Love, Eroge, Music & Other Craziness

by Geek Girl Naruru

Namikaze Naruto is a normal fifteen-year-old high school student. He has a distant relationship with his sister Naruko, who always treats him rudely. One Day in Spring, he encounters a foreign girl playing a piano on one of his travels to a junkyard and helps her in many ways as he discover that her name is Weiss Schnee.

56. Love & Xmas -Part 3-

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We were still arguing about our stage costumes the day before our performance.

"See, that's the last one. I win." Kagurazaka Senpai prodded Chiaki's nose as she drew the last fry from the box.

"Why are you sounding like it's a given that you'll win?" Said Chiaki in a weeping tone as she slumped onto her chair.
December 23rd. Since the practice room was out of bounds during winter break, we were at a studio located on the third floor of the music store Kagurazaka Senpai works at.

We were done with the rehearsal and had just reached the studio not too long ago. Instead of discussing on our performance during the rehearsal, Senpai and Chiaki were rattling about the costumes and the MC instead. As for me, I was not too pleased about our performance earlier, so I lowered the volume of my bass and played it silently.

"But I've even made the reindeer antlers already!" Chiaki puffed her cheeks and put on the beautifully-crafted antlers on both sides of her head.

Senpai's proposal, in which everyone wears white, clashed violently with Chiaki's proposal of "Santa Claus and reindeers". Therefore, they decided to settle it all with McDonald's fries. The rule was really simple—the person who picks the last fry wins. They said it requires some rather complicated strategy (really?), but I was focusing my attention on the bass during their duel. I hardly took any notice of them till Chiaki was yelling about when they were down to the last few strands.

"Oh right! You should duel with Senpai too, Naruto! It's better for us to wear costumes related to Christmas, isn't it?"

"Not interested. Let's begin with the practice already." Also, no food in the studio.

"You're not pleased about the rehearsal? Even the producer, who was complaining non-stop prior to the rehearsal, piped down after listening to our performance."

The organizers were not pleased when we submitted our application for a change in our group members after Weiss left the band, though that was something to be expected. That's because the judges were most impressed by Weiss's solo performance where she played through the first stanza by herself in Happy Xmas. The three of us rearranged the song in an attempt to convince the organizers. In the end, the producer who was hell bent on booting us out of the concert finally gave in after listening to our rehearsal.

However, I still can't forgive myself for my immaturity. There was a person amongst the people listening to our rehearsal who was visibly displeased with it—that's Deidara, who performed with us on stage. He was probably not used to the shallowness of our timbre since Weiss's departure.

And so I let the girls decide on our costumes and immersed myself back into the bass of my Aria Pro II.

"Anyway, it's decided. All white. Comrade Aihara, you can wear hot pants if you want."

"Uhh— Reindeers…"

"Despite her reluctance, Chiaki gave in. I heaved a silent sigh of relief. That's because the person in the reindeer costume will be, without a doubt, me. I probably won't be able to play due to my embarrassment if that were really the case.

"You've got the guts to challenge me despite knowing you'll lose. Are you that insistent on being a Santa Claus?"

"Because I wrote to Weiss saying we'll be dressing up as Santa Claus, so she'll have to come down to watch us. I even sent her a ticket."

"My fingers stopped strumming from my surprise. I turned my head around.

"… Chiaki mailed her a ticket too?"

"Chiaki's eyes widened. "You too?"

"Yeah, but…" I was about to say it should be my job, but I swallowed back my words. That's really selfish of me.

"If you're gonna give her a ticket, you should do it by heading to her house without hesitation! Or at the very least, you should give her a call! You wimp!"

Harsh, but very true. I clamped my bass between my knees in dismay.

Ever since that day—Weiss never came back to school, and the second semester ended just like that. Hiratsuka Sensei came to me on the day before the ending ceremony and told me Weiss had already cleared the procedures necessary to quit school.

"That's amazing. So every one of us mailed her a ticket huh." Murmured Senpai as she stared blankly into space.

"So you mailed her one as well?"

"Just to add on, I've written my name on the ticket. I wonder whose ticket she'll bring along with her tomorrow. This battle will be quite an interesting one, don't you think?"

Chiaki and I did not respond.

Weiss's probably not coming. That was my hunch. And it all ends without any words after that. As the red lights flashed above the door to the studio signaling the end of our session, we were chased out of the room.

It was pitch black outside. It was almost nine. As I looked through the crowded buildings into the sky, my vision was obscured by the dark clouds which shrouded it. The air was incredibly cold, to the point where my hands may just snap off from my wrists if I did not place them in my pockets. After bidding Kakashi-san goodbye, I walked out of the door and wrapped the scarf around my neck a few times before tucking it into the collar of my coat.

"Young man, you're going to give up like this?" Asked Senpai as she sat on the road barrier.

The lights from the store were shining onto Chiaki's face, who was standing right next to Senpai. She too, was staring straight into me. From then on, Senpai held true to her words and did not show me her smile anymore. However, the way she interacted with Chiaki was as usual, so that made things even more painful. Then again, it might be Senpai who's hurting even more.

"She'll be heading for America early next year, isn't that so? Why don't you go see her?"

I couldn't give her an answer, so I stared at my fingers, where the skin was all dried up and peeling off. And since I strummed my bass with my fingers, the situation was worse at my right hand.

"Are you planning to escape into your bass?"

Kagurazaka Senpai's tone was not a teasing one, neither was she lecturing me. She was just trying to confirm things. I nodded my head honestly. There's no concrete or sound reason for that. It was just me having no idea what expression I should wear on my face when I see Weiss. But when I realized I may not get to see her again, I was really scared.

Jacques said they'll need to stay in America for one month—that means she could return back to school. However, Weiss changed that plan. She's cutting herself off from us. I could not understand the reason behind Weiss's decision.

Because she does not want to see me anymore—I refused to think about reasons like that.

So for the past few days, I had been staying up late into the night to do some arrangements, as well as to work on the program of the synthesizer. I was way too engrossed in them, so that resulted in me failing three of my subjects. The strings of my bass snapped twice as well.

I won't have to think about Weiss as long as I am busy with the band. Isn't that much easier? I thought to myself. But that was not the case. Because everything I was doing was so that I could make up for the broken right wing of feketerigó. The place which belonged to Weiss.

Be it when I was sampling the sounds of my bass with the synthesizer, or when I was discussing with Senpai on how to rearrange the song to make it so that it's a single phrase, I would be torn apart by the fact that Weiss was not around anymore.

I couldn't forget about Weiss. Not even for a brief moment.

Music's no longer my place for shelter as well. I was just forced to cling hard onto it and wait.

"… The only thing I have in mind now is the live performance. Though I have no idea what I should do after that." I finally replied with a hoarse voice.
It's the Christmas concert which Weiss said we have to perform in. At the very least, I hope to fulfill her wish.

"Naruto has not grown a single bit." Said Chiaki as she shielded her white breaths with her gloved hands. Her legs were swinging about to-and-fro. I knew she was not dissing me, but her words stung nevertheless.

"Nope, not necessarily." Senpai would turn towards Chiaki whenever she's smiling.

"He might have circled back to the place he came from, but despite being all battered up, he can stand up on his own two feet now. If that's not called growing up, then I've no idea what is."

"Senpai's still as gentle towards Naruto, as usual."

"I'm still far off from you, Comrade Aihara."

The two girls were smiling at each other amid their warm radiance, leaving me by my lonesome in the cold night.

Chiaki jumped off the barrier and dusted the dirt off the back of her pants. As for Senpai, she retrieved her bicycle from the back of the building.

"Looks like it's precipitating. Will it be snow?" Murmured Senpai as she gazed at the starless sky.

"I really want to perform Happy Xmas, but I guess it can't be helped."

We had originally planned to use that song in our encore, but we decided not to perform it in the actual concert. The original arrangement that we came up with was for Weiss's guitar to perform solo in the first phrase, and there were no other alternatives which we could come up with.

The smile on Senpai's face disappeared as she looked at Chiaki and me.

"No matter how hard we try, even if we exceed our limits, we can only hit 75% of what feketerigó originally was. It's depressing, but that's the fact. But even so…" She stretched out her right hand. "Let's turn it into the best Christmas ever."

Chiaki and I nodded as we stacked our hands above hers. But the weight and the warmth was lacking. Perhaps Senpai noticed that, so she stacked her left hand above ours.

(◕ω◕✿)

I prepared the clothes for my performance just as the washing machine was tumbling about. I'll be wearing a long-sleeved open-collared shirt which I had borrowed, and on top of it is a white suit. There's quite a bit of luggage as well—there's the bass, effect unit and synthesizers. I checked the items once more. I then booted up the computer. It was working fine during the rehearsal, but I plugged in my earphones, the effect unit and my bass to check if it was working fine.

Crap, I was not the least bit sleepy. The concert will start tomorrow at noon. It will be pretty damn bad if I were to stay up all night, only to snooze off in the morning from my tiredness and oversleep. However, my cheeks were burning from the excitement which remained in my body during the rehearsal and the practice. I pressed the bass' body onto my face. The coldness was really comfortable.

It felt like I was doing something really stupid, so I opened up the windows. The heat on my body dropped a little as the cold air blew against my cheeks. The tree—the one which Chiaki used to climb up all the time, and which Weiss used once as well—appeared amid the rays of the street-lights. The leaves were already gone. I could see something white fluttering down between the thin shadows. Snow. It was snowing.

The only moving things in the strangely silent night were the illuminated snow floating past the street-lights. The asphalt was still pitch black as of now, but snow should begin to accumulate as the night continues. I wonder if it will be okay for the trains to operate tomorrow. Hopefully, the service will not be halted.

Just as I was about to shut the windows due to the bitter cold, I saw a pink silhouette shimmering beneath the street-lights. I couldn't quite see clearly past the branches of the treetop, so I stretched out my head subconsciously.

I saw it right, there is someone there. Someone outside my courtyard. A skinny person was standing next to the short metal fence, looking at his surroundings. Is he looking in my direction? His pink hair shimmered occasionally under the light.

Pink hair? I pressed my stomach against the window frame and stretched my body outwards as much as I can without taking a plunge.

He's Asto, carrying something black behind him—it's a guitar casing. Asto, with the guitar case on his back, was standing between the lamp-post and the fence, peeking towards my direction. What the hell is he doing there in the middle of the snowing night?

I ran down the stairs, put on my shoes and dashed out of the house without even putting a coat on. When I reached his proximity, Asto was about to give up and leave.

"Asto!"

My voice was surprisingly clear even though it was snowing. The silhouette with the guitar casing on his back stopped in his track.

"… Ruto."

Asto turned around. His face was ghastly white, his lips were purple. It seemed like he had rushed out of his house in a hurry, since he was not wearing a coat.

"W-What the hell are you doing? You'll catch a cold like this!"

"U-Umm, sorry. I'm sorry."

I sprinted towards him. Asto then collapsed into my chest just like that.

"… I ran here."

What does he mean by that? 'It's snowing, so put on a coat at the very least'… Just as I was about to say that, I realized it was not the time to be lecturing him when I came into contact with his shivering and icy skin. I brought him into the house.

"I'll bring you a change of clothes, so get in," I said as I pushed Asto into the bathroom.

Asto's clothes were wet due to the snow, so I grabbed my pajamas from the second floor then ran to the kitchen to heat up some water. When I returned to the living room and heaved a sigh of relief, Naruko enter the living room asked briefly, "Naruto? What's going on?"

"Well, I'll like to know as well."

Come to think of it, why does he know where I live?

"That's the violinist Astolfo Icecolle, right? Do you know him? Why he's here in our house?"

"Yeah… Asto is my friend. As for why he come here, that's I wanted know too."

As I talking with Naruko, Asto walked into the living room with a towel wrapped around his head. The pajamas was hanging loosely on his body.

"Are you okay now? Feeling warmer?" I asked Asto.

"M-Mmm… thanks."

A post-bath Asto's cheek was flushed red like an apple. He took a look at Naruko and me and lowered his head.

"Sorry for interrupting you so late at night."

"It's okay."

I brought Asto to my room on the second floor.

Asto scanned the room. "So this is Ruto's room." For some reason, he was swinging his legs about happily.

What? Is my room that interesting? I had just shifted the synthesizer and my bass out of my room, so there were a few remaining cables lying around on the floor. I was a little embarrassed by the untidiness of my room.

"You do soak yourself in music. Is this the norm for you?"

"Nope, I was just preparing for the live performance."

The smile disappeared from Asto's face instantly. For a long while, he did nothing but hold onto the cup tightly.

Actually, I had not seen Asto for a while since that day in the orchestra's practice room at Shinagawa. The same day when I last saw Weiss. The day where our wings were broken.

Perhaps it was damaged way before that, it was just me who was oblivious to everything.

"Tomorrow's… the live performance, right?" Asto placed the cup on his knees and said softly.

"Sorry for coming over all of the sudden. You're not angry, are you?"

"No problem. But how did you know where my house is?" I don't remember telling him my address.

"I got it from Kyouko."

Senpai huh? Why? Also, are they on close terms with each other?

"Umm, well, where's my guitar?"

"Ah, I placed it on the corridor. I'll get it."

When I brought the guitar case up to my room, Asto opened it up and took out something from within.

I held my breath.

Blazing beneath the lights was the vintage sunburst-coloured Stratocaster. All I needed was a brief look. There's no mistaking it. It's Weiss's guitar. Why is it in Asto's possession? No wait, this Stratocaster belongs to Asto in the first place.

