Author's Note: Special thanks to wingsofseyfert12 for proof-reading this one-shot for me! I hope you enjoy it!
The view from the shrine at Mount Daikichi was breath-taking.
It was as if Kumiko was staring at a painting. The lights of the city, the festival taking place amid the busy streets, the clear night sky – all of it formed a beautiful picture that she doubted she'd ever forget. It was as if everything was in tune in that one perfect moment.
That, of course, also counted the presence of the girl she was with right now. The girl who had brought her here who was looking at that very same view.
Reina Kousaka.
In truth, as pretty as the view was, it wouldn't have had the same impact without Reina being there. In that moment she was perfect – her long, black hair neatly tied into a ponytail, her elegant, snow-white dress that complimented her feminine form, the light of the cityscape gleaming softly against her skin, giving her a soft glow.
Just like in the ensemble, Reina truly was the glue that held everything together.
Kumiko's cheeks reddened just a little as her eyes flickered at the sight. Reina was now facing her, staring intensely.
"You kind of get it, right? That sort of crazy feeling."
It took Kumiko a second to recall what it was that Reina had been telling her for the past few minutes. That the two of them were special. Different than everybody else.
As much as Kumiko was glad that Reina was finally opening up to her she felt especially giddy when Reina had unexpectedly begun talking about her on the way there instead. About how she, too, was someone that stood out from the crowd in some way – a way that had drawn Reina to her.
At first Kumiko had been taken aback, especially given the wording that Reina used. She had begun to worry that the trumpeter still hadn't forgiven her for what had happened in middle school. Perhaps she had finally decided to give her a piece of her mind right then and there.
But that wasn't the case at all. Reina's descriptions of her had touched Kumiko, causing butterflies in her stomach. Her heart fluttered when the black-haired musician referred to her speech as a "confession of love". Her mind swirled with questions as to what that really meant in Reina's puzzling choice of words.
It was a wonderful feeling that hadn't quite faded away.
"Yeah, I get it. I know how you feel, Kousaka-san."
Kumiko's small voice found itself trailing off as Reina approached her, blocking her view of the city. In the end, all that the girl could see was her.
"Reina."
Her magenta eyes locked with Kumiko's as she gently put a finger on her forehead, making her shiver. In every other situation, Kumiko would've backed off… but despite herself, she didn't move an inch. Kumiko could feel her heart beating just a little bit faster.
Everything Reina did had a way of surprising her.
"Reina."
As if on cue, a gust of wind blew, flapping Reina's hair a little as well as her dress. The two girls were so close that Kumiko could see every little detail of her classmate's face and all of her imperfections. Yet that wasn't the right word to describe them. It was those imperfections that made Reina who she was.
Different.
Special.
Another shiver went down Kumiko's spine as Reina proceeded to slowly move her finger down her face, moving past her nose and eventually resting on her upper lip. The girl's gaze followed the movement, her own mouth parting just a bit.
Kumiko held her breath.
Was Reina studying her? Was she "peeling that good-girl skin off of her", as she had put it earlier?
Whatever it was that she was doing, she had Kumiko under her spell. With no conscious intent to do so, Kumiko reached out with her own hand and gently brought it to Reina's cheek. The pleasant, warm contact that followed resulted in a noticeable rosy tinge appearing on Reina's face.
To see the stoic beauty embarrassed like that – her cheeks flushed in such an adorable red – was truly a rare moment.
"K-Kumiko…"
A good girl would have had enough at that point. A good girl would have restrained herself from fulfilling her desires. A good girl would've let the repercussions of her actions stop her from acting rashly.
But as Reina had correctly pointed out just a few minutes ago, there really was more to Kumiko than she let on.
So, there was nothing that could stop Kumiko from slowly inclining her body towards Reina, shifting her hand from the trumpeter's cheek to her neck and gently pulling her towards her lips. She could read the surprise in Reina's eyes in that one second before the imminent kiss, but she also felt no resistance whatsoever as their lips finally embraced.
The experience was absolutely enchanting. The taste of Reina's lips was as exquisite as the girl that they belonged to. Kumiko's heart drummed feverishly, and she could swear that Reina's did the same thing in perfect harmony.
Kumiko could have never guessed that she'd have her first kiss this soon. She also never even considered the possibility that it could be with another girl. But even more than that, she would have never imagined that girl to be Reina.
But right at that magical moment, none of that mattered. As shocking as all of this was, it felt too wonderful for Kumiko to worry about anything else in the world. For that all-too-brief point in her life, all that existed was her, Reina and the soft sounds of delight both of them made during their kiss.
Eventually, the two of them pulled away ever so slightly, their breaths so close to one another that they caressed each other's faces. Kumiko was immediately met with the sight of Reina's gorgeous pair of glittering eyes. It was then that she realized that she could get lost in that gaze for hours.
She had to kiss her again.
