Taciturn Countenance

            Her fist was a few inches from the large oak door; eyes set on the intricate carvings on the think slab of wood. Diverse emotions continued to surge through her body, somehow making it incapable of creating any movement at all.

Fuuko briskly walked along the empty sidewalk, occasionally glancing at the crumpled slip of paper possessing the home address given to her by Tokiya himself.

"Here," Tokiya told Fuuko as he dropped the neatly folded piece of paper on her desk. "It would be appreciated if you came on time."

With nothing else said, he turned on his heel and made his way out of Fuuko's classroom. A group of girls from the other end of the room tore their gaze away from the retreating senior and onto the puzzled junior, jealously pondering on the idea of the man of their dreams looking for someone else other than them.

Fuuko was left staring at the doorway, quite startled by Tokiya's sudden intrusion. Her eyes drifted onto the white slip of paper on her table.

What was that for?

Her slender fingers reached for the paper and carefully unfolded it.

61 rose whip drive.

Her feet carried her as if it had its own intuition. She kept her hasty pace and continued to advance toward her destination, glimpsing at the gold numbers attached to the gates of each sophisticated home.

Could she even call it a home? The houses were like the size of a mini-mall.

Her speed reduced as she passed a large Victorian mansion with a house number of 57 fixed on its cold automatic metal gates. She placed her eyes on the next gold number…

And the next…

58…

59…

60…

She stopped.

Her lips gradually parted into a slim gap as she gazed at the scene before her.

The house was far more extraordinary than what she envisioned it to be. Unlike the other houses that Fuuko passed, the residence did not have a gate present to hinder the world from staring at its magnificence. The large structure was painted with refined colors, its large glass windows sparkling in the sunlight. It was as if every angle of the dwelling was planned thoroughly--each wall having its on own purpose, each embellishment resembling a certain memory of the past.

Like its master, the house seemed to demand respect as well.

Her heels clicked against the cold pavement as she made her way toward the rounded path leading to the front door. Her emerald orbs caught sight of a large fountain at the center of the elliptical lane. A beautiful woman carved in stone stood amidst all the water, and in her long slender fingers, a small jar was tilted forward as if to pour out all its contents. Water flowed out of the jar and onto the large body of water beneath it, creating a soothing, relaxing sound that tickled Fuuko's ears.

Regaining some courage and composure, she took a deep breathe as her knuckles made contact with the thick polished wood before her.

But instead of hitting its cold hard surface, her fist went through nothing but cold air, as the door was swung open by the owner himself.

"It took you long enough to simply knock."

Fuuko lowered her pale fist and stared at her impassive band mate in disbelief.

"How did you know I was outside your doorstep?"

Tokiya pointed at a small black lens located at the upper right corner of the door frame.

"Security camera." He told her, his cold cerulean eyes refusing to leave the maiden's puzzled countenance.

"Come in," Tokiya said as he swung the door wide enough for her to pass through. Fuuko, with her hair hopefully concealing her rosy appearance, made her way passed Tokiya and into the vast domicile.

The soft click of the lock in the door resonated through the walls of his dwelling. Fuuko's eyes drifted from one part of the home to another, apparently mesmerized by the surroundings.

            It was an even more captivating picture than what she had previously seen outside. Paintings of many great and deceased artists adorned the walls with splendor. The furniture matched its luxurious theme, and even the lights were positioned in such a way that it accented each angle and area. Clearly, the house was done with an earthy and sophisticated theme. Her eyes continued to scan the vicinity and spotted a long glass wall with water gracefully sliding down from the pinnacle and descending slowly to the bottom, creating that same relaxing and tickling sound that her ears loved to hear. Small plants were left hanging elegantly on the glass, constantly being bathed by the clear crystal water.

