I do not own any of the songs. They belong to their respective artist(s).
Boys sing in BOLD
Girls sing in ITALICS
Both genders sing in BOTH
Hikari bounced on her toes slightly, looking for her name on the board. "N, n, n, n," she mumbled, finger pressed to her lips. Her eyes lit up as she spotted her name. There was an 87 in the score column. "There!"
"We did it!" She heard Tomochika squeal, and turning and holding her arms out, the peach-haired girl easily caught the red head. Tomochika leaned back, smiling widely. "We both passed!"
"This is great!" Hugging each other tightly, they laughed in glee. After a moment they pulled away from each other, struggling to contain their laughs.
"Hikari-chan!" Perking up and washing away the last of her laughter, Hikari smiled brightly at the sight of the male redhead.
"Otoya-kun!"
"We did it! We did it, didn't we?!"
She nodded as he came to a stop beside her. "Yeah! And it's all thanks to our work!"
He laughed, clenching his fists and pumping one up. "Now I'm even more driven to do this! I'm all fired up!"
Hikari pressed her hands to her mouth, shaking with giggles as Tomochika leaned closer. "Maybe too much," the girl teased.
Otoya froze before lowering his arm, smiling sheepishly.
"Listen, everyone!" Ringo called out, clapping to get everyone's attention. The redhead trio turned to look at the teachers. "For those who didn't pass, you'll retake the test next week!"
"This time," Ryuya began, face serious, a complete opposite to Ringo, "Take the bull by the horns and do everything you can to pass."
"Before class, kids who are in the idol course, pick up training materials at the office, okay?" Ringo smiled sweetly, eyes closed (Hikari fought down the blush with zeal).
Hikari smiled at her friends. "See you two at class?"
"Hai!" Otoya said.
Tomochika winked at her. "Don't miss us too much, ne?"
Wiggling her brows, Hikari stuck out her tongue. "Who would miss you two?"
Otoya gasped, holding his chest in mock pain. "I see how it is… I guess this means I can tell Tomo-chan what happened after the recording test! C'mon, Tomo-chan!"
Hikari stared after them blankly, Tomochika asking Otoya what he meant. "Eh?"
Putting her phone on silent, Hikari pouted. "Otoya-kun is so mean, now Tomo-chan's going to tease me… stupid Oyaji…"
About to round a corner, she slid her phone into the pocket she'd sewn as she heard footsteps. Hikari stared at Ichinose a bit surprised but stopped in front of him, bowing a full ninety degree bow. "Ichinose-san, I wish to apologize for my actions and attitude the last time we met. I was rude." Straightening, she waited for him to speak.
"What's the point of apologizing now?" He asked coolly. She didn't flinch as he leveled dark eyes on her. "Do you intend to curry favor with me so you can meet my brother?"
"No." She spoke flatly, verdant eyes dark. "I'd never lower myself to that level. Why would I when you clearly have it easier than I?" Hikari walked past him, adding, "The person you're compared to is still alive, after all." As she moved by him, she could feel his eyes on her back.
Waiting until she was around the corner, Hikari stopped and leaned against the wall, face buried in her hands as she sighed. "Damn it, Hikari, why'd you have to go and say that? Now you probably got him curious." Taking a moment to just breathe. Releasing another sigh, Hikari stood straight and pulled her braid free, undoing it and sticking it up into a messy bun. She walked slow as she did. "Oh well, it was going to come out one way or another, better it was the guy already related to a celebrity…" She trailed off as she neared the classroom, shaking her head and shoving the thought in a box for another day.
Hikari let her arms down as she entered the classroom, slowing as she the other composer students fall silent and stare at her. She followed one girl's gaze to the board, and what she saw made first one brow then the other raie. Crossing her arms as a slight smirk made its way onto her face, Hikari crossed her arms and cocked her hip as she read the board, hearing Otoya and Tomochika enter the room. A stray thought ran through her head.
