Mythia: This chapter is pretty dramatic, and you'll be "wait wut"-ing me a lot, so... *smiles*
I also brought in everyone... I think. Enjoy the chapter!
XIV: In Need of Help
Everyone was called to the main room, which consisted of a large, grand staircase, a midnight grand piano, some couches, and ginormous windows with curtains you'd find in a castle the hue of dark blood.
Often times, Hirari thought of the Master Course dorm to be a castle, big and fit for royalty. With people like Hijirikawa and Camus, it really did feel like that. Even Ittoki had Hirari think of a kind, upbeat servant of some sort.
But people like Saotome just completely ruined the image.
Saotome simply announced that Hirari was sick in a complicated way. Ringo and Hyuga visited to wish her good health, as were STARISH. But she couldn't help but sense that Syo and Haruka were way off, as Haruka kept stuttering at her and Syo was stiff to speak.
But Saotome also added something that's gotten them all wondering what was going through his brain when he said it: STARISH and QUARTET NIGHT, along with Haruka and Tomochika were to accompany Hirari into a video game room to play, well…
Video games.
Syo and Ittoki quickly plopped down on a cushion, relaxing for two seconds before flocking to the video games. "What should we play?"
"Look! Look!"
"Oh, amazing! They have this game!"
"OI." Tokiya had to speak over them. "You're being obnoxious. Kido-san is the one who gets to choose the game."
"Why are we here?" Ren had to question, though he didn't exactly mind. He could get to know Kido a bit more, after all. Not that he wasn't still in love with another girl. He was just… testing out the waters.
Kido laughed a little. "Aw, you guys! Honestly, I'm not sick or anything. I'm just having motor problems."
"Since when?" asked Natsuki in worry.
"Oh, since… hm, I guess yesterday. But anyway!" The whole time, she was holding onto Hijirikawa and Tokiya for support, and she let go. They were in time to catch her, but she insisted on falling.
STARISH, QUARTET NIGHT, Haruka and Tomochika watched as Kido laughed like a drunkard while crawling on the floor, finding a good game to play. Reiji couldn't stop laughing, which confused most of them in the room. Ranmaru slapped him.
"Hm, oh, this is a good one," she mumbled to herself, while Ittoki tried peeking. Syo and Cecil had to hold him back, though Cecil wasn't really helping since he was interested in the video games.
"Okay! What about this one? We can take turns with the players, since it's only a single-player game…" When she pulled it out, the group had gotten to see that she had chosen Life is Strange.*
"Whoa! Haven't played that yet," Ittoki exclaimed, sitting right next to her. Kido snorted, before she lost her balance and ended up head-butting Ittoki's shoulder.
Ittoki had to hold her while Natsuki put the disc in. "Ki-chan, are you going to be okay?" Natsuki worriedly asked.
"Huh? What do you mean? I'll be fine!"
Tokiya rolled his eyes. Just how did Kido get along with someone like Hirano Aoi? Or was it the other way around? He knew that he could get along decently with Hirano, but Kido?
Just no.
Tomochika decided to talk to Haruka. "I thought Hirano-chan was strange, but this girl is very off to me," she whispered.
Haruka looked down. "Yes, they both are very off…"
Tomo glanced at Haruka, and then rubbed her shoulders. "Is there something wrong?"
"There is."
As for Ren, he chuckled amusedly. To him, Kido was just interesting. She was annoying to some and strange to others, but to Ren, she was just interesting. She also looked familiar, but he never really deeply thought about it. He told himself that it wouldn't really matter, or that someone else would look into that. It wasn't his place.
Suddenly, Kido said out loud, "You all like Haruka, right?"
The entire room froze. "Now, what kind of tactless question is that?" Camus angrily questioned. "It's also very vague. But that hardly matters, since I won't answer to stupidity."
STARISH all blushed in unison (save Ren, who just rose his brows), refusing to speak.
Mikaze spoke up with no hint of red on his face, "The composer's songs do make my heart feel strange, but not the composer herself."
Haruka was speechless. She was a tomato-faced mess, not quite processing what was happening.
"Uh, ignore Ai-Ai, kiddo!" Reiji nervously exclaimed. "I like you and your songs! You're really nice and kind and cute, so why not?"
"Pfft! You guys are adorable! Now STARISH—"
"P-Please stop," Haruka whispered.
Kido stopped alright, not before staring emotionlessly at Haruka. She whirled around, with Ittoki holding her arm, turning on the TV. With the controller in her hands, Kido silently began the game.
The group wasn't sure what happened. One minute, they had Kido laughing and teasing them, and for another minute, she was silent.
Suddenly, Cecil's necklace was glowing brighter than it ever was. Kido ignored it, while STARISH examined it. In replace of Ittoki supporting her, it was Mikaze.
"You seem tired," he noted.
"Do I…?"
Then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She paused the game, and turned her head around, only to be blinded with light.
"There! See?" Cecil pointed at Kido. "The muses are telling us that Kido's power in music is massive! However, Haruka's is the same!"
"H-Hah?" Kido stammered, "W-What are you—?"
"Can I try something?" Haruka timidly asked. When she walked towards Cecil, she sat right next to Kido, and pulled the necklace gently towards them.
The room was naturally dark, but it was as if the light was switched on. The light of the TV was hardly there in comparison to the necklace's light.
"What does this mean?" asked Natsuki.
Out of nowhere, Haruka started crying. "Please, enough is enough…" She hugged Kido, who widened her eyes.
"H-Haruka…?"
"I'm not following," said Camus.
"I don't think any of us are," said Tomo.
Mikaze then knew. By their faces, their height, weight, age, and more, he just knew.
Ranmaru and Reiji looked at each other. Syo bit his lip.
