Welcome to the ninth chapter of Cherry Jade, everyone! We've finally reached the first half of the Toman vs. Moebius Arc, one of my top must-write TokRev arcs ever! (ﾉ ื▿ ื)ﾉ✧*̥˚
But before that, I deliver this chapter to you all with grief in my heart. Last month hasn't been kind to me at all, and I'm not just talking about how the last few chapters of the manga fucked us over with (SPOILERS!) Wakui offing Draken like that. I lost two of my family members to COVID, and to top it all off I got the motherducking COVID myself. I got it mild though and I'm recovering quite well, but my sense of taste and smell has been thoroughly compromised and I get dizzy as hell half the time real fast.
Life hasn't been rosy, but life goes on. I'm just glad that wreck of a month is over. The song Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day rings true for me now with the things I lost (though I always blast that song on repeat every year when it's September because ✧˚ rituals ˚✧) but writing has always been my favorite coping mechanism and I wanted to get this chapter out asap, so I'm so glad we can finally enjoy it now in its 12k+ words glory, my longest chapter yet.
I'm honestly going to be okay now and I thank you all for giving this story a chance, for all your faves and follows, and of course for the fabulous reviews from these lovely people: Cilenia Alsacia, ice devil cat demon, PopperPaper, firesoullove8792, Crystalpxhlqt, bbymojo, Na-Na, Einklley, mariainthesky, BlackDragon829, Albedo, Ruzzy Ruth, Blake1999, AngelousPoofy, FiniteSphinx, Koyacypher, MirellaMai44, Sotoro-Solace, KimKat95 and the three Guests! Your untiring love and support is a balm to my heart ❁❤❁
For today's tidbits:
※ Jinbei – a traditional set of Japanese clothing usually worn during the summer, which consists of a side-tying kimono-style top and a matching pair of shorts or trousers.
※ Teppanyaki – a traditional and rather entertaining Japanese style of cooking that uses an iron griddle to make dishes, most commonly done in front of a guest.
※ Also Hello Kitty = Jello Kitty up in this house after I saw how Wakui-sensei used Yakult = Yagulto in Episode 23 (specifically at 05:20), and I agree that we really gotta be careful with all this trademark business 'cause just like Wakui-sensei, I ain't got no plans of getting sued lol.
※ Lastly, one of you lovely readers (namely Albedo) pointed out that we need an interlude between Naoto and Takemichi in regards to how our crybaby hero got to know about Reiya and this is SO TRUE. First of all, thank you so much for mentioning this, dear Albedo! ❤ If you didn't comment as a Guest I would've PMed you my response (as I always strive to reply to reviews unless you're in Guest-mode 'cause then that practically makes you unreachable chat-wise), but this is also a good opportunity for me to address it as I have an inkling that you're not the only one who's wondering about that. The answer is YES, ya'll. That aspect WILL be tackled and we WILL explore Naoto and Takemichi's side of the story to see just how much Reiya's existence affected the future of Toman and what they think about it, how it made them feel…To see a singular existence cause such a strong wave of change not only in the life of one man, but the course of a whole new fate. And this we shall see at the conclusion of this arc ;)
〖 Chapter Nine 〗
Battle of 8/3:
Reinspire and Re-engage
AUGUST 01, 2005
Reiya couldn't stop from cringing the moment she drew Viomaru's bow off its strings. It was horrible. She had just completed performing her chosen piece, The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns, and it was horrible.
Umeno, who served as both her pianist and overseer, didn't say anything yet to confirm it was, but one look at her face and Reiya knew it was horrible.
It was nowhere near how she first performed it. Reiya had started out strong and she'd nearly perfected her rendition just last week. She was doing great for someone who hadn't played in twelve years and had about only three weeks of practice. Toshiro was confident she'd fare well in spite of the non-competitive nature of the piece she'd chosen, and Umeno had been moved to tears. Even Kuroshima favorably commented on how consistent she had been.
But now…
Reiya was grateful Umeno was the only one present. She wouldn't have been able to bear it if Toshiro, or worse, Kuroshima, was there to witness her epic slump. The dark-haired man was currently in another room in the studio with the peach-haired boy, overseeing his final practice session for the concours and he was killing it.
In fact, Reiya could hear it. The music rooms were individually soundproofed, but she could still hear fragments of Kuroshima's chosen piece, one of Paganini's 24 Caprices: Caprice no. 13, The Devil's Laughter, permeating through the walls. It sounded immaculate, even in bits and pieces. Kuroshima's skill was evidently on another level and it was no question why he had been an accomplished soloist in her previous life.
But now the tune, his playing, was starting to grate Reiya's nerves in a way it had never before. To her, the pomp and taunting melody truly embodied the devil's laughter that very moment and it sounded like it was making fun of her.
Reiya stomped on the thought and whisked its accompanying feelings away with a sigh. She was aware she'd been restless and paranoid as of late. She thought it would eventually disappear the more she immersed herself in music especially with the concours drawing near, but it showed itself in the most disastrous and mortifying way instead.
Umeno stood up and strode away from the pianoforte, coming towards her with eyes chocked full of worry. Her manner was kind and genuinely concerned, but Reiya braced herself just as the older woman stopped in front of her.
"That has got to be your worst one yet, Yunagi-chan," she stated gently. "You've been wavering between phrases and you've made your arpeggios linger too long, making the piece come out too sentimental in most parts and too languid in others. In other words, the overall quality of your interpretation has become inconsistent and sloppy. You would've made Mr. Saint-Saëns cry if he was here, but not in the way we would've liked."
Reiya winced. There it was. Granted, Niseyama Umeno was a cheerful and deeply nurturing woman who loved giving praise when it's due, but she wasn't dubbed their studio's 'The Soft Executioner'for nothing. She possessed a shrewd meticulousness when it came to musical structures and would not hesitate to give her two cents for the sake of improvement. The truly scary part of it was that she'd do it so gently, her blade-sharp assessments akin to a needle-point rapier in its precision. One might feel like it merely stung at first but the next thing you know you were pricked full of holes and bleeding all over.
Umeno took Reiya by the shoulders in a gentle, steadying grip. "Your music sounded overwrought, Yunagi-chan. Which means you are overwrought. What is bothering you?"
Reiya hesitated. She knew exactly what was bothering her but she couldn't put it into words. Countless questions with no clear answers constantly afflicted her after her unexpected brush with Kisaki. But most of all, her mind just wouldn't stop running in constant circles around Mikey.
She was delighted to discover that the boy he was wasn't so different from the man he had been, and yet there was a discernable difference, one that went beyond the clear somatic changes of past and future.
For starters, he didn't have a tattoo yet. And Reiya had only met him twice but the Mikey she saw had a carefree air to him, a playful ease that directly contrasted his future self's silken impenetrability.
Perhaps it could only be attributed to the fact that he was still a teen, but she recognized that sense of adolescent lightness – she lived it, lost it – and knew it was mostly because he hadn't fallen off the deep end yet.
Whatever caused Mikey to fall hadn't happened yet, but something was going to happen. Kisaki was going to make it happen, and whatever it was, it had something to do with the war with Moebius, a war that would take place on the same day as the festival and the concours.
Knowing that had been the bulk of Reiya's worries, which started right after Emma informed her just when and where the war was going to occur (after she so 'casually' asked the blonde over SNS). She knew it was out of her control but that didn't make her feel any less guilty of how she'd ended up making the concours her priority despite having Mikey in mind. And that gnawing dissonance continued to grow heavier each day, spreading out to her arms, her hands, the tips of her fingers, and now her music.
At her lengthy silence, Umeno guided her to the side of the room and tried again. "Won't you tell me what it is? I want to help you, Yunagi-chan. Come, let's sit for a while and re-organize."
