StrayNotes - Reiji


Disclaimer: I don't own Utapri, nor do I own the singing princes therein. But I do play with their thought processes a bit. Mwahaha.

Shout Out: I wasn't completely idle in the summer time. Nope, no siree. This is one of the pet projects that had begun in the wake of conversations with Zara Allegra Vespertine, the mistress of all things Utapri. And because she had sent me the jealous!QUARTET NIGHT clippings, this of course prompted me to write something about them, under-appreciated lot of tsunderes they are (aside from Reiji. Sheesh, he's the most normal one of them.). Seriously. Those four one-shots were my gift to her, both as part of a gift and partly as a bribe to get her writing more of her stories in that particular fandom. And as such, this is my little way of contribution to the Utapri fandom, as promised.

Warnings: NotAU - oh, you're shocked? I so can write something within the parameters of original settings too, ya know. Some spoilers for 3rd season and completely unapologetic immersion in the place existing between their ears and residing within their skulls. if you are brave enough, tread on, dear readers. Oh, and did I mean there was some jealously included?


Reiji's POV:

I am seriously jealous of them. For having her, even when she is with us. Don't get me wrong, she did her work splendidly - neither Myu-Myu and Ran-Ran complained, which is kind of a big deal, considering that the two of them had driven our previous composers to tears over the details - but still, she had found the time and faith to write STARISH a song. In those notes, there was care and affection and... Unity.

Even when they were apart, they were together. As for us, only recently we've managed to do the same, and I believe Haru-chan was the sole catalyst of this change, what with her songs, charm and warm, caring presence. It was so easy to sing her songs... easy after overcoming the shock of basically receiving our mirror images in within compositions. Somehow, she managed to catch us - our real personalities and preferences reverberating within the notes, showing us how she saw us. And wasn't that a shock - I had thought that we would be getting a generic cantrip, like we usually did - no offense to Shining, but our previously assigned composers seriously lacked in exploring our capabilities. Maybe we were also at fault, as we are basically able to sing everything and anything. A blessing and a curse at the same time, as that particular ability made us both close but more distant than ever.

And then, she came. She took our... songs, melodies, and somehow managed to entwine them together into a new arrangement that was us and still uniquely QUARTET NIGHT. I admit, I had some doubts about Haru-chan succeeding at first - I knew what kind of ice-cubes my teammates are – Ran-Ran could bite someone's head off at the slightest provocation, Myu-Myu is too prideful and ice-cold for his own good, never mind his perfectionism, and don't even get me started on Ai-Ai! And then, there was me, the butt of their rejections and putdowns, despite of how long I've been in the entertainment industry – no respect for senpai here, seriously – a comical reject who did everything wrong.

But... No. She didn't see me as such. In her eyes I was a respected senpai who works hard and sometimes outshines Tokki and Ikki at the magic show, had who still... shines as she expressed it, like the day I had when QUARTET NIGHT had been formed. Strange, strange girl, that Haru-chan. Nobody would have believed she is the composer behind STARISH's songs if one would've seen her in the crowd. But she... her song was the reason I had to interfere in Aiji-Aiji's case. That Maji Love 1000%... I couldn't get it out of my head even a week after STARISH's debut concert, and I believe I've driven Ran-Ran and Myu-Myu up the proverbial wall with humming its' melody. Aiji-Aiji's melody - I believe it's known as Fantasia of the Stars now, intrigued me enough that I had to send it to Agnapolis. But even I couldn't have predicted that the turnout of this little action would result in practically a monster of a group, what with Aiji-Aiji added in and then their consequent win of UtaPri award.

That was the beginning of QUARTET NIGHT like I've wished it for. It may have been only a tiny step forward, but it was a step all the same, especially because Myu-Myu had been proven that a group can exist and be successful because they were here for each other - their challenges as individuals and a group were shared the same - if one had a problem, then all of them chipped in, however they could, to solve it. They talked, laughed, lost and won together.

