OMG people, I'm BACK! My awesome vacations are over, and I used my free time to write some more chapters! I really like this one too, so I hope you'll enjoy reading it!
Thoughts.
Singing = boy
Singing = girl
Singing = both
Enjoy!
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Blossoming Feelings
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"You're late"
"By five minutes!"
"Still late"
I muttered a curse under my breath, putting on my gloves as Ranmaru clearly enjoyed having the upper hand in the current situation. Shaking my head, I stretched for a few seconds, before facing him.
"Alright, I'm ready"
"About time, squirt" he retorted, spreading his feet.
"Tche. Jerk"
"At least I wasn't late"
"IT WAS FIVE MINUTES!"
Panting harshly, I couldn't help but laugh at our position. As per usual, we had gone all out in our weekly spar. However, seeing as we were now frequent partners, we knew pretty much all of the other's moves and weaknesses. Thus, things got a little… wild, in the last hour or so.
Meh, he should have seen it coming.
…
Then again, not many will expect a girl my height to throw a punching bag their way.
…
Still, his face was hilarious.
My laughs died down when I felt some pain reverberating in my ribcage. Nursing my soon-to-be bruise with a slight cringe, I remembered how, after being thrown the damn punching bag at, he offered back a harsh and not-so-nice kick, using the momentum of my surprise attack to his advantage.
Still so worth it.
"You're crazy, pipsqueak" he grunted, rubbing his shoulder.
"That's why you love me" I teased, starting to stretch my limbs.
He answered with a weird, strangled noise from the back of his throat. Before I could ask what that was all about, though, I then remembered exactly why I had been late in the first place.
"Oh, it's your turn for the Solo Project, by the way"
This time around, his expression beat the one from sooner, sending me into another merciless laughing fit.
That quickly stopped.
"Ow…"
Ranmaru played a few notes on his bass, and I nodded, writing them down. Contrarily to the others, he helped in the composition of the very music, seeing he apparently liked to write his own too, though he never played it and I had yet to hear one of his originals.
We had agreed to work on the composition together, though he had insisted on taking care of the lyrics. When I asked why, he simply said he was inspired, and I didn't prod. He looked extremely uncomfortable with the question.
"Say, are you free tonight?" I suddenly asked.
He practically jumped, his eyes widening so much I feared they'd roll back in his head. Since he didn't answer, I snapped my fingers before his face a few times.
"Hello? Arya to Ranmaru, anyone receiving?" I called.
"I-I'm free!"
"Okay…? Anyway, I thought that since we were on roll, we could keep it up and maybe end it even sooner than planned. It'd let you go back to your jobs and-"
"W-wait, tonight? Crap, didn't hear you right" he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Got to meet up for team practice. But we still got two weeks, right? There's no rush or anything"
"Well, whatever suits you best" I shrugged, returning to my paper.
Ranmaru stammering? So weird… hope he's not sick or anything.
The next day, I headed to his workplace. We were supposed to meet once he was done, but seeing the ones I composed for in action always helped somehow. Also, he was doing some modeling, which was actually a much lacking skill in my humble person.
I had received an invitation from Akemi earlier, asking if I was free so as to start on the modeling she had asked of me weeks sooner. I agreed, though I was still unsure about the whole ordeal. I never modeled before, and I wasn't exactly photogenic. My smile was either too big or too fake, or my eyes looked the way. There was always something wrong with my pictures, unless they were taken when I wasn't looking, or otherwise said, unaware of it.
So, I decided to get some much-needed experience on the field by watching some professionals. I asked Ranmaru, obviously. I wasn't about to intrude during his work either, that would just be plain rude and we weren't close enough for me to do so. However, he seemed fine with it, hence why I was now joining him.
"Hey, Ary!"
I jumped at the voice, spinning on my heels to face a grinning and familiar face.
"Kai! You're here! Wait, you're here?"
"Well, I'm kind of working here, you know" he laughed.
"Oh, you're working on the photo-shoot?"
"Yep" he popped the 'p' while inviting me to follow him.
"Nice… hey, how are you and Kite going? Last I've heard, you spent two weeks in Italia together"
"Things are great" he assured, some pink now tainting his cheeks. "We actually got some work done too. Also, now that I think about it, I'll be working with you later too"
"Me?"
