Author's note: I recommend you to listen to Chopin's classic piece "Étude Op. 25, No. 5 (Wrong note)" to understand a bit better some references or just as music background for the story :P
Wrong note
You gaze at the cloudy and gray sky through the window of the music room while the drumming of the raindrops colliding against the crystals put the perfect soundtrack to this rainy day.
You smile and inhale deeply the scent of the wet grass, enjoying the feeling of the humid breeze refreshing your skin before you abandon the window, leaving it slightly open, to walk around the piano while letting your fingertips roam freely along its shiny and polished surface.
With delicateness, you lift the fallboard of the piano and unroll the cover that protects the keys, letting your fingers graze over them.
The white keys which sound resemble to the happiness of life whilst the black keys resemble to the sadness of days like this one, for example. Right notes, wrong notes… there's an infinitude of sounds to create with each one of them and you wonder for how long all of you, the entire μ's, will be able to keep creating melodies together.
You sit on the piano bench and lightly press the pedals of the piano with your feet, playing with them distractedly and close your eyes, sighing heavily while the chilly air moves timidly the music sheets.
Will it still be like this when the third years' girls graduate and μ's gets disbanded?
You can't help but wonder if everything will be the same or will turn out cold and lonely without their presence.
Unconsciously, you start to play a soft melody, barely perceptible for any hearing yet full of melancholy at thinking that Nozomama won't be around anymore to take care of all of you and intrude in your lives; Papachika won't be there to protect and give advices to all of you and Nico-chan, Nico won't be around to bring a smile to your face even though you two are constantly fighting and bickering.
You can't help but smile sadly, thinking at how much you'll miss her "Nico Nico nii" or her diva pretensions or the way in which she also worries and takes care of everybody in her own way… it's curious how her infamous "Nico Nico nii" reached your heart and touched it, captivating it along this time.
Suddenly, the soft melody you were playing turns fast, out of rhythm and abrupt, with each key sounding stronger than the previous one and somehow you can't help it, you can't go back to the usual steady rhythm of the piece and just like that, the tempo, everything about the piece you were playing starts to be wrong, forcing you to stop to give a break to your eardrums.
You can't help but get easily distracted thinking in each detail of Nico and her petite being; in how somebody so abrasive had got to stole your heart in such manner that you can't even play the piano like you used to.
You sigh heavily and start to play another piece that gets abruptly interrupted by the uproarious sound of the door being open with strength. You look up to see the object of your desires and torments standing there in the doorframe with her insufferable smirk plastered on her face.
- How many more kittens have to keep suffering such an awful playing? – says Nico, entering in the music room as if it were nothing, not mattering if she bothers you or even if she's welcome or not…. – And why it's so cold in here? Do you want to get sick before the Love Live?
The Love Live… everything will end after the Love Live.
- I-I like the smell of rain and wet grass and it's not that cold in here – you defend yourself, trying not to pay attention to Nico or how she passes by to close the window, ignoring you completely and breaking all the peace the humid breeze was bringing with it.
Then abruptly, the piano bench sinks and surprised, you feel her petite body against yours, squeezing it.
- Ha? If you like the smell that much, I'll let you enjoy my perfume and company, maybe like that you'll stop hurting kittens with such a nasty and agonic sound – she says tactlessly.
- No, thank you – you retort back at her, averting your gaze to dissimulate the blossoming blush of your cheeks although you can't deny you're truly enjoying her company and perfume.
You enjoy the way her petite body is pressed against yours, enveloping you into her warmth and her soft scent to cocoa that intoxicate your senses making you subtly lean a little bit more over her, wanting nothing more than hold her tightly in your arms and bury your nose in her hair, inhaling and enjoying such a delicious smell.
Somehow, in cold and rainy days like this one, her scent and warmth reminds you of a cup of hot chocolate, such a pity it tastes so bitter…
- So… are you going to tell me why were you playing that terribly? – asks you Nico, staring at you, making you slightly squirm on the piano bench uncomfortable at her intense stare.
- As if – you cryptically answer to her. You can't. You really can't take a look at her. You can't see her vibrant and intense red eyes staring back into your eyes and not crumble down admitting you'll miss the girls, especially her so you choose to blatantly lie to her – It's all your fault…
- Ha? I wasn't even here when you were playing that terribly, so how's my fault now? – she answers to you offended.
