I came back from hell to make satan deliver this to yall
i know. i KNOW. It has been a while msfhsdfds i dont have any excuses
When i said id get the next chapter ready in a few, i clearly did not specify few
few days, few weeks, and we've got few months msdhfshd at least it's not years
That's just me and my stupid rambling. So please read on and I hope you enjoy! Tell me what you think *eyes emoji*
Why this?
Why now?
Nico looked at her friends in confusion, looking for something that would tell her this was just a big misunderstanding. She hesitantly peered over the document once again and flipped it over, pushing it towards them.
Nico's face made all the questions.
"I'm so sorry," Eli started. Her hands were spastic. The taller one took the paper and handed it over to Nozomi. "I did want to talk to you about it but you pushed me out-" the shorter girl's chair screeched, cutting off Eli's explanation.
I thought it was about something else!, Nico signed. Nozomi's eyes darted to her.
Something else? asked Nozomi.
Yeah, about stupid Maki!
Nico froze at that exact moment. Her fingers curled in a permanent position.
She never intended on letting anyone know but with all the unpleasant emotions making her a wreck, she had snapped. The dark-haired girl tapped on the desk repeatedly. She was irritated.
"What about Maki-chan?" her best friend asked. Nico hadn't stopped tapping. Instead she put on more force on the tip of her finger to let them know she wasn't willing to talk right now. She was careless to have ever let her guard down against Nozomi. And perhaps tall, blonde, and nosy over there too.
Her best friend stood up and gently grabbed her arm. Nico paid her no mind as a low grumble escaped her lips. She felt Nozomi rub her thumb soothingly on her arm, even pulling on the fabric of her favourite pink cardigan. That small gesture had little to no effect on her darkening mood. Eli soon joined the two, leaning her head to Nico's and letting her hands rest on her lap for not knowing how Nico would react to getting hugged.
Her tapping slowed until she eventually stopped. Nico's finger felt numb and her heart felt the same. She heaved a great sigh in the hopes of waking up from this awful dream. Yeah, maybe this was just some joke. Nozomi loved to pull pranks on her all the time and this was one too.
Tell me, Nozomi signed.
The genuine concern reflected into the other girl's green eyes made her think maybe this wasn't a dream after all but Nico wasn't going to give in that easily. She dismissed her with a wave of her hand, something that she knew Nozomi didn't particularly like.
We'll listen.
Nico spilled.
From the music room incident up to Maki's refusal.
I want to prove myself. But how can I do that when my only room for practice is being taken away from me like this?
It felt good saying all that. She felt a tiny bit better and her fingers had begun to uncurl.
"You should recruit more members." Eli said as she re-read the document again. She picked it up looking for any loopholes. "They can't turn down a club with a reasonable number of people." It said so in the handbook. And she had that memorized on the first day as president.
Nozomi put her finger on her chin. "Three people should be enough. Four is the least number to qualify as a club." she added.
Nico clicked her tongue. Who in the right mind would join my club? And I don't want just anyone! Respecting idols is a serious business and prissy, self-centered losers aren't allowed here!
She didn't need to say it but she isn't well-liked by ninety percent of students because of her attitude. Nico might need members to join but she wasn't desperate enough to beg for their help. If those people sullied her personal space she would never forgive them. It's not like it would be the end of the world if they mysteriously disappear, right?
"Isn't a prissy, self-centered loser what you want as a teacher?" Nozomi sneered.
The smaller girl felt the tips of her ears go warm. "NOjOMii!"
It had been approximately two and half weeks that Maki hadn't seen Nico. Not that she was counting, obviously. She just happened to be reminded of it everyday by Rin and Hanayo. She wasn't counting and she most certainly wasn't avoiding her. Nico was too tiny to be noticed anyway. Eli and Nozomi were a bit better to spot, not that she's hiding from them as well.
She liked the peace, if she were honest to herself. Just like what she had told herself all the time. Maki had been too busy with poking her lunch that she didn't hear Rin's whining until said girl had to put her hands on her cheeks.
