"... Seriously?"
"Please?"
"Ha... Fine."
Chase lifted up the wooden, hand crafted flute and held it to his lips. His breath laced through the instrument as a soothing melody began to fill the room.
A smile crept onto Akari's face as she glanced at the young patissier whose eyes were half-lidded in a peaceful lull. Akari once asked the chef what his favourite style of music was and he responded with something which was more peaceful, even soulful, than to what most of the males on the island would probably listen. He had even lent her some CDs of his and she noted some of his favourite songs. Although she often caught the chef humming a tune or singing softly to himself, the idea of his playing an instrument hadn't occurred to her. In fact, Akari found out about Chase's talent by accident.
After a fight with her livestock, which ended up with her lying spread-eagle on the barn floor above a very annoyed ostrich, she stormed off her farm and wandered the Maple Lake District in search of something to do. While angrily destroying all the crunchy leaves that riddled the ground below her, she heard a faint melodious sound in the short cadences of her own noise. She stopped tormenting the leaves and began a search for whatever was making the music. It wasn't until she was right in front of the chef's window, left slightly ajar, that she realized the sound had been coming from the house. She peered inside, but the blinds left everything to the imagination.
After that occurrence, Akari stopped going to the Sundae Inn all together and instead would plop herself down in front of the window and listen. Akari knew that her actions verged on her being a stalker but she was genuinely curious. She had known Chase fairly well, now, and was probably one of the closest people to him on the island, but she felt voyeuristic at the thought of her asking him about the melodies and motifs that hugged his house.
Akari was tuned out and half-dead from overwork and lack of sleep on her seventh day of sitting outside the chef's shack; she began to slowly nod off. Gently, and softly the flute's notes fluttered down and her eyelids danced, dejectedly, with the tune into wistful sleep.
"Oi, wake up."
"... H-huh?"
"You're sleeping in my flower garden."
"... You have a flower garden?"
"Yes. I am very manly."
Akari lazily stood up and stared at the crossed-armed chef. Chase sighed and crouched down to pull out the trampled on chrysanthemums.
"They could've been salvaged, y'know. You're just killing the environment now, " Akari drearily replied to his gestures.
"As a ginger kid with hay fever it is my god given right to kill the environment."
Akari pouted at the chef and sighed exasperatedly. Her body turned from the house and began its journey back to her farm until a hand clasp her wrist. She contorted herself to confront the look the young chef whose white dress shirt had dirt smudged on the cuffs.
"'Kay, firstly, you okay? Secondly, what were you doing in my flower garden? Thirdly, even if you are okay, would you like me to escort you home?"
"Um. I'm okay. I feel... really dizzy, actually. I, uh, heard some music that was coming from your house and listened to it," the farmer drawled out, cheeks reddening with every word.
"Dizzy?" Chase asked and lifted a hand to her forehead, "You're really warm! If you were really that curious you could've come inside. Now you're sick! Never mind your house, you need to rest."
"That's fine. My house is right over there."
"Can you even walk right now? You were hobbling until I grabbed your hand."
"I was?"
"... You aren't even arguing with me! You're sick in the head!"
"Chase?"
Chase stood by Akari's left side and grabbed her around the waist with his right hand. His left hand held onto her other hand, gingerly, as they carefully made their way into the chef's house. Guiding her figure, he gently sat her down on the bed and let go. The young farmer looked up at him quizzically.
"What are you-?"
"It's fall and it rains and you decided to hover in my front yard. My flowers have been getting crushed for a week now, and they were worse this morning. Yesterday, it rained. Were you outside my house then?"
"Um... Yeah."
"... I'm going to completely disregard your stalker tendencies," Chase huffed out and moved to a closet, swinging it open, and grabbed some sheets. Shuffling his feet back over to the farmer, he threw the pile of blankets at her face.
"That – That was rude," Akari attempted to raise her voice.
"And stalking someone isn't?"
"No. That's flattering."
"No, it's not."
"In my world it is."
"In my world, throwing blankets at your face is flattering."
"..."
"... You're not fun to argue with when you're sick."
Akari stuck out her tongue and watched the young chef pull something out of a cupboard on the far end of the kitchen and walk over to her.
"Open."
"Huh—"
A thermometer was thrust into Akari's mouth and wiggled about until it found solace under her tongue. Chase, once again, let out an exasperated sigh, delicately placing a hand on Akari's. His brows knitted together as a slight frown graced his lips.
