Hi! Good... Whatever time it is in your place. ;) Dadarara tatata! Well... At least I think it goes like that. But anyway... The sixth chapter! _ I did say in the previous chapter's note that this'll be dramatic but... It won't be. Hehe... ^_^ I forgot to think about some stuff before the drama comes so... That's why I said that. PEACE. :) Oh, and sorry for the late update! ^_^ I was kinda busy. But anyway, that doesn't matter so here's the sixth chapter! Please have fun while reading. ;)

Haruka's POV

I couldn't believe what was happening. My seniors have just decided to give me a chance! This current feeling I felt, I wasn't able to put into words, not even one. I felt all hyper and bubbly. I felt so hopeful and... Alive. The feeling was familiar and somehow... Nostalgic. I've felt it before, I knew the word was at the tip of my tongue. But... I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Just make sure to wake up earlier so that you won't have to rush in the morning."

"... But, you still have to show us your abilities. So don't think saying things like that to us is enough."

"... I'm giving you a chance to make me believe in you and your words."

And the result of that lead me to spacing out again. Kotobuki-senpai was now trying to get my head off the clouds by calling out my name and waving one of his hands in front of my face.

"Ruka-chan. Ruka-chan~. Ruka-chan? Ruka-chan!"

"Wha-?! I... Huh?"

"Hehehe... Silly Ruka-chan. You were spacing out again. Now what were you thinking of? Hm?" he asked half-teasingly.

"I... I'm sorry. I just... Uh... Er... I'm... No... I'm...! Uh..." I tried to think of a simple answer that will express my feelings but, I just wasn't able to. I thought harder, and harder. But, nothing came to mind. Then, suddenly, Kotobuki-senpai said a word he thought would probably explain my current emotion. My eyes then widened in surprise. I mentioned it before... yet I couldn't think of it then. I wondered why.

"You're... Happy?"

"I... I'm... Not sure." I replied.

"So you are happy." he stated with a bright smile on his face after a few moments. I didn't know what to answer at first, but then I suddenly remembered what my grandmother used to say to me starting from when I was a child. I missed that kind and gentle voice of hers... Remembering her and the memories we created were still painful for me. And hearing her sweet voice in my head would still bring me to tears from time to time. But, I was thankful for having remembered those kind words she spoke to me.

"Oh Haru-chan... You smile at the smallest of things. You appreciate every little thing a person does for you. And you should be proud of that. Not everyone is blessed with a heart like yours. I love you Haru-chan, and always will."

And at that moment, I was able to recall what extreme happiness felt like. It really did feel a lot like this.

"I... Yes. I guess I'm... Happy." I finally answered, unconsciously sniffing in the process.

"Hey... Are you crying?" I heard Kotobuki-senpai ask. I didn't know what he was talking about until I felt something wet on the back of my hand. It was a tear drop. Slowly, I brought my hand up to my face and felt tears streaming down on it. I immediately wiped them off after the current situation registered into my mind. I tried to make them stop, but, they just wouldn't stop falling. Feeling a little embarrassed, I apologized for suddenly crying.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what got to me. I... I'm s-sorry... I... I don't now why... I'm crying. I really am s-sorry."

And in a blink of an eye, Kotobuki-senpai was at my side, gently stroking my hair while asking me what was wrong. I said they were tears of joy, hoping they wouldn't notice I was lying. None of them believed me though.

"Ruka-chan... These aren't tears of joy, and I'm sure of that. Please tell us the truth. Why are you crying? Are you feeling okay? Does something in your body hurt?"

I wanted to continue saying that they really were tears of joy, but I knew they still wouldn't believe me so in the end, I told them the real reason why, and briefly explained the story behind it, despite still having tears flowing from my eyes.

"N-no. I'm alright. I... I was just wondering if I really did feel happy because, I haven't really felt this much happiness in a while. But then... I remembered my grandmother, and the memories of what we did together. I had very frail health as a child, and I still do now, so I was sent to the country side by my parents to live with my grandmother. They would come visit us every weekend since they couldn't on weekdays because they had work. Though one day, they didn't visit us at the country side. We waited, thought they were too busy to come on Saturday. It was July 6, if I'm not mistakened. But the next day, my grandmother got a letter from a hospital saying that my parents just passed away due to a car crash the night before. And ever since then, my grandmother was all I had. She just passed away about a month ago, some time after my debut. That's why... When I remember her face, her voice and the kind words she would always tell me, I tend to cry a little. Hehe... I'm really sorry, again. I know it's a shallow reason to cry about."