"It's a partition separating the foyer and the dining area." Tokiya told her, noticing Fuuko's sudden interest on the glass structure. He regretted having that big piece of glass standing there, for a certain memory had made him bitter towards it. He remembered the first days of jamming together in his house as Mystcase with Recca, Domon and Kaoru. Due to a petty argument of who-eats-what during an evening meal one night, a wrestling match was held right in the middle of the dining area. Plates flew across the room and food splattered on the clean newly-painted walls. Tokiya was powerless as Recca and Domon crashed into the glass wall and wrestled each other senseless into the living room, either one trying to get the other into a neck-breaking headlock.

Mystcase never had another jamming practice in 61 Rose Whip Drive ever since.

"It's beautiful," Fuuko answered.

Tokiya disregarded the comment and sat on one of the plush seats near the unlit marble fireplace. "Where do you want to practice?  We can practice in my room if you want due to the fact—

Most definitely not, Fuuko thought to herself as she looked up to see a crystal chandelier hanging right above her.

"—or we can go to the serenity garden. I can just bring—"

"There's a garden?" The words left Fuuko's mouth before she could even stop them. A shade of carnation tinted her cheeks, as to being slightly discomfited for her sudden interjection.

Tokiya looked back at her as he raised a questioning eyebrow. "The garden it is then," He stood up from his seat and made his way toward the stairs. "Sit down and try not to touch anything,"

Fuuko nodded, as if depicting a child following her mommy's orders not to touch anything at the antique store. She sat quietly on the couch and waited for her band mate's return.

A few minuters later, Tokiya finally descended down the staircase clutching his acoustic guitar in one hand and a clear book in the other. Instead of finding a silent Fuuko seated on the couch and patiently awaiting for his arrival, he found her looking down on the pictures frames that were placed nattily on top of the fireplace. His icy aura must have somehow filled the ambiance, for Fuuko turned to face him with inquiring eyes.

"Who are these people?" Fuuko asked him, turning back once more to look at the photographs that bore different fine-looking silver haired individuals.

Tokiya made his way across the room, slightly annoyed by the interrogation. He glanced over Fuuko's shoulder to have a better look at the picture.

Four people clad in formal wear stood beside a most extravagant Christmas tree adorned with tinsels, ornaments, and crystals. The older man and woman stood side by side behind the two children and smiled in such a way that it was as if they rehearsed it before the shot was taken. The little girl, probably at the age of thirteen, smiled the same way as her parents did- relaxed, lips closed and curved upward.. The image was evidently as formal and as refined as ever, if not for the little boy and his tiny fingers forming a peace sign, and his sparkling white teeth exposing from the molars to the bicuspids for the whole world to see.

"My family," he answered as he sat back down on the same seat near the fireplace.

"Really? Where are they?" Fuuko asked, fixing her eyes on the next picture which was apparently taken at a beach.

"They died," Tokiya replied with the least bit of sorrow. "In a plane crash,"

Fuuko turned to look at him, her face filled with grief and shame. "I'm sorry,"

"It doesn't matter," He answered, standing up from his seat and walking toward the dining area. "Follow me,"

Fuuko followed after him as they moved across the dining room, through the sliding glass doors and into the patio of the serenity garden.

Fuuko only had three words to describe the landscape:

Garden of Eden.

Tokiya took a seat on one of the chairs and opened his clear book in search for the said song to practice. Fuuko sat on a chair opposite him and slid closer to have a look at the content as well. As the pages turned, Fuuko noticed sheets of paper bearing peculiar symbols that were far from being music notes or guitar tabs. Her eyes widened with curiosity as she watched him leaf through the book with even more sheets of odd symbols printed in them.

"They're drum tabs," Tokiya said, answering the question that lingered in Fuuko's mind.

"You play the drums too?"

"Yes."

"What else can you play?" Fuuko asked him. She knew so little about Tokiya. In contrast to her other band mates, he was the only one who didn't bother sharing anything about himself, or say anything either. Recca, Domon, and Kaoru had narrated their whole life story to her—scratch that—they had told her EVERY single detail about their life, from their first encounter with Santa Claus to their first trip to Disneyland.

"Piano and Violin," Tokiya answered impassively, positioning his guitar comfortably on his thigh. "Judging by your voice, the only thing we need to do is to capo the third fret and we're all set. Ready?" He looked up to see Fuuko staring back at him, her eyes yet again filled with the same inquisitiveness as it had just a moment ago.