"Haruka, not now," Kido whispered. She pushed her away. "This'll be a lot to explain anyway." She had a strange feeling that Haruka knew. Did she?
To test, Kido asked her, "Haruka, what is my name?"
Haruka opened her mouth and said without hesitation, "Nanami Hirari."
"Wait what!?" Like Ittoki, everyone else had that question in their minds except for the ones that already knew.
"How did we separate?"
"You… you were kidnapped…"
Hijirikawa had his side on Haruka. "You're making her cry. This wasn't supposed to be like this." But even Masato was affected by the situation. He couldn't believe that Kido Nagisa was possibly Haruka's sister. But when he further looked at her, he suddenly noticed the facial features. He even noticed that she was Hirano Aoi, despite the concealed look prior to Kido.
"Hijirikawa-san, this isn't for you to insert yourself in," Hirari sternly spoke. To Haruka, she said, "You're wrong. I wasn't kidnapped."
"W-What…?"
"I don't know what obaa-san told you, but I left the hospital into the country, with the help of a nurse. At the time, I was a burden to okaa-san and otou-san, so I wanted to leave. I wanted everyone to have one less person to worry about."
"No! We were only worried sick about you!" Haruka cried.
"Well, I was young! At first, I just went with every procedure to get better, just for the sake of the piling bills. I wanted to get out, because our parents couldn't support me in the situation, with the jobs they had. Even with obaa-san's money, they all knew it wouldn't work."
"Hirari—!" she hiccupped.
"But when I realized that I was going to stay in the hospital until my teenage years, I had to go! Okaa-san and otou-san already were in debt the first year. Understand that."
"They loved you! Money didn't matter to them as long as you were okay!"
"Well, imagine living with yourself knowing that your family was poor because you drained their money."
No one else spoke, and instead hung on their every word. Cecil's necklace glowed a bright blue, but it felt strangely dim due to the hot discussion.
Haruka wept, "Hirari, you should never think like that—!"
"Well guess what? It already happened," Hirari spoke sharply.
"Why are you so calm about this?" Tokiya couldn't help but ask aloud. "Why do you have no heart? Nanami-san is crying about this all, while you just add to her tears—"
"You don't get it," she interrupted. "I can't express my emotion. Even if I wanted to."
"Her past had her not to express her emotions," Syo said. "I know it's not my place to say this, but Haruka can't speak anymore, so… I want to speak for her."
"How do you know that?" Ranmaru growled. "Did Saotome tell you? Who told you?"
"Haruka did."
"Since when did she know!?"
"At the same time I knew!" Syo began to curse in frustration and puzzlement. "What, do you know too!?"
Ranmaru snarled, "Saotome told me."
"Wait, when was that?" Reiji questioned, glaring at Ranmaru. "And how come you didn't tell anyone?"
"Because she wanted to keep it a secret, obviously!"
Camus glanced over at Mikaze. "How long did you know about this?"
"I've known since Saotome knew, which was likely before they found out," Mikaze replied. "It wasn't when Hirano Aoi was introduced, no; it was after that, when she performed for us what I claimed would be my song."
Upon hearing this, Hirari's eyes widened a fraction. "What…?"
Mikaze began to sing, "Hirari, Hirari, tenohira ni…"
How did I not catch this? Hirari wondered in disbelief. Then again, my heart was ringing in my ears when he sang my name then… I was most likely distracted, darn it.
Mikaze lied though. He actually didn't know then; his voice just spoke for itself for some unknown reason. He blamed his uncontrollable system at the moment.
"I'm not sure I understand what's going on still," Cecil spoke up honestly. A number of heads nodded in agreement.
Tokiya turned the television off. "We'll play video games another time," he said. "Now isn't the time for too many people to be involved with something that's obviously supposed to be discussed between Nanami-san and her sister."
"Ichinose is right," agreed Masato. "I feel a pang of guilt for listening to something I'm not worthy of hearing."
"Oh, Masa," Ren sighed. "Quit the formal act. You're stiffening the room and making me choke."
Ittoki was already trying to repeat aloud what was going on through his head. Tokiya tried to shut him up, while Syo tried to explain to Natsuki the problem at hand. Natsuki being Natsuki had more questions that anyone could count in the room.
Masato and Ren picked up Hirari, who tried to swat them away but failed. That's when her eyes became dull once more. Though it always was, her time at the Master Course with all of these boys made her life even slightly lively. She knew that if she spoke a word of truth, then drama would happen. For a while, she decided to avoid it. Besides, it drained her body for some reason. All of that emotional buildup that never could escape took a large toll on her.
The moment when she was getting too many problems with her health, it slipped. Gosh damn it, she thought bitterly.
Haruka had one look at Hirari, and then she froze in fear. Tomo had caught this, looked in her direction, and froze too. Once everyone looked into her empty eyes, they were all like ice sculptures. Even Camus the Count, who could make ice, was a victim.
Hirari wanted to show anger. She wanted to show fear. She wanted to express her emotions. But once again, that block that she created in the past resurfaced, and she was a slave to herself.
"H-Hirari…?" Ittoki stuttered.
"Ittoki-san," Hirari muttered, staring emptily at him, "help me."
(*Life is Strange is such an awesome game, even though the graphics are a little sucky. If you tolerate rated M games, then HECK, PLAY IT.)
Mythia: YAY I UPDATED.
EPISODE 2 of SEASON 3: I loved the fangirl service with MORE QN and the shirtless bodies in the end, but... THEY TOTALLY BL-ED IT UP. WHY. (and with QN JUST WHYYYY ;u;)
EPISODE 3: I loved it! It was really, really cute... dorky, but cute. I laughed at Ittoki and Tokiya, and how Ittoki tried to copy him. And for some reason, Natsuki and Ittoki looked really hot in this episode... I need a life...