Silence followed after the summary of my life. I had my head down as I spoke, and lifted it a little after. I looked at every one of them, and they looked like they were just trying to process what I have just explained about my life. Kotobuki-senpai especially, looked surprised and a bit sad. I was about to ask him if he was okay when he suddenly took me into his arms for a hug. I was very surprised with the action. I felt heat all over my body and especially my face. It was probably even red now from all the embarrassment I was feeling. I was about to call out to him when he suddenly spoke, breaking the silence that was filling the room.

"I'm so sorry Ruka-chan... You don't have to apologize. That isn't a shallow reason to cry about. It must have been painful... Loosing your parents at an early age and not being able to experience living with them at that. It must have been painful... Loosing the only family member you know of and you're close with."

He released me after he said those things, and asked me a question I have never heard before.

"But... Didn't you have friends Ruka-chan?"

I fell silent for a moment, then answered with a small smile on my face. I didn't want him to worry, so I tried my best not to feel sad or look like I was sad.

"No. I... Didn't have any friends because my grandmother was the one who taught me. I had a blind eye and deaf ear, that's why I didn't go to school and didn't get to know anyone from school or anything like that."

"Do you have friends now?"

"No... I don't have any... Friends."

"Ehhhh~?! Why not? You did go to the academy, right? You must have met some people there..."

"They... Didn't like me. I.. I tried, but I just couldn't seem to find the courage to make a friend."

"Oh... hai... Ruka-chan, you are a really kind person. You know that, right? You should learn to love yourself more, give yourself more credit. It can't possibly be that no one would want to be friends with you. But since you need to take things slow, you just need someone... Or some people to approach you instead of you approaching someone else. So we'll be your friends!"

My eyes widened at what he just said. And all my other seniors looked at him in question, well, mostly with each of them having one eyebrow raised. Kotobuki-senpai simply grinned.

'D-did he just say that... They'll be friends... With me? Wait... They? Why they? No... He means the rest of my seniors, doesn't he? No, wait, no! That... Can't be possible. I mean... They don't even like me. So how... How are they...'

Not only was I surprised, but I was confused too. I wasn't sure on how they would want to become friends with me, but I decided to accept it anyway. I smiled at Kotobuki-senpai and thanked him for his kindness after trying to think of why they would want to become friends with me but failed to.

"Thank you ever so much... Kotobuki-senpai. I couldn't ask for anyone better than all of you."

After I said that, all of them gave me surprised looks. Whether it was barely noticeable or very evident. I tilted my head, quite embarrassed with my own words. Although I wasn't sure of how they were going to befriend me, that for a fact, was true. I really couldn't and wouldn't ask for better friends.

"You don't have to thank us Ruka-chan. You know we'll be more than happy to become friends with you. But... I really am sorry. If only we knew how painful your life has been, we wouldn't have made it even more painful."

"No, no. Please don't say that. It's fine. You didn't make my life more painful, none of you did. And... My life isn't as painful as it seems. I've had a lot of happy memories with my grandmother. So... Most of the things that have happened in my life were happy things."

He smiled, patting my head after.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked for the last time before going back to his original place which was the couch in front of me.

"Yes, I'm okay." I said, hoping he wasn't worried anymore. A few moments of silence was heard before Kurosaki-senpai suddenly pointed out something I never thought he would.

"So you're saying... You couldn't go to a school for... "normal" people. But you can still see and hear can't you? Just not completely. So why weren't you accepted? Or... You really didn't try applying for a school like that?"

Everyone was surprised with what he said. No one knew he was the type to... Well... Ask questions like that. Camus-senpai was the first to express his surprise in words.

"Yes. Kurosaki does have a point. And for the first time at that."

"What did you just say?!"