They sat down on the chairs and Reiya spoke the moment they were settled, with Viomaru on her lap and a strained smile on her face. "I'm sorry for troubling you, Umeno-sensei. I'm just not feeling like myself lately, but I'll be okay."
"Really? Because it doesn't look like it'll go away anytime soon. I can feel it in your music." Umeno leaned in her seat and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, studying Reiya pensively. "You know, Yunagi-chan…You never did tell us why you chose to play The Swan for the concours. It was so sudden, so unexpected of you…Not that it's a bad thing, of course, but I've never seen you take interest in the Romantic-era type of music before. You always seemed to prefer such complex pieces and you perform with solid musicality, but sometimes…You are so elegant that it's almost a little cold, a little restrained."
Reiya felt her eyes go wide. Then her expression softened with a sense of defeat. She'd never felt constrained playing the violin in her previous life but she'd always, always, played to the pressure of her own self-imposed standards. She was on the run, even when she had freedom. She might have never had the chance to reach where she wanted to go in her previous life, but she could see now how she would've been bound to hit a wall at the pace she was going.
"But right now it's like you're wearing your heart on your sleeves," Umeno said fondly. "It feels like I'm seeing a whole new Yunagi-chan, and I very much like this new Yunagi-chan, who is somehow clumsy but very, very cute."
Reiya turned red with a skeptical smile while Umeno carried on, "I know you understand that as musicians, music is our lifestyle, our language. Music starts inside of us. We represent it, and it is our duty to give life to it." She paused, her expression dissolving into worry. "And I know the change that began in you came from the reason behind what made you choose The Swan as your concours piece. I will not pry what it is, but as a fellow musician I cannot help but worry. You've been doing so well last week, but now it sounds like your Swan is in mourning. So I must ask, Yunagi-chan…What is making your Swan so sad?"
"What is…making my Swan so sad?" Reiya echoed, hesitantly with a touch of wonder.
"Yes. If you have a hard time answering that, you can tell me why you chose The Swan instead. What is The Swan to you, and why did you choose it?"
Reiya's eyes fell on her violin. Umeno had been right when she said that Reiya had never taken interest in the Romantic-era type of music before. The Swan was one of Hina's favorites, and while she liked its smooth and calming melody, Reiya never imagined herself actually playing it. The piece was meant to be played by a cellist, after all. Not by a violinist.
And yet she heard The Swan when she fell in love, and she heard it again when she played Viomaru for the first time after going back to the past. It became so very dear to her, the melody connected to sweet and precious memories, and Reiya felt her chest grow tight and unravel with a pulsing tide of encompassing love and yearning in response, making her all soft and forlorn and completely at the mercy of her emotions.
But she checked herself when she finally answered in a quiet voice, "That's because to me...The Swan is an ode of love."
Umeno's posture shifted and Reiya didn't need to look to confirm she had surprised her teacher. She held still, feeling a little nervous as she awaited the older woman's reply.
When Umeno finally spoke, her voice was soft and threaded with fond amusement. "Many see it that way. It did come out during the Romantic Era, and its graceful melody does feel similar to that first touch of love. They say the bird itself is a symbol of lifelong devotion and loyalty, and that a pair of swans is said to represent two soulmates for life."
Intrigued, Reiya looked up and was met with the older woman's smiling face, all gentle and knowing. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Yunagi-chan…But I take it that you mean for the piece as a dedication for someone special?"
Reiya's pink-cheeked reaction gave her away before she could even utter a word.
"I see! I now understand why you're in a pickle!" Umeno straightened in her seat and made a temple with her hands. "Luckily, I know just the thing to cure it. However, its effectiveness will depend entirely on you."
"What do I need to do, Umeno-sensei?" Reiya asked, her expression tightening with determined anticipation.
Umeno answered with a wink and a snap of her fingers. "You must go back to your muse, Yunagi-chan. You chose this piece for a reason, to give voice to the story in your heart. Now, the question is…for whom do you intend to tell that story? How will you play? How will you phrase your interpretation…all in order to reach that person?"
The questions poured into her like a trickling sluice of warm, liquid color, brightening the gloom in her heart and fortifying her resolve. And upon seeing the brand-new shine in Reiya's eyes, Umeno smiled with the air of having accomplished what she set out to do before sliding up from her chair.
"Now, that's enough practicing," she pronounced. "You already have a good grasp on the piece. What you need to do now is to get reacquainted with your inspiration. And since the concours is in less than two days, I would rather have you reflect on your answers, Yunagi-chan. I'm sure…that you'll be able to come up with a satisfactory result."
And so, Reiya left the studio earlier than expected; still weighed down by endless pressing concerns, but enlightened.
The sky was already lit with streaks of pink and lavender by the time she went out, and just as Reiya began the trek home, she heard her phone chime, indicating a new message. She pulled it out of Viomaru's case bag, smiling with warm surprise the moment she read it.
"There she is!" Emma exclaimed, grinning wide while Hina cheerfully waved her over.
The two were a welcome sight and Reiya jogged up to them with a breathless laugh, hands clutched around the straps of her case bag.
Hina beamed. "That was fast, Rei-chan. I thought you still have at least twenty minutes left!"
"I got off early," she said the moment she caught her breath. "I didn't think you'd be so close to the studio. What were you girls up to before coming here?"
"We did some shopping nearby for the festival," Hina answered brightly.
"And since you were close by, we decided to come and get you," Emma added. "It's too bad you couldn't come with us, but Hina told me all about you and the violin contest you're about to participate in and I think that's so cool!"
Reiya gave both of them an affectionate grin. They set off in a leisure pace, with Emma by Reiya's left and Hina on her right.
"So you're going to the festival too, Emma-chan?" Reiya asked.
"Yup! And I'm going to ask Draken to come with me."
Reiya thought of the tall, intimidating blond and tried to imagine Emma right beside him. They were certainly a striking pair, both of them fair-haired and attractive, but completely ill-suited in terms of height.
She wondered why Emma had fallen in love with such a boy, who had his temple tattooed with the very same design Mikey had in the future, and before she could reconsider, Reiya found herself asking, "Emma-chan, if you don't mind me asking…What made you fall in love with Draken?"
Emma gave her a placid, wondering look before averting her gaze with a hum. "There's a lot to love about Draken," she answered before giving the taller girl a cheeky grin. "But you might fall in love with him too if I tell you."
"I wouldn't!" Reiya protested good-naturedly while Hina laughed and slipped an arm through hers. "If I had to guess, is it because he's so trustworthy?" she inquired, curious to know more about the tall blond, whom Mikey trusted enough to have as right-hand man and even went so far as to get the same tattoo as him.
"Well, that, and because he's reliable in every way." Emma smiled, now looking all dreamy and lovestruck, her next words barrelling out as if she couldn't help herself. "Draken's got a good heart and a good head on his shoulders. He's strong and cool and kind…and he takes good care of Mikey, who can be such a handful sometimes," she said with a roll of her eyes. "But Draken always looks after him and he never gets tired of doing it," she added, her expression turning tender. "I swear…Mikey and I and even Toman itself would all be so lost without him."
At first Reiya grinned, thoroughly charmed and entertained at the thought of Mikey being a handful (it was nice knowing he had someone to rely on to be a handful in the first place), but then her grin diminished pensively by the time Emma finished sharing. She'd delivered the last bit with casual sincerity, and yet the words sounded almost ominous in its simple truth.
Reiya didn't know a lot about Draken yet but just as she suspected, it was clear that he was someone significant to Mikey, someone who apparently had no qualms spoiling him and would probably never choose to leave his side.
And if that was true, then where was he in the future?