"I'm glad you passed, too, Tomo-chan," Otoya was saying.
"You're tellin' me!" They both fell silent, obviously seeing the board as Hikari came to a decision.
Tugging her phone out, Hikari took a picture, snickering slightly as she sent it to her family's group chat, adding a caption. 'Look! My first haters! And I haven't even debuted yet!'
"H-Hikari-chan?" Otoya questioned.
Said girl offered him a smirk as she went to erase the board, glancing at her phone as it buzzed. 'MY GRANDBABY'S DOING SO WELL! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!'
Rolling her eyes, Hikari turned the device off. She didn't say anything to her friends as others came in, Ringo right behind. "Morning-pu!"
Placing the eraser down, Hikari passed over her phone to an unimpressed pinket. A nervous smile formed. "Sorry, sensei. I wanted to draw a flower for you, but…"
Ringo shook his head, curls flying, and motioned her away and placed the phone in his desk. "I'll give it back at the end of class."
Hikari nodded and headed to her seat, ignoring the bewildered stares. Sitting, she stared at Ringo. 'Why'd he have a strange look in his face?'
"I'll give you your next song for homework today," he began, waving his hand around and rustling the papers he had in his grasp. Hikari's landed on them in curiosity before flicking back to his face. "For students who didn't do well before, I'm giving you a second chance."
Hikari tilted her head when Ringo called on her. "Yes, sensei?" She stood, holding her hands neatly in front of her.
"Here, if you please," the crossdresser passed her a few music sheets.
The girl nodded, turning around and walking to the piano, looking through the staffs and tempo markers. 'Allegro moderato,' she thought. "Childish," she breathed, side-eyeing a girl who tried sticking her foot out. She noted the embarrassed blush forming on her classmate's cheeks.
Reaching the piano, she set the sheets down, putting them side-by-side (after checking they weren't double sided). Hikari stilled, spotting the title and then the singer. Verdant eyes rose and met aquamarine. Ringo was smiling calmly, but his eyes were earnest and curious.
'He knows.'
It reverberated in her mind as she began playing the old song on autopilot. Hikari's heart was in her throat, the urge to scream rising. She shoved both down firmly, along with the yearning to flee. Her eyes never left his, expression turning blank.
It felt like hours, but was only a few minutes, and the song ended. Blinking, she lowered her eyes and stared numbly at the name.
"Thank you, Nanami-chan," Ringo said. Hikari didn't look at him. "You may return to your seat."
She did, gathering the sheets and walking down the aisle, head down. Hikari passed the music sheets back when she reached him and went to her seat, unbothered by the stares on her. Eyes focused hard on the wooden grains making up the desk, everything around her disappeared as she zoned out. The girl completely missed the lesson (she couldn't find anything in her to care) and only reacted when the bell rang. When it did, she blinked and realized her eyes were watery, but no tears had fallen.
Impervious to her friends trying to get her attention, Hikari stood and tucked her chair in, walking quickly to the door, even ignoring Ringo's call to her. Passing through the door, she shifted into a run and bolted from the room, arms pumping and legs burning from the sudden force. It was when she almost slammed into someone that the first tear slid free.
Hikari looked up into the startled face of Ichinose. "Sorry," she croaked, swiping the tear away and shooting past him. Later, she'd have a giggling fit at the look of panic he had when he saw her tears.
For now, she simply ran to the field she'd seen a sheep flock at. Absently amazed that she hadn't tripped or ran into anything, Hikari slowed to a stop, sitting a few meters away from one of the sheep. Her face buried into her legs, trying to collect herself. 'I bet this was karma for finding out Ichinose is Hayato's brother. It's fair, I guess, but did it have to be Ringo? And his eyes… he must have figured it out from after the test. Wonder if he's her fan…'
A strangled laugh escaped her and she sat up straight, wiping away the tears. A hand moved up to pull her hair from the tie, which went around her wrist and shook the strands so they hung loosely, her bangs reaching past her eyes at full length. Hikari looked over when she heard a "mrrow."
