A/N: Hello, hello. I found this in one of my folders. It was meant to be a super angsty oneshot for S2E11 after the whole travesty of blah blah Reina and her heterosexuality but whatever.

I altered it a bit to give it more of a happy ending, so it may seem a bit disjointed. I also added this in randomly to the chapter progression since...I felt like it. It's a bit different - not in chronological order, but oh well.

Please enjoy and drop me a review if you liked it.

These days, Kumiko found herself lying more often than not. Her mask was more opaque than usual, getting thicker, but still it was almost like a second skin. She treated everyone the same way. No one was going to see her true face, not even Reina.

Especially not Reina.

With the silent treatment she got from the trumpet player, Kumiko knew something was wrong. They hadn't talked recently, but there was no helping it. Kumiko was busy with other things, busy with Asuka-senpai, and busy drowning herself in distractions. If she didn't preoccupy herself, she was afraid she would lose herself in her overthinking, in her self-righteous indulgence of unrequited love.

It was an insidious sort of pain that Kumiko was painfully aware of and it grew slowly and steadily inside her, consuming her until her chest tightened at every mention of Kousaka Reina. Over the years, Kumiko had become an expert at hiding how she felt, at maintaining her distance. She made a mistake with Reina, letting the girl see a glimpse of her true self. This whole week was tedious, coming to that realization when she saw how flustered Reina was with Taki-sensei.

Kumiko never knew that Reina could be so meek and frighteningly...normal. It made her sick to her stomach to know that Taki-sensei ruined her image of the perfect Kousaka Reina.

Hazuki and Midori had asked if everything was alright. Kumiko did nothing but smile politely and brush it off. If her friends knew how untruthful she was, Kumiko knew they'd be worried.

If Asuka-senpai knew how many lies she had told this week, she'd raise her eyebrow, but chalk it up to human nature.

If Reina knew how often she said something without meaning a single word of it, she would definitely be livid. Kumiko could only imagine the look on her face if she knew she had started wearing her mask more often around the trumpeter. In fact, Kumiko didn't feel comfortable without it when she was with Reina. It was subtle, but pronounced. She had distanced herself from the trumpet player on purpose. She felt uneasy knowing that Reina was angry with her, but she also felt relieved. It gave her time to think, time to ruminate.

Kumiko hated that she had to do this, to block Reina out, to hide away a part of her that she didn't dare show the other girl. She wondered if Reina knew, if she knew all the lies she'd spun, all the omissions, the near-truths.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Reina stood at the railing, staring straight over the edge. Her voice was quiet, but firm, laced with hurt and betrayal. She stared at the flickering cityscape, her tight ponytail swaying in the breeze.

Kumiko watched Reina, her chest tightening at the sight of the trumpeter's white knuckles as she gripped the railing.

"I didn't think it was important."

This wasn't a lie. Not technically.

Kumiko said this without hesitation, but her mask was still affixed to her face, a perfect imitation. She was conflicted with herself. She didn't want to see Reina's reaction to the news. She didn't want to know how much the knew had hurt the trumpeter. At the same time, she relished the controlled anger in her voice, the unmistakable hurt that marred Reina's usual confidence. It was so deliciously satisfying, but seeing Reina in pain was more difficult than she could ever have prepared herself for.

"But still, I…"

"I would have wanted you to tell me."

Kumiko looked down, her eyes glued on the glittering scenery that seemed to outshine Reina. It was a dazzling sight, but the brunette couldn't help but think back to the Agata festival, when Reina was the only thing she could focus on, an entrancing beauty that was more beautiful than the city lights. It was sad how dull Reina was today, how her love for Taki-sensei smothered her. Kumiko hated this side of Reina and she hated herself for feeling this way. She knew it wasn't Reina who had changed the scenery. Kumiko knew it was her own ugly feelings, her jealousy and her festering desire that caused her to project her aggression like this.

"Sorry."

Kumiko wasn't sorry. She felt pity for Reina and for herself, but she wasn't sorry about prolonging her own heartache. Now that it was here, she wished that Reina had never found out.

