Naoto sat rigid in his seat on the couch, his eyes slowly narrowing as he absorbed the information that had been provided to him. Beside him, her hand resting on his upper thigh, Maki's eyes were wide as saucers, her mouth agape, as the shock was still going through her.
"You're joking, right!?" she asked, absolutely baffled.
Standing before them, giddy and ecstatic, Tadano shook his head. All eyes were on him and the printed out contract he held in his hand.
"Absolutely not," he assured, a big, toothy grin on his face. "This is it guys! This is our big break!"
"How?" Naoto wanted to know, his hands folded in his lap, his eyes fixed at a spot above Tadano's head. "How in the world did you manage to do this?"
"Yeah," Hisao added. "That's a great question. Howthe fuckdid you do this?"
"They really loved our music!" Tadano replied, as if it was such a natural response to their confusion.
Tony got up from his chair in the corner of the room, walked up to Tadano and took the contract from him, giving it a once over himself.
His expression turned to absolute disbelief, a befuddled smile on his lips. "Holy shit."
"He's lying, right?" Naoto asked, but Tony just shook his head.
"Nope. Clear as day. This is the real deal."
Tadano clapped his hands together, glancing at Komi, who was giving him a supportive thumbs up, before turning his attention back to the rest of his band members.
"So? Who's ready to go to the USA?"
"This is madness," Naoto admitted. "There is no way. None. Whatsoever."
"Why must you doubt us my friend?"
"This is great news Naoto," Maki said, squeezing his thigh gently. "I can't even imagine how much this is going to help you guys."
"Quite observant, Miss Gamo!" Tadano exclaimed, in an exaggerated, show man type voice. It seemed that this news had elevated his mood to a height not yet known to his friends. "This will boost our band past the humble beginnings we have been contending with. Now, we are going to be part of the big leagues!"
"Who is this and what happened to Tadano?" Hisao chuckled. Naoto could understand the bassist's confusion. This was a far more animated Hito than usual.
"What about university?" Naoto asked, curious as to how much Tadano had planned this out.
"Not to worry," the man replied. "We can study online for the time being, catch up with our courses. Tests aren't going to be for a while."
"That's a rather mellow take for you," Tony noted.
"What can I say? This means a lot guys. We can do this! Don't be afraid."
Naoto snickered quietly. "Not really afraid, just blown away. I didn't think we'd ever fill a venue, let alone see you hash out a contract to play in America. Who'd you sell your soul to? You can tell us."
"Joke all you want," Tadano countered with a grin. "But we got a once in a lifetime opportunity here. What say you, my friends?"
Hisao chuckled at Tadano's theatrics, while Tony fist pumped the air in excitement. Naoto glanced over to Maki, who was giving him a comforting smile. He returned the gesture and nodded.
"Alright," he said. "To the United States we go."
Naoto stood in his room, staring at the wall, lost in thought. Maki sat on the chair by his desk, watching him amused.
"You doing alright?" she asked with a sneer.
"No."
Naoto glanced at her across his shoulder and shook his head. "How? Why? I am so confused."
"Just accept it," Maki offered, leaning forward against the headrest of the chair. "People love your music. Now it's allowing you to go to Eagleland."
Naoto plopped himself down onto the side of his bed and let out a sigh. Maki threw an eyebrow up.
"Starting to get worried here," she said. "Is this not something you want to do?"
"It is," the artist countered, while laying down to stare at the ceiling. "But it's so sudden. So many things have happened, all at once. I am still trying to internalize the last massive change and now I am meant to fly to America? What about us?"
"Oh, I am coming with you."
"Huh!?"
Maki scoffed as her boyfriend turned to her wide eyed. "You think I am going to miss this? Plus, I wouldn't want to leave you all alone across the world, given how anxious you seem."
"But what about your family gym?"
The woman shrugged as she stood from the chair. "They can handle things without me for a while. I am allowed to live my life. If they got a problem with it, tough."
