"Tokiya, where are you going?" Otoya turns his head to the side from where he's lying down on his bed to see Tokiya putting a few scores in a bag and slipping his snow boots on.
"Why must you know?"
Now more curious than before, Otoya sits up and presses his hands forward on his bed with a concerned look. "Isn't it kind of late? It's supposed to be one of the coldest winter storms we've had out there soon, too. Are you sure you should be going out?"
Tokiya rolls his eyes in retaliation. "I'll be inside for the most part. There's no need to worry. I don't plan on being out for too long. What I do shouldn't bother you too much." With that, he picks up the bag and throws it over his shoulder, grabbing his keys as he makes his way out of the room.
Why should the temperature stop him from practicing? The music building is only a short walk away, so he won't even be outside for very long. Besides, Saotome Academy always sent out alerts if it was too bad to go outside, and he has yet to receive anything like that. Otoya has no reason to stop him either. If anything, Otoya should follow in his steps and practice on a day off like the one they've had today. Instead, the other sat on his bed all day reading whatever new article came up on his phone. Only once did he move to pick up his guitar.
Tokiya pulls the scarf around his neck up to cover his mouth once he steps outside. It is rather frigid out, that he will admit. The cold wind whips his face red and flattens his bangs around his face. It's not the most pleasant walk he's ever taken, but it could be worse.
He's never been a fan of the winter. The cold invites illness, and he's always somehow managed to get sick during this season. It's why he's most grateful for being born in the summer. Although he doesn't particularly enjoy sweating every day or the threat of a sunburn, the season does bring warmth.
He stomps the snow off his boots when he gets to the doors of the music building before walking in. As he had imagined, it's silent through the halls where the practice rooms are located. Everyone seems to be using this snow day to relax. If the S Class didn't have a recording test in three days he wouldn't be surprised. However, they do have a recording test soon, so this silence is disappointing. It appears not everyone is as serious as he is.
He dusts the falling snow off his shoulders and walks down past the majority of where the practice rooms are and takes a left at the end of the hallway and faces another one. This is the hallway of the many recording studios the academy has, and Tokiya's favorite part of the building besides the concert hall down the other way. He's about to enter his favorite recording room when he pauses upon hearing the faint noise of the saxophone behind the door. The irritation sets in when he thinks of just who that could possibly be. Abruptly, the noise is silenced and words by the very person he doesn't want to see are muffled by the soundproofing on the walls.
Without another thought, Tokiya pushes open the door and sees exactly who he thought it was in the recording booth scribbling notes down on a score set in front of him on a music stand.
Alarmed by the presence of someone else, Ren lifts his quickly and relaxes when he sees that Tokiya is the one who entered. "Icchi. What are you doing here?"
"I was hoping to work on one of my pieces for the upcoming test." It's odd to see Ren actively practicing. Only last month did he decide that he finally cared about what he was doing and began stepping up his game. To see him practicing on a snow day... it's rather odd and out of character for the saxophonist.
"Well, what do you know? Me too." Ren grins at him and puts the pencil in his hand down on the stand.
Tokiya quirks a brow at him, wondering if that's the real reason behind his presence. "I didn't expect you to be here." It's an obvious statement, but it's moreso directed at Ren's presence in the very recording booth Tokiya practices in all the time.
Ren shrugs his shoulders. "Change of pace. I was hoping your greatness from being here all the time would affect my performance." He grins widely as if he was waiting to say the words out loud to him.
"That's not how it works." Tokiya frowns at the other, regretting his decision to walk in on him.
"Energy does affect how someone practices, though. You can't deny that." Ren points at him matter-of-factly, as if nothing can disprove his statement.
Only Tokiya knows he can. "Energy shouldn't be what drives practice time. You should be distancing yourself away from anything of the sort, and keep your mind focused."
"I knew that you'd somehow ruin something as easy as practicing. It's not supposed to be a task. Shouldn't you always enjoy what you're doing? If you look at it like something you have to get done, then it will never work for you. That's how people get distracted."
"I didn't come here for a lecture on how to practice. I know what I'm doing." Tokiya turns his back on Ren, more annoyed now than he was knowing his unofficial space had been taken. He reaches for the handle only to be stopped by Ren's words.
"Wait, Icchi. I was hoping you'd come here."
Expecting it to be another ploy, Tokiya only pauses for a moment before turning the handle and opening the door.
"I wanted to ask if you'd listen to the piece I'd be playing for the test coming up. I wanted feedback on it, and I figured the perfect person to ask would be you."
Now he hesitates halfway through the door frame before he turns around to face Ren with an inquisitive expression. "You want me to listen to your performance?"