"Weiss returned this to me. I didn't ask for it back."

I lifted my head quickly. Didn't Weiss say it was confiscated by Jacques? Why is it in Asto's possession? So she lied? Why?

Asto hugged the Stratocaster tightly in his bosom and sat onto my bed once more.

"… Weiss changed the planned schedule for her treatment. She's probably not returning again"

"Mmm, I heard." And I knew it was Weiss's decision as well.

"Also, she said she'll be studying there."

"… Mmm."

Really? Makes sense. She did quit our school already. Weiss has already planned to live on the other side of the ocean. In a country where I am not around.

"Did you hear about the hospital where she'll be going to?"

"Eh? No." Well, it's not like it'll help if I know.

"I heard it's in California. It's a university hospital that is famous for its sports medicine."

Sports medicine?

"So I say," Asto gripped hard onto the neck of the Stratocaster and heaved a painful sigh, "Weiss injured her wrist because I taught her the wrong way of playing the guitar. It was harsh for her wrist. It's said that the hospital is visited by many musicians."

"So she'll be rehabilitating so that she can play the piano once more?"

"There are quite a number of guitarists who went there before. I know of a few."

I stared at Asto's face blankly.

"The strength in Weiss's fingers and wrists are very weak, and she learned the wrong way of playing as well. That's why she has to practice correctly from scratch, so that she can play the guitar once more."

And the guitar as well? Why? I couldn't breathe. Didn't Weiss abandon the guitar already? No, but, the Stratocaster's here. And 75% of feketerigó is still around.

"So she did not tell Ruto about it." Asto's voice sounded like he was close to tears.

"I did ask Weiss about it. Why she is keeping it a secret from Ruto and leaving just like that?"

I shifted my body towards Asto and asked, "What did Weiss say? What did she say?"

Why don't you ask her yourself, you useless wimp? A voice reverberated painfully within my mind.

"She refused to say anything. I don't know, I have no idea. Because even though Weiss loved Ruto so much; even though she could have returned in just one month, and then she can be together with Ruto once more. Wouldn't that be great? But Weiss, she…" Asto sobbed as he hugged onto the Stratocaster tightly.

I collapsed onto the floor. Why? Right now, at this very moment, Weiss had finally conveyed her feelings clearly to me. Getting back the piano and returning back to my side is not enough. Weiss's a quarter of feketerigó as well. She loves the band very, very much. Even if she has to be separated in another country for an unimaginable amount of time. She has to get her wings back.

"Why? There's no need for her to leave silently like this. I hate it. Weiss and Ruto both looked so sad, I don't want to see you two like this."

"That's because…" I had done something really horrible to Weiss. I thought Weiss will never be coming back again.

"She'll definitely be coming back! Ruto you idiot! Don't you understand that much?"

Asto dumped the Stratocaster onto the bed, jumped off from it and landed before me. He then leaned forward with his hands on my knees, his eyes filled with tears.

"She's doing her best so that she can return, so that she can play the guitar once more. Why? Why is Ruto always like this? Why can't you just do your best to see her even if it's not possible? She'll be leaving Japan soon, there's not much time left to see her, you know?"

I understand what you're saying. But…

"When are you going to muster the courage needed? If all you're doing is to wait, you'll never be able to muster the courage required!"

I almost fainted from Asto's words, which hit me really hard on my head. I knelt, hands on the ground, at the edge of my bed. Weiss's doing it all for the guitar and the sake of the band. So that she can soar above my pulsations once more?

But Weiss didn't tell me that. Is it because she fears that everything may fail? Or is it because she lacks the courage, just like the way I am? If so, then we are both doing some incredibly stupid things.

I could feel body warmth leaning onto my back. Asto had buried his face into it.

"I'm sorry, Ruto."

"… Why are you apologizing?"

Human beings will not improve the tiniest bit if they have to apologize after they are done scolding an idiot as one. But Asto's warmth was leaving my back slowly. Then came a zipping sound. When I turned around, he had already packed the guitar back into its case.

"I can't stand it. I should not be the one who's telling you this. Because Weiss is just as silly, just as cowardly and just as stubborn. However, I love Weiss, and I love Ruto too. It hurts so much. I'll become all fidgety whenever I think of how everything's my fault. I could not hold back any longer when Weiss returned the guitar to me, so I asked Kyouko to tell me your address. I then ran my way here."

I shook my head. It's not Asto's fault, but I had no intention of consoling him with empty words like these.

"But Ruto's dense as usual. All you are thinking of is the concert."

Sorry for that—I rebutted him in reflex.

"I've promised Weiss that I'll do the best live performance ever. She'll definitely not forgive me if I am to deliberately play badly. Therefore…"

"That's just you being pointlessly stubborn."

Stubborn? He said I'm stubborn? That's right. I stood up and drew out a MD from the pocket of my bass casing. I then slot it into the audio system.

"… What's this?" Asto came over and peeked into the system. "The recording for today's rehearsal."

The proof of my stubbornness.

The harmony of Chiaki's hi-hat and Senpai's plucks began to play, coming closer and closer as if it were the sounds of a bell. The toms where hitting to an ethnic rhythm; the baseline was vibrant; the melody line from the synthesizer at which the modulation effect was stretched to its limits.

Asto dropped onto the floor.

What an irony. What was originally supposed to be played by four where everyone gives in their all, the sounds have become depressingly clear when the head count was reduced to three.

Finally, Asto picked up my bass that was lying on the floor.

For a countless number of times, I had witnessed and listened live to the superb performances from people like Kagurazaka Senpai, Weiss and Deidara, and were depressed as a result. However, the blows were nothing compared to what I am feeling now. Asto's slender fingers were skipping around, reproducing the melody of my bass to perfection by pacing himself impeccably to the feketerigó that was flowing out from the MD.

"Your techniques have improved, Ruto."

Doesn't sound like he was praising me. I was not the least bit happy. If only these geniuses can be locked in their glass casing forever and never come out.

"Because you have placed everything related to Weiss aside and focused on practicing."

"Just shut up. It'll be even more amazing on the actual performance! Come on down and see for yourself if you're free tomorrow." I grumbled in chagrin.

Asto stuck out his tongue. "I'm having a break tomorrow, but there's no way I'll be attending the concert."

Ah, is that so? Fine. I was throwing up a tantrum in my mind, so I remained quiet.

"Because there's only the three of you on stage. It should not be too far off from this recording, right?"

Nope, don't you underestimate a live performance. But I still remained silent.

"The MD's more than enough. Why's the quality so good though?"

"Because I had first recorded the sounds of the band into the effect unit already. When the system is done reading and processing it, it will then be played by the synthesizer. So all I have to do is to hook the MD up to the synthesizer and I can record stuff easily."

Oh—Asto put on an uninterested expression and shifted his gaze to my bass. He then heaved a sigh and stood up.

"… Well then, I'll be leaving. Ruto's got to wake up early tomorrow as well."

"Wait, hold on. Your clothes are not dried yet, you know? And it's still snowing heavily outside…"

Asto opened his eyes wide and stared at the pajamas on his body. He's not planning to leave while dressed up like this, is he?

"Umm, well, but…"

"Why don't you just crash over for the nigh?

I took a glance at Asto. He lifted his eyes to look at me.

"… Is it really okay for me to stay?"

My heart will skip a beat if you ask me with that expression of yours.

"M-Mmm."

After pushing all my luggage for the live performance into a corner of my room, I laid a futon on the floor and looked at the time. It's about time when the last train departs. There's a live rehearsal tomorrow as well, so I'll have to get up early.

Goodnight—I said softly as I switched off the light and squeezed into the blanket. Various sounds from today were swirling about in my brain.

"Young man, you're going to give up like this?" asked Senpai.

"Naruto has not grown a single bit," commented Chiaki irritably.

The sounds of the heart beats created by the harmony of the hi-hat and the bass. The slew of irritating requests made by the organisers. The train skidding across the icy railway.

"—Ruto."

Someone called me all of the sudden. I pulled my blanket away. Amid the darkness, I could see Asto sitting up from the futon.

"What's up?"

"Can I sleep on your bed?"

It was dark, so he probably could not see the stupid, dumbfounded expression on my face.

"W-W-Why?"

Is it too cold? Does he want to swap beds?

"Ruto will not just disappear, will you?" Asto's voice was filled with unrest. "I'm so scared. You won't disappear like Weiss will, right? It feels like everyone… everyone will disappear when I close my eyes. It's so frightening."

"I won't disappear. I'm right here."

I was troubled by the unfounded unease from Asto.

"Y-You're not… angry at me, are you? You don't hate me, do you? B-Because… it's all… it's all my fault. It's the same with Weiss as well. If only I did not teach her the guitar…"

At a distance not far away from my arm, Asto had buried his face into the blanket and remained silent.

It's not Asto's fault—there was no way I could say that. Because that's a lie. The reason Weiss's right hand was broken was because Asto taught her how to play the guitar. However, I stroked Asto's silky hair gently.

"I never would have met Weiss if Asto had not taught her how to play the guitar." And Senpai too. And of course, I would not have met Asto as well. And the blazing passion on stage, as well as the sweet taste of searing hot sweat. And the true beauty of music.

"I'm not angry. It's probably the same for Weiss as well. There's no way she'll hate Asto."

"—Really?"

"Yeah."

"But I'm still scared. I'm afraid that everyone will disappear when I wake up." Asto gripped hard onto my wrist and gave a painful moan.

I heaved a sigh. What a headache. He's just like a kid. No actually, he is still one. And I am too. Since Asto's a year younger than me, he's only a first year high school student based on his age.

"Mmm, s-sure, if you want. But my bed's really small."

Asto's squeezed his petite body into my bed. I could hear a sob coming from him. Well, it's not a big deal since we're both guys. But I'm a little nervous nevertheless.

I turned away so that my back was facing Asto.

"… Ruto…" He muttered my name weakly. His breath was caressing my neck. Moreover, his body warmth was pressing gently onto my back.

Can I really fall asleep? I began to worry about things that were totally different from what I was worrying about a while ago. Then again, he did mention how he used to sleep together with Weiss on the same bed before. Perhaps he's used to doing this all the time.

I guess I shouldn't be worrying about stuff like that as well. All I have to think about is the live performance tomorrow. Surprisingly, all the noises that were swirling in my head had gradually disappeared, as though they were sucked away by Asto's warmth.

Finally, I surrendered peacefully to my drowsiness.

(◕ω◕✿)

When I woke up, I was embraced by a pair of slender arms circling me from my back to my chest. What's going on here? The tip of my nose came into contact with soft, silky hair when I flipped my body in my blanket. I was greeted by a cute and angelic sleeping face right before my eyes. I was about to retreat in shock, but he then gave a nasal "mmm" moan and buried his face into his arm.

Oh right, that's Asto. We slept together last night. He may be a guy, but having to wake up to someone with a body as slender as his on your bed, and a face that is so incredibly feminine appearing right before your eyes—it's really not good for the heart.

Moving carefully so as not to wake him up, I slowly moved my body away from his arms and got off my bed. A chilly, creaking sound came from the floor. I had no idea what time it was since it was still pretty dark. It shows nine o'clock on the display of the sound system. Well, since it's so dark, that means… as I pulled the curtains apart, my eyes were blinded by the snow-white world. My barely awakened body was shivering to the freezing cold. The roads, roofs, courtyard and fence were all covered up in snow. Fragments of the sky were fluttering downwards slowly from the grey clouds. It's a white Christmas.

Somehow, everything before my eyes seemed unreal. I would not be surprised if everything was just a dream, starting from yesterday when Asto came to my house. However, when I stretched my hand out of the window, my body heat was indeed drained away by the air as my skin came into contact with the silent chill.

My sleepiness was peeled layer by layer away from me. As I closed the windows and turned my body around, I could still see the pink hair boy sleeping on my bed. This isn't a dream. Not Asto, not the snow, and not the performance which we'll be having today.

Guess I'll leave my house earlier today, since it will take a fair bit of effort to get to my destination due to the heavy snow. After I was done changing into my performance wear, I heaved the bass and the synthesizer onto my back and walked out of the room. Even as I walked down the short distance along the narrow stair, it felt like my back was about to break. Since Asto said he's taking a break today, I guess it'll be better not to wake him up as he should be pretty drained out.

"Oh, morning, Naruto. Had a fantastic night with your girlfriend?"

"And here I'm wondering why the hell you're up this early, Naruko… rather than saying idiotic stuff like that, shouldn't you be doing something else instead? There should be lots of things waiting for you to do, aren't there? Like the laundry, for example."

"Hmph, I'm really busy in the morning. There is my favorite Anime waiting."

I was in no mood to reply to that, so I walked weakly towards the kitchen instead. I had no intention of wasting my energy on pointless stuff like that since today's the day of the performance.

"What about Asto? Is he still asleep?"

"Yeah, he said he's resting today. By the way, Naruko can you cook him something when he wakes up? And can you also take him to the station after that?"

"Sure, it's not like I have anything to do this morning… speaking of which, I thought he'll be going to the concert along with you. Isn't that the reason he came here?"

"Nope, he said he's not going."

I know Asto angry. He's probably not interested in feketerigó without Weiss, regardless of whether we played well or not. Same goes for me too. If so, what's the reason I'm still standing on the stage? Even though there's just the three of us left.

Am I just being stubborn, just as Asto had said? Or is it just to savour the sweet excitement during the performance? Or to bathe myself in the glittering stage-lights and the cheers?

It might be all of the above, or it might be none of those reasons at all. Our forefathers had left us a magical curse which can explain everything at any given situation. If you ask me why, it's because it's rock 'n roll.