Naoto shook his head, puzzled by Maki's sudden expression of, what at least sounded, like defiance. As far as he had known, she always enjoyed being the star of the gym.
"Do youthinkthey'll have a problem with it?" he asked, curious to hear more of her view on the matter.
"Of course, they will. They'll be like 'Maki, you're too young to leave the country.', as if I am not already an adult. Then they're gonna try and give me an earful about abandoning my responsibilities. As if giving birth to me somehow gives them full control over my life."
Naoto sat up on his mattress, his brow lifted. It seemed Maki hadn't been too open about her misgivings on the matter in the past. He worried that this was, at least in part, due to not wanting to add any potential complications to his own mind. If that was one of the reasons, he would feel awful. The redhead had done so much for him in the past, always trying her best to help him, even if she made certain missteps and then deigned it proper to withhold her own trouble, as to not burden him.
That was,ifthat was the case.
"I always thought you enjoyed working at the gym," he noted, hoping to gleam more information.
Maki huffed, throwing her hands behind her head.
"I do, but it sucks to think my life is already all planned out. Without my input, no less! What if I wanted to do something else?"
"How long have you been feeling like this?"
"Some time now," she replied, sitting down beside him on the bed. "But it wasn't really worth bringing up. Not like I had a reason to ditch the gym until now."
Naoto chewed on his lip for a moment. "You know, you can always talk to me about stuff like that, right?"
Maki leaned backwards, holding herself up with both arms and stared at him with a perplexed look.
"No duh," she smirked. "I know you got my back. Like I said, it just hasn't been a big enough deal yet."
Naoto smiled gently, ecstatic to know his fears were unfounded.
As long as she wasn't lying.
Stop.
"Yeah," he confirmed. "I will always be there for you."
Maki grinned and suddenly rolled on top of him, causing the man to gasp in surprise. With a quick, confident motion, Maki had pinned both hands above his head and began kissing his neck.
"M-Maki, all my friends are here," Naoto tried to protest.
The fiery redhead teasingly nibbled along his skin in response.
"Then you better keep quiet."
The follow morning passed in a blur. Naoto and Maki emerged into the living room to witness the rest of the occupants' making plans, amid their attempts at consuming a healthy breakfast. While the lead singer soon felt obligated to join the rest of his band in scheming for their trip, Maki made her way into the kitchen to find anything suitable to eat.
Cereal, a handful of fruits, there was not a lot to choose from. It occurred to her at that point, that it would probably behoove her to keep an eye on Naoto's diet, just to be on the safe side.
Maki didn't want to fret too much. She often panicked that she was making big deals out of nothing, but Naoto was her first love, her only partner. No one had handed her a guidebook on what to do once she had found herself in this situation. With zero experience, she was flying fully blind and just hoping that her actions wouldn't be seen as overbearing. It was just so clear to her that if she didn't look out for his wellbeing, he sure as hell wouldn't.
Luckily Tadano was always there for him.
There was a feeling of inferiority, Maki had to admit, when she found herself relying on Naoto's best friend to look after him, in the times she had to be absent from his life. As of right now, she and Naoto lived separately, after all. Thus, keeping an eye on him at all times, was out of the question. That, on top of her own difficulties with her family, occasionally left her feeling as if she wasn't doing enough.
As the milk splashed into the bowl filled to the brim with colorful cereal, Maki thought back to just how difficult it had been to simply leave the house to visit Naoto on this weekend. Between the screaming, yelling and constant guilt tripping, Maki was amazed she managed to arrive here in one piece. In the end, seeing Naoto's bright smile, lighting up her world, made it all worth it.
After pouring another bowl, Maki grabbed them both and returned to the living room, finding her spot besides Naoto on the couch. She lightly bumped her elbow into his side, to get his attention, before holding the food out for him.
"Ya gotta eat," she grunted, trying to hide the slight embarrassment she was experiencing.
Naoto glanced at the bowl for a moment, then into Maki's eyes, which caused her cheeks to flush a gentle pink. The man's features melted into gratitude and joy, as he took the bowl from her.