"Well, you are modeling for the Kiryuin, right? I'll be the photographer"
"Wow" I blinked, surprised by this development. "Well, guess that's one thing off my chest. I'm not really confident with the whole project, so…"
He nodded, completely understanding, probably remembering our little trip during which we met. He had followed me around all day, taking pictures of me as I kept running around like some kid.
Ah, that seems so far away now…
"Talking about projects, how are the Solo Projects going? I've heard the last one with your sempai, it really was amazing" he then remarked. "Who're you working with now?"
"Ranmaru" I answered, drinking some water from my bottle. "You know, the one with the old man's hair, the eternal scowl and the pretty eyes?"
"Ooh, that one" he recalled. "Yeah, met him a few times. Kind of cold, but got one hell of an ass"
Not expecting this answer, I snorted, and water spurted out of my nose. Surprise, he then started laughing.
Wiping my nose with a tissue, he was still laughing when we entered the room set up for the photo-shoot. The noise gaining everyone's attention, I flushed red when I realized the grey-haired man I had come for in the first place was now staring at us with a very, very strange look.
Wait, why am I even blushing!?
Urgh, must be because of Kai's comment.
…
Well, he does has a point- bad Ary! No thinking like this! I mean, what the actual hell, girl?
Shaking my head, I then whacked the photographer behind the back of his head, and his laughter finally died down.
"Moron"
"Aw, you know you love me!" he cooed, trapping me in his arms.
"K-Kai! Let me go, damn it!"
Ranmaru didn't like what he was seeing.
Ever since that night on the roof, he couldn't stop thinking about it, about the 'maybe's, and 'what if's. The idea of a romantic relationship with the younger woman was running wild in his head ever since, and he knew that he would need to do something about this soon.
He still wasn't convinced it was love, but he also knew it was far from platonic. Like, a little more than a crush? Hell, he didn't know. He wasn't thinking about marrying the girl either. Just wondering a little about his possibilities. And, in their case, said possibilities weren't exactly numerous.
Anyway. As said before, Ranmaru didn't like what he was now seeing. Awaiting the arrival of the black-haired Idol, he then heard –like pretty much everyone else- loud laughter from the hallway. The door opened, letting pass a man he recognized as one of the photographers, and the very one he couldn't keep out of his head. The man apparently found something very funny as she wiped her lower face with her tissue. Then, their eyes met, and her cheeks turned a violent red, for God knows what reason.
She then shook her head, and hit the man behind the head.
"Moron" she huffed as he calmed down.
"Aw, you know you love me!" he cooed, suddenly trapping her in his arms.
"K-Kai! Let me go, damn it!"
Now, for an outsider to see such a scene, there weren't many logical scenarios to go with, and even more for one unaware of their current relationship. As he saw it, Arya and this Kai were together.
Which seriously didn't sit well with him, let's be honest. But, of course, it's not like he could do anything but watch.
Angrily.
While clenching his fists.
Wanting to punch something.
Maybe even the guy in question.
…
Yup. Totally wiped.
"I swear, Kite is rubbing off on you" I had finally managed to free myself from his grasp. "And not in a good way, just so you know"
"What can I say? Seeing you so red was so worth it" he retorted.
"I hate you"
"No you don't"
"Ugh, I wish I could"
He laughed again, before ruffling my hair.
"Anyway, you should join Romeo before he gets angrier. Anymore and he might very well find someplace to hide my corpse" he then joked.
"What?"
He left to join with some other photographers without answering, leaving me utterly confused about his last cryptic words.
Romeo? Angry?
I shrugged, before turning around to go meet up with Ranmaru. However, when I finally joined him, he seemed annoyed beyond belief.
Great, he's pissed.
"Oi, what got your panties in a twist?"
"Nothing" he gritted his teeth, before letting out a short breath. "Say, who was that guy you came in with?"
"Kai, one of the photographers for the shoot" I answered, confused again. "Why?"
"Thought I saw him before" he answered with a slight, strained shrug.
"Well, you worked together before, from what he told me" I answered, before looking around. "So, anywhere I can sit without getting in the way?"
The shoot took half of the day. There were many other models, they kept changing clothes, and even though they were all professionals, it wasn't that fast, for the pictures needed to be perfect. It was obviously demanding, both mentally and physically, and I wondered more than once how I could pull this off for the Kiryuin, of all people.