"Mmref fhvo ofvv mee." The redhead muffled her words. Rin annoyingly smushed her face like a toy.
"Maki-chan, you aren't listening to me!" As if. Maki was a perfectly good listener unlike a certain someone-
"There you go again nya!" The pianist furrowed her eyebrows and Rin let go. Maki stopped playing with her food and began eating as lunch time was quickly ending.
"What's so important now?"
"Nico-senpai's club is shutting down," Hanayo sadly informed. The redhead felt her insides clench for unknown reasons. That midget had been talking to them at least.
"Oh." Maki simply replied. There wasn't much there to say nor did she know the right words to say. She wouldn't know what to do if she ever gets banned from playing piano in the Music Room after class.
"But! But! Listen here nya," Rin slung her arm over her best friend's shoulder. "If Nico-chan gets three members, the club won't be shut down!"
"She better find them fast if she ever wants to save her club." There were probably some poor losers out there with nothing to do with their time who can help her out.
Rin's grin widened with an unsettling glint in her eyes. She stretched her other arm, suspiciously reaching over Maki's shoulder. She tightened her hold on both of her friends. Maki had a bad feeling about all of this. "So me and Kayo-chin figured why not the three of us join!"
"No!"
Rin was offended. "Why not?!"
The redhead refused to answer. She shrugged off the orange-haired girl's arm and quickly stuffed her face with food to avoid having to talk. She was no way going to accept that.
"C'mon, it's simple nya," Rin continued to persuade her, even Hanayo offered her own opinion. "we just sign our names and Nico-chan gets her clubroom back!"
"So you'll join for the sole purpose of getting that room back." Maki deadpanned.
"See? Simple."
The pianist held her head between her hands. This was stupid. Hanayo spoke up. "I was planning to join Nico-senpai's club way back but I just thought she wanted the privacy so I didn't bother," she trailed off. "But I think now is a good time, don't you think? It would be disrespectful to join her club without any interest with idols but she's probably the only one who understands my hobbies."
She expected that from Hanayo, nonetheless. That gremlin and her can ramble about idols all day long. The redhead now narrowed her eyes on Rin. What's she got to give in joining? Maki doesn't like half-assed reasons.
"Anywhere Kayo-chin goes, I'll go!" she happily declared. "I get to spend time after school with her, isn't that great nya?"
"Terrific." Maki spat. "Do you even realize joining the club means you get to share your time with that midget too?"
"Nico-chan? What's so wrong with that? Us three can have fun." With cat-like similarity, Rin's eyes went wide and moved her hands up and down in altering directions. Maki clamped her mouth shut. She remembered.
Happy.
Fun.
The redhead put her chopsticks down. She looked at her watch and mentally celebrated. "Good. Now go find one more member because I'm not joining."
Things weren't easy for Maki after that.
Constantly being bombarded with Rin into joining Nico's stupid club, Hanayo's pleading eyes, and the guilt that she still wasn't ready to admit accumulating to her already non-existent limit had made her drained.
When class had begun to end, Maki had decided to leave as fast as possible lest she gets dragged into Rin's talk on the pros of joining the Idol Research Club which there really weren't any. Quickly fixing her things and being on full alert of the orange-haired girl's presence, the pianist went out of the door in record time.
She wondered if she'd drop by the Music room. Even if Rin was into roping her into that, she still respected her boundaries and never disturbed her during those times. And she really needed the alone time now.
Maki turned her heel towards the other end of the hall and noticed someone picking up a notebook on the floor. A girl with ash brown hair looked at her with a soft smile and Maki squinted her eyes.
"Principal… Minami?" the pianist cautiously called out. Her mother was good friends with her and perhaps she was just dreaming all of this. Principal Minami wouldn't have dressed up like a student and roam around the school for everyone to see, right?
The same girl giggled, it unnerved Maki. Flipping her hair off her right shoulder as she stood up, she gestured to herself. "Principal Minami is my mother. I'm Minami Kotori."
