A Year in the Life
Chapter 1: April
So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.
– Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Spring had come to the town in full bloom. The breeze smelled faintly like cherry blossoms, and the streets were filling with more and more people as the days dragged on. Children stayed out longer, elderly took strolls around the block more often, and teenagers made even more excuses to hang out together. One particular group of teenagers was spending their lazy afternoon in a little café tucked a short but safe distance away from the normal hustle and bustle of downtown.
Yaya sipped from her almost empty smoothie as she watched her friends. Nagihiko and Tadase were having a rather boring conversation across the table. From both sides of the booth, Rima and Kukai were fiddling with their phones, and to her right, Amu was gazing out the window at the passing crowd, completely lost in thought. All around the rectangular table were several drinks and treats at various states of finished.
Swallowing the strawberry-flavored sweetness, Yaya began to hum and tap her fingers against the circular table.
"What the hell are you singing, Yaya?" Kukai asked, looking up from his cell phone.
"A song," said Yaya.
Kukai nodded, as if to say well, duh. "Uh-huh… What song then?"
"Just a Hoshina Utau song," Yaya replied. She narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Why are you so interested in what songs I like, anyways? Don't tell me that you're an Utau fan, Kukai."
Kukai shrugged. "Just curious. Can't I ask you something simple as that?"
"Aren't I allowed to ask you something, too?"
"You answer me first. I'm older."
"Hey!" Yaya said, her ears growing as red as the ribbons in her hair. "I'm entering high school next week, you know!"
"Which means you should act like your age more often, dummy," Kukai remarked.
Yaya pouted. "Kukai!"
By this time, the others had stopped what they were doing to watch the conversation unfold. "Kukai-kun has a point there," said Nagihiko. "You are going to be a first year in high school, so you should be acting your age more often."
"I don't wanna be lectured right now, Nagi!" Yaya whined.
"He does have a point though, Yaya-san," Tadase insisted.
"But, Tadase-kun!"
"Yaya-chan, please don't make that face," Nagihiko said, grimacing.
Rima set her phone on the table. "Don't talk to her like that," Rima said. "What are you? Her mom?"
"No," Nagihiko said. "But I'm her friend, and friends tell friends everything. Don't they, Rima-chan?"
"Why everything?"
"Why does that matter to you?"
"That's none of your business," Rima said, picking up her phone again. End of conversation.
Amu butted in. "Rima, didn't you say that you'd be nicer to Nagihiko?"
"But I am," Rima said. "I'm not threatening murder or anything."
Amu groaned. "That's not what I meant…"
A phone suddenly began to beep. The teenagers all pulled out their cell phones to see if it was theirs. Kukai briefly glanced at his phone before quickly jamming it into his pocket. "Well, I got to go now," he said, sliding out of the booth.
Yaya frowned. "What? Why?"
"Do you always have to poke your nose into my business?" Kukai shot back. Yaya quickly turned red and began fiddling with her phone, pouting.
"You guys…" Tadase said, laughing nervously at the unfolding situation.
"Still, why are you leaving so early, Kukai?" Amu asked.
"I bet it's a date," Rima remarked. She looked up from her phone.
"No it's not!" Kukai protested. "I-I have…an emergency meeting with the soccer team!"
Rima narrowed her eyes at the older boy. "You're fidgeting, and you refused to look me in the eye when you were talking. And you stuttered and hesitated. You're obviously lying."
"Shut up!" Kukai shouted, his ears growing redder by second. He looked like he was about to say something else, but his phone beeped again just before he could open his mouth.
"Whoever's texting you must be really impatient," Nagihiko remarked, his chin resting in his palm. "You should really get going then, right?"
"Ah, yeah," Kukai said, smiling weakly. "Well then, I'll see you guys later this week?"
"That sounds good," Nagihiko said. The others at the table agreed, nodding or vocalizing their answer.
"Well, that's settled!" Kukai said. He leaped from his seat and ran towards the door. "Later!"
When the door swung shut, Tadase turned to his friends. "Now that Kukai-san has left, I guess it's about time for the rest of us to as well."
Nagihiko agreed. "We caused quite a commotion. I think the people in the café are staring."
Amu nodded. "We're meeting up again later this week, right? I mean, I'm just making sure."
"We promised Kukai, so yes," said Nagihiko.
Rima butted in. "Which means we can only try to."
"Try?" Yaya said. "Of course we will, Rima-chan!"
"Don't you have dance lessons, Yaya?" Rima interjected.
"Doesn't matter!" Yaya huffed. "Friends make time for friends! Right, Nagi?"
Nagihiko laughed. "Right."
Amu jumped on the curb with a wide grin on her face. If she was in a crowded area, she would've been worried about how stupid she looked, but in this empty street all worries seemed to fly out the door. Besides, there were better things to think about.
"I can't believe we're going to be second years next week!" Amu said, whooping a little. "That's crazy! Right, Rima?" She looked back at the blonde trailing behind her.
Rima shrugged. "I guess. If you want to go back to homework and stuff."
Amu stopped in her tracks and slumped a little. "Thanks for the reminder, Rima," Amu groaned.
"It's just part of school, Amu," Rima said, walking ahead of her friend.
Amu ran to catch up with her friend. "Anyways, isn't it a little crazy that we're in the middle of high school already? It feels like almost yesterday I was freaking out about it."
"I guess," said the blonde. She paused for a beat before adding, "Hey, Amu. Are you free anytime this week?"
"Eh? Why?"