I took some notes along the way, just to be sure. I also worked some more on the composition, talking to Kai and Ranmaru between breaks.
As the member of QUARTET NIGHT posed once more, I couldn't help myself and let my eyes drop lower than socially acceptable.
Kai's kind of right, though. He has a nice ass.
"Wait, so you'll be modeling for the Kiryuin too?"
"Kurusu will be there too" he shrugged. "The woman said she was going for a 'wild but fashionable' style, whatever that means"
I laughed at that, though easily seeing the resemblance between my clothing style, Ranmaru's and Syo's. Although, it was reassuring to see that I wouldn't be alone for the project. Not only would I be friend with the photographer and the very woman leading the project, but also with at least two of the models.
Ain't that a relief.
"By the way, I'm paying" I then said out of the blue.
"Yeah, as if-"
"You paid the last two times. Now's my turn"
"Those were apologies"
"And this is a coffee between friends, what's your point?"
He rolled his eyes, giving up. It wasn't a fight worth fighting, for he knew I would do as I please anyway.
"Tche, fine. I'm paying next time"
"Sure thing"
Three days later, we left to start with the whole modeling/photo-shoot project. Our song was advancing steadily, so we weren't really worried about it, and I was honestly more wary about the photo-shoot than the Solo Project.
"You're stressing yourself too much, pipsqueak" he scoffed.
"In case you're not aware, I'm not exactly photogenic or anything" I replied, biting my lower lip. "I've always avoided modeling before, but now…"
"All Idols do it one day or another" he pointed out. "Plus, you don't need to excel at it either. I mean, you've nailed pretty much every job given to you until today. One failure won't follow you for the rest of your life. Just chill already"
"I don't know whether to be reassured by your words or be offended by your clear lack of faith in my abilities"
"Nan, you don't need my faith" he cracked an eye open at that with a slight smirk. "Pretty sure you'll pull it off without it"
"How sweet"
But I wasn't as stressed anymore.
I let my eyes wander outside as he returned to listening to his music. Myself had forgotten my earphones, so I was kind of bored by now, and we still had a good half-an-hour to go.
"Oi, Ary"
"Hm?"
Tilting my head his way, I blinked as he offered me one of his earphones. At first surprised, I then beamed at him before putting it on, instantly taking a liking to the music already playing. Leaning closer so that the earphones wouldn't fall, it took me a moment to realize how close we actually were.
Deciding not to make things awkward, I just rolled with it, not moving. After a few more seconds, he relaxed, and we both returned to enjoy the music in silence.
Wow, my heart's beating really hard, isn't it?
Sure hope I'm not the one catching a cold.
"Welcome everyone! I thank you all for agreeing to participate in this project, even though many of you are currently occupied with much more major jobs" greeted Akemi with a warm smile. "I shall only ask for four of your days, and know that the pictures taken during the photo-shoot won't be revealed to the public unless yourself agree to release them. Kai-kun here has kindly agreed to be our photographer for the duration of the project, and I would like for the six of you to present yourselves. After all, you will work together rather closely for a short while"
I shot a glance at Syo, who shrugged, and I got up.
"I'm Arya, just call me Ary. I've never modeled before, so please be gentle. Any help is welcome. Glad to be working with you all" I offered a peace sign.
Van's mother smiled once more, and I let out a sigh of relief while sitting back down. Somehow, the woman had made the idea of disappointing her unthinkable, which only stressed me even more.
"Kurosaki Ranmaru, member of QUARTET NIGHT. Nice to meet you"
Short, to the point, and kind of cold. That's him alright.
"Kurusu Syo, member of STARISH" beamed my blond friend. "Looking forward to work with you!"
"Maito Kite, lovely to meet you all" grinned the blue-haired man.
I saw Kai rolling his eyes, and I muffled a laugh. Even in a relationship, the actor wouldn't change. The photographer had long since gotten used to it, though.
"Aoi Redbird, can't wait to work with you!" a orange-eyed girl smiled kindly. "By the way, I'll be glad to help you, Ary-san!"
"Thanks!" I beamed at her.
She seemed nice enough, and I couldn't wait to learn more of her. She was the only one I didn't know, after all.
Akemi clasped her hands together.
"Alright, then let's get started! I'll start with the boys, so you girls can go to the side for the time being"
"Hai!"