After I was done with breakfast, I prepared myself fully by wearing a raincoat over my windbreaker. Both bass and synthesizer casings were all wrapped up in huge plastic bags as well.

The sky was a little brighter when I walked out of my house, but the snow was showing no signs of stopping. Since the snow was fine as it was precipitating in a pretty low temperature, my boots sank halfway into the them when I stepped out of the door. It wasn't exactly impossible to walk, but I did have a lot of luggage on me. I was seriously regretting how I should have left the synthesizer at the venue after we were done with the rehearsal yesterday.

As I walked out of the courtyard, I was greeted by Chiaki, who was waiting for me there. As the drummer, she need not bring anything along with her, so she was holding onto an umbrella instead. Perhaps as a tiny rebellion against the decision made by Senpai, Chiaki wore a red coat which reminded me of Santa Claus.

"Morning! Pass me the synthesizer."

"I was thinking of meeting you at your house."

"You'll have to wait a hundred years to be earlier than me." Smiled Chiaki as she snatched the synthesizer case away from my hands.

I originally wanted to offer her the bass instead since the synthesizer was much heavier, but she was already walking swiftly towards the station with the case on her back.

"Had a good night's sleep? Naruto's the type who will think about all sorts of things on the day before a performance."

"Ah, yeah."

I thought it's a given not to be able to sleep with Asto pressing himself onto my back, but for some reason I had slept really well instead. Perhaps it's because I was at ease having experienced the warmth of a human being. But that's something I'll never say to Chiaki.

"I guess I won't be able to rehearse thanks to my frozen hands."

"You'll just have to stick the pair of drum sticks onto your hands with chewing gums or something."

"Ahaha, why don't Naruto stick his mouth shut with chewing gum as well?"

"I can't sing like that."

"You can hum to the song instead."

Strange, why am I feeling calmer as I approach the performance venue? Weiss's probably not coming, so there's no way we'll be able to convey our rock music. And even though I know that… no wait, perhaps it's precisely because I knew?

I wanted to tell Chiaki the stuff I heard from Asto—things like the hospital where Weiss will be going to. However, I couldn't find the opportunity to say it to her amidst our banters.

(◕ω◕✿)

Located at the basement of the largest entertainment center in the city where we lived in is the club where we'll be doing our battle.

The shopping complex was filled with people despite the heavy snow outside. I could hear Jingle Bells amidst the background noise from the shopping mall's entrance which was decorated with flashing lights. Chiaki and I walked out of the station, both of us filled with sweat. It felt like the sweat on my forehead was freezing as the chilling wind blew its way past the corridor.

Walking down the escape stairs and into a private corridor, we went through a door with a Staff Only sign and reached the backstage. I could see her back and her braided long, black hair amid the workers which were running busily about with earphones on their head—Kagurazaka Senpai was already there.

Standing next to her were two person whom I knew. The tomboy girl was Yang. The tall one with silver hair's Kakashi of Melancholy Wolf, Deidara's partner. What's Kakashi-san doing there?

"Morning, everyone. Pass your instruments to the staff. They'll take care of it." Said Senpai suddenly as she turned her body around. She noticed our presence earlier than Yang or Kakashi-san did even though she had her back against us.

Speaking of which, Senpai's attire was pretty shocking. Despite the heavy snow outside, she was wearing a mini-skirt along with a tube top, which revealed her arms and her belly button. To top it off, she had on her feet a pair of white boots as well. It was uniformly white—all she needed was a laser gun and she'd look like a heroine who had stepped out of a B-rated science-fiction movie.

"Whoa! Won't you feel cold like this, Senpai?"

"I'll be releasing an unbearable amount of heat within and outside my body later on. Comrade Aihara, you should remove your coat too."

Chiaki's red coat was removed away from her body in an instant. You're wearing a white tube top as well, ain't you? I don't even know where I should be looking at.

"Naruto's the only one who's not dressed to kill." Shrugged Yang in disappointment.

"You might as well play the bass behind the stage. It'll be much more popular with the crowd if Kyouko and Chiaki's the only one on stage." Kakashi-san rubbed salt into my wounds by snickering teasingly.

"Shut up. By the way, why are you here?"

I could understand Yang's presence since she's part of the performing members, but why Kakashi-san?

"That Deidara, he wanted me to be the MC as well as the chorus for the performance. Said stuff like he's used to the way I talk, so it's much easier to stage the show with me. It's not like I'm a comedian or anything." Kakashi-san grimaced.

What, so it's the usual bunch whom we were used to seeing. We did not see any of the other performers yesterday since we headed straight to the studio after we were done with the rehearsal.

"Well then Kyouko, see you later."

Kakashi-san and Yang disappeared within the curtains which led to the backstage. Is Deidara there as well? I'm still not too good with dealing with him, so I was lucky we did not bump into him immediately.

"You two, come here." Senpai waved her hands in our direction as she walked to the side of the stage where the footlights were located.

This club has a pretty weird layout. I couldn't quite understand it even though it was already my third time here. Between the ground and the incredibly high ceilings were multiple layers of dance-floors, which looked just like Escher's deceiving drawings. There were small 'islands' linked together by multiple flight of stairs as well as two large hexagonal stages located at a very high place.

"We should be able to see everything since we will be performing at a place this high up in the air. We'll spot her immediately if she does come."
Who is she referring to? Chiaki and I did not ask her that question.

If it's Senpai, she should be able to spot the pair of ice-blue eyes and the snow-colored hair even if she's performing amidst the darkness and dancing spotlights. However, all three of us knew there's the possibility that she will not show up.

My feelings were calm as usual when I reached the club. Is it because of the snow? I thought to myself. It felt as though all of my feelings were sucked away by the pure white world.

All Christmas songs were songs about departures. Perhaps that's the reason.

And so, being in the depths of the mall; having sunk into a sticky mire of darkness, the heat of the crowd as well as the lights which were scratching against our skin, it felt like my chest was burning up once more.

I hope you will come. I want to see you. I want to see you, Weiss.

The four rhythmic strikes of the bass drum shook the walls and the ceiling. The footsteps from the crowd as well as the roaring cheers were seeping through the concrete.

Different from the cramped live house, there is an actual preparation room located along the corridor of the backstage. The rooms are about half a classroom wide each. To the right of the room was a desk, and to the left were well arranged cabinets. Since there were many performers around, the room was filled with instruments, costumes, sound systems and people.

As the group which will be going on stage next, we stood ourselves at a place closer to the exit. Chiaki and Kagurazaka Senpai were chatting with the men from the hip-hop group who will be performing right after us. High school students? For real? I heard rumours about an incredible group during the auditions, so that's you guys? How about a drink after the concert? Good idea, let's go on an outing next time. They were hooking up the girls pretty blatantly, but I was not aware of my surroundings. Instead, I was quietly listening to the vibrations coming from the stage as I sat on the chair, hugging onto one of my knees.

However, there's no way I'll know if Weiss was there from just that. Perhaps it'll be better if I don't know. I should allow time to flow past me as I get myself blinded by the footlights and stage-lights. And carry the beautiful illusion that she might have been there into my dreams.

The two groups before us were about to end their performances. Aside from the MCs and the interludes from the DJs, the performances between the six groups will go on non-stop. That's the reason they had prepared two stages for us. The other group waiting on the other stage will have to prepare themselves by getting on stage early.

It's about time.

The door to the preparation room opened. I stood up. A female staff popped her head through the door.

"Namikaze-san from feketerigó, someone's outside looking…"

Senpai and Chiaki, who were behind me, reacted way quicker than I did as they pushed their chairs away and sprang up in an instant. My knees were trembling. Could it be Weiss?

When I walked towards the corridor, a small silhouette dashed towards me.

"Ruto!"

Pink hair came flying out from the hood of a coat, followed by a pair of red ears and the red tip of his nose. I was so confused. Asto? And not just that. Leaning onto the wall of the corridor and brushing off the snow away from her overalls was—

"Naruko!? why are you here?" Chiaki gave a weird shriek when she ran into the corridor.

"Yo! I'm here to see the performance, Chiaki!" Naruko waved her hands with a smile.

Why? Why is Naruko and Asto here?

"W-Well, I got your sister to take me here since I can't reach Ruto through his phone." Said Asto as he hugged onto me tightly.

Naruko take him here? Why did she do that? And didn't you say you won't be watching our performance?

"Maestro Jacques just gave me a call."

I held my breath. Kagurazaka Senpai pushed Chiaki away on her back and walked to my side.

"They said they've managed to get the tickets on the waiting list. They'll be heading off on the four o'clock flight."

It felt like my head was buried in snow or something—it took me a long while before I finally understood what Asto was saying. Four o'clock flight? What does he mean by that? Four in the afternoon, today? Isn't that two hours later?

"Why so sudden!?" Chiaki questioned Asto from my back.

"The Maestro saw the tickets for the performance," said Asto in tears, "He was afraid Weiss would change her mind, so he booked the tickets immediately."

The tickets which we gave her. Oh right, Jacques's taking a break starting from today.

Weiss, she… in two hours time, she'll be taking off for the other side of the ocean. It was only then when I felt a sharp pain, as though half of my body were forcefully slashed apart from me. I knew that the moment would come sooner or later, but it does not feel real at all. It's farewell.

"Ruto, g-get to the airport right now!" Asto pushed me hard against my chest.

"Young man, it'll take an hour and thirty-seven minutes to reach the airport."

"It's only two o'clock right now!"

I looked towards Senpai and Chiaki in disbelief. What… What are you two talking about?

"… I won't… be going." A voice of feigned toughness.

"Ruto? Why are you still being stubborn at a time like this—"

"—Our performance is about to start!"

"What… What are you saying, you idiot!? It's way more important to see Weiss…"

"But this is live. There's no way I will abandon my band at a time like this."

"I'll do it!"

Asto pulled himself away from my chest all of the sudden and looked at the three members of feketerigó.

"I'll play the bass. Hey, you should have heard it before, Ruto. I know how to play everything… everything. And I play them better than Ruto does. S-So Ruto, you should…"

I had no idea where the strong emotions were surging up from within me. I grabbed Asto by his collar and slammed him against the wall of the corridor. Even Naruko was stunned.

"Ru… to…" Asto arched his body in pain.

I did hear it before. Asto could easily replicate the melody of my bass just by listening to it once. It's as easy as him rolling the oranges with the tip of his fingertips. But still.

"Don't you underestimate feketerigó."

A deep, murky voice.

"Your bass may be a hundred times better than mine, but I am the only person who can control the effect unit. The only person who can harmonize with Kagurazaka Senpai's melody from beneath is me as well. Along with Chiaki's support, I am the only person who can make the heart beat."

Also, the only person who can bring us up into the sky is Weiss. And only Weiss. Weiss's… the only person who can do it."

My hands and my fury lost their strength and dropped away. A hand grabbed me gently by my shoulders and pushed me aside. The person then carried the body of Asto, who was about to slide to the floor. It was Kagurazaka Senpai.

"… S-Sorry, but, but, I… Weiss and, Ruto, they…" Asto began sobbing in Senpai's arms.

I stared at my own hands. What the hell have I just done? What's the point in venting my anger towards Asto? However, even if I had said everything in the heat of the moment… actually, that's what makes them totally true.

"Young man." Senpai caressed Asto gently on his hair and said softly. "You won't regret this?"
I sank my fingernails deep into my palm. I had not fully restrained my unreasonable anger just yet. What's this? Why does this person have such an exaggerated evaluation of me all the time?

"Of course I will!" My voice was steaming. "I'll definitely regret it regardless of whether I go or not, but…!"

The gazes from everyone were incredibly painful, so I threw my words towards my feet.

"This is Weiss's band, a place where she can return and play the guitar once more. Therefore, there's no way I'll forsake this place!"

"Weiss… her guitar? W-What do you mean by that? Hey, Naruto!" Chiaki approached me and shook me hard by my shoulder.

Ahhh, I said it. Weiss had planned to keep it a secret forever, but I said it. But of course. There's no need to keep it a secret, yeah? Aren't we fellow comrades who are tied together by an existence named Weiss? Aren't we feketerigó, people who share the same blood and soar in the sky as one?

I told everyone everything. Including the reason why Weiss goes to the hospital, the reason why she quit school and chose to stay in the hospital for a long time. Weiss's plans.

Chiaki grabbed me by my arms and sunk her fingers into my skin in anguish. "… That's just silly. Weiss and Naruto are both silly. I can't understand you two at all!" She rubbed her temple with her fist as she said that.

The footsteps above our heads were getting more chaotic as time went by, and the cheers were increasingly louder. I could hear Kakashi-san's rattling on and on, stirring up the excitement of the audience. Chiaki drew out the pair of drum sticks from the back of her belt and held it in her right hand. She then shot me a glance before making her way through the corridor. Towards the direction where the noises were rumbling down the stairs.

"Let's get going, young man."

With his hands pressed against the wall, Asto was staring at me with his eyes filled with all of his pent-up emotions.

I said nothing. All I wished was for him to listen to our performance. I should be able to convey to him the things which could never be conveyed through the recorded rehearsal if he listened to the actual live performance.

Turning around, I began sprinting towards Chiaki and Senpai amidst the rumbling sounds.

The B stage's lights were extinguished, so we had to be careful not to be tripped by the wires as we began setting up our instruments and equipment. Yang and Deidara offered their help in setting up the equipment as well, since they were the previous group that performed on that stage.

