Thanks for reading up to now, it's a little bit bonkers just how much it means that people actually enjoy the stuff I post here. (EEEPP PEOPLE READ MY *slaps self*) So, let's get on with the next one then.
It was a chilly, dark night on a particularly uncomfortable Friday the 13th, and Haruka was walking down the empty halls, feeling worried. Scared half stiff in fact. Tonight was the night that everything would go wrong for her, she could feel it in her stomach. She didn't know for sure what would make this evening so terrible, but was dreading having to find out.
Everyone told her not to be superstitious about Friday the 13th. They all said it was just another day of the year, the date was complete chance. Even though she almost knew that they were right, Haruka just couldn't quite shake the feeling that today was a bad day.
Her soft ballet flat-style slippers padded across the expensive rugs of the huge Saotome Master Course building, and she didn't dare to let them make a noise. The towering ceiling felt even further away than it had before...Haruka was small, yes, but surely not that tiny.
Outside the windows, she could just make out the grey-black gardens, winding away into horrible murky labyrinths. She felt very shivery and afraid of the whole place, as though anyone could jump out at any moment and-
'Nanami!'
Haruka screamed, jumped back from the dark window and fell right into the arms of...
'Syo-kun?!'
The boy went bright pink (rather fitting really) and started to protest,
'No, I didn't mean to, you just fell so I thought I'd catch you, but not in that way I mean I'm sorry and everything, but this didn't mean anything OK so just...Nanami? Are you alright?'
She nodded and smiled, yes she was fine, but secretly felt very relieved that she wasn't alone any more. Syo was the perfect person to have around on this kind of night, so brave and considerate, she was sure he felt the same way about Friday the-
'Want to watch a scary movie marathon with me?' grinned Syo, holding up a set of four DVDs, each with its own gory-looking title and dark figure on the front.
'Huh?'
It was quite an odd little picture. A short, teenage boy wearing a cream-coloured fedora over spiky blond hair, a bold smile and blue nail polish offering her a night of absolute terror? Not exactly the most horrifying thing in the world.
Haruka couldn't help thinking that maybe with Syo around, the films wouldn't seem so bad. After all, she'd watched all his other action shows by herself, and though there had been a few cringing, hide-behind-the-sofa moments, they'd at least proved that he wasn't completely in it for the blood and guts. Perhaps these movies would be more adventurous than scary.
'Let's do it!' she said in a small, determined voice, emphasising the statement with a very unconvincing nod.
Syo looked a little shocked.
'Really?!' he exclaimed, and then started babbling again, 'No, I didn't mean it that way it's not like I thought you couldn't handle it or anything, I just thought you'd be busy with someone else but not like that I'd never think about you like that Nanami, you're just always so friendly to people...'
And so it went on, as they walked to Syo's room. She'd make a tiny comment, he'd answer casually and then amend the response with a thousand other conflicting ones. Haruka wasn't sure about Syo this evening.
Maybe he really is scared of Friday the 13th after all, she thought. It seemed to be the only explanation that made sense. He'd never been this way before, all nervous and apprehensive, it just wasn't like him. Did I do something wrong?
Syo's bedroom was empty of its usual occupants, Natsuki and Ai. He explained that Natsuki was at another Piyo-chan promotion campaign, with a crazy director who liked working everyone extremely hard, and probably wouldn't be back until at least 12pm.
'He always gets so tired, cuz you know, Natsuki likes getting up early and stuff. I keep getting scared that he'll be so tired he'll forget his glasses, which means I have to get up earlier than he does.' Syo laughed, 'But I do that anyway, so it shouldn't really matter!'
As he was putting in the first DVD, When the Night Took Over, Haruka couldn't help but linger over how caring Syo was for his friend. He's just as affectionate as Natsuki is, he just tries to hide it... But why?
'Syo-kun?'
But the film had already started. As the first obviously ridiculous decision to 'split up to be safer' was made by the characters, Haruka could feel the butterflies in her stomach becoming more and more agitated. She clutched a cushion to her chest and squeezed it tight, but dared not ask Syo to turn the lights on. After all, it was his film, and he should enjoy it, right? But why did it have to be such a horrible one?