I had been wrong.
Never in my life had I ever read a person wrong, but today proved to be different, for I had been wrong.
Aoi is not a nice person.
Ever since the shooting began for the boys, she kept making quite unnecessary and sometimes vulgar comments. Not only was it about their looks –clearly inappropriate, if I may add-, but also about their very skills as models. Syo was kind of awkward at first, for he too was new to this sort of things. However, Kite was obviously in his element, and it was like breathing to Ranmaru.
"… and he's obviously lacking some spirit, though he still can pull it off with these abs, and-"
"Aoi-san, if you don't mind, would you please stop making such comments about my friends?" I finally snapped. "Not only is it disrespectful, but it makes me seriously uncomfortable. Plus, this is far from a professional attitude"
"Friends, hm?" she narrowed her eyes at me, suddenly sharp. "So there's nothing going on between you and any of those wonderful eye-candies?"
I've never met such a shameless girl before. This is getting ridiculous.
Let's try something else.
"Nope, no relationship at all" I confirmed. "Say, you proposed your help earlier-"
"Oh, I'll be happy too guide you through every step on the whole way!" she beamed at me. "We'll have loads of fun, you'll see!"
And once again, I found myself to be wrong about someone. It's not that she wasn't a nice person, more like she couldn't see how disrespectful and/or arrogant she sounded.
In the end, I decided to just roll with it.
If there was one thing to know about Aoi, it was that, for all of her arrogance, she had the talent to back it up. She wasn't a much-known Idol, but was extremely popular in the modeling field. She could pull off anything, to the contrary of my humble self.
It was the last day of shooting. Ever since we began, I kept trying my best to offer a great photo-shoot, but I gave a less-than-average show, so to speak. It was too stiff, too tensed, too awkward, too unnatural, too fake, etc, etc. And, while Syo, Kite, Kaiden, Akemi, and even Ranmaru and Aoi tried to help out, the results were still extremely disappointing.
In a way, it was no surprise. I mean, I knew since day one that I wasn't photogenic, and I told everyone more than once. However, seeing myself that way was still an upsetting sight. I forgot the bitter taste of failure ever since I joined the Academy, what with all of my projects turning into a spectacular success somehow.
But in the end, there are still some things that I just can't get right.
"Okay everyone, these will be the last picture! Go change and take a short break, meet back in fifteen minutes!"
"Hai!"
I went into the changing room where my last outfit was waiting, a gloomy aura surrounding me. I felt stupid, angry, annoyed… hell, the list could go on and on, but I preferred to keep some moral.
Another hour and it'll all be over. I can bear with this.
However, my resolve soon lost its shine when I found out what I would be wearing.
Or maybe not.
Ugh, that was so Syo's idea.
I came out of the room, very embarrassed as Aoi gushed about my cuteness and whatnot. As said before, the woman wasn't mean per se, just unaware of how her comments could be taken by people around her.
"I can't believe they suit you like that! I'm so jealous!"
"Aoi, please-"
"Guys, guys, look at her!"
She grabbed my shoulders and shoved me before her, forcing me out of my hiding spot and gathering the attention of all the others.
What I was wearing was pretty simple. Black jean shorts with long black boots that reached just under my knees, a red t-shirt and some sort of coat/cape without sleeves that stopped a little before touching the floor. There was jewelry, of course, but what took the cake were the damn ear cats now stuck on my head.
"She's right, you know" grinned Syo without mercy. "They do suit you"
"I hate you so much" I groaned.
They all laughed at that, before we went onto the set for the last shoot.
This is going to be a pain…
"Okay, Arya? Go take a break. Aoi, come take her place"
"Hai, hai!"
Swallowing the now familiar, but still bitter taste of failure, I left the set to go grab some water as the orange-eyed woman went to take my place next to the short blond. Once more, I hadn't been able to provide what was awaited of me.
Ugh, I feel so bad, to disappoint Akemi like that… and she had such high hopes for me, even if I warned her I wasn't any good at this…
"Ranmaru, take Syo's place!"
The man simply nodded while my shorter friend went to take a breath outside. After all, while he was much better than me at this, he had less endurance and couldn't hold the poses for too long.