"Are you planning to ask him today too, Emma-chan?"
The two girls turned to Hina, who had been preoccupied with texting on her phone with one hand. She slipped her phone back into her bag and smiled. "I just finished exchanging messages with Sendo-kun, one of Takemichi-kun's friends, and he said they're hanging out with Draken-kun and Mikey-kun right now."
Emma's eyes widened. "What? Draken and Mikey are together!?"
"Un. Takemichi wouldn't answer his phone but I'm guessing he left it at home again, so I asked Sendo-kun where he was and that's what he said."
"No way!" Emma cried, looking relieved and thrilled and skeptical at the same time.
Reiya regarded her with furrowed brows. "Did something happen?"
Emma and Hina exchanged a look. "I think it's fine if we tell her now," the blonde said.
"Tell me what?" Reiya instantly probed, nearly talking over Emma.
Hina, whose left arm was still lopped around hers, slid her hand down to hold hers in a consoling grip. "I'm sorry for not telling you this sooner, Rei-chan…But Draken-kun and Mikey-kun got into a fight with each other."
"A fight involving Moebius," Emma added darkly.
Alarmed and perplexed, Reiya looked from one girl to the other and asked, "They did? Why? Did the war start already? Wasn't it supposed to be on August the 3rd? W-what happened?"
"The war is over," the blonde answered evenly. "That's because Moebius went on full asshole-mode by striking first before the settled date. From what Takemitchy told me, Moebius ganged up on them out of nowhere but Mikey defeated their leader before it turned into a full-on brawl. Toman won, and everything should've been okay after that but Pah-chin…Toman's third division captain and the reason why Toman is at war with Moebius in the first place, stabbed Moebius' leader in the back, like literally. He ended up getting arrested and Mikey wanted to bail him out, but Pah-chin insisted on giving himself up and Draken wanted to honor that."
Tears of unresolved distress sprung to Emma's eyes but she steeled herself, blinking rapidly to keep them from falling. "The two of them fought because of that and I've never seen them fight like this before. Their past arguments never threatened to tear Toman apart and I just didn't know what to do and I was so scared…But hearing what Hina said just now must mean everything's okay now, right? I can hope they've already made-up, can I?"
She stared up at each girl for reassurance and Reiya immediately reached for her hand, wrapping it in hers in a gentle grip. "I'm sure they have," she said just as gently. "From what you told me about Draken, he understands Mikey the best and Mikey trusts him more than anyone else. I'm sure it didn't take long for those two to reach an understanding at all."
"I second that," Hina added, leaning forward to give the blonde a reassuring smile. "I don't think they'd hang out if they're still mad at each other."
A slow but rapidly growing smile filled Emma's face with a brilliant glow. She brought a palm against her eyes and laughed a little, letting out a cheerful "You two are absolutely right!" as she dabbed at her lingering tears.
"So all that was happening while I was preparing for the contest, huh," Reiya murmured. She was vastly relieved to know that the conflict between Toman and Moebius was already over, but learning that Mikey got into a fight with friend and foe alike while she was completely oblivious to the whole situation, weighed her down with the sense of being robbed.
"We didn't want to distract you with the concours drawing so close," Hina shared apologetically. "And I was the one who insisted on not telling you anything. I'm so sorry, Rei-chan."
Reiya made herself relax. It was impossible to get mad at her best friend when she only had her best interests in mind. She gave both girls' hand a tender squeeze and smiled at them both. "It's fine. I understand. Thank you for thinking about me, the both of you. But next time don't hesitate to tell me if something like that ever happens again. We're friends, and I would want to share your worries with you."
"Got it~!" Emma sang, swinging their arms together. "Now that you're here, we finally have all the moral support we need. Right, Hina?"
Hina gave an empathetic nod of her head and followed Emma's lead, both of them swaying Reiya's arms back and forth as they advanced with renewed enthusiasm. "Yes!"
Reiya laughed and let them pull her along before giving each girl a bemused glance. "So we're heading off to see them right now?" She stalled looking at Hina and said, "And Hina-chan, I'm surprised you haven't asked Takemichi-kun yet."
"W-well I just couldn't find the right time to ask him," Hina admitted, her cheeks turning pink and her motions slowing down. "But the truth is…Takemichi-kun makes me so nervous lately…but I don't mean that in a bad way!" she hastily added. "It's just he seems so mature these days…different, a good kind of different…but at the same time it's like he has no idea. I find it cute, but…it also makes me extra conscious of him, you know?"
Hina's hand tightened in hers and Reiya automatically squeezed it back, her eyebrows knitting with it. That had been the second time she heard Hina describe her boyfriend as 'adult-like'. She thought of Takemichi, who was perhaps the most awkward and jittery delinquent to ever exist, and Reiya didn't know about the "mature" part but something was definitely up with Hina's boyfriend.
Then again, she only met him once. Reiya knew how first impressions tended to be misleading, but something was telling her that Takemichi might just be the one she needed to pay attention to the most.
His reaction to knowing her name, his look of alarm at seeing her earring, his connection to Toman and his friendship with Mikey…
Reiya was about to ask Hina when she'd noticed such changes when Emma beat her to the punch and spoke first.
"Come on. You don't think he'll reject you, right? He's your boyfriend!"
Hina began to pout. "Maybe not but it's the asking part that's hard! And he just got out of the hospital, too."
Emma shrugged. "At least you've got a better chance than me," she pointed out.
Reiya's eyebrows shot up at hearing Takemichi getting out of the hospital but she nudged her suspicions and curiosities aside in favor of encouraging her friends. The two were understandably doubtful and nervous, and she felt it her duty not only as their friend but also as an adult to guide them accordingly, remembering Mrs. Tachibana's inspiring piece of advice back when she was feeling the same.
"Be brave and go for it, you two. I think you've already accomplished something by simply deciding to try, and I've only ever talked to Draken and Takemichi-kun once, but it's enough for me to believe they would probably never say 'No' in response to your feelings, so there's not much to fear, is there? Besides…"
Both girls looked to her with expectant eyes and Reiya met each one with a confident smile.
"Women in love are fearless, fearsome women."
They found the boys playing soccer in a spacious vacant park. Their arrival went completely unnoticed, however, and so the girls decided to approach Takemichi first, who was the only one hanging back in the elevated pavilion nearby. His bleached blond hair was not in its usual style and he was lying down on the flagstone floor, raising his fist up to the sky for some reason.
As odd as it was, Reiya didn't dwell on it. She noticed four other boys she didn't recognize (but figured one of them was the aforementioned 'Sendo-kun' Hina texted) but she didn't dwell on that, either, her eyes going straight to Mikey, who was clad in a stylish jinbei ensemble the color of a bluish sage.
Reiya stopped in her tracks while Hina and Emma advanced, feeling her heart work fast with four different kinds of emotion at once – wistfulness and adoration, agonized concern and gratified relief. It couldn't have been easy for Mikey coming to terms with what happened, but seeing him playing and smiling with Draken by his side showed his acceptance and was now moving forward.
She loved seeing him like that, as just a teen without the weight of the world and Reiya admired him for a moment, transfixed with his skill and the supple ease of his movements before turning away with a blush, one hand flying up to hide her reddening face the moment she realized just how adorable Mikey looked in his outfit.
'Aaahhh he looks so cuteee! I want to take a picture so bad but that would make me into some kind of creep…!'
Reiya sighed before heading off to join the girls with Takemichi. Judging from the look on his face, Hina's mission to ask him out to the festival was a success.
"See? What'd we tell ya?" Emma remarked. "He's your boyfriend so of course he'd wanna go with you."