Her eyes widened before narrowing. "Well, well, if it isn't Akuma-chan. Come to steal something else from me?"
The black cat meowed before stepping closer and brushing against her arms. She sighed and ran a hand along it's back. "Might as get some bad luck. Maybe it'll switch to good… are you hungry? I can feel your teeth, Akuma-chan." Not letting it duck away, Hikari tugged it into her arms loosely, making sure if it wanted to leave, it could. Eyes slipping lower, she realized it was male. Standing, she let it perch on her shoulders. "Make sure you don't move, I wouldn't want to drop you."
Hikari made her way to Saotomate, petting the cat. Said feline was happily rubbing his cheek against her shoulder and she could feel whiskers lightly touching her cheek and neck. 'Must resist the urge to scratch… I'm so weak against animals, Gran would be proud.'
Reaching the store, she stepped in and made her way to the animal aisle. A small hum escaped her as she looked the options over, rubbing her face against the top of Akuma's head. Perusing the options, she selected a bag and went through the ingredients, recalling what her grandmother said about cats needing. "You better not be a picky eater," she mumbled into black fur. She got a small purr in response. A scowl formed as she straightened. Turning to head to check out, Hikari blinked at Masato, who was eyeing a calligraphy brush at the end. Probably feeling her gaze, he looked over.
She walked a bit closer, unsure if he was allergic to cats. "Hey, Masato-kun." The teen nodded a greeting, eyeing Akuma with a curious look. Seeing it, she shook her shoulder, making the cat growl lightly. "Don't be mean, say hi, Akuma-chan."
"Mrrow?" Was all the cat let out, looking around before staring at Masato.
"You…" Masato began, earning her eyes on him. "Really are an animal magnet, aren't you?"
Her eyes widened slightly when she realized he wasn't bringing up her running from the room. Hikari smiled softly. "Just a little."
"I swear on everything I know, if you even think about wasting it, I will skin you," Hikari growled, staring hard at the cat. The cat meowed, but did eat the food she'd poured out.
Masato looked her over carefully, twirling the brush in his hands absentmindedly. The girl's eyes were slightly red from what he could see through her hair, which was usually held back. He turned his eyes to the pond. "I won't ask if you're okay… but will you be?"
Hikari was silent. "Over time, yeah… I wasn't expecting Ringo-sensei to have me play that song."
"You know the composer?" He asked, cautious.
"The singer," she answered quietly. Masato looked at her. Hikari was watching the cat. "She was my great-aunt."
"Hikari-san," he began, unsure if she really wanted to tell him. "You don't have to say anything until you're ready."
Her green-yellow eyes focused on him and she smiled softly. "Thank you."
The heads lifted at the sound of a saxophone. Masato lips twitched slightly, something Hikari noticed. "Do you know the musician?"
"... yes. It's my roommate, Jinguji Ren," he answered, averting his eyes and schooling his face.
"Ah," she hummed, before murmuring, "It doesn't have passion. Jinguji-san must have been pressing random keys. I wonder if his fangirls noticed… probably not, they seem to care more for his looks than anything." Glancing at her, he realized she was slowly returning to her usual self; she had a scowl on her face. "I wonder if I seemed this bad at the beginning of the school year with Ringo-sensei. He calls everyone by their given names after all…"
Masato chuckled softly, a bit off guard. His cheeks heated when Hikari looked at him in surprise. He cleared his throat, glancing at the cat. "So, will you keep him?"
"No," she finally said. "I think I'll just leave a bowl of food and water on the balcony."
"Balcony?" He repeated, looking at her.
Hikari blinked at him. "Yeah, Tomo-chan and I have a balcony. Don't you?"
The bluenet shook his head. "Only one huge window."
"Huh…" she suddenly laughed. "What if, when Headmaster first planned the Academy, he put the blueprints on a wall and threw darts at random rooms to decide which ones would have balconies and ones that'd have windows?"