A red ribbon. An upperclassman. Another stranger. Maki thought today would let her off easy but it seemed it always tried to mess with her in the most inconspicuous ways. The junior held out her hand, better to be polite and not get on the bad side of Principal Minami's daughter. She's basically somehow an acquaintance given their mothers' relationship. She hoped her hand wasn't sweaty.
The cheery girl let out another giggle but shook hands with her. She probably thought it was old-fashioned to shake hands with people meeting for the first time but to the redhead it was what her parents had taught her.
"Nishikino Maki," she introduced herself. Maki started to count. One. Seven. Twelve. It took another second or two before the redhead deemed it was appropriate to leave. It was awkward to stare at her waiting for a conversation she didn't want to be a part with. "I better get going. Nice to meet you, Minami-senpai."
The other girl's eyes twinkled but waved goodbye. "Oh, you too, Nishikino-san." The redhead gave a nod in acknowledgement but the other wasn't quite finished with their awkward silence. "By the way," she waved a familiar notebook in her hand "do you know who this belongs to? It doesn't have a name."
Maki's heart flipped but kept her composure. There was no way that that was the gremlin's notebook. Sure it had the same irritating pinkish colour, even the small folds in the front along with the generic brand covered with another bunny sticker, but maybe it belonged to someone else. Someone that she wished weren't that midget.
The pianist held her breath.
She can lie.
She can totally say that she didn't know even though she really did because it helps her avoid the conflict. It's not like Minami-senpai can see right through her, right? It's not like Minami-senpai knows everyone in the student body just because she's the daughter of the principal, right?
When the redhead took too long to reply because of her inner monologue, the upperclassman took the prolonged silence as a negative and started to pocket the notebook. "That's alright. Surely I can find them when I look hard enough. Thank you, Nishikino-san."
The redhead bit her tongue. This was for the best. This was for the benefit of all. This was—
"I know." Maki said loudly. The upperclassman waited patiently for her to continue. "I know who that notebook belongs to. I can give it back to her if you want to."
"Are you sure? Is she a classmate of yours?"
The pianist twitched her hands. So much for saving the whole i-know-her-but-we-aren't-friends explanation. "N-no. She's a senior," she added quietly. "Yazawa." she said, hoping that it would be enough for her to hand over that dumb notebook.
Maki was startled when the cheery girl gasped. "Nico-chan, really? No wonder her name is on this page," she flipped to the tally sheet and the redhead felt her insides prick with something unpleasant as if she felt violated that someone other than her knew about the unfair tally.
Someone other than Nico seeing their names together.
Someone other than both of them knowing that they share something outside of snide remarks and light jabbing.
"I can give it back to her if you want to," Maki repeated a bit forcefully than she had intended to. She really didn't want to but leaving it to her made her stomach coil uncomfortably.
The other girl gave it a thought but nonetheless handed over the dumb, pink notebook Maki warned herself multiple times to never be familiar with as it would spell her untimely doom. "Okay. It's in your care." she waved again and started walking the other way. "Tell Nico-chan I said hi, alright?"
"Sure," Maki said, not caring whether the other girl heard her or not. She let her eyes linger on the floor thinking about how stupid she was to get the emotions better of her. Now she had to return the notebook to that midget and all that bravado she showed earlier dissipated and anxiousness settled in her core.
She briefly wondered if she had ever wronged a god in her previous life to be cursed like this. The pianist flipped the notebook on the same page where the tally was and scoffed at their scores. Totally unfair. How could that little gremlin be ahead of ten points?
Letting the irritation be her motivation to get this over with, the redhead sauntered off towards the Idol Research Club only to be faced with the cold, hard truth of a locked door. Of course, she had her club temporarily closed due to lack of members. If Maki recalled Hanayo's words, that midget only had three more days before it was officially taken away from her.
Making her way to the Music room, she momentarily considered leaving the notebook on her desk but scrapped that idea since she didn't know which class the tiny senior went. She also considered leaving it to the Student Council knowing the two highest positions were friends with the gremlin. However, showing up to them would inevitably end with unwanted questions and she didn't want any of that.