At that moment, Reina turned to look at Kumiko, shocked at the apology, shocked that there wasn't more resistance, that there wasn't more of a reason. They locked eyes and Reina's deep amethyst eyes shimmered as they welled with tears. It was a look of indignant desperation, of sadness.

Kumiko knew Reina was angry with her, that the girl wouldn't accept her simple 'sorry'.

She understood Reina's feelings for Taki-sensei, a torrid mix of admiration, aspiration, and infatuation. If anyone understood Reina, it was Kumiko. After all, not only did the euphonium player have a knack for seeing through everyone's façade, but she knew how Reina felt because…

She harbored the same feelings.

It wasn't for Shuuichi, her childhood friend, or Asuka-senpai, everyone's idol… It wasn't even the stern but gentle Taki-sensei that all the girls went wild for, the man that Reina was obsessed with.

Biting her lip, Kumiko swore under her breath. She knew Taki-sensei was man that she could never come to hate. He was dedicated, caring, and with his tragic backstory, no one could find fault with him. However, Kumiko always blamed him. She blamed him for ruining everything. Kumiko blamed him for stealing Reina's heart when it should have been hers for the taking.

"Would you have ever told me if I didn't ask you to come here tonight?"

Kumiko sighed, laying her shaky hand atop Reina's on the metal railing. "You might think I'm awful for saying this, but…no."

Reina gripped the bannister, Kumiko feeling the tightening of the girl's knuckles under her palm.

"Why? I thought we were…" Reina paused and there was a sharp inhale as she took in a breath.

"Close."

Kumiko bit her lip as that word cut through the night air. It felt like a knife to her chest, another black mark against the feelings she held for her best friend. "We are, but I didn't think it was something we needed to talk about."

Reina bit her lip, feeling the quivering become uncontrollable. She laced her fingers through Kumiko's, desperate to hold onto the bonds she thought were so strong.

"I'm just sorry you had to hear about it from everyone else."

Kumiko's words hung in the air, cushioned by Reina's contemplative silence. Reina squeezed Kumiko's hand, unsure of what to make of that resolute statement. She wanted an explanation, but it didn't seem like Kumiko was going to continue.

"...And I'm sorry for making such a big fuss about it. No matter how I acted, I still care about you, Kumiko." Reina looked over, stray tears running down her cheeks.

"Thank you, Reina." Kumiko forced a smile, but knew it wasn't as genuine as she wanted it to be. "I'm glad you understand."

Kumiko faltered, unable to catch the slip. Her intonation was off, her bitterness seeping through.

Reina's expression changed, an unreadable emotion flashing across her face for just a split second.

Ah, she definitely messed up.

Kumiko looked away abruptly, staring out at the city lights below. There was an awkward silence that blanketed them, something floating around in the air, waiting to be acknowledged.

"Kumiko, you might think I'm awful for saying this, but…you're a terrible liar."

Kumiko swallowed her apprehension, turning her head to meet Reina's eyes again. There was a sad smile on her lips, a hesitancy in her eyes. Kumiko dreaded the trumpeter's next sentence. She knew something was amiss.

"You should have told me, you know?"

Kumiko clenched her jaw, averting her eyes.

"I knew it could never be true."

Letting out a sigh, Kumiko shook her head. "It is true. You heard it from Hazuki-chan and even Asuka-senpai, didn't you?"

Reina made a face, remembering the unpleasant memory. "I did. And I saw it with my own eyes, but I still don't believe it. It's not like you, Kumiko."

There was a pause as Kumiko narrowed her eyes, feeling the bottled up emotions rush in like high tide. It was an undulating sort of discomfort, pushing and threatening to burst in her chest. She needed to get it out.

"How would you know, Reina?" Kumiko clenched her jaw tightly, her emotions spilling out. Hot tears stung the corners of her eyes. "You've been so busy fawning over Taki-sensei after all…"

Reina shook her head, guilt pulling at her awkward smile. "I know. And it was stupid of me. In a way, I do love Taki-sensei, but…it's not really the kind of love I would get this upset over."

