61. Boisterous
"Move faster, Len! You're so freakin' slow!"
"Hold on, Rin, I'm gonna lose you in the crowd!"
Being pulled relentlessly through the heavy throngs of festival goers by a far too enthusiastic blonde girl, Len tries to not knock into anybody and keep his arm attached at the same time.
"We're almost there! I swear, Len, if I miss my opportunity to be part of the contest, I'm going to destroy every banana in your house." Rin threatens.
Right before Len is about to let loose some colorful words, they finally arrive. In front of them, a few teens are lined up for the singing competition, one of them warbling a terrible rendition of 'World's End Umbrella'.
Len stares, feeling his heart rise into his throat. Singing in front of so many people… Len hadn't signed up for the massive audience. Maybe she'd let him support her from the sidelines instead of making him do the duet?
Too much to hope for. Impatiently, Rin drags him to the diminished line. He can tells she's nervous, and even though he's still a bit peeved at her, he squeezes her hand reassuringly.
They wait only a few minutes more before their turn is up. Rin tells them the song name, and the two get up on stage, the music beginning not long after.
He swallows, blinking rapidly. Rin and the things she drags me into… He thinks with a frown.
"Once a long time ago in a family brave and bold, the siblings were really close…"
Rin's nervousness from earlier seems to dissipate with each word she sings, her high but controlled voice fitting the words and the attitude of the song incredibly well. He's almost taken aback by her energy.
Len joins in, and the two play the parts of the bickering, one-upping siblings. Len's voice blends with Rin's, and he can feel her energetic, all-out singing rub off on him, encouraging him and easing him into the song until the words almost seem to emanate from his chest.
They finish the fun, upbeat song, and as the final chords end, the two friends are startled by the raucous sound of the entire audience clapping. Rin turns deep red, but a sweet smile settles on her face. Len rubs the back of his head, feeling embarrassed but glad she seems so happy.
Then she turns and looks at him, her blue eyes shining under the stage lights, and he realizes how bright she is. Like she's made up of the energy she exudes.
"We did it, Len!" She yells happily over the noisy crowd.
He grins. He can feel it; he's shining just like Rin, because of her.
"Yeah, we did!"
A/N: Lyrics are from the English, singable version of 'Childish War'.