Reiya chuckled and bent near Emma's ear with a grin. "Now that Hina-chan's secured, it's your turn asking Draken out, Emma-chan."
The blonde colored, her timid gaze flitting up towards Draken. "Do you think he'll say yes?"
Reiya's smile softened. "There's only one way to find out." She held Emma by the shoulders and gave her a gently encouraging push forward. "It'll be okay, Emma-chan. I don't think he'd be opposed to having some much-needed downtime with you after everything that happened."
She gave the shorter girl a wink and let her go, watching with fond pride as the blonde took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, her honey-colored eyes brimming with fiery determination.
"Right…I'll do it right now!"
Emma turned to leave but not before sending her a mischievous smile over her shoulder. "It's really too bad you can't join us for the festival, Reiya. 'Cause my brother needs some much-needed downtime too, you know~?"
Flushing, Reiya opened her mouth to object but the cheeky skipping blonde was already out of earshot and Hina turned to face her that very moment.
"Can you really not go to the festival with us, Rei-chan?" she asked with pleading eyes.
"The contest won't end until 5:30 PM," Reiya explained a touch apologetically, the heat in her cheeks dimming gradually, "and I still have to pick Taito up from daycare after that."
She would've added more, something along the lines of staying with her brother until their mother comes back from work and that she'd try to ask for permission to join them, until she saw another one of Takemichi's strange knee-jerk reactions to her from the corner of her eye. But this time, Taito's name seemed to be the trigger.
Confused but intrigued, Reiya caught his eyes and gave him a disarming smile. "Hello, Takemichi-kun," she greeted, making him instantly collect himself and greet her back with a nervous smile.
"H-Hi there, Yunagi-san…"
"Oh!" Hina suddenly exclaimed. The two followed her gaze and saw Emma attempting to get Draken away from the others. "Emma-chan's about to ask Draken-kun out right now! I need to be there for her!"
The shorter girl began to leave towards the pair and Reiya began to go with her, but Hina paused and said, "You can stay here and talk to Takemichi-kun, Rei-chan. I want you two to be friends, okay?"
Takemichi spluttered. "Wha—! Hina!?"
But Hina merely gave a winning smile and took off before either could say another word.
Reiya turned to a staggering Takemichi with a consoling smile. "She's always been quite the little whirlwind."
Takemichi responded with a tiny chuckle. "You said it."
An awkward silence descended. They both looked out into the field, not quite side by side, but close.
"Uh…Do you wanna sit down…?" Takemichi suggested.
"Sure."
They sat on the pavilion's stairs, keeping a respectable distance away from the other. Reiya took Viomaru's case bag from her shoulders and she felt Takemichi's eyes latch on to it as she laid it on the floor beside her.
"So, uh…you came here straight from practice, Yunagi-san?"
Reiya nodded, mouth parting to elaborate, "I have an upcoming contest to attend in two days and today was the final practice session."
"O-oh, I see…Good luck!"
"Thank you."
Another awkward silence, this one longer and more profound. Takemichi tried to appear unbothered but Reiya could practically feel the unease oozing off of him, an unease for which she was the source. Her tongue itched to ask outright what his problem was but at the same time Reiya was well aware that she needed to approach him with careful consideration.
Takemichi was her best bet in getting first-hand information where Toman was concerned, and she knew she needed to guide him into a feeling of safety first, needed to make him see her as someone he could trust before she could even begin to ask about everything he knew. Every concerto has its opening phrase, after all.
As for whatever reservations he might've had towards her, Reiya would either learn of its roots or dispel them completely.
She tried to come up with a topic they could both ease into and eventually settled on a gentle inquiry. "Hina-chan mentioned you just got out of the hospital recently, Takemichi-kun. How are you feeling?"
"O-oh, I'm all good!" he answered sheepishly.
"I'm glad to hear that," Reiya said with a smile. "Did you get beat up from when you fought against Moebius?" she ventured next, not really requiring an answer but watching his expression closely from her peripheral view. "Emma-chan told me a little about what happened…that Toman won but took considerable damage. Mikey and Draken fighting, especially…that was extremely worrying to hear. Emma-chan said their fight almost ripped Toman apart, but it looks like they're way passed that now."
She saw his expression shift with a grim sense of relief, and his voice sounded uncharacteristically solemn when he said, "It really was a close call."
"Were you there when they made up?" Reiya asked, turning a little in her seat to face him.
Takemichi's expression changed once more but this time he looked completely abashed. "W-well…"
"Oh my god…! S-so that's why…your hair…!" Reiya gasped, shaking and slouching away by the time Takemichi had finished sharing just what made the two stop fighting. She desperately tried to keep from laughing out loud by smothering both her hands against her mouth, but trying to cut it off only made it worse.
"I-I'm so sorry, Takemichi-kun…" she forced in between a burst of snickering-giggles, "but thank you, really...!"
"Glad to be of service…" the blond muttered lamely.
That made her giggle even harder but Reiya willed it down by straightening and clearing her throat. "N-no, I'm serious…"
She looked at him with a smile, the gesture wide and wobbly but nevertheless one filled with gratitude and genuine warmth. "If it wasn't for you, who knows how long it would've taken for them to make up. So thank you for looking after them, Takemichi-kun. I think you're a very good friend."
Takemichi stiffened with a blush and Reiya smiled, enjoying how she'd finally succeeded at wheedling pass his guard before pausing with a jolt of mortified awareness.
"Oh! I just realized I've been calling you by your first name so casually..." she started apologetically.
"Ah i-it's okay! Everyone's been calling me by my first name these days, anyway. All thanks to Mikey-kun."
Reiya tilted her head. "He gave you a nickname?" she guessed.
Takemichi nodded, slow and self-conscious. "Y-yeah…And he, uh, Mikey-kun gave you one too?"
"Un…" Reiya answered, averting her gaze. "I guess we both caught his interest, huh?" she stated softly.
Takemichi's gaze joined hers, the two of them watching the pale-haired blond, and all of a sudden a mutual sense of tension settled over the air between them. There were words there…questions, curiosities…heavy and hovering like a raincloud about to pour, but they were forever left unsaid when Mikey turned to look in their direction, holding the ball in his hands with a rising, "Takemitchy—"
But his eyes didn't go to Takemichi.
They went to hers.
And although they were about a dozen meters apart, Reiya felt the full force of his notice go through her like a zap of molten sunlight.
Suddenly a pair of approaching shadows fell on the ground before her, and Reiya readily looked up to see two of the four boys she didn't recognize regarding her with open interest. One was tall with black eyes, black slicked back hair, with sharp features and a pronounced upper lip, while the other one was shorter with red-bridged glasses, his countenance bubbly, his hair the color of chestnuts and styled in a bushy upswept top knot.
The taller teen sat and sidled up to Takemichi, slinging an arm around his shoulders and making the blond mutter a beleaguered, "Oh great," beneath his breath.
"Takemichi my maaaan," the tall teen sang. "You never told us you have a pretty new friend. Care to introduce us?"
While Takemichi deliberately prolonged his reply, the shorter teen took the opposite approach by addressing her directly, his interest tempered by genuine friendliness. Reiya instantly liked him.
"Hi there, my name's Yamagishi Kazushi. What's yours?"
The tall teen spluttered. "Oi Yamagishi what the hell!? Why're you getting a head start you bastard!?"
"Dude she's literally right there and she's not deaf," Yamagishi answered with a roll of his eyes.
"I was trying to be smooth, damn it!"
"Please. Your forehead's the only smooth thing you've got."
"Shut it, Gang-dex! Ain't it the same with you too!?"
Takemichi slapped a hand to his forehead and gave her a sheepish glance. "Sorry about that, Yunagi-san. They're idiots but they mean no harm." He lifted a hand palm upwards to the teen beside him and said, "This guy's called Makoto, by the way."