"Why don't you ask me?"

"Ask you what?" Tokiya questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Anything. Anything about me."

Tokiya shrugged and returned to tuning his guitar. "It is not of my concern,"

He started to pluck each string, his calloused fingers gliding across the fret board with ease and fluidity.

"I'll be singing second voice, don't get confused,"

Fuuko nodded and waited for her cue. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"And now I concede,

On the night of fifteenth song,

Of melancholy, of melancholy…"

Tokiya began to sing in harmony with Fuuko as he strummed the guitar slowly in constant motion.

"Cause tonight, I leave my fears behind,

Cause tonight, I'll be right by your side,"

The world vanished once more. It was only her voice.

Together with his.

"Lie down right next to me,

Lie down right next to me,

And I will never let go…"

Tokiya's strumming softened and he plucked once more, emitting the same haunting and alluring tune he played back in the school music room.

"But still I see,

The tears from your eyes…

Maybe I'm just not the one,

For you…"

Tokiya left the last note hanging in the air, resonating through their ears.

Fuuko slowly opened her eyes and met Tokiya's sapphire ones.

A smile graced his lips.

"BRAVO! BRAVO!"

Startled, Tokiya and Fuuko looked round towards the voice.

Tokiya's eyes narrowed.

"Don't you knock?" He hissed.

"That was some performance!" Recca exclaimed. "Can we get an encore?" He walked to toward them with Domon, Kaoru, and Yanagi tailing behind.

"Yo," Domon and Kaoru greeted in unison.

"Hey, Fuu-chan," Said Yanagi as she waved. She turned to Tokiya and bowed before him. "Mikagami-sempai,"

Tokiya nodded in reply and stood from his seat.  "We'll be upstairs in the music room. It's the first door to the right once you get to the landing. You got five minutes," he told Fuuko as he closed is clear book, picked up his guitar, and wove through the slightly crowded patio.

Recca shrugged and gestured Domon and Kaoru to follow the retreating senior. "Come on, up we go!"

"So, Yanagi, what brings you here?" Fuuko asked the brunette as she watched her fellow band mates leave from the corner of her eye.

"Well," Yanagi started, setting her bag on the chair nearest to her. "I met the guys along the way and they—well, Recca in particular­­—asked if I wanted to come and watch you guys jam." A grin was plastered on her jovial countenance. "How can I say 'no' to that?"

"Here we are. Door to the right," Fuuko thought aloud as she turned the brass knob and swung the heavy wooden door open.

It took a while for the two girls to become accustomed to the immensely bright light that burst onto their faces as they entered the room. Fuuko walked into the room, squinting and blinking her eyes in the process, secretly hoping that she wouldn't bump into anything valuable or life-threatening for that matter. Regaining her vision, her eyes widened as she was once again stunned by the view that unfurled right before her.

As every part of the house made Fuuko's heart leap into God-knows-where, it was as luxurious and glamorous as the dining area, the living room and the serenity garden. Instruments such as a drum kit, a piano, a bass, and guitars were positioned purposefully in the middle of the room. Violins, Trumpets, and many other instruments filled the shelves, each illuminated by a light that brought out its grandeur and delicate structure. On the other side of the room was a recording booth, exposed by a fairly large glass that separated the two areas apart.

"Why are the walls so soft?" Yanagi asked, pressing her hands against the white padded wall.

"That's to stop the sound waves from bouncing off the walls. It absorbs it in some way," Kaoru replied as he adjusted the strap on his bass guitar.

"Hey, ice block, can we bring Yanagi inside the recording booth? The music might be too loud if she was in here. At least, inside, she can adjust the volume and stuff," Recca asked, plugging his cable on one of the large amplifiers behind him.

"Since when did YOU care about anyone else but yourself?" Tokiya retorted. "Kaoru, you go set it up."

"What the f—"

"Set. It. Up."

