AN: For anyone that reads ATF, this is completely outside that timeline, so don't associate anything in that story to this.
This is a 'for fun' piece, really. Something to write when I need a break from my more serious stories although, I just can't help it, there is SOME… vague… plot to this. Takes place in November, after Kaname drags Sousuke back to Japan.
Also, you can thank the amazing Chris Ganale for this fic, as he's the one that planted the idea in my head.
Sing To Me, Our Song - Chapter One - Run For Your Life
There was to be an announcement.
That was what Kaname had said to her friends, telling them to meet her on the school roof during the lunch period. She had yet to show up, and the group was standing there wondering what was taking her so long when she had been the one to make them show up. They were hungry. The friends she had chosen to assemble were Tokiwa Kyouko, Onodera Kyotarou, Kazama Shinji, Tsubaki Issei, and Inaba Mizuki.
Tsubaki looked around at everyone there and muttered under his breath. When Kaname had asked him to meet there he had thought that perhaps this was it, his efforts had paid off and she would be asking him on a date. But with so many people gathered there he wondered if that was so. Then again, perhaps she was afraid of rejection, and wanted a crowd there so that he would be forced to say 'yes' or make her cry in front of everyone. As a man he could do no such thing, of course, it would go against his code of honor. She did not need to go to such measures though. He lowered his head to hide his expression as he grinned with triumph.
Kyouko sighed, leaning against the face, looking down at the school yard and wondering where her friend was. She wanted to eat! Kaname knew how much she looked forward to lunch! It was unfair to make her stand up there waiting before she could eat something. She should have told them to meet when lunch was half over instead of bringing them out there at the beginning if she wasn't even going to show up on time. She yawned and stretched, glancing longingly at the door to the stairwell, wishing her friend would come bursting out of it soon and say whatever it was she wanted to say.
What could it be, anyways? Once the lunch bell had rang she had stood up with a grin and said 'Meet you on the rooftop,' then she chased Sousuke out of the room when he had quickly retreated from the room. With the way she had chased him she wondered if perhaps it had something to do with him. Ooh, maybe they were dating! Maybe that was the announcement. She made sure her camera was readily accessible, and turned to face the door head on. She would be ready.
Finally, what she was waiting for. The door was thrown open, smashing against the wall and Tsubaki, who had the misfortune of having been leaning against that particular wall, smashed in, leaving an indent in the shape of his body. Kaname strode forward with a triumphant smirk, Sousuke being towed along by a leash she had formed from the rope they used in gym class when playing tug-of-war or the likes. He had his arm trapped in the rope as well, keeping himself from being strangled.
Kaname held up a bag and grinned. "Since Sousuke here delayed the meeting, he was kind enough to pay for everyone's lunches! Here, Ono-D, this is yours, and," she dropped the rope and stepped on it, having already kept it on a short length Sousuke found himself forced to kneel on the ground beside her like the dog he was being treated like. She passed out everyone's lunches, shoved a plain roll in Sousuke's mouth, then sat on his back and started eating her own lunch.
Sousuke sighed mentally, using his captured arm to hold the roll as he ate, resenting the treatment. That morning he and Kaname had gotten into one of their fights that ended with him bruised and her not talking to him. He still did not understand why she had gotten angry this time. She had said something about a meeting on the rooftop, so naturally he had assumed she wanted him to provide protection for this meeting. He had said that he needed to return to his apartment for his sniper rifle and that was when she struck, dragging him the rest of way to school by the collar without a word past 'be there or else.'
So, she was putting his skills to the test, was his next line of thought. Very well, so when the bell had rang for lunch he immediately left to set up, since she had not given him the chance to before. Why she had hunted him down, yelled at him, beat him with her fan, and then dragged him up there by force after raiding his wallet, he did not understand. Now he was being used as a bench. At least she had been considerate enough to pick up his own lunch with everyone else's when she stole his money.
After everyone had a chance to eat something and were more amenable, she grinned and threw her arm up in the air excitedly, throwing her weight back in a way that nearly caused Sousuke to topple them both, balancing delicately on one arm as he was. "We're going to have a ten-hour karaoke marathon again! All of you are coming or else!" She laughed, moving even more. Sousuke tried not to growl at the mistreatment, instead keeping them aloft with a tenacity that awed everyone watching. He knew if he let her fall, he'd be even more miserable later.