"Man you guys are straight up ruining my vibe," Makoto whined.
Reiya chuckled. "It's okay," she told Takemichi before regarding both of his friends with a smile of amused tolerance. "My name is Yunagi Reiya. It's nice to meet you Yamagishi-kun, Makoto-kun."
Both boys paused, their eyes riveted on her left cheek. In the next second Makoto reared back and clapped both hands against his eyes.
"She's got a dimple!" he cried.
Takemichi sighed. "Please ignore him."
Yamagishi took a step forward and tipped his head down towards Viomaru's case bag. "You play the violin?"
Her eyes followed his, and Reiya gave the case a light, loving caress as she answered, "Yes."
"So that's why you've got calluses on your hands, Cherry-chan."
Reiya's gaze flicked upwards, Yamagishi and the others did the same, and they all held still as Mikey penetrated right through their sphere, his eyes fastened on to no one else but hers.
Mikey was smiling his signature smile, his manner calm, his approach not at all aggressive, but something in his undivided regard had Yamagishi stepping away. Even Takemichi strained back a little, his blue eyes darting back and forth between them.
Reiya didn't spare a thought trying to decipher what that look meant. She kept her eyes on Mikey, awed and riveted and surprised.
"Mikey…you noticed? I mean, they're barely visible..."
Her calluses were thick but she always made sure to take proper care of her hands. As a result, the hard patches of skin were light in color and looked barely-there. Reiya lifted her palms and spread her fingers wide, doing this at the same time peering up at him as if to say, "See?"
Mikey leaned over her palms and studied them with a hum. "Really? They're pretty easy to spot if you ask me."
His gaze slid up to meet hers, his mouth curving with it, and suddenly Reiya realized just how close he was to her. She was aware of her temperature rising and yet she could do nothing to stop it, unable to focus on anything else but the familiar look of steady interest in his deep, obsidian eyes.
"You must really like playing the violin, huh," he went on to say and Reiya smiled a little, feeling the edges of her heart unravel underneath his dark gaze. In that moment it didn't seem to matter that Mikey was technically twelve years younger than her, or that he really wasn't the one she fell in love with.
In essence he was that man, and the power he had over her eclipsed logic and time, even her own doubts and reservations.
She looked down on her hands and spoke in a voice that only he could hear. "Yes…enough to let it break me."
Reiya couldn't see his face but she felt his regard shift, even when he was completely still. It felt like a renewed intensity, a level up of his curiosity and interest.
"Rei-chan is really good," came Hina's sudden announcement. She strolled right into the group followed by Emma and Draken, and Reiya had one look of the blonde's glowing, triumphant face before her best friend continued to add, "She's won a lot of contests all over the region and she's about to join another one!"
A light blush covered Reiya's face and she fought from fidgeting beneath their collective looks of newfound admiration. "I don't win all the time. And I'm not very confident I'd even place high on the next one, or at all," she admitted sheepishly. "That's because the piece I'm going to play isn't usually the type to be played in contests."
Mikey tilted his head and asked point-blank, "Why did you choose it?"
It was a question brought out of pure curiosity but it made her heart race, reawakening her qualms, her resolves, her inspiration. Suddenly Reiya heard Umeno's words ringing all through her, unfurling like a burst of sunshine piercing through a storm.
"You chose this piece for a reason, to give voice to the story in your heart."
"How will you phrase your interpretation…all in order to reach that person?"
"You must go back to your muse, Yunagi-chan."
She stared deeply into Mikey's eyes, a vibrant pair of abysses filled with the memories of all the ways he had looked at her, showing her the way, the hows, the answers.
'My muse…'
Slowly Reiya found herself smiling, the smile becoming wide and bright despite her obvious efforts to moderate it.
"Would you like to hear it?"
Mikey's reaction was a quick double-blink of surprise. She knew he wasn't the only one she'd managed to shock, but Reiya didn't turn to look as she moved to extract Viomaru from its case bag, eliciting soft sounds of awe the moment she brought it out.
"Beautiful, isn't he?" she said to no one in particular, her voice tender. "I call him Viomaru."
"Viomaru," Mikey repeated, his eyes lit with glints of wondering amusement.
Reiya stood up with Viomaru and its bow in her hands, prompting the blond to ask, "Is that really okay?"
She met his gaze, her smile turning soft with anguished compassion as she thought about the things he went through, the things he was forced to accept, and the things that were still weighing him down. She longed to soothe him, to let him know he did good, but right now she could only do so in a way she knew best; through a song, through the only means she could tell him all the things she wanted to say without the need of words.
"Today is a happy occasion," Reiya told him, "and I would like to commemorate it by playing for you." With a smile, she turned to the others and added, "For all of you."
The others instantly accepted the notion with the girls being the loudest. Reiya moved up to the rest of the stairs and sauntered to the middle of the pavilion. Looking at their eager, expectant faces, almost felt as if she was about to play in front of a huge crowd instead of nine. Reiya knew they would probably never criticize her, that there wasn't really any real reason to feel so nervous, but all the same that didn't stop her nerves from thrumming in unsteady leaps, and she knew exactly why.
Her muse was there. And although he was hardly qualified to judge her performance, his opinion was what truly mattered to her.
"This piece is called The Swan," Reiya began as she held Viomaru in place. She began to smile as her gaze moved over the group, her eyes lingering on Hina's smiling face and Mikey's placidly awaiting one. "And I chose it as a dedication to someone very special to me. I hope you enjoy it."
With a quiet inhale, Reiya touched the bow on Viomaru's strings and played. She began with deliberate precision, filling the air with smooth, gliding strains, the tempo familiar and sure, her hands and body moving with practiced ease.
All the while she kept Mikey within her sight, and all the while she spoke to him in her heart, every pulse and thought corresponding to every single note.
'Manjiro-kun…You never did get to hear me play properly for you. Now please listen as I offer you this song. You know, I…I heard this piece the moment I fell in love with you. But when I met you again for the second time, I heard nothing at all…Nothing but my heartbeat. But I felt it…Every beat of my heart recognized you…'
Her senses were attuned to every subtle variation of his face, so much so that she could actually feel his gaze, the force physical, a touch that warmed and pierced deep. It shot to the very heart of her, down to the vault of purest feeling where all the love she carried for him laid. Reiya closed her eyes and gave herself over to it, over to the music by gradual degrees, letting it flow, letting it take her.
Her movements became as natural as breathing, the melody turning distant in her ears, drowning in the heavy drum of her heartbeat. She was floating in warmth, lost in the tides of overflowing tenderness...And yet she was aware of every single tone and chord, every drag and push of the bow, every glide and shift of her arm and fingers until it felt as though she was not only playing the violin, but singing through it.
'You are my future, and I am yours in every way, in any way you would have me. You gave me a second chance at life, and I can never think to live of a life without you. So tell me…what can I do for you? How can I help you? Please show me how, for I am so lost without you…You are my only, my lifeline, my sweet surprise…My heart beats only as an echo to yours.'
Reiya opened her eyes, willing for the words to reach him before her eyes could, and what she saw in Mikey's gaze gave her rapture.
AUGUST 03, 2005
It poured out of her and the instrument in waves, rippling into the air in rich, heartful strains, and Reiya knew instinctively, with every breath, that she was made for that moment. She was no longer performing but transcending, her heart and spirit uniting with the piece in the most powerful emotion known to man.
Her descent was wrought in a steady, poetic decrescendo, met by a silent hall. In the next second the space thundered with deafening applause, the audience shooting upwards for a standing ovation.
