A/N: Hope you read my A/N for chp 6. Not going to say much here. Just lol. Brace yourselves for more weird teen angst that doesn't really make much sense.
I anticipate having 1 more chapter after this, so 8 chapters in total until this is finished.
Thanks, everyone for your support so far!
Practicality and Love - Part 7
Reina never ended up going to Kumiko's house. They never ended up sorting out their 'problem'.
In fact, an even larger issue surfaced. Their very friendship was the definition of mixed signals, but Kumiko was clear about one thing. She made it clear that she done with whatever their farce of a relationship was. She made it clear that she was distressed by how much their boundaries had blurred.
Regardless of the reasoning behind it, Reina couldn't handle the sudden rejection. There was a hushed argument, heated whispers and voices that threatened to break into a scream. The discussion was mostly one sided, with Kumiko offering up a half-hearted excuse. Tired of all the circular logic, Reina had stormed off with tears in her eyes, leaving Kumiko to mull over her decision. She left Kumiko with a parting message, asking her to think if what she was doing was really for the best.
In all honesty, the euphonium player was less than sure of herself.
Her relationship with Reina was filled with indescribable highs and equally devastating lows. Kumiko wondered if her obsession was becoming a bit unhealthy. Kumiko got her answer once the awkwardness settled in between them. She wasn't the only one who noticed.
Everyone in the club took note of the icy atmosphere around the two.
"Oumae-san."
Kumiko looked up from her lunch. She thought she was alone on the roof, but a gentle voice jostled her out of her thoughts.
"K-Kaori-senpai?"
Indeed, it was a veritable angel who visited Kumiko, a motherly smile on her lips and her cherry pink eyes crinkling with kindness.
"Do you mind if I join you?" Kaori smiled as she brushed her fringes behind her ear. The girl's straight tresses framed her face perfectly, her dark brown hair so much sleeker than her own. And her eyes...her eyes were such an exquisite color, overflowing with warmth.
Kumiko blushed slightly, today being the first time she had ever seen the third year up close.
"Y-yeah. Of course. Go ahead." Kumiko cleared a space for the older girl, scooting over just a little bit. Her gesture was arbitrary really. There was so much space and it was just the two of them up there.
Kaori sat down gracefully, smoothing out her skirt as she tucked her legs off to the side.
There was an awkward silence as Kumiko waited for Kaori to speak up. She stirred her lunch around mindlessly as she braced herself for the girl to berate her like everyone else already had. They all told her to suck it up, that Reina wasn't worth her tears. It was strange how Kumiko garnered a mix of criticism and sympathy after the alleged events.
"Oumae-san…how are you holding up?"
Kumiko looked over, caught off guard. "E-Eh? Me? How am I doing?"
Kaori glanced over, meeting Kumiko's eyes with a sympathetic smile. "Mhm…I'm worried about you. Everyone's worried about you."
Kumiko recoiled at the stark sincerity in the girl's voice, wondering if that was really true. She knew everyone was aware of something happening between her and Reina. Kumiko wasn't deaf. She heard the whispers when she walked into the room. She knew about the rumors circulating in the club. More specifically, she knew there were two schools of thought. One was centered around Kumiko being the focus of a love triangle with Reina and Shuuichi. The other was a bit closer to reality, where people speculated that Kumiko had been rejected by Reina after confessing her love.
On an off note, Kumiko wondered which rumor Kaori believed in.
Kumiko made a noise of acknowledgement before she turned back to her half-eaten lunchbox. She continued to play with her food, unable to think of a reply.
"I think you need to be more honest with yourself." Kaori's words permeated the silence, blowing in the wind as a breeze ruffled Kumiko's curls.
Kumiko swallowed, putting on her mask with a seamless motion. "What do you mean, Kaori-senpai? A polite smile; a tilt of her head. She appeared normal on the outside, but she was really just tired of it all, tired all of the questions and speculations. This week gave Kumiko ample practice with hiding her feelings.
Again, Kaori fixed Kumiko with that sympathetic smile of hers.
"You remind me an awful lot of Asuka, you know? A not so quirky and maybe more straightforward version, but you two are very similar." Kaori's smile adopted a subtle change, giving off a sense of nostalgia as she spoke.
"I still don't understand what this has to do with-" Kumiko stopped herself, averting her eyes suddenly.
"It has everything to do with Reina-chan." Kaori let Reina's name roll off her tongue in a deliberate slowness. She watched as a conflicted expression crept onto the euphonium player's face. Unlike Asuka, Kaori was glad that Kumiko was more of an open book.
"Kaori-senpai…did Reina…did Reina say anything?"
Kaori shook her head. "No, she didn't, but I…saw you two the other day, early in the morning. You were in the hallway, just before the stairs…" The trumpeter trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. She hoped she was being clear enough about what she had stumbled onto.