Kyouko groaned, the only veteran of Kaname's ten-hour-karaoke session from first year. "Kana-chan, we were so tired the next day!"
"I know, but it's so much fun! Since tests are over we all need to unwind, don't you think! Come on! It'll be fun!"
Tsubaki had finally recovered from being smashed into the wall, rubbing his bloody nose and settling down to eat sullenly. It was not what he had been hoping to hear. He did agree to go however, not wishing to disappoint Kaname. He made a mental note to request the day off from work. When all was said and done, everyone had agreed to go. Not having suffered before, they were all intrigued and wanted in on the action, and Kyouko really just wanted to hear Sousuke's awful singing, which Inaba had decided to go on about the moment 'karaoke' and 'Sousuke' were able to be used in the same sentence again.
Kaname leapt off Sousuke, causing him to finally crash to the ground with a painful thud. He lay there for several long moments, afraid to move for fear of Kaname's wrath. She stretched and held her arms behind her head, grinning with excitement, "Great! Tomorrow then!" she turned back to the door and stopped to whistle sharply and tap her thigh, "C'mon Sousuke! Let's go!"
Sousuke stood up quickly and heeled, following her off the roof while everyone was left to talk about their new plans and finish off their lunches. As they walked down the stairs he looked over at her, "Chidori, could I remove the rope now?"
"Are you going to be a good boy and not run off anywhere?"
He sighed, "Yes, Chidori."
She giggled and stopped on the step below him to reach up and pull the heavy rope over his head. "All right, good," she paused, looking down at the ground while coiling the rope. Shyly, she looked up at him, her eyes hiding under cover of her bangs and she bit her lip nervously. She knew she had mistreated him, but she had been really excited about the plans, and then he had just run off like that! It was hard for her to outright apologize, but the least she could do was offer him something in return for having put up with the punishment. "Hey, why don't you come over for dinner tonight, Sousuke? Ah, I can let you listen to some of my CDs so you don't feel so confused tomorrow!" she laughed nervously.
Sousuke stared at her, wondering briefly about the sudden change in her behavior before writing it off as typical Kaname. He really ought to be used to her mood swings, but he still found her as confusing as ever. Slowly, he nodded, "I appreciate it." He really did, too. Her dinners were always wonderful and he had not been looking forward to the idea of trying to pretend he was not completely clueless when it came to music again. She had lent him CDs before to listen to, but he had not gotten around to them since she had given them to him right before he had been recalled from Tokyo at the end of October.
Kaname smiled and clapped her hands together, "Great! Hey, maybe we should go find you some clothes, too. Do you have anything besides your uniform, fatigues, and what you wore when you pretended to be Shirai?" He shook his head and she nodded to herself, "I thought so. After school we'll do some shopping, since we don't have to stay for anything today."
"Very well," he agreed. He hoped that at least this time he would not be forced into clothes he felt uncomfortable in. All he really owned were different sets of fatigues and the t-shirts and tank tops he wore under them. Owning some more civilian clothes would be good, he figured, he just had a hard time feeling comfortable in anything that wasn't combat ready. He didn't care for the school uniform, either, but he put up with it since he really had no choice.
The two finished their descent in a comfortable silence, reaching the ground floor and headed for the exit that led to the sports yards. They had to return the rope that Kaname had turned into an impromptu leash, of course. After putting the rope away, and cleaning up the storage room that they had messed up in their struggle earlier, they returned to the classroom just in time for class to begin.
Kaname dropped a plate of curried rice in front of Sousuke before taking her own seat. He looked up at her gratefully with a timid smile, "Thank you."
"Not a problem," she grinned at him, copying his favorite line. The smile grew a little wider and he bowed his head to her slightly before digging in, skipping the traditional before-meal line. She followed suit, enjoying that aspect of his company. When she had moved back to Japan from America she had been made fun of, called 'gaijin' even because of her mannerisms. She had needed to relearn all of the traditions and remember to use them, thought she still preferred the less subtle American ways. With him she didn't have to pretend. She could just be herself without worrying about what he would think of her.
They finished up their meal and cleaned up the kitchen in a comfortable silence. It was an unspoken rule that Sousuke would wash the dishes while Kaname dried and put them away by that point. They had shared dinner together so many times in the past that it only made sense they had fallen into a routine. Still, though, Kaname looked shyly up at him from under her bangs as she could not help but feel it took a certain intimacy to have such an accord. When had it been that they had gotten so close?