On the A stage, the vocal group was swaying their bodies along to the funky melody, but their harmony was nevertheless solid.

The stands were ready. I strapped the bass onto my shoulder and knelt down beside the effect unit in an attempt to calm myself down. There was a sudden kick on my ass, causing me to fall forward and into the legs of the microphone stand. As I crawled myself up and turned my body around, I realized I was being stared by a pair of sharp eyes located beneath a bandanna. It's Deidara.

"So that lass ain't coming after all?"

"Because… I said it before, didn't I? Weiss won't be playing the guitar anymore."

"Who gives a damn about that? I was looking forward to it."

He was hoping Weiss would come. Just as I thought, Deidara was displeased with my performance during yesterday's rehearsal.

"That's right. I thought she'll show herself on the official performance, since there's two weeks for her to learn and memorize the correct methods to play the guitar. And then the shallow performance of your band will return back to normal."

It's impossible… for such a miracle to exist.

"So it'll just be the same performance as yesterday? That's not even worth listening to."

I shifted my gaze away from Deidara's body. Just then, I crossed sight with Kagurazaka Senpai, who was adjusting the height of the microphone stand. From the bitter expression on her face, I guessed she must have heard my conversation with Deidara.

The only thing the three of us could do was to modify mine and Senpai's parts to fill up the gaps left by Weiss. That's all. Nothing more than a quick fix.

"You guys were at your best during the auditions, yeah? I've no idea why you guys insist on performing on stage." Deidara disappeared behind the stage after leaving us those harsh words of his.

Even so, the only thing we could do is to perform. Despite the fact that we can only hit 75%, even at our maximum capacity and capabilities.

The cheers swelled and exploded. The dance beats that were hitting against my organs came to a halt as the lights on the A stage turned blue. I could clearly see the performers in their ending pose.

The MCs began chatting in a clear tempo, though I am not quite sure what language they were speaking in. It sounded more like a rap. I could sort of make out the word 'feketerigó' buried between the sentences.

I shot a glance at Senpai, who was standing in front of Chiaki. The three of us exchanged gazes for a brief instant. As the hi-hat began playing the semiquavers, I took a firm grip on my bass and moved myself towards the microphone stand. Everything started with the clear tones from the chord strokes, then followed by the entanglement of the toms.

I began knocking my fingertips against the strings of the bass. Restlessness began to rise. Fractured syncopations. Kagurazaka Senpai's powerful scream slit the dark, blue oceans apart, igniting the flames with a blinding light.

Before me, thousands of men and women were shaking their hair about with bloodshot eyes, as though they were dancing in asphyxiation. The waves of bass played from my fingers were sending high-voltage pulses into their heart, vanquishing all the sluggishness in their body.

I squeezed the lowest part of the bass' neck and allowed the bass line to gnaw its way into the treble. Upon receiving instructions, the effect unit began to combine, analyses and broaden the input received from the chord strokes of Kagurazaka Senpai's guitar. The result was an explosive outburst of light from the electric organ and the phase-shifted strings instrument. The rain of light was sucked in the opposite direction into a black hole—the cloudy area just beneath Senpai's singing voice, the place which originally should have been where Weiss's guitar bursts apart.

There's no way we can fill that up. How can that be possible?

I came into the painful realization yet again as I plucked the strings of my bass, which felt more like my blood vessels instead.

Weiss's not here.

At this very moment, I wish you can be together with us beneath the skies of the burning rain. However, Weiss's nowhere to be found.

Is it because I was trying to carve the unbearably painful and depressing truth into my ears, my eyes and onto each and every inch of my skin? Is that the reason why I allowed the arrangement to be all mashed up and the effect unit to go crazy, all so that I could ram my sound into Senpai's singing voice?

It's just as Asto and Chiaki had said. I am a hopeless idiot.

A large hole appeared in my heart. In a half-hearted response to that, I increased the tempo of my music. My blood was spewing wildly, and the wound was getting larger and larger.

However, the only thing I could do was to continue singing. There's no way Senpai could see me crying, and that applies to Chiaki as well. Of course, there was no way the audiences could either. However, should I stop singing for even a brief second, my voice will be seared by my tears, never to make a sound again.

Therefore, I continued singing and allowed the breeze from the ventilators to streak past my wet cheeks.

The sense of reality was stripped away from my limbs. Each and every one of the wildly dancing audience members were like the cells in my body. As the tired cells were removed, new cells grew in their place, lusting for blood as they soak up vitality. I guess this is how god must have felt. Even so, I have no need for this.

As of now, all I need to do was to tug at the invisible strings that were arranged orderly in the air, and I could drag out the one singing voice which I yearn from among the thousands of people. Even if it's the one that's all hoarse, whose lungs were shriveled up and the body reduced to dust.

But I needed none of that.

All I wanted was to see Weiss.

I wanted to see her. I wanted to see her so badly—

"— Young man!"

I lifted my head up and swatted away the darkness that was engulfing me. Before I realized it, I had fallen onto my knees, my hands gripping tightly onto the microphone stand.

What's going on here? The lights were splitting my face into two. Is our performance not over yet? I turned my head slightly. I could see Kagurazaka Senpai looking at me with a sorrowful expression, as well as her hand that was placed on my shoulder.

"Young man, can you still continue? Can you stand?"

When did I fall on my knees? We were done with the fifth song of our medley, a song where I was the lead vocals, and Senpai's guitar solo was the accompaniment to the fugue… so why can I still hear the beats as well as the piano riffs? And there's the avalanche of footsteps and applause coming from beneath my feet?

Turning my head back, I could see Chiaki sitting between the well illuminated drum set, her hair swaying wildly as she powered the engine into rotation. I shivered. The effect unit read the tempo of Chiaki's toms and converted it into a faint harmony of the piano and the xylophone.

"Young man, it's time for our encore! The A stage's not done with their preparation yet, so we'll be extending our performance. Get up on your feet!"

Encore? You want me to bleed even more? Are you trying to get me to puke the liquefied bones and organs within me? But… but I'm in such great pains already. What else can I sing? Weiss's no longer around. Regardless of the song we can choose in our hearts, all we'll be doing is to confirm the fact that she's no longer around us—just then, we found the answer—me from Senpai's eyes, and she from my lips.

Really?

Senpai asked me silently. Can we really do it?

I'm not sure if we did nod our heads in agreement. We turned our heads back and looked towards Chiaki. I knocked at the body of my bass twice with three of my fingers. Chiaki blinked hard in response. Even with the loss of our right wing, we are still the bird with a single wing. We need no words to communicate with each other.

The right hand was raised up high. It grabbed onto the semiquavers that were busily filling up the air in the club and torn it away at one go.

The toms, piano and the glittering decorations that were scattered around the melody disappeared in an instant. The audiences, tired from their dances, were suddenly left alone in the snow. They looked upward towards the cloudy sky in confusion. And just then, a faint tingling sound—Chiaki's hi-hats came in with its 6/8 beats.

Senpai and I did not even lift our fingers. Neither did we sing. But I heard it.

Senpai and Chiaki should have heard it as well. It's Happy Xmas.

I could hear the melody carved by Weiss with all her strength using her Stratocaster. That might have been nothing more than an illusion; or perhaps it's the memories of the past that were slumbering within the program of the effect unit, only to be awakened by the light bells of Chiaki only for this very night.

However, we were not the only ones who can hear that sound.

The singing voices from beneath my feet as well as in the air, and the singing of Weiss's Stratocaster to liven up the Christmas eve—both of them overlapped together to herald another melody. In came the singing voices of the children, praying for the end of wars.

I could actually hear it. The tired couples were humming along to the song which composed of only two verses as it reverberated in the night sky. They did not know Weiss's name. They should have never heard Weiss's guitar before.

We were not the only ones who heard it. Weiss's here. Weiss's really here.

As the first chorus was over, Senpai and I walked slowly towards the microphone. Chiaki's fill-ins were supporting Senpai's chord strokes as they soared high into the air. As for me, my bass was hitting hard in her shadow.

After the main chorus was done, Senpai began crooning into the mike. I had planned to join in as her harmony. But I could make no sound. My throat was burned by the acid-like tears. I could clearly hear Weiss's song right above the pulsations carved out by me, nested between the chord strokes of Kagurazaka Senpai. The voice which I had long lost, never to get it back again.

No, can I get it back? What should I do?

Weiss has already began her journey while we are still singing on stage. None of us have exchanged words of confirmation to each other. Music is a flame which will emit its rays of light to wherever it wants, regardless of the distance. However, doing just that will only result in an imprint of a white silhouette in the eyes. That's how fragile and delicate feelings are if you can't convert them into words.

Therefore, we sing. That's the reason why singing is the source of all music, regardless of the age or the nation we are in. Singing is the forerunner which strings everything together and burns it all apart.

In the end, under the guidance of Senpai's singing, thousands of voices lit up once more like burning flames. The song of prayer John Lennon had entrusted to the children. The war will end so long as you pray for it earnestly. But John was killed. Still, what remained were not just words, not just his vision, and not just his music.
When she was done with the harmony, Kagurazaka Senpai did the usual—she lifted the neck of her Les Paul above her head and began to strum her guitar solo wildly. She finished off the first phrase with a single breath before looking towards Weiss on her right… and winked. She then turned her head and flashed me a smile.

Senpai showed me her smile. Because Weiss's right there.

I played my bass to the hemiola tempo in response to Senpai's smile. I guess she knew that my cheeks were all wet, but that's okay.

As we approached the end of our encores, all four members of feketerigó focused their eyes right in the middle. Turning our head backwards, our gaze clashed with Chiaki's eyes in between toms. I strummed the strings with all my might as I squeezed out all the air in my body, screaming my lungs out as I ran about the stage.

When the lights extinguished in perfect timing to the end of the song, I collapsed onto the floor as the cheers from the audiences swept towards me like a whirlwind.

::::::

So this is Christmas and what have you done?

Another year over, a new one just begun.

And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun,

The near and the dear one

The old and the young

A very merry Christmas

And a happy new year,

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas

For weak and for strong,

(War is over if you want it)

For the rich and the poor ones,

The road is so long.

(War is over now)

And so happy Christmas for black and for whites,

(War is over if you want it)

For the yellow and red ones,

Let's stop all the fight.

(War is over now)

A very merry Christmas

And a happy new year

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas

And what have we done?

(War is over if you want it)

Another year over,

A new one just begun.

(War is over if you want it)

And so this is Christmas,

We hope you have fun

(War is over if you want it)

The near and the dear one,

The old and the young

(War is over now)

A very merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year,

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

War is over

If you want it

War is over now

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas!

(War is over if you want it)

The near and the dear one,

The old and the young

(War is over now)

A very merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year,

Let's hope it's a good one

Without any fear

War is over

If you want it

War is over now

::::::

(◕ω◕✿)

In the end. I had to depend on Deidara's shoulders just so that I could walk back to the preparation room. Chiaki and Senpai, despite being all wobbly, managed to make their way back with the assistance of the walls. That's really pathetic of me.

We flowed through the door into the room like a pot of melted soup. The staff and the other performers congratulated us on our performance, but I couldn't quite catch what they were saying. I looked at the clock in a hazy state of mind.

Three-thirty.

"… I guess it's already too late." Mumbled Chiaki. Her face was flushed and filled with sweat.

I grabbed onto my windbreaker and raincoat and stood up. Surprisingly, Kagurazaka Senpai already had her coat on and was preparing to leave the room.

"Oh my, you're coming along too?"

"… Yeah."

I gripped hard onto the MD in my pocket. It recorded everything directly from the effect unit via a cable.

Though I knew everything was done in vain. There's no way we could make our way to the airport in just thirty minutes' time. However, there's no way I'll stay put and just wait.

"I'm different from young man though. I won't do silly and pointless things. But I am going."

"Senpai? Why are you accompanying that idiot—"

Chiaki ran towards Senpai, only to get her forehead prodded by Senpai instead.

"Because it might not be too late. You coming along as well, Comrade Aihara?"

It's still not too late? What should we do? I walked out of the room together with Senpai. Just as I was about to ask her what she meant by that—

"Ruto! Ruto! Hey!"

A small golden streak came rushing towards us from the entrance to the stairs. Asto managed to brake just in time, just as he was about to crash into me. He bent his body and panted for a while before lifting his head and said, "W-We might… still have… time! Head to the airport now!"

"W-Why?" Where did he run to?

"The flight's delayed? They're waiting to see how things go?"

Senpai interrupted us with her questions. I finally understood what was going on.

It's the snow. That might have delayed the flight. Why did I forget that possibility?

"From the announcements made, you may be able to make it in time. But should the snowing stop…"

"Hurry!"

Senpai began her sprint before Asto was even done with his sentence. Chiaki overtook me in an instant since I was running slowly as my knees were trembling from fatigue. Then for some reason, Asto followed us as well. The four of us ran up the stairs and into the elevator.

"W-Wait, umm…" Asto let out a brief pant before he continued, "The trains have halted their service, and the highways are currently in a huge jam!"

"W-What should we do then? We were finally given a ray of hope!" Chiaki grimaced as she spat out her words and hammered her legshard in frustration.

As my burning body was gradually cooling down, a dark blue despair was taking its place from within. I fished out my phone to check on the traffic news. Just as Asto had said, the trains to the airport were halted due to the snow. What about the cabs then? No wait, can we actually get one? Moreover, most of the roads were probably in a huge jam due to the heavy snow. Are there any alternative routes to the airport? Even if it means I have to walk—the elevator stopped and we were thrown into the spacious lobby.