- It's your fault because your presence bothers me no matter what – you lie to her, trying to cover up your own feelings even if that means hurting her.
- Idiot, I just wanted to help you but if you don't want the help of the number one idol then I'll leave. I have better things to do than waste my precious time here with you – she spats at you angrily and leaves the room with a loud door slam, leaving you sat alone on the piano bench, already missing her warmth and body against yours.
Damn, why do you always have to be such an idiot to her? Even more when she was just trying to help you out. You're always so wrong…
Next day, practice is cancelled due to the bad weather and you damn yourself again for your bad luck, wanting nothing more than to find Nico to apologize for have treated her so wrongly but she's nowhere to be seen. So reluctantly, you try to see if she's in the club room, finding her so engrossed looking at whatever it's on the computer screen that she doesn't even hear the door opening and closing or that's what you think…
- What do you want? – she asks you apathetically, spinning around on her chair to face you.
- I just wanted to apologize for being so rude to you yesterday and treat you so badly – you answer to her, fidgeting with the edge of your shirt, not ready to take a look at her indifferent face.
She just shakes her head and sighs heavily, going back to look at the computer's screen, ignoring you and your apologize completely and you never felt so despaired before, wanting nothing more than to hear her voice, even if it's just to bicker at you and not the uncomfortable and tense silence filling the room.
Unable to contain the lump in your throat and the tears that threaten to fall for any longer, you get out of the club room, running away to hide in the music room and let your tears flow freely, lifting the fallboard of the piano to throw yourself to play something that allows you to let flow freely all the pain you're feeling, the sadness, the lonely and aching feeling stabbing your heart but just like the previous day, your playing and its melody are full of melancholy and erratic thoughts of Nico clouding your senses completely to the point of paralyzing you.
You can't help but go back to her, to the way her smile is the only one able to bring a smile upon your face and break the stern look you always wear; the way her voice fills with love and warmth your heart and quickens its beating. How her petite figure make you want to embrace her and never let her go or let anything happen to her yet you find it ironic as you're the one that hurt her the most…
You sigh heavily, staring at the piano keys as if they have the answer to all your questions and desires.
Are all the thoughts that plague your mind, your feelings for Nico? Do you really love her or you're just infatuated by her smile and the warmth she brings in you? Or maybe it's all because the peace she makes you feel and that's why you're able to play that well…
You grunt and clutch your eyes in desperation, completely confused and frustrated because of your own feelings for Nico and unconsciously start to hit the keys randomly until the sound it's so strident that your eardrums can't stand it any longer and you have to stop all of sudden and close the fallboard abruptly and strongly before you lean over the piano and start crying again, letting flow all the angst you feel inside and don't understand or can't even express through the music because all your mind and heart can think about it's on Nico, to the point that everything else, every single one of your senses is completely clouded by her.
Next day, you slow down your pace while heading to the music room, debating between if you should enter and play a little more or not even try it, knowing it would be futile. You stop outside the door's room, looking at the piano with melancholy through the tiny crystal in the door when you notice a tiny figure curled up on the floor, sleeping serenely and you realize is Nico because of the pink of her sweater, making your heart shrink at the sight.
You enter in the room slowly, not wanting to disturb or wake her up and stand in the doorframe, admiring her petite figure and everything she makes you feel with such strength and intensity and think on how you really came to love everything about her, slowly coming to terms about your feelings for her. Now you're just scared she won't feel the same.
You sigh and cover her with your blazer before going to the piano bench to sit and calmly admire her for a little bit longer.
You inhale deeply and start to softly play a piece, not wanting to disturb her peace but help her to have sweet dreams but unlike you want, your playing is still terrible and agonic, frustrating you in no time.
You notice Nico waking up unsettled and sitting by your side, placing one of her hands over yours to stop you from keep hurting kittens as she put it into words the other day.
- What's wrong? It's not normal for you to play so wrong all this time – she asks you and you can't help but notice the look of pure concern on her face.
You want to tell her the truth but it scares you to open up and confess your feelings for her, you can't really take a rejection right now so you choose to bluntly lie to her.
