Chapter 4: Fun

"Don't make it obvious! I know I'm plain "

I was mentally telling every person that was throwing weird glances at me. I was standing at the gate with the school's hottest guys after class all thanks to my sister. My plain self was more exaggerated with them beside me. I felt like digging a whole and hide in it and never come out. Fumino was late. One hour to be exact. Some stared at me dreamily imaging themselves in my place and some were disgusted and some were mad (Asahina and her girl gang). I learnt my lesson and the conclusion I came up with was never help Fumino to get a boy.

When she did come she was totally different from the one I came to school with in the morning. She was wearing a dress with matching boots. She came with another friend of hers who had also changed her clothes. Indeed bird of the same feather flock together! Where did she even carry those killer high boots? They had a five inches thick make up covering their faces and I hardly recognized her. I opened my mouth to question her about it when she herself explained. She leaned in to my ear and said "I always bring a change of clothes, just in case "with a wink.

She had me guessing as to what her 'just in case's might be and I felt my cheeks heating up at my imaginations. No my sister won't be that stupid! I tried to convince myself. But the last thing I could be was convinced because my sister was always a good child. Note the sarcasm. She wore her favourite maroon dress with matching everything and I saw Nishiki drooling over her and I found myself shipping them. What an older sister I am!? Well any guy except Kyouta would do but he was the last person to care about my cute sis. I was happy and confused. Is he the serious relationship type of guy? That was impossible given his personality. He was a bother but it was more bothersome to think I bothered about him.

Just as I predicted karaoke was too loud for my liking. Fumino, Nishiki and Nao, Fumino's new found friend, were all having fun. Compared to them I was plain and appeared to be the only one not enjoying karaoke. I was the one giving orders to the room service and Tsubaki was almost always in our room because my sister didn't give him a rest. His pay should be doubled and he should be offered a free foot massage. Nishiki was eyeing Fumino every now and then and after all Fumino's nagging he agreed to make Tsubaki stay with us. But it was easier said than done.

"No,i don't want to listen to you guys mess with my favourite songs" he bluntly rejected.

"Please, can't you just skip working just once for your friend " Nishiki begged.

"OK but my hourly wage will be 1000 Yen. I'll consider this my part time " Kyouta said.

"That's not fair"

"But I think it is. If you don't want me, I'll just get going"

"OK fine. How about I work in your shift for a week. The money's all yours"

"Cool. Then that's a deal then "

Boys and their deals! Poor Nishiki. Can't he figure out he just gave his crush the chance to drool over her crush! Boys are such fools. Soon the mood was lifted and we all were having fun when Nishiki unknowingly set it up again.

"Kyouta come play the piano will you? For a change at least "

For the first time I saw him angry at Nishiki as if he approached a sensitive topic in his life. "I don't play anymore. I hate it and you, Nishiki, very well know it" he said and stood up and walked towards the door to leave.

"Chill up dude. Don't be stupid. It's over now and it has been for a long time. Be honest and admit you love it. Denyal will only make things worse" Nishiki spoke back and for this he turned at him like an angered serpent. His eyes were red and deep inside I thought I saw him trying to hold back his tears. That's when I knew, inside his bad boy cover was a teenage boy who was broken and helpless due to some unknown reason.

All Tsubaki did was staring daggers at Nishiki. He was not dong anything though he was hurt by what Nishiki said. Then he silently turned to leave. I didn't want it. I didn't want Tsubaki to go and ruin the moment. There was this mysterious feeling in my gut when he finally pushed open the door to leave. Was it because I was angry at him for ruining the day or was it because I disliked seeing him upset? Whatever that feeling was it made me do the one thing I never thought I'd risk doing.

"If you really want someone to play, I'll do it" I said. I guess I was too overconfident but I wanted to test the impossible. I stood up in front of the piano and tried to calm my running mind. I knew I can't play, or more like shouldn't play, but I can at least press the keys. So I sat on the stool sending my fingers over the keyboard. It has been a while since I last played a piano because my mom was so against the idea of me having anything to do with music. But I was still attracted to it everytime I heard the music coming from the music room at my previous school so I secretly started having lessons with the music teacher. I was not a pro but I can say I'm good at it.

"Sis can you play?"was my sister's reply and I was disappointed to find distrust written in it.

"I'll try "I said, giving her a shy smile. I turned pages of the book on the music rack to select a piano piece which was to my taste. And I found it. My favourite one. River flows in you by Yiruma. I was always attracted to his piano pieces when I was practicing and now I could play most of his pieces by heart.

When I started playing the peice I was nervous. My hands were shaking. It was my first time playing infront of an audience. But soon I felt at home as I always do. Music made me happy and forget all my worries for a few descent minutes. I sent my hand over the keys lightly pressing the notes correctly with my eyes closed. I was in my own dreamland where I was the main character. I felt warm inside as if I was inside a futon. The lyrics swim through my cerebral cortex like a wakeful dream, the notes relaxing me, enabling the song to call to my entire being. Music could never be something superfluous to me, it is medicine delivered in the most divine way.

Suddenly the music changes making me open my eyes. From the corners of my eyes I saw two hand running on the keys in sync with mine. I look up to see a relaxed looking Tsubaki play the piano. My fingers threatened to stop moving due to the astonishment but he looked at me as if he was begging not to stop. Didn't he just refuse to play? What made him change his mind?

I played as if my life depended on it and he did too. He was an expert at it. His fingers were slender and long and flawless. His nails had a slight pink on them. Playing with him was fun and that was my first piano duet. What made it more special was the fact that it was perfect.

When we stopped I saw three big round pairs of eyes staring at us. That's when I realized what I failed to realize till now for I was absorbed into the music. I just played a duet with Kyouta Tsubaki!! I felt blood rising into my cheeks and I didn't dare to look up at the bewildered faces of my friends. I played with my fingers as if it was the best past time I have. I was embarrassed and somewhere inside I was happy.