I finally took back control of my muscles away from the chilling cold. I began running, taking no notice of what Asto was saying behind me. It was still snowing beyond the entrance, though the snow was shielded away by the glass walls. The trees along the sidewalk were covered up by a thick layer of white. As for the cars on the roads that were covered up in snow and not moving an inch, they looked like sushi on conveyor belts.

I walked past the glass doors and made my way outside, only to be welcomed by the bone-chilling winds mixed with fine snow. Immediately afterwards, something came flying towards me from my left, so I caught it in reflex. The pain expanded outwards from the middle of my palms.

It's a full-face helmet.

I looked in disbelieve at the roaring bike parked along the side of the road, as well as my sister who was standing beside it.

"Get here quickly, my useless brother. Button up your coat, or else it'll be dangerous when you're riding pillion. And the gloves too. I have no intention of driving safely, so you better be prepared." Said Naruko nonchalantly as she got on the bike and put on her helmet. The sounds of footsteps were approaching me from behind. It's Senpai and the rest of the gang.

I was stunned on the spot. Chiaki gave me a hard slap on my back.

"Get going, stupid Naruto!"

"I'll try to catch up with you guys. Should you make it in time, remember to say this to Comrade Schnee: you'll be cheating on her brazenly if she's not coming back."

"Ruto, b-be careful."

"No worries. If we are to get ourselves into an accident, we'll be reporting to the other world together, hand-in-hand as brother and sister. We won't be lonely."

"Don't say something as ominous as that!" I was that close to throwing my helmet in his direction.

"Oh— great, everything's okay if you're feeling well enough to retort me. Now get on!"

I wasn't even sure if I could convert all of my feelings into words, but they were about to turn into a ball of mess and be forced out of my mouth. Therefore, I suppressed those emotions of mine as I put on my helmet and got myself on the backseat. I then circled my arms around Naruko's back. The next second, my body was pressed downwards. I was close to being thrown off the bike, so I applied more strength into my arms that were about to tear apart.

And then, all I could see was snow streaking past me.

The roads were still pretty jammed up even as we made our way past the city center. After taking a quick shortcut, Naruko did exactly just as she had said earlier and picked up speed without hesitation. I was a little frightened when I saw a large amount of snow accumulating on the back tires.

When we stopped at the traffic light, Naruko said, "Move your knees and flex your fingers about when we've stopped. It'll be incredibly stupid if you can't run once we reach the airport."

I moved them as she had instructed, and they gave a groan in response. I couldn't help but wonder; would my arms fall off my shoulders due to frostbite without me even noticing? I never thought that taking a pillion ride in the snow would be this much of a hell.

We got ourselves on the highway as the houses around us were decreasing in number. The LED signboards confirmed the fact that no roads were closed off. It had stopped snowing.

"It's great that the snow has stopped, but the plane may be flying anytime soon." Naruko mumbled as we shot past the interchange.

I didn't bother checking the time despite travelling past several petrol kiosks and stations. It's way past the scheduled flight, so the only thing I could do was to hug Naruko tightly on her back and pray.

As we moved into the interchange, I could see lines of cars before me. The jam was slowly letting up as Naruko weaved the bike through cars without hesitation.

When we made our way past the first toll, the snow that was falling from the sky was much lesser than the amount of snow stirred up from the roads. But surprisingly, the temperature was dropping. It felt like my skin was getting sliced apart by a rusty blade. However, the areas beneath my elbows and my knees were completely numb and devoid of feelings. Naruko's suggestions did nothing at all. But I was in no position to complain though. Naruko's pain should be a hundred times greater than mine.

I suddenly thought of something while being exposed to the bone-chilling winds and the snow.

"Hey, Naruko!"

I knew it was dangerous, but I shouted anyway.

"What? Don't shout into my ears! You're too loud!"

"W-Why did you ride Dad's bike here?"

To send Asto here, of course. That much I know. But.

I saw something when I was checking on the traffic news with my cellphone. The train from my house to the mall was running normally.

Meaning, Naruko had planned to send me to the airport right from the very beginning?

"Listen to me, Naruto!"

I could hardly hear Naruko's yells due to the helmet as well as the wind blowing against her voice.

"I don't think you can hear me that clearly, but I'm going to say something important right now. Probably the number one thing that a sister shouldn't say to her brother! But—"

That 'important' sentence was the only line which I heard in full clarity. I pressed my helmet against Naruko's back and increased the strength in my arms.

"—You see! At that time, when you asked me to go date, I planned to confess to you."

" Eh?" I froze, as if something pierced my heart. "W-What do you mean?"

"Just like I said! I am in loved with you… I also prepared myself to be rejected. Even if I bothered you—or you think I'm disgusting…"

"N-Naruko…"

"In the end, I wasn't able to convey my true feelings onto the man I loved properly. But unlike me, you still have time Naruto! I'll definitely make it in time!"

Thanks to the helmet, I could not wipe my tears away, nor could I allow the winds to blow them away.

The soundproof walls which covered up the road like a tube disappeared all of the sudden. Appearing on the other side of the wall was a breathtaking, pure white building. A roaring sound zoomed past my head. As the sky was obscured by the snow, I could only make out the outline of the jet.

It's the airport.

My vision was blocked off by the soundproof walls yet again. I could only see the control tower and the towering figure of the airport terminal. The snow had stopped. The airplanes are starting to take off!

The blue sign streaked past the top of my head. Naruko had changed lanes to enter a down-slope which leads to the entrance. I could hear another roar of the airplanes as we passed the toll booth. Has her flight taken off? Calm down, I'll have to confirm it first.

Naruko stopped the bike to the south of the airport terminal where the cars were all jammed up and dropped me off.

As I rolled off the backseat, I removed the gloves from my hands with my mouth and fished out my cellphone. Asto mailed me a simple message with the details of the flight which Weiss will be taking as well as the current situation. It's still delayed as they were ploughing the snow off the runway. There's still time.

"Thanks, Naruko!"

I began to run. The passengers and their luggage, who were forced to remain in the airport due to the delays, were jamming up the entrance to the terminal. The warm air from the indoors made my skin itch. It felt like I was hobbling on my knees, but I could not feel any pain. Announcements like "We're very sorry for the delays" were played repeatedly. At the same time, they were announcing details like how long a certain flight will be delayed, and when it will be taking off. I could feel my spine freezing gradually. Where's the international flights? The customs and checkpoints were located on the third floor. There's no way I could get in if Weiss were already done with checking in her luggage.

I squeezed into the elevator filled with luggage and travellers in thick winter clothing and made my way up the narrow shaft. The announcer made his announcement just then. "Passengers of flight number 6331 of the Continental Airlines heading for Los Angeles, please board your flight now." I took out my cellphone with my trembling hands to check once more. It's the flight Weiss will be taking. I almost collapsed in desperation when I saw the ocean of passengers on the third floor. The crowd had squeezed up each and every check-in counter at the customs, and that's incomparable to the swarm of people at the secondary security checks. I was in a daze. I began to push the crowd aside and made my way forward. How the hell am I supposed to find Weiss in this crowd? What if she's on the airplane already?

I squeezed past the crowd and made my way to the front of the counters. Despite the fact that the travellers and staff around me were looking at me; a kid with no luggage and only a raincoat on his body, in suspicion, I was unaware of their gazes.

My eyes were fixed onto the snow-colored long hair which had just walked past the security gate. She was about to make her way towards the boarding gate.

"— Weiss!"

A hoarse, dry sound echoed through the hall.

Weiss turned around, her sapphire eyes opened wide in surprise. For a brief moment, I could see all sorts of emotion flashing past the surface of the blue ocean.

"Weiss—!"

I propped my body out of the gate and yelled. I then finally notice Jacques, who was standing next to the luggage-pulling Weiss. Upon seeing my face, Jacques's angry expressions were bare for all to see.

He grabbed onto the hands of his dumbfounded daughter and tried to guide her towards the boarding gate. However, Weiss's legs were not moving. Her mouth remained opened as she tried to speak.

It was like we were tying each other down with our eyes. Jacques's expressions changed after an announcement was made. He tried to forcibly pull his daughter away.

"Ruto?" Said Weiss with a stiff voice. "W-Why… are you here?"

Can't I be here? My vision was close to blacking out.

"You idiot, why… can't you be here e-earlier…"

I could see a few uniformed staff running towards me through the corner of my eyes. Jacques was pulling Weiss away from the barrier by her arm. She's leaving. It took me so much effort to finally see her. I finally made it in time, but Weiss's about to leave and there's nothing I can do but to watch.

"Weiss!"

I pulled out the MD from my pocket and began my move. There was a huge commotion among the crowds. Getting restrained by the airport staff; snow that was left on my arm; the distance between Weiss and me—In an attempt to slice all of that apart, I threw it out.

A black light flew past the security gate and the barriers that were separating us, and landed straight into Weiss's chest.

I could hear the sound of the world splitting into two.

Weiss's hands were reaching out in my direction—she had lost her right hand, got it back for a brief moment, only to lose it once more. The sound of her catching the ray of light with that irreplaceable hand of hers.

The staff at the security gates ran towards Weiss. As for me, I was surrounded by security, who had grabbed me by my wildly thrashing hands. I wanted to push the crowds aside so that I can see Weiss. At the very least, I wanted to say something to her. The security guards were roaring furiously into my ears. I twisted my body, flung my shoulders about and rammed my body into the wall of people to break myself out.

Jacques and the rest of the airport staff protected Weiss by blocking off my vision of her. The beige coat was about to hide the long snow hair away.

"WEISS, I LOVE YOU!"
I squeezed out my voice.

"I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU! I'LL FIND YOU IF YOU DO NOT COME BACK! I'LL DEFINITELY FIND YOU!"

The insane me was pinned onto the ground by several pairs of arms. My world was covered up by white linoleum. I was hit hard on the back of my neck by the security, who were shouting boorishly.

At long last came the announcement of the flight taking off. Countless number of footsteps—footsteps that were both approaching and leaving me gradually—dealt the final blow to my consciousness.

I was brought to a room and made to sit on a foldable chair. I listened to the rumbling roars. Which one of these pairs of wings was carrying Weiss? I thought to myself.

In the end, I only managed to convey my music to her. No, I might even have failed in regards to that. Perhaps it was taken away by airport security. Or perhaps Jacques had confiscated it already. I couldn't even remember my answers to the harsh questioning of the airport staff.

Only Weiss.

The only thing that was imprinted in my memory. The only thing which I last saw was the back of Weiss.

(◕ω◕✿)

Two years later…

It's been two years since Weiss leave.

My first reunion with her was through the cover story of a music magazine. Somewhere around summer last year, I think. It talked about Weiss's successful rehabilitation as well as her desire to make a comeback onto the music scene.

Her first comeback album was a three CD album, something that is pretty uncommon. It's the full collection of Beethoven's piano concertos.

Jacques's the conductor, while the Orchestre de Paris's the accompaniment. The father and daughter pairing became quite a topic. It was a huge success.

However, it seems like the original plan where she performs the violin sonata together with Asto was canned. As a result, Kagurazaka Senpai was incredibly envious of the sample tape which I had in my possession, and even begged me to let her to copy it.

However, I always ended up rejecting her wishes, because I do not want anyone else to hear it.

Perhaps because this is my treasure.

Weiss also began to hold concerts as well. It started off with her performing in major cities in America along with Jacques, but it soon grew to her performing solo all over Europe.

She's appearing more frequently on television as well. Not just that, it looks like even the non-music related magazines are hot on her heels as well.
I could never imagine her to be the same girl whom we used to perform together on stage and study together with. The same girl who got angry easily, pissed others off, made people cry and even revealed her crying face to others.

However, I knew from her piano, be it from the CDs or the live telecast on the fourth channel, that Weiss still exists. In a country on the other side of the ocean and out of my reach; located somewhere in a magnificent and icy world of light.

Asto either e-mails or calls me all the time. There are occasions where he'll send me a letter while he's on a tour.

"I saw Weiss when Jacques invited me to Paris. Are you jealous?" And he'll even make an international call just so he can tell me stuff like that.

"… Is she doing okay?"

"I'm asking if you're jealous."

Why are you angry? Though I am indeed jealous.

"That's just the way Ruto is. That's the reason why Weiss refuses to speak whenever I want to bring Ruto up in our conversation."

"…I see…" I heaved a sigh. It's quite a huge blow to hear that coming from someone who sees her frequently.

"Why don't you see her?"

"No, well, you see… she's not in Japan."

I knew very well it was nothing more than an excuse, and Asto probably did as well. If I want to, all I need to do is to get Mom to contact Jacques, or ask Asto for his assistance. A flight is all I need, even if she's in America, France or Germany. However, I became scared whenever I think that she might be unwilling to see me.

Weiss may still be mad at me. Because I had done something really horrible to her.

"Weiss might hate me right now. She probably doesn't want to speak to me."

My thoughts were overshadowed by Asto's tearful voice.

"… Nah, I don't think that's the case."

"Maybe she doesn't want to see me anymore. Ruto will have to take responsibility if that's the case, alright?"

What responsibility?

Asto will be coming to Japan in May. How about a gathering at the studio or the live house since Senpai misses him a lot? And with that, we ended the call.

As I disconnected the call, I suppressed the slightly painful warmth that was flowing out from the inside of my eyes.

She's probably too busy with her recordings and concerts—I consoled myself. That was the habit I developed ever since that winter, when she went to America. It happens every time I saw her on television or the magazines, or when someone mentions her all of the sudden.