"I-" Kumiko started, but her face turned a beet red, her words leaving her as she realized what the older girl was talking about. "…O-Oh…"
"I…I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, Oumae-san, but I just wanted to make a point with that." Kaori took in a deep breath, composing her thoughts before she continued. "I don't know you or Reina-chan that well, but I know Asuka better than I know myself."
Kumiko leaned in, her interest piqued, wondering what Asuka had to do with anything at this point.
"The girl wears a mask, just like you. She's distant and careful and tries to reason things out without listening to the one thing that matters…"
"…her heart."
Kumiko balked at Kaori's words. It was cheesy, but on some level, it made sense to her. She got that feeling from Asuka too, but she didn't see the parallel to herself.
"W-what…what are you trying to tell me, Kaori-senpai?"
A wry smile.
"I'm just saying that you should stop overthinking things. I see how you look at her. It's sort of like…how I look at Asuka…" Kaori trailed off, her cheeks coloring a rosy pink as she looked away.
Kumiko blinked at the bombshell Kaori just dropped. She had always suspected there was something going on between Asuka and one of either Kaori or Haruka, but…
"Haha...unexpected, right? But let's get back to you, Oumae-san…" Kaori was still blushing as she cleared her throat. "So just think about what I've said, okay? It'll save you a lot of grief."
The trumpeter stood without waiting for a reply. She dusted off her skirt, turning to Kumiko as she smiled that insufferably kind smile again.
"I'm sure if you're honest with yourself, you'll save Reina-chan a lot of grief as well."
Kumiko stared up at Kaori, letting her words sink in.
"Yeah…"
The days continued to pass with Kumiko and Reina stuck in an awkward limbo. They exchanged sidelong glances with each other, like a twisted rally between them. Despite that, neither girl was willing to confront the bitter taste left in their mouths.
However, for Kumiko, she was close to breaking, wanting to reconcile things between them.
Every day without Reina felt like pure agony. Kumiko knew she was being overdramatic, but she didn't know how else to describe it. School life was empty without Reina, but the trumpeter on the other hand, seemed to be adjusting well. She knew that Reina wore her emotions on her sleeve and when she was riled up, her playing either improved or it suffered. Thankfully for everyone, Reina's sound was even deeper, and even fuller. The girl's playing was hauntingly romantic now and it was self-centered of Kumiko to think this…
…but she hoped it was because of her.
"-miko! Kumiko!"
Blinking, Kumiko came back to her senses.
"Kumiko-chan, are you alright? Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"
Midori's concerned face came into view, her eyes wide.
"W-wh…uh-" The euphonium player spouted unintelligible words as she tried to formulate some sort of coherent thought.
"Kumiko…I think this is definitely getting out of hand…" Hazuki sighed as she stood over Kumiko's desk with her arms crossed against her chest.
Looking up, the brunette was still confused. She blinked, unable to comprehend anything really.
"I'm sick of seeing you like this! Do you even know what day it is!?" Hazuki snapped as she leaned down closer, narrowing her eyes as she fixed Kumiko with a hard stare.
"Uh…Tuesday?" Kumiko threw out a random day, hoping it was right so her friends would just leave her to her wallowing.
"Haha…that's wrong, Kumiko-chan…" Midori laughed nervously, perturbed that the euphonium player was really that far gone.
"Oh…"
"Is this about Tsukamoto-kun?" Hazuki questioned, an edge to her voice.
Kumiko's eye twitched. She looked at the tuba player with a deadpan expression on her face. It must have been Hazuki who started that love triangle rumor.
Midori, on the other hand, caught on quickly, reading the mood. She pulled Hazuki aside for a second, her stage whisper atrociously loud. "Hazuki-chan! How many times have I told you? No one's in love with Tsukamoto-kun except for you."
Kumiko broke out of her shell momentarily as she stifled a grin, feeling sorry for her childhood friend.
"The one Kumiko-chan loves is…"
Kumiko's ears perked up, wondering if the contrabass player knew her whispering was far too audible.
"…Reina-chan…"
Kumiko inhaled sharply, the assumption hitting her harder than she expected. Reina was the one who said she loved her, but was the reverse true? Kumiko felt stupid for not thinking about it until now, but was that what she wanted to label this wriggling feeling in her chest? It was a stretch, but the euphonium player contemplated the disgustingly anti-climactic revelation. She wondered if it was similar to Reina's 'love' for Taki-sensei? Again, Kumiko felt her head spin. She was confused, letting her logic lead her around in endless circles.
"Midori-chan, what did you just say?"
Both Midori and Hazuki glanced over apprehensively and the petite girl swore under her breath.