Soon enough they were done with their task, and the feeling faded into a warm memory as they turned out of the kitchen. "Sousuke, did you want to listen to those CDs?" she brushed her hair out of her face nervously, glancing over at the clock to check the time as she spoke. It still was pretty early, only eight o'clock. She was afraid he would refuse though, in the small afterglow of the intimate moment before she was afraid of rejection now. She wanted to keep the feeling around for a little longer if she could. This uncertainty was unlike her and she mentally berated herself for it.
Sousuke followed her gaze to the clock and then turned back to nod to her. "I… would like that," he spoke hesitatingly, unsure of himself suddenly. He had felt an odd peace come over him as they had been taking care of the dishes, for once completely relaxed in his surroundings, in the company he kept. It was strange, the relaxed and unassuming atmosphere that had taken them, and he was having a difficult time puzzling out what it could mean. All he could come up with was something he had never once thought would ever apply to him.
Kaname smiled brightly to him when he agreed, "Great! Come on, sit down, I'll put on a bunch of different things." She pushed him onto her couch before taking up station in front of her CD player, placing a binder full of the discs onto her lap and flipping through. She pulled out several discs and gently placed them on top of her stereo. She ejected the tray, removed the discs already inside, and loaded up the six-disc changer before letting the tray slide back in. She grabbed the remote before flopping back onto the ground. Sousuke rose from the couch to sit beside her on the ground, inwardly cringing as he thought he might be punished from moving from where she had set him. Instead, she brought that lovely smile back and he settled down comfortably with a small one of his own, feeling as though the temperature of the apartment had risen several degrees with her expression though he knew that wasn't possible. They stayed up far later than they had meant to, talking and listening to various music, neither wanting the night to come to an end.
"All right, here we go!" Kaname exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air energetically. Despite the late night she was full of energy, fueled by excitement. Everyone had shown up to the karaoke event she had set up, as promised, the room was rented for the ten hours they planned on being there for, and they had ordered their drinks which would likely arrive soon. All that was left was to order some songs and start singing. "Who wants to go first?" she was met with silence as everyone was tired, still readjusting to their new sleep schedules since they no longer had to stay up all night to study for exams. They had hoped for a little more sleep at the very least, "No one? All right then!" she looked through and found a song to order then took up the mic with a laugh. "Let's start with something upbeat to wake all of you up!" she giggled and then began to sing as the song started up.
Hashiridase Run For Your Life
Ano hi no yume made akiramezuni Try And Try
Kirameki wa nakushitakunai
(Start running, Run For Your Life
Don't give up just yet on that day's dream, Try And Try
Don't lose that shine)
The song was certainly upbeat, as she said. Shinji recognized it immediately, "Ah! Mana Khemia!" he was surprised. He never figured Kaname for the type to know a song from a Playstation 2 role-playing game. He didn't think she even played games, except at the arcade. The others all glanced at him when he had shouted that out, surprised that she was singing a song that, of all people, the resident geek would recognize and not them. Well, all except Sousuke, who had heard the song the previous night.
Itsumo to onaji asa beru ga naru
Sujigaki toori no mainichi
Hurry Up!
Kyou mo Restless Life
(Always the same morning bell rings
It's an everyday play
Hurry Up!
Today is also the Restless Life)
Taikutsu na rizumu ni shibareru
Sanketsugimi na seikatsu
Wake Up!
Kanari Restriction
(Binding to a tedious rhythm
A suffocating existence
Wake Up!
Reasonable Restriction)
The energetic music was helping to wake them up. The worker walking in with their various caffeinated beverages helped even more. He smiled indulgently at the girl singing excitedly, the only one with enough energy to bring life to their little party at the moment. He passed out the drinks and left without another word, leaving the teenagers to their fun. Ono-D took a long swig of his iced coffee before deciding he had enough of his own spunk back to bring some life to his friends, "Woo! You go, Chidori!" he shouted, mimicking her earlier movement of throwing his fist into the air. Kyouko laughed and ducked out of the way to avoid being hit by his wayward arm, shaking her head slightly.