"No reason. I just want to hang out. Just the two of us."
"Oh! Okay. Hang on a minute… Uh, I promised Mom that I'd walk Ami to the train station for singing lessons on Tuesday and Thursday. And I think Dad is planning a picnic on Saturday too… Oh! I got nothing on Wednesday! How does Wednesday sound?"
"Good. Do you want to go to the movies with me?"
"Why? Is there a good comedy movie out right now?"
"There's one that I'm interested in. I'm not sure if it's any good, but I need to get out of the house so it'll do."
"I see… How's everything back home anyways, Rima?"
Rima's gaze shifted from her friend to the ground as she said, "Everything's fine. Just fine."
The two girls crossed an empty street. Just as Amu stepped on to the curb though, something caught her attention. Or, to be more specific, some sound. The pink-haired girl stopped in order to hear it a little more clearly. It sounded like a violin, or something close to it, coming from the park across the street. If she listened hard enough, Amu could pick up a melody that she recognized. Was that a Hoshina Utau song or…?
"Amu."
The girl in question jumped at the sound of her name. She turned to see Rima with her hands on her hips and her mouth in a tight frown. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Amu said. "I thought I heard something, but I think it's just my imagination."
"Whatever you say," said the blonde, turning to leave. She paused when she noticed her friend was not next to her and spun around to find Amu still staring in the direction of the park. "Are you going to stand there for the rest of the evening, or are you going to walk with me?"
Amu sighed. "Okay, okay, I get it, Rima! I'm dying of hunger just like you! Sheesh!" Amu said, quickening her pace up the street to catch up with her friend.
Yaya's week seemed to fly by. Movies were watched, e-mails were sent, and conversations lasted for what felt like hours. The week should've lasted forever, but of course, it had to end. But look at it this way! Today was the start of a new week and the first day of high school! Yaya had to make the best of her high school debut!
Yaya settled in to her desk, a brief sigh escaping her lips as she plopped down. She had already left her friends at the school entrance. A brief thought passed by her wondering what they were up to now. Of course, Kukai had many friends in the high school. He would be busy catching up with them. Tadase was in a different class than Amu and the others, but Yaya supposed he'd be fine without them. After all, Tadase was practically a grown-up, and Yaya knew some people (particularly girls) who would be more than pleased to be in the same class as him. He'd be more than fine by himself. They all would.
As for her situation…Yaya gazed around the room, picking out the old faces among the new faces. Even though a majority of the students at Seiyo Academy have been here since first grade, Yaya could still find new faces in the crowd. After all, Seiyo High School was one of the elite high schools around. Middle school students from all over the area will take the test just so they can say they tried. Yaya never left the school, so she never had to bother with that stinking long test. Thank goodness for that!
"Good morning, Yaya-chan!"
Yaya snapped out of her daze. "Ah! Yua-chan, good morning!"
Sakurai Yua grinned at her friend. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just got here. What about you?"
Yua took the desk next to the pigtailed girl, crossing her legs as she sat down. "I'm fine. A little tired though. It's been an entire week since I've been up at this hour, you know!"
Yaya laughed. "Me too!"
"Oh, shush," Yua said. "Didn't you have things that you had to actually attend to during vacation? Like, I don't know, ballet? Ugh, you probably pirouetted all week while I just sat around my house all day doing nothing but listening to Hoshina Utau's last album and watching dumb variety shows."
"That's not true!" Yaya said. "I hung out with people too! Like Amu-chan and Kukai and Rima-chan and-"
Yua laughed. "I'm only teasing. Though, truthfully, you do dance so much. Like, you practically lived in that studio during middle school. And probably will live there all of high school now that I think about it."
Yaya pouted. "I'm not gonna do that again!"
"Wait, what?" Yua said, frowning. "You mean you're dropping dance?"
"No, no, no, I'm still doing that! What I mean is that I might join a club!"
The ginger girl's eyes grew wide. "Really?"
Yaya nodded. "Uh-huh. I switched to the evening sessions for the weekdays already, so I better join a club or it's gonna go to waste!"
"Do you have any particular club in mind?"
Yaya tapped her index finger against her lips. "Hmmm… Dunno."
"Eh? What do you mean by that?"
"I don't know. I mean, there are so many choices and…" Yaya groaned as she slumped in her seat. "Gah, it's so hard to decide!"
"Well, don't you have friends that are already in clubs? Like…Hinamori-senpai?"
"Amu-chan is in the cooking club, but I was practically banned from Home Ec. when I set the cookies on fire in middle school."
"Well…what about Mashiro-senpai?"
"Going-home club." [1]
"Eh? That's boring."
"Yeah. Rima-chan's Rima-chan though, so I don't question it."
"What about the guys in your group?"
"Tadase-kun is on the student council, but that's so boring. No offense to Tadase-kun though. And Nagi's in basketball club, and Kukai's in soccer."
Yua hummed for a moment before her eyes brightened at a sudden epiphany. "Oh, I have an idea! Why don't you manage for one of the sports clubs?"
"Wait, what?" Yaya said. "Manage?"
Yua nodded vigorously. "I mean it! Like, you can totally manage the soccer club! I mean, you like Souma-senpai, right?"
Yaya felt her cheeks turn warm at the mention of Kukai. She started to fidget a little in her chair. "Well, we are friends so…"
Yua rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Yaya. I thought we were over the denial stage of your little crush…"
Yaya's face turned pink at the mention of crush. Okay, so she should be used to hearing that word, but she should also be allowed to be caught off guard by that word! Isn't that what crushing is? Like, being caught off guard and butterflies and stomachs twisting into knots and all that other stuff? That's what all the shoujo mangas told her!