"You're too much trouble, seriously. I'd almost prefer for you to annoy me at the inn every night than have to nurse you here."
"Mrrfhhm."
"Yes, you're right. I am an amazing person to take on such a feat."
"Mmmfrrffhmm!"
"I know! There should be a national holiday to celebrate the wonder that is me."
"... Mhfmfm."
"You're right. I do deserve a parade in my honour."
"..."
" ... And I deserve my own country. Very well put," Chase drawled and pulled the thermometer out of the farmer's mouth after it started beeping a couple times.
"I didn't even say anything that time."
"But your eyes said every word," Chase stated offhandedly and looked at the thermometer, "105."
"Is that bad?"
"..."
"Is it?"
"Are you planning on sleeping in those?" Chase questioned, looking at her dirty jeans.
"Um?"
He stared at her, expectantly, and then made his way to a dresser. Sliding open the first oak drawer, he rummaged through the contents until he pulled out one of his pure white dress shirts and some navy shorts. Turning to the farmer, he handed her the clothes and shooed her into the bathroom.
"Chase, I don't think I sh–"
"Sick people don't have opinions."
Akari huffed and walked out of the bathroom, garbed in men's clothing. One of her hands busied itself on making sure her shorts stayed up, as the other hand was groping the wall to stabilize the sick girl so she wouldn't stumble about. The dance lessons did help correct her clumsiness, but she had no motor skills when it came to her being sick. Chase sat at the kitchen table and snickered at the helpless rancher.
"You look like a sloth."
"Shut it."
"Ouch – I'm hurt."
"Good. Now. Now go... go kill yourself."
"I would, but then who would take care of you?"
"I'm fine," Akari said. Her hand slipped and her body crashed against the off white wallpaper, making her murmur a small, "Ouch."
Chase threw a hand up to his lips in an attempt to stiffen back his snicker. He stood up, staring tenderly at the farmer and gently navigated the young girl to the bed. Akari sprawled her body on the light blue sheets. Chase pulled the covers from under Akari's body and placed them on top of her, patting down the sides to tuck her in.
Making his way to the fridge, he began to pull out ingredients. Scuttling around the kitchen, Chase began to playful sauté some onions and cut some garlic. He hummed softly as he threw in more ingredients to the mix.
Akari stared at the chef. Akari didn't know whether it was the fever playing tricks on her or if it was truly happening, but she could see a very wide grin on the boy. It was a grin that was sincere, instead of his traditional one he bequeathed to his customers every night. Once again, the melody he was humming reached her ears and she remembered how she got sick in the first place.
"Um, Chase?"
"Don't talk. The food's almost done. You should talk after you eat. Your throat will feel better, and so will you," Chase light-heartedly chuckled.
"'Kay."
Chase placed the fully-cooked food on a collapsible tray and carefully made his way to the girl. Placing the food in front of her, Chase took the spoon in his hand and handed it to Akari.
"Th-thank you."
"Eat up!" Chase suggested exuberantly as he looked contentedly at the farmer.
Akari dug the spoon into the warm soup and slowly placed it to her mouth. Sniffing the contents, she looked back at the chef, sceptically.
"What kind of person do you take me for?"
"The type to poison things."
"I would never poison food. Eat it."
"..."
"Fine," Chase grumbled out and chomped down on the spoon, sweeping all the contents off the silverware as he straightened up and swallowed, "See?"
"Fine."
"..."
"Get me another spoon."
"What's wrong with that one?"
"Your germs are on it."
"So?"
"I don't want Chase germs in my mouth."
Chase stared flatly at the girl in front of him before an idea popped into his head. He smirked at the young farmer.
"Alright. Give me the spoon."
"Chase?" Akari questioned and handed the young patissier the spoon.
Grabbing it, Chase quickly lifted it to Akari's face and stroked the spoon along her right cheekbone. Then, standing from his position, made his way to the kitchen and diligently fetched a new spoon for the girl.
"..."
"What?" Chase asked, innocently, as he handed the rancher a new spoon.
"I said I didn't want Chase germs."
"In your mouth. You didn't want my germs in your mouth. You didn't say anything about not wanting my germs on your face."
"..."
"Eat. It'll get cold."