Yume o wasureru nande dekinai yo
(Somehow I cannot forget this dream)
Hashiridase Run For Your Life
Mirai no watashi o mitsukedashite Try And Try
Egao ni kaetai
(Start running, Run For Your Life
Searching for the future me Try And Try
I want to change into a smile)
Tsubaki held his soda close as he kept his eyes locked on Kaname. She was a wonderful singer, a beautiful girl, so full of life – not wanting to miss a moment of her performance he had even put his glasses on. Never mind the fact that all of the others were there, this was the first time she had asked him to go somewhere with her, so surely that meant something, right? Surely he had a chance to beat Sousuke in the race for her affections.
Tokihanate Your Precious Soul
Shinjiru tsuyosa ni kitzuita nara Try And Try
Yakusoku wa chikai ni kawaru
(Set free Your Precious Soul
Become aware of and believe in your strength, Try And Try
Turn a promise into an oath)
Noshikakaru kitai ni tachikurami
Nigegoshi ni nari kaketeru Rise Up!
Dakara Restless Life
(Dizzy with anticipation hanging over you
Preparing to run from the edge Rise Up!Because it's Restless Life)
Tameiki nanka tsuiterarenai yo
(Somehow I cannot sigh)
Mizuki sipped through her straw, pretending to be unimpressed with Kaname's performance. She hated that the girl showed her up in everything. Looks, brains, talent, admirers – Kaname had everything she didn't. She sniffed with disdain, muttering under her breath that she wasn't that good, and that she could do much better. Once again, though, she found herself ignored as she voiced her bitter thoughts. She decided to wait until someone else had gone before choosing her own song, not wanting to go immediately after the girl.
Tachiagare Run For Your Life
Kinou no watashi ni keri o tsukete Try And Try
Namida o furikire
(Stand up and Run For Your Life
To the me of yesterday settle it Try And Try
Wipe away those tears)
Buchitobase Your Precious Soul
Afureru omoi wa tomerarenai Try And Try
Kuyashisa wa chikara ni kawaru
(Strike recklessly Your Precious Soul
Do not stop the overflowing thoughts Try And Try
Turn regret into strength)
Kyouko watched her friend with a smile as she sipped at her cold tea, blushing faintly as she was pressed against Ono-D. The room wasn't quite spacious enough for everyone to sit without either someone on the floor or being packed tight. At the moment the only space open was between Sousuke and Mizuki, which was where Kaname would sit when she finished. She grabbed the book of songs and started flipping through it, hiding her face when Ono-D pulled it slightly so he could see it better himself.
Kaketemiru yo Even Chance
Yowaki ni jibun ni maketakunai Try And Try
Mayoi wa iranai
(Try a gamble Even Chance
Do not lose to your weak self Try And Try
Don't have doubt)
Tokihanate Your Precious Soul
Shinjiru tsuyosa ni kitsuita nara Try And Try
Kujiketarishinai
(Set free Your Precious Soul
Become aware of and believe in your strength Try And Try
It cannot be broken)
Sousuke, like Tsubaki, found his eyes fixed on the girl in the front of the room. He found watching her to be somehow peaceful, though that made little sense. She was always full of energy, always up to something, and he knew danger lurked around her, but he could not help but to feel calm in her presence. Something about her soothed his more primal nature and allowed him to just be, to be a person instead of a weapon, to be who he was instead of what others had made him. Thanks to her, he was gradually learning just who 'Sagara Sousuke' was.
Hashiridase Run For Your Life
Ano hi no yume made akiramezu ni Try And Try
Kirameki wa nakushita kunai
(Start running, Run For Your Life
Don't give up just yet on that day's dream, Try And Try
Don't lose that shine)
AN: I didn't choose this song for any reason but that it's upbeat. And I like it. The translation is a combination of my own and what I found on the internet. I wasn't too fond of some of the translations so I reworded them and fixed them up a bit with the mistakes I noticed in the existing translations.
Song is "Run For Your Life" from the game Mana Khemia: The Alchemists of Al-Revis and it's sung by Shimotsuki Haruka. If you actually recognized the game… I love you… Poor game doesn't have nearly enough love.
Anyways, this is probably going to be the longest chapter, unless I decide to do multiple songs per chapter. And except for maybe the last chapter. We'll see. And if you've any suggestions for songs, things you'd like to hear, let me know! Try to keep it in the J-Pop/J-Rock realm for... obvious reasons. I'm ignoring the timeline, but they're still Japanese. Not to say they don't know any American songs, I'm just trying to stick to Japanese music for the most part.