Kumiko looked everywhere except for Reina's face, not wanting to see the pitiful smile she suspected would be waiting for her. Reina was always good with her words.

"Kumiko, it's ridiculous that you're going out with Tsukamoto."

At that, Kumiko snapped her head up, fixing Reina with a glare. She suddenly felt angry, angry at Reina for wanting to monopolize her life, angry at Shuuichi for not being as perceptive as Reina, and most of all, she was angry with herself. She was so angry that she was petty enough to be dating Shuuichi, desperate enough to think that Reina would be jealous. That Reina, of all people, would be writhing in jealousy after being kept out of the loop, after Kumiko rendered their confessions of love invalid by agreeing to date her childhood friend.

"Why is it so ridiculous?"

Reina simply smiled at Kumiko's sharp retort. Guilty, apologetic, regretful. Reina's expression mirrored Kumiko's perfectly.

"I know it's ridiculous because…"

Kumiko held her breath, knowing that she had been exposed, that her lies were too transparent, too tainted with the emotions she wore on her sleeve.

"You're in love with me, Kumiko."

The words hit Kumiko hard. It took the breath out of her and she felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. She gulped, her breathing shallow and uneven. Her voice quiet, Kumiko mustered up the courage to explain herself.

"I…I just thought that some things were just better left unsaid."

The tears were streaming thickly down Reina's face now, but a look of relief washed over her. She was laughing, shaking her head at the turn of events. She took a step forward, throwing her arms around Kumiko as she buried her face in the crook of the taller girl's neck.

"R-Reina?" Kumiko was perplexed, her mind not able to process what just happened.

"Y-you really are terrible, you know that?" Reina clutched Kumiko tightly, letting out a frustrated scream that was muffled in the brunette's sweater. "You're such an idiot!"

Kumiko stood, blinking as Reina berated her with insults, letting out her frustrations and tears, both of which were soaking into her sweater.

After a few minutes, Reina detached herself from Kumiko, taking a deep breath. Her face was flushed and tear-streaked.

"It was so frustrating to hear about you dating him, to see you walking arm-in-arm with him…You don't know how many times I thought about rushing over there and just yanking you away! Kumiko!" Reina stopped her tirade briefly, holding Kumiko's gaze with her own. "I freaked out like crazy and I didn't know why I didn't notice it earlier…that it was all my fault."

Kumiko was dumbstruck, reality sinking in as she realized that her underhanded tactics had…worked?

"I'm really the worst…truly!" Reina let out a humorless laugh. "I thought you were a bad liar, but I realized that maybe I'm an even bigger one." The trumpeter let her lips curl up in self-disdain, in contempt for her foolishness.

"What do you mean, Reina?" Kumiko let out a squeak, her voice uncertain, still in shock over how wrong she was.

"I'd known about your feelings for a long time now, but I…I was stupid. I told myself that what we had was different from what 'love' was supposed to be. I thought that 'love' was how I felt about Taki-sensei." Reina gripped Kumiko's hands in her own. "I was so wrong. I was so stupid…so blind that it took Tsukamoto to bring me to my senses."

"I-I'm sorry about the Shuuichi thing…"

Reina laughed at that, shaking her head. "I should thank you. I'm stupid and stubborn…and…insufferably dense. I felt like my world was ending when I saw you with him. That was when I knew."

"Knew what?" Kumiko felt the question reverberate in her mind. She wanted to know. She needed to know. She needed to hear the words from Reina's mouth. She looked on expectantly, waiting with bated breath.

"It was then that I realized that while you were lying to me, I was lying to myself about how much you mean to me, Kumiko...and how much I love you."

Kumiko felt tears well up in her own eyes, glad that she wouldn't have to continue with the lies. Apparently, she wasn't any good at it, so it was for the better. Tired and relieved, she felt herself relax as she finally tore off her mask. It was suffocating and restrictive, and she was sure that it had never been of any use. Reina had seen through her from the very start.