Maki was so absorbed in her music that she almost didn't notice she wasn't alone. Almost being the key word. When she really got into the zone, mind full of nothing but her fingers on the piano keys, it was like the world around her ceased to exist.
A brooding, nervous Umi radiated enough pure tension to be an exception to that rule.
At first, Maki tried to just keep playing, sure that when the other girl was ready to speak up about whatever was troubling her, she would. When she made no less than three mistakes in the space of thirty seconds, though, she knew that wouldn't work. She was too distracted. Sighing, Maki turned away from the piano, quietly sizing up the older girl.
"What is it?"
Umi blanched, expression then morphing into one of obviously-forced stoicism.
"Oh, it's nothing. Please don't trouble yourself over it, Maki," Umi said hastily, chuckling as she folded and refolded a piece of paper in her hands. "I didn't mean to interrupt your practice."
"It doesn't seem like nothing to me. Just tell me. You've been acting strange for days." There was a pause, and then Maki quickly amended, "Not...not that I've been paying that much attention or anything."
The slightest hint of a smile flashed across Umi's face at that, and she inclined her head in acknowledgement.
"Right, well, it's just this," she replied, handing Maki the piece of paper. The fingers of her other hand fussed with her long, dark hair, combing through it and twisting it around her fingers in an obvious nervous gesture.
Maki peered down at the paper, hoping it might reveal some clue as to what had Umi so anxious.
"These are...lyrics for a new song," she said slowly, unable to figure out how this was any different than their normal collaboration routine. They were good, as always, and appeared to be on the topic of having a crush, something μ's sang about quite frequently. Sure, it was a bit more saccharine than some of Umi's usual work, but surely that couldn't explain all of this.
"Yes," Umi confirmed.
"Okay, so...how does this explain the way you've been acting?"
"They're for you." Umi's voice got softer, and a telltale blush spread across her face. "The song is about you. Oh, I know I shouldn't have been so blatant about it, this was absolutely shameless of me, but I just...You deserve the best tribute I could possibly give you."
Maki felt her own face growing hot as she smoothed out the paper, now looking at the lyrics in an entirely new light.
"Umi-chan, don't worry," she said awkwardly, equally uncomfortable with expressing her feelings about this. "They're great. Thank you. And I, um...I like you too."
Umi, looking as though she was in a state of total disbelief, walked closer, sitting down next to Maki on the piano bench.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Do you think I would say something so embarrassing as a joke?" Maki retorted, face half-hidden behind her scarlet hair in an attempt to hide the fact that her face was nearly as red.
"No, I guess not."
"Okay, so it's settled. You like me and I like you."
"I suppose it is," Umi said, a hint of amusement in her tone. She reached over, gently grasping Maki's hand. "Maybe this could be a duet," she continued, peering at the new lyrics again. "You and me."