“It’ll take about another 5 minutes before I can finish scanning, but I’m not sure if I can fully amend all the words in them books.” Juntaro stated as he continued to compile the books into his datafile.
“So even you can’t fully restore their contents, senpai?” Ryuuko asked, disappointed, as she carefully pulled out another book to read.
“I’ll try to do what I can but these books, they really took a hell of a hit.”
Silently watching all of this, Takuya stood back as he read their conversations. It was almost funny, how relaxed everyone was right now despite being in what was supposed to be a perilous situation. However, he also felt relieved. His eyes were fixed on Ryuuko, watching her as she carefully flipped through the book in her hand.
“It must be nice…” Takuya snickered.
Only moments earlier, she was a nervous wreck. As if just taking a step in this hellhole was causing her unimaginable pain. Yet now, it was as if she had not a care nor worry in the world. Smiling so happily with a book in her hand. It was such a radical shift that he was honestly envious of her.
“There’s no way that she gotten over any of this. No one could, but that she could still smile after all that has happen from just this…I’m jealous. I’m really jealous.” He thought to himself, as he carefully touched the headphones on his head.
How long has it been since he had join this club? How long has it been, since he had to go through a situation similar to her?
As he pondered to himself, he could feel the old emotions from those time stirring up within him. No, it never left. Maybe he had mellowed out, calmed down just a bit, but it was definitely still here. The anger and hatred; for all that has happened to him. It was still there, and it felt like it was choking him.
He let out a weary sigh, as he tried to shake away those thoughts and continued his gaze on Ryuuko.
It was such a beautiful sight, the sparkle in the girl’s eyes as she engrossed herself in the book. It was a nostalgic sight, the image of a person getting lost in doing what they love. Just glancing at her, Takuya felt his chest tighten and he tried his hardest to swallow his feelings. Slowly, he reached his hand into his pocket underneath his uniform’s vest and pulled out the small case containing his instrument.
Carefully opening the case, he stared at the 4 neatly placed pieces of his flute. During the whole trip, although he was instructing Ryuuko to relax, he was also just as tense as she was. Yet, he felt he could not show it. The case, his instrument; it had always kept him calm when he knew it was with him.
But as he continue to stare at it, he could feel his anger and hatred growing. His hands started to tremble as he slowly closed them around the case. But just as he was about to crush it, a large shadow suddenly loomed over him, breaking his concentration.
He looked up to see Kenjirou leaning besides him and met with his piercing eyes.
“You’re not thinking of playing that right now, are you Hideyoshi?”
“And if I am?” Takuya chuckled as he read the words from the president’s lips.
“Hmph…I would say it might not be the time nor place, but I’m not against it.” He smiled. “It has been some time since we last heard you play.”
“I’ve probably gotten rusty.”
“I highly doubt that. You and I both know; such a thing is an impossibility.”
Takuya snickered at the president’s retort.
“To say such a thing to me, has Senpai’s asshole-ness finally rubbed off on you, Prez?” Takuya scoffed.
Kenjirou carefully adjusted his glasses. “Perhaps. But it might be, that I feel close enough to you to know you wouldn’t take such a thing to heart.”
“Heh…you’re not wrong.” He looked back down at his case containing his instrument. Despite his reluctance to accept it, the big guy was right.
“No matter how much I despise it, it’s just how it is, isn’t it? It was the reason I was born, and no matter how much I despise the fact, there’s nothing I can do about it.” Takuya voice was low and serious as he spoke.
“Hideyoshi…”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t be…now isn’t the time for this type of pity party.” Takuya vigorously shook his head as he snapped himself out of his slump. “We should focus on what we have to do right now. Isn’t that right, Prez?”
“Hmph…” Kenjirou gave a grunt in reply as he adjusted his glasses again.
Chuckling at the big guy’s gruff agreement, Takuya turned his gaze back to Ryuuko only to see that she was staring right back at him.
“Urk!”
The awkward moment when their eyes met, it brought about the sudden realization that she might had been watching them this whole time. He watched as she put down her book and came towards them.
“That case…it’s that flute of yours, isn’t it? Were you thinking of playing?”
“Huh?” The unexpected question he read from her lips took him by surprise, as well as the strange look of excitement on her face.
“Well? Are you?” She asked again with anticipation.
“N-No, not right now.” He finally replied shyly. “I don’t think this is the time nor place.”
“Oh…you’re right.” She gave a disappointed look. “But I would love to be able to hear you play again. Ah, I know! How about you play for me sometime later?”
“Eh?” Takuya scratched his head. They were in such a dangerous place, yet she asked from him such a silly thing. He was at a loss for words on how to respond to the sudden request.
“Umm…, I don’t really do requests.”
“Is that so? But your music was so beautiful. I really do want to hear it again.”
Takuya face felt hot as he read the compliment from her lips. There was such excitement in Ryuuko’s eyes as she spoke that he didn’t know what to do.
“I-I guess I can make an exception this time.” He replied nervously as he finally gave in to her request.
“Really? Thank you.”
Takuya’s heart was beating rapidly as he saw the smile on Ryuuko’s face. He quickly turned his head away from her and hid his face in embarrassment.
“How…how could she just smile like that?” He thought to himself. But as he met with her eyes again, he also felt excited at the thought of someone wanting to hear him play.
“I might be a little rusty, though. Don’t expect too much.” He chuckled.
“Even so, I’m looking forward to it.” She replied kindly.
The moment he read those words off her lips, he heard it;
“I’ll be looking forward to your performance.” Came a beautiful voice from deep within his mind.
“Ah!” He cried out as a sudden splitting pain erupted in his head.
“Hideyoshi?!”
“What’s wrong?!”
The President and Ryuuko ran to him the moment they saw him grabbed his head in pain.
“I’m…I’m fine.”
“What happened?” Kenjirou asked with concern.
“I’m just feeling amped up about our mission, that’s all.” Takuya laughed nervously, trying to play off what has happened.
“I see…”
“Hideyoshi…” Seeing the worried and confused look of his clubmates, he picked himself up and shook himself.
Although his head still ached, his heart was beating with excitement. It was just a brief moment, but it came back to him. Another memory, and there is no doubt in his mind anymore it was because of her. Takuya could almost laugh out loud, but he quickly controlled himself.
“Takatora, I’m looking forward to playing for you too.”
Hearing his words, the worried look on her face disappeared, and her smile returned. “It’s a promise then.”
“Prez, you too. I think it’ll be better if I have an audience to play to, don’t you think?”
“Huh? Hmm…, that would be very nice, yes. I can hardly wait.” Kenjirou chuckled as he graciously accepted his proposal.
“Hey, what about me? Takuya, how come you never offered to play music for me?” Juntaro sniggered as he suddenly appeared on his live chat. “Mister overachiever who can play over twelve different instruments. What a showoff.”
“Wait, twelve different instruments?” Ryuuko let out a look of surprise.
“Senpai, saying stuff like that is why I don’t do anything for you. You might think I don’t know what you’re saying but I can understand everything leaving your lips. And by the way, it’s thirteen. The triangle also counts.”
“A-amazing! That’s amazing!”
“More like conceited. What kind of arrogant dork needs to know how to play that many instruments.” Juntaro scoffed.
“Senpai, you-!”
“Mitsuhide, am I to assume you are done with scanning all the books?” Kenjirou quickly intervened, breaking the two up before they could get any further.
“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s all done.”
“Good, then we should get going then. Is everyone fully rested and ready?” He turned to Ryuuko and Takuya.
“Y-Yes!”
“I’m about as ready as can be, Prez.”
“Then let us leave.”
Quickly packing up everything, they quietly left the building and returned to their original objective.