Although, now that she thought about it, this wasn't a manga. Yaya was too chicken to be a heroine, and Kukai never treated her anything like anything but a friend. But being around him more…
Yaya smiled weakly. "I'll think about it, Yua-chan." The ginger girl rolled her eyes in response, but Yaya ignored her. "Anyways, what kind of club are you thinking about?"
"Huh? Me?" said Yua. "Well, I was thinking about joining the light music club."
"Oh, that's right! You were part of that in middle school. You really love singing, don't you?"
Yua nodded. "It's the least I can do since I have, like, the worst case of stage fright in all of Japan." She laughed sheepishly just as the door slid open and the teacher walked in.
"Alright, class! Settle down now! Homeroom is starting!" he yelled from the front of the room. Quickly, the class settled into the normal humdrums of school life.
The clock struck three-thirty. Finally, Rima thought as the classroom suddenly became alive. She had almost given into the idea that the day was going to never end.
Wait, that was silly. After all, time remained the same no matter what. A second only lasted a second, a minute only a minute, an hour an hour, and so on. The day would come to an end eventually, and that was that. Period.
As Rima began to pack up, Amu and Nagihiko walked to their friend. Amu stretched her arms out as she said, "Ugh, today went by way too slow."
"That's not true. Time can never go faster or slower, Amu," Rima said. Amu frowned at her friend's comment, but the expression faded as quickly as it came.
"Going home, Rima-chan?" Nagihiko asked.
"Seeing as I have no clubs to go to, of course," Rima answered. She slipped off her chair and fished around for her things on the floor. How did she drop that many pencils and not notice?
"You really are sticking to this whole going home club thing to the end, huh?" Amu said.
The blonde shrugged. "I missed my chance to join a real club last year. It's kind of pointless to join one now." She started to gather her things and slip them into her bag.
Nagihiko frowned. "That's not true, Rima-chan. You can definitely join a club at this time of year." He quickly smiled as he added, "It's a new year after all."
"And what if I don't want anything new in my life right now?" Rima asked. She swung her bag off the desk as she turned to face her friends. "I'm leaving. You guys have to go to your clubs now, right?"
"Well, yeah," said Amu, "but we can still walk you to the lockers, right?"
"I can get there by myself."
"Are you sure?" Nagihiko asked.
"Positive," Rima responded. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She turned away from her friends and started walking to the door.
"Ah, see you!" Amu called as the small blonde grew farther from them until she disappeared behind the door and down the hall.
Rima walked briskly down the hall, barely even paying attention to the classmates who glanced at her as she passed by or the boys who tried to say a word of hello. She didn't even talk to those guys. Why did they even try to act like they are friends? How stupid.
By the time Rima stepped out of the school, the afternoon sun was shining brightly in an almost cloudless blue sky. She could hear some people yelling behind her, something about hurrying up or something. She imagined that they were running to their clubs, or maybe to the fields outside. Everyone in Seiyo was a part of a club. Well, almost everyone.
Taking a deep breath, Rima set off towards her house. A few other kids, the others who chose to go home, were already ahead of her. What appeared to be a lively conversation was unfolding as she trailed far behind. A sudden laughter broke amongst the group as someone said something vaguely funny, and someone else raised a voice of disapproval despite the smile on her face.
Something tugged in Rima as she watched from behind. She had seen this sort of moment happen perhaps a billion times hanging out with her group. Amu and the others must be in their clubs by now. They must be really happy too.
Maybe Nagihiko was right. Maybe it wasn't too late to join a club. She wasn't too far from the school. She could easily run back. But what kind of club could she join? She sucks at sports, so anything that involves more motion than a leisurely stroll was out of the question. Amu was in the cooking club, right? Maybe she should…
No. Why on earth was she thinking about that? It was too late now. She was far from the school, so running back meant interrupting some club activity. She'd barge in suddenly, out of breath, begging to be a part of the club. That wasn't her at all. There was no way in a million years that she would stoop to that level. Period.
Rima sighed. Thinking like this was so tiring. She couldn't wait to get home…
How funny, the blonde mused. She couldn't wait to get home. She thought she would never think those certain words again. If she wanted to, Rima would've burst out laughing, but she stayed quiet all the way home.
The moment Kukai set his sports bag down on the club room floor, his phone started to beep.
Curiosity peaking, he reached into his bag to retrieve it. There, in lit-up letters, was a message from someone.
Subject: Hey
At practice?
Kukai bit back a grin as he clumsily replied back.
Subject: Re: Hey
Almost. What r u up 2?
Kukai placed the phone beside his bag and started to loosen his tie. That girl always took forever to reply back. He could change in the meantime. As he pulled his shirt off, the other members of the team started to flood in.
"Good afternoon, Souma-buchou!" [2] someone shouted, ambling his way towards Kukai. "How's it going?"
The boy laughed. "Oh, nothing really, Yoshino. You?"
"Same. Oh, hey, Hinata! What's going on?" The boy wandered over to his buddy, leaving Kukai to take in the rest of the energetic buzz that filled the room.
"Oi, Atsushi! Where've you been all week?"
"Sorry. I was sick."
"Sick? On the first week? Do you have bad luck or something…?"
"Man, we lucked out with teachers. Right?"