- I-It's because you bother and irritate me – you tell her, averting your eyes.
- Is it really that? – she asks you, making you look back at her after hearing her sad tone. You want to tell her it's like that but the devastated look upon her face feels like a stab right in your heart.
- No – you admit to her, sighing while focusing on the way Nico caresses your hand with her thumb, soothing your nerves and calming you with her soft touch.
You stare at the piano keys in silence, not knowing what to say or how to even try to tell her what's swirling inside your mind and heart so you start to randomly press some black keys while you try to gather your thoughts in order.
- I can't stop thinking about the graduation and how everything will end after the Love live and I really don't want to feel lost and alone again – you confess to her, not ready to take a glance away from the keys while keep pressing them, distracting yourself with it and trying to calm your nerves.
Suddenly, you hear a chuckle and feel a light shove on your shoulder, glancing up to see Nico's body against yours.
- It won't be like that. It won't be the end, you know? – she says, pressing some white keys randomly and you can't help but think how somehow she's complementing you in perfect harmony.
You can't help but think about how Nico resembles to white keys, always so vivid and happy even though she also has her sad and bitter moments while you resemble to black keys, always with your stern and gloomy look.
- Why don't you try to play something? – she encourages you with soft voice and even though you'd love to compliant and start playing something, you feel insecure about it – Please Maki – she requests you softly, looking at you with such tender look while her hand keeps stroking yours that you can't say no.
You sigh and give in, starting to play "Étude Op. 25, No. 5 (Wrong note)" by Chopin.
You don't know why you started to play that piece specifically but you like it even though it sounds like you're playing it in the wrong way. You like how it sounds so perfect yet imperfect at the same time, with all those beautiful flaws and dissonances.
And most of it, you like the way it remembers you to Nico and your relationship. The way you two don't get along or go together at all but still do somehow and how you make harmony out of that chaos, out of all those fights and bickering. The way she inspires you to create the most thoughtful and deepest melodies and how they end being beautiful pieces of art to you and your most precious treasures.
You can hear the story the piece tells, you feel the way you two are in constants conflicts and fights yet end solving and overcome them with a laugh as truce and come back to be happy together, enjoying of the other's company.
You like the piece and the way your soul pours everything it has into it to create a beautiful and harmonized melody, full of all your emotions and you wonder if its sound reaches her and makes her feel anything of what you feel.
You close your eyes and let yourself get lost in its sound, pouring all your feelings into it, not paying attention to Nico's intense and attentive gaze at you, neither to the soft and tender expression upon her face while she observes you playing nor her sweet smile enjoying the sound of your playing.
You sense her body leaning more into yours, not bothering your perfect playing at all, nor its powerful yet subtle sound without any wrong note played but as you're reaching the end, a series of dissonant random notes start to sound out loud, hurting your eardrums and bringing you out your self-absorption, forcing you to stop and take a look at your company.
You see her laughing and tilting her head in the most innocent way possible and you feel your heart about to burst out because of her cuteness and a hard blush blooming on your cheeks at her sight.
- What the…? – you start to say bothered with her yet let the curse hanging in the air because of her cuteness.
- You were playing too well – she says giggling innocently and gets imperceptibly closer to you.
- Then why did you…? – you trail off, confused at her and why she did that but you don't even get to end the question when you feel her hand cupping your cheek and the distance between you two shorten as her lips find yours in a sweet and slow kiss.
As you pull apart, Nico comes to rest her forehead against yours, allowing you to take a look into her vivid red eyes while she looks at you intensely yet fondly.
- I love how you play, always so perfect and harmoniously and I want it to keep being like that. I want that even if we graduate and μ's gets disbanded after the Love Live, you keep playing and letting me listen to your perfect songs. I want to hear more of your beautiful compositions and melodies – she says stroking your cheek in a sweet way and you can't help but blush harder, feeling your heart beating strongly against your chest.
- Maybe we could create a new one together – you tell her shyly, placing a hand over hers to stroke it.
You see her smiling widely and timidly at you before her lips melt with yours again in a tender kiss that takes your breath away completely.
- I'd really like that – she whispers against your lips and you can't help but steal a kiss from her with the promise of a future together.