Syo, quite the contrary to Haruka's assumptions, was feeling more nervous than he ever had. Nanami was sitting right next to him, uncomfortably close. She seemed to be awfully wrapped up in the film, which he hadn't exactly expected from her. Otoya had told them all about the haunted house incident, even though they'd each guessed that something had been left out of that story...
Not for the first time, Syo felt jealousy in the pit of his stomach. He was the short one. He was the cute one. He was the fiery one that always got everything messed up. He was the clumsy one. That was the start of his long list of reasons why he'd never work up the courage to be with Nanami.
She'd never say yes, she's worth so much more than me.
She's worth so much more to me...
He watched the flickers of the screen bath Nanami's face in light, not even hearing the music blaring unsubtly from the speakers. She was so beautiful, every single day she made him catch his breath. That night at his first film set, sitting in the tower, she'd been stunning. Something she'd done or said had made him able to jump that gap, but he wasn't sure which, because he'd been too mesmerized by her whole being to even care.
For a moment, Syo wondered why she'd never decided or been asked to become an idol. She always talked about wanting to make people happy with her songs... But then he remembered just how shy she was. Yet another obstacle between them.
'Syo-kun!'
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Haruka grabbed Syo's hand. She needed something to hold on to, and the cushion wasn't helping any more, if it ever had been helping at all. Syo was brave, he'd understand.
Oh god she's holding my hand, fingers touching, palms touching, she's holding my hand, does she know what she's doing right now, does she even get how much I've wanted this, no I haven't wantedthis wanted this, just...she's still holding my hand, she's holding my-
Yes, Syo was brave. He'd know what to do. But the movie just kept on getting worse, and after the third brutal murder, Haruka finally gave up. Covering her face with the cushion, she said,
'Sorry, Syo-kun, but I can't keep watching this. Can we turn the lights on? I'm...I'm scared...'
The lights were on almost as soon as she'd said it. For half a moment, her host looked flustered, but then was back to his almost-normal self.
'That is a pretty bad one. We probably shouldn't have started it like that, I suppose,' he said, looking a little guilty.
'Don't feel bad, Syo-kun. I can't deal with scary things anyway.'
Syo looked like he was recalling something painful, but then relented and sat down next to Haruka on the beanbags again.
'So what d'you want to do now?' he asked.
'Well,' Haruka began, but suddenly a yawn broke through her sentence and escaped into the room. 'Sorry, Syo-kun, but I'm kind of sleepy.'
Regretting every step, he guided her to the door and began to see her off down the hallway, but a few steps out, Nanami froze to the spot.
'Eeeeh? Nanami?!' screeched Syo, sprinting over and scrutinising her for whatever injury it was that made her act so strangely. She stood there, feet planted firmly apart below wobbling knees and a shivering spine.
'He's coming, isn't he? It's Friday the 13th, he must be! that guy from the film's gonna turn up any second now!' she whispered, half sobbing with sheer terror.
Syo, to his credit, did not leave his damsel in distress for much longer. He scooped her up in his arms and carried a very shaky Nanami back to his room to lie on Natsuki's bed, the bottom bunk.
'Thank you...Syo-kun...'she said softly, apparently drifting off to sleep.
'EEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH? No, Nanami, you can't sleep here this is a boys room and that's Natuski's bed and he'll need it and I'm still here and what am I supposed to do?!'
Once that was out of his system, he decided to make her comfortable. What sort of idiot asks a girl like Nanami to watch horror films? he asked himself, almost immediately correcting the phrase 'a girl like Nanami' over a hundred times.
Syo took down his duvet and laid it over the sleeping girl, looking at her tenderly and trying to justify to himself that he wasn't creepy for watching her by accident. Sitting down with his back to her, he wondered what she was dreaming about. Or who?
'Probably Ittoki-kun,' he thought aloud, 'That's who she really likes isn't it? He's tall, funny, talented, he's nice to people all the time...' They fit each other perfectly, he finished off in his head.
Turning back to Nanami for a second, he couldn't help wondering what it would feel like to kiss her. She looked so thoughtful in sleep, perhaps even more so than when she was awake. Her lips would be soft, wouldn't they?