Ren nods as if it's the most obvious reason he'd be there. "That's it. I can leave right after seeing as all I wanted were your thoughts on it."
It's a nice deal considering all he has to do is give critical feedback. He glances quickly at the watch around his wrist to see if he has enough time to do so. He had planned on only spending two straight hours on his piece, seeing as he only wanted to adjust the performance aspect. The notes were already memorized, so it probably won't take up the full two hours to adjust it. Sighing, he walks back into the room and shuts the door. Setting down his belongings carefully and sitting in the chair in front of the booth, he looks up at Ren with his arms folded. "As long as it doesn't take long."
Ren grins at him and pulls his instrument closer to his chest. "Thanks, Icchi. I knew you'd be able to help."
Tokiya lifts a hand and waves the gratitude away. "No need. Whenever you're ready, you may start."
Ren nods and tunes his alto saxophone one more time before beginning. The melody starts intensely with a pattern of dotted eighth notes and sixteenth notes that he hadn't expected.
For the recording test, they were told to pick pieces from the Classical Era and record them in front of the class on their main instrument. You were allowed an accompanist if you felt that you needed one, or you could perform alone. The choice had been up to the them.
The piece Ren is playing now is one that Tokiya wouldn't have thought he'd choose. Usually when it came to assignments and tests such as these, Ren went for a rather different approach yet one that was distinctively him. This time around, the piece he's chosen holds more structure and a hardness that the other pieces he's chosen before didn't have. It's surprising to say the least of the ability the performer in front of him seems to hold.
Tokiya closes his eyes and imagines the piece being played in a dance hall. He can hear the sharp and exact steps the dancers would be making as the music of this tango surrounds them. Instead of being the reason for their dance, they dance as if the music was made specifically for their dance, making the piece their own. The tone Ren produces never ceases to amaze him. It's clear why he's been accepted into this academy.
"So how was it?" Ren's breathing heavier than he was before he started, but there's no trace of exhaustion.
Tokiya had been lost in his thoughts momentarily and realizes that he hadn't been listening to the end of the piece. How is he supposed to give feedback if he his thoughts had been scattered? "You have nothing to worry about." That at least is true, and something viable he can say. He stands up and gathers his belongings, prepared to leave this small amount of embarrassment behind him. He can live if he has to use another recording room.
"That's it?" It's clear in Ren's tone of voice that he had expected more than just a simple answer.
Tokiya stops at the door but doesn't turn around. "Simply play it as you just did. You will pass." Courtesy for himself, he walks out without saying anything else as he's scared something else will slip that he wouldn't otherwise want to.
Ren lets him leave and doesn't try to call him back into the room.
When the door shuts behind him, Tokiya breathes in the less suffocating air that the hallway holds and only then realizes he had been holding his breath. Shaking his head at himself, he walks down the hallway and makes for another recording room as far away as he can get one from the room he just left. More than ever, he doesn't want Ren to see him again and press for questions. He even fears beginning his own practice as the thought of Ren walking in breaks through his mind and stays there.
He sits in the empty room alone and waits until he hears the sound of a door opening and closing in the hallway before he pulls out his own scores. He needs to concentrate now. It's the very reason he's made the effort to come at this time after all.
About an hour into practicing, he's decided to stop for a moment to rest his vocal chords. As he exits the recording booth, he halts at the door when he notices an unexpected presence lounging in the seat facing the booth he was just in. "When did you get in here?" Hadn't he locked the door after all?
"Door was open, and I got bored of practicing. I thought I should pay you a visit, and see how you were doing. Are you tired already?" Ren's feet are up on the soundboard, perched in a way that just barely misses one of the many keys on a console. It hurts mentally to look at him doing this.
"How long have you been here?" Tokiya walks around him to grab a water out of his bag, pretending almost that his presence doesn't exist.
"At least twenty minutes. I don't remember. Were you that focused that you didn't hear me?"
Tokiya says nothing, counting the silence as his response.
"I was hoping you'd stop sooner than this. We got an alert from the academy to stay indoors, so I came to get you. I figured we should probably walk back now."
Tokiya twists the cap open and takes rather large gulp from the water bottle. "I hadn't planned on leaving quite yet. I just wanted a quick break before I began again."
Ren pulls his legs off the soundboard and swivels the chair around to face Tokiya. "You aren't serious, are you? They said we're dealing with hurricane winds that are essentially just ice. It'll only get colder the later you stay here. I think we should leave."
"I will be fine on my own. I have survived many snowstorms before, so I think I can live through this one."
