Breathe
It was lunchtime. Fuuko was back on the rooftop, silently watching the busy world below with her measuring gaze.
She sighed.
The horizon was soothing. She averted her eyes from the ground below and looked heavenward, following the birds glide across the sky and toward the distance. Bright streaks of daylight warmed her icy skin, the sun silently teasing itself to come out from behind the clouds. She loved the crisp air whipping her hair against her face, the distant sound of the students merrily chatting their hearts out, and the simple joy of listening to the diverse sounds encircling the ambiance.
Every time she had the chance of coming up to her sanctuary, an unexplainable feeling of solace takes over senses. Everything was just so tranquil. So pleasant. So—
"Fuuko!"
Over.
Fuuko spun her head towards the voice.
"So this is where you're always hiding," Recca assumed, casually walking towards her with his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"How did you find me?" Fuuko asked. Her eyes continued to follow Recca as he occupied the space next to her.
Recca looked back at her incredulously. "How did you think I found you? Your friend, Yanagi, told me of course." He climbed up the iron railing and crossed his legs comfortably. "I love the wind up here," he said, attempting to start a conversation.
"What are you doing here?" Fuuko suddenly bit her lip and mentally kicked herself. She didn't mean to sound so forthright and rude, but it was just not her nature to evade an issue and resort to small talk. Get to the point, and we'll end this pronto—that was Fuuko.
Well, at least that's who she is now.
"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to join us after dismissal at the music room," he said, scratching the back of his head, an apologetic grin plastered on his face. "Well, it's not really a decision you have you have to make, but a requirement.""Well, if it's a requirement—"
"You can bring your friend, Yanagi, if you want," Recca interrupted, cutting Fuuko in mid-sentence.
Fuuko held Recca's gaze for a second longer and looked back into the horizon. "Sure, I'll be there."
"Great!" Recca exclaimed, jumping off the railing and cheerfully skipped to the exit. "I'll see you there!"
"Wow, your first jamming session with Mystcase! Aren't you excited?" Yanagi asked, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"I don't really know what to feel, Yanagi-chan," Fuuko answered, wondering if this band thing was really worth her time. She had homework and projects piling up her study desk at home. The idea of spending long hours in a room filled with instruments and young men she barely knew was simply absurd.
She snapped out of her reverie as Yanagi's voice rang in her ears.
"Ready?" The brunette asked jovially.
Fuuko took a deep breath as she made an attempt to veil the electrifying jolt of trepidation that ran through her spine.
She nodded and Yanagi opened the white-washed door.
"Hey! You're here! Coolness!" Recca greeted as the two newcomers entered the room. "And you brought Yanagi with you! Double coolness!"
"Geez, Recca," said Kaoru, emerging from one of the storage rooms carrying a bass guitar. "Can you sound any gayer?"
"Oh, shut up," Recca hissed, his eyes shooting daggers at the snickering adolescent.
Fuuko couldn't help but chuckle at her two band mates. She suppressed herself from bursting into bubbly giggles—a habit in which she swore to stop— and scanned the room for the remaining two. Her head turned to the sudden crash of the cymbals at the far end of the room and saw Domon adjusting what seemed like metal knobs to a certain level wherein he coincided with its height. Domon grinned at the sight of her looking in his direction and flashed a peace sign with his free hand. Fuuko smiled in acknowledgment of his friendly greeting and continued to scan the room for the last band memeber. Her eyes finally caught sight of Tokiya standing far across from her, silently bringing out his guitar from its case and putting the strap over his shoulder. Funny, Fuuko wondered, how his personality contrasts the high-spirited character of his other band mates. The reason behind what she thought of as amusing was indefinite, but the fact that he was there made the formation of the band seem right. Her gaze lingered on him for a while, curiosities tossing about in her consciousness.
The next thing that happened caught her completely off-guard. Because of her sudden disappearance from reality, she was not aware of the fact that she was still staring at Tokiya…and that he was staring right back at her.
She drew back from her state in surprise and blushed a deep scarlet, her hair—thank God for its length—concealing her rosy countenance. As soon as she was convinced that her face went back to its original complexion, she looked back up to see Tokiya's face a few good inches away from hers.
"My wire," He told her, his cold sapphire eyes refusing to let go of her befuddled emerald ones. Fuuko couldn't help but study and criticize his icy pools of blue. She searched deep into them, eager to obtain a clue to decipher his taciturn identity. There was nothing there. Something was missing; her heart couldn't understand. She couldn't see anything.
Or feel anything.
Her mouth finally compensated for her negligence. "W-what?"
"You're stepping on my wire," He answered, looking down to where her foot trapped the black wire connected to his guitar.