Her last and probably the most obvious choice she had from the beginning was to search for her and just hand it over in one piece. Of course, the looming presence of Minami-senpai outweighed everything else since Maki was the one who argued in returning it. She can't back out now.
The redhead slid the door open to the Music Room and heard little notes being played. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she felt a chill down her spine. The notes continued to play. It had no melody, no rhythm, just simple pressing of keys on the piano.
Maki had always been alone in the Music room in this time of the day. Without a sound, she peered over the bench to check who was playing with it. A surprised squeak escaped her lips when she saw the very person she wanted to both look for and avoid.
"Nico-chan?"
Nico didn't notice. Too absorbed in the inner mechanics of the piano. Too focused on how the piano could make such beautiful sounds. Maki pressed a black key to where the senior's hand was.
The midget recoiled and finally looked up to meet the redhead's eyes. Maki pressed another key to keep her heart in check. Nico scowled deeply.
The senior crossed her arms, as if she were expecting the pianist to make her go away. It was hard to keep a straight face with Maki fumbling over on what to say.
The redhead settled on returning the dumb notebook to her. "You dropped this." It came out cold and distant but with her flushed face, it can be taken the other way. The gremlin hummed with indifference.
Thank you, she signed.
Now that that was over and done with, Maki can now proceed to her normal life and maybe then her chest wouldn't ache so badly all the time. But Nico just wouldn't give her the peace that she wanted. It was Nico, after all. She always had a way to get to her without even trying.
Let's talk, she showed her the notebook.
Running away again would just make matters worse and the redhead just had about enough of the drama and feelings. She can't say no. She can't say no when Nico is looking at her with pleading eyes and shaky legs. She can't say no because Nico has friends who care for her and would definitely hunt her down if she did anything stupid.
Okay, Maki signed.
The gremlin nodded and walked to the door, beckoning the junior to follow her. Without much of a choice, Maki followed her up the rooftop. The winding staircase kept on going and it was the first time Maki looked up to Nico. It was strange, seeing her in a different perspective but admittedly, it was nice.
Nico had always carried herself with grace and a sense of pride.
Shielding her eyes from the bright orange glow of the sunset, the redhead blindly went after the tiny senior, focusing on the loud, fast footsteps. Maki never had the chance to go up the rooftop since she didn't have any reason to.
Still not content with how high they've reached, the gremlin climbed a ladder to get an even better view down below. The redhead reluctantly climbed up as well. Nico settled on the railings, her face looking down on the students who were heading home. Maki didn't like being near the edge. The metal bars were high but as they were perched up on higher ground, it looked like one misstep can have her tumbling over to her death.
The gremlin watched the people with great interest, her eyes bright and expressive. She smiled devilishly, sucked in a deep breath and let out a loud yell that Maki wasn't wholly prepared for.
Instinctively, the junior pulled her out of the way from the other students' glaring eyes. They stumbled and fell to the floor. The gremlin had the gall to laugh. Nico hid her face in Maki's shoulder.
"What was that for?" Maki screamed. God, her arm hurt. She raised herself and Nico grabbed her hand, still smiling childishly. She hated how cute Nico looked. She hated how happy she was. She hated the way her shoulder burned when Nico hid her face there. The tiny senior hoisted herself up along with Maki.
She scribbled in her notebook. That felt great.
The pianist didn't have the heart to scold her with that.
Nico returned to her original place near the railings. She waved her hand, letting the junior know to come closer. She wrote on the notebook and handed it over to her.
Maki-chan has a penchant of finding Nico's things. I'm glad.
The redhead's fingers twitched. Just like their first meeting, it was Maki who found Nico's notebook. But this time wasn't her. She didn't know how to feel about it.
'Not me. Minami-senpai did.'
The tiny senior scrunched her nose, perhaps imagining the older Minami instead. 'Minami Kotori-senpai. The daughter of Principal Minami.' The junior clarified for her. 'She said hi.', Maki wrote after a while. Nico made a happy sound and Maki grunted in response.