All because of Nanami Haruka. STARISH may be seen as a cohesive unit by the outsiders, but truthfully, it's her who is the main reason for their success. I still remember the furor when it had been announced that Tokki switched agencies in order to sing with STARISH - It had been totally unprecedented event, but still less when Shining actually allowed them to debut as a group with a single composer to boot - if anything, Shining would've expelled such fools, but they dared to go against his rule and well, the results speak for themselves.

When I saw her with them, she was glowing with happiness. I didn't really know just why they were so attentive to her - Ren-Ren especially and Aiji-Aiji is absurdly overprotective of her, to the point of going against Myu-Myu - which is a guaranteed suicide – but...I think I am beginning to understand.

It's more than just her songs. It's her understanding, her enjoyment of music and her joy when she shares it with us. It makes her, for the lack of better word, shine even brighter. Ai-Ai became mellower and more approachable since that movie he starred in with Nacchan and Syo-chan - whatever had happened while they were making a movie; it changed him for the better. Myu-Myu had lightened up a fair bit too, even if he is still harsh and mean as ever, but there is still a small spark of warmth in his usually ice cold eyes when he is playing his cello or singing with us now. And of course, Ran-Ran. Before, I had a feeling he was bound by invisible chains that held him down - even if he was vocally perfect addition to QUARTET NIGHT, I couldn't help but feel that he was still holding back an enormous part of his personality, so to speak. Yes, perfect in technique and expression, but still, it wasn't him. It was like trying to conform a wild beast to the civilized society. I didn't know just how much QUARTET NIGHT had clipped his wings, his voice... until that night. Yeah, that RockFest Ran-Ran so stubbornly declined to participate in. But it seemed that Haru-chan once again got through for him, and managed to reconcile both of his sides - his side of a rocker with the side that is now a part of QUARTET NIGHT. In doing so, she managed to free his true voice. And what a voice it was... I knew that Ran-Ran was good, otherwise he wouldn't have been selected for QUARTET NIGHT, but that night, he was the sole star of the show, so to speak. And he burned brighter than ever.

When I practically kidnapped Haruka to compose a song for us, I didn't know that we would have such a great time together. Of course, the beginning was a bit rocky - who I am kidding, it was full-on avalanche of ice and fire and steel - but on the other hand, I was ecstatic that they finally began to express just what they wanted their song to be! Usually, we just take in the proffered composition, tweak it so-and-so, write lyrics, get the singing and dancing perfected and then we are on our way to the recording studio. Cold-hearted meanies, the lot of them, only work on their minds! But with Haruka in the mix, they finally began to show some more interest in making song more than just good. Even if that did result in a three-way stare-off between them, but I still counted it as an enormous leap forward... in a sense. Of course they disbanded to their own corners of the mansion after the dinner. (Ran-Ran made a mean curry. Must nag him to cook for us more!)

I know, I know, we weren't much of a help to Haru-chan at first. But we did our part... in a sense. I certainly noticed Camus trying to get his say-so with the composition what with him talking about wanting to show her even greater heights. Boo. Perfectionist to the core, that Myu-Myu. And of course, Ai-Ai was confused when she told him that she would combine our melodies. Well, if nothing else, Haru-chan was certainly daring! But it rankled me a little when I thought that she would be doing with us like she did with STARISH... in a sense. We were too much of individuals to just mash all of us in one song, weren't we? And of course, Ran-Ran was seriously mellow with her. Mellow for him, that is. He is still a grumpy bear with the rest of us. And me... Well, I can't say it was one of my finest moments. It seems that she always gets me in some kind of a pinch. Instead of requesting anything of her, I spouted off something about my teammates changing and STARISH advancing... I am a little bit ashamed of remembering it now. So uncool of me.

But I believe that that night, we witnessed magic at it's work. The piano's melody beckoned us to come from our resting spots just as surely as if it were her calling us to her by our names. Our sounds, our melodies, meshed together and then parted, and entwining again. It lit a fire within us.