'But she wouldn't kiss you. You're short and supposedly cute, not handsome or tough, no matter how hard you try,' he said to himself roughly. 'Get used to it, Kurusu, you can't win against those other guys.'
'Hm, Syo-kun?' asked a sleepy voice from behind him. He whirled round, on his feet, going back over what he'd just said. How much did she hear? How much could she know?
'Who said you weren't as good as the others? You're in STARISH for a reason, you know...' She yawned again, and began to settle herself back to sleep, adding, 'You're the bravest, Syo-kun...'
The bravest...
The next morning, Haruka woke up in her own bed, befuddled with dreams of Syo and strange, humming knights in shining armour. She shrugged it off as just a dream, nothing more, and changed clothes before opening the door to leave for breakfast.
'Uwaaah! Nanami!'
'Syo-kun!'
The boy fell into her room backwards, having been leaning lightly against her door, waiting for her to get up.
'But I wasn't waiting that long cuz that would have been creepy and-' he took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing, 'And I wanted to show you this song I just finished.'
Haruka gasped in surprise. A song? First thing in the morning, she was to have a new song from Syo of all people? Well, she thought, it is Saturday the 14th, after all!
Boom-boom, boom-boom,
My heart is racing,
Every day I just keep running,
Boom-boom, boom-boom,
My heart is thumping,
Friends and enemies they just keep coming!
But when you said I was brave,
That might be my key to escape!
Yes, power rush and I'm flying freer than I ever did,
Maybe this time, I'll come and save you like I said I would,
Changing endings and skipping gates to the endgame,
Who needs winnings, after you told me that I was brave,
I'll never be the same.
Not quite, there yet,
But don't stop,
You gotta keep going,
Run now, yes now,
Don't slow down, we're moving,
Can you tell I can't tell what I'm doing?
But when you said I was brave,
That might be my key to escape!
Yes, power rush and I'm flying freer than I ever did,
Maybe this time, I'll come and save you like I said I would,
Changing endings and skipping gates to the endgame,
Who needs winnings, after you told me that I was brave,
I'll never be the same.
My princess, I know you best, you can always count on me,
Though it's true, I could lose everything.
I can hear in my head, your voice is singing effortlessly,
And I hope my voice can show you how I see you shining.
Yes, power rush and I'm flying freer than I ever did,
Maybe this time, I'll come and save you like I said I would,
Changing endings and skipping gates to the endgame,
Who needs winnings, after you told me that I was brave,
I'll never be the same.
When he'd finished the very last note, Syo knew that this was a now or never moment. A turning point. There she was, standing right in front of him, smiling and congratulating him on his lyrics.
She was just so beautiful.
And he felt so understanding of her in that one moment that it would have almost killed him not to do anything.
Haruka was so thrilled after hearing his song, that for once, she couldn't stop talking. When she was playing for him, she'd felt like they were completely in sync. No counting the beats in her head or even accompanying him. Somehow, they had clicked, and duetted perfectly.
'The bridge was wonderful, that build-up was so...It felt like you'd put absolutely everything into that chorus, Syo-kun, and I-'
Everything moved in slow motion.
Syo reached out, and took Nanami's face in his hands.
Haruka could feel him pulling towards her, and her heart started fluttering. She liked his touch, but was surprised at herself for not being afraid.
They danced into one another's arms, a king and a queen. He kissed her, with his eyes shut, so that he wouldn't know if she wanted to pull away or not. He tried to put his song into the kiss. Bravery, hope, rescue. Everything she'd given him. And then he rushed out, leaving the song sheets on the floor, beaming from ear to ear and thanking the ceiling.
Haruka touched her lips tentatively. She started to feel herself smile, and then tasted her own tears. She'd fallen in love for the first time, and she hadn't even realised it. She wondered if Syo knew.
Phewph! (Just so you know, they only kissed, ok? Jeez. -_-;) These just keep getting longer every time! Again, thank you so much for reading this, and more to come! I like Syo, but he's always been a bit hard for me to decipher as a character, so I'd like to know if I did the right thing with him. Please feel free to tell me what you think and who you want next!