Reina Kousaka was a young woman of around eighteen years old, with straight, black hair, a medium build, a pretty face, and an intense gaze that could level anyone who didn't know her well. She was sitting primly on a bench outside a nice (but not too nice) restaurant in Uji, a suburb of Kyoto, Japan.

Reina was currently lost in thought, but that didn't last long, as her companion had showed up.

She stood up quickly, blushing faintly. She was older now, but the memories of that which was sometimes show up at the worst time.

"Kousaka-san," Taki-sensei said, with that insufferable characteristic half-smile he always had, which Reina both hated and loved. "I am glad you made it."

She bowed semi-formally. "It's nice to see you again, Taki-sensei. It's been a while."

"It has," he said, softly, returning the bow in kind. "You look well."

"I am," she said, and meant it. Ever since she was a child, Taki-sensei was one person she could never show a tatemae to. Even though her childhood crush had mostly receded, he was still someone very important to her, and he deserved her honne. After all, he had humored her a few times when she had asked quite inappropriate questions about his wife, how could she not?

They walked into the restaurant. Taki-sensei held the door for her, a gesture which she appreciated. While she did not have time for the fawning attentions of most boys or men, she appreciated it when one treated her like a woman.

After they were seated, there was a somewhat companionable but slightly awkward silence.

"How is the band?", Reina finally asked. "I was so pleased when we won nationals last year."

"It is well," he said. "We have a lot of new first-years. It's amazing how much of a draw a concert band program can be when it wins nationals. We're going to have to hold auditions again this year, but it will be far more difficult. There are many very talented first-years this time. The third years won't be able to rest on their laurels."

"I'm sure Kanade-chan will do well for the group.", Reina said thoughtfully.

"She'll have a hard time filling Oomae-san's shoes, but I think she'll do fine. How is Oomae-san, by the way?"

"She's well. We still keep in touch."

"You were very close," he said neutrally.

She nodded. "She was, no, is, my best friend. One could even say I love her, but my heart was elsewhere. She always kept me grounded when I did something stupid. She always blurted what was on her mind, without regard for anyone's feelings." She looked wistful. "She did have a terrible personality."

"Did?"

"She grew up. I guess we all did."

Taki-sensei was quiet for a bit. "It's the way of things, I suppose."

"She is in the concert band in her college. She's not majoring in music, like I am, but she loves the Eufo too much not to."

"I'm glad," he said. "While she was not professional caliber, she was competent. She will do well."

Reina nodded.

"And you? You are a music major?"

"Yes, at the Tokyo Conservatory. It is nice to be around people who take music as seriously as I do."

"It's frustrating when they don't, is it not?"

"How many times I screamed off a bridge…"

Taki-sensei chuckled. "The whole city knew when you were frustrated."

Reina blushed.

The server came at that moment and took their orders. This particular restaurant was well known for their delicious ramen, so they both ordered a bowl of that, along with a pastry.

"And you, Taki-sensei? How are you doing?"

"I am doing well," he said. "Work takes up a lot of time. A lot is expected of the ensemble now, and Michie-san would be very disappointed if I don't at least deliver nationals this year."

"They didn't seem to care before."

"That's so," he said. "But now, success has bred high expectations."

"Is there anyone… special?", she asked, softly.

He chuckled. "No. There was someone… but it didn't work out."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine," he replied. "Better to find out now than down the road when things are much more entangled."

She nodded. "There was someone for me, too… but it didn't work out, either. He didn't measure up to…" her voice trailed off, and she blushed. "I mean, it just didn't work out."

Their ramen arrived and they ate for a while companionably.

Finally, she just blurted "I had a crush on you."

He just looked at her with that half-grin. "I know."

"You knew?"

"I was your teacher. You were a first-year. You were really good at the trumpet, but absolutely terrible at hiding your feelings. And you think Niiyama-san didn't tell me that you wanted to know where my wife was buried? And shouting "I love you, sensei" from the balcony at the nationals wasn't exactly subtle…"

Reina blushed a deep red. "You… knew…"

"But you were a first year, and I was your teacher. Even acknowledging it wouldn't have been appropriate, especially after the debacle that was those auditions. People were already thinking I favored you, somehow. I didn't, but I understand why they did."

"I'm sorry," she gushed, uncharacteristically flustered. "I was a first year, and you were so… so… so Taki", she burbled. "I lost my mind so many times…"

"It's alright," he said. "You couldn't control your feelings. But it was my job to keep it in check. Can you imagine the rumors if I had actually acknowledged you? I mean, there were enough rumors about you and Oomae-san…"

She was quiet, while she waited for the heat to drain from her face.

"I lost hope, eventually," she said sadly. "You were thirty-four, and I was fifteen. Even now, I'm eighteen, and you're thirty-seven, and you were my sensei as well. What was I thinking?"

"You weren't," he said. "But that's okay. It had been five years, but the loss of my wife was still fresh. I wouldn't have been ready anyway." He was quiet for a moment. "But I always respected you. You were driven. You stood up for what you believed in. During those auditions, you never wavered, you always gave your best, you knew you were the best and you won by sheer force of will. I… admired that. You were rough around the edges, but I never had any doubt at all that you would succeed. I still don't." He leaned back. "I fully expect to see you on terebi someday, playing an amazing trumpet solo, and when that happens, I'll be so proud of you."

"You'll… be proud of me?"

"I knew you as a child. Of course I will."

"I'm so full," she said, rubbing her belly.

He chuckled. "The ramen was very good. This is one of my favorite places."

"Kousaka-san", he said quietly, "I would like to keep in touch. May we exchange contact information?"

"Reina," she said quietly. "Call me Reina."

"Reina-chan?"

She frowned, but understood that maybe he wasn't quite ready for that level of familiarity yet. "That's acceptable. May I call you…. Taki-chan?"

He nodded. "Only in private, though. As I will only call you Reina-chan in private."

She understood. Even though he was no longer her teacher, he would always be her sensei.

"I will be here for another couple of days," she said softly. "Can we… get together again?"

"I'd like that," he said. "Bring your trumpet. I want to hear you play."

She blushed red in spite of herself. Could he…? No, she thought. I'm imagining things.

"I will, "she said. Then they traded contact information and said their goodbyes.

For now, she thought. Goodbye… for now.

As she was walking back to her parents' house, she whipped out her phone. She needed Kumiko to tell her how stupid she was being.

… but all Kumiko told her was "good luck".

She really did have a terrible personality, Reina thought fondly.