"Yeah. Sendo-sensei is the best. Last year he caught me eating in class, and he hardly got angry!"
"What? You're joking!"
"Ugh, I'm still hungry…"
"What? Really? You're like a bottomless pit, Ren!"
The phone buzzed again after a few minutes. Pulling on his shirt, Kukai quickly picked up his phone and read the new message.
Subject: Re: Re: Hey
Nothing really. Still got some work, but I'll be done by 5. Today still OK for you?
Again, Kukai bit back a smile. Quickly he started to type.
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Hey
Yeah. C u then.
Before he could hit the send button though, somebody slapped his back with such force that Kukai jumped and nearly flung his phone against the wall.
"Hey, Kukai! What are you doing?"
Fumbling with his phone, Kukai quickly hid it behind his back. "I-it's nothing, Seiji!"
Seiji frowned. "If it's nothing, then why the hell are you hiding your phone?"
Kukai mentally hit himself for his stupidity. He frantically searched for an answer. "It's nothing, Seiji! I promise. I just was…was…texting my mom! About dinner!"
Seiji snickered. "Oh, really? C'mon, it can't be that bad, Kukai."
"It's really nothing, Seiji! Can you please stop?"
"Oh, lighten up, Kukai!" Seiji laughed. He made a move for the phone. Kukai could hear his heart pounding. He could move the phone farther away, but that would only intrigue his friend even more. This was bad. Like, really bad. What would happen if he got a hold of it and…?
"Oi! Captain! Yamada!" The two boys turned at the sound of their names. It was one of their teammates. He and a few other guys were at the door, exasperated but curious looks on their faces. "Coach wants us on the field in five minutes! You guys remember what happened last time someone came late, don't you?"
Seiji turned away from Kukai to yell back. "Alright, alright. Sheesh, loosen up!" He was laughing as he walked away.
Kukai let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding back. That was close. Like, too close for comfort. He stared at his phone again. The message was still intact, waiting to be sent. Thank goodness.
She was probably too busy right now to see it, but he couldn't just not send it, right? Kukai smiled. He hit the little button and ran for the door, dropping the phone into the bottom of his bag for safekeeping as he did so.
Nagihiko was the first one in the gym. He always was.
Inhaling deeply, Nagihiko grabbed his hair to tie it in a rough low ponytail. The ends tickled the back of his neck, sending a little jolt straight up spine. He should be used to this by now. He hasn't had long hair for two years, but every single time he ties it back the short hair always seemed to give his neck chills. But maybe it was just cold in the gym. Right?
Sighing, Nagihiko took in his surroundings. Seeing as nobody else was here yet, it looked like Nagihiko had to bring out all the equipment by himself.
Again.
Nagihiko pressed his lips together to suppress the twinge of annoyance. Then again, Nagihiko thought as he walked towards the equipment room, he didn't exactly have to do it, but it's something that he's been doing since, well, since he started playing basketball at Seiyo. Might as well keep it up.
"Hey, Fujisaki!"
Nagihiko spun around to see two of his teammates running towards him. He smiled. "Ah, hello, Hayami-kun, Kirishima-kun."
"What's up?" Hayami asked. "Did you just get here?"
Nagihiko nodded. "Do you think you guys can help out a little?"
"Sure thing! Right, Kirishima? Here, let me get that."
The boys moved quickly, so it wasn't long before everything was in place. Hayami leaned against the wall and whooped. "Whoo! That didn't take long! Now all we have to do is wait for the rest of the guys."
"Yeah," said Kirishima. "Oh, Fujisaki, what class are you in this year?"
"Oh, I'm in Class 2-3. I think Tanaka-kun is with me." Nagihiko tapped his chin thoughtfully before adding, "Oh, and Rima-chan as well."
Kirishima's ears turned a bright red. Nagihiko felt a tad sympathetic as he watched his friend stammer. "Really?"
"Yep," Nagihiko said, smiling "Do you want me to tell her that you said hi?"
"Yes! I-I mean, I don't really care…that much."
"Really?"
"Yes! I mean, no. Wait, I mean, a little but…" Kirishima's entire face was now bright red. "Ah, shut up, Fujisaki!"
Hayami was practically dying from laughing. "Dude, I thought you were over that little middle school crush!" he said, playfully whacking his blushing friend.
"I-I am!" Kirishima yelled.
"Your face doesn't say it," Nagihiko remarked, smirking a little.
"I told you to shut up, Fujisaki!"
Hayami cackled like a hyena. He pulled Kirishima into a headlock and gave him a rough noogie. "Calm down, man. I never got this flustered when I had a crush on Nadeshiko-san!"
"Uh, Hayami, I don't think…" Kirishima tried to splutter through Hayami's ruffling when the two boys suddenly felt a dark chilly breeze to their right. Cautiously, they reared their heads over to see a slightly curious but very annoyed Nagihiko.
"What did you just say, Hayami-kun?" The purple-haired boy smiled at the other two. "I'm sorry, I thought I heard the word crush."
Hayami immediately let go of Kirishima and chuckled nervously. "Oh, hey! Fujisaki! I almost forgot that you were there! Um, yeah, I guess I never mentioned that little detail before, huh?"
"Yeah…" Nagihiko's voice was laced with an acidic tone that made the other boys shiver. "I guess you didn't…"
Kirishima attempted to ease the mood. "How is she, anyways?"
The cold air around the purple-haired boy disappeared. "Who? Nadeshiko?"
