Chapter 5: Intermezzo in A major
"Kurapika, right?" It is Neon-sama's voice. I turn around, with the usual cool look I have for a girl that, despite Bashou's teasing, I have never, ever been attracted to.
"Yes, Neon-sama? Do you need something?"
She is grinning at me, her eyes that normal, somewhat vacant look. She fiddles with her hands, looking down a little, then her eyes flutter back up. "Well, as a matter of fact, I need you to do something for me in my room."
I sigh, very very inaudibly, so as to relieve myself of the annoyance inside, but not to offend her. "Are you sure you need me?" I ask. After all, her words carry the inference of "alone", and I would rather not be alone with anyone—let alone a teenage girl my own age—in a bedroom.
She gives me that pout. Oh, yes, she is so used to getting things her way. "All right," I say, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
She brightens right up, grabs my hand and starts running. I have to run to keep up with her; it looks like we're two giddy teenagers off to mischief, all right.
She halts suddenly when we reach her room, so that I collide into her, almost knocking her off her feet. Fortunately, I manage to catch both myself and her. She clings to me upon the touch.
Very, very politely but firmly, I remove her arms from around my neck. "Would you please tell me what it is you need, Neon-sama?" I ask.
She grabs ahold of my hand AGAIN and leads me, down that silken hallway of pink, sheer curtains, towards the bed at the far end. I swallow hard.
She releases my hand and points toward a shelf to the right of her bed. "That box," she says, "it's too high and too heavy for me to reach."
Relief washes over me, and I laugh a little as I get up on the bed and reach up to grab ahold of the bed. "Will that be all, Neon-sam...Augh!"
Without considering the consequences, she has jumped onto the bed full force. The springiness causes me to lose both the box and my balance. In vain, I try to catch it before it falls on the floor, and tumble down on the bed.
ON TOP OF HER.
I gasp suddenly. The box falls to the ground with a soft thud as dozens of stuffed animals pour out.
And here I am, in the most uncomfortable, uncompromising situation possible, actually pinning the girl I'm supposed to protect to her own BED.
Bad, bad, BAD!
She looks up at me with a little surprise. "Well, I didn't know you felt this way about me, Kurapika, but since you do..." She reaches up and grabs ahold of my neck, pulling me down towards her.
It's then that I hear the little sob at the entrance of the room, followed by quick footsteps. I look up just in time to see a green cloak trailing away.
I vigorously pull away. "No, no, I'm sorry, Neon-sama...that was a complete mistake..."
She looks ever so slightly disappointed, but not much. "Oh, I see. My bad." Pushing myself up, I get to my feet and pull her up. "Are you all right, Neon-sama?"
"Yes...Oh! My little animals!" she exclaims, attention suddenly drawn towards the stuffed toys littering the floor.
I help her clean them up, quickly, and hastily make my way out.
I halt suddenly, hearing the music.
It starts out light, sweet, like a lover's first dream; it all falls apart in the middle, into anguished tones, and at the end...the exact same notes that played at beginning, now, now, they are like a heart torn in two.
I close my eyes, not daring to walk into that room. I know who witnessed the accident with Neon-sama, and I know the impression she got.
Poor Senritsu...
Only now am I awakened to how she feels.