Reiya could hardly believe the reception she was getting. She was aware of people smiling, crying, looking absolutely moved. And yet all she could see was Mikey, the outline of his figure and the look in his eyes standing out with vivid clarity against the sea of faces before her.
And much like the time she played for him, Reiya broke into a sweetly gratified smile with the glitter of tears in her eyes, holding Viomaru and its bow close to her chest as she gave a graceful bow.
It was surreal. Reiya couldn't believe her ears. The applause kept on coming and coming, just as powerful and charged as the first while the sound of her name lingered in resonating echoes all throughout the hall.
Her hands flew up to her mouth in astonished disbelief. She kept blinking and blinking, unable to believe what she'd just heard.
"Go on, Yunagi-chan!" Umeno encouraged with teary eyes. "You won!"
Toshiro went to her next. He was grinning and teeming with fatherly pride, but he said not a word as he clasped a hand across her shoulders and gestured for them to move.
Together they went upstage to where the jury and the other contestants awaited her. Reiya was grateful for Toshiro's support as she found she could barely move on her own. All eyes were on her and while most looked on with approval, some were understandably dumbfounded, and one of them was Kuroshima.
But perhaps none of them were as surprised as Reiya herself. She tried to smile as she shook each of the judge's hands but it was wobbly by the edges, and she looked so comical in her baffled delight that one of the judges actually laughed.
He was a matured-looking man with the air of a certified virtuoso, with dark brown hair that was lightly brushed with silver at the temples, and kind incisive brown eyes with laughter-lines creasing the corners.
"Confused, are you?" he said with a smile. "But do not doubt that you are deserving of first place, Yunagi-san. Your performance went beyond the technical elements, but that isn't to say we didn't abide by the criteria, of course. However, what we look for in a competition isn't based on a cookie-cutter mold, and what made your interpretation truly special was how connected you were to the sound. You were telling a story through The Swan, and you communicated that to the audience with an exquisite subtlety which stemmed from a purity of intention. We could see it in your eyes, in your smiles, the way you moved with the music...and that set you apart from the rest."
The initial shock in Reiya's system melted away as she absorbed each word. She began to smile in earnest while the other judges concurred with complimentary nods and smiles, and she thanked them all with a gracious bow.
She knew her victory wasn't hers alone. And as she stood before the clapping audience and basked in the glow of her unexpected triumph, Reiya swore she could feel Mikey standing right beside her.
He was there even when he wasn't, for he was her muse and the pulse of her heart. Her one and only.
Her swan.
Hina all but glomped her after the awards ceremony, nearly knocking Reiya off her feet. Thankfully, she managed to catch them both after fumbling briefly with the trophy, which was a transparent crystalline plaque the shape of a violin.
"You won, you won!" Hina squealed. "Congratulations, Rei-chan!"
"I still can't believe it," she replied with a shaky laugh.
Hina drew back and held her within arm's length, her lips tipped up in a tenderly determined grin. "It was unexpected, but not unbelievable. And I know I already said this a day ago, but I'm gonna say it again: that was the most beautiful violin rendition of The Swan I've ever heard!"
Reiya chuckled and smiled but froze when she caught the figures of two very familiar looking people coming right behind Hina. Her eyes turned huge, her mouth dropping open in a combination of wonder and disbelief.
"Taito? Mom?"
They drew even closer, both of them smiling and suitably dressed for the occasion.
Hina immediately detached herself from the hug and steered Reiya by the shoulders as they faced them together. "They arrived just in time to see you play," she said in an undertone. "We happened to sit together and let me tell you, Rei-chan...They loved it just as much as I did!"
The taller girl was beyond stunned. Her mother had stopped attending her recitals after the divorce, and while their relationship improved significantly during the past month, Sorako had remained indifferent when it came to her musical undertakings.
But now she was actually right there, her features warm and proud, making Reiya's chest and throat prickle with a rush of emotion.
Taito stopped short in front of her, his cheeks glowing pink and his eyes turning round in unveiled awe. It was the first time he'd ever seen her play and she'd managed to amplify the experience by actually winning. Taito looked momentarily at a loss for words, but eventually he said, "You were awesome!"
Reiya instantly smiled in return, her free hand reaching down to caress the side of his head. "Thank you, Taito. Would you like to hold my trophy?"
"Can I!?" he asked excitedly.
Reiya's answer was to place it in his hands, and Taito immediately took to holding it like it was some national treasure in which he was the head bodyguard.
Sorako came to congratulate her next, and just when Reiya thought she'd have enough surprises for the night, nothing could have prepared her for what her mother did and said next.
She drew her in for a hug, bringing Taito with them, before letting go and gently grasping her face in her hands, her voice soft.
"You were wonderful up there. Kaname would be so proud of you."
The words shattered Reiya's heart. Not in a sad or melancholic way…but broken open, breaking apart to turn anew. Sorako hadn't said Kaname's name in years, and Reiya couldn't remember the last time she openly held her with affection. She was choking up, her eyes and nose stinging, and the entire hall blurred with a watery haze.
Reiya took a moment to compose herself, smiling as she said in an unsteady voice, "Mou. You could've told me you were coming."
Sorako withdrew her hands and grinned impishly, reminding Reiya so much of how she used to be when she was younger. "Then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"
"Panpan wanted to come too, but Mama said he's underdressed," Taito said, making Reiya and Hina laugh.
"Oh my gosh! Speaking of getting dressed, I still have to prepare for the festival!" Hina announced.
"What time do you have to meet up with the others?" Reiya asked.
"At seven, and Emma-chan and I agreed to go together."
"I see…this means you have to go now, huh," Reiya murmured, receiving a nod in return.
"We're going out to celebrate by having some dinner in the city," Sorako suddenly broke in, surprising both girls, especially Reiya. "Will you not join us, Hinata-san?"
Hina answered with a gracious smile. "Thank you, auntie. I would love to, but I already made plans for dinner."
"Really? All right." Sorako glanced at her wristwatch and regarded her with mild concern. "It still shouldn't be dark out there right now but take care."
"Don't stay out too late, okay?" Reiya said. "And text me when you get home."
"Okay, Rei-nee-chan," Hina returned impishly, giggling at the taller girl's mock pout before pulling her in for a hug.
"I'm serious," Reiya pressed, her cheek smushed gently against the shorter girl's head. "And don't hesitate to call me if something happens."
"I'll be fine, don't worry!" Hina replied, still chuckling, before lowering her voice in a softly concerned tone. "Don't freak out too much at dinner, okay?"
Reiya smiled and patted her on the back. "I won't. Thank you for coming to see me play, Hina-chan."
"You're always welcome," came the wholehearted reply.
Hina gave her an affectionate squeeze and let her go, and as she left, Toshiro and Umeno strode up to take her place.
The dark-haired man's regard was amiable, but there was a wondering nuance in his smile as his gaze met with Sorako's, and that's how Reiya knew he was just as confounded as she was.
"I'm glad you could make it, Sorako-san. I didn't think I'd see you here tonight."
Sorako gave him a neutral smile, the kind which aimed to set the record straight. "It's nothing a little rescheduling can't fix, Toshiro-kun. I know how diligently my daughter had prepared for this day, and I wanted to see the fruits of her labor. You and I both know how she likes to keep a tight schedule. But in spite of that, she makes time for family, and I owe it to her to do the same."
The dark-haired man's smiling golden eyes went to Reiya's astonished ones before her mother had even finished, and in them she saw the depth of his congratulations, commending her in more ways than one.
Her teachers proceeded to exchange pleasantries with her mother, and while Sorako and Toshiro fell into the kind of conversation old friends tended to make, Umeno deftly excused herself and took Reiya aside to congratulate her in private.
