"Okay, that's good, honey. You can simply lift it a little from the ground, but I personally prefer that you first raise your leg to a 45 degree angle, before reaching to the side."
"Like this?"
"Just bend it a little more."
"This?"
"Wait, watch me, I'll do it again."
Dark eyes watched as the older woman started what was called as a balancé, or also known as a 'waltz' in ballet. Silver bun bounced a little, as the woman gracefully raised her back leg to a bend, "Look, you have to do this first, get it?", before extending it and stepping the foot to the side. Next, her other foot went behind the first foot, then lifted onto its ball, replaced the weight from the ball of the first foot to repeat the moves on the other side. When the demonstration was over, the younger girl saw from the mirror the questioning expression her ballet teacher has, "Tsu-chan?"
"Mom...", the six-year old's gaze fell from her teacher slash mother, who has now turned around, to the wooden floor of the studio; then continued after seconds of hesitation, "C-can this be a rest day? We're here for a vacation, right?"
She suddenly regretted her words, but when she recalled the things her mom's younger brother had mentioned about this city, called Los Angeles, she became braver, "And I want to go with uncle and Yuuta-niichan. I want to see this place uncle told us about...um, S-Staples?", unsure if she had pronounced the name correctly in English.
"We'll follow them in the afternoon, and watch the basketball game with them, too. For now, you have to finish your ballet lessons. And yes, this is a vacation, but again, you have to practice everyday, if you want to be a ballerina..."
There was a pause, before the former professional ballerina resumed ,"...like me."
Tsumiko soon found her mother poised down in front of her, "Tsu-chan, you want to be a ballerina, right?"
Her mind wandered to the difficulty of the ballet steps, the strict diet, the outfits, the lifestyle of ballet dancers she had read about before, and most importantly, her mom's past injuries – causing her to admit both to herself and to her mom, "I- I don't think I like to, anymore."
"Why is that?"
"Y-you got hurt because of ballet, mom. S-so, I'm scared", she stuttered, as she fiddled with her leotard, "Also, ballet is really hard. And the clothes are itchy", waiting for a scolding. What she received, though, was delicate fingers on her sides, followed by a gentle and playful tone, "Where? Where does it itch? Here? Or here?"
Eventually, the room became filled with hearty giggles of a child, "M-mom! That tickles! Please!"
Once the adorable sounds died down, Eri guided her daughter to sit back up. Seated across the girl, she combed the wavy strands of hair – which were snow-like like her own – that got loose from the girl's now-messy bun, "You see, honey, I became a ballerina because a friend of mine started ballet classes, and I wanted to try it too. Your gran-gran didn't like it at first, even if I cried and cried. So, I asked my friend to teach me the basics. I showed it to your gran-gran, and because I did really well, she enrolled me to a ballet class."
"Gran-gran did?"
"Yes, so if you want something, you have to work for it. Also, only you, yourself, know what you truly want. I won't force you to become someone you don't wish to be. I'll always be proud of you, my baby."
Eri hoped that her young daughter had understood her. As doe-like eyes stared up at her happily, she couldn't help but caress her baby girl's chubby cheeks, "Now tell me, what do you want to do?"
Tsumiko hummed, until her face brightened up, "Grandmother said that she'll start teaching me ikebana when we go back to Kyoto."
"Do you really want that? Because if not, I can ask your dad to talk to your grandmother."
She shook her head, "It's okay, mom. I'm curious about it", then dreamily thought about her grandmother's flower garden, and beamed, "And the flowers are really, really pretty!"
"Alrighty. Just tell me, if you want to learn more, even if it's not ballet. Your mom's a really great dancer, you know!", her mom beamed back, before an idea popped up, "Oh! I'll teach you another dance. It's also called waltz, but it's slightly different than the ballet waltz. Waltz is a social dance, which means you dance it with a partner, and that it is usually done in parties and such. Next week, at your uncle's wedding, he will be dancing waltz with your aunt. At parties, guests could also dance, so you should always be prepared to dance, okay?"