My blood ran cold when Aoi winked at Ranmaru. Shaking my head, I found myself unable to look away as the two started the shoot together. They had never been so close together but, now that I looked closer, they made a great pair…
For some reason, the idea disgusted me.
Wait, what am I thinking?
"Now, now, why making such a face? It doesn't suit you"
"Shut up, Kite"
"My, I'm hurt" he placed an hand over his heart. "Such a sunshine this morning"
Rolling my eyes, I then let myself fall on the couch, gulping down some water. My eyes wandered back to the set, where Aoi now had her arms around Ranmaru's shoulders, the both of them staring into each other's eyes…
Damn, can't they be any closer?
Note the sarcasm.
Kite leaned against the wall next to me, crossing his arms over his chest with a somewhat mysterious smirk.
"Jealous much, beautiful?"
"Don't call me tha- wait, jealous?" I blinked. "Why would I be jealous…"
I trailed off, only now noticing the woman's hand against the Idol's chest. My fists clenched, the sight made me angry, though I couldn't tell why.
I'm so, so angry. Why am I angry? It's just a shoot, this doesn't make any sense!
"Awe, is the little cat showing her claws?"
"What's up with all of the nicknames?" I protested. "And I have no idea what you're talking about, stop it!"
"But you're so cute, I can't help it!" he whined.
"And you got a boyfriend, so keep it in your pants!"
"But I'm this close to convincing him to take you in as our daughter!"
"… what?"
"Or our pet, whatever works"
I facepalmed, and he laughed.
He can be so ridiculous… how does Kai stand him, I wonder.
"Okay everyone, short break! Be back in thirty minutes top!"
"Hai!"
Kaiden came back while checking the last pictures he had taken.
"So, Kite isn't bothering you too much?"
"Keep your boyfriend on a leash, would you?"
"Oh, he talked about adopting you, didn't he"
"… wait, he was serious!? I thought he was joking!"
He simply shrugged, and the blue-haired man laughed once more. At the same moment, Syo, Aoi and Ranmaru came back to us, the latter raising an eyebrow.
"What's so funny?" wondered the orange-eyed woman.
"I've been adopted against my consent" I deadpanned.
"What…?"
"Waa, we've got a daughter now, Kai!" wailed Kite, suddenly trapping me in his arms. "I'm so happy!"
"K-Kite! Let me go! Kite, get out of my God damn bubble or I swear-"
"Wait, are you and Kaiden… together!?" suddenly understood Syo, wide eyed.
We stopped messing around, surprised, as the other three Idol stared, stunned. Then, Kite beamed at them, and let me go, before slinging an arm around the photographer's shoulders.
"Yup! All mine, find another!" he grinned.
"I'm so confused…"
"I thought Kaiden-kun and Arya-chan were together" remarked Aoi, puzzled.
I snorted at that.
"Yeah, not really happening" I shook my head. "They've been together for months, now, if not a year. I'm just surprise you haven't realized sooner. They weren't exactly subtle when off-set"
"Don't talk so of your parents with such a tone, young lady" chided Kite.
"You're ridiculous! I'm nineteen, for God's sake! You're barely five years older than me!"
"It doesn't matter, we love you anyway, sweetheart!"
"You guys are so weird" sweatdropped Syo.
In the end, I decided to just roll with it -again-. It's not like protesting would get through their thick skulls.
Ranmaru and I's duo-shoot was the last one. We were going to start in around fifteen minutes or so, and I was nervous as hell. It was my last chance to get at least one good picture, so of course I was worried.
"A nervous wreck as always, uh?"
"Don't tease me" I huffed, bringing my knees to my chest. "I can't help it. I'm not good at these sorts of things"
"Why don't you try to relax?" the heterochromatic-eyed man proposed.
"Easy to say, less to do so. Any other word of wisdom to spare?" I drawled.
For only answer, he flicked my nose. I made a face, rubbing the slightly sore spot as he snorted, apparently amused by my outraged expression.
"Come on, let's go and be done with it"
Sighing heavily, I then got an idea. Climbing on the couch, I then jumped onto his opened back. He stumbled forward under the sudden weight, but caught his balance and straightened himself, shooting me a half-glare, half-exasperated glance.
"And what are you doing now?"
"I can't feel my legs, I've been sitting on them. Bring me there?"