Masato smiled slightly as he tilted his head. "Considering who the headmaster is, I can see it." He looked around. "We should probably head back to the dorms."
She copied him, sighing slightly. "Yeah, I guess so…"
Remembering what he'd meant to give her earlier, he slid a hand into his jacket pocket. "Oh, Hikari-san, here." He handed her phone back. "Tomochika-san, Otoya-san, and Shinomiya-san were to worried to grab this for you."
"Oh!" Her eyes were wide as she accepted it. "Thanks, I forgot about it." She cringed. "I hope my family didn't blow up my inbox."
Masato and Akuma watched curiously as she turned it on. She was treating it like a snake and Masato hid a smile when Akuma batted at the device. Her finger swiped the password in, uncaring that he was watching. They both jumped when it began playing a ringtone. Akuma's back curved.
Hikari glanced at Masato before carefully tapping her phone. "15 missed calls, 12 voicemails, 18 texts… that's not as bad as I expected." She glanced at Masato again. "Wanna see one of the Nanami family's conversations?"
He eyed her warily before slowly nodding. "Sure."
She opened the conversation and moved closer so she could hold the phone between them. Akuma hopped onto his knees and sniffed at the phone.
From: the Baby Animal
*Insert picture*
'Look! My first haters! And I haven't even debuted yet!'
He looked at her strangely. She shrugged. "Half my family is in the entertainment business. We start weird contests between each other. Scroll up when you need to."
Shaking his head, Masato continued.
From: Crazy Old Bat
'MY GRANDBABY'S DOING SO WELL! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!'
From: Kai-baka
'Wahaha, my little cousin is growing up so fast! *Sniffs*
From: Female Crossdresser
'The only one I could believe is favoritism. Who's your teacher again? Ringo-senpai, right?'
From: Aunty Rin
'The only connections you have are music staffs.'
From: Uncle Haruto
'Congratulations, little one. Continue beating them!'
From: Uncle Haruto
'Also, Kai, Oyaji, if I hear either of you yell one more time, I'm confiscating your candy'
From: Kai-baka
'WHAT'
From: Kai-baka
'DAD, WHY'
From: Crazy Old Bat
'SON-IN-LAW, NO'
From: Aunty Noriko
'Husband, yes. I can hear you from my office!'
From: Crazy Old Bat
'So?'
From: Aunty Noriko
'MY OFFICE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING'
From: Kai-baka
'And….?'
From: Uncle Haruto
'We can and will keep you away from the 4th floor. Don't test us'
From: Aunty Rin
'Ignoring your bickering, doesn't Hikari-chan have class?'
From: Aunty Noriko
'Oh, dear. Sorry, love!'
From: Kai-baka
'... uh, oops?'
From: Crazy Old Bat
'SORRY, HIKARI-CHAN! I'M JUST OVERFLOWING WITH PRIDE FOR YOU!
From: Female Crossdresser
'STUFF IT, GEEZER! SOME OF US HAVE WORK, DAMMIT!'
Masato's eyebrows were up and he glanced at her. "Your family…" he began, but stopped. Her lips were twitching. "Is unique."
She giggled, putting her phone away. "That's just over text," Hikari said, gathering the trash and standing. "We're worse in person."
He could only shake his head, blinking when Akuma suddenly hopped off the bench and ran off. "That cat…" He looked at her curiously.
A shrug. "He isn't technically mine. Anyway back to the dorms, now? I think we may have missed dinner." She looked around and Masato did as well.
"I believe so… time went by fast," he stood up and fell into step with her as they walked. "I guess I'll have to get something from the commons kitchen."
"Me too… I should probably message Tomo-chan and Otoya-kun. I hope I didn't worry them too much…" She looked down with a frown on her face.
He didn't like that look on her face. Bumping her lightly, Masato asked softly, "You're family doesn't care gender roles, does it?"
