Chapter 4
"Nozomi, they're at it again," Eli sighed as she rested her head upon her desk, staring out the window at the sun that was just about to vanish over the horizon. Those two, seriously. They're forever getting on my nerves one way or another. And we can't afford to delay the release of our mini-unit's single.
The spiritual girl had a complex look on her face as she began shuffling her tarot deck, flipping the top card to reveal 'The Moon'. "The problem is despite how much we know, we still have no clue what is the issue with Maki-chan..."
"There's got to be something we can do. They're not even seeing each other now, Nico just sulks in the clubroom all day while Maki locks herself in the music room. We're lucky we didn't have full Muse meetings these last few days, but there's one on Friday."
Pursing her lips, Nozomi flipped over the next card. 'The Chariot'.
"Well in that case, let's just get them together," she announced decisively as her usual sly grin appeared.
"Together? You mean like-" Eli's cheeks started to flush.
"Oh? Why, surely Eli-chi isn't new to the idea of two girls dating?" Nozomi teased as she stood up from her desk.
"... Let's just focus on them," the blonde muttered. "I'm sure you have a plan as usual."
"That I do~ So this is how it goes..."
Taking a deep breath to calm her mind, Maki placed her fingers on the piano's keys.
Quiet.
The music wasn't flowing any more. Just like yesterday when she had come here, the room had only been bathed in silence for the whole two hours she sat there. The few times she tried to play something the resulting notes had sounded off and jagged, forcing her to stop.
How could it be that even her favourite pastime, the one way she knew to express her emotions, was denied to her?
She gave me everything, and then took it all away. My mind, my music...
My heart.
Slamming her hands onto the keys in frustration with a crash that resounded throughout the room, the composer got up and went back to her schoolbag. Pulling out a medical textbook, she tried to absorb herself in the reading.
It's all over anyway. My time as a school idol, my time with music. And my time with her.
I told myself I would be strong after that one last night.
I need to move on.
I need to move on.
Nico bit her lip as she continued staring into blank space within the clubroom, just like she had for the the whole of yesterday and today. Her mind ran in circles, the same old thoughts chasing each other over and over again. Nothing made sense any more.
Ever since that night, the redhead composer wouldn't even look at her.
What went wrong? Pinching herself and letting the pain sharpen her focus, Nico decided to think about things from the start to figure it out.
Do my best, never ever give up
Na na na na na, I want to be yours
Do my best, never ever give up
Na na na na na, I want to be yours
Though it wasn't really like there was a clear starting point. No matter how much she racked her brain, she had no clue when she had first fallen in love with Maki. Perhaps it was even from their first meeting in the clubroom, when she had demonstrated her trademark introduction to the members of Muse. Despite how quickly everyone else had fallen in line to please her, the redhead had been the only one to remain silent after declaring she wasn't doing it, twirling her hair.
You're slow to the point where it's actually kind of amazing
Any normal person would've realized it a long time ago
"Oh?"
It's the same old act today
I'll run into you by "coincidence"
But this just feels even more lonely
Look at me already!
Ever since those days her interest in the girl had been slowly increasing, and Nico only knew one way to deal with that: the same way she had dealt with her growing interest in Muse before she became its president. She began routing her paths to the clubroom through the first-year corridors, taking detours by the music room during days without club activities, timing her exits from the school to match...
I'm praying
I'm crying (Please)
But my love just won't come true (It won't?)
It's more like a side story than the main plot (Come on already)
I have to stop trying so hard (I'm over here)
I'm getting impatient
I'm crying (I hate this)
But my love just won't come true...?
In conclusion... I love you, I'm in love with you (Kiss!)
Only a pitiful third of her efforts had been rewarded with a glimpse, or sometimes even a short walk with Maki. During those times she had gone all out in her teasing, enjoying the first-year's adorable reactions. The more she got to see those actions, the more Nico was convinced she was really, really starting to like the girl who just couldn't be honest with her own feelings.
I want these feelings to reach you, but you just don't get it
I'm so anxious that I haven't been able to relax at all lately
"Understood!"