Kirishima nodded. "Yeah. Your sister is still in…America, right?"
"America?" Hayami turned to his friend. "I swear she went to Europe. Right, Fujisaki?"
Kirishima frowned. "But didn't he tell us in middle school that he came back from America?" The two boys turned to Nagihiko, their curiosity burning.
Those stupid small details, Nagihiko thought. "Uh…well, you see, we initially were touring Europe, but a year later I was offered a spot in a top dance school in America, so I kind of went there for a couple of years while Nadeshiko stayed in Europe."
"Eh…" Hayami said. "I thought you mentioned that Nadeshiko was the better dancer though…"
Shoot. What now? "Ah, well, we were both offered a spot, but Nadeshiko just really loved Europe…"
"Oh! I see!" Hayami said. "Where in Europe is she again? France?"
Kirishima frowned. "I thought it was Italy…"
"No, I swear, Fujisaki told us it was France!"
"I swear he said Italy though…"
"Um…" Nagihiko rubbed his neck while chuckling uneasily. This was bad. So, so bad…
The door slammed wide open, bringing a buzz of noise as a clutter of young boys burst through. The captain, a tall third-year at the rear of the cluster, yelled, "Alright, you guys! Huddle for a team meeting!"
Nagihiko sighed in relief as Hayami and Kirishima scurried to join the rest of the boys. Thank the heavens. If he had to listen to them argue for another minute about that, Nagihiko would've crawled into a corner and died there. Actually, he probably wouldn't actually die because of that, but Nadeshiko wasn't a topic he wanted to think about right then. It was never a topic he wanted to think about.
"See you tomorrow, Amu-chan!"
Amu glanced at the club president and gave her a thumbs-up. "Okay," she said, an easygoing smile spreading across her face. Swiftly, she swung around and strutted out the door. Even with her back to the clubroom, she can hear the underclassmen gush.
"Hinamori-senpai is so cool! Right, Suzume-chan?"
"Yeah. I've known her ever since elementary school. Ah, she's so cool! Cool and spicy! That's what we'd say back then…"
Amu's shoulders sagged. It seemed like what they say about old habits also applied to old rumors. It was like a fiercely persistent dog. It never seemed to leave your side, whether you liked it or not. At least they weren't as crazy as they were in elementary school. Not to mention now Amu had people who she can be normal around.
Speaking of her friends, where were they? Rima was already long gone, and Yaya was probably heading to dance practice now. Sports clubs ran a little longer than the other clubs, so Kukai and Nagi would still be in practice. She probably shouldn't stop to watch though. There would be other girls there no doubt, and she had had enough rumors about romance to last her a lifetime. Sure they were friends, but friends were like one step away from maybe more than friends. Anyways, she probably shouldn't go because she knew that if she did, one visit might lead to another, and then another, and then she would get thoughts and…
Crap, she knew herself way too well.
Passing by the student council room didn't seem too bad. She and Tadase were good friends, and, besides, it wasn't like a bazillion people crowded outside the room to get a glimpse of the student council in action, good-looking members or not. They ran as long as sports most days, so it was likely he was still working.
Though, now that she thought about it, if someone did see her peering through the window, they would assume the worst and still think that that old elementary crush still existed. Yeah, it was a bad idea from the start…
Amu took a detour down the stairs. On her way to the door, several people stopped in their tracks to ogle at the pink-haired girl. Although she kept a pretty good poker face, Amu was cringing on the inside. Don't they have something else to do besides believing in some stupid rumor? For crying out loud, she has ruined everyone's expectation of the cool and awesome Amu a long time ago, not to mention a bazillion times after that, and they still cling on to it like ants to a breadcrumb!
But…then again…old rumors die hard. Or something like that.
The spring air smelled sweet as Amu headed home. Cherry blossom season was in full swing. A couple of kids were running on the sidewalk across the street from her. A dim memory of running around with her old neighborhood friends crossed Amu's mind. Of course, she never saw those kids again after she moved here, but it was the nostalgia that counted, right?
Something in her tugged at her heart. The feeling of running was nice. Running with others was even better. Of course, she was older now. No one at her age would ever be caught doing that. Not in their right mind at least.
But it was getting dark. By the time Amu would get home, dinner might already be on the table. Amu's stomach grumbled at the thought of food. Guess acting her age was no longer an option now…
Slinging her bag on her shoulder securely and once again taking a deep breath of that sweet spring air, Amu began to run.
Kukai was sprinting down the block, breezing by several bewildered shoppers. Every once in a while he'd bump into an innocent bystander, but Kukai only let a quick second pass by for any apology or reprimand before dashing off on his way.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" he said under his breath. "She's going to kill me…"
One almost concussion and a way too long lecture from an irate old man later, Kukai rounded the corner to one of the smaller side streets of the town. There, by a small noodle shop, stood a tall figure with a rather huge navy cap shoved over her head. Kukai's eyes brightened at the sight, and the boy immediately skidded to a stop.
"You're late," the hat girl said. She turned to face an exhausted Kukai. A pair of huge sunglasses blocked a portion of her face and, combined with the knit hat, made it almost impossible for a casual observer to pick out anything really noteworthy about the young woman.
"I know, I know," Kukai said, still panting from his run. "Practice ran a little late, and, like, as captain I had to stay behind to clean everything up and-"
"I don't want to hear your excuses."
"Sorry, sorry!"
"Please stop bowing like that. You look like an old man, and people are staring," the young woman nagged. She tugged uneasily at the back of her cap as she did.
