A/N: All rights go to Honeyworks.
Was this update fast enough? Haha
Ever since the trip, Seiko's been working really hard on her graduation audition. She has to keep her mind of Syo at all costs. And so far, it's been working. Mana and she have composed a few songs for the audition, though they haven't decided just which one to perform. The two girls have pulled a few all-nighters to finish those songs, so Seiko is definitely feeling the exhaustion due to her self-inflicted sleep deprivation. Due to her exhaustion, she unconsciously walks through the halls to her class. She bumps into someone, perking up ever so slightly.
"I-I'm so sorry!" The azalea-eyed girl whimpers and looks up to see Tokiya. She bows, stammering, "I-Ichinose-san! I-I'll leave you alone!" Seiko quickly moves to walk away to do as he requested, however the 17-year-old catches her sleeve in his grip.
Tokiya asks, "Morishige-san, wait. Are you feeling alright? You look exhausted." He's genuinely concerned. He's not glaring at her; in fact, his eyes are much softer than they've been than their last few encounters.
"I-I'm alright," Seiko excuses herself, "I've been busy..." She lightly tugs her arm, making Tokiya release his grip. Yet, she stays as he doesn't seem hostile towards her anymore.
"I want to apologize... I've really hurt you when you were only trying to help," the 17-year-old boy quietly says.
Seiko slowly shakes her head. He doesn't have to do this. She'd prodded him enough to make him angry. The azalea-eyed, light copper-haired girl argues gently, "W-what? Y-you don't have to-"
"Yes, I do. Just because I cannot sing the songs I want to, it is no reason for me to lash at you like I did," he explains, bowing his head slightly.
"I-it's my fault too!" she shouts, lowering her voice when a few people stop briefly to stare at her, "I shouldn't have pried... I didn't understand anything, but I clearly saw you in pain." She bows again in apology to him. Seiko murmurs, "I'm really sorry for meddling like that..."
Tokiya sighs, "Please, don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm simply angry at myself." He'd been so angry that he lashed out at those who wanted to help him. Seiko, Otoya, and Haruka... he'd pushed all of them away when they tried to help him.
"Why?"
"Am I Tokiya, or am I HAYATO? I'm not satisfied with myself."
"Ichinose-san... I think... you're you... You don't need to define yourself with a name. The songs you sing, those will be the songs of your true self. They are not 'Tokiya's' or 'HAYATO's'. So... just believe in yourself! I believe in you."
"You truly are a sincere person," Tokiya smiles.
Seiko giggles, amused. She responds, "It is the definition of my name. Well... I have class in a few, so I'll talk to you later!" She contently strides away and inside homeroom. She puts her satchel by her desk and sighs. She yawns and rubs her itchy eyes.
"Hey... are you alright? Have you not been sleeping well?" Syo questions, inspecting her over. He's never seen her like this. He knows for a fact that Seiko can barely function without sleep.
She shrugs, "I wouldn't say that... Mana-chan and I have been working on a few songs we might use for the graduation audition."
"You still need sleep, Seiko-chan," he lightly scolds, petting her head.
"I'm alright, really," she argues, blushing lightly, "We're not the only ones pulling all-nighters."
Syo sighs, "Yes, but you have a weak immune system."
"I'll be fine, Syo-kun!" she snaps.
"Ok, ok!" Syo yields, putting his hands up, "Just... rest when you can..."
Seiko nods, "I will."
Later that day, Seiko meets back up with Mana after their last classes in their dorm room. They've been practicing each song they've composed for the graduation audition. They still aren't able to choose between them. They've narrowed it down a bit, but Seiko can't decide which one she likes better.
Mana cracks her fingers once Seiko finishes the last phrase of the song they are focusing on right now. She smiles, in awe of how beautiful her roommate's voice is. The ginger-haired, brown-eyed girl suggests, "Why don't we take a short break. My fingers are killing me, plus, you should give your voice a break."
"Alright," Seiko agrees, walking over to her desk to take a sip of water from the bottle on her desk. She stares at the picture of her and Syo and bites her lip. She mumbles, "The night before we flew back... I snuck out to see Syo-kun..."
Mana's jaw drops, "Girl... you did not..."