"Thank you, Maki."
The woman happily sunk into her chair as Naoto began eating, while intently listening to Tadano's explanationof how and where they would travel. Life felt so silly, sometimes.
Looking back, only a handful of months ago, everything was a nightmare. Everything had felt like an awful tragedy, with too many loose pieces to form a whole picture.
Naoto had still not fully accepted and come to terms with how it had all played out in the end, and if she was being honest, neither had Maki.
Knowing what they knew now, the fact Hayase had just vanished, left them both with a pit in their stomach. She was out there, right now, struggling on her own, to make amends. If her words were to be believed, which Naoto had confirmed he did, then Hayase had not be completely in control of her own actions.
Maki wanted to argue the point. She wanted to say that it was such an easy and cheap excuse to be used by Hayase, but the more she thought about it, the more she looked back on the woman she used to consider akin to her own sister, the more it made sense. She knew, or at least, she used tothinkshe knew, Hayase better than anyone else. The woman was not one to hurt others in such needless and cruel ways.
Especially not someone she had pined for so intensively.
Maki felt a knot in her stomach, a void in her very core. If Hayase had revealed this information to Naoto before leaving, would Maki even be here right now?
The woman clutched helplessly at her pant leg, the fear of an answer to that question growing inside of her.
Was she just the second choice? A runner up, that was thrown a pity bone, by the way of Hayase removing herself from their lives, when she could have so very easily turned it all around?
"Maki?"
The redhead glanced at to her side, at Naoto, without moving her head. The sheer worry in his eyes gave away just how bad she must have looked at the moment. A tingle ran down her spine, as she considered a means to wiggle her way out of having to explain herself.
"Yeah?" she asked, forcing herself to sound unfazed.
"You're looking pale. And you're sweating."
Maki scoffed, cocking her head to grin at her boyfriend. "Must have not gotten enough sleep. I'm good."
Naoto held eye contact just long enough to clear Maki in on the fact he didn't buy her excuse. Still, she refused to back down, and simply kept up her smug grin, while putting her hands behind her head and leaning back as if to relax.
The artist averted his gaze for a moment, as if disappointed, then turned back to face the others.
While it hurt to not be completely honest with him, Maki couldn't fathom the idea of telling him that, only a handful of months into their relationship, she was feeling like she was left overs. Like she didn't belong. She didn't want to come across as an insecure mess. Even if she felt like one.
Naoto ignored that nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Just when he thought that he had overcome his irritational fear of Maki not relying on him, to shield him from any extra baggage, she ended up clearly hiding something from him. Worry was always at the forefront of his mind, something that he didn't think would ever ease up. This was how he had always been and potentially would always remain.
So, if Maki was waiting for an opportunity, a moment in his life, where he was not overwhelmed by the sheer volume of anxious thoughts racing through his mind, she would never find it. And that was horrifying.
Naoto wanted her to rely on him, to know that she wasn't alone.
All he could hope for was that, if it ever became too much for her, she would understand that he was always going to be there.
"How about you Naoto?"
The artist blinked rapidly, before his eyes ended up landing on Tadano, looking at him expectantly.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, 'huh"?" Tadano questioned. "Are you even paying attention?"
"No," he admitted sheepishly.
Tadano palmed his face and groaned. Tony snickered to himself, used to this dynamic by now. Behind the couch, Rin was leaning her chin on the backrest.
"Neither was I," she added. "Can you start over again?"
Tadano looked at her with a blank stare, his lips curling into an empty smile. "Sure. Yeah. Of course."
Hisao bit down onto the knuckle of his index finger to refrain from laughing out loud.
"Once more then," Tadano began, his left eye twitching. "Have any of you guys flown on a plane before?"
Rin frowned at the question, her entire expression changing to one of disgust.
"How am I meant to fly without arms?:
"Yeah," Naoto came to her defense. "How would she do that?"
Tadano cocked his head, pressing his lips together until they turned a pale white and then leaned forward, putting his head in his hands.
