The Rain
Standard Disclaimer Applied.
Touya Kinomoto unlocked the case and it revealed his music.
The violin, with its well-made form, had been a great part of his life. This very thing knew what most do not, and what he himself couldn't explain about him on his own.
He took the instrument and gently placed it in his shoulder, as to play. A lot had been going through in his mind lately, he had projects on a roll and the soccer team's facing a tournament in about a week. Not to mention his lack of sleep because of his late night shifts at work and the usual not-so-good home encounters with his father and sister.
In short, he was stressed.
So he opted to sooth his troubled life with the notes flowing smoothly to create a pleasant sound in his ears, a sound he had missed and longed for.
It was twilight and people from the university are now heading home to end the day. The sun was glowing a bright reddish orange and streaks of faint pink were seen in the sky. The breeze was calming; a peaceful night overall.
Perfect.
He held his bow in his hand, the other supporting the instrument. He inhaled deeply and lightly positioned the horsehair of his bow in the strings.
He closed his eyes and concentrated only to hear loud, running footsteps across the hall, nearing the room he was in.
He stood up and nearly sat down again when the door opened and closed, a figure panting beneath it. The said figure craned its neck to look through the glass portion of the door, as if to make sure its safety.
Touya made advantage of the situation while the unsuspecting intruder was busy keeping its eyes open for its attacker. He resolved to stand up close to 'it' and examine it as if it was some sort of undiscovered specimen.
The intruder whipped its head just in time and did a double-take when 'it' noticed that someone's dark eyes were staring intently at her.
So, it's a 'her' after all.
"Touya-kun..."
Touya found himself face to face with none other than the great Nakuru Akizuki.
Oh, did he actually think that this day is peaceful?
"Akizuki."
"Touya-kun!" Nakuru encircled her arms around Touya's poor neck as she clung to him for dear life.
Now that's 'making advantage of the situation'.
"Touya-kun! Somebody is following me, I SWEAR! I was afraid.. he- he- ran so fast, I'd die! I'D DIE, I knew it, good God, I found you! Oh, he's going to kill me! I don't wanna die, I still have many dreams, of.. of being a good mother, and getting married and to climb the Evere---"
"...What?"
"---est, my! Eriol, good grief, he'll worry, he'll be sad! Oh, NO! Help me, heeeeeeellll—"
At this rate, Touya thanked his stars for making him a usual calm person in the middle of any catastrophe.
And he managed, even though his voice was notches lower than she has, "..Who?"
Nakuru suddenly released him from the tightening grasp, her eyes tearful and chest heaving from all that screaming.
He noticed all of that but he never seemed to mind the just-happened clinging, did he?
"The guard." Nakuru composed herself but managed to smile behind her not-so-wrecked face.
Touya sweat dropped.
"He was going to molester me! I'm sure of that," she said defiantly at his what-the-hell reaction, crossing her arms to prove her point.
"And I'm sure he has his reasons," Touya retorted back, his annoyance at her not faltering even a level.
"Ouch, you think low of me," she said with a mocking sad look.
"...I never said that."
Nakuru grinned at him, obviously not even an inch hurt of what he supposedly said. Touya grunted and decided to pack, his infuriation at the unwanted disruption of his solitude getting the whole of him.
Why does she always seem to interrupt at the most inopportune times is beyond him.
"Touya-kun?..Wa- wait, why are you packing?" She asked incredulously.
"I'm leaving."
"No, you can't."
"Yes, I can."
"It's raining," Nakuru said pointing her finger at the window to indeed confirm it's raining.
Touya shrugged. He proceeded his way to the exit, the case held tightly at his hand with his bag draped over his body.
"Wa- wait!"
Touya stopped but didn't look back.
"Can I go with you?"
"...then I'm really leaving now."
"Touya-kun!" Nakuru hopped beside him and again, hung to his shoulders, not minding to her added weight that knocked down the poor man.
"Touya-kun! Daijoubu?"
"..Get off me."
"You can't go outside; you don't have an umbrella, do you?"
"..."
"Let's get back there, shall we? And wait for the rain to stop!" She cheered happily and helped him up. Touya, admitting that there MIGHT be an inch of sense at her point, dragged his body back. Of course, he has no umbrella. That would soak him. Not only that, his bag and its contents would be pliant as tissue paper once it got wet. And his violin isn't even waterproof at all. And his clo—
Okay, I get it, I get it. Just...shut up.
Once they were back, Touya chose to sit anywhere farthest to her. Nakuru seemed to understand his discomfort and somewhat complied.
Somewhat.
Maybe they were never near at each other's throats at all, but Touya was beginning to think that he will have gone deaf, with all the talks, the stories, blah blah blah, by the time the rain stopped.
He must save himself.
"Akizuki."
"Na-ku-ru. Nakuru!"
"...Whatever."
"Whatever you wanted to say Touya-kun?" She sat down at the piano chair and moved her legs restlessly, attempting to listen.