Hikari looked at him in confusion. "Uh, not really. When Shiori-nee said she wanted to become a boy for a movie role, Aunty Rin cheered her on despite being a bit old-fashioned."
"Then you wouldn't mind escorting me to the boys dorms?" He questioned, peering down at her.
A slow smile. "I wouldn't mind at all." She held her arm out in the men's traditional pose and he looped his arm through, not minding the slight awkwardness of the position.
They walked in comfortable silence. In no time at all, they arrived at the dorm. Masato stared curiously as a boy left the dorm, hunched over and panting. The duo stopped.
"Is… Is that Kurusu Syo?" Hikari asked, releasing his arm and leaning forward a bit.
He copied her, frowning. "I believe so. He's the only smallest male in the dorm at the moment."
"What is he… What the hell?" Blinking at the sudden curse, he looked at Hikari in confusion before following her gaze. His blue eyes widened. "Is that a parachute?!"
Masato could only watch speechlessly as a figure with a parachute floated towards Kurusu and hold an arm out. He couldn't tell the details fully… "Is that Shinomiya?"
They watched in bewilderment. "Masato-kun…" Hikari began, flinching at the scream that left Kurusu. "I think I'm going to go…"
"Ah."
She bolted and once again, he didn't blame her.
"-san. Hikari-san, wake up."
She groaned and buried her face further into her arms, cheek pressed against something cool. "Nooo…."
"Hikari-san." She growled at the persistent voice, raising her head. She blinked at Masato in puzzlement. "Hikari-san, you missed class."
"Eh?" She rubbed her face and looked around. "Practice room…"
Masato asked, "Hikari-san, are you okay?" He was worried.
Hikari smiled weakly at him, touching the sleep mask and headphones around her neck. "A-ah… I forgot I came here yesterday. Or was it early morning?" She frowning, blinking against the light.
"Why'd you come here?" he sounded bewildered.
"I got the sudden urge to songwrite and we don't have a lot of room available in our room," she motioned to the random papers she'd put down everywhere. "Did you say I missed class?"
"Yes. I came to look for you."
"Thank you." She smiled up at him
"If you don't mind…" he hesitated and she tilted her head curiously. "What did you come up with? And when did you come here?"
"I think… maybe 4:00? I didn't really look at the clock. And sure, why not." Hikari motioned for him to sit in one of the spare chairs around the room, waiting for him to sit. A deep breath in and she was playing
"Trippin' out
Spinnin' around
I'm underground, I fell down
Yeah, I fell down
I'm freakin' out
So where am I now?
Upside down
And I can't stop it now
It can't stop me now,
Oh
I, I'll get by
I, I'll survive
When the world's crashin' down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop it!
I, I won't cry
I found myself (myself) in Wonderland
Get back on my feet again
Is this real? (Is this real?)
Is it pretend? (Is it pretend?)
I'll take (I'll take) a stand (A stand) until (Until) the end
I, I'll get by
I, I'll survive
When the world's crashin' down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop me!
I, I won't cry
I, I'll get by
I, I'll survive
When the world's crashin' down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop me!
I, and I won't cry."
She peeked at him nervously, relaxing when she saw his faint smile. "I don't know what happened with you yesterday," he spoke carefully, locking eyes with her, "but I get the feeling it describes the situation a bit."
"That's exactly it," she admitted, turning to him completely. "I… I can tell you, right?"
Azure locked with verdant. "Of course. I don't say things like that without warning."
