· how's the club thing going??
· fine enough i guess
· still looking for members? ºº
· yup, we doin a small show!!
The screen of my laptop shined, its light slightly illuminating my room. I waited for my sister's message while browsing youtube looking for a song to play.
· are you sure that the new girl will be able to play??? .-.
· yup, im gonna teach her myself
· theeeeeen, everything should be fine, anyways, tomorrow i have to wake up really early ;-; bye!
· good night, bye!
I closed my laptop and began looking at the ceiling of my room… Well, I guess you are wondering who I was talking to… That was Ichika Doujima, my older sister. She moved away about 7 years ago, because of her studies, and now more recently her getting a job she can't come to visit often so we keep up with each other through social media. Well, now that she's gone for today I might as well go to sleep too.
…
3 AM… I CAN'T SLEEP… Dammit, I managed to get a bit of sleep but I woke up about 20 minutes ago… Hm…
I got up from my bed and walked towards the window of my room in front of my desk. I could see some houses, a few had some windows lit up, maybe people in the same situation as me? Or just people that like to stay up late…
I continued to watch the silent streets of my neighborhood… Should I?
I grabbed a jacket, put on some gloves and opened the door of my room. I stepped outside, I've never moved so slowly in all my life. Each step made me more and more paranoid, but as I noticed that I was already at the entrance of my home, a sentiment of relief filled me.
I put on my shoes and stepped out of the house.
The streets were as quiet as they looked. To be honest I have no idea why I did this, I'm not really a compulsive person… I, uh think… But even if I was one, this would really cross the line, even so, I have to admit, this is really nice…
…
I checked my phone, 3:43, huh I've been walking for a long time, I decided to take a good look around me. This is… The music store… Hm? I looked up at the second floor of the store, the lights seemed to be on and the windows open. Akiyama-san was awake?
A loud laugh came from the room above, so loud in fact I squeaked from the surprise. I stayed a few seconds in shock from the sudden loudness, and decided to walk away until.
"Y-Yumi!?"
My whole body froze as I heard my name being called out. I slowly looked back and saw no one but then looked up to find Akiyama-san with a worried but also a bit annoyed face.
"Uh…" Was the only sound I managed to produce.
"What the hell are you doing here at this hour!?"
"I uh… Well… I thought that… Um..."
Suddenly a second person appeared besides Akiyama-san, another woman, her light brown hair shined a bit with the light from the room making it seem almost blonde.
"Uh… Who's that girl, Mio?" She asked somehow not confused or probably indifferent to the situation.
"I'll tell you on the way. Yumi, wait there!" Akiyama-san disappeared from the window
"On the way?" The other woman said as she also backed out of the window.
I remained still for a couple of seconds until the door for the shop opened and Akiyama and her friend appeared.
"Come on" Akiyama signaled me moving her head to the left.
I looked towards the street "Uh… What?"
She pointed to a deep red car parked there.
"O-Oh… I thought you didn't have a car…" I said as I began moving towards it.
"It ain't her's, it's mine" The other woman said.
"Ah…" I nodded "Wait… Why are we going to the car?"
"Cause we are taking you home" Akiyama looked at me very clearly annoyed.
"B-But, my house isn't that far away! Using the car would be a waste I-I"
"I don't care, it isn't particularly safe for a high schooler to walk around at this hour!" Akiyama scolded me!
"B-But I've been walking around for a long time and nothing happened!"
"Aaaaaand you are a dumbass for doing that, cause nothing happened YET you know?" Akiyama's friend looked at me. "Now, get in, you gotta get some sleep, you know, I know too much about staying up late, and trust me… The consequences are hooooorrible!"
I stopped in front of the car "I… Should I just get into the car of a stranger?"
"Don't start acting like I'm just a stranger alright Yumi? I've known you for years" Akiyama opened the co-pilot door and went in.
…
Akiyama looked at me from her seat "So… Can you explain what you were doing walking in the street in the middle of the night?!" She asked, looking at me straight up angry.
"I-I.. I couldn't fall asleep…"
"That isn't justification for doing such a dumb thing" Akiyama's friend said, not taking her view from the road as she drove.
"Ritsu is right, don't EVER do something like that again, ok?" Akiyama changed her expression from anger to worry again.
"R-Ritsu?" I asked, trying to stop the scolding.
"Ehehe… It's Tainaka-sama to you" Rit- I mean Tainaka-san said, still not taking her face from the road.
"We can get into introductions another time, now tell me, where's your house"
I looked outside. "Oh… It's there, around the corner" I said pointing to the little bit of the roof of my house that could be seen. "Um… Could you drop me off here?..
I uh, don't want my parents possibly hearing the car and waking up…" I said lowering my head.
"Hm… Well your house is right there so it should be fine" As soon as Akiyama-san said that I opened the door and got out of the car. "Now, go straight home and go to sleep ok?"
"Of course! Um… Also Akiyama-san?..."
"Mhm?"
"Well… In your store.. Do you have by any chance, a… Well, acoustic guitar? I tried to hide my embarrassment by looking somewhere else.
Akiyama looked more confused than when she saw me in front of her store in the middle of the night "Huh? Why? What's wrong with your guitar?"
"O-Oh! No no… It's not for me, I need it for the club, uh one of my friends is going to play
one at a small we are going to do"
"I might know someone who can get you a nice one" Tainaka-san said from inside the car.
Akiyama-san disappeared to the car leaving me standing in front of it "Hm? Who are you talking about… Huh?! Her?! We see her like once every four months and you just gonna ask her for a free guitar?!"
"Looooook, she'll understand, this is for a good cause" Akiyama's friend said with a maybe too carefree tone.
For a few moments silence was the only thing coming from the car… Until.
Akiyama-san came out of the window once again "Alright… I might be able to get you an acoustic guitar, but it'll take a while"
"Uh… How long? We need it kinda… Soon you know" I lowered my head a bit.
"Look uh… Come by the store in like… Two days, alright?"
"Oh Um S-Sure" I bowed multiple times to express my gratitude."Thaaaaaaaaaank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Akiyama-san and Tainaka-san!"
"It's uh… Fine" She seemed to try and smile but the annoyance or stress from this situation… But she suddenly changed her attitude and looked at me straight in my eyes, it felt almost like she pierced my soul itself "Now go to your house right now!" She pointed in the direction of my house, and a noticeable frown appeared on her face.
"Y-Yes Ma'am!" I began running towards my house.
I got to the entrance… I-I never thought that I would feel such fear from the sight of my own home, but I guess what I did was really stupid…
Slowly… Quietly… Every step could end this stunt so I had to be extra careful… But… Hm… I feel… I… T-The couch… I… I…