"I did," she nods, "I don't know what to do, Mana-chan..." Seiko's so confused. She told herself that she'd be okay with just being best friends with the boy she's been in love with for years. She told herself that she'd been fine staying silent about her feelings in order to protect him. So... why does her heart ache? She didn't sleep at all that night she'd seen him.
"I think you need to tell him how you feel, Seiko-chan. There's nothing in the rules against telling someone how you feel about them. They only said no romance," her partner advises. Mana knows that this is torturing Seiko on the inside.
Seiko shakes her head, yelling, "That's not all of it, though! What if he only sees me as a friend? I mean... we've been best friend for 13 years!" She's sure of it. They'd been together so long; it is almost as if they could only be friends. She hated to admit it, but Syo is out of her reach.
Mana steps up to her and put a hand on Seiko's shoulder. She smiles gently and murmurs, "It's better you tell him than regret it for the rest of your life. You won't know how he feels about you unless you ask."
The light copper-haired, azalea-eyed, 16-year-old lets it all sink in. If she never tells Syo how she feels, she cannot be rejected. She cannot be kicked out of Saotome Academy and get Syo kicked out as well. However... she can also lose him in the process if she does not say a word to him. She doesn't want that to happen. Seiko can't bear to lose him again.
With bravery shining in her eyes, Seiko nods, "Y-you're right! I'm going to send him a text to meet me! Then I'll tell him!" She eagerly picks up her phone, sending Syo a message to meet her outside the school building. The idol course student waits until her replies that he's coming to head out. As she runs, she fixes her hair. The school building is just ahead.
Seiko freezes abruptly in her tracks as she spots Syo standing close to Haruka Nanami. She hangs back, hiding behind a nearby tree. She bites her lips, eavesdropping; however, she can't clearly hear what he's saying. She can only make out a few words per sentence.
"... I've always... watching you... You're... so nice... looking for someone... with me..." Syo says, grinning while putting his hands on her shoulders, "It's you." The platinum blonde leans his face close to Haruka's, causing Seiko's eyes to widen and tremble.
Seiko feels her heart being crushed, making it hard for her to breathe. She should have known. Haruka Nanami is so kind and a great composer, of course Syo would fall for her. She knew it all along. He'd never see her as anything but a friend. The tears are just forming in her eyes. She can't stand to watch them anymore. The azalea-eyed girl turns and tears it back in the opposite direction. Her vision is so blurred, she doesn't see Natsuki approaching.
Natsuki sees her coming his way; however, he can't tell she's crying. He grins and stops walking. The honey-blonde boy greets, "Seiko-chan!"
Upon hearing his voice, she snaps her head up. Her tears spill over and fall from her face as her eyes meet his. "Na... NA-CHAN!" Seiko screeches, jumping into his arms. She wails, burying her face in his shirt, gripping the fabric with her shaking hands.
"S-Seiko-chan! What's wrong?!" Natsuki stutters, caught off guard, "Why are you crying?!" He's so concerned. This is completely out of nowhere.
"I never should have come here! I shouldn't have let myself do this to myself!" she sobs, her voice muffled from his clothing. Seiko is trembling from head to toe.
Natsuki responds, "Seiko-chan, you're not making any sense."
"I shouldn't have fallen in love with him..." she hiccups.
Natsuki flushes, asking, "I-in love with whom?"
Seiko mutters, "Y-you wouldn't understand..."
The 18-year-old lifts up her chin so that she'd look directly into his eyes. He consoles, "You're one of my best friends, Seiko-chan... of course I would..." It really has to be something if she doubted him.
"I... I'm in love with Syo-kun..." Seiko admits, blushing while she blinks a few tears out of her eyes, "B-but I... I just saw him with... Nanami-chan... I never meant to... but I've always loved him... I just hurt so much!"
"Seiko-chan..." Natsuki murmurs before pulling her close, hugging her tight. He doesn't let her go until she's done crying. Somehow, he knew that she loved his best friend and roommate. She must have felt so conflicted due to the rules of this academy. And to see Syo with another girl must sting.
Once Seiko is done crying, she thanks Natsuki and apologizes for messing up his shirt. He just pats her head and tells her not to worry about it. She returns to her dorm in silence. She receives a text heading back from Syo. He's asking her where she is. No longer willing to face him, the 16-year-old girl replies back, saying that it is no longer important.