Now it's Ren's turn to roll his eyes. "Look, Icchi, I know-"
With a flicker, the lights in the room go out stopping Ren's words in his throat. Tokiya caps the water in his hands and opens the door to check the hallway. "It looks like the power in this wing of the building is out." He walks back into the room and carefully steps back over to where his bag is. Putting his water away, he grabs his phone instead and flicks the flashlight function on. He makes his way to the door again and is about to walk out when something pulls on his shoulder to stop him.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to see what state the rest of the building is in." Tokiya walks out from under his grasp and enters the darkened hallway. The building looks much taller and narrower in the pitch black that's been draped over it.
"I'm coming with you then. It's probably a good idea for us not to go around on our own."
Tokiya rolls his eyes but waits for him nonetheless. They're old enough to not need the buddy system, but he can't deny that it may be a good idea if they stick together.
Ren walks into the hallway to join him with his own phone in his hands and the flashlight on. It almost lights up the part of the hallway they're in with two flashlights going off. They walk carefully and quietly down the hall, turning the corner to where the normal practice rooms are located. The gust of the icy wind can be heard through the walls as it hits against the building's exterior. The heating must have been shut off as well because he can feel the cold through his sweater. The arm that isn't holding his phone wraps around his other arm, as if he can prevent the cold from shaking him further.
When he looks over at a very silent Ren beside him, he notices that even Ren has done the same thing. If the building stays this way, they'll have to leave. They can't sit in the freezing cold for too long.
"The heat is clearly off." Ren sighs as they continue walking, clearly unhappy with the change in temperature as well.
"Mm."
They make it to the main entrance of the building and aren't surprised in the least bit to see that the power is out even on the other side of the building from where they were.
Ren walks around the room, shaking his head at how dark it is. "You'd think for such a big and important school, there would at least be a generator. This is ridiculous."
Tokiya is confused on that matter as well. There should be. It would be odd if Shining himself hadn't thought of getting one. Despite being away from the shore, the threat of a tsunami or any other natural disaster still persists. Having a generator around should be an obvious decision. "I agree."
"We finally agree on something for once." Ren turns to him and chuckles.
Tokiya ignores the comment and focuses on the matter at hand. "We need to leave and send out an email or schedule an appointment with Shining to inform him about this. They need to do something about this."
"Good idea. Let's go back and grab our things."
Tokiya nods. They walk back without saying anything, the cold preventing them from doing so. Tokiya can feel how dry his hands have become because of it. He tries not to think about it anymore, knowing that it won't make him feel any warmer if he complains about it.
They break off to their respective recording booths to gather their belongings and walk to the center of the hallway once they're done, so they can walk back together.
"Ready?" Tokiya finishes zipping up his jacket when he sees that Ren has just finished doing the same.
"Ready." Ren picks up the case that holds his saxophone and leads the way back to the entrance of the building.
Again the two don't say anything, more focused on trying to leave the site than anything. Ren reaches for the entrance to the building but is bewildered when the door doesn't open for him. He sets down the case in his hands and tries pulling it open with two hands this time only to learn that his attempts are for nothing when the door doesn't budge. Tokiya taps his foot impatiently as he watches the scene unfold before him.
There's no reason the doors shouldn't be open. They are usually set to lock themselves when it gets late, but you should still be able to open them from the inside. Tokiya has been here late enough times to know that this is true and works. Unless... "The power has caused the system to malfunction."
Ren stops trying to open the door and looks back at Tokiya with his arms crossed over his chest, either in frustration or because of the cold. He can't tell which one it is. "So you're saying that we're locked in here?"
"I'm not sure. Seeing as these doors won't open, I'm afraid that maybe the same will happen with the emergency exits. I have a feeling you don't want to try to leave through the roof, though. That's the only one I can think of that doesn't lock automatically."
"Could this have happened to the other buildings?"
Tokiya shakes his head. "I'm don't know about that either."
"Well, what are we supposed to do?"
"We may have to stay here tonight." By far, it's not his favorite option, but what other option do they have?
Ren seems to weigh the options as well before nodding. "You're right. I think we have to. Time to decide where to set up camp. Any ideas?"
Tokiya sets down his own bag and crosses his arms over his chest, lifting a finger to his lips. Where could they stay? The building mostly consists of practice rooms, recording studios, dance studios, and one library filled with compositions and a vast knowledge of music theory analyses. Needless to say, there isn't one practical room they could sleep in. "I'd say our best option is one of the smaller practice rooms with one of the upright pianos in it rather than one with a grand. That way we'll manage to get a room that can trap heat in rather than a larger one that can't hold it."