That night, I can honestly say, that QUARTET NIGHT was truly born within the splendor of the morning glory.


Of course, nothing good lasts forever. I can admit we were arrogant. We experienced just how good was working with Haruka, to sing with our own voices, to learn it's alright to be individuals within the group, even as broken and brittle as ours was. But her song was a ribbon of melody that tied us together, and gave us aim to reach. Before, we aimed just to be perfect. Now, we aimed to be on top, and with Haruka's song, we were sure to be here. We managed to shake the confidence of our cute little kouhais - I admit to taking a sadistic delight in watching their dismayed faces when I informed them that Haruka wouldn't be coming back. Especially when I told them to be careful lest we snatch her away from them for ourselves. I felt my teammates start slightly at my proclamation, but in that, we were of the same, even if it was unspoken, thought - Haruka belonged to us. And we will do anything in our power to have her with us, even if that meant taking her from her beloved STARISH.

Like I said, we were too arrogant. That morning, when we witnessed the truly bewildering and hilarious sight of our cute little kouhais clumsily stumbling out of the piano room, looking rumpled, messy-haired and looking like they didn't get much sleep, we just had to look what was the cause of their morning pandemonium.

And the cause was a rose-haired composer slumbering peacefully, as she was sitting on the chair, her upper body leaning on the piano as if it were her teddy bear.

Nanami Haruka. STARISH's composer once more. The magic of that morning when we finished our own song with her resonated in the air with a bittersweet feeling. To think that she would be so devoted to them to stay up all night with them when she just came back...

The wind blew through the window, teasingly dropping the composition sheets she had been working on in front of my feet. I couldn't help myself - it was like knowing that something bad would happen - I sensed that kind of a foreboding feeling - but I couldn't stop myself reaching for the sheets even if I wanted to.

What was shown to my eyes was a monster of a composition. Don't get me wrong, her works are awesome, and she did manage to get us, our sounds, both individual and as group, to a T, but the composition for STARISH was absolutely light years ahead in comparison with her earlier works. If I am honest with myself, this... new composition of hers for STARISH's entry song is on the par with ours!

I know I shouldn't have felt so surprised or betrayed. She was STARISH's composer first and foremost, after all. But in those days which she spent together with us, Haruka became our composer, and in a broader sense, she became ours. And we weren't inclined to let her go that easily.

Looking in the eyes of my teammates, I saw the same expression of awe, terror, jealously and something else burning within its depths.

It seemed that our newly-reached pinnacle wouldn't be enough for us to win this time. But at the same time, there was this spark of a challenge, of need to prove that we are the best. Without any question.

Her song - I sincerely believe - is unsurpassable. So what if STARISH had managed to climb on our level? QUARTET NIGHT was here first and with her, we will advance even further – always be a step and even more before them.


However... despite of our unanimous decision, we were confronted with a failure.

"This is not working." Ran-Ran snarled out when we were trying to do the whole arrangement for the tenth time in a row.

"I agree. Something is missing." Ai-Ai supplied, frowning slightly. "We already changed the lyrics and the steps but the song is still not enough to overcome theirs."

Myu-Myu didn't say anything. Instead, he wiped the sweat off of his face.

Ice blue eyes zeroed on me. "I will not allow anything less than perfection." Myu-Myu's voice is serious - not that sub-zero cold anymore, but he is more serious than I've ever seen him being. He will not bend, even if the end of the world is nigh when he's like this.

That meanie Myu-Myu. But I can understand him. He is right. I also felt the frustration that came with us trying to overcome our rivals.

Well, if everything else we have tried failed… I turned around and swiped a mobile phone out of my jacket. Thankfully I managed to get that chibi's mobile number. With a quick press on the buttons, I contacted the only one that could elevate us even past STARISH.

Haruka Nanami.

We are QUARTET NIGHT and we will win.