However, as the pain flowed away from the inside of my head, all that was left within were the smiles of Weiss; her tearful face; her immature way of speaking; her angry voice; her wet whispers.

"Hm? …What's wrong, Naruto?"

"… Just thinking back about the past… since this is the last time we're going to walk on this route to school."

"… You are right. It's so emotional."

Today was our graduation ceremony. I was on my way to school with Karin. We came to school early today. That was because we had something we wanted to finish during our last day as a high schooler. Seemed like we weren't the only one though, many other students thought the same.

"Thank you for taking care of me for a long time." Still holding my bag, I bowed to Karin. Karin also bowed and smiled wryly.

"Me too, please also take care of me from now on."

"Mmm, me too."

Since kindergarten, Karin had been together with me. We were going to the same university… however. This was going to be the last time we went to school together like today.

When I arrived at the classroom, I found that half of my classmates were already here.

"Hi~"

"Morning."

I greeted them and walked to my seat and put my bag there.

"Hey~ Naruto."

I heard Sasuke's voice, so I replied. "Yo~ Sasuke."

"We are going to go separate ways from now on."

"Yeah, but it's not like we aren't going to see each other for the rest of our life."

But even then, we weren't going to have that many chances to see each other. Because Sasuke was going to a different university from me. Not only Sasuke, most of my friends were the same. Like my friends from junior high school, I rarely got a chance to meet them. Seeing high school classmates at a reunion after many years… that kind of event was familiar among adults. Sasuke knew about it too.

"That's it."

But we pretended to not be aware of it and laughed with each other. Among my class, some of my classmates were doing the same.

"Naruto. Thank you for taking care of me for three years."

"Really. Because I hung out together with you, I have been looked down on so many times. Do you remember when we went to an ero store in Akihabara?"

The commotion we caused in front of that love doll with this idiot was one of the memories that I wanted to forget.

"Haha, that kind of thing happened."

"After that, Satsuki got all kinds of misunderstandings, it was really bad."

"Dammit! I don't want to hear, I don't want to hear!" It would be a fujoshi ending, no doubt.

"Hey, by the way, Satsuki—"

Sasuke looked like he already guessed what I was about to say. His face became like a demon's.

"Stop, Naruto!"

"I heard that she is going out with Shimura-kun."

"Noooooooooooo!" Covering his own face, Sasuke Oniichan let out a dying scream.

"God damn it! That son of bitch! He dared to greet me 'How are you, Oniichan'! I definitely will not accept it! That man does not have the right to call me Oniichan!"

I could understand your feelings, please come back to your senses. Really… in the end, you still showed me your own style.

About two year ago, I became aware that my good friend, Sasuke Uchiha was a stupid siscon. After the sudden chance meeting in Akihabara, we had a lot of conversations about 'little sisters.' We even had a disgusting duel to find out who had the cuter little sister.

Although so many things had happened… I knew one thing. Even if this guy didn't have a blood relationship with his little sister, he would absolutely not go out with her. Sasuke loved his little sister from the bottom of his heart… but he was still within the boundary of sibling love.

There was still some time until the graduation ceremony. I left the lively classroom and walked in the corridor. I could hear the sounds coming from other classrooms. This was the last time I could hear the sound of shoes colliding with the floor someday, when I became an adult, I would remember this special atmosphere at a school… just thinking about it made me feel sad.

When I graduated from junior high school, I didn't feel that way. When I graduated from elementary school… how did I feel? I didn't remember. No matter if it was the light from the windows or the spring atmosphere, they were all the same as yesterday. But it made me so reluctant to leave.

I took a look at this school where I had spent three years.

"… Yeah yeah."

I didn't know since when, but I was standing in front of the Game Research Club's room. Recently I hadn't had much chance to come here, besides I only joined for Kuroneko, so I didn't have many memories here…

It's not like that! I had many memories here.

"I like homo! I'm a fujoshi!" …the first thing I remembered was this line. As expected, the impact was too great.

And

"…Senpai."

"… Haah." I let out a self-mocking sigh. Really, what a guy I was. I brought my hand to the door handle.

I knew that this door was surely locked, but I still tried to pull it open. Just like in the past…

Crank

"… Eh?"

How could this door open? I didn't even have time to be surprised.

"Ah, good morning Naruto Senpai." A gracious greeting from Satsuki… and she wasn't alone.

"Good morning, Namikaze."

"Hi, Naruto-kun."

"Oh, brother! You are late!"

Many greetings came to me. Shimura-kun. President. The other members… everyone was here. Just like in the past, when we gathered after school.

"… Good morning, Satsuki, Shimura-kun… and good morning to you too, president." I greeted everyone, then asked, "Why did everyone gather here?"

"Can you please not ignore me!?" The one with teary eyes who raised an objection just now was Haku. Somehow, he was wearing my school's uniform.

"It's not like I didn't notice your existence. So answer me, why is an outsider here? What about your school?"

"My school's graduation ceremony had finished yesterday. So today, I came here to congratulate everyone in this Game Research Club."

Although he sounded honest, there was something abnormal about all this. However, if it was Haku, he could easily get a uniform for himself.

Satsuki ignored Haku and answered my question, "I somehow I unconsciously came to the club room… then I found out that everyone was already here… ehehehe."

"What the… so everyone was the same as me?"

"Yes. Looks like everyone gathered here was thinking the same."

Satsuki and Shimura-kun smiled and looked at each other. Looked like their relationship was quite good.

"However… really, you two stick with each other like glue."

"Ah… ahahaha."

Shimura-kun blushed while Satsuki pouted.

"What do you mean?"

"No no, I thought that since Shimura-kun is a victim of Satsuki's imagination, he would discard any romantic feelings."

"Ahahahahaha…" Shimura-kun kept laughing dryly. Satsuki poked him with her finger.

"We are the same in this aspect! Sai Senpai looks serious on the outside, but inside he is a pervert."

You don't have the right to tell me that. That was what Satsuki meant.

Yes, looked like the other guys in the Game Research Club agreed, they all nodded their head.

"Wait a second! Why did even Haku nod too? Wasn't it your fault that I became a fool in front of everyone!?"

"Ah… you are right… back then Sai-kun was so scary."

A while ago, Shimura-kun asked Haku to improve a figure for him. Because Haku changed the big breasted figure into a flat chested one without permission, Shimura-kun was very angry.

"Hah? Hah? You cut it off? You cut off the breasts of a big breasted figure…!? You bastard who doesn't know anything! Your gross aesthetic has become rotten! You lolicon! I like big breasts the most!"

I remembered that he shouted that. Thinking about it, maybe those two were really suited to be a couple.

"Still, no matter what, congratulations! Try to convince her Oniichan too, okay."

"Yes! I will do my best!"

"Oh, nice answer."

"Namikaze, please help me convince Sasuke Oniichan too!"

"Don't want to. I don't want to fight against an Oniichan whose little sister just got a boyfriend."

"… Ah, spoken from real experience."

Who cares!

And then, "Ha ha ha!" A forthright laughter rang in the room.

"In the end, all of you are so interesting! I'm very happy, you guys!"

"President." Everyone's eyes were drawn to the speaker.

It was no one other than Gennosuke Miura, the club's president. Although he had stayed back several years, this time he had decided to graduate. And he was going to a famous university. So scary.

"Finally graduating, congratulations."

"Hahaha, don't cry because of loneliness when I not here, Satsuki-chan."

"Wha-No way! I'm very happy. Since from now on… I no longer have to make shitty games."

"You really said that—still, I leave it to you from now on, new president."

"Yes. Thank you for all your hard work."

In this instant, the president seat of the Game Research Club was transferred to Satsuki. Although I not considered myself as true member, I felt happy having known them.

"Listen well!" President stood up and opened his folding fan. "I will make the best game company in the world. I will create a game that you guys would love so much, you wouldn't be able to let it out! To fulfill this dream, I have decided to go to a university to get more power! To find more friends who share my dream! I know that I can't do this with my ability alone! However, I will not give up! So that I won't regret it later, so that I can raise my chest and say I have done my best! And all of this…"

The president looked at me, Shimura-kun, Satsuki, the other members… finally, he looked at Ruri Gokou's seat and said, "Was taught to me by you guys!"

Every member recalled the time we spent together. The welcoming party for new members, the big commotion during that party, the first time we took part in a contest, the first time we made a game… the second time at Comiket… all those activities that happened. Everyone was recalling those memories.

"Although right now, I don't have enough power. But in the future I will lend you a hand, since this is a game that president made, I couldn't just watch some seriously shitty games being released in this world."

"Ehehe, if the pay is good then I will go for an interview too."

"Hahaha, what a big mouth juniors! Don't forget that we had passed down the spirit of this Game Research Club since it was founded! Do not allow anyone to lecture the president because of a shitty game!"

"Did we have that rule?"

"I don't know about it."

… Those juniors started to lecture president again like usual.

"See you later!"

"Do your best!"

"Right."

That was the Game Research Club, with they unique style of questioning and answering.

(◕ω◕✿)

When I opened the door leading to the roof, the shy noon rays of March slightly blinded me.

Normally, you'll hear things like trumpets or trombones from the orchestra, the chattering of girls as they opened their bentos in the courtyard, or the guys going for the ball in the basketball court. Typically speaking, it should be pretty lively. But today because graduation, the school was shrouded in solemn silence. The only things I could hear were the school song and the piano accompaniment coming from the sports hall.

I lay onto the rough concrete floor and looked downwards, and I immediately saw a uniformed figure sitting on the fence. Her two braids were swaying about in the spring breeze, while a few strands of hair were resting on the black guitar on her thighs. She had her eyes closed… is she listening to the school song?

Wait, she's closing her eyes? I rushed forward in a hurry.

"That's dangerous, Senpai! And you still have the guitar with you…"

Kagurazaka Senpai opened her eyes a little in my direction and smiled.

"For the past four years, I've spent way more time sitting here with my Les Paul than I did on the chair in my classroom. So you don't have to worry."

No, even if you say that, it's really easy to fall off when you have your eyes closed. What the hell are you thinking? Senpai probably found the uneasy expression on my face really amusing, so she jumped off the fence and patted me on the shoulder.

"I get it, we need our bodies for our performance. I won't do anything rash. I mean, tomorrow's they're holding the graduation ceremony just for us. I want to go against all odds and make it as grand as possible."

"Why don't you take part in the actual graduation ceremony instead?" I pointed in the direction of the sports hall.

"You do know it's a school tradition to have the year-three student with the best overall grades in the mock exams to be the representative for the students?"

"Oh, is that so?" I had no idea.

"But the teachers are unwilling to let a student who has barely passed the attendance requirements to be the representative, and I have no intention of reading a script checked by the teachers. We share the same interests, so I skipped the ceremony and came to the roof instead. It's the world of the adults. As of now, the certain someone who's acting as my replacement is probably reading some really boring stuff along the lines of 'a future full of hope' and so on."

Because Senpai was failed in her final exam last year Chiaki and I were worried about whether Senpai could graduate successfully this year. However, that woman achieved her required grades easily and had already decided to enroll herself in the National University. Sometimes I wonder if she intentionally wanted to been held back so she can graduated together with us.

"Senpai will definitely say something explosive if you gave the graduation speech."

"If you want, I can make one during tomorrow's live performance." Smiled Senpai as she gently caressed her Les Paul.

We'll be holding a graduation concert at Bright tomorrow, with Senpai as the star.

"Oh right. Why do you know I'm here, young man?"

"Because we went there looking for you. I was waiting outside while Chiaki sneaked a peek at the sports hall. She told me you were not in."

Due to our school's large population, the only non-graduates who could participate in the ceremony were a small handful of students involved in students council work.

"Ah, there you are! I've finally found you!"

I was shocked by the sudden yell. Turning my head around, I saw Chiaki next to the roof's door running in our direction.

"Naruto got the better of me again. This sucks." Chiaki stared fiercely at me as she hugged onto Kagurazaka Senpai's arm.

"Did you two split up to search for me?"

"I thought Senpai was in the practice room. Speaking of which, why did you skip the graduation ceremony?"

"We no longer live in a world where we have to graduate from the control of others. Did you want me to take part in the ceremony?"

"But I was planning to catch you as you walked out of the sports hall and take the second button off you."

That's for the guys uniform, right? However, Senpai gave a giggle and leaned against the fence as she removed her Les Paul off her shoulder.

"It just so happens that there's four buttons on my blazer. This is for Comrade Aihara. This is what you'll refer to as the second button." She tore off the button on the bottom left and passed it to Chiaki. A blissful expression appeared on Chiaki's face.

"And this is for young man." She gave me the decorative button that was on the bottom right.

"And this is mine." She took off the top left button and put it into her pocket.

She then tore off the last button and gave it a kiss. Senpai turned around to face me.

"… Where is she now? Europe?"

I was taken by surprise, but I knew immediately what Senpai was talking about.

"She should be doing a tour in Russia, though that's what I've read from the magazines."

"Oh, Russia huh?"

Senpai began walking towards the fence on the opposite side.

Chiaki and I followed in her footsteps, as if we were attracted by some sort of unknown energy.

Beneath our eyes, the scenery of the school was bare for us to see.

The white lines framing the ground were actually the sakura blossoms that were planted in the school, though they were blossoming at only about 30%.

Kagurazaka Senpai swung her tightly clenched fists with all her might and threw the button into the air.

Chiaki and I did not follow the trajectory of the button's flight. We just stared at the broad, blue sky. It probably flew to the other side of the ocean.

"There's no longer any need for this."

