spent a long time on the quickly darkening street corner, talking about everything and talking about nothing. They were both reluctant to say goodbye. Reina's flight was in the morning. This was the last chance they would have.

The streetlights flickered on.

Reina's smile faltered as she realized what this meant. It was time for their goodbye.

Silence lapsed between them and they knew it was time. Reina's phone had buzzed endlessly, her parents' calls going unnoticed.

They were both careful not to echo any empty promises, being far too aware that naivety was not something either of them found attractive.

Kumiko and Reina shared a knowing smile. Unspoken words hung in the air, both of them wanting to say something, but decided against it.

Wordlessly, they shared another long kiss and a lingering embrace before they turned and parted ways.

That night, neither Kumiko nor Reina really slept.

At 4am, Reina was roused out of semi-consciousness by a vibration on her night-table. She turned over and retrieved her mobile off her dresser, unlocking the screen.

It was a text message.

Sender: Kumiko

I'm rooting for you, Reina.

But just to let you know, I've decided to become special too. I know that it can get lonely where you're headed.

Kumiko

Reina smiled, feeling her heart swell with happiness. She tapped out a reply, glancing at the clock as she did so. There were only a few hours before she had to leave.

Across town, Kumiko anxiously awaited for Reina's reply, lying in bed, hiding under the covers with her half-empty tissue box, looking for a sense of security.

Her phone chimed and Kumiko fumbled with the lock screen. Her heart raced in her chest as she read Reina's reply.

Sender: Reina

Kumiko, I have no doubt about it.

I know you have what it takes to be special.

You're special to me and I'm sure you'll be show everyone how extraordinary you are.

Kousaka Reina ~3

Kumiko chuckled at the last line, the heart emoji so uncharacteristic of the straight laced trumpeter. It was decided then with Reina's reply.

They were both set out on the same path.

They were both going to show the world how different they were from everyone else.

Together.

A/N: Haha I'm on a roll, but it never lasts. I'll definitely continue this when I have time, but no promises! I've discovered that I have commitment issues!

P.S. it was supposed to be a 'less than' 3 heart sign in the text, but is weird with formatting :(