Breathing in, she began to explain, eyes lowering onto his entwined hands and fingers. "Around 40 years ago, my great-aunt debuted as a classical singer. Her name was Minami Utaka." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Nanami Aiko, my Gran, is her sister. When I was 12, she showed me a picture of her when she was 14, the time Utaka debuted. If I were to cut my hair to a bit below my chin with it dyed black and a bit paler, I'd look exactly like her. A twin. Gran wanted to warn me that if I chose to become a singer, people would expect me to be a duplicate of her. And, as much as she loves her, she didn't want that." Verdant eyes shut tight, bitterness filling her. "She died a week before I was born. Great-grandmother Nanami, when she saw me for the first and last time, said I was Utaka's reincarnation." Hikari couldn't open her eyes. She didn't want to. It hadn't been two weeks since she met Masato, but she knew he had a bit of a traditional outlook and wasn't sure if he did believe in that kind of thing. He was one of her friends, one not her friend because of her family, but just for her-
"That's ridiculous." Her head jerked up and she opened her eyes, staring at an unimpressed Masato. Her mouth opened slightly. "First of all, you seem dislike classical music. Second, I cannot see you with short hair. Third, even if reincarnation is possible, it's disgraceful to consider your relative a reincarnation of a deceased loved one. That kind of thing can mess with a person's psyche."
"Masato-kun…"
The blunet seemed to realize something and took her hands in his, squeezing lightly. "Hikari," he said, dropping the suffix, "I'm the scion to a wealthy family, so is Jinguji. Kurusu and Shinomiya were in famous violin competitions. You may be related to a lot of famous people yourself, but that doesn't mean you should be expected to be like them." He fell silent for a moment before continuing quietly. "I spent most of my childhood in a strict environment and my family's butler taught me to play the piano to get away from the more painful moments. Should I stop playing the piano when it gets too tough for me?"
"Wh-what?" She looked at him with wide eyes. "No, you should continue playing! Especially if you love it!"
Masato's eyes softened and he pressed his forehead to hers, both of their eyes closing. "Then you should take pride in playing old songs from your family. Especially if you love composing and singing, unlike Utaka who only sang and wrote lyrics."
Hikari let herself go for a moment, taking in the acceptance. Even without thinking about it, she knew she would do as he said, if only because she could; her great-aunt wasn't there anymore and Hikari could become whoever she wanted to be. She sighed lightly. "I guess I'll have to tell Tomo-chan and Otoya-kun, huh?"
"I'll be with you," Masato said, pulling back and they stared at each other.
She smiled at him, squeezing his hands gently. "Thank you." Their hands separated and Hikari looked around the practice room, grimacing. "Ahh, I'm going to have to clean this up."
Sliding from her seat, she began going through the music sheets, sorting them out. Masato joined her, occasionally holding a sheet out for her to look at and point to a pile. On one of them, he looked it over.
"You want it?" Hikari asked, holding the papers of the ones she'd keep.
"If you don't mind," Masato glanced at her.
She shook her head, smiling. "They won't be used otherwise. Well, some of them, at least. I think these ones were done half in my sleep."
He hummed, looking over the sheet.
"Oh, by the way…" Masato looked at her, brow rising as she held her phone out to him. "Wanna exchange numbers? It'll be easier than hunting each other down."
His lips twitched, but he accepted the phone and passed his over to her. It took a moment and then they switched phones. Masato stared strangely at the name. His eyes moved over to her. "Really?"
Hikari looked up from her phone, puzzled. "Hmm?"
"'Baby Animal'?"
Her lips moved into a smile. "Why not? I'm changing yours to 'Piano Buddy'."
Masato simply shook his head, putting his phone away and standing, his friend doing the same. Hikari discarded some of the sheets in the bin, the rest held in her hands. Both made their way to the door. He hesitated, before opening his mouth. 'I feel like I'm going to regret this.'
"Wait."
"Wait what?" She stopped behind him, frowning when he didn't open the door.
He looked back at her. "Are you going to lunch… dressed like that?"
Hikari looked down in bemusement. "What's wrong with my clothes?"
His voice became strained. "It's a onesie."
"And…?"
"A sheep onesie."
"So?" How could one word be so flat? Rolling her eyes, Hikari leaned past him, pushing the door open. "I was asleep before coming straight here. I'm not gonna waste time I could be eating to change."