Akari pouted and stole some soup on her spoon. She watched Chase get up and busy himself with cleaning before she grabbed her first taste of the soup. She was surprised by how good it actually was. Akari knew Chase had talent in this area, but she could never recall whether or not she ate his cooking before.
"You've eaten my cooking before."
Akari twitched and quietly breathed out, "Telepathy...?"
"At the inn, you typically eat Yolanda's, or a fusion of Yolanda's and my own. But you never eat strictly mine. So how do you like this? It's spicy tomato and lentil soup. I'm trying to get better with out-of-season crops."
"It's really good, actually."
"Really good, hm?" Chase pondered and stopped scrubbing the saucepan.
"What?"
"It's just 'really good'? That's it, huh."
"Hm?"
"Never mind. I'm glad you like it, though," he stated, looking over his shoulder to the girl who was now happily guzzling down the soup. The pair went silent as Akari finished her food and Chase finished doing the dishes.
Rain began to fall outside and hit the small house in a rhythmic pattern. The inside of the house was dimly lit with some lamps spastically placed here and there that cast shadows on the walls. Akari looked at the young chef, who was absentmindedly staring into the darkness outside.
"Chase?"
"Yes?"
"Where are you going to sleep tonight?"
"... You just broke the sombre mood."
"What?"
"Ha. Never mind. What do you mean 'where are you going to sleep'?"
"Well, if I'm in your bed, where are you going to sleep?"
Chase smirked and seductively drawled, "Is that an invitation to sleep with you, Akari?"
"No!"
"Well, then where am I to sleep, if it's not with you?"
"In a dog house where you belong."
"Heh. Your energy is coming back, that's for sure."
"..."
"It doesn't matter where I sleep. I just want to watch over you for now. You're still sick, y'know."
Akari pouted at the chef who had grabbed a chair and positioned himself next to the bed. Akari fell back from her sitting position and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She listened to the raindrops gently coat the house with their own melody.
"Chase!" Akari yelped.
"What?" Chase questioned wide-eyed, staring at the girl that arbitrarily yelled his name out.
"Question!"
"Answer?"
"I heard music coming from your house. It was really... It was really beautiful. What was it?"
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"Close your eyes."
Akari did and she was told. Soon, she heard the rustling and clanging of someone tearing apart something. However, when the noise stopped, she heard the squeaking of a chair, as if the chair was inching closer to her. Then, all noise stopped.
There was a deafening silence that filled the room that made Akari want to pry her eyes open but she forced them shut. As if something knew the silence was becoming deafening, a crescendo of notes filled the air. Slowly, she lifted her lids and her eyes rested on the chef who was playing a wooden instrument. Akari laid her body down and closed her eyes. Letting the music wash over her, she drifted into a peaceful slumber.
Ever since she found out about Chase's talent for the flute, she began wandering over to his house to listen to him play on his days off. Even on days when he wasn't fond of playing, he appeased her and played whatever melody she wished to her from him.
She smiled at the chef whose instrumental coloratura kept him jumping from note to note. Akari decided she was fond of the chef. Yes, fond was the word. She giggled at the thought of the possibility of being best friends with the young man.
"Are you stoned?"
"... What?"
"You're just staring at me with a stupid expression on your face."
"... What?"
"Actually, come to think of it," Chase placed the tip of the flute to his chin, "You look like that all the time. Do you have a drug problem? I don't care about you enough to give you an intervention, sorry."
"... And I was just starting to like you."
"What? You haven't fallen for my charms or cunning good looks yet? I'm offended. Get out of my house."
"Gladly!"
"Good."
"We are never going to be best friends."
"Oh, stop fighting your burning desire for me."
"I'm leaving!"
"'Kay! Bye-bye, dearest," Chase waved and slammed the door on Akari.
"... ASSHOLE!"
"Love you, too!"
"UGH!"
CHASE CAN PLAY THE FLUTE. HE CAN PLAY THE FLUTE. OMG. CHASE. FLUTE. PLAYING. HOLY CRAP.
That was my exact response when I went to his house in Animal Parade and saw him playing the flute. I was debating between Chase or the Wizard. Then I saw the flute. For about a month and some weeks now, my time has mostly been dedicated to hardcore-ly playing AP, by the way. Sorry about the inconvenience.
Although, I'm more sorry for University forcing me to have a life thus making it impossible for me to do stuff.
If you're wondering what kind of song Chase may play, I would assume something like Partita for flute.