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Ambivalence
~x~
no one can tell me what to do
maybe I try to act grown-up...
there are only a few like me.
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Last time on Voices Turn Into Miracles ‒
Kanon looked at the front. KURUSU SYO – HOSHINO KANON were the words that burned into her eyes. Looks like I have a permanent partner now.
"So about that piece..." Aogawa chattered happily beside Kanon, oblivious to her inattentiveness, "I found it really interesting! So who's your mentor?"
"E-eh?" Great. I'm spacing out now. A little more and Haruka and I will be both unaware of everything. "What was that?"
"He was asking who your piano teacher was," Kurusu supplied bluntly, rising from his seat as he was called to introduce himself.
"A-ah, my mentor?" My sister's fiancé. You know, the fiancé of that pop-star, SHIZUKA. "Hanamura Reiji."
Aogawa coughed uncontrollably. Haruka eyed him worriedly. "Th-th – Hanamura-san! He used to be my mentor!" His dark brown eyes glimmered excitedly. "Tell me – "
"K-Kurusu-san will fight with Hyuga-sensei!" Haruka repeated in shock. "S-Sensei, are you sure that's safe?"
"Hyuga-sensei, I don't think injuring my partner would be a good start for the school year," Kanon said in an unenthusiastic tone. "Although I'd find it entertaining..."
"Don't worry, don't worry," Kurusu said, waving her off and making her hold his hat. She rolled her eyes and debated silently whether she should just hold it or toss it elsewhere. "I've studied karate for a long time."
That height of yours is probably going to be a hindrance. "Well, whatever." She twirled his hat idly. "Are we even allowed to wear hats in class?"
"It's a memento from my deceased grandfather, Hyuga-sensei," Kurusu muttered, suddenly looking low-spirited and bowing his head. "I..."
Kanon raised a brow. Tonaga, and a few other students snorted skeptically. What a sob story.
"Well, if that's the case," Hyuga-sensei said sympathetically, "I'll allow it."
"Th-thank you, Sensei."
Oh god, he totally fell for it!
"Don't believe the little guy," someone with a deep, suave voice murmured near her ear. Kanon nearly fell off her seat. "He just wears it to make himself look taller."
"Jinguji, get away from the girl if you don't want any of the girls from the Jinguji-chama Fan Club – or whatever the heck that group is – to kill her," another voice, this time clear and controlled, advised. "In fact, never do that suddenly to anybody."
"E-eh?" She met a pair of deviously glinting blue eyes and a smirk. Her cheeks flushed. "A-ah, Jinguji-san."
"A quick word of advice, though, Kanon-chan. Try to avoid talking about Ochibi's height. It's a sensitive subject."
Thanks, I guess?
"Well, it was pleasant meeting you, Kanon-chan." Jinguji said, waving a hand and sauntering back to his seat. Kanon let out a relieved sigh. Looks like I have something else to get used to.
"A-ack!" Haruka mini-screamed and covered her face with her hands as a pencil case suddenly flew out of nowhere. It crashed onto the floor with a loud clang. Okay, it's METAL pencil case.
"E-eh?"
I knew this school held a curse! Now stuff are flying out of thin air!
"Ah, sorry, Nanami," Kurusu apologized absently, wiping his hands together. "I made it fly the wrong way."
The class was already clapping and cheering. Wh-what did I miss? Kanon asked herself, clapping along anyway to avoid looking like an idiot to her partner.
"What do you think?" Kurusu questioned her as he reached out for his hat. She wondered what he was referring to as she gave it back.
"You have good acting skills, that's for sure." She laughed inwardly. "As for your karate skills, I didn't see anything."
"Ha...?" His eye was twitching. Oh, look. His pupils are purple... Weird. "Then why the heck are you clapping?"
"Courtesy."
"You..." Syo sent her a glare and sat down beside her, muttering incoherently to himself.
"Nanami Haruka," Hyuga-sensei called out, and the said student jumped up from her seat at though she was electrified from it. "You demo."
"H-hai!"
Like Kanon, she made her way to the piano, breathing slowly. "Ganbatte," she muttered to herself, letting the sight of the piano and its keys calm her. She carefully conjured an image of the old grand piano in her grandmother's cottage and smiled. With feelings, she reminded herself mentally, running her fingers over the keys, starting her piece.
Her song was slow and timid at the beginning, almost hesitant, before slowly, gradually, it filled the room, making all the students look at her in wonder.
"Her playing... it's beautiful," Aogawa said in complete admiration, and Kanon wondered if he would start crying. "That is what a song should sound like."
"It's a song that says, 'I'm doing this because I love this!'" Tonaga agreed, nodding approvingly. "Sugoi, Nanami."
'I'm doing this because I love this', huh? I wonder if I can play like that. Kanon sighed mutely. If I'm going against someone with this much heart and feelings for a simple piano tune alone, what chance do I have?