"Hold your tongue you fool. As I was saying, your grandmother must have enrolled you somewhere, since she was, as you said, a very honorable woman. Why weren't you being taught formally in a school?"

"I was accepted, but... I stopped attending the school I first applied for... and the other schools after that." I replied, looking down to the hands on my lap. Camus-senpai stopped drinking his tea the moment he heard my answer while Kurosaki-senpai had his eyes closed and his hands at the back of his head as he leaned on the couch's backrest, but opened them and sat up after hearing my reply.

"Now why would you do that?"

"What? Why?"

I was silent at first, thinking of how to briefly explain what happened to me in the past. Finally coming up with an explanation, I replied to their questions.

"I was... Being bullied and started getting bruises every now and then."

They looked at me with serious eyes but... Not scary ones. I was surprised at their slight concern for me. I wasn't really expecting them to believe me... Although it seemed like they did.

Silence again was heard after what I said. Kotobuki-senpai had that worried look he had a while ago again. I looked at Camus-senpai and found him not sipping his tea. Kurosaki-senpai went back to his previous position but with open eyes. Then I looked at Mikaze-senpai. His face was partially directed to mine and his somehow curious eyes were directed to me. Embarrassed, I looked away the moment our eyes met.

'What I said probably disturbed them as well.' I thought sadly.

I didn't want any of them to pity me or feel sad, which is why I never really liked mentioning these things to anyone. Well... I never actually did though. The silence was once again broken the moment Mikaze-senpai decided to continue the current topic about my life.

"There are schools for people with disabilities similar to yours. Why didn't you go to a school like that?"

Again, I tried thinking of an answer. It was a good thing I still remember the important things about my past, or else I wouldn't be able to answer their questions properly.

"I wasn't accepted to a school for fully disabled people. And other special schools were too far and my grandmother would have a hard time if I studied in a far school. So I just asked her if she could teach me and... she agreed to do it."

"I see..." he replied, narrowing his eyes a bit.

And yes, it became quiet yet again.

...

...

"Haruka..." Mikaze-senpai suddenly said, making me startle and jump.

"Y-yes Mikaze-senpai?"

"You said your grandmother got the letter from the hospital a day after your parents passed away, right?"

"Yes."

"And they passed away on July 6?"

"Yes."

"Then my data says that that would mean you received the news about your parents on your birthday."

My eyes grew big after the statement was said. And Kotobuki-senpai reacted the same time I did. He was surprised. Well, as a matter of fact, all of them looked surprised. It seemed like Mikaze-senpai was the only one knowledgeable of my birthday. I never even knew he knew my birthday.

"EHHHH?! Is that true Ruka-chan?! I... I'm so sorry..."

I nodded, then shook my head as to reply to both statements. I was currently unable to speak because of the shock I was experiencing.

"H-how did you know... My birthday?" I slowly asked Mikaze-senpai.

"My data says so. I researched on your basic information when I found out you would be my junior. It's part of what I do as a senior." he replied, saying it like it was a usual routine. And it really was.

"Don't worry Ruka-chan. Don't be so surprised. But... I guess you can't help but be surprised. Hehe... Ai-Ai knows practically everything." Kotobuki-senpai said with a grin.

"H-he... Knows... Everything?" I asked no one but myself in particular since, I made my voice quite inaudible. But apparently both Camus-senpai and Mikaze-senpai heard it. And because of that, Camus-senpai answered my somehow unsaid question.

"Well... Practically. He doesn't know everything. If he did, he wouldn't have to ask those questions to you would he?"

"But... He knows a lot, it's almost unreal." Kurosaki-senpai added.

"Well, that's Ai-Ai for you. Just as stiff as Myu-chan. Or maybe Myu-chan's stiffer." Kotobuki-senpai commented.

"Camus' definitely stiffer." Kurosaki-senpai said.

Mikaze-senpai couldn't help but sigh when Camus-senpai resounded a loud 'hmph' as he contradicted Kotobuki-senpai and Kurosaki-senpai's statements.

"I'd rather be stiff than lazy."

"And who are you calling 'lazy'?" Kurosaki-senpai angrily asked.

"You, peasant."

"What the hell?! What did you just say?!"