"Left wing then, right?" Ren reaches down and grabs his case again. "We should go make ourselves comfortable then." Ren seems less aggravated now, but there's still a hint of annoyance lacing his words.
Tokiya picks up his bag as well and makes his way over to the practice rooms in the left wing. It takes a few minutes of walking before they actually hit the smaller practice rooms. The only time these rooms in particular are used is only when midterms and finals come around. That's when everyone flocks to the many practice rooms, taking up as much space as possible. It's easy to see that they don't get used as often.
Tokiya picks a random room, knowing that it isn't going to matter which ones they choose. However, he doesn't expect Ren to walk in behind him. "What are you doing?"
Ren raises an eyebrow at him. "I thought we were going to sleep in the same room?"
Tokiya wants to tell him how ridiculous of an idea that would be, but he knows that he can't. "I assumed we were taking different rooms. Do we have to be in one?" It shouldn't be too much of an issue, but in this condition he's not sure he wants a roommate. The rooms would be able to fit them both, but he's feeling more vulnerable than he would like to now. Having Ren sleep in the same room as him would be practically asking for a night of teasing and incessant talking. It's not what he wants.
"It would help with the cold. What if something happens and the other can't hear them?"
It has to be the smartest thing Ren has ever said. Unfortunately, it had to be about this topic. Tokiya sighs, giving up easily. It's sound logic, and not one he can or wants to put up an argument for. He can complain about it later if he needs to. "Alright." He sets his bag down in the corner of the room and watches as Ren places his belongings against the back wall. For whatever reason, Tokiya feels very uneasy. He watches as Ren sits down against the wall and begins scrolling through his phone.
Tokiya lays down on the ground, deciding that the best course of action is to try and sleep.
Only sleep never comes for him. Despite the insulation in his jacket, he still finds himself shivering. It doesn't help that he can't exactly get comfortable either considering he's on the floor. He considers grabbing a couch or a chair from the hallway, but he knows that they won't help him sleep any better. After all, he's still too tall to lay down comfortably on them. He closes his eyes and tries to focus on the silence of the room other than the blowing wind against the building.
It takes a while, but finally he manages to drift into unconsciousness.
.
. . .
.
"Should we wake them up?"
"Otoya, shhh. You're going to do that anyway if you keep talking so loudly."
"They look so happy!"
"Shinomiya, I'm afraid that you are also too loud. They don't seem like they've had a great night, so maybe we should leave them alone."
"Everyone, we should leave."
The noise comes as a fog to him, waking him up slowly. He blinks his eyes a few times, squinting when he the light protrudes his line of sight. Wait. There's light. In a daze, Tokiya sits up too quickly, making his head spin momentarily. He forgets where he is until he notices the upright piano against the opposite wall where he is right now. Then he notices the figure lying next to him. Ren seems to be fast asleep beside him. Then he notices the arm draped around his waist and turns a vibrant shade of red as quickly as when he woke up.
When had they even gotten closer together? When he fell asleep, Ren was a good few feet away from him wide awake. When did Ren move over to where he was? Only then does he register the extra layer of fabric on top of him. Ren's coat has slid down to his waist where his arm is in his morning panic. He picks up the fabric gently before looking back at Ren. Why would he have bothered? The heat is on anyway now, so the room is a decent temperature. Ren still looks somewhat cold. It had been freezing last night, and he doesn't actually know when the heat and electricity turned back on. It could've been cold up until an hour ago. If that's the case, then why did Ren put his coat over him? He would've needed it.
As he's contemplating how the night went after he fell asleep, a light cough gathers his attention to where the door is. Standing inside the room looking over at them is Otoya, Masato, Syo, Natsuki, and Haruka. The four of them look as confused as Tokiya does, but in Otoya's, Syo's, and Haruka's cases, they're also bright red as if they've seen something they shouldn't have.
"What are the five of you doing here?" Tokiya tries to keep his voice down, so as not to wake Ren up.
"I think that's what we should be asking you, Ichinose."
Oh right. "We got trapped in the building last night without power, so we figured we needed to try and get ourselves comfortable somewhere here. I didn't really think of even letting anyone know that we were trapped. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause panic if that's what happened."
Syo snickers. "You two got comfortable all right."
Otoya looks at Syo incredulously, and Haruka finds her attention quickly being diverted anywhere but towards the two in question. Masato coughs as his cheeks become tinged pink.
Tokiya looks down at Ren again, and internally pleads for him to wake up to get out of this situation. "It's not what it looks like." He rolls his eyes at Syo as his own cheeks gain color.