Syo sees the reply and sighs. He heads back to his dorm. The platinum blonde wonders what it was all about. He shakes his head. Upon entering the room, he sees Natsuki with a serious expression on his face. "Natsuki..." he says, raising an eyebrow.
"We need to talk, Syo-chan," Natsuki answers. However, he begins to play with the stuffed animals on his bed. The honey-blonde is practically ignoring Syo.
Syo, annoyed, scolds, "What's this about? You keep stalling by playing with your stupid stuffed animals!"
"Have you talked to Seiko-chan lately?" he questions.
"Other than in class? She did text me earlier that she had something to tell me, but she ended up blowing me off. When I texted her to find out where she was, she told me to forget it since it wasn't important anymore," Syo pauses before asking, "Wait... why are you so interested in Seiko-chan all of a sudden?"
Natsuki snaps, defending himself, "She's my childhood friend too, Syo-chan."
Syo sighs and shrugs, "Seiko-chan has been acting strange for the past few days, I'll admit."
"Has she?"
"Yes! It's like she gets really fidgety when we're alone. I just don't get it."
Natsuki snarls, bluntly, "You really hurt her, Syo-chan."
"Hah?!" Syo gasps, "What are you talking about?!"
"Seiko-chan saw you with Haru-chan," Natsuki tells.
Syo explains, "I was asking her to be my graduation partner! Nanami just happened to be walking into the building I was waiting at. How did Seiko-chan- I didn't see her... Why'd she be upset by that? We're both idol course students and she has her partner!"
Natsuki admits, "Syo-chan... Seiko-chan loves you..."
Syo blushes before stammering, "W-what?! H-how... how do you know?!"
"She happened to run into me after she saw you two. Seiko-chan must have thought you were confessing to Haru-chan," Natsuki sighs, shaking his head.
"But she knows romance is forbidden!" Syo shouts.
Natsuki responds, "I think she still wanted to tell you... to ease her heart... I can't forgive you so easily... for making her cry like that." He glares down his roommate before storming out, leaving Syo speechless.
Syo had no idea that's how Seiko felt. His heart races in his chest. Seiko-chan... loves me... How long has she felt like that? Suddenly, he feels so guilty. He never meant to hurt her like that. But... he didn't know. .As he stares at the door, Natsuki's last words echo in his head.
"I can't forgive you so easily... for making her cry like that."
Syo pauses, coming to a realization. Does Natsuki love Seiko-chan?
Seiko stands outside on the balcony of her dorm room. She isn't able to fall asleep. The wind softly blows as she leans on the railing. Seiko went outside to avoid waking up Mana who is sleeping soundly. She begins humming one of the melodies Mana and her had come up with yet didn't write anything to it because it sounded more solemn and that's not what they were looking for.
When was it that we first met?
How many springs ago was it?
When I saw a person messing around in the hall and getting scolded
We were in separate classes, but
Something about you stood out.
When was it that we talked?
Did you call out to me?
Before we knew it, we were talking about pointless things.
We were made fun of because of the strange distance between us.
You were so blunt,
But I knew.
If I had the courage to reach the last 10cm,
I wonder if "today" would be different.
If I was a more innocent fool and honest,
I would have caught you, I know it!
I love you.
You love me too, right?
I'm just an optimistic coward...
I remember even now
This page and that page that time too
It was my... first love.
"It's a secret..."
In your long story,
Could I have stayed a little longer?
Yours and my story, if only a little,
Should have overlapped!
Though, I'm no longer a child anymore.
I close the book full of wonderful love and memories and lock it.
If only I had the courage to reach the last 10cm...
As she'd begun singing, Seiko's tears reappeared, pouring down her cheeks. She hiccups, "If... if only I'd told him s-sooner... I wouldn't have seen that... and m-maybe things would be different..." The 16-year-old wipes her eyes, heartbroken. No matter how many times she wipes away her tears, more just keep appearing and rolling down her face. She sobs quietly, hugging herself while she shivers. To quiet herself, she puts a hand to her mouth, muffling the noises from her lips.
A/N:
So, I've had notes for this chapter prepared so I was able to finish it by the end of the day. Hope you guys all liked it.
Uugh... my poor baby though... XD
Hope to have updates of this story and my other fanfictions out soon.