A/N: The wait was shorter this time, so rejoice my dear readers. After reading some Hibike! angst around (yeah I am looking at you 'year two') I felt kinda down so what's the best cure against angst? Fluffy Reina! or close to that, is not like they were on a date or anything.
VolpineGrinz: It's not a date! [according to Reina, I think] I hope you enjoy their 'not date'.
erosthii: Ugh, not a fan of KumiSuka, in fact for me that's incest so...thanks for reading anyways.
Masane: Well I think that Kumiko speaks her mind and I enjoy that, if you noticed I do focus more on Reina's thoughts because it's what we didn see that much during the show and, let's face it, I love Reina so...Asuka will be around but KumiSuka is not my favorite thing to write so don't expect Kumiko loving her senpai that way. Thanks for reading.
Psykoakuma: Hahaha I have laughed a lot with your reviews. Yeah almost everybody fell for chapter 1, it was a dream and Reina has plenty during this story, her brain is trying to tell her something but Reina is stubborn. Thanks for taking the time to read my story.
shuichitsu: Why everybody wants to make Reina suffer? wait...me too, lol. Well she indeed had it coming.
Warning: Fireworks, fluff, and...what? [I bet you weren't expecting that one, I sure wasn't]...you will see.
Enjoy!
8.- Blue Hawaii
"Remember that time when I told you that sometimes, I just wanted to throw everything away, and board a train and travel?"
"Yeah…?"
"Well" Reina stepped out of the train as soon as it opened its doors and turned to gape at the auburn haired girl with a smile while taking some steps back "this is another compromise" Kumiko barely made it out the train car.
"So…Reina" the auburn haired girl tugged on the trumpeter's hand to get her attention. They had been walking for more than ten minutes without talking and it was driving Kumiko crazy.
"Yes?" the trumpeter slowed her pace.
"Where are we going?" Kumiko almost crashed to the shorter girl's back when Reina suddenly stopped.
"There" the trumpeter simply replied.
"Are you serious?" Kumiko gaped at the establishment and then looked at the trumpeter "That's…"
"Is there a problem?" Reina tilted her head confused "I thought you would like to go in there with me"
"Ugh…I…never thought you would take me to a place like this, to be honest"
"Why not? I think you would enjoy it" Reina smiled unsure, her mask cracked a bit more.
"Well…" Kumiko scratched her cheek with her left hand; her right one was still entwined with Reina's left "…sure"
"Let's go in then" the trumpeter pulled Kumiko inside the place she decided on visiting.
Who would have thought that Reina would take me to an arcade of all places?
"Are you sure you want to play a racing game?" Kumiko raised one eyebrow uncertain "I am very good at this, for your information".
"Are you scared of losing, Kumiko?" Reina flicked her hair before taking her gloves off and seating behind the wheel.
How can a girl look this beautiful?, the auburn haired thought with a blush while seating next to the trumpeter and inserted a couple of tokens to activate the game for the two of them.
"I won't go easy on you because you're injured Reina"
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Kumiko" the trumpeter smiled confidently before focusing all her attention on the game that was waiting for her choices before she could race against the euphonium player. Kumiko just smiled and stole glances of Reina from the corner of her eye.
Reina looks happier and I like her these carefree moments with her where we don't have to worry about the band, the competition or anything else beyond enjoying each other's company.
The 8-bit beeping sound of the arcade machine brought Kumiko back from her thoughts, the race had ended.
Wait.
"I lost?" the euphonium player couldn't believe her eyes. Reina had beat her in one of the games Kumiko was proud of having mastered when she was in middle school.
"It seems like it, you master of racing games" the trumpeter scoffed and Kumiko looked at her with a smile.
She looks so cute when she smiles.
"Thank…you" Reina gaped at the taller girl with a slight blush "the winter uniform looks good on you, Kumiko"
"Ugh…I said that out loud, didn't I?" the auburn haired girl tried to cover her mouth with her hands but it was too late.
"You did" the trumpeter's smile widened and Kumiko thought she was dreaming because there was no way that Kousaka Reina was smiling at her like that "But I don't mind…"
Because the compliment comes from you, Kumiko.
Sudden heat invaded the trumpeter's cheeks so she looked away and grabbed a couple of tokens to insert in the racing game machine one more time.
"Do you want to try again?" Reina asked while tilting her head and dark tresses fell on her face framing her features while the euphonium player gaped at her with a slight blush trying to decipher the new glint on Reina's eyes.
"I will go easy on you this time, Kumiko" the trumpeter grinned widely when Kumiko's soft laugh made her heart flutter.
"Whatever you say Reina" in a quick move before the new race just started, Kumiko's lips were close to the trumpeter's ear "this time you won't be that lucky".