Kukai immediately stood straight, laughing sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess I forgot about…" he trailed off.
"It's fine," said the young woman. The corners of her mouth tugged upwards, softening her look. "Anyways, the old grandpa around the corner didn't give you too bad of a beating, right?"
"Eh? You didn't…"
The hat girl smirked a little. "I might have heard something while I was waiting and maybe might have peeked over to see what the whole commotion was."
Kukai groaned. "What the hell, Utau…?" The young man was met with a sharp blow to the head. "Hey! Why did you hit me?"
"I thought we agreed to never call me that in public?" Utau huffed. She tugged at her cap and adjusted her glasses. Kukai could see her eyes shift to the side at the passing shoppers, but thankfully nobody appeared interested.
Kukai tried to calm her down. "Hey, relax. I bet there are, like, a thousand Utau's running all over Japan. I mean, it's not like everybody assumes that it's the Hoshina Utau when they hear it."
"But everybody does, you idiot. Now drop it," Utau hissed. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed. "Shit. Even after nearly nine months of this, you're still such a kid…"
Kukai hummed in response. Has it really been nine months already? Time really flies. Sighing, he stuffed his hands into his pockets as he said, "Alright, alright, I get it. So where do you wanna go today?"
Utau looked up at him, puzzled. "Huh? Wasn't this date your idea?"
"Yeah, but I figured I should let my girlfriend be the one to decide what to do. Is there anything wrong about that?"
"I guess not."
"Alright, then!" Kukai grinned as he stretched his hand out. "You lead the way!"
Utau gawked at the outstretched hand in front of her. Slowly, a soft smile then spread across her face before she took it. A familiar little jolt shot up Kukai's arm when she did. He never got used to that, not even after nearly a year of her doing that. Squeezing her hand slightly, he let Utau pull him down the street and into the crowd.
It was quiet in the Fujisaki estate. Almost too quiet.
Still, Nagihiko quietly tiptoed through the halls, straining his ears for the slightest sound of music. Even though the school was in a separated section of the house, sound traveled far too easily in the hallways. Nagihiko strained his ears further as he took another step.
Silence.
The tension relaxing in his muscles, Nagihiko proceeded down the hallway at normal speed toward his room.
"Young master?"
The young boy in question jumped at the unexpected sound. Trying to regain his balance, he turned around to see the housekeeper, an old woman in an olive green kimono, looking at him with a mixture of amusement and worry. Nagihiko put on an easy smile as he said, "Oh, good evening, Oba-san." [3]
"Good evening, Nagihiko-sama," said the housekeeper. "Did you just come home?"
Nagihiko nodded. "Practice was fine. Have the dance lessons ended today?"
"Yes. Your father is out for the moment, but he told me to tell you that he'll be back before dinner."
Nagihiko tried his best not to sound displeased. "I see. And Mother?"
"She's in her office answering a few business calls."
Nagihiko nodded. "Okay. I'll be in my room if you need me."
The old woman bowed. "I'll leave you be, then. Oh, and I apologize if I scared you moments ago."
Shoot. Nagihiko chuckled sheepishly. "It's fine, it's fine. You didn't scare me at all."
The housekeeper blinked. "Well, if you insist, Nagihiko-sama. Do well with your school work." Without another word, she left.
Nagihiko sighed. Turning to his door, he pushed it open to reveal his room.
It'd been only two years since he moved back here, but it already looked like he'd been here forever. There was a bed and a dresser right next to it, with several books stacked neatly at the corner of it, as well as a desk opposite of these with a surprisingly messy stack of papers on it. Just behind the desk, a little beyond his sight, a number of trophies and awards from past dance competitions were tucked into their own corner.
Nagihiko smiled. It felt nice to be home.
Dropping his bag by his desk, Nagihiko looked over at the cluster of photos at the corner of his desk. Several of them were framed, but the majority was taped haphazardly in the tiny space. Nagihiko had seen all of them who knew how many times, but every other instance they seemed to catch his attention. He leaned in closer.
The biggest frame was from a year ago. Tadase, Rima, Amu, and him were all squeezed together within the frame, some (namely Rima) not as enthusiastic as the others about the close contact. It had been their first day of high school, and Nagihiko had suggested an impromptu photo to remember the day.
Right next to it was a photo from a dance recital about two years before then. Nagihiko stood tall there with an almost regal smile on his face. In one arm he cradled a bouquet of flowers, and in his free hand he held a trophy. The latter now sat with the others in the far corner.
Then there were several photos from his time abroad. Some of them were of the usual touristy kind. There was Nagihiko in front of the Eiffel Tower. Then it was Big Ben, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and so on. Almost all of the others were taken with dance companies that Nagihiko had met in Europe.
Finally, Nagihiko's eyes landed on the photo that was pushed the farthest back, the oldest of the bunch. Like the first photo he looked at, it was almost entirely compromised of people's faces. Judging by the way his arms were thrust forward, Kukai was most likely the one holding the camera. Yaya was on his right, flashing a peace sign. Beside Yaya, Tadase appeared to be chuckling to himself, eyes closed and a quiet smile on his face. To Kukai's left, Amu was laughing as well, but her grin was wider and her eyes were squeezed tighter than Tadase's. Lastly, there was a girl by Amu's side, slightly puzzled but quite amused. She looked remarkably like Nagihiko, almost as if they were related.
"Nagihiko?"