True enough, the newlywed performed waltz, but soon after, they started a dance, that didn't seem to look like waltz. Curious, Tsumiko asked her mother, to which she replied, "Oh, what they're doing is known as a 'slow dance.' It's really easy and a common social dance. You can learn it by just watching them. "
From the perspective of a six-year-old, the couple were simply swaying to the beat, while talking to each other. Just like its name, it really was a slow dance – boring and ordinary. The waltz, although being also slow, was more exciting. This was why she couldn't grasp the adults around her watching the couple in glee and in awe.
...
The twelve-year-old Tsumiko figured out that due to the simplicity of the steps and the close proximity between the dance partners, there was both a chance and a need – respectively – to make small talks during slow dance. She had finally understood the appeal of a slow dance.
It was romantic.
But, only with the right partner, she reckoned, as an afterthought.
Tsumiko then thanked Mitsui, the grandson of Chairman Kobayashi and her slow dance partner a few moments ago, who ushered her back to the table. Her mom, Eri, was conversing with some female adults at another table; her dad, Hiroshi ,was having a drink with some businessmen; and her brother, Yuuta, was dancing with a teenage girl, she saw for the first time – leaving her alone at their table. Mitsui invited her to join their table, where three other kids around their age sat, but she felt shy and awkward. Hence, she politely declined, using the excuse of resting her feet and replying to a text. Suddenly, he jokingly asked if it was from the Teikou basketball team captain, but since she truly didn't receive any message, she impulsively said yes; and he soon left.
With the mention of a certain raven-haired second-year, she was reminded of 'the right partner' in dancing; and she could only wish he was present in this party, so they could get some fresh air somewhere, just like that time at Chairman Kobayashi's birthday celebration.
The invitation to this party was sent to their house weeks ago, and it clearly stated that it was a thanksgiving party by the Akashi group for its successful acquisition of an international company that specializes in manufacturing electronic equipment and systems for solar power, telecommunications, and such. According to the card, the party was exclusive for the 'close family and friends' of the Akashi group – which, in business language, translates into longtime partners and valuable shareholders.
So, here she was for the first time, trying to guess how many rooms do this mansion, which could pass as a hotel, has. As if the main building or the ancestral house of the Akashi group was not grand enough, this residential complex or estate in Tokyo even has a separate quarters for the servants and staff, a huge lawn and garden, a swimming pool, and a horse stable – with the latter two being things she had only heard about from her parents, and had not yet been confirmed with her own eyes, because she didn't have time to explore, since they went directly to the venue of the party or the lobby of the main house. She recalled visiting the residence of the Akashis in Kyoto, during the wake of the redhead's mother. Although, she only spent few minutes there and couldn't exactly remember the details of the place, she was sure it was not as vast as this.
For the third time that night, she surveyed the main lobby again – taking in the large wooden doors at the entrance; the chandelier high in the ceiling; the expensive paintings hung on the high walls; the two staircases leading to the second floor, where huge portraits of adult men could be seen, and she instantly felt small under the painted eyes of the past generations of Akashis. Though none of them had crimson hair and eyes, she could see their resemblance with a certain redhead in the similar firm gaze they all possessed.
Feeling like a fool, she lowered her head at the portraits – suddenly finding it hard to believe she was classmates and club-mates with their descendant, who was actually kind and humble; and now that she though about it, Akashi Seijuurou was never flashy nor extravagant.
As the gears in her head worked to absorb such fact, dark eyes automatically scanned the hall to find the boy.
Not soon after, she caught red.
Her lenses traveled from his styled scarlet hair to his white suit with black bow-tie – still impressed at how he rocked the look, despite her previously complimenting him earlier, when he had formally greeted her family. Polite as ever, he returned the compliment at her own outfit – a raspberry red off-shoulder long-sleeved A-line dress that reached mid-calf. Currently, she could see how he courteously conversed with a black-haired girl, and other adult women at a table; and she could only let out an amused smile at the charmed expressions of the people around him.