Reina shivered and she suddenly felt her face burned. She didn't stand a chance this time and Kumiko won the race effortlessly mostly because the trumpeter's mind was somewhere else and her body didn't react fast enough.
To avoid further embarrassment, Reina decided on leaving their competition in one win each before heading to the next game, a claw crane.
The trumpeter was proud of her success rate on this particular game because, since she was a child, Reina enjoyed trying her luck and this type of machine had given her several prizes. Now she felt the need to show off her skills and win something for Kumiko.
There was something Kousaka Reina had forgotten and that was critical to remain unbeaten on her new goal, her right hand had to be in top condition in order to succeed and it wasn't.
The trumpeter inserted several tokens in the claw crane to start it and Kumiko stood next to her surprised that Reina was this excited about trying this game.
Maybe one of the prizes got her attention but, which one?, golden eyes scanned the contents of the claw game trying to figure out the object that enticed Reina to the game.
And there it was, a teddy bear in a white dress and a small trumpet attached to her right hand, it was adorable. What the euphonium player didn't know was that this wasn't what caught the trumpeter's attention.
After failing the first time, Reina simply assumed that she was rusty. Then the second and third failures came and she finally recognized that something was completely wrong but she couldn't figure out what it was.
I am doing what I usually do to get prizes so, how come this time I just can't get the one I want?, a warm body pressed to against her back and Reina snapped out of her thoughts.
"Let me help you" Kumiko whispered close to the trumpeter's ear and the latter took a deep breath to keep her cool while goose bumps covered her arms and electricity ran down her spine.
Then, the auburn haired girl placed her hand on top of Reina's to help her and the trumpeter's knees trembled and her face blushed with a darker shade of pink.
"I…will push the button" Reina stammered feeling suddenly intimidated by how close the euphonium player was and how bold she behaved, so unlike her normal self.
"We can do this as long as you tell me which the one you want is" Kumiko grinned and Reina could swear that she felt the euphonium player's breathe close to her neck.
"The one on the right corner with the dark tail coat"
"Oh that one" Kumiko's eyes widened slightly "he's adorable and he has a…"
"Exactly" a slightly flushed Reina replied while leaning her head back and rested it on Kumiko's shoulder for a bit. The trumpeter wasn't sure but she might have felt the taller girl stiffen slightly.
"I will help you but first let's get the one I want, deal?"
"Fine" Kumiko's soft perfume was invading every pore of Reina's being and she concluded that it was a pleasant sensation.
First, they got the teddy bear Kumiko wanted and then the one the trumpeter sought after. The latter was a male teddy bear with a dark tailcoat which was holding a small euphonium in his hands. It reminded Reina of that time at Mt. Daikichi and Kumiko thought the exact same thing like they were connected.
They played some more games including one where Kumiko played a guitar and Reina sang a song she hadn't ever heard before but she giggled and the euphonium player thought that the trumpeter was beyond adorable and this time, Kumiko didn't blurt it out but her blushing face betrayed her while Reina simply assumed that the auburn haired girl's flushed cheeks were due to the raising temperature in the arcade.
After twenty more minutes trying different games, they left the arcade holding hands while embracing their new bear companions tight on their others.
"You want what?" Kumiko looked at Reina in disbelief "I mean can we even find that on this season?"
"I…know…a place" Reina pulled the euphonium player by her uniform's sleeve to a small shop where an old woman sat by the register.
"Oh Reina-chan, long time no see" commented the old lady with dark purple eyes while standing from her seat to greet her two customers.
"Indeed, Mitsuko-san" Reina smiled at the old woman and even let the lady hug her.
"Oh, and you are?" the dark purple eyed lady asked while looking at Kumiko.
"Well…I am…"
"Kumiko's a good friend of mine, Mitsuko-san"
Friend.
Good friend is the same as pals, right? And here I was daring to dream.
Sigh.
I am such a fool.
"Kumiko without honorifics?" the old lady smiled knowingly when she saw how Reina's cheeks tinted in a faint pink before looking away "I see, well nice to meet you, Kumiko"
"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am" the euphonium player bowed respectfully and the old lady smiled tenderly.
"You have such a good taste, Reina-chan" the old lady whispered to a much blushed trumpeter that looked away embarrassed while Kumiko examined the different flavors offered.
"Kumiko will have strawberry and I will have blue Hawaii, please Mitsuko-san"
"Of course" the old lady proceeded to work on their order while Kumiko walked back to where Reina was.
"Shaved ice with this freezing weather, huh?"
"I like it"
"I see" Kumiko smiled "that's so like you, Reina"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That it's hot"
"You blurted out again, Kumiko so terrible of you" the trumpeter giggled.
"Ugh! sorry"
"Here's your change Reina-chan" dark purples gaped at the now blushing trumpeter "and say hi to your mother for me"
"I will" the trumpeter smiled warmly and hugged the old lady before pushing Kumiko out of the small diner.