"Oh, sorry," Fuuko mumbled as she hastily removed her heel from the cable.
Tokiya bent down to seize the black line and impassively nodded at her as he stood back up and made his way across the room.
After Recca and the others finally finished setting up their instruments, they all sat in a circle to begin Fuuko's interrogation.
"So, Fuuko," Recca began. "Tell me, who helped you enhance that voice of yours?"
"Well, I never really had formal voice lessons, but I was part of a church choir and glee club," She replied, quite embarrassed for her dull and typical credentials.
"Wow, that's really cool. No voice lessons whatsoever? That's a gift," Kaoru interrupted. Fuuko smiled at his flattering recognition and continued to ready herself for another interrogation.
"Do you know how to cook?" Domon asked optimistically.
"Is there any other talent you possess that could possibly benefit the band?" Tokiya questioned, choosing to dismiss Domon's idiocy.
"I can also play the guitar, but I'm more efficient when it comes to my singing abilities" Fuuko truthfully replied. Two years of playing the guitar couldn't really compare to ten years of suffering sore throats and consuming herbal tea—if itreally is herbal— just to be worthy enough to be referred to as a true singer.
"Enough chit-chat!" Recca exclaimed as he stood up from the circle of teenagers and walked towards his guitar. "Let's jam!"
"Yeah!" Kaoru agreed, jumping up and running to his bass to turn it on.
"You guys could sit over there, so you could get a good view of all of us," Domon told the two young women as he pointed to a certain spot in the room and stood up, making a beeline for the drum set. Fuuko and Yanagi helped themselves up from where they sat and made their way to the opposite side of the room where Domon said the perfect spot would be. Indeed, it was an excellent spot. The two girls got a good view of each of them, Kaoru on the right, Tokiya on the left, Recca in the middle, and Domon right behind him. After a few minutes of tunings, modulations, and sound checks, silence filled the room as Recca walked up to the mic stand.
"Isn't this exciting?" Yanagi finally spoke, her eyes twinkling with delight. She admired the way Mystcase presented itself to the public. Besides the fact of being a rock band, they didn't tattoo themselves senseless, or wear worn-out sneakers, or dye their hair an electric blue. They were always clad casual outfits, like a cool American Eagle tee with jeans or just a simple solid shirt with cargos. Whoever said that you can't be a rocker without having your ears pierced more than once?
"We're Mystcase, and I can't believe this is the last time we'll be playing as an all-male band." Recca started. A chuckle escaped his lips. "Actually, I can." He strummed a soft melody on his guitar. "This is our first song and it's called The Day You Said Goodnight."
Fuuko and Yanagi eagerly watched as Recca closed his eyes and began to sing the song from his heart.
"Take me as you are,
Push me off the road.
The sadness,
I need this time to be with you."
Domon and Kaoru joined in after Recca's short intro, softly playing a light rhythm in the background. Recca's voice continued to resound through the room, a gentle undertone of sincerity veiling his countenance.
"And I do,
Reside in your light.
Put out the fire with me and find.
Yeah you lose the side of you circles,
That's what I'll do if we say goodbye."
Tokiya came in at this point, slowly plucking a haunting tune of melancholy. Domon and Kaoru started to pick up volume and played louder now.
"To be is all I got to be,
And all that see,
And all that I need this time.
To be the life you gave me,
The day you said goodnight."
Fuuko's eyes drifted closed, her mind being held captive by the mesmerizing harmony emitting from the hearts of her band mates. She started to sway to the melody, a smile forming in her lips as the song softened once more.
"The calmness in your face,
That I see through the night.
The warmth of your light is pressing onto us.
You didn't ask me why,
I never would have known.
Oblivion is falling down."
Domon and Kaoru played a more intricate rhythm now, their eyes concerted on their instruments. Kaoru's fingers glided over the fret board, gracefully hitting each note with ease. Domon slammed his drumsticks on the kit with precision and complexity while Tokiya pressed on the effects pad as he strummed on his guitar, producing a dramatic echo of longing in the background.
"She's already taken,
She's already taken,
She's already taken me."
Recca slowly strummed as the others followed and gradually decreased their pace.
"The day you said goodnight."
The last note hung in the air, a feeling of satisfaction passing through their beings. Fuuko lay mesmerized as she slowly opened her eyes to focus on the faces of her band mates. These were the people she was going to work with. Maybe her time wouldn't be a waste after all. If this was the way she was going to feel every time she was with these people, she would gladly submit her time for them. Music could never be a hindrance to her. Music was a part of life, and on her part, it was a big one. She would have remained silent for a longer period of time and left herself tossing about in her thoughts if Yanagi didn't erupt into a standing ovation.