He shook his head, before grabbing my legs and lifting them a little so that they wouldn't be in the way. Cheering, I let him transport me to the other side of the room, where the set was awaiting.
He's warm. It's kind of comfortable.
Ugh, now I wanna sleep…
"Alright, down you go, midget"
I easily fell back on my two feet, offering him a victorious grin.
"Anything else, princess?" he drawled.
"Well, now that you're asking…"
He groaned, which made me laugh. Behind his façade, his amusement was palpable, or at least, for those who knew him. Seeing me outright laugh at him, a weird flash then danced in his beautiful eyes, and a lazy smirk stretched his lips.
Suddenly, his face was barely inches from mine, and my breath caught in my throat.
"You know…you really are cute with the cat ears"
I gaped for a second, troubled by the sudden proximity and his words. Then, blood rushed to my cheeks and turned as red as Otoya's hair. His smirk only widened as I hid my face in my hands.
"Come on, don't be shy"
"Shut up! Don't say that!"
"But you're c-"
"Nope, not hearing it"
"Ary-"
"La~La~La~La~"
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry" he gave in, and I finally dared to look back at him, the blood slowly leaving my face so as to return to a normal complexion. "Here, as an apology. Am I forgiven?"
Curious, I took the little bag he was handing me. Glancing inside, I gaped.
No fricking way!
I pulled the drumsticks out of the bag. They were the same as the pair I stupidly broke when we had our fight.
"Oh my gosh, I love them!" I exclaimed, too happy for much words. "How- I mean, why- when…"
"Well, you broke the last pair, and it was kind of my fault" he rubbed the back of his head, looking away. "So… I'm sorry?"
"You dork" I shook my head with a smile. "Aw, come here!"
Not leaving him the time to escape, I trapped him in my embrace. Hugging him as tightly as I could, I could only laugh when he awkwardly hugged back.
Damn, I could get used to this… wait, what am I saying?
Letting him go, I then spun the sticks a few times in my hands.
"Can't wait to try them… wait, weren't we supposed to start the shooting?" I suddenly remembered.
"Been there, done that"
"Shit!" I startled at the appearance of Kaiden behind me. "Wait, what do you mean?"
"The shoot's done, Ary" he announced, smiling. "You were great, by the way"
"You're kidding me, aren't you?"
"Here, see?"
I could only watch as he showed us the last pictures he took.
The first one was of Ranmaru and I on the couch as he flicked my nose. The second one was me laughing while he made a amused and annoyed expression after I jumped onto his back. The third one was when I hid my face in my hands as he smirked, looming over me –damn tall people-. The fourth one was me discovering his gift, and there was another of me staring at him with a smile as he looked away, an hand behind his head and another on his hips. Finally, the last one was when we were hugging, not even a minute earlier.
And Kaiden was right. They were amazing pictures.
"What… you planned this!" I accused, spinning around to face the bassist.
"Guilty as charged" he shrugged, greatly enjoying the moment.
"It worked, didn't it?" then pointed out the photographer. "It was his idea, though I feel kind of stupid not having thought of it sooner"
I pouted a little. In the end, the only good pictures were taken when I was the less aware of it. But then again, they always were. Plus, I was still very happy about the drumsticks, so I couldn't really stay upset for long.
"Ugh, whatever" I finally gave in. "Thanks for the help, then. And the drumsticks"
"Anytime, oh daughter of mine"
The grey-haired man scoffed at that, and I barked out a laugh.
"Love you too, dad"
"Nooooo!"
We all jumped at the yell, turning around to face Kite as he ran to us. He hugged desperately Kai, anime tears rolling down his face.
"I can't believe she acknowledged you first!" he wailed.
"There, there" the photographer wasn't even looking at him, though, checking the pictures on his camera.
He's too used to this, I sweatdropped. Then again, they're pretty cute together.
"Ary~"
"Holy hell!"
I took a step back as the blue-haired man suddenly appeared before me, all serious all of sudden.
"You know… you're not allowed to get a boyfriend until you hit twenty-five, right?"
"What? Where's that coming from?" I protested. "If I wanna date someone, then I'll do it!"
"Still in her teenager phase, uh? Defying her parents like that…"
"You're impossible" I hung my head in despair.