Touya said, "Why was the guard after you anyway?"
She stopped and said, "Oh. Well..."
"Well..?"
"I took the building's keys." She said nonchalantly.
"You what?" Touya projected a bewildered look.
"He didn't want me to stay here until the rain stopped! I have nowhere to go, I might get sick if I get lost somewhere in the middle of the rain! So, I got his keys," Nakuru said, juggling the keys in her hand triumphantly.
"Figures."
Nakuru sighed. She turned around and faced the piano, and whispered, "...Is that bad?"
Touya opened his mouth to answer back but he halted in his action when he noticed that Nakuru was touching the piano keys.
Making a beautiful sound. Playing a beautiful piece.
The Canon.
He watched her closely from where he sat as he listened to the amazing work of Johann Pachelbel being played by someone in the likes of Nakuru Akizuki.
Her face was serious, her eyes drooping at some parts momentarily. Her long fingers were moving slowly but assuredly with the melody. He also noticed that her cheeks were somehow flushed, brown long hair flowing at her back and a peaceful expression on her yet serious face.
Then something happened.
His heart began to pound fast, and his mind seemed to whirl. He was put in a trance and was lured deeply by the sounds. He started to feel something new, and his fingers were growing cold. He was feeling nervousness but inside him...
There was peace after all.
He is seeing her in a different light, his knees suddenly feeling weak. There was a strong emotion inside, and unintentionally, it is making him cross the line that separates sanity from insanity.
It was driving him crazy.
"...Nakuru."
Nakuru turned to the voice who spoke her name without breaking contact with the piano but it was just a split second and she turned back to what she was doing as if nothing happened.
"Would you.."
Touya found his own voice stuttering; he was starting to wonder whether it was the cold or...something else.
Nakuru didn't look back.
"...please st-"
What is wrong with me!
"...stop...," Touya hushed, his words blending with the breeze, softly that it was inaudible enough. His throat twisted and it is tightening, putting all his efforts to speak in vain.
He inhaled once more, and willed the thoughts away, just for now, and he'll welcome it later. Gladly.
"Stop." His voice came harsh, his words with force.
And it stopped.
"Nani, Touya-kun?" Nakuru finally looked at him innocently and brought her fingers to her side. She smiled at him sweetly, like she had just nibbled a sweet candy that put her in hype.
Touya was contemplating very hard on his part to understand and comprehend, at least, what had happened, or he was thinking to ask how in the world she learned to play the piano like that, or why she is so much able to pretend that nothing happened.
Maybe really nothing happened. It's just me.
"...eh?" The voice on the other room woke him up from his reverie.
He definitely needed something to say now.
"…I- you- caught me- me-.. I- was unguard-"
Wait. Footsteps. Outside. Somebody. Is. Coming.
"I'm not sure I'm following you, Touya-kun…" Nakuru said slowly, her hand in her chin as if to think.
"…guard!" He said somewhat calmly, masking the panic in his voice. If they're being caught…
God knows what will happen next.
"Guard? What guard?.. oh! Guard! The guard!" Nakuru almost screeched that she ran fast towards the door to check. And oh, he was right.
When she turned away, Touya caught her wrist just as suddenly. She looked at him oddly and he tried to communicate with her through actions, signaling her to keep her mouth shut, for ONCE, and that there was a window… wait, to jump… yeah, a window.. jump?
Or something like that.
Apparently, Nakuru failed to understand what charade Touya was playing at. Words are her forte.
The footsteps came nearer that they both could swear the guard is just right there; ready to demolish the door that separates the cat and the mice.
Oh, the chase.
Touya, with certainly no more options left, brought a shocked Nakuru to his arms, jogged to get his violin with his free hand and sprinted toward the window, like a man carrying his lover ready to elope.
As the door opened with such force, they have jumped off the window just in time.
Only to find that it was never too high.
Touya heaved from the unwanted work he had just done and made up his mind to make her pay for it.
He stood up to find she was no longer there.
Scared now, huh?
"Touya-kun!"
He saw Nakuru standing a few feet away, an open umbrella at hand.
It was still raining.
And the feeling, it's….
…coming over me again.
Nakuru smiled at him and invited him to share the umbrella with her. He stood up, without any clear thinking at all. He didn't want to get soaked, and his violin, oh.
He ran and met her, his violin, the piano, the Pachelbel, the guard…the rain.
It felt right.
"Wait, Akizuki.."
"Na-ku-ru!"
"…Where did you get that?"
"Well, I ran back and left the keys in exchange for this umbrella! Sneaky me, huh! He must pay for almost scaring me to death! And no, NOT almost, that's scaring me to…"
Touya looked at her and had to smile. A real smile.
Blame it on the rain, really.
owari
A/N: I'm not a good writer, really. But I'd really appreciate it if you read and review. Pretty please? Thanks a lot and Godspeed.