Senpai removed the blazer which was devoid of its buttons. The dark blue feather that was thrown to the other side of the fence rode on the winds and soared downwards, towards the sakura colors far away from us.

Why is this so? I thought to myself.

It's not an eternal farewell. We'll be seeing each other tomorrow on the same stage, but my tears would not stop.

Feketerigó continued its activities even in the absence of Weiss. The biggest change however, is that Senpai has begun accepting guest performers into our band.

"Because we're learning how to fly with our broken wings."

And so for the graduation concert, the cramped stage of Bright, where a maximum of eight people can stand together at any given time, was filled up almost entirely by the guitarists. I had no idea what we were playing halfway into the performance. Chiaki was laughing like crazy, making quite a few mistakes during our performance.

However, the main event was the celebration that happened after the performance. We were on the second floor of the Chinese restaurant we patronized. Aside from the members of the band, there's Kakashi, Deidara and the rest of the members of Melancholy Wolf, Yang and her friends, staff of Bright… all sorts of people were there, drinking crazily.

"Kyouko, we'll be celebrating your graduation with thirty shots. Prepare yourself and your glass!" Said Kakashi as he walked right up to Senpai with a bottle of wine in his hand, and the rest of the guys queued up behind him.

Hey, don't agree to the toast! But I wasn't even given the opportunity to stop her. Pour, drink, pour, drink. That went on as the queue began to shorten. It's like she's doing a drinking duel with the guys or something.

"There's still a long way to go."

Even after drinking all the shots given to her, Senpai was still sober as she placed her glass onto the table. And in response to her heroic performance, the guys had actually planned to go for a second round, but that was stopped in time.

"Still, why do you wanna study in a university, Kyouko? Didn't I say I'll recommend you to a record company? You should get your career on track asap." The red-faced Kakashi latched himself onto her.

"Those related to Kakashi are probably around the same level as you, so please allow me to decline your offer. I do value my future, you know?"

"Hey, Deidara, you hear that? She just said something really rude."

"But that's the truth," Deidara was a little taken aback when the conversation was thrown to him all of the sudden. "I think it's better for her to go indie."

Still, I never expected Senpai to continue her studies. And I wanted to know why.

"Hmm? Why? What else other than for knowledge?" Senpai answered plainly as she poured a cup of shōchū.

"I'm a revolutionary. I'll lose my right to be one if I lack the knowledge."

"I never expected Senpai to have thought about things so seriously," Chiaki, who was sitting close to Senpai, was genuinely surprised. "I thought Senpai's main reason is to chase after the girls."

"That's one of the reasons as well. It seems like I've recently developed a taste for girls who're older than me. There'll probably be lots of rich ladies there. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Senpai's an idiot!" Chiaki pulled Senpai by her ear. Sheesh, this girl never changes.

"But don't you worry, young man." She leaned herself onto my arm. "I chose a women's university so that you'll not feel uneasy."

I almost spat out the oolong tea in my mouth.

"—W-W-What do you mean by that?"

"Well, should she not return even after I've graduated… That means I'll win by default, and you can finally lay your hands on me, yeah?"
No no no no.

I finally escaped away from that place with just enough time to make it for the final train. Chaiki followed along as well. I was totally knocked out by the heat from the drinking party, so I used the bass as a replacement crutch and sat down on one of the chairs of the train station. I slumped my body weakly over my knees.

"Are you okay? Do you need some water?" asked Chiaki worriedly. I guess no one can figure out who's drunk just from that scene alone.

It was around twelve midnight when the train reached the station that's closest to our homes. The feelings from the drinking party had subsided, and my face's no longer burning anymore. As I stepped off the train, I gripped hard at the sleeves of my coat due to the cold. There were no passengers left when Chiaki stepped off the train. The empty train rumbled away along the dark railway.

The two of us walked side by side. We share the same path for most of the route.

"Well, to be honest," Chiaki spoke suddenly as we crossed the zebra crossing, "I was really hoping Senpai to choose the same university with us."

Why are you talking about this all of the sudden?

"Her university's in Tokyo, right? It'll be quite difficult for us to meet her in the future, and I'm not even sure if we'll continue with the band."

"How about you aim for Senpai's university?"

"There's no way I can get into that university with a brain like mine!"

I was hit by her. I originally thought it was just a joke, but I noticed a shimmer at the corner of her eyes when she was staring at me. I felt a brief pain in my heart.

"It's getting lonelier and lonelier."

Don't you worry. There's no way human beings will disappear as easily as that. Even if you're separated, you won't be lonely so long as you know you'll see each other again.

Even if you can't meet, you won't be depressed so long as you don't forget one another. A few pointless words of consolations appeared in my mind. But I had no intention of saying any of them to her. Because they are all lies.

I knew that very well.

Don't worry, I won't disappear.

That's the worst thing I could have said. I had no right to say that to Chiaki.

We walked silently past several streetlights. As we turned past the family restaurant which remained open in the middle of the night, the shadows of the housing complex drifted to our left. Walking down the slopes, the transmission towers came into sight. We're about to reach Chiaki's house.

"… We'll still be doing our morning practice even though it's the graduation ceremony tomorrow, won't we?"

In the end, that was the only thing I could think of. Chiaki stopped in her tracks and looked at me irritably.

"Hey, we're the rhythm section. As long as we're perfect with our practices, we'll do fine even if there's someone joining us all of the sudden."

Even if there's someone returning back to our music all of the sudden. No problems will exist as long as the rhythm section is there to maintain the pace. We can get feketerigó to soar at any give instance.

Chiaki then began hitting my arm all of the sudden, giving me quite a few punches in silence. Hey, what are you doing? It hurts. I moved my arm away, and just as I was about to look at her, her palm pushed my face away in the opposite direction.

"… What?"

"Nothing."

"No, but…"

"I said nothing, so there's nothing! Sheesh, why is Naruto always so irritatingly sensitive… at a stupid… time like this?"

This time round, it's my shoulders that had suffered from a few chops. I was about to say something, but Chiaki delivered a drop sweep and ran away.

"See ya, stupid Naruto! Till tomorrow!"

Her tea-coloured hair was swaying about beneath the streetlights before disappearing into a corner. I was stunned on the spot for a brief moment. I then picked my bass up and resumed my journey.

I stopped in the middle of the overhead bridge. Burning emotions began rising up slowly within me as I directed my gaze along the broad roads and into a place that's further away than the intersection point of the street lights.

Somehow, everything that I was seeing seemed so cute. The white lines on the road created by the speeding cars; the gradually leaving tail-lights of the cabs and the trucks; the night breeze infused with the faint scent of flowers; or perhaps Senpai's singing voice that had remained in my ears.

Everything will flow past you and disappear without a trace someday.

(◕ω◕✿)

Mom wasn't around when I reached home. Scattered messily on the table were several files and CDs. Looks like she went out while she was halfway into her work. She's probably having a coffee at the family restaurant or something.

I leaned the bass against the wall and began organizing the DVDs and magazines scattered on the floor. I wasn't around for only a day, and this is what happened. As I was stacking the materials neatly onto the desk, I noticed it.

Located at the top of the pile of CDs. The cover was taken from her right. A very simple picture of her looking down at the keyboard with her lowered eyes.

Whenever's she's performing, she'll always clip her silver-white hair up like this and reveal that unbearably slender and pale nape of hers.

It's the latest album from Weiss Schnee. She has matured quite a bit—I thought. Is she still the Weiss I knew? I lifted the CD up slowly.

When she had made her comeback, Weiss has released two albums in quick succession at an incredible pace. The reason I didn't buy them was because of the pain I'll feel just from looking at the cover and listening to her performances. But thanks to the nature of Mom's job, we'll receive the CDs from the company as gifts even if I didn't purchase them.

The second album since her comeback. Finally, it's Bach. The complete collection of the French Suites. I wanted to listen to it so badly, despite knowing the fact that I'll definitely cry from this.

I sat on the sofa and opened up the case. Something fell out of the little booklet just as I was about to take out the explanatory notes. Picking it up, I realized it was a flyer detailing the schedule of Weiss Schnee's concert.

The flyer was filled with the names of the venues where she'll be performing at and the words strong[SOLD OUT]/strong, all the way from March to June. She wasn't scheduled to play in Japan. So I heaved a sigh and was about to place the flyer back into the case.

But then, I noticed something.

There's a particularly strange line in the flyer. The performance on the first of April.

It's the only performance that's not stamped with the words [SOLD OUT]. Instead, it was declared as[PRIVATE]. What's the meaning of this? The place's at Paris.

The venue's name is in French, so I did not understand it.

[PRIVATE]

The location is pretty weird as well. There's no other performances scheduled in France after that. Just Paris. First of April.

I gripped onto the flyer tightly and rechecked the name of the venue again. I then dashed into the study on the second floor and confirmed it with a French-Japanese dictionary. It's "Thieves' Market". She'll be performing in a thieves' market in Paris?

Just then, all of my memories fell like a burst of sparks and were stringed up together.

I pulled out the movable shelf where the science fiction novels were randomly placed in. Cordwainer Smith's famous for only a single title of his. I read through the novel once more. Found it.

I closed the book and held my breath as I looked up into the ceiling which was filled with spider webs.

Is this Weiss's message for me? Really? Is she requesting her company to put it in? But what if I missed it?

Why must she do something like this? Wouldn't it be easier to just say it directly—the novel slipped off my hands. Am I not doing the same thing as well? Dishonest with my feelings, and dragging things out day by day. Despite the fact that I wanted to see her. Even though I was dying to see her. We were located in different parts of the world, but all I did was to stand before the ocean which separates us both.

Even though I had said I'll find her.

I promised I'll find her regardless of where she may be, didn't I?

I picked up the book to slip the flyer between the pages where the answer was revealed before closing it up.

The scenery which appeared in my eyes consisted of the sounds of the waves, the whispers of the sea birds and the scent of the wet soil. It overlapped with the calls of a certain someone.

Let's go. I'll know once I'm there.

It's a magical place, so it can probably hear my heartfelt desires.

(◕ω◕✿)

Climbing up the slope between the fields, the scent of grass was getting stronger and stronger. Rays from the sun seeped into the ground. Sounds of the waves were coming from a place far behind me.

The path became slightly flatter as I walked into the forest. The comfortable shadows coming from the tree tops were gently filtering out the sun for me. Thank goodness it's sunny—I thought to myself. It was a rainy day the last time I came here, and pitch black to boot. I came close to tripping on the tree roots on so many occasions back then.

The trucks had rolled out a path in the forest. Plants at the bottom of the trees were blooming. Two cycles of seasons have passed since the last time I came here.
Unease was slowly creeping into me. Is it still there? Does the magical valley still accept visits from a human being?

Stopping in my tracks, I leaned against a tree and took out a torn and tattered novel from the back pocket of my jeans. It sports the signature blue spine of the Hayakawa SF books. A sheep stood in the middle of the wilderness amid the sandstorm.

Norstrilia. It's a story about a youth who obtained all the wealth in the universe. Not understanding what he truly desires, he went to Earth to seek an answer. Upon arriving on Earth, he met a beautiful cat and travelled to a fake underground city. Past the corner of the fake Paris thieves' market, stands the store of Catmaster. An extremely old store, with the ability to detect the true desires of its visitors. And the shop's named as—The Department Store of Hearts' Desires.

I rechecked the flyer that was clipped in the book. Everything fits. Should this be a message which Weiss left for me, and if that magic still exists…

I stuffed the book back into my pocket and resumed walking. The soil felt hard beneath my feet. The air's moist, and with the roars of the ocean as well as the rustling of the branches, it sounded just like a drizzle outside a window. A bird spread its wings against the branches and then flew away, its cries streaking past my head. I'm praying with every step of mine.

The trees began to turn sparse. A murky mist was mixed into the backdrop of the forest. I picked up my pace, kicking up the accumulated leaves on the ground as I began to run. I couldn't hear any music. As I left the forest, my eyes and face were illuminated by the rays of the sun. Lying on the plateau in the middle of the broad valley was a mountain created by an unbelievable amount of trash. Derelict cars without their wheels and doors; rusty bicycles; fridges that were covered up with decomposing leaves; wardrobes whose colors have changed—everything was stacked up in a dangerous equilibrium, accumulating gradually and slowing down time.
The roars of the ocean; the chirps of the birds; the cries of the insects—I heard none of them, not even the howls of the wind. I was standing at the entrance to the valley. The world ends here. I can't proceed any further.

I approached the dune slowly, careful not to make any sound. To make my way up the mountain of junk, I climbed onto the hood of a car, grabbed a buried prefab roofing and stepped on a heavily twisted road sign. The smell of rust, the smell of stale water and the smell of the accumulated years.

I made it to what looks like the crater of a volcano. A steep slope extended downwards from my feet to the depression in the middle of the mountain. I knelt on a twisted cabinet and scanned the lowland. A pang of dizziness hits me. I almost collapsed just like that.

There's no one around. The clear sunlight was drying up what was remaining of my hopes and dreams. I'm the only one here. Also—the piano's not around.
The piano which tightly bound Weiss and me together was nowhere to be seen.

Even so, I placed my weak and trembling legs onto the metal rack below and began my slow descent. When I reached the borders of the lowland, I saw a black shimmer between an old vending machine and a public phone. I scrambled my way there, tripping myself on quite a few occasions and nearly fell.

The piano was buried heavily by all sorts of large trash. I could only catch a glimpse at a part of its keyboard, just like an iceberg. Pushing away the wooden shelf to get a better view inside, the strings of the piano had almost completely snapped. Its legs were broken as well.