"Uhm…that was…" Midori trailed off and she could tell by the tone in the euphonium player's voice that she probably said the wrong thing.
Kumiko stood suddenly, her chair scraping against the floor. A few heads turned in her direction, but they focused back on their lunches in no time.
"I…I have to go. I'll see you two later…" Kumiko trailed off as she rushed out of the classroom. Her friends were left staring after her, feeling guilty about bringing up a sore subject. Little did they know, Kumiko was more perplexed about her own feelings, unable to come to terms with the possibility that she was in love with Kousaka Reina.
Or the fact that Reina said she was in love with her.
Despite the signs, Kumiko was still in denial. She doubted that Reina was over Taki-sensei. She doubted that Reina could love someone like her, that she could love someone so boring and so…ordinary.
Trying to control her pace, Kumiko sped through the hallways, dodging students left and right. Her eyes were starting to well up with tears, frustration mounting in her throat. She felt sick. She wanted to deny the irrationality of everything she believed. She wasn't closed minded by any means, but none of it seemed practical.
Kumiko knew Reina was special and she knew that the trumpeter had her sights on greater things. That alone was motivation for the euphonium player, but at the same time, it made her afraid to walk beside Reina. She felt intimidated and unworthy. And so, her thoughts turned to petty jealousy, forcing her to take Reina's confession with a grain of salt.
Regardless of her insecurities, Kumiko wanted to reciprocate Reina's love. All she could think about was kissing the other girl senseless. If anything, she just wanted to appease that lone incessant thought that plagued her mind.
But in the end, it wasn't practical. It couldn't be practical…It wouldn't be.
Not for Reina.
"H-Hey! Kumiko!"
A pair of sturdy hands caught the euphonium player as she passed by in the hall. They held her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop.
With tears in her eyes, Kumiko looked up, sniffling as she wiped them away hastily. "W-What do you want?" She struggled to break free, feeling curious eyes on her. Today was just a barrage of unasked sympathy and nosy meddling.
It was Shuuichi who stopped Kumiko in her tracks, but once he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes, he let go abruptly.
"I-I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Shuuichi took a step back, alarmed at the sight of Kumiko crying.
People around them were stopping and staring, whispers erupting like wildfire.
"No." Kumiko narrowed her eyes at Shuuichi for a second, shaking her head as she held back a sob. "I'm not alright."
Before a crowd started to form, Kumiko pushed past the students around her, making her hasty exit. Shuuichi let her go, clenching his fists as he tried to forget the shaking of the girl's slender frame.
Running away from the buzz of school life, Kumiko was already at the main entrance. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She had to figure out why her mind was such a mess, why she was so adamant on clinging to Reina when she knew it wasn't good for either of them.
In no time, the euphonium player found herself outside the building. She was still in her indoor shoes, but she couldn't be bothered with such a trivial thing. She snaked around to the back of the building, making her way to the place where she loved to practice in solitude. It was shady, isolated, and comforting. She remembered the countless summer days she spent back here, drenched in sweat as she played her instrument, breathless.
Slowing her pace, Kumiko leaned against the school's cold concrete walls. The tears started to roll down her cheeks-shamelessly.
She wanted to be alone, but at the same time, Kumiko just wanted to be with Reina.
Sliding down to the ground, Kumiko felt weak. She felt pathetic. There was no way she was in her right mind. Things didn't make an ounce of sense, her thoughts contradicting one another. Her tears stung her eyes, reminding her of how weak she felt. She wasn't in control of her feelings anymore.
If anything made any sense at all, she just wanted to-
"Kumiko?"
Kumiko froze, still leaning on the wall as she held a hand out to support herself. She felt pathetic. She hadn't heard that voice in almost a week now and she missed it. Dearly. She missed the way Reina said her name, the way Reina's eyes would crinkle ever so slightly every time. But still, Kumiko stayed motionless on the ground, gritting her teeth. The foolish girl resisted what she knew she wanted, but her resolve, like her, was weak.
"Kumiko, are you alright?"
The voice came closer, footsteps stealing gingerly across the concrete.
Kumiko's breaths came in shallow rasps, mixing with her sobs as she trembled.
Gentle hands wrapped around her and they were warm and comforting and strong. Kumiko knew it was Reina. She knew by the girl's scent and by her touch. It was inexplicable, but Kumiko came to know everything about Reina.
"Kumiko, what's wrong?"
Again, Kumiko faltered at the sound of Reina's voice, at the way the girl spoke her name with such gentle adoration, such concern.
Finally looking up, Kumiko inhaled a shaky breath. She still felt weak, but now, she didn't care. Grabbing the front of Reina's uniform with both her hands, Kumiko pulled the trumpeter towards her, crushing their lips together in a desperate kiss.
She knew that none of this was practical, but she decided that maybe love didn't have to be.