"You play well " I heard Tsubaki say and I looked up at him to see he was as astonished and surprised as I was. He was rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. I'm sure he himself did not know why he did what he just did. The fact made me smile warmly at him. It was refreshing to see him helpless.

"You're not that bad yourself either" I said.

"Not that bad? Not that bad? You know I'm perfect at it. And you say I'm not that bad? " he said. The look in his eyes made me laugh. He doesn't like losing which made his 'I'm the school's hottest bad boy' facade fall apart and made him look more like a child.

"What are you laughing at? I'm serious. I won the best child pianist award when I was 5"

"Well that, I agree. You are the best 'child' pianist" I said, emphasising the word child.

"Whoa whoa, what am I missing here? "Nishiki cuts in. "Do you two have a thing ,or something? "

"Nothing" we both say together but he still looks unsatisfied.

"You two definitely have a thing going on " Nishiki says making the atmosphere more uncomfortable. I glance at Fumino to see what she's thinking. The last thing I want is for my sister to misunderstand the situation but she catches me staring at her and secretly throws a thumbs up at me.

"Sis I thought you don't play. I thought you hated it. But you play really well. How did you learn? Mom was always so against it " she said.

"Well I did hate it. Whenever I heard music I would cry and I didn't know the reason why so I always avoided it. Mom hated music too. But once I played 'twinkle twinkle little star' with some children when I went to volunteer at an orphanage I didn't cry. I figured the more I denied I like it the more I craved for it. I was just missing it,i guess. So I secretly started having lessons at school. But I never played infront of anyone " I said.

"Then why play now? "Tsubaki's question caught me off guard." by the way that's the longest sentence you've spoken so far" he added.

"I don't know. But today I felt so happy and excited. Maybe because my friends are with me " I said, making up an excuse. Well that was partly the truth but it's not like I can tell him I did it because I disliked seeing him upset!!

"Since when did we become your friends? " he asked. Oh! That hurts! How mean after all I did for him. Nishiki was right. We do have a thing and that thing is hating each other.

"I think you got it wrong. When I said 'friends 'I meant everyone except you" I said with a smug smile on my face without even bothering to look at him.

We came out of the karaoke bar at about eight in the night. I knew we were officially doomed when we get home but I tried to distract myself from imagining the worst. I still didn't care to look at Tsubaki. There was a sudden change in Fumino and now she was going after Nishiki. Nao left us as we left the bar because she didn't live in our neighborhood. The two love birds were walking ahead of us and we were being awkward not having anything to talk about. It felt as if I was walking home with my ex even after I found he was cheating on me.

I had my eyes fixed on the ground when I sensed a familiar smell around the corner. I looked up instantly and saw a small street stall selling dangos. My favourite sweet. Without me knowing I was already standing infront of the stall staring at it. I had spent all my pocket money on my sweet little sister who forgot to bring her purse at the karaoke bar and now I was more or less a begger for the next two weeks. I was about to leave when Tsubaki came beside me.

"What,do you like dangos? " I just nodded in reply. " Want me to buy some for you? " I nodded in reply. Wait did I just say OK to that!

"No, I don't want any. Specially if you are the one buying it "I said searching for Fumino in the dark streets. But both of them were missing.

"OK fine. Then I'll just buy them for myself"he said walking toward the stall. I looked away as he came to me with 3 dangos in each hand and started eating them exaggerating the contentment he gets from the sweet taste of it. The first thing I wanted to do was beg him to give me one but I knew better than that but my tummy growled making Tsubaki's lips curve up in a slight smile. I'm glad it was dark because my tomato face won't be that noticable. But he caught on.

"You don't want it but I think your taste buds do" he said through smiles.

"Well I think they do. So just once, just this once, can you give me one" I asked and he placed three of them in my hand.

"They were originally all yours"he said stuffing his mouth with dangos. This guy can be seriously cute sometimes. I blushed even more.

"You like them too? " I asked, amused. Well guys normally liked savoury stuff,don't they?

"I don't like them. I love them"

"Me too. They're so sweet, succulent, tender, and juicy. It's such a shame I can't have them always. Mom would kill me. It's not good for the health. " I said stuffing my face with dangos too. The sweet taste was making me blush with content. "Mmm!! Whoa it's so yummy!! "

"Why do I feel you're blushing?"

"That's because you are an idiot " I said looking away.

"Come here ,let me see" he said coming to my front and bending his face as that it was few centimeters away from mine. I straightened my head back trying to get refuge by diving into the darkness. I felt his breath fanning my cheeks. I was frozen to the spot. When I looked at him he was staring deep into my eyes as if he was searching answers for some hidden secrets in my eyes. His stare was intense more intense than Medusa's. I felt as if his blue eyes were seeking out the endless bottoms of my eyes. We were so close yet he didn't seem bothered by it like I was. I felt the dangos in my mouth melt and I was able to come out of my frozen staring contest and I slowly pushed him away from me, seeking more oxygen.

He cleared his throat and looked ahead. He continued swallowing his dangos. " You were blushing " he said after a few seconds of silence.

"Was not! "

"Yes, was"

"No!! I was not" I insisted.

He just smiled and walked on not even staying for me. Such a jerk. But today I saw another side of him. At school he was a full time Ahole, but outside he was tolerable and cute even. And because of him my first day at a new school started off as a mess but I had fun today more fun than I had ever had all my life. For my surprise I found myself wanting to make more memories with him.

What was wrong with me? Do I like him by any chance? Do I or do I not? I think I do!! No way! Did I just say I liked him? Nah! That's just impossible!! Sakura you just met him just few hours ago for god's sake!?!!

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