Forgotten Melody

Chapter 11: Quitting

"Kirari-chan!" Seiji exclaimed, catching Kirari as soon as she fell off the horse of the carousel ride.

The ride operator stopped the carousel from spinning to see what was going on. Unfortunately, Kirari and Seiji's disguises were busted off, revealing to everyone that the idols were still in the park with them.

Fubuki and Hiroto ran to the scene as soon as they heard Seiji's calling out Kirari's name.

"What happened?" Hiroto panicked, helping Seiji.

"I don't know, she just fell."

"Quick! Call an ambulance!" Hiroto yelled, holding Kirari's hand.

"Wait!" Fubuki called out.

"Kirari said she doesn't want to be taken to the hospital," Fubuki explained while everyone stopped dialing their phones.

"What do you mean? When did he tell you that?" Seiji worriedly asked, Kirari's head on his arms.

"She wasn't feeling good ever since this morning. I told her not to do the performance, but she still did it anyways. Then, before we went onstage, she told me not to bring her to the hospital no matter what happens…and I'm not going to break that promise," Fubuki explained, remembering what happened that morning.

"Why would you promise her that?" Hiroto asked, frustrated.

Fubuki clenched her fist and was about to start yelling at Hiroto, but when she noticed that they were making a really big scene that can cause an intrigue about what's going on between the four of them, Fubuki takes her phone out.

"Mom…Yes…I need the car…Yes…Please hurry…The Fantasy Land Amusement Park…Okay…Thanks…Bye," Fubuki said, hanging up as soon as she finished her conversation with her mother.

"My mother's sending our private driver to bring all four of us to my house," Fubuki explained, squatting down to pat Kirari's forehead with her handkerchief.

"For now, let's bring her inside one of the dressing rooms," she proposed.

Just when Hiroto was about to pick up Kirari, Seiji lifted her up on his arms instead, making him look like a prince rescuing the princess. Fubuki noticed that the crowd didn't take pictures of Kirari's being on the ground, fainted, but started taking pictures of Seiji and Kirari when he carried her.

"At least they have hearts," she thought, walking behing Seiji.

As soon as Fubuki's private driver got there with the car, Seiji brought Kirari in and placed her on the seat beside him. Fubuki sat in front while Hiroto sat beside Kirari, putting her in the middle.

When Hiroto looked to the side, he saw Kirari's head on Seiji's shoulder while he was holding both of her hands. Seeing this, Hiroto felt something strange in his heart, making him clench his fist.


Kirari slowly opened her eyes as she felt something cold on her forehead. After squinting and blinking for a couple of times to adjust her vision, she realized that it was a cold, wet, white towel that was on her forehead.

"Wh-where am I?" she said, slowly turning her head to the left.

She saw long, gigantic, golden-colored curtains hanging by the windows. The embroidered patterns were Victorian, making the curtains look beautiful and majestic. She also saw a golden-colored lamp beside her with dangling diamonds, making it look more like a chandelier. Then, she looked up once again, seeing an actual chandelier with its glimmering crystals that shone rainbows.

When she turned to her right, she saw Seiji's bobbing head as he sat beside her bed while holding her hand.

"Seiji-kun," she called out, smiling.

Seiji heard his name, waking him up from his uncomfortable slumber. He looked at Kirari, realizing that she just woke up.

"Kirari-chan, how are you? Are you hurting? Are you okay? Do you need anything? Are you thirsty?" Seiji continually asked, still concerned of Kirari's state.

"I'm fine, Seiji-kun."

"Are you sure?"

Kirari nodded, reassuring the fretting Seiji. Out of nowhere, Seiji put his chest on Kirari's to give her a hug that warmed her.

"I was so worried, Kirari-chan," Seiji said, still hugging her.

At first, Kirari was shocked and surprised, but knowing that someone was there to worry and care for her made Kirari feel glad and relieved.

"Anyways, where am I?" Kirari asked as soon as Seiji got off of her.

"You're at Fubuki's house," Seiji said, helping Kirari sit up on her bed.