"Kite, dear, stop antagonizing your daughter and come help me with these, would you?" then called over Kaiden. "We've still got work to do on the pictures. The rest of you can go home, though. Akemi will contact you when the final pictures are chosen, in around a week or so"
As the two men left while bickering a little, I rubbed my temples.
"They're going to be the death of me" I mumbled.
"Well, your family's really weird, that's for sure" retorted Aoi, who had joined us in the meantime.
"What do you mean?" I wondered, curious.
"Well, not only do you have like, seventeen brothers, but you also got two dads –one of which is overly protective-, and one hell of a boyfriend" at that, she winked at Ranmaru, who spluttered.
"What… no, no! Ranmaru and I- we're not- I mean, we're not a couple, or anything!" I waved my hands in a negative motion. "We're just friends! A-and what's the deal with the seventeen brothers anyway?"
"Well, eighteen now, I guess" she shrugged. "But I meant STARISH, QUARTET NIGHT and HEAVENS. Heard you were pretty close to all and each member of the three group, and it's without thinking about all those other friends you made outside and inside the Idol world. Aren't I right?"
I could only gape at the woman. In a way, she had read something in me that not everyone –hell, barely anyone could-.
All my friends are my family. No matter how close or how fare, I consider each of them as a member of my family.
In the end, she's right, though. I really have a weird, big family.
Then again, I wouldn't have it any other way.
The two weeks were up, we were now going to record our Solo Project. When the modeling project ended, we focused all of our energy on the composition, and I couldn't help but feel it'd be one of the greatest yet.
The lyrics were all from Ranmaru, thus I couldn't really understand what they actually meant to him. However, I was glad he could pass on his message to whomever it was directed. Even though he didn't want to tell me, I believed it was for QUARTET NIGHT, in a way, and he was just too embarrassed to admit it.
I am a question to the world
Not an an answer to be heard
Or a moment that's held in your arms
And what do you think you'd ever say
I won't listen anyway
You don't know me
And I'll never be what you want me to be
At first, I was mistaken, the bassist ran his fingers on the strings of his oh-so-loved instrument. I thought she was like all the others. I believed she wasn't any different, that she only wanted me to change for her and the others.
And what do you think you'd understand
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man
You can't take me
And throw me away
I've been afraid to open up. Yet, never missing a chance, she proved to me how wrong I was, how she wasn't like all the others, how she was different. I was afraid to let her in but, in the end, I didn't really have a choice either, did I?
And how
Can you learn what's never shown
Yeah you stand here on your own
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here
They don't know me, but you do. I never loved this way, closing myself to the world as soon as it hurt me. And yet, you showed me new feelings, ones I never believed I would feel one day. Should I be grateful? Angry? Hell, I don't know.
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here
I've been trapped in illusions, never trusting any other than myself. Yet I hoped for a day to come where I wouldn't be afraid anymore, where I would find someone whom I would trust without any hesitation. I hoped and I hoped…
And you finally came.
And you see the things they never see
All you wanted, I could be
Now you know me
And I'm not afraid
And I want to tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am
You are unique, Ritsukera Arya, his heart was beating at the same rhythm of her drums as he watched her play with a smile stretching her lips. Honest, real, true. You're far from perfect, yet I wouldn't have you any other way.
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change
They're the ones that stay the same
They can't see me
But I'm still here
Only with you, he slowly realized. Only with you that I can be this way. Just thinkin about you makes me happy, and being by your side is like a drug that I just can't get enough of. I can't get you out of my mind, of my head… of my heart.
They can't tell me who to be
Cause I'm not what they see
Yeah the world is still sleeping while I keep on dreaming for me
And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe
You saw through me, waltzing in my heart as if it was an open door. You ignored the mask, the lies. You made so many dreams come true, and I can't help but want to be selfish.
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong
And how can they say I'll never change
They're the ones that stay the same
I'm the one now
Cause I'm still here
Make my own dream come true, he kept on playing, knowing the song would almost be done and yet feeling as if he played for the first time in his life. Stay with me. Love me…
His eyes widened as understanding hit him.
Love me back.
I'm the one
Cause I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here
It took him a while, but he knew, now. He knew he had been lost all along. He was in love with Ritsukera Arya, and there was no way out of it.
So… now what?
"This was amazing" I breathed out as we left the studios. "We really make a great pair, uh? We should do that more often"
"One would think you're falling for me, squirt" he teased.