This amusement, however, did not last long, when she remembered what day it was today.
With that thought, she got up from her seat and walked towards the dessert area, only to find herself saddened at the sight of pieces of mini cakes in three kinds: matcha, dark chocolate, and berries – none of which could be a candidate cake for the occasion.
And by occasion, she did not mean the thanksgiving party. She meant Akashi Seijuurou's birthday.
December 20.
Tsumiko recalled randomly reading that exact date in the members' profiles with Momoi during Kuroko's first day at practice. It was the same date written on the invitation card her family had received days before, so she couldn't help but wonder, that time, if mentioned thanksgiving party also included a birthday celebration for the Akashi heir.
She was supposed to ask any of her family members if they knew about his birthday, but the following weeks got too busy – due to the training for the top ten informal competition, the competition itself, the preparation for the second semester's exams, and the actual exams – that she had forgotten about it. It was only when she saw their driver showing the invitation card to the guards at the gate of the Akashi complex, that she remembered. As they entered the complex, however, her parents started telling Tsumiko and Yuuta about the place, making her deduce that they were unaware of what today was.
Hesitantly, she tried to wish him a happy birthday, as soon as they arrived at the party, but when the Akashi Masaomi appeared behind him to greet her family, her words got stuck.
A voice in her head pushed her to stop in her attempt, because of the possibility of his birthday being a sensitive topic. Such possibility kept on increasing, as the party went on, without any mention about the heir's birthday.
Another voice in her head was scolding her for being a bad friend by not greeting him properly, causing her to unintentionally glare at the innocent mini cakes.
"Take the matcha one."
A masculine voice, which was definitely outside her head, interrupted the voices in her head.
Whipping her head to her right, she almost jumped away, when she was met with red.
"A-akashi-san!"
"It's the least sweet amongst the three", the boy casually justified his suggestion.
After recovering from her shock and registering what he meant, she didn't tell him the real reason why she was at the dessert area, "Oh, uh, thank you, but I just realized that I already had enough sweets for tonight."
Not giving him time to speak, she rambled, "A-anyway, I must be bothering you. Are you here to take some?", shifting the topic, while she tried to tease him by gesturing at the table he was previously at, "Oh! For the young lady at that table?"
At the slight quirk of his brows, though, she immediately regretted it, as the implication of her words dawned on her. Great. Now, he probably thinks she's being a creep, who's watching his every move.
As if that wasn't shameful enough, he comfortably replied, "Mao. She's a relative."
'Oh my God!', she mentally freaked out at her own ignorance.
Too embarrassed, she just stared dumbly at him. Fortunately, he took the initiative and resumed the conversation. Unfortunately, he teased her back – successfully and not with a relative of hers.
"What about you? That was a great dance you did with Mitsui-san, earlier."
Trying to be as relaxed as possible, she dodged, "Ah, Akashi-san. It was a simple slow dance. Anyone can probably do it."
"Indeed. However, unlike Mitsui-san, your posture, rhythm or how you stay tune with the music are not just anything that anyone could possess. Instead, these are indications of a person, who has experience in dance – something unsurprising for a daughter of a former professional ballerina."
There were three things his statement suggests: first was the vice-captain being attentive to details, as always; second was the shogi player analyzing their dance; third was her friend watching her. The last one made her more conscious than ever.
She sheepishly reasoned out, "Maybe, that's because I had ballet lessons."
"Had", he emphasized.
"It's just as I had speculated. A ballet dancer has a strict diet and schedule to follow, and must train hard every single day, just like an athlete. However, you are currently someone, who formulates training regimes for junior high school basketball players. It makes me wonder why you defied what was expected of you to do, and didn't follow the steps of your mother."
"Oh, that", she nodded, recalling all the times she and her mom had received such questions before. Finally understanding why he was probably telling her his observations, she shared, to appease his curiosity, "Well, it was when I was around six. I decided to tell my mom that I realized I didn't want to be a ballet dancer anymore, so we stopped with the daily ballet lessons."