"That piece... it's an original composition," Aogawa was saying. "I can tell by the way she's playing it so confidently – similar to the way you were playing your piece, Hoshino. If it isn't original, then Nanami must be incredibly into that song if she can play it so smoothly without a sheet."
Haruka... I didn't know you had this much in you... Good luck to both of us!
"M-my partner is – !" Haruka fell back into her seat, trying to calm her breathing. If she was pale before, she just turned stark white. "Ichinose-san."
Ichinose's singing echoed from where he stood, filling the room the same way Haruka's melody had. It echoed with such clarity and near-perfection that everyone was convinced – he was definitely HAYATO's brother!
"Ichinose... That voice..." Kanon was in complete amazement. "That's a voice worthy of being called HAYATO's younger twin." It lacks something, though... Or maybe I'm expecting too much for him to be as lively as HAYATO.
"Awesome..."
Murmurs erupted from the class as Ichinose sat back down. He was completely ignorant to the air of surprise and awe in the class he had brought about and offered his hand to Haruka, who in-turn, was shaking like a leaf in a windstorm.
"Looks like we have a formidable team here," Aogawa said, an uncertain smile on his face. "Nanami and Ichinose. Those two talents – wow."
Formidable... That's right. We're not all buddy-buddy here. We're all fighting against each other to be the best idol-composer duo in this batch. She glanced swiftly at her partner, who had a confident grin on his lips. I wonder…
"Kurusu?"
"Hm?"
"What do you play?"
"V-violin... Weren't you listening earlier?" he said obnoxiously. The arrogance on his face slowly disappeared as soon as he saw her suddenly serious expression.
"Violin... huh?" She was staring off towards the chalkboard, twirling her pen. "You play the violin, huh?" Just like our old neighbors back home... but that's not really relevant right now.
"There's two or three other empty music rooms for S Class practices if you need somewhere to practice," Tonaga said suddenly, interrupting her vague train of thought. "I know what you're thinking, Hoshino."
"Ah... right." The two of them looked at Haruka and Ichinose, who were seated beside each other. "Looks like we're all rivals now."
"Mmhm, looks like it."
"You think you can win alone?"
"Me? I'm not sure. But everyone has a chance." Tonaga shrugged. "I don't want to depend on anyone else for my dreams to come true... hm?"
Kanon's hand outstretched. A determined glimmer in her eyes. An appreciative smile on her lips. "Good luck to you, then."
He returned her smile and accepted the unvoiced challenge. "Good luck to you and Kurusu as well."
"Kanon-chan! Haruka-chan!" a cheery voice called from afar, making the two look about in search of who was looking for them.
"Tomochika! Stop running like that!"
"I... found you!" Tomochika gathered Haruka into a warm hug. "How was first day, Haru-chan? Kanon-chan?"
"Lively," Haruka replied, laughing slightly as she pulled away from her hyperactive roommate. "It was..."
"...full of surprises," Kanon continued, shaking her head. "And you?"
"It was magical!"
"That's a curious way to describe first day, Tomochika," Risa pointed out. "But it was really a curious first session."
"You wouldn't believe what happened in class!" Tomochika chattered, taking Haruka's hand and leading the way to the cafeteria for a quick snack. "A really cute black cat decided to join in!"
"A cat?"
"You thought it was cute?"
"Seriously now?"
"Yes, a very cute cat suddenly jumped through the window and decided to play with our Red String of Fate!"
"What's the Red – "
"Or was it the Red Ribbon of Fate?"
"It was not playing – I almost got paired with that cat, along with you and two other composers," Risa said exasperatedly, shaking her head. "It was far from cute."
"But you have to admit, it was pretty funny."
"A cat?" Kanon half-laughed, skeptical. "Really?"
"You have to believe us! It was so unusual!"
"I'd like to see that cat," Haruka said, tapping her chin. "It sounds so cute!"
"See? It's cute, Risa-chan!" Tomochika said triumphantly. "So what exciting things happened with you guys?"
"You wouldn't believe who Haruka got as a partner," Kanon started. "She got Ichinose Tokiya as a partner!"
"Seriously?"
"You... know him?" Haruka blinked.
"'Know him?' We practically fan girl over him, right, Risa?" Tomochika had this wild sparkle in her eyes – which were toned somewhere in between pink and purple. "Does he really sing like HAYATO?" she added.
"I don't fan girl over him," Risa muttered. "But I do admire his voice."
"Something like HAYATO, but they don't have the same... aura," Kanon said, shrugging lightly. "It lacks... I don't know... energy?"
"You shouldn't expect Ichinose-san to 'nyaa~' or something."
"I think they have the same atmosphere," Haruka said to herself in a low whisper. "Ichinose-san and HAYATO-sama."
"Great, first day of class and I'm already starting to have headaches," Kanon muttered to herself as she bid goodbye to Risa and Tomochika, who had an idol-course-related lessons, specifically for A Class. "Good thing I only have three classes."