I haven't seen Kotori in a while.
'But you've met up with Hanayo and Rin.'
Aw, is Maki-chan jealous?, The tiny senior poked the redhead's sides with her pen.
The two of them became quiet, unsure how to continue. The senior then pointed to a couple of students and smiled wistfully. The redhead wasn't sure what's so special about them.
I want to make them smile.
Maki had never seen Nico do that kind of expression before. Her eyes flickered with such little flame as if it were about to be burned out. It rendered her completely speechless. Maki would trade angry, scowling Nico to… this. Angry, scowling Nico would never look so defeated. Angry, scowling Nico and even regular annoying Nico had eyes burning so bright with intensity and could never even come close from being dimmed.
Papa used to tell me that I can make everyone smile and so I did. That's why I want to become an idol. Pretty simple, isn't it?
I love it when Mama smiles, she's prettiest like that. I love it when my siblings smile too and every one of my friends.
Maki took a deep breath. Nico scribbled some more.
Happiness exists in all languages, you see. Nico raised her index fingers to the edge of her lips, lifting it up just a bit to form a smile. She did her signature sign, the curse of Nico Nico Ni was cast on Maki yet again and it made her grin unknowingly.
An idol who makes people smile.
An idol who makes people happy.
It's stupid, isn't it?
How unfair. Using those combination of words was unfair. Nico was playing dirty. But it did stir her heart. The junior stretched her fingers. The similar way she had always done before playing the piano.
I don't think it's stupid, she signed to her.
Nico's eyes lit up just a little bit, that spark present again and Maki took the pen and notebook. 'Dreams are meant to be pursued. Even if it takes a long time.'
The midget laughed. It was loud. The senior hid her face in her arms as she leaned dangerously over the edge of the railing. Without thinking, Maki pushed her back with her hand on Nico's head and as quickly as she had done so, hid her hands behind her back afraid of getting caught.
When Nico stopped laughing, she looked over the pianist once more. Truthfully, Maki didn't want another staredown with the midget but she couldn't take her eyes away from her if she could. The curse of Nico Nii, she recalled. The faint recognition of her old self was beginning to show again. The smaller girl scribbled on her notebook and showed it to her.
Will you help me?
Maki had rehearsed the way her fingers flick, the way her hands should be positioned, and the way her wrist should bend. Maki can just say it now but her words had failed her so she settled on the next best thing.
Okay, she signed.
Nico lowered her notebook as though she expected Maki to refuse. She laughed again. Quite giddy, in fact. There it was again, the bright flicker in her ruby red eyes. The redhead pursed her lips and made a high-pitched noise in her throat. Her face must've had the same shade as her hair right now. The midget flipped the pages and made marks on that stupid tally she always had between them.
Maki had earned herself five points.
Thanks for listening to me.
Nico skipped through the hallway and ignored the looks she was given. She didn't care. She was just too happy. It was her first day of training after all.
She slid the door open with force, she wanted her presence to be known. Maki was there looking a bit nervous. The redhead nodded in acknowledgement.
"Ma –ii!" the gremlin waved. She usually just barged in and sat beside her not saying anything all throughout so it kind of rattled her. Nico was smiling so much today Maki started to doubt herself. She can't let her down just yet.
Maki's head swirled with the things she had read about and Nico focused on her. The redhead may not like the gremlin's hand wrapped around her neck because she might feel how nervous she was but this was a technique used so she shouldn't push her away.
She started with syllables. The easiest one.
The redhead noticed Nico tended to pinch the words which would strain her throat. Not the usual way of talking. Not smooth and flowing.
Again, Maki signed.
Nico continued as her junior scribbled out what needed to be done to improve. She wasn't an expert. Far from it actually but they both knew. They knew it was just a matter of time before Nico needed a better teacher. They knew the chances of it being successful, which was pretty low. They knew all of it.
But it didn't stop them from trying.