"That was it? Wouldn't stopping what you have been doing every day be considered as a waste of time, resources, effort and most importantly, talent?"
Waltz music started playing around the hall, yet she could clearly hear the disbelief and disapproval in his tone. Wavy white locks above exposed shoulders swayed, as she shook her head, "Ah, I didn't really think of myself as naturally gifted or talented in ballet, anyway."
To momentarily distract herself from his piercing gaze, she glanced at the couples dancing at the center, before returning his hardened expression with a softer one, "Also, my mom didn't exactly stop teaching me things related to dance, that could be useful for me. She's still always nagging me about my posture, and sometimes, she teaches me some other dances, like waltz."
In response, he simply blinked at her. Thus, she couldn't help but mentally replay what she just said, to find if there was something stupid or illogical, she – a foolish child– had uttered, that could be impossible to digest by an intelligent creature, like the top student of their batch.
A few moments later, he eventually spoke, "Very well, then. Please do enjoy the rest of the evening, Irosuzuka", and formally excused himself.
Akashi was difficult to read.
That was a given.
Somehow, though, she noticed the coldness emitting from his retreating back. Such mood, coupled with the guilt, from her failure to give him her birthday wishes, coming back, troubled her. Wanting to be a good friend, she reached out to his left sleeve – her fingers grazing his wrist, "Wait, Akashi-san!"
When he turned a little to the side, she took it as a cue to release his sleeve, and to curve her lips up.
"Happy birthday."
Her attention was solely on the now-thirteen-year-old boy, that she didn't miss how his eyes very briefly widened a fraction at her words, before he faced her fully. Again, he had an unreadable expression, causing her to realize her rudeness, "Uh, I'm really sorry, but I don't have any gift for you, now. But, I can give it at prac–"
"Waltz", he cut her off, and she could hear the the 3/4-beat music still playing at the background.
"Eh?"
Typical of a gentleman, he held out his right hand, "Will you dance with me?"
'The main characteristic of the Waltz is its rise and fall action, that goes along with the 3/4 timing of the music', Tsumiko inwardly reviewed, as her right hand daintily held Akashi's left hand, while her left hand lightly rested on Akashi's shoulder. With his right hand on the small of her back, he led her by starting with his left foot, to execute a forward half box, followed by a backward half box. She followed him by performing the opposite, keeping the beat. After doing the basic box step, her partner led her to do some rotations. They started dancing towards the end of the song, so they only got to dance for less than a minute, but Tsumiko felt tired. How could she not – when Akashi started doing more advanced combinations, forcing her to follow and learn beyond the basics on the spot.
As soon as they finished, Akashi bowed to the now-applauding audience. With their hands still interlocked, Tsumiko – baffled both by the dance and by the sudden attention – followed suit and did a curtsy, just like how she was taught by her mother, who was currently sending her a thumbs up. Seeing her mom proud brought a huge smile on her face.
"I am correct, as it should be. You do have talent. What a waste."
While twisting to her right, her delighted look transformed into a dumbfounded one, as a hunch formed in her brain, "Akashi-san, is this the reason why we danced? To prove you right?"
Slender fingers slipped away from hers, and motioned towards the direction of her table. Recognizing his mannerly offer to guide her back to her table, she began walking. With him at her side, he answered, "There is no need to pro–", only to be interrupted by the playing of a new song, succeeded by the cheers of the guests.
The two of them halted in their steps, and looked around. They were still somewhere at the middle of the hall, and she could see the encouraging looks of the people, including her mom's. Some couples soon joined them in the middle to dance.
Opal irises met ruby ones, sharing an agreement between them.
Hearing the slow music, they automatically went into the same position they had earlier, during the waltz. Unlike the more erect posture in waltz, Tsumiko allowed herself to relax a little bit.
This was a slow dance, after all.
Her dance partner started leading her, as he picked up where they left off, "As I was saying, there is no need to prove an already-established fact, Irosuzuka."