"Wow, it's big isn't it?"

"Yeah, bigger than ours," Seiji agreed.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for permission. It was Fubuki with a maid carrying food for Kirari.

"I'm glad you're awake, Kirari," Fubuki smiled as she walked in with her maid.

"Sayuko, just place her food there," Fubuki ordered, sitting down on the bottom of Kirari's bed.

"Seiji, will you please let us have a moment to speak in private," Fubuki requested, turning to Seiji.

"Just call for me, Kirari-chan," Seiji said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"This way, sir," Sayuko said, walking out with Seiji.

The maid gently shut the door to give the two girls some time to talk.

"Kirari, how are you feeling?" Fubuki asked, giving Kirari the tray of food.

"I'm good."

"After you eat, take the medicine with the water, okay?"

"Ok. Thank you, Fubuki-chan."

Kirari took a sip of the soup that Sayuko prepared for her.

"So, why didn't you want me to take you to the hospital?" Fubuki asked, watching Kirari eat.

"Oh? Well, I thought it wasn't going to be that serious."

"Not that serious? Kirari, Seiji was so worried about you! Everyone was worried of you!" Fubuki exclaimed with anger.

"I'm sorry, Fubuki-chan, but thank you for letting me use one of your rooms," Kirari said, guilty and thankful.

"It's okay. Just recover fast."

Kirari nodded with a smile to relieve Fubuki of her worry. She left with the tray of food as soon as Kirari gulped down the last teaspoon of soup. Kirari also took her medicine just like how Fubuki asked her to.

A couple of minutes after Fubuki left, Hiroto came in with a bouquet of pink daisies and white roses. Kirari, who was paying attention to the book she was reading, thought that it was Seiji that came in.

"Seiji-kun, I—" Kirari paused, turning her head to find out it was Hiroto that came in.

"K-Kazama-kun?" she stuttered.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting down on the stool beside her bed.

"I'm okay."

"Here. I bought them for you," Hiroto said, handing her the bouquet.

"Thank you," Kirari replied, receiving the present.

"So, what happened?" Hiroto asked, flustered.

"Well, I don't know. I just…fainted…I guess."

"Oh…well…how are you and Seiji?"

"We're doing great…what about you and…umm…Fubuki-chan?"

"We're good, too."

After running out of things to talk about, silence lingered in the room with no sounds made.

"You and Fubuki-chan were so cute when you guys kissed," Kirari said, awkwardly smiling.

Hiroto, surprised of what she said, blushed in embarrassment. He started blurting out things that he didn't even know he was saying, but stopped right away when he looked at Kirari's face.

Kirari was smiling, yet her eyes were showing heartbreak and grief. They were watery and Hiroto knew that her eyes were about to pour out all her feelings.

"Kirari, I—"

"You guys are great together," Kirari interrupted, not giving Hiroto some time to say anything.

Hiroto felt the same strangeness he felt inside the car when he saw Seiji holding her hands while her head was on his shoulder. He didn't know why he was feeling that, but he knew he didn't like that feeling for it hurts him inside.

After a couple of moments of silence, Kirari gathered up all her courage and said something to him that she knew she would regret, but would be the best for both of them.

"Kaza—No…Hiroto-kun…I'm quitting," Kirari said, still keeping up her fake smile.

"What do you me—"

"There's a star that I've always looked up to…I was getting so much closer to reaching it, but then…I realized that the star I've been trying to reach…was near to me…yet so far," Kirari narrated, her eyes getting teary.

"I've held onto the dream of reaching that star for so long…but…I'm quitting. That star belongs to someone else…so…maybe I'll look for a new star to reach," Kirari smiled as tears flowed out of her blue eyes.

"Who knows…that star might just be right in front of me!" Kirari exclaimed, wiping her tears away as she laughed it off.

Without saying anything else, Hiroto stood up and left and didn't look back.

"Why? Why do I feel this way? She's not my girlfriend! Fubuki is! Why?" Hiroto wondered as he walked out in the rain.

"Why do I have a feeling that I'm the star she was trying to reach?"