For the second time in the past ten minutes, the boy nearly jumped from the sudden sound. This time, however, he had enough sense to recognize the voice. He turned and saw a woman at the door. She, like the housekeeper, was wearing a kimono.
"Oh, good evening, Mother," the young boy said.
"Good evening to you as well, Nagihiko," said the woman. "How was school?"
"Fine," Nagihiko said. "How was your day?"
"It was good. There were very few mistakes made in class," the woman said. She shifted a little before adding, "You know, the teachers miss having you around."
Nagihiko raised his brow at the statement. "They do?"
"Yes. Yuzuki-san told me that she never saw anybody dance quite like you in her entire career."
"She really thinks that?"
"Yes. And so do Tsugunaga-san, Natsuyaki-san…" the older Fujisaki paused for a moment before adding, "…and me. We think that the students would benefit from having you in the classroom."
"I see," Nagihiko said. He bit his lip a little and swallowed down a gulp of air. "However, I don't think I can do that just yet."
The gleam faltered a little in his mother's eyes. Smiling softly at her son, she said, "Ah… I see. Well, never mind that. I better leave you to your studies, then. Baya will call you for dinner."
"Okay," Nagihiko called to his mom's retreating back. The door clicked shut, and once again the tension in the boy's body left him. Nagihiko glanced at the numerous trophies and awards stashed into the corner of his room, like an unwanted teddy bear he just couldn't let go of. His mother had been glancing at that corner quite a few times during their conversation. She must have really hoped for an answer, but that answer was too frightening for her son to say out loud.
Nagihiko sighed. He was thinking too hard about dance. Studying would take his mind off of it.
"Crap, crap, crap!" Amu mumbled to herself. "I could've sworn this was a shortcut home… Ah!"
The pink-haired girl swung around, her eyes darting around the perimeter for the source of the sudden noise. A couple of kids were running down the street, hollering and screaming.
Amu sighed, slumping as she did. Great. Just freaking great. Out of all the times her sense of direction had to go on vacation, it had to be now. Amu looked up at the sky. It was turning a hazy pink. Just great.
Something growled unpleasantly, and Amu jumped again. Again she checked the perimeter for anything suspicious, but she found nothing. That growl came again, and Amu realized that it was her stomach. She groaned with it this time. "Why the hell does it have to be so late?"
Suddenly, Amu could hear something. No, it wasn't anything scary, like a monster or something. It was music. Oddly familiar music. Like… Was that an anime song, or was she dreaming?
All other thoughts flying out of her mind, Amu cautiously moved in the direction of the music. It was definitely a violin playing. Hadn't she heard a violin in this park last week? Well, okay, she wasn't exactly in the park that time, but she still heard someone play the violin in this general area.
Wait… what if this was a trap? Like, this was some sort of lure sexual predators put out for an unsuspecting passerby? Wait a second…what if this was a signal call from the yakuza?! …No, wait. That was silly. There were no active members of the yakuza in this small town. At least, last time she checked there were none.
Sighing, she took in the serene scenery before her. The music was still playing, although now she could hear it a lot better. It was definitely an anime song playing. Taking a deep breath, Amu started to stride in the direction of the noise.
She found herself in a large path in what was possibly the center of the park. Amu could sort of recall her dad bringing the family around here once in a while, but this place looked almost unfamiliar now in the fading light. Despite the oncoming darkness, there were still a number of people ambling up and down the lighted walkway and sprawled on the large steps that made up a better portion of one side of the path.
The sound of the violin was even louder despite the low buzz of regular noise that was thickly settled in the area. Upon observation, Amu caught sight of a small throng of people some ways away from her and where the source of the noise seemed to be coming from. Despite the nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that she was tired and hungry and had to go home, Amu took off in the direction of the crowd.
It was a young man playing the violin. His eyes were closed, as if the music carried him away to some far off place, not even opening his eyes when onlookers dropped yen coins into the violin case at his feet or when his long bangs fell into his face. To either side of her, people were murmuring to themselves:
"He's really good!"
"I know, right? He's here like every other night in this exact same spot."
"Really? Well, it's a good thing he's good then. Do you think he takes requests?"
"You can try, but I don't think he ever stops once he starts playing."
"What? Is he a robot or something?"
Robot? Amu frowned at that comment. Were they dumb or just overeager to exaggerate? Why did people always like to exaggerate? Pretty soon the entire park was going to flock to him expecting some perfect one-man symphony or something. If she were him, she would surely go insane just listening to all of these whispers shuttling back and forth.
However, if she paid close attention, it seemed as if the guy didn't seem to mind the whispers. In fact, he didn't even seem to notice. He was standing there, completely zoned out, playing. Maybe Amu should follow his example and not pay attention to the noise…
Inhaling a deep breath she squeezed her eyes shut and shut out the noises surrounding her. In the temporary darkness, the violin seemed to be magnified. The music enveloped her in this bliss that she never felt in such a long time. When was the last time she felt like this? Maybe…
A loud and energetic song burst into Amu's eardrums. Brief annoyance passed through her before she realized that the song was coming from her, or rather, her bag. Suddenly everyone seemed to be staring at her. Even the violinist paused to gawk. Heat was rushing to Amu's face as she fumbled with her things before locating her phone.
Amu spoke into her phone. "H-Hello?" Can't these people just stop staring?
"Amu-chan!"Amu's mom's voice rang in her ear. "Where are you? Your dinner is going cold, and we're all worried about you! Ami, Papa, and me!"