"Yes, sir," Kaoru replied grudgingly as he removed the strap off his shoulder and lay his bass on a rack next to him. "Yanagi-neechan, shall we?"

The brunette nodded blissfully and followed Kaoru toward the recording booth. "This is going to be fun!"

"That was a really productive session, huh!" Recca exclaimed as he climbed down the stairs.

"We could have been more productive if Domon didn't hit himself with his stupid drumsticks," Tokiya said to no one in particular. "It took us more than half an hour just to let him regain consciousness."

"How can you blame me? I was in the zone, dude!" Domon replied, gingerly touching the bump on his forehead.

"You think calling me 'dude' is amusing?" Tokiya snapped, his icy demeanor getting even icier in the seconds that passed them.

"Now, now, children, we mustn't fight," Koaru told them in a motherly fashion. Fuuko and Yanagi couldn't help but chuckle.

"Shut it," Tokiya replied, as he opened the front door for them. "Practice is tomorrow at—"

"No,"

Tokiya glared at Recca, his eyebrow raised in curiosity. "I'm sorry, what?"

"We can't have a jamming session tomorrow," The spiky-haired teen replied, a sheepish grin plastered on his face.

"Really now? Care to expound on the reason why?" Tokiya asked, his temper clearly being tested yet again.

"Because…I have this really important place to go to," the jolly adolescent replied, his grin growing even wider.

 Oh, how great the temptation was of wanting to punch Recca's face in.

Tokiya glowered at his band mate.

"Fine. It's not like I can stop you anyway."

"You guys can still jam without me." Recca answered as he skipped out the door. "Later!"

"Well, we should go to," Kaoru told them. "Come on, Domon."

"Okay, bye guys!" Domon said as he ran off to go after Kaoru. "See you tomorrow!"

Fuuko turned to Tokiya. "What time tomorrow?"

"Same time," was all he said.

"Oh, alright. Well, let's go Yan-chan." She told Yanagi as she made her way out the door and onto the rounded path.

"Mikagami-sempai, thank you," Said Yanagi as she bowed before her senior.

Tokiya simply nodded and closed the door as soon as she crossed the door frame.

The sun was set by that time, painting the horizon in different shades of crimson and gold. Crickets had started to sing their evening lullaby, creating that familiar air of silence and serenity. Small winged silhouettes glided across the sky, finally returning to their nests and getting a good night's rest; the city was about to do the same. The city was about to sleep.

Fuuko and Yanagi's heels clicked against the pavement as they walked in grateful silence, inaudibly enjoying each other's company.

"I know why there's no jamming practice." Fuuko finally spoke after a few moments of uninterrupted silence.

"I figured you would find out somehow," Yanagi replied as a soft giggle escaped her lips.

"So? Spill," Fuuko answered, a smile gracing her lips in the process.

"Well, he said that he wanted to take me somewhere right after school," the brunette answered as a hot sensation crept up her face.

"Where?"

"It's a surprise…"

"Ooooohhh…that's hot."

The two girls burst into bubbly giggles. It was clear that Yanagi was excited for her date with Recca. Those A comfortable silence was set upon the two of them again, but the question that tossed about in Yanagi's mind was daring to break it.

"How about you and Tokiya? I could tell by your expression that you enjoyed singing with him," Yanagi assumed.

She knew Fuuko all too well.

"It's really weird you know," Fuuko replied, looking up at the darkness that seemed to slowly consume the golden horizon. "It was like, when we both sang together, the blending of his voice with mine was just…perfect." She tucked a strand of hair that seemed to escape behind her ear.

"It's just that…" She continued, quite embarrassed for next lines that she was about to utter. "It felt like…it was just the two of us at that moment. Just him and me. Singing together.

"Fuuko…"

Fuuko turned to Yanagi. Emerald eyes were locked against amber ones.

The brunette took her best friend's hand and gave her the warmest smile she could ever create.

"Maybe he's the one who can make you forget."

Note: If you guys were confused with the first part, it's like a double flashback—a transition from the present to the past, then, a little more back to the past. Get it? Get it?