Their lips locked together once more, this time even more passionately. The sensuous act was becoming addicting. Reina responded with equal fervor, placing her hand on Kumiko's shoulder and inching just a little bit closer to her while Kumiko's fingers intimately ran through a strand of Reina's soft hair. The trumpeter had a lovely feminine scent of flowers that Kumiko simply couldn't get enough of. Moans of pleasure escaped their throats.
It was as if they guided each other in their every movement, making up for their lack of experience. It made their kiss that much more overwhelming.
When it was over, Kumiko withdrew back to the top-most step that she had been sitting on. She looked away shyly, feeling embarrassed from her total lack of control. From the corner of her eyes she could see that Reina was silently touching her lips with the tip of her finger, frozen in place.
"Oh, um… s-sorry for that…" Kumiko muttered under her breath, blushing hard as she rubbed the back of her neck a little awkwardly.
To her relief, Reina simply shook her head as her face took on yet another rare expression: that of a soft, genuine smile that had the dangerous ability of making Kumiko melt.
"You have nothing to apologize for," she told her warmly, prompting Kumiko to look at the girl directly again. "I just… I didn't expect it."
With her anxiety fading away, Kumiko couldn't resist teasing her as her lips formed into a goofy grin. "Perhaps you don't have me all figured out then," she told Reina.
"That's one more thing I like about you," Reina replied while she sat down right next to Kumiko, their legs barely touching. Kumiko couldn't prevent the slight tremble of her body when that happened. "You can be really unpredictable at times… And to be honest, I thought that there really was something between you and Tsukamoto."
"I told you that it's not like that. We're just friends," Kumiko clarified, her proximity to Reina making her feel giddy again… and overly conscious of herself.
"To think that you're even more special than I thought…" Reina spoke dreamily as the delicate fingers of her hand suddenly caressed Kumiko's hair. "I didn't believe you could be any more attractive."
"W-Well…" Kumiko mumbled, feeling rather weak under the power of Reina's lovely flowing voice, her flattery and her touch. "I guess you're helping me find out more about myself…"
"That terrible personality of yours truly has no bounds," the trumpeter teased her, letting out an infectious giggle. Her eyes glittered again, the city lights from the view in front of them reflected in their depths.
"It still can't beat yours," Kumiko responded playfully with a mirthful chuckle, easing herself to Reina's touch.
"I should hope not," Reina replied, laughing along, her hand still tenderly fondling Kumiko's hair with apparent affection.
"But I guess we ended up doing something… not that unusual for the Agata festival, huh?" the euphonium player said, blushing as she thought back on their kiss, feeling the urge to relive the memory.
"That's true," Reina agreed and then threw a look at the instruments they had brought with them. "So let's fix that, shall we?"
Caught up in the heat of the moment, Kumiko had all but forgotten the fact that they had brought their euphonium and trumpet with them. Though she immediately missed Reina's touch, little did she know that the magic of the night would continue regardless.
The two of them decided to play a particularly nostalgic song for both, one that Kumiko would always associate with her graduation from middle school… and now, with these moments that she was spending with Reina. She couldn't help but smile at her classmate's suggestion that they play this piece, momentarily looking back at the past.
It was a weight off Kumiko's shoulders to no longer think of her last days at middle school with hesitation, questioning whether she had been right or wrong to say what she had to Reina. It didn't matter anymore. The two of them were together again, and closer than she would've ever thought possible.
With her trumpet prepared to be played at her lap, Reina reached out with a hand behind her and slid off the scrunchie that had held her hair into a ponytail all this time.
A moment passed before Reina eventually told the girl right next to her, "Kumiko, you are staring at me."
"O-Oh, well…" Kumiko reddened again, realizing that she had been lost in the beautiful sight of Reina with her hair down. As cute as her friend was with a ponytail, she looked even better this way. She was truly maturing into a fine young woman.
"I didn't say that I minded it," Reina then added, almost like an afterthought, and giggled. It dawned on Kumiko that she was being teased once more. It was still a little surreal to see Reina having as much fun as she was.
"It's not my fault that I can't help it. You're too cute… Reina," Kumiko replied, playfully grinning at the trumpeter. And just as she had hoped that she would, the other blushed.
"Just don't lose your focus," Reina said, bringing her trumpet to her lips in preparation. "It would be unfortunate if Taki-sensei had you disqualified from the concert band club if you underperform because you stare at me too much."
"I'm sure I'll manage somehow," Kumiko chuckled with amusement, her fingers readying themselves at her euphonium.
And so, the two shared a nod and then started playing their song. The wind lightly blew and the city listened as the music played, the two of them performing in perfect tandem.
"The joy of playing in an ensemble, huh…" Kumiko thought as she glanced at Reina. She always knew it to be true, but she didn't truly believe in it as much as she did at that moment.
The girl also felt thankful for many things. She was thankful that she had applied for Kitauji High School, that she had decided to join the concert band, that they were aiming to compete in the nationals…
But most important of all, she was grateful for this night… and for being back together with Reina.
There was nothing more special than that.