"Mom? Uh, sorry. I got a little lost on the way home. I'll be on my way though," Amu said. Crap. Why are they still staring? At least the violinist looked like he was going to start playing again.
A sigh was heard on the other line. "Oh, that's wonderful to hear. If you want, you can tell me where you are and I'll-" A loud thud cut off the next part of that sentence. Amu winced a little at the loud noise, but it did not prepare her for what was to come next.
"Amu-chan!"
The deafening, shrill voice that replaced her mom's soothing tone made Amu impulsively thrust her phone at arm's length.
"Amu-chan! Can you hear me? It's your papa! Where are you? Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Are you being held ransom by the yakuza?! Answer me!"
"D-Dad?" People were definitely staring now. "I'm fine. I was telling Mom that I'm just a little lost and—"
"Lost?!" Amu winced again. "Don't worry, Amu-chan! Papa will save you!"
"No, Dad, I'm fine! I think I know my way around here now! Can you please calm down?" Amu said. The stares were getting on her nerves, so she lowered her voice. "I'll see you later." She hung up and, blocking out any possible stares coming her way, she ran down the path homeward bound.
Yaya sighed and slumped in her chair. Today's practice was a lot tougher than usual, and Yaya knew she'd wake up sore the next morning. Her instructor always reminded her right after class, "Make sure you stretch, Yuiki-san!" but for whatever reason Yaya always forgot no matter how hard it was drilled into her brain. Tilting her head back and closing her eyes, Yaya thought instead of the warm bath that was waiting for her later tonight. The steam would help relax her muscles, even if it was only a tiny bit. Oh, she couldn't wait for that!
Still, Yaya thought, Suzuki-sensei could have gone a little easier on her and the other girls. Yes, the annual summer showcase was looming ahead and all, but that wasn't for a good couple of months. With the way she was acting, Suzuki-sensei might as well have been thinking that it was next week!
Groaning, Yaya opened her eyes and stared at her messy desk. Most of it was homework (who gives homework on the first day of school?), but the one thing that she locked eyes on immediately was a single sheet of paper. Her club sign-up sheet.
She had time, didn't she? She didn't have to choose a club right away. However, it would be better if she chose now. The only problem was… Yaya groaned again, flailing her arms and legs in a mad fury. "Ugh, why is it so hard to pick a stupid club!" Unfortunately, this miniature tantrum was cut short when her foot rammed into the desk leg. Whimpering, the pigtailed girl looked to her window for a distraction.
The light was on next door. Kukai must be home…and his mom, too, Yaya hastily thought. And maybe also his dad.
Yaya closed her eyes and sighed. The neighborhood had been awfully quiet for a while now. Ever since she was born, it had felt like the two houses were brimming with the sounds of feet pattering, little kids snorting, and voices being raised from across the yard, but now everything changed. Kukai's brothers went off to college, and Kukai himself got busy with school activities. Yaya missed being young…
Wait. What was she thinking? She was in high school, for crying out loud! Hadn't she wanted this day to come for like forever? Looking back on the past would do nothing but make her sad about what had already happened! No, she's a big girl, and big girls move on!
Big girls would also fill out their club application. Yaya slumped in her chair with another groan. Her sore muscles were already settling in, and dinner wasn't even on the table yet. Without thinking, Yaya found herself staring out at the window again. The light in the window was strangely mesmerizing…
Yaya thought back to her morning conversation with Yua. She said that she would think about it, but did she really? The thought left her almost as soon as the words left her mouth. Still, managing the soccer team? Yaya probably wasn't the best candidate, but did experience even matter in high school? She would get to see her best friend more and more, and that was never a bad thing. Heck, maybe she and him could…
Yaya's cheeks were burning before she could finish that thought. Turning away from the bright window a couple meters away, Yaya began to hastily scribble away.
Footnotes:
[1] When you don't have a club to go to after school, you go home. Thus, you are part of the "going-home club".
[2] For anybody who doesn't watch sports anime, buchou translates to captain. In this fanfic I'll only use it as an honorific (as in instead of Captain Kukai, it's Kukai-buchou. If a person just refers to someone as Captain then it'll remain in English).
[3] In canon, all of the Fujisakis call the housekeeper Baya (which I'm assuming is her name from what Google is telling me even though it says Baya is a Spanish name, but then again the name Amu was made-up by Peach-Pit so whatever). In this AU, however, Nagi will refer to her as Oba-san (translation: Aunt) because I like to think Nagi as somebody who is very respectful towards their elders, including the ones that clean their room, and Oba-san is how one generally addresses middle-aged woman in Japan.
Author's Note:
Ahhh... How do I start? Where do I begin?
Well, thanks for reading this monstrosity! This is only chapter one for that very huge project I was referring to in my profile ha ha. To clarify, this is a high school AU set in the normal world, so there's no charas and the like, but I'll sneak references to canon every now and again. And, of course, there's other stuff going on besides seeing how many times I can make a reference to Platinum Royal. But I'm not giving away anything so early in the story! So (if this thing is any bit interesting) stick around!
A huge shout-out to When There's Nothing Left for reading one of the many drafts of this chapter and being an editor of sorts for me. Without her, then this piece would just be a rambling of thoughts that makes no sense at all. So thanks.
Thanks again for reading. I would love it if you can tell me what you think so far.
EDIT 3/29/2015: Fixed some of the grammar in Rima's part and a little bit in Amu's. Also changed the formatting of the Author's Note (aka: this) because I realized how awful reading everything in italics is.