"Thank you, Umeno-sensei," Reiya said earnestly. "And thank you for playing with me. I couldn't have done it without you."
"It was my pleasure," the light-haired brunette replied feelingly before giving her a warm smile, her glasses glinting sagely under the light. "I knew you'd find the answers, Yunagi-chan. It looks like you have quite the story in your heart after all…And what a beautiful story it is."
Reiya could only answer with a smile, a smile that was too brilliant to suppress. Umeno's eyes suddenly shot behind her and she beamed as she waved someone over, prompting Reiya to look as well. Her eyes fell on Kuroshima, who cut a stunning figure in a semi-formal beige-colored suit. A gleaming silver medal hung around his neck, bearing the mark of second place, and he was smiling at the two of them with his casual grace.
"Kuroshima-kun, there you are!" Umeno greeted. "I'm glad to see you're still here. I thought you'd gone home already. How did it go with your father? Does he feel well? He disappeared right after the awards ceremony."
Reiya and Kuroshima stiffened, both of them not anticipating the inquiry at all. From what she could remember, Kuroshima's father was a respectable music instructor working at the Tokyo University of the Arts, whose area of expertise laid in music theory. Reiya tried to recall what Kuroshima's father looked like, but all she could summon was a hazy and imposing figure swathed in dark clothes.
The image triggered memories from her previous life, particularly when Kuroshima once told her the reason why he chose to become a violinist.
"Father said I was born with perfect pitch. He thought I'd do well with a violin, and what do you know?" He grinned. "He was right."
Compassion stirred in Reiya's chest as she stared at him. It was clear that Kuroshima had a specific set of standards to live up to, and she couldn't fathom the pressure he must've felt of having to operate within the mold his father set for him. It made it Reiya feel acutely grateful for Kaname, who placed no such burdens on her, and that he'd let her fall in love with the violin on her own accord. Nevertheless, Kuroshima's love for the instrument was genuine and deep, his commitment unquestionable. No doubt he found solace in it, in a sense that was not at all different from hers.
"He's okay," the peach-haired boy answered, his smile bearing subtle signs of weariness. "He's waiting for me outside, actually. But I told him I just couldn't leave without extending my congratulations to tonight's unexpected winner first."
Reiya regarded him warmly just as he trained his smile on her. Kuroshima had always been a good sport, and a good rival. Although he tended to gently gloat when he wins and turn frivolous when he loses.
"Is that so? Well then. I'll leave you two to your post-concours discussion then," Umeno responded sunnily, and then she slipped away.
Kuroshima turned towards Reiya again and executed an exaggerated bow, making her chuckle. "Congratulations, Yunagi-san. You really pulled out all the stops tonight."
"So did you," Reiya said, reaching out to shake his hand when he offered it. They gave each other a quick, firm shake before letting go. "I think that was the best live interpretation of Caprice no. 13 I've ever heard."
Kuroshima grinned and then mock sighed. He lifted his right hand and made a show of lightly shaking it. "My wrist's gone all stiff on me though. If I'd known I'd get beaten with a Romantic-era piece, I would've chosen something easy on the tendons."
Reiya's smile morphed into a chagrined one. "I still can't believe I landed first place. It should've been you, Kuroshima-kun."
The very second the words left her mouth, Reiya immediately regretted saying it, as it almost sounded like she was pitying him.
Kuroshima's smile faded away, but contrary to what she expected, he looked resigned and reflective rather than offended.
"If this wasn't the season-opener and was a region-wide concours instead then yeah, I guess I could say it should've been me. It should've been someone who performed with an actual violin piece. But the thing with contests is that everyone has an equal opportunity to win, and that you can't really be too sure it's you, so you shouldn't afford to be so complacent." His eyes shot down and he gave a quick shake of his head, a self-deprecating smile emerging across his face. "To be honest I didn't like how you changed pieces, Yunagi-san. It looked like you weren't taking the concours seriously at all. But I was wrong. I was the one who became complacent. I thought that, with you switching pieces, I'd have it in the bag."
Kuroshima sighed and shrugged, and met her gaze with a small, genuine smile. "I'm still pretty bummed about not landing first place, but then I heard what that judge said and I agree. You played with the most passion out of all of us up there, and your interpretation was perfect exactly because it wasn't trying to be. So no more feeling guilty, Yunagi-san. You won and that's that."
Whatever inhibitions Reiya held towards Kuroshima melted away. To hear him willingly admit his misgivings like that...It made her realize that she'd been subconsciously expecting the opposite from him. He was so familiar to her that very moment, the untarnished Kuroshima Yuuma before the accident, and Reiya found she'd just might let him keep his place in her heart after all (in a completely platonic sense, of course).
"Thank you, Kuroshima-kun," Reiya uttered softly, before quipping with a playful wrinkling of her nose, "I will surely sleep well tonight after hearing you say that."
The peach-haired boy laughed and Reiya shared in it. Kuroshima recovered first and he regarded her with questioning curiosity.
"But it's still pretty strange though," he hedged. "I couldn't help but notice how your interpretation tonight sounded different from how you've always practiced it, Yunagi-san. And the last one was only two days ago." He inclined his head forward and asked, with a teasing lift of his brow, "What's your secret?"
Reiya blinked twice at the question, but the answer came to her before she could even begin to think about it. The entire hall began to glow, sensations gathering vibrantly with the sound of her mother's laughter and the sight of her little brother with her award. Everything that ever mattered to her came together seamlessly within that iridescent place, a legato of beautiful things, made possible all because of the love she held for one man.
Remembering that Kuroshima was still waiting, Reiya looked at him again with her smile growing tender and wide.
"I knew love."
Sorako invited Toshiro and Umeno to join them for dinner but the two had respectfully declined, both of them keen on making the night extra special for Reiya.
"We'll have our own celebration in the studio," Toshiro told her sotto voce, his eyes warm and amused. "Sorako-san looks like she's got something up her sleeves so go and enjoy the rest of the night with your family, Reiya-chan."
And Toshiro had been right as unexpectedly, Sorako had made reservations for them at a luxurious family restaurant in the heart of Shibuya, one that was known for its sumptuous Teppanyaki cuisine. Taito was beside himself with excitement as he watched the chefs cook and prepare their food, while Reiya couldn't stop from feeling as though she had walked into some fantastical simulation, where everything seemed almost too good to be real.
"How long had you been planning this?" she asked her mother with a puzzled smile, while Taito attempted to build a stacked Kobe beef tower in their midst.
"Two weeks ago," Sorako answered, pausing from depositing a piece of sirloin steak in her mouth. She smiled softly. "You've been working hard, so I thought to give you a little surprise tonight. You deserve it, Reiya. Whether you won or not."
Reiya's eyes watered. Although that could be largely contributed to the lofty stack of seared white onions Taito had piled in front of her.
The rest of the dinner turned out to be a fun and lavish affair, with Reiya's heart ending up becoming even fuller than her belly.
"Too bad Papa isn't here," Taito had uttered glumly halfway through dessert.
But Reiya thought it was perfect.
The rain had already begun to pour by the time they exited the establishment and got into the car, the slow and moderate kind that implied a long and steady fall. The world was dark and muffled beyond the waterlogged windows, seeming like an entire dimension away with its mosaic of light and sound.
Incidentally, the inside was just as cut off from the world. Sorako was in a good mood, and that much was clear to Reiya when she played Taeko Onuki's music on the audio system, her favorite singer of all time. The song Yokogao was currently playing, filling the car with bright mellowy jazz and Taeko's airily sultry voice.
Beautiful sounds that Reiya currently found unbearable.
