Chapter 36: Susumu

"Kise-kun, is that you?"

To put it simply, he looks exhausted.

"Oh, hey, Nakahara-san." He attempts a smile, but it fails halfway through.

"A-are you okay? Have you been sleeping enough? Are you pushing yourself too hard?"

He shakes his head. "I have to win."

I eye him shrewdly, and then I loop my arm through his, and pull him along the street towards our work. "When Nyoko and I were younger," I say, "and one of us felt down, we always used to go skipping. It always helped to lift our spirits. You know how to skip, right?"

"Yes, but —"

"Good! Then, one, two, three —"

I immediately start skipping, a grin on my face, and Kise has no option but to join along. Due to our height difference, it's a bit awkward. But soon, he's smiling, too. And then we're both laughing until we have to stop and gather our breath.

"Nakahara-san," he says between gasps, "you really don't let anything get you down, do you?"

"Sure I do," I say buoyantly. "But the point is to keep skipping anyway, right?"

He laughs again. "I suppose you're right."

I look at him carefully and say, "Just so we're clear . . . this isn't about Eirin, is it?"

The smile is wiped off his face and I almost regret mentioning her. He says, "Ichikawa-san . . . sometimes, I'm not sure if she likes me or not."

"She likes you," I tell him. "She just doesn't know how to express her feelings."

He runs a hand through his hair. "Is that so? It's kind of unusual, I guess. Most of the time I get so many girls coming after me and confessing. I've never had to confess myself, and I never actually thought about rejection . . . so when it happened . . ."

"Well," I say, "no one can predict the future, least of all you. I think she's just going through a lot right now. And maybe, if you wait, she'll come around."

"I already told her I wasn't going to stop loving her," he says with a rueful smile. "I think she might've wanted to slap me at that point. The stupidity of the statement. But it just slipped out, I couldn't help it."

I grin. "If it makes you feel any better, I persuaded Yukio to do a duet with me. I'm pretty sure he didn't want to, but I couldn't help but ask him."

Kise gapes at me. "Seriously? Kasamatsu-senpai is going to play his guitar with you?"

I nod. "Yep. There's a singing competition coming up and I needed backup music. When I asked him, he agreed. I thought for sure he'd refuse."

"Yeah, especially since you're a girl! I mean, no offense!"

I laugh. "Right? Yukio's usually terrified of me!"

"Nyoko, for the last time!"

"Sorry," she says, grinning, but she doesn't look very sorry at all.

She's just popped into the room again, disturbing me and Kasamatsu from practicing. It's our third session and we haven't made much progress. Right now, I actually may have an underhanded motive of using it as an excuse to spend time with him. . . .

Nyoko seems to like "checking" in on us every five minutes, though, and freaking Kasamatsu out. I need to tell her it's not good for his nerves.

"How are you guys doing?" she asks, plopping herself down on the floor next to me, a Zunon Boy magazine in her hands. I catch Kasamatsu sending sideways looks toward the magazine (is he crushed?), probably wondering why Nyoko likes anything that has Kise's face on it.

"We've been running through a few possible songs," I say. "Here's a list I made."

She glances over the paper I made and wrinkles her nose.

"What's wrong?" I ask, defensive of my choices.

"It's just . . . I don't think any of these are quite the right style for you and Kasamatsu-kun."

I glance down at my pathetic list, and nod, sighing. "You're right. Well, what do you suggest, big sis?"

"How about I write something for you guys?"

Kasamatsu finally speaks up (every time Nyoko enters, he's stunned into silence and it takes a few moments for him to recharge his brain), his curiosity piqued. "You write music?"

Nyoko nods. "Yep. Our whole family's into music, it seems."

"Your whole family?"

Nyoko shoots me a look, questioning. I haven't mentioned to Kasamatsu about Hideo much. I choose to avoid that subject, and say, "Nyoko's actually really good at composing pieces."

"Yeah, I can't sing or play an instrument to save my life, but I can write music."

"It sounds good to me," I say, thinking the idea over, wondering why I hadn't thought of it earlier. "What do you think, Yukio?"

"Uh, s-sure. I don't really care either way."

Nyoko grins. "All right. That's settled. I'll write you two a song you can perform in front of the world."

I want to correct her, saying we won't be performing in front of the whole world, but decide to let her — and myself — dream a little. Kasamatsu, however, pales a little.

Later, after Kasamatsu has left, I knock on Nyoko's door before entering.

"What's the matter, Susumu?" she asks, swiveling her chair to face me.

"I was wondering . . ." My words falter and I lick my lips, stalling.

"Yeah?" she prompts. "Is it about the song?"

"Yes . . . actually. I was wondering if you could make it into a duet piece."

She gives me a strange look. "What do you mean? Obviously, it's a duet, since there are two of you."

"No, I mean — the vocals."

Her eyes widen in understanding. "You want Kasamatsu-kun to sing as well?"

I nod.

"Have you heard him before?"

I shake my head.

"How do you even know he's good then?"

I shrug.

"Susumu, really, you're giving me nothing to go on. I know your vocal range, but how am I supposed to write something for Kasamatsu-kun?"

"You can do it," I insist. "Besides . . . I really just . . . want to hear him sing."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "No," she says slowly, "I think you want to sing with him. Don't you?"

I swallow. "That's right. Well, both of them, actually. But I really do want to sing with him. Just playing with him is wonderful, of course. But I'd like to hear him sing, and I'd like to sing with him."

She shakes her head in disbelief. "I don't know what it is with you," she says. "Fine. I'll do it. But I hope Kasamatsu-kun doesn't freak out over it."

"He'll be fine with it."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I'll make sure about it."

A smile quirks her lips and I have to ask her what she's thinking.

"Oh, I'm just entertained by your relationship with him," she says.

I jolt. "W-what do you mean?"

"Well," she says, leaning toward me and focusing her gaze on me, "it just seems like you two are really close. And that he's quite comfortable with you. I like watching you two."

"That . . . doesn't sound weird at all."

"I didn't mean it in that way."

"I know, I know. But . . . you know he likes you, right?" I blurt the words out before I can help it. I wonder if Kasamatsu will be angry with me, but as far as I know . . . well, I don't even know if he knows he likes Nyoko. So it's not like it's a secret.

For a moment, Nyoko looks surprised. But then she says, "No, I didn't know that. But if you're worried . . . I assure you, I have no feelings whatsoever for Kasamatsu-kun."

I'm fairly certain I'd already known this. But just hearing her say the words aloud sets a feeling of comfort inside me.

Nyoko gives me a soft smile. "I'm rooting for you with everything I've got, sis."

"Thank you," I whisper. "Thank you."

A/N: Some Susumu and Kise moments + getting to know Nyoko more. Thanks for reading!

~ J. Dominique