"Rin, stop messing with him," Hisao chided, despite the joyful tone he took with her. "You know what he meant."
"But it's funnier this way," Rin huffed, removing her chin from the couch and disappearing from view.
Naoto glanced over at Maki, seeing that the woman had now actually closed her eyes, perhaps seriously trying to catch up on some sleep. He placed a gentle hand on her thigh, which she instantly reciprocated, by putting her own above his and giving it a squeeze.
"I have," Naoto answered, now turning his attention back to his friends. "I- My mom used to have to fly a lot due to her job. When I was younger, she had to take me with her. I don't remember a lot about it, but it wasn't bad or anything."
"That's good," Tadano sighed muffled through his hands. "Me and Komi have been the US before, so we know a little of how to handle conversation there."
"Shouldn't Tony have us covered on that front?" Maki suddenly chimed in, eyes still shut, but apparently paying enough attention to the conversation.
"I speak some English," Tony admitted. "But, uh, unless we take a detour to Germany, I am not going to be fluent."
Maki opened one eye, to take a quick peek at the blonde across the room. "Huh."
With a light chuckle, she shut her eye again and went back to her overly relaxed state.
Rin's head, suddenly and unexpectedly, reappeared on the side of the couch, ogling Tony from afar.
"German?" she mused aloud.
"Y-You knew this," Hisao reminded her. "I told you this like a year ago."
Rin slowly turned her head over to Hisao, eyes narrowed and sharp. "German?"
Tadano gestured toward Rin with his open hand, as if he needed to ensure he was not the only one witnessing this. Tony smiled weakly, before trying to dismiss the whole situation with a handwave.
"Yes, Rin," he chuckled. "German."
As if satisfied by the reply, Rin slowly retreated back behind the couch, disappearing once more from sight.
Naoto let out a small sigh, not used to their apartment being so full of life. Occasionally, he was reminded how much he used to value his alone time with a canvas and brush. Not that he didn't love his friends, with all their quirks and oddities, but he often found himself easily overwhelmed while trying to keep up with all of them.
Slightly embarrassing, even he had forgotten that Tony was originally from Germany. He remembered poking fun at him, using his state as an 'American' as the crux of his joke, only to now find himself looking like a goofball. Then again, Tony wasn't very transparent about his past. He certainly lived in the states for some time, before moving to Japan. And he never told them why.
"So, when are we leaving?" Naoto asked, much to Tadano's chagrin.
"You'rereallynot paying attention."
"Not in the slightest."
The drummer ruffled his hair in frustration, before returning a smile to his face. "Friday, two weeks from now."
"You sure you need to leave already?" Naoto grumbled as he led Maki toward the front door of their apartment complex.
The redhead turned, gazing at him with longing in her eyes. "Stop. Don't make me sad. I gotta get things figured out back home, pack stuff. I'll be back before we leave."
"I'll miss you," Naoto sighed.
Maki closed the distance between them and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I'll miss you too. Now. Stop moping. Else you'll make me mope. And no one wants a moping Maki."
Naoto grinned at that, finding himself agreeing with her.
"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "Leave me. I shall survive on my own."
"Yeah, you better," she chuckled, giving him a playful shove. "I'll call ya when I get back."
With that, Maki pushed the front door open and stepped out into the snow, the sun shining down from above hardly penetrating the cold. Naoto stood in the door way, watching as she walked across the road, to her car. Her fiery, red hair bounced in time with each step, one hand stuck in her pocket, the other using her key fob to unlock the vehicle.
Just watching her like this brought him such joy.
One last time, she turned once she reached the driver's door and waved at him. "Talk to ya later!"
With that, she vanished into the car and soon, drove off.
Naoto sat alone, in the darkness of his room, only dimly lit by the lamp standing on his desk. His foot was tapping against the floor boards, his mind racing with a never ceasing stream of questions. His face betrayed no emotion, not an ounce of life flashed behind his eyes, as he stared at the paper in his hand.
Please. I beg you.
That is all I ask of you.
Just know. I would never.