"Nice meeting you, Mitsuko-san" the euphonium player yelled from the door before being pulled by an anxious trumpeter that was suddenly in a hurry after checking the time on a clock at the diner.
When Reina finally stopped, Kumiko almost dropped her shaved ice. The euphonium player pace was slower due to the fact that she had to balance the two teddy bears along with her schoolbag and her strawberry flavored cold treat. Without noticing, Kumiko now stood on the top of a small hill.
What's with Reina and high places?
"I like them" the trumpeter commented without looking back "don't you feel like the world looks smaller that way?"
"I do…I think"
"That makes it easier to conquer" Reina clenched her fist in front of the view as she was trying to take a piece of it for herself "that way becoming special doesn't look that farfetched"
"Ah…" Kumiko didn't know what to add. Seeing Reina smile with a sunset as background was more than the euphonium player could handle so she did what she did best, blush.
"Kumiko" Reina snapped her out of her thoughts and golden eyes focused on the trumpeter who patted the spot next to her for the euphonium player "sit with me" and the auburn haired girl complied, of course.
"She is my grandmother" the trumpeter whispered.
"Huh? Who?"
"The owner of the small restaurant" Reina took a spoonful of her shaved ice before continuing "that is why I knew where to find shaved ice in the end of winter when people normally want hot drinks"
"Oh that explains how similar your eye color is" Kumiko commented before having some of her own cold treat.
"My mother and she are not on speaking terms" Reina sighed "they had a fight a long time ago and stop talking to each other"
"That's sad" Kumiko added sincerely.
"So there are times like these that I come and visit to check on her"
"And for shaved ice" the euphonium player raised her cup before continuing eating.
"And for the shaved ice, of course" Reina giggled and Kumiko thought that she would die happy now just by seeing a very carefree trumpeter.
"It's funny"
"What is?"
"It's the first time you talk about something that is not band, school or Taki-sen…" the words died on Kumiko's lips and her throat felt dry all of a sudden.
"It's okay Kumiko, you can say his name, I won't be mad" Reina added before having another spoon of her blue treat.
"It's just that…I…" the euphonium player wanted to say something but was swiftly interrupted by Reina.
"Kumiko…" the trumpeter took a deep breath to calm her now trembling hands "I think I owe you an apology".
"Huh? What? Why?" the auburn haired girl was caught off guard, she really wasn't expecting anything of all that had happened so far.
"I think it is appropriate to say sorry about what happened after the Nationals" Reina started while looking at her melting blue Hawaii flavored shaved ice.
"Um…"
"I felt the need to confess and I did but…" the trumpeter held the shaved ice cup harder and the cold treat threatened with spilling "what I did and said is in the past"
"I…see"
"All my life I have been swimming against the current" Reina swallowed hard and pink tinted her cheeks "I have resisted going along with all those conventionalisms because I set my goals high and Taki-sensei has been part of my life since I was a little girl"
"…Yeah…" Kumiko flinched as soon as the name of their music teacher escaped the trumpeter's lips. There was something inside the euphonium player that made her angry when that name was pronounced around her since the Nationals.
"But…"
"But?"
"I think feelings change with time" Reina left the shaved ice cup on the bench and stood up to face Kumiko. Now that the sun was down, it was getting darker by the second. Stars shimmered in different colors and Kumiko couldn't picture a better moment in life "some feelings get stronger, others disappear".
"…"
"And new might bloom" Reina whispered the last words but the auburn haired girl heard them loud and clear and her heart started racing. The trumpeter tilted her head and smiled with such tenderness that Kumiko wished she could take a picture to never forget this moment.
Several fireworks exploded on the sky and sparkling colors could be seen and Kumiko couldn't help but smile at how perfect this moment was but, for the euphonium player one thing was missing.
I want to kiss her.
Reina approached Kumiko and when the latter thought she was going to be kissed; a soft finger was rubbed against the corner of her lips.
"You got some shaved ice there" Reina sucked on her finger and the tips of her ears turned crimson so she quickly withdrew and turned to face the fireworks. Kumiko was flabbergasted.
"I used to come here as a child with my grandmother, that is how I know this spot"
"It is beautiful" the auburn haired girl commented not referring to the spot but the company.
"Thank you Kumiko"
"What for" the euphonium player now stood next to the trumpeter and the latter automatically reached for the taller girl's hand.
"For being there for me despite how…inconsiderate I had been lately"
"You said it yourself" Kumiko tried to contain the sudden tears that threatened of escaping from her eyes so she look away before adding with a whisper "that is what friends are for".
Friends.
That mere word coming from Kumiko's lips made the trumpeter shudder. There was something wrong about the way the euphonium player pronounced it that made the trumpeter feel uncomfortable.