"Are you deaf as well? I said you were lazy, you gigantic fool."

"Say that one more time and I'll break those glasses of yours together with your face!"

"Make sure to pay for them then. You lazy, gigantic, good-for-nothing fool."

"That is it! Shut that friggin' mouth of yours before I-"

"That's enough Ranmaru. Camus, you don't have to say that more than once. You're just wasting whatever effort and energy you exert when saying that. And you don't need to rile him up." Mikaze-senpai said, interrupting the two seniors' argument. Although they were arguing, I couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit at the scene. Kotobuki-senpai was laughing as well. He was laughing so hard, he only laughed harder when Kurosaki-senpai and Camus-senpai told him to stop. And at the same time at that.

"Just shut up Reiji."

"Be quiet you fool."

"Pfft... I-I c-can't... HAHAHAHAHA! Oh you two never stop..." Kotobuki-senpai said in between his laughs. He tried to stop, but he just couldn't. And when Camus-senpai and Kurosaki-senpai told him to be quiet for the last time, Mikaze-senpai told all of them to be quiet.

"SHUT UP!"

"Hai... I think all of you should be quiet."

I really couldn't help but let out a small laugh that continued for a few seconds. Until that is, when they all noticed I was laughing. I didn't notice them at first, but when my laugh was the only thing I could hear, I opened my eyes wider to see them looking at me with questioned looks. I immediately covered my mouth and looked down in embarrassment. I didn't know what to do.

'I hope they weren't offended. I didn't mean to offend them.' I thought, worried about what they would think of my sudden laughing outburst. So I apologized, hoping they would accept it.

"I-I'm sorry... I just thought all of you were cute... Th-that's why I couldn't help but... Laugh."

Scared, I looked up to see different expressions. But... To my relief, none of them were angered or offended ones. Mikaze-senpai still had a questioned look, together with Kurosaki-senpai and Camus-senpai, while Kotobuki-senpai was smiling. He always did smile. Sometimes I wondered how he could smile all the time.

"Ruka-chan, you don't have to apologize. We're happy you laughed. It just means that you're becoming more comfortable with us! And we want that to happen."

"Kotobuki-senpai..." I silently said. He chuckled a bit. I tilted my head, wondering what made him chuckle.

"Call me 'Rei-chan'. Okay?" he requested with a close-eyed grin. I was alarmed with his sudden request that my cheeks became a little pink.

"B-but... You're my senior... A-and I have to respect you... and we've only known each other for some time... and... and-"

"Pleaaaase~?" he begged with a look I somehow couldn't say no to. So in the end, I agreed to call him that.

"Al-alright. I'll call you... Rei-chan."

"YAAAAY!"

And after that, the rest of my seniors sighed in unison.

"By the way, don't call me 'cute'." Kurosaki-senpai suddenly said to me, grumbling in the process. I smiled a small, apologetic smile as I nodded.

After Kotobuki- I mean, Rei-chan teased Kurosaki-senpai a bit more, and after a few more of Camus-senpai and Kurosaki-senpai's arguments and Mikaze-senpai's constant interrupting of the arguments, we finally got to the original topic which was the song I'm supposed to be composing for them.

"So Ruka-chan, got any ideas?"

"Yes... I do have one idea for the song..." I said, happy that I finally thought of the perfect tune for them.

"That's great! We'll be looking forward to it!"

I smiled, happy that I'm finally beginning to get along with them more. Some time after, my seniors had to do their work and so I said good-bye to them before heading to my dorm to do some work myself. I was so excited I started humming a melody I just made up going to my dorm. I abruptly stopped humming though the moment I ran into a group of familiar looking boys. Although they were familiar, I had no time to stop and think of who they were and immediately apologized for bumping into them. I was scared they might get angry.

"E-excuse me... I'm so sorry."

After bowing, I was about make my way past them when one of them suddenly approached me. He was quite tall, and had long, golden-brown hair that reached his shoulders.

"Now who do we have here? Looks like we have a little lost lamb before us." he said as he took my hand and kissed it. "Please to meet you... Ms. Nanami Haruka." I was absolutely terrified. Even to terrified to move my hand away from his lips. He even knew my name.

