Trade
"Ah! Tsuchiura-kun! I'm sorry, I'll go-"
"Relax, Hino," Ryotaro said, reaching out and catching her arm. "It's only me."
"Ah, I know, but you were in the practice room-"
"I'm on my way out," he said, blinking. He lookde down, concerned, at a frazzled Kahoko. "Hino-san... are you alright?"
"I- I'm fine." She moved around him to get into the practice room, sitting down heavily inside. "I'm just... stressed."
Ryotaro watched her before closing the door, moving to sit beside her on the piano bench. "Stressed?" he asked.
"Tsukimori's so good," Kahoko sighed. "And I'm- well- not. And with the next selection in two weeks, I've been practicing like mad, but it's still not good enough, even with staying up all night like Shimizu-kun-"
"You've been staying up all night?" Ryotaro asked, alarmed. "Hino-san, you can't do that to yourself. You'll collapse."
"But I have to-" she argued, fighting her exhausted form. "I need to practice-"
"Then we'll trade," he interrupted. "Here. I'll practice for you, and you can rest for me."
Kahoko blinked and opened her mouth to argue, but Ryotaro played a warning chord on the keys.
"Cloes your eyes," he said firmly. Kahoko blinked, looking at him oddly, before doing so. Ryotaro smiled.
"Just listen, okay? I'm going to play for you. If you still want to practice when I'm done, you can, alright?"
He began to play; one of his mother's favorites, a soft, soothing tune. His fingers glided over the notes, gentle, and he felt Kahoko relax beside him.
"What's this?" she asked, after a long moment.
"It's called Angel Eyes," Ryotaro told her, fingers playing softly. Kahoko hummed.
"I like it," she said simply, laying down to lean against his thigh, her eyes peacefully closed. "Keep playing, Tsuchiura-kun."
Fighting the urge to blush, Ryotaro's fingers danced over the keys, soft, gentle as he glanced down at the sleeping girl on his lap. A feeling rose in his throat, an overwhelming urge to hold her and keep her safe, and he swallowed hard.
"What a trade," he murmured quietly, still playing, and Kahoko shifted slightly in her sleep, a small smile playing over her face.