"You guys were so good!" Yanagi squealed, her palms turning red because of the clapping. "Recca-kun, where did you learn how to sing like that?"
Recca scratched the back of his head, flattered by Yanagi's comment. "My mother taught me." A tint of crimson passed his face. "Oh yeah, you can cut the formalities. Call me Recca."
Yanagi smiled back at him sweetly. "Okay, Recca."
Recca couldn't help but blush a mad scarlet. God, she was so pretty when she smiled. It was like her face lit up every time she smiled. It was too beautiful a sight to forget. He swallowed hard and turned to Fuuko to distract himself from the brunette beauty.
"How did you like it, Fuu-chan?" Recca asked, finally gaining composure.
Fuuko chuckled. How did she like it? It rocked her socks off! Why were they containing themselves in a school music room when they could be in a recording studio preparing for their debut album? God, if they only felt the cold chills passing through her spine.
"It rocked," She answered as she flashed a rock sign with her fingers. "You guys were really good. It's an honor to work with you guys."
"Wow, thanks," Recca answered, a grateful grin plastered on his face.
"We'll be having our jamming sessions here in the music room three times a week. Since it is in the school's boundaries, it's going to be easier for all of us to get together after school." Tokiya spoke, feeling the necessity to tell their new band member some details about attendance.
"Yeah, and hard to get out of," Kaoru added, pretending not to notice Tokiya's famous death glare.
"Moving on, the duration of the sessions will be around 2-3 hours a day depending on our development and inactivity." Tokiya continued, impassively looking back at Fuuko.
"You don't have to jam with us today. Just listen to us play and stuff." Kaoru told Fuuko as he adjusted the strap of his bass.
"Are you guys done?" Domon shouted from the far side of the room. Apparently, he was feeling a bit left out. "Let's jam!"
The three young men walked back to their original places as Fuuko and Yanagi prepared for another captivating performance. Recca casually walked up to the mike and cleared his throat.
"This is our next song and it's called 'Take No'."
Three days later…
Footsteps echoed outside the corridor as the new Mystcase and Yanagi waited inside the music room. Each step grew louder as it approached them, and they knew perfectly well where the source of it all came from.
"You guys! I have good news!" Recca exclaimed as he burst into the room without preamble.
"You're late," Tokiya spoke coldly, his foot tapping impatiently against the wooden flooring. "The others came in twenty minutes ago. What's your excuse now?" Having heard almost every justification created in the known universe from Recca, he wondered what kind of reason his late band mate was going to say now. It wasn't like he was going to believe it anyway. At one point, Recca had run out of plausible excuses, so he said the first thing that came into his mind as he stepped into the music room. He needed to give his pet a bath.
How can you give a goldfish a bath?
Recca tilted his chin upward, pride written all over his face. "An excusable excuse, fridge boy,"
Tokiya twitched at the nick name and pointed idly at the piece of paper clutched in his band mate's hand. "A piece of paper isn't going to cut it, Hanabishi."
Recca held out the flyer for everyone around the room to see. This piece of paper IS going to cut it. Hell, it's enough to cut them a bit of fame and fortune along the way. "For your information, ice block," He answered, reaching out to pass him the flyer. "This is an invitation to a band competition with a cash prize and a guest performance at Rock Radio. It could be our big break!"
Kaoru ran to Tokiya and stood next to him as he read the information himself. "First prize will be awarded with a cash prize and a guest performance at Rock Radio Station. Whoa, how sweet is that?"
"Well, judging by the date, we have about three weeks to get ready for the big day," Domon told no one in particular as he took a top view perspective from the group's heads—being tall and all.
"Uh, you guys, isn't this a bit too soon?" Fuuko asked, dismissing the current—and quite shocking—scenario. "I mean, don't we need a bit more time than that? Since I'm new, we're all going to have to work extra hard with the competition just around the corner."
"Nah, we'll be alright." Recca answered as he waved off the thought with his free hand. "You pick up fast, anyway. Remember our last jamming session?"
Fuuko nodded in concurrence. She did remember it. The coverage of the previous jamming session was a test to see how quick she could master a song she never even heard of. To their astonishment, she mastered the entire composition together with the instruments all in less than an hour. A jolt of pride rushed through her. It was the job of a singer to do such a difficult task, and she executed it relatively well that day.
Yanagi wrapped her arms around Fuuko. "Oh, Fuu-chan, this is such a great opportunity for you! Are you willing to take it?"
Fuuko flinched at the contact but did not draw back. She was used to Yanagi's sudden outbursts of affection. Looking back at the question, was she ready for it? Can she meet her band's expectations? How about the people? If she did join, she was going to have to sing on stage and face hundreds of unfamiliar people. The pressure of memorizing all the songs in a brief moment of time would cause a good deal of stress. And did she mention all the homework and projects she had to catch up on right after the practices? Time budgeting and multi-tasking wasn't one of her specialties after all.