'Wh-why does he... He knows my name?! Why?! He doesn't look that familiar to me... And I've never met anyone like this before...'

"Wha-?! Would you stop that?!" another one of them exclaimed. This one was quite... short. He had blond hair and a hat.

"She's so cuuuute! Elizabeth!" a person with curly blond hair screamed as he ran and hugged me. Now, I was more than terrified. I was about to faint.

'E-Elizabeth?!' I thought, wondering why he called me that and panicking at the same time.

"Let her go! She's not a dog! She's a human!" the blond boy shouted as he tried to pull the person hugging me away. Just when I was about to collapse and faint, two of my seniors came.

"What the hell are you doing to her?" a voice that sounded like it belonged to Kurosaki-senpai asked.

"Natsuki, let her go. She can't breathe." Mikaze-senpai... I think... said. And at that moment, he released me from his... hug.

"I'm sorry Nanami-san. You just look so much like my pet dog, Elizabeth and you're so cute!" he said with a smile. I was still shocked with what was happening, so I was thankful that Mikaze-senpai and Kurosaki-senpai appeared.

'H-he knows my name too?!' I exclaimed to myself.

"Could you not freak her out? Jeez... was that supposed to be an insult? She looks like a dog?" Kurosaki-senpai asked in a somehow sarcastic tone.

"Of course not! I just meant that she was really cute!" the person that Mikaze-senpai called 'Natsuki' replied.

"It's okay Kurosaki-senpai. I don't really mind..." I told him so that he could calm down a bit. I was actually surprised they reacted this way to the point that I was a little embarrassed.

"Let's go Haruka. They still have work to attend to." Mikaze-senpai stated as he walked towards the stairs going to the men's dormitories with Kurosaki-senpai following suite.

"Hm... I thought they had work as well..." I silently said to myself, wondering.

"Ruka-chan!" someone called. I was guessing that was Rei-chan since he's the only one who calls me that. And so I looked back to see Rei-chan and Camus-senpai heading towards us.

'I thought they had work too... Were they canceled?' I thought to myself, wondering why they were there as well.

"Rei-chan... Camus-senpai..." I called their names in a questioning tone.

"We were just planning to do some work in our dorms first before leaving since it's still too early." Rei-chan said, answering my unsaid question.

"Ah! Otoyan, Tokki... What are all of you doing here? I thought you guys had to head out already for work." Rei-chan asked the people I recently bumped in to.

"They were probably flirting with her..." Camus-senpai commented.

'F-flirting?' I thought, feeling a sweat drop on the side of my forehead.

"EHHHH?! You guys! She's OUR composer!"

"Rei-chan what are you saying?! We were not flirting with her!" a boy with red hair and red eyes answered.

"Ren did though..." the boy with the hat stated.

"EHHHH?! No way guys, hands off!" Rei-chan exclaimed, hugging me in the process. And that time, I really did think I fainted but didn't.

'This has been a very nice yet strange day...' I though as Rei-chan slowly but hesitantly let me go and winked at me. And seriously, my face couldn't get enough of all the blushing.

"Now who wouldn't flirt with a beautiful woman like this? She's pure perfection." another person with really dark hair that I can't tell whether the color's dark green or brown commented.

"Wha-?!"

"Enough Kotobuki. You're wasting time."

"But Myu-chan!"

"Reiji." Mikaze-senpai and Kurosaki-senpai said in unison in a somehow... threatening tone.

"Okay okay I'm coming... Oh yeah!" Rei-chan suddenly exclaimed. He took hold of my shoulders and properly faced me towards the people I don't know and said, "Ruka-chan, these are the rest of our juniors! You guys, this is Nanami Haruka, our composer!"

And again, my other three seniors sighed at the same time.

"C'mon you guys! Introduce yourselves!"

Okay... Not much happened but... Yeah! A lot more will probably happen in the next chapter. Not just their work and stuff. ^_^ Those people I didn't get to introduce are... you know... yeah. It's pretty obvious on who they are anyway. :) ;) Again, sorry late update! T_T And! Sorry for the typos... I'll correct them later. ;) Hope you enjoyed! Bye-bye! ^_^