Masato stared at her in a mix of amazement and horror. "You're shameless."
"Yes, yes, I am. Now, let's go so I can bedazzle our class with my choice of clothes." Easily, she began making him move through the hall.
"You're shameless," he repeated, looking forward in stark surprise. "Father would be horrified."
The girl simply laughed, dragging her friend by the hand.
It was the day after the two had skipped, during which Hikari had apologized to Ringo and redid the two lessons she missed, along with homework. Ringo also made her do something similar to the recording test, but at least she didn't have to sing in from of her classmates and it was the same song she sang to Masato (later she'd shriek after hearing that there were mini TVs showing her recording session).
She practically collapsed onto her bed that night. "Tomo-chan, I feel exhausted."
The redhead snickered, puttering around the room. "You deserve it, worrying us so much. I'm just glad you told us about your family."
'Us' was Tomochika, Otoya, Shinomiya (now Natsuki, because she owed him), Kurusu, Jinguji, and Ichinose (the last three secondhand due to the blonds seeing her almost run Ichinose down). Hikari had exchanged numbers with Tomochika, Otoya and Natsuki, so they'd be able to message her. Hikari completely forgot to exchange numbers with the female redhead before that. Tomochika was simply 'Tomo-chan', Otoya was 'Cherry', and Natsuki was 'Parachute'.
"YOU GOTTSA MESSAGE!" Her phone abruptly blurted, making her groan as she moved. "YOU GOTTSA MESSAGE!"
Ignoring Tomochika when the girl laughed, Hikari squinted up at her phone.
From: Parachute
'Goodnight, Hikari-chan!'
Her lips twitched upward at the large amount of emojis at the end. Hikari sent back her own good night message just as Otoya messaged her.
From: Cherry
'Hikari-chan, goodnight!'
Hikari returned it, noting he hadn't put any emojis. 'Must be a Natsuki thing.'
"Night, Kari-chan," her roommate said turning their lights off.
"Night, Tomo-chan." Hikari rolled over to grab her head phones, pushing her sleep mask down as she plugged the headphones in, wanting to simply listen to music for a while. She paused when she got a new message, headphones on and mask resting on her forehead. Hikari blinked.
From: Piano Buddy
'Goodnight, Hikari. Thank you'
*Insert music file*
Blinking, Hikari made sure the volume was low so it wouldn't bother Tomochika and pressed play.
""Wipe your tears." From the time things began to move,
Like the thawing snow, the glimmer of the future shines bright.
This dream is always knocking on the mind. Feel it.
On the corner of the asphalt, shivering in the icy darkness,
An unafraid pure heart.
Flowers are always looking up.
No matter when, I don't want to forget it.
That smile is my sun.
Because the flood of love won't stop,
I'm being filled with these feelings.
I want you to let me stay by your side.
Let's share what we "believe"…
"I wonder why?" Every time I find that shape,
The past heat haze gently vanishes into the sky.
Like a lamp knocking on the mind, it's warm.
Even in winter landscapes look more like the colors of spring.
Now the world is changing.
This first song is soaring on the wind.
Why do people try to express themselves
With restricted words that aren't enough?
So that the heart's dam overflows.
Tightening strongly,
This certain beating.
"Ba-dump ba-dump" Ah… Singing…
No matter when, I don't want to forget it.
That smile is my sun.
Because the flood of love won't stop,
I'm being filled with these feelings.
I want you to let me stay by your side.
Let's share what we "believe"…"
Hikari smiled slow and soft. 'This song… Masato, you really are incredible.'
Rolling onto her side, she removed her headphones and put them on the floor beside her bed. Tapping on her phone, Hikari saved the music file and set her alarm. Sliding her mask down and sheep hood up, a small, happy sigh slipped free. Hikari drifted off easily with the lyrics singing in her head.
First song is "Alice" by Avril Lavigne. Second song is Masato's from S1E2.