"I say we join." Recca announced. "How about you guys?"
Recca's voice was far too small to be heard by Fuuko. She was trapped in her thoughts again, disregarding all aspects that disrupted her from tossing about into her world of wonder. Her eyes glazed into oblivion. If she didn't join, then she would be letting her band down. Selfishness was to be the cause of her disapproval about joining the competition. She was not one to entertain and take interest in such a thought. If selfishness would cloud her better judgment, then she would most definitely think otherwise.
"Fuu-chan? Are you okay?" Yanagi asked worriedly. She gently nudged Fuuko, hoping to bring her back from whatever universe she was currently visiting in her head. She always caught Fuuko lost in her thoughts, her body being present in the scene, but her mind flying off to someplace else. Ergo, the distant look in her emerald eyes.
A heavy mass pressed onto Fuuko, causing her to snap back to reality. She looked to her side to see Yanagi and her brown almond eyes fill with concern. "Sorry, what were you saying?" Fuuko asked, mentally kicking herself for spacing out again. Damn, she really had to stop daydreaming or else she'll find herself spending a long term involvement with the mental institution.
"Whaddaya say? You wanna join or not?" Domon asked excitedly, clamping a large hand onto Fuuko's shoulder and her shaking her vigorously. Fuuko brought her palm to her forehead as the room danced before her eyes. She blinked her eyes a few times to regain her vision and cease the nausea that was beginning to take over her.
"I guess. It's worth a shot." Fuuko replied, shrugging her shoulders in the process. There. She said it. Hopefully, her decision would be something she wouldn't be shooting herself for in the near future.
"Great! It's settled then!" Recca exclaimed. "I'll go sign us up after this session ends."
"There's only one problem, you guys," Kaoru interrupted, his frown visible to everyone in the room. "How are we going to jam?"
Tokiya raised a questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I heard that the school chorale will be competing in the inter-school choir competition this month, which means that they'll be using the music room more often than usual."
An atypical deafening silence filled the room. Everyone was caught in their own thoughts, thinking of a way to solve the quandary through a credible manner.
Most of them, at least. Domon was too preoccupied searching for something inside his nose. An alien civilization, maybe?
"I got it!" Recca yelled, his body pumping another surge of energy through his veins. "We can jam in Mikagami's pad!"
"Excuse me?" Tokiya asked infuriately. "MY house?"
"Yeah! I remember the music room we visited when you showed me around your house!" Recca replied as he fidgeted restlessly in his seat, the others fearing that he might burst open because of all the energy stored inside of him.
"Hanabishi," Tokiya answered coldly, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I did not show you around. YOU showed yourself around and destroyed my mother—"
"Whatever, ice man," Recca interrupted as he flapped his hand at his band mate, trying to shoo his words away. "So? Who agrees with my idea? Kindly raise your hand. That is, if you can't think of anywhere else to jam."
Apparently, the others couldn't think of any other places to practice without getting charged for it. Domon, Recca, Fuuko and Kaoru readily raised their hands. Yanagi kept hers to herself—well, she wasn't part of the band anyway. Tokiya folded his arms over his chest; he didn't want his house to be the talk of the town right after a jamming session—luxuriously delicious from the outside, hurricane swept in the inside.
"Majority Rules," Recca told Tokiya, his voice dripping with relish.
Tokiya just rolled his eyes and looked away. It wasn't like he could do anything anyway.
Must prepare tranquilizer, he thought to himself.
"Now then," Recca continued as his tone turned into a business-like manner. "We can all go to Tokiya's house an hour after school. Do whatever you want til' then. But…" His eyes focused on the purple-haired maiden. "I think Fuuko should go to Tokiya's house in advance."
"What?" Fuuko reacted hastily. She was supposed to go to a guy's house and stay with him all alone? No way. It's just…no. She would definitely NOT do it. That was her final answer. NO, NO, NO. "Why should I?"
"Well, it would be better that way, so that when the other band members get there, the tone and pitch would be fixed already. We can't afford to waste time tuning the guitars to your voice and stuff during the jamming session. It would be faster that way. Why, is there a problem?"
Fuuko shrugged. He did have a point. Like she said, the competition was just around the corner, and with that said, there wasn't much time to spare. What if she asked Yanagi to go with her? If she did that, it would be rude to invite her since she was not even the owner of the residence.
"No. It's fine. I'll go," Fuuko answered feebly.
All she had to do was forget.
Just for that moment.
And everything would be alright.