Chapter 3
"The beat is faster than you're used to," Gakupo said, "so keep your lips closer together. That makes it easier to pronounce the consonants."
Kaito nodded, accepting the advice. He had learned in their two sessions so far that the man was impossible to argue with, especially when it came to music. Mostly because he was right.
"Once more," Gakupo said, starting the music. "1, 2, 3, 4."
They sang in unison, "I don't even know if this message / that I'm overly concerned with will reach anyone. / Surely, forever and ever, I will be / a mad matryoshka covered in patches.
"My headache is singing about a package. / The clock's hand is stuck at four o'clock. / No one would tell me why, / but the world has begun to rotate in reverse.
"Ah, I'm about to crack and burst, / so I throw away all my memories. / Ah, I want to know, / all the way to the bottom.
"Uh, would you please dance even more? / Kalinka? Malinka? Just pluck the strings. / What should I do with this kind of emotion? / Won't you tell me please. / The reception is good, 5-2-4! / Freud? Keloid? Just hit the keys. / Let's just laugh everything off. / Hurry up and dance, you group of fools!"
The instrumental interlude began, and Gakupo cut it off. "That was better," he said. "But you still stumble a little. Practice a little more."
"Where are you going?" Kaito frowned as he started toward the door.
"Believe it or not," Gakupo said, turning back to him with raised eyebrows, "I am human, and all humans have to piss every once in a while."
Kaito's cheeks turned pink, and Gakupo left, shutting the door behind him. But rather than going to the restroom, Gakupo sighed and leaned against the door, covering his eyes with his hand. He didn't know what it was, this feeling that he had when he was close to Kaito, but it wasn't good. It wasn't irritation, like it usually was. It was almost like...he considered Kaito a friend or something. He shuddered at the thought. He couldn't be friends with the likes of Kaito, that was preposterous. And besides, Gakupo didn't have friends. He didn't need them. Hell, he didn't even want friends. They were a burden, and took too much time and effort. No, this feeling had to be something else entirely.
He dragged his hand down his face and sighed. Someone had cleaned up the vase that had been mysteriously broken yesterday. He had liked that vase. Gakupo wondered if they would replace it with a replica.
The idol figured he had been gone long enough and went back inside. Hopefully Kaito had gotten a little better in his absence. Although he didn't exactly hate spending time with him, Gakupo didn't want to be here any longer than he needed to be. It was getting harder to be mean to Kaito.
"Any better?" he asked as he entered.
Kaito nearly leapt out of his skin and whipped around, lips pinched between his fingers. Gakupo stared at him.
"What are you doing?" he asked finally.
Kaito blinked, breaking his deer-in-headlights look, and quickly released his lips. His cheeks turned red and he looked quite flustered. "Um, just an exercise. Helps relax your lips..."
"...I see," Gakupo said, though he really didn't. "Well, did that, uh, help you get better?"
"I-I think so..."
"Then let's practice, and if it is as you say we will record."
"Right."
Gakupo let the weird exercise slip from his mind as he took his place beside Kaito. Kaito's cheeks were still flushed, and he kept his eyes glued to the page of his songbook. Gakupo resisted the urge to smile and roll his eyes-where did that urge come from?!
He started the music. "1, 2, 3, 4."
"I don't even know if this message / that I'm overly concerned with will reach anyone. / Surely, forever and ever, I will be / a mad matryoshka covered in patches.
"My headache is singing about a package. / The clock's hand is stuck at four o'clock. / No one would tell me why, / but the world has begun to rotate in reverse."
"Good," Gakupo said. "We can record now."
Kaito nodded and, as he had the day before, went to the controls and set them up. After a moment he returned to his microphone and Gakupo clicked play. "1, 2, 3, 4."
Same as the day before, after they had sung the song, they listened to it. Once they had deemed it perfect, they left. Kaito left quickly again, leaving Gakupo in the room.
He sank into the leather chair, arms hanging over the sides. He waited for his heartbeat to slow down. It was strange how being close to someone could make your blood pump faster. Especially when you were so close to that someone you could smell their sweet shampoo. What was it? Coconut waterfall or something like that. He recognized the scent.
Gakupo suddenly bolted upright with a gasp. Why was he thinking about that?! Snap out of it, snap out of it! He pinched his cheeks and squeezed his eyes shut until he had calmed down. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation...One that Gakupo refused to acknowledge. So he shut the thoughts out of his mind, gathered his things, and left.
A/N: Song is Matryoshka.
Thanks for reading! ^-^ Hope you didn't hate it~