Two seasonal cycles had passed. The abandoned objects will be destroyed to the point where they are no longer salvageable. That's of no surprise.

I squatted down on the pitted galvanized plate. Took out my cellphone to check the time. It's way past two; the time of the performance that was written on the flyer.

Why am I so stupid? That was no message for me. It may just so happen that there's really a concert hall which is named as "Thieves' Market" in Paris. I've lost something which I can't bear to lose, but I lack the courage to get it back—what a pathetic person I am, travelling on the trains for hours in order to reach the ends of the world, only to confirm the fact that she won't be returning to me. It was probably just a coincidence. Sunlight was gently shining onto the back of my ears. Tears could not flow out of my eyes as the world grinds to a halt.

I gently caressed the edge of the piano, which looked like it was melting into the ground. Having absorbed the rays of the sun, it was warm. That piano belonged to Weiss's mother. The piano which helped me locate the fragments of myself as well as my heartfelt desire.

However, it's broken now, unable to play any music ever again. The only things left were the remnants of the distant past reverberating fuzzily in my ears.
I want to see Weiss so badly. My throat was seared by my rising emotions.

Then shouldn't I just go and see her?

Let's go.

Let's fly to the country located on the other side of the ocean. And this time round, I must say it properly to her.

I stood up and shook away the sounds of the piano in my memories that were echoing in my illusion. As I turned myself away—I saw a pure white silhouette on the peak of the mountain of trash. Slowly, the magic which was shrouding the valley disappeared. The pure white dress and the silver-white hair were dancing to a gust of wind that was passing through the mountains.

I couldn't make any sound. This is not an illusion. The magic had already disappeared. But Weiss's right there before me, in reality, standing at a place I can reach with my outstretched hand.

Weiss's here.

I wanted to call out her name, but all I could muster was a hoarse sound instead. I could see her ice-blue eyes widening. I leapt past over the muddy scooter and dashed towards her as I trampled over cardboard beer boxes and plastic bottles. I got onto the slope and climbed up with all my might, impervious to the possible danger that a landslide may occur.

"—Weiss!"

My voice finally rang this time. It's Weiss. It's indeed her! She came. We can finally meet. We can finally see each other!

"Ru…to."

The dumbfounded Weiss gave a faint murmur. She snapped herself back to reality and knelt herself down. Stretching out her sandalled feet timidly, she jumped onto a children's desk a short distance below her. She then turned towards me. She's planning to make her way down.

"No, w-wait, it's dangerous—"

Just as I was hesitating with my words, the drawer that Weiss was holding onto tilted unstably.

"—Kya!"

The surface of the trash slope began to crumble. The fridge on my feet wobbled, causing me to fall forward as well. With my legs positioned sturdily and my arms stretched out with all my might, I managed to catch the white feather that was fluttering down—I pulled Weiss's body towards me.

I crashed my back into what was probably the boot of an SUV, and coupled that with the weight of Weiss, it felt like all the air in my body was squeezed out of my nose and my ears. My back and the back of my head were assaulted by the incoming pain. My neck muscles twitched as the bone-rumbling sounds of the caving junk continued. That was dangerous…

"—S-Sorry!" Weiss sat herself up on my stomach amid the settling dust. "U-Umm, I was shocked, so…"

"Nah, it's okay." Though I would have been dead for sure if there were anything sharp behind me.

I was unable to move, but it wasn't due to the pain—rather, it's due to the sweet and bitter emotions that were mixed up in me. I continued staring at Weiss in a lying position. Her face framed by her hair. She might look mature on the cover of the CD, but that's totally not the case here. Those slightly teary blue eyes belonged to the girl whom I know very well—the girl who gets angry easily and loves to cry.

I thought I'll never get to see her again. The words jammed up in my throat, as well as the boiling emotions that were surging up in me, were causing my lips to tremble.

"… I never expected you… to be here."

That was the only thing I could say. Weiss's face gradually turned red.

"W-Why?" She placed her fists onto my chest and pulled her face close to mine.

"The fact that you're here means you saw it, right? My scheduled performances. That's why…"

"Eh? Ah, m-mmm."

All I needed to do was to believe.

"But it says two o'clock on the flyer. There was no one around when I came here, so…"

Weiss was blushing right down to her ears.

"T-T-Tha… That's… two o'clock in France's time zone."

Weiss made a painful attempt to come up with an excuse. France's time zone… so that's six in the morning?

"Ah, umm—"

"… Were you lost again?"

"I wasn't lost!"

She hammered at my chest. Oh well, whatever. She's just twenty to thirty minutes late.

"I-I too…" stammered Weiss, her eyes in tears, "wanted to call you or e-mail you so many times. But, I-I wasn't sure if you… so…"

I felt an insurmountable pain in my chest where Weiss was pressing her hands on.

"Therefore, had you not noticed it, I was planning… to forget you. It's hard for me to have a break, and I wasn't sure when I could come back to Japan, so I begged the publicity department to tweak the flyer a little. B-But what if you didn't see it? What if you didn't notice it? What should I do? I've been thinking… t-there's no need to do stuff like that, all I need is to give you a call, but, because… you've never tried to contact me… I was scared, I was so scared, but even then, if it's here, if it's this place…"

Weiss's voice was about to get swallowed up by her tears. I rested my hand gently on hers which were on my chest.

"… Ah, s-sorry."

Weiss stood up. Her warmth had left me. I sat myself up slowly. Is it because she doesn't want me to see her crying? Weiss turned her face away immediately when she noticed my gaze and wiped her tears away from her eyes. She then jumped off the boot of the SUV.

"… Mama's piano…"

I stood up slowly as she mumbled to herself.

Weiss was walking unsteadily on the uneven ground towards the middle of the junkyard. The vision of her back seemed unreal—it felt like she'll disappear under the sunlight in an instant should I turn my eyes away for even the slightest moment.

Weiss knelt before the buried piano. She didn't move an inch even after I was standing right behind her. She was trembling.

"… It will… no longer play…"

A voice of helplessness.

Music no longer exists here. The magic that was binding us together has disappeared. Scenes of reality have returned to the ends of the world, and the place will welcome yet another seasonal cycle. As time began to tick, Weiss and I are the only people at this place.

Therefore, I called out Weiss's name.

The kneeling Weiss looked up towards me and my outstretched hand. Her slender fingers entwined themselves with mine. I pulled Weiss up. She's standing before me, her blue eyes right next to mine.

"… It's here… where Weiss helped me locate my bass." I was slowly confirming each and every word. "You played the song Blackbird during the dawn when the rain stopped. Do you still remember?"

Weiss looked straight into my eyes and nodded.

"That was the very moment… when I fell in love with you."

I conveyed my words slowly to Weiss, similar to how the rays of the sun transmit their heat to Earth after travelling in a vacuum for a hundred and fifty million kilometers. Her gray-blue eyes looked like they were melting into the ocean. Her pink lips trembled several times as she tried to say something.

"M-Me… too…"

Weiss's face turned red yet again as she said that. Then again, my face was probably as red as hers.

"I was in love with you… way before that."

"When exactly?" My voice was trembling. What an idiotic question.

"I don't know." Weiss closed her eyes and screamed into my chest.

"Before I realized it, I was already in love with you. A useless person like you!"

"… Umm, well, sorry for that."

"Why are you apologizing?"

Weiss hammered on my chest a few times, and she even gave me a head-butt. It was actually quite painful, so I lifted my hands in preparation for stopping her—and before I knew it, I was already hugging Weiss tightly on her back and her head.

Her soft hair slipped between my fingers. Weiss leaned her cheeks against the shirt on my chest. She could probably hear my heart beating wildly. I knew I was doing something incredible, but I wasn't about to let go.

In the end—Weiss circled her arms to my back as well.

"Dummy." The tearful Weiss whispered in my chest. "I was waiting for you all this time."

"Mmm."

I didn't say the word "sorry". There's nothing else I need to say to Weiss. Because she's right here in my arms. I could feel Weiss's warmth. It'll be great if we can be together forever from now on.

We left the valley, hand in hand. As we stepped into the forest, it felt like the place behind us was once again shrouded up by the time-stopping magic. But neither of us turned our heads back.

The air in the forest was moist, as though it were doused by a heavy downpour. It's probably because of Weiss's tears. I could hear the chirps of the birds. They should be chatting somewhere in the foliage. Music had returned back to our sides once more.

As we crossed the forest and made our way back to the small pathway between the fields, Weiss and I said nothing at all. I was so incredibly happy just from the feeling which came from our tightly entwined hands. I was afraid I'd say something stupid should I speak. Most of my attention was focused on stealing glances at Weiss's profile. Weiss lowered her head in embarrassment when our eyes meet. She's probably thinking about the same things as well.

The sounds of the orchestra ensemble rang all of the sudden as we were walking down the slope. Weiss gave a shriek and pressed her hands onto the small bag that was hanging along her waist. It's an incoming call, Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 2 in B major.

"… A call? You're not picking it up?"

Weiss shook her head.

"It's from Papa, so it's okay."

Really? The ringtone continued playing till it was cut off at the main theme.

"He probably wants me to head back to Tokyo as soon as possible."

"Your schedule's really packed, isn't it?"

"It's okay. I don't want to attend those boring parties anyway." Weiss grabbed my hands once more.

"… Today, the only thing I want is… to be together with Ruto."

My heart was beating wildly. There was an urge to run down the slope while pulling Weiss along with my hand. I wasn't all too successful in calming my heart down.
"Umm, so, you're having a break now? Till when?"

"I'll be going to Chicago next week." Said Weiss softly with her head lowered. She then suddenly lifted her head to look at me. "B-But, umm, well, I'll be back again for a week early this May. Also, I'll be in Japan during summer for the recordings. So we can see each other then."

I nodded my head repeatedly and returned Weiss's grip with mine.

"Speaking about early May, there are plans for a live concert which we'll be doing for three consecutive days. Will you come down and listen?"

"Live performance?" Weiss's eyes were filled with unease when she asked, "… feketerigó's?"

"Yeah."

As she lifted my hand and placed it before her chest, Weiss mumbled, "… Chiaki and Kyouko… are they angry at me?"

"Chiaki's a little angry."

Weiss lifted her eyes diagonally to look at me. I laughed and swung her arms about.

"Don't worry, the two girls miss you very much. The band's functioning all this time, and we've even invited some guest performers recently. Do you still remember who Deidara is? The guitarist with that really fierce look. Remember how he used to say he won't perform with a band as lousy as ours? He's finally okay with performing with us."

And so, there's no need to worry. Even if we're separated, even if things have changed, even if we've lost something—there's nothing we can't get back.

"T-Then."

And with that, Weiss spoke no more. The slope had reached its end, and we were back to the concrete streets. She finally spoke after we had a brief walk into the residential area.

"U-Umm, I've bought a new guitar."

I looked at Weiss in surprise.

"I got to know a person from Fender in California, so I asked him to custom-make one for me."

A custom-made guitar huh, now that's really extravagant. No wait, hold on, guitar? Did she just say the guitar?

"S-So that means—"

"I brought it to our mansion. Want to see it?"

"Definitely! N-No wait, I do want to see it, but, umm…"

"It sounded a little stiff. I prefer the sounds from Asto's guitar. So I hope Ruto can help me with that."

I nodded my head hard.

"Also."

Weiss lifted both our hands and stared at our fingers.

"I'm not too sure if my techniques have worsened… so I hope Chiaki and Kyouko can listen to me play. Is that okay?"

"Of course!" I grabbed onto Weiss's hand with both of my own.

"Well, wanna show yourself at the studio during our practice? No? Ah, but, for you to show up on stage in May all of the sudden, that's just… In any case, I'll give Senpai a call—"

"No!"

Weiss grabbed me by my wrist just as I was about to take out my cellphone. Our eyes meet. She turned her blushing face away slightly.

"Umm, it's not that you can't, but… let's leave that for later… for today, all I want…" Is to be with you…—I couldn't hear the words which came after that.

The sun was about to set when we reached the station. Past the bus rotary, down the underground flight of stairs and through the ticketing gates.

As we were walking up to the platform, we saw a small grey dot in the middle of the faraway green mountains. We stopped on the last step and gazed silently at the ends of the world, the department store where time stops.

Then all of the sudden, the grey surface burst apart, turning into countless shards that were scattered around the greenish slopes, before making their way towards the blue skies. It's a flock of birds.

Their formation was changing slowly as they sought the currents to soar into the air. Despite the considerable distance between us and them, it felt like I could hear their cries.

Weiss's fingers, which were grabbing onto my right hand, were confirming the presence of the non-existing six strings. Taking cue from the opening G note which had never stopped, Paul McCartney's voice began to extend into the sunset. I could hear nothing, but I knew nonetheless.

Of course, that bird doesn't exist in this country.

The feather which I am holding tightly; the feather which had finally made its way back here will be flying over the oceans once more. Things won't return to the way they used to be.

But even so—

"Hey, Weiss."

"… Yes?"

"Don't ever disappear again."

Weiss tightened her grip on my hand in reply.

The illusionary six strings which were around had disappeared. The fragments of the song of black bird which were echoing in my heart scattered into the air.

The flock of birds circled the sky and soared towards a place far away amidst the remaining sounds. As I turned my head back, I could still see the tiny shadows of the birds between the horizon and the clear divide of two different shades of blue.

Don't turn back, spread your wings and soar away —I prayed. From the warmth which came through the tight grip on my hand, I knew Weiss was making the same wish as me. We leaned against each other, watching in silence as our fragments flew past the oceans and away from us.

.

.

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