His answer wan't that clear, but sensing a hint of humor in his tone, she played along, "Should I give up being a coach, then, and put on my ballet shoes?"
"That's not necessary. It wouldn't be a wise move to waste any more of your talents, especially not when you have made significant contributions to our team and its growing victories."
It was spoken like a true son of a businessman. However, from this proximity, she could clearly see his orbs, and how genuine they appeared, when he voiced out such remarks. Glad to hear positive feedback about her coach duties, and flattered at the compliments, her gaze dropped to his bow-tie, carefully biting back a smile. Simultaneously, her left hand momentarily lifted off his shoulder, to tuck silver tresses behind her ear. Immediately after she placed her hand back on his shoulder, he began leading her to move in different directions. Tilting her head up a little to meet his gaze again, she braced herself for steps that were a notch higher than what she did with Mitsui, earlier.
Although she was still convinced that they danced to prove him right about her wasted talent in dance, she went along with him, as she playfully restated her concern, "Hmm, if proving yourself right was not the reason for the dance, then what could it be?"
She felt a light pressure on her back, as he guided her to change direction.
He stepped forward,
"It is a gift."
And on impulse, she stepped backward.
"I truly appreciate it, Irosuzuka."
.
.
.
'A gift', she repeated inside her head, feeling warm at the realization of him considering the dance as her gift for his birthday.
Totally not expecting such answer, along with the genuine curl of his lips, she missed a step backward; and he almost stomped on her foot. Luckily, the athlete's reflexes were quick, so he paused midway and tightened his hold on her, to keep their balance. Unluckily or luckily – she wasn't sure anymore – the distance between them became shorter, with their faces few inches apart. From this view, she could see his features well, finding him to be really good-looking (which was already an established fact, she reminded herself). However, such features didn't give away any of his emotions.
Before she could even decipher his current expression, though, he started moving sideways again. This woke her up from her daze, and she remembered she hasn't properly acknowledged his gratitude yet.
Despite her heated cheeks and shy smile, she managed to return his sincerity with her own, "You're welcome."
As if in response, Akashi led her to a twirl.
Red dress billowed, as the white-haired girl spun around.
White suit remained neat, as the red-haired boy anchored the turn.
The rest of the dance was then spent in silence, with only the song playing in the background. Meanwhile, in Tsumiko's perspective, she could also hear her own rising heartbeat, as ruby lenses stayed fixed at hers. This slow dance, unlike the waltz they previously performed, allowed and stimulated eye contact, due to its less complex nature. Thus, she has no choice but to focus on her partner – she justified to herself. Even after repeating such logic to herself, though, her heart still won't stop racing.
The young coach analyzed by replaying the things he had told her; and she blamed her current state on his natural charm and his way with words, which attracted young and older women, as per her previous observations. While keeping up with his movements and being aware of her footwork, she further re-winded back to all the times they spent together – in class, in practices, in training camp, in games, in tournaments, in meetings, in shogi matches, in lunchtimes, in parties – and she couldn't stop herself from thinking how attractive and amazing Akashi Seijuurou is.
As if such findings didn't make her heart flutter enough, she realized that during most of her memories with the redhead, a certain dark-haired teen was almost always present.
She likes Nijimura – there's no doubt about it.
Going back to the memory of her aunt and uncle dancing during their wedding, she saw how dance could put a person with his or her right partner in their own bubble; and she has imagined Nijimura being 'the right partner' for her.
The noises of the people in the party, however, gradually filled her ears – only when the music faded out, and when she felt the instant chill at the place on her back, where a warm hand once rested.
The dance was over, and even after joining her family back in their table, her heart was still beating fast. This made her come up with a judgment of the dance.
It was romantic.
A/N:
Hmm, looks like our girl has a new crush ;) What do you guys think about it?
Anyway, thank you to all the follows and faves, and I pray that you're all okay~ Also, feel free to talk to me about this fic, or KNB in general, or something, if that could help ease your anxieties about this health crisis we're all facing now. I'll try my best to reply! Stay safe :)