"As if"
Falling for him? Right. Never happening.
But damn my mind, some images danced before my eyes. I shook my head.
Right?
"Anyway, I had fun. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"'Night"
"'Night"
For a moment, I stared as he left to call for a taxi. After all, he and the rest of QUARTET NIGHT were no longer living at the Agency. Then, I slapped my cheeks a few times.
"What are you thinking, girl?" I scolded myself in a low tone. "As if that'd happen! This isn't a fairytale. Plus, why am I even thinking about it?"
Yet I was, and I couldn't bring myself to stop.
What if…
The next day, I was contacted by Akemi to come take a look at the pictures she had chosen from the photo-shoot. They would be published in her magazine, unless I asked for one not to be showed.
"Arya, I'm glad to see you!" she beamed at me when I arrived. "Come in, come in… some tea? Coffee?"
"I'm not saying no to coffee" I smiled sheepishly.
While I wasn't a fan of the bitter taste, I had become somewhat addicted to the hot drink.
She served me a cup, before we sat at the table were she spread the pictures. They were the same Kaiden had showed me at the end of the shoot, and I could easily guess the rest of my performance hadn't been much satisfying.
"Akemi, I wanted to apologize" I bit my lower lip. "I haven't been up to the task, and-"
"Nonsense" she instantly cut me. "You merely aren't cut off for this kind of work. It's okay, normal even. I wasn't expecting you to achieve anything, to be honest"
"What?"
"I wanted you to realize that you can't do everything" she shrugged, apparently pleased with herself. "A touch of reality, if you want. In the end, I was greatly surprised by the last pictures Kai-kun showed me. In fact, I was hoping to have your permission to put all of them"
While I was a little annoyed at the test, I could easily understand where she was coming from. In a way, she was looking out for me, and I could only be grateful for that. So, deciding to simply forgive and forget, I took a quick look at the pictures, before stopping at the last one. It was Ranmaru and I, hugging.
"If I may… I'd rather not have this one in it" I then admitted. "It's kind of… personal, if you want. You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all" she smiled, before chuckling. "Actually, Ranmaru told me the same. He asked me to send it to him, though. Do you want me to do the same?"
"Sure"
As she worked on it, I thought back to what she had just said.
Ranmaru asked for the picture? I'll have to tease him about it.
And, while I was greatly amused, I couldn't stop the warmth and giddiness from spreading in my chest.
"Ranmaru!"
He turned around as I called out to him, quickly joining his side.
"I've heard you asked for the picture" I went straight to the point. "You're such a softie!"
"Tche. Damn pipsqueak" he huffed, looking away.
"Aw, you're blushing!"
At that, I recognized the evil glint in his eyes.
"Not as much as you were back at the photo-shoot, that's for sure. Your little blond friend kept the cat ears, want me to go ask for me?" he threatened.
I paled dramatically at that.
Anything but this!
He stared for a second, surprised. Then, he started laughing. At first startled by the sound, I then realized it was probably the first time I heard him laugh so loud and genuinely.
It's… nice.
"Damn, you sure are funny, midget" he ruffled my hair, the uncharacteristically grin stretching on his face. "Don't ever changer, alright?"
It's took me a few seconds to realize how fast my heart was beating. Then, as he left to join with his group for practice, I placed an hand over my pounding chest.
What's happening to me?
But deep down, I knew. Hell, I knew well. Groaning in despair, I placed an hand over my face, leaning against the wall for support.
Fuck my life. Can't things be simple, for once?
I was in love with Kurosaki Ranmaru. How screwed was I?
Tan tan tan! The big revelations! So, anyone was ready for this? Pretty sure you all expected he would be the last of the Solo Projects, uh? Well guess again, ah ah!
Anyway, the song is I'm Still Here from the movie 'Treasure Planet'. I really, really love it, and feel like it truly suits Ranmaru for the the Solo Project, don't you think?
Anyway, if some of you failed to notice, Ranmaru stammered and informed her he couldn't work on the project in the evening not because he had something to do, but because he wanted to extend their time together. Just saying.
I was wondering, is this too sudden? I really tried to make it realistic, but I don't know if I managed. Some reviews to tell me your thoughts? I really love you guys, by the way. You're all awesome, keeping up with me and this story, and I'm really, really grateful for your patience.
See ya when I see ya!