Hasn't Kumiko understood my confession of love?
"Kumiko…" Reina faced the now blushing trumpeter that still had a hard time hiding her now falling tears "I…" Kumiko swallowed the rest of her shaved ice.
"Ugh" the auburn haired girl released Reina's hand to grab her head with her hands "my head hurts"
"Silly Kumiko" Reina giggled and grabbed the euphonium player by the wrist to lead her to the bench they were sitting earlier. The moment Kumiko sat, Reina pulled her so her head rested on the trumpeter's lap and the euphonium player couldn't be more surprised but kept quiet and enjoyed Reina's ministrations "you got brain freeze"
"It hurts" Kumiko pouted.
She can be cute without that good girl mask of hers.
"Um…I didn't know you can blurt out things too Reina" now it was Kumiko's turn to chuckle.
"I did not!" the trumpeter protested and Kumiko only stopped laughing when her head hurt even more.
"Serves you right, you terrible" Reina smiled while running her hand through auburn curls and Kumiko closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.
Even if you don't feel the same, even if you just think of me as a friend.
I do care a lot about you Reina.
They stayed like that for several minutes, afraid of shattering the magical moment they were having and it wasn't until when the temperature started dropping that they finally left the hill. After a while, they walked back to the station and took the next train home. The trip was a little long due to the fact that they were two towns away.
On the way back, Kumiko reminded Reina about taking her meds, fact that the trumpeter had overlooked because she was distracted with thoughts of Kumiko and didn't feel any pain until she tried to open her bag to take her phone.
Once at front door, the trumpeter invited the euphonium player over so she could call her mother from Reina's home phone because Kumiko's phone died when they were at the arcade.
Kumiko's mother wasn't happy and the euphonium player knew that she was going to be yelled the moment she arrived home.
"I am sorry Kumiko. I didn't want to cause you any trouble" Reina stifled a yawn while sitting on her bed after changing clothes in her bathroom. It has been a while since she took her painkillers and she was starting to feel its effects.
"Don't worry about that" the euphonium player's stomach started growling and Reina smiled while the former looked away embarrassed.
"Let's go to the kitchen Kumiko, I am hungry too" a smiling trumpeter grabbed the auburn haired girl by the wrist and led her to grab something to eat.
Reina had remembered that her mother left her some food aware of her daughter's terrible cooking skills or what the trumpeter assured, were developing abilities.
"Can I help you with something?" Kumiko offered.
"Not really unless you want some fried chicken" Reina commented nonchalantly.
"I can fry it, I love fried chicken"
"I know" the trumpeter added distractedly while taking out some containers from the refrigerator.
"You do?" Kumiko asked surprised.
It's not like I haven't paid attention to what you eat to learn about your favorites.
"I…guessed" Reina gave the euphonium player a nervous smile.
"Oh well, I will fry the chicken and you are in charge of the salad then" Kumiko added and the trumpeter nodded.
Several minutes later, they were eating sitting across from each other.
"It's delicious" Reina added surprised.
"Glad you like it" Kumiko smiled before taking a bite of the salad Reina made "your salad tastes good too"
"You even chopped the vegetables Kumiko; I just placed them in a bowl and added some dressing"
"But…you made the dressing and I like it" the euphonium player added with a smile and Reina looked down slightly embarrassed.
"Here" Kumiko uttered forcing the trumpeter to look back up.
"Say ah" the euphonium player was offering a piece of her chicken to Reina who gladly took it, she was still having a hard time to eat with her injured hand and her chopsticks kept falling from her right hand.
Both girls couldn't help but blush, they knew they were crossing a few lines in their friendship but they also felt so comfortable with each other that both decided to enjoy their moments together.
After helping with the dishes, which were done by Kumiko's with a drowsy Reina trying to dry them and the auburn haired girl saving them from breaking; it was time for Kumiko to leave, not without being embraced by a very sleepy Reina one more time.
After spending longer than expected holding each other, Kumiko realized that the trumpeter had fallen asleep in her arms so she leaded the drowsy trumpeter to her room and tucked her in.
"Good night Reina" Kumiko softly whispered with a smile before being suddenly pulled by her uniform's scarf and her golden eyes widened when her lips crushed against Reina's.
"Night Kumi…ko" the trumpeter mumbled before turning and now her back was facing a stunned euphonium player who touched her lips with her fingers and they still had the velvety sensation of Reina's.
This must have been a dream, there is no other explanation.
After that, everything became a blur to Kumiko. She left Reina's home, walked all the way to her place, got yelled by her mother, took a bath, changed into her pajamas and now that she was lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling was when it hit her.
Reina kissed me.
Oh my God.
A/N: Reina on meds is dangerous, although I don't think Kumiko would mind much. We are approaching to the end of the first arc, their second year coming soon. Review?