"I think it's adorable! You two would make a lovely-"
"Shinomiya." Masato quickly and curtly cuts him off before he can finish his thoughts. Syo starts laughing uncontrollably anyway, knowing full well what Natsuki was going to say.
Tokiya sighs and tries not to let his embarrassment show.
Fortunately, Ren finally wakes up taking time to adjust to the lighting now as well. Ren removes his arm off of Tokiya - to which he's eternally grateful for - to rub at his eyes. "Morning, Icchi." His voice is thick with sleep as he slowly sits up. "How'd you sleep?"
"We've got visitors." Tokiya doesn't once move his eyes away from the crowd in front of them.
"More like intruders." Syo snickers again as he gains more eye rolling and sighs from the rest of the group. All of them still look very uncomfortable, though.
"Oh?" Ren follows Tokiya's gaze and the sound of Syo's voice until he meets five pairs of eyes still trained on them. "Oh. Morning, everyone. Is it still the morning? What time is it?"
Tokiya lifts his arm up to look at his watch, only to notice that it's missing.
"It's only nine in the morning. Otoya had trouble sleeping knowing that you were still out, Tokiya. He ran over to our room in a panic, but we couldn't get out last night because of the storm. We waited until later in the morning to search for you. If I had known that you were getting cozy with Casanova here last night, I wouldn't have even bothered." Syo points them accusingly, but the hints of humor still form a curve at the corners of his lips.
Ren snorts at the comment and looks back at Tokiya, giving him a wink that he wishes didn't come from him now of all times. "Maybe we should've told them that we were fine. We could've had more time together." Ren sits up fully, stretching out his stiff limbs.
Tokiya notices then himself how stiff sleeping on the floor has made him as well. He ignores Ren's comments completely, knowing that anything he says from now on will be of no help.
"We're sorry to hear what happened last night to you two, though. I'm sure he knows by now, but maybe you two should bring this up with Shining. I also recommend that you two take the day off to recuperate. You're lucky to not have suffered from hypothermia last night with how cold it must've been." Masato talks to them gently, as if they're going to break like glass in front of him. "You still look rather pale."
Ren grins at him. "This is the most concerned over my well-being I've ever seen you. Does it hurt you to talk like that to me? I'm genuinely curious."
Before Masato can answer his quick-witted response, Tokiya interrupts. "Thank you, Hijirikawa. I believe that may be a good idea. I had thought of organizing a meeting with him last night, so I think I will arrange for that later. On another note, taking today off may not be such a bad idea."
Ren turns him and laughs gently. "You of all people want a day off? I'm shocked."
"Well, it won't do us any good to look ill in classes all day. You especially look bad."
Ren cringes. "That hurt, Icchi. You should've seen yourself last night. I thought you were going to turn into ashes. Either that or knock your own teeth out with how badly you were shivering."
And now he feels bad instantly. He hadn't meant his comment to be offensive, but now that Ren thinks so and has told him of the state he was in, he feels very guilty. "I didn't realize. I'm sorry."
Ren waves away his apology quickly. "Don't worry about it."
He'll have to think of something nice to thank Ren with.
"You two done? Some of us have class soon."
Tokiya looks at the group again and bows his head. "Again, I'm very sorry for the panic we caused."
"You don't have to apologize, Ichinose. We're just glad you two are alright." Haruka smiles at them.
"Can we leave you two here, and know you'll be fine now? Despite how crudely it was mentioned, we do have courses soon and need to depart for them." Masato's brows are still furrowed in concern.
Tokiya looks up at then and nods. "We will be fine. You don't have to stay any longer."
The rest of the group bids their goodbyes before leaving the practice room. Tokiya stretches his limbs out and yawns.
Ren stands up and stretches out his legs and back. "Well, it wasn't the worst night of sleep I've gotten."
"Ren, I'm really sorry. You didn't have to take your coat off for me, though." Tokiya brings the jacket into his arms and stands up, presenting it back to Ren. "I appreciate the gesture. I really do."
Ren takes the coat from him and slings it over his shoulder. "It's nothing. Besides, I enjoyed spending the night with you. I wish we could do it again sometime."
Tokiya tries not to let his jaw drop as Ren casually speaks the words. His cheeks have to be colored with his embarrassment, though. He can feel the blood burning in his face.
Ren's already to the door with all his belongings in his hands when he notices how red Tokiya has become over the statement. He laughs and winks before exiting without another word. Tokiya fights to swallow how foolish he feels before reaching for his bag to leave.
"Ridiculous." Tokiya leaves the practice room without looking back.