She'd begun to feel unsettled the moment they left the restaurant, her nerves tightening inexplicably as if it was bracing for something, warning her of something, making the cheerful beats pound unpleasantly in the hollowing pit of her stomach like a swarm of golden canaries darting against the walls of a deep dark cave.
It couldn't have been all the meat Reiya consumed, but what on earth could possibly be so terrible right after the perfectly wonderful day she'd just had?
But then again, her fate had always been fickle. She had affirmed that already, danced to the whimsical tempo of its rhythm.
The anxious palpitating in her veins settled right after she'd acknowledged it, sharpening her senses, gearing for preparation. The rain fell nonstop but it barely created enough pressure to obscure the streets. The windshield wipers were working steadily and properly, the road hardly jam-packed, and Sorako's driving was smooth and alert.
They were nearing the boarders of their district when Sorako suddenly upped the pace, making Reiya's heart rate rise with it. "Uh, Mom…You might want to slow down a little. There's a blind spot up ahead," she pointed out, eyes darting to the driver's seat beside her.
"Yes, I know. But the road's clear and I'm not about to go all turtle with your brother drooling all over himself back there."
'Oh. So that's why he's been so quiet,' Reiya thought with a reluctant smile as she twisted to the side and cast a quick glance behind them.
Taito was slumping adorably in his booster seat, his pouty mouth hanging agape and glistening with drool. Reiya chuckled, and she was still looking at him when she heard a familiar sound coming in close from the distance. A roar. Hundreds of them.
She whipped around in her seat, her thoughts corresponding exactly with her mother's dawning drawl of surprise.
"What on earth…?"
They were coming in fast, full speed, from the right-side junction, the blind spot Reiya had been so anxious about. The traffic light flashed red on their end but the oncoming bikers showed no signs of stopping, exhausts and engines and the shifting of clutches resounding with frightening intensity.
They were at a crossroads with multiple headlights creeping in dangerously close from the edge of the corner, the uproar deafening, forcing Sorako to stop at the end of the lane. The car halted with a slight screech just as dozens upon dozens of bikers in black uniform zoomed past the street before them, baring their fangs and holding banners of the Tokyo Manji Gang.
"Oh these no good delinquents," Sorako seethed.
Taito stirred awake at all the noise, his sleepy eyes instantly snapping open at the sight of Toman whipping past. "Wha...? Mama what's that? Who are those guys? They look so cool!"
Sorako shook her head, plucking a tissue out from the dispenser on top of the dashboard and reaching out to wipe at his mouth. "They are not cool. They're a bunch of bad children who like to cause trouble."
Trouble.
Reiya kept from settling back against her seat, her body suspended forwards, her back ramrod straight. That word sank into her with a jarring sense of realization. The world was loud outside, but her head was numbed with her flitting thoughts.
Toman, outside in the rain, clearly geared for battle.
But it didn't make sense. The war versus Moebius was over. It was won.
And yet a part of her had always doubted it. At how neatly the whole situation wrapped up. A doubt Reiya hadn't dwelled on because of how satisfying the results had been.
But oh, what a fool she had been to forget something so important!
Moebius was Kisaki's gang. He was involved. And thoughts of him evoked revelations and memories – images and conversations – hurtling with the speed of the bikers before her.
Toman and Moebius. Toman and Kisaki. Kisaki and Mikey. Mikey and the point of no return…
"The one who runs the whole thing like a show is none other than him. Kisaki Tetta."
"If it wasn't for him…Toman probably wouldn't become the violent gang it is today."
"There were rumors that Mikey-san and Kisaki never got along."
"…He understands Mikey the best and Mikey trusts him more than anyone else."
Her hand twitched at the sound of her own voice, completely unprompted, but natural, and Reiya froze at the sound of Emma's.
"...Always looks after him and he never gets tired of doing it."
"I swear…Mikey and I and even Toman itself would all be so lost without him."
And then she saw Mikey's face…grim and haunted and desolate...
"I've never been able to forget about it no matter how hard I tried. Because the day I heard it was the day after one of my friends died."
Reiya bolted upright in her seat, her thoughts exploding in a way that actually straightened it out.
The day after he heard it. The day she ran out of their house after the argument. The concours. The day his friend died. The rain.
The dragon tattoo.
"I have to get off," she whispered shakily. "I have to go."
Sorako, having heard what she said, shot her an incredulous glance. "What?"
Reiya didn't answer, didn't think. Didn't even look at her mother. Her hand snatched into the buckle of her seatbelt, releasing it with a sharp clack. She lunged behind them, reaching for Viomaru's case bag and ripping it open with a startling zip.
"Reiya, what on earth?" her mother questioned. "Reiya!?"
This last when she unceremoniously hauled Viomaru and its bow out and all but tossed it aside on the seat directly beside Taito, who flinched the moment it landed. Never in her whole life had Sorako seen her daughter handle her most beloved possession in such a cavalier way, and Reiya took advantage of her mother's shock.
She brought the case on her lap and yanked the glove compartment open, grabbing the first aid travel kit before stuffing it inside the case. The case bag was waterproof, so the contents would be protected. She zipped it close and moved to prepare another important item, which she had to take out from her shoulder bag.
'Good thing I decided to bring that with me today,' Reiya thought with steely satisfaction.
"Now hold on just a minute," Sorako tutted in growing irritation, "where on earth do you think you're going? It's raining out there and—is that a stun gun!?"
Reiya winced but didn't dare risk a glance her way. "What's a stumm gun?" Taito asked, eyeing the object in question before snatching it clean out of Reiya's hand.
"Taito! Give that back!"
Taito ignored her. He had more leverage with his booster seat and he kept it out of reach, scrutinizing it with fascinated distaste. "Ewww it's Jello Kitty. What does this thing do?"
"What on God's green earth possessed you to buy a stun gun!? You never even liked Jello Kitty!" Sorako exclaimed.
"It was highly recommended!" Reiya protested, snatching it back when Taito began to press and prod at the pointy tips of Jello Kitty's ears. "And stop that that's dangerous."
Taito huffed and pouted but Reiya ignored him as she dumped the stun gun inside the case bag's external utility pockets. Beside her, Sorako had been steadily building up force like a pressure vault about to explode.
"Reiya," she ground out sternly, "I don't know what's going on, but you're wrong if you think I'm letting you go out there in this rain, at this hour, with nothing but a stun gun to protect yourself!"
Reiya straightened with a deep breath. The entirety of Toman continued to pass by in droves, and so was the force of her panic. She met her mother's gaze with her heart and face set, staring Sorako down not in challenge, but in determined persuasion.
"I have to go," she repeated, this time with more conviction. "Someone I know is in grave danger right now and I'm the only one who knows about it. So please, Mom…Let me go."
Reiya didn't wait for an answer. She twisted for the door and slipped out, where the continuous outpour of rain immediately pummeled into her.
"Reiya, no! Get back in here right now!" Sorako commanded.
"Go on without me. I'll call you after it's over!"
"Nee-chan?" Taito called anxiously, and Reiya lingered just for a moment to give him a reassuring smile.
"I'll see you at home," she bade softly.
And then she shut the door and ran.
Immediately Reiya remembered she forgot to bring her phone but her steps didn't falter. She would deal with the repercussions later. The war wasn't over yet. It was only beginning.
And Draken's life was at stake.
Reiya wore the case on her back and clutched at the straps. The last of the boys had already preceded her, spurning her to run even faster. The festival's venue was only about twenty minutes away. Fifteen if she ran nonstop. Her black block-heeled shoes were hardly designed for running, the toebox and ankle straps already beginning to chafe, but her mind was in high gear and she refused to let anything distract her.
She powered forward with only one purpose in mind, the flowy hems of her midi white dress fluttering in the wind like the wings of a runaway swan.