She passed by a small bulletin with a fairly-large flyer with a picture of HAYATO pinned onto it. In huge, all-caps letters, the words HAYATO LIVE was written. Beneath it, the date April 21st – this coming Saturday. Kanon wonders vaguely if Haruka and Tomochika have already seen the poster.
"Hey, Hoshino!" a faint voice calls, making her stop barely two steps away from the bulletin board. "Hold on a bit!"
She quickly recognized the voice as Tonaga's. As she spun slowly on her heel, Tonaga and Kurusu were walking to her at a brisk pace. She acknowledged her partner with a small nod and then turned to Tonaga with a quirk of her brow.
"Tagging along?" she asked bluntly.
"Ah, nah. I have still have some rearranging to do in my dorm room," Tonaga answered, waving his hand dismissively. "Just helped Kurusu find you, 'tis all."
"Thanks for saving me the trouble," Kanon said appreciatively, offering him a small smile. Tonaga gave back his usual boyish grin and went away, leaving the two in a cold silence.
"So..."
"So! Before practice, it would be better to get to know each other..." At least, that's what my sister said we should do first. "But that's boring and it's obvious we're both unenthusiastic about it, so let's just go."
Kurusu nods and follows her as she makes her way to the first practice room she finds empty along the corridor. It looks like a regular classroom, with armchairs, a chalkboard and piano. She closes the door safely behind her and makes her way to the piano lying unused at the far right corner of the room.
"I'm not unenthusiastic about learning about you," Kurusu points out as he sat down on the chair nearest to her. "You said you were born in Nagoya."
"I never said that. I said I lived longest in Nagoya," Kanon clarifies. "I was born in Tochigi Prefecture. But why does that matter?"
"Don't you listen to me at all?" Kurusu snapped. "I lived in Nagoya before moving to Tokyo too."
"What of it?"
"What do you mean 'what of it'?"
"Nagoya is a big place, if you don't know. There's a slim chance we knew each other, so don't count on it."
"Okay, okay! I was just looking for something to talk about, geez."
Another long silence falls inside the room.
Kanon clears her throat uncomfortably. "So... you're pals with Tonaga?"
"Acquaintances... of sorts. His room is just across mine so we see each other often, that's all. We're not buddy-buddies yet."
"Yet," Kanon repeats to herself. She groans loudly and rests her fingers onto the piano keys, resulting in a few high-pitched notes. "Well, why are we just sitting around here?"
"Yeah, about that..." Kurusu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I can't actually play my violin right now because the bow snapped in half."
"Already? Class just started and you already broke something?" Kanon said incredulously, shaking her head. "Some idol you are."
"It's not my fault my roommate dropped all his bags into my violin case. I'm lucky enough to have only the bow broken and not the entire violin!" Kurusu defended irritably, glaring at her with his bright blue eyes. "Blame Natsuki, not me," he mumbled.
"Well, complain all you want. When will you get it fixed?"
"I'll just have the one at home brought here," Kurusu answered with another shrug. "Relax."
"Don't you tell me to relax. I already have Tonaga doing that, so I don't need you to be his echo."
"Geez, you sure have a temper. Is that a given for redheads or something?"
"Well you have an annoying voice. Is that a given for middle-school students?" Kanon retorts, recalling Jinguji's much-appreciated advice. A small smirk curled her lips, seeing Kurusu's face morph from dumbfounded to completely annoyed.
"I'm not in middle-school! I'm fifteen years old for goodness' sake!" Kurusu said exasperatedly, gesturing wildly in emphasis. "Don't ever bring that up!"
"Whatever you say, Kurusu-chan."
"Shut up! If you're going to call me like that, it might was well be Kurusu-sama, understand!"
"Oh, sama? Who do you think you are? Royalty?"
He huffs and simply answers back with a long glower. Kanon laughed to herself. Looks like I hit the mark there.
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I'm sure that someday,
you'll understand.
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Title: April – Ambivalence – 04
Words: 2 307
Title Derivation: "Ambivalence"is a song by Terashima Takuma from G. Addict's first mini-album, signal. Ambivalence comes from the world ambivalent, meaning to have mixed, different or even undecided thoughts about something or someone. This shows the just-starting partnership between Kurusu Syo and Kanon.
Opening/Ending Lines: The opening and endings lines are taken from the song Welcome to the Brand New World, which is by yukana along with Shimono Hiro and Kugimiya Rie from The Scene of DRAGON CRISIS! album. I suggest everyone listen to this song!
Disclaimer: All things familiar in Voices Turn Into Miracles are the sole ownership of their respective copyright holders, namely broccoli, UTA*PRI project, ELEMENTS GARDEN and other respectable producers, record labels, composers, arrangers, singers and more. I only own Original Characters, added plot and the like.
Reprinting, reposting and/or redistributing without formal and written permission is against my law.