"A little louder." The redhead said, confident with the little progress the midget made. The shorter girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"AAAAhhhNNnn!"
Maki immediately pounded on the keys of the piano with such ferocity, Nico was afraid they needed to replace it after Maki has calmed down. The junior's whole face was burning and her ears felt stiff. She jammed her fingers on the piano, hoping to drown out the sound Nico just made.
What's wrong? Nico asked. The tiny senior waved her index finger innocently. Maki couldn't look at her at all.
The redhead couldn't believe her! She just said a little louder and the gremlin just made that preposterous sound. God, it was so loud! It made her grateful that the Music Room was soundproof or else people might question where the sound came from.
Hey hey, the midget waved her hands infront of her.
Was it a good sound? Nico pushed the notebook to her burning face. Maki snapped out of her aggressive playing and laid the notebook down.
BAD SOUND! The redhead made the emphasis on bad. She signed it multiple times to her. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad!
Nico pouted. She wrote on her notebook. I thought it was good. You looked happy.
"Why would it make me happy?" Maki cried. Everything felt hot. "You just made a sound that resembled a-" she stopped herself and covered her face with her hands, turning her back to that little devil.
"That was bad. That was bad. That was bad." Her vocabulary limited itself all because of that gremlin. Of course Nico wasn't aware of what she had done. She wore that grin on her face like she had won the lottery.
The door of the room slid open, and Maki couldn't care less who came in. She just really wanted to stop hearing the sound replaying in her head. The flustered junior felt Nico leave her seat next to her and went towards the intruders.
"Done with practice?" Nozomi asked cheerfully. Maki didn't want to engage in a conversation right now. Maybe when her traitorous heart stops its frantic beating. Or maybe if she can just have some sort of revenge on Nico. Or make that ugly sound stop in her head may be best.
The midget looked pleased and talked with them about her achievements for the day similar to what a child would do to earn praise from their parents. Nico made large gestures with her arms and it made the redhead a little bit proud of what she had done.
However it was short lived when the gremlin decided to show off her newly developed skills.
Watch me, okay?
She took a deep breath and before Maki had even realized what Nico had done, it was too late and Eli was giving her a murderous gaze. Nozomi's eyes widened and her cheeks dusted a bit pink as while Eli looked sunburnt with all that blood rushing to her face. And Maki had that same annoying sound stuck in her head again.
Nico studied their faces and laughed. The joyous sound was too awkward at the moment for the other three to acknowledge. Maki's irritation tripled in an instant.
Maki made the same face as you, the dark-haired girl pointed at her. Does that mean it's a good sound?
Eli made her way to the suspect, and the temperature around the pianist dropped below zero. Fearing for her life, she coiled a piece of her hair to her finger and pulled as a sense of distraction. "What did you two do in here? Are you just playing around with her?"
"Wha-!" the redhead shouted incredulously. The sudden rush of embarrassment and frustration gave her voice back. "I would never! I already told her a million times it was a bad sound she just doesn't listen to me!"
Nozomi didn't have the heart to tell the truth so she worded her thought in a more ambiguous way. "Make sure you only let Maki-chan hear it okay?" Eli and Maki sputtered out nonsense while Nico nodded and crossed her arms, smugly waiting for more praise.
Yes. Nic got her club back. I guess ill have to explain that in the next chapter LMAO
Again id like to say my deepest gratitude for all of your support. It's what keeps me going. Ive had this fic two years ago and i cant believe it's still ongoing up to now. I blame it on my schedule and many distractions msdfhsdf
Should i upload this on ao3 or?
Anyway, i love you guys. All the love is making me cry. Please point out any mistakes if you find any! Let's see how this all ends (if i ever get to the ending without struggling LMAO)
Have a wonderful holidays everyone! Let 2019 be a nice one for us. Looking back to my last 2018 greetings for a good year, hhhhhhhh let's say it could be better msmdfsh.
I love you all so very much. Reviews/follow/fave are deeply appreciated uvu