You're so simple-minded that you don't notice
Your feelings are far from passionate
In that case I'll just have to try even harder
To become your girlfriend!
At first Nico thought the other girl barely noticed her at all, simply letting her tag along as if the senior was below her attention. But as she persevered, the haughty first-year began to thaw, sometimes not even bothering to push the clingy raven-haired girl away anymore during the teasing. And Nico started to notice an incredible increase in the frequency the two were meeting, almost as if the other girl was starting to put in effort to make sure the coincidences would happen...
I'm insecure
I want to keep feeling it (I want to know more)
I've been caught up in love (Caught!)
The whole book is probably a love story (Love love)
I'll write it myself for our sake (It'll be a happy end)
I'm troubled
I can feel it (Idiot!)
I've been caught up in love...!
To summarize... I love you, I'm telling you I love you (Squeeze!)
By this point, Nico was certain that she wanted to date the redhead, even more than she wanted to become an idol. Maki had become an all-consuming obsession on her mind, even if she couldn't quite pinpoint just why she loved Maki so. Was it her talent? Her pride and haughtiness? Her dishonest self that reminded Nico just so much of herself?
All Nico knew was that up till recently, she was absolutely certain no one else was able to understand the composer as easily as she could. Which was why this latest development had thrown her for a loop.
A knock on the door sounded, startling her out of her reverie. The other members of Muse should have been busy with their own stuff, so this person was...
Nico's heart sank as a familiar blonde entered the room instead of the first-year she had been hoping against hope for.
"Are you alright?" Eli took a seat at the table across from where she was. "You've been really out of it these last couple of days."
Silence hung over the room for a couple of seconds, before the twin-tailed girl realised just how much she was acting like her stubborn beloved, bringing a bitter laugh out of irony.
Eli's eyebrow twitched. "Okay, I guess that was a silly question."
"No no, sorry Eli, I wasn't laughing at your question. Thanks for the concern. I just..." Nico sighed as she slumped backwards against the backrest of her chair. Forget about Maki, I'm no better at expressing myself.
"Well, you two can't continue like this."
"Isn't that obvious?" Nico snapped back. "But what can I possibly do?! She won't even talk to me. I don't even know what's wrong."
"No one does, Nico. But you're the only one who can find out," Eli coaxed gently, her motherly patience calming down Nico's outburst.
The twin-tailed girl closed her eyes, suppressing the urge to just let out another sigh. If only things were that easy.
"Nico, think about your feelings. Listen to your heart, what does it say?"
Listen to my heart, huh. Isn't that obvious too, from the start...
Eli smiled wryly when she saw the look of contemplation appear on the diminutive girl's face, erasing the despair that had been there. "So, what will you do?" the blonde asked, unable to resist the urge to borrow Nozomi's favourite line.
"I'm going to the music room."
"Here, you'll need this," Eli placed a pair of keys on the table. "I helped to borrow the keys to the room already."
"Thanks Eli. I really appreciate it," Nico let out a genuine smile for the first time in two days, touched by her friend's kindness.
"... And this," Eli couldn't help but blush as she took another pack of items from the shelf behind her and slid it across the table.
Nico's smile slid off her face as blood began to rush to her cheeks as well. "You're kidding me."
"It was Nozomi's idea, I swear! And you know she's always right!"
"... I hate you two."
Ten minutes later Nico was hurrying along the corridors as fast as she could, bag in one hand and music room keys in the other. This better work. But no matter what, I guess it's better than doing nothing, right?
Do my best, never ever give up
Na na na na na, I want to be yours
Do my best, never ever give up
Na na na na na, I want to be yours
Author's Note: Can't afford to delay the release of the mini-unit single?! BiBi's first single was delayed for a whole year after Printemps' and Lily White! *flips table* But that's all in the past now. It may also explain why the music for BiBi is so incredibly different, as referenced earlier.
Also, how on earth does Nozomi only draw the Major Arcana from her tarot deck all the time, does her deck only have 22 cards? xD