K Park, 8:00 PMIt was a simple phone call, but Lila felt that there was something wrong. After all, he was the one who told her that he would be busy for a while. But if something came up, he would call her. Thinking that it was something to do with Kiryu, Lila had quickly gotten dressed and left Haruka"s place. Eventually, Lila reached the park where senpai was. She found him leaning on the lamp post, staring up at the sky. There was something beautiful about the scene, and before Lila knew it, she was already taking a photograph with her phone.
"Senpai," Lila called out, once she was done.
"Hey, I"m sorry I called out to you."
"No. It"s okay senpai, what"s the matter?" Lila asked. However the moment those words left her lips, Oujiro buried his face in her chest. "Wait, senpai?!!" Did he drink something bad?
As she was thinking this, she caught a glimpse of his face. "Wait senpai?" She exclaimed. He"s got a fever, a really bad one...
.
.
She wanted to bring senpai to Koutkun"s place, but she recalled how he strictly said not to go there. Though the Kanehera family is wealthy, they aren"t of the upper elite. But judging from Kouta"s att.i.tude, he clearly disliked his parents. So even those in the lower elite circles have problems huh?
"He"s got a fever," Mikami said.
Lila sighed a breath of relief, she really was worried there. So senpai is sick, he must have been overworking himself again. She doesn"t understand it well; but a few months back, she got the impression that he was trying to compete with Kiryu. It"s not like she would suddenly stop singing his songs, because Kiryu is helping write the bands songs now.
But perhaps he was feeling the pressure? Lila extended her hand out and brushed a strand of loose hair away from his face. The reason he is pus.h.i.+ng himself so much is most likely due to his feelings for her too.
"Lilchan, should I call Haruksenpai? He doesn"t know that you left right?" Mikami called out to her.
"Ah--yes--yes?" Lila stammered.
That"s right, she forgot about Haruka. Senpai, called so suddenly and Haruka was already asleep, so she just left without saying anything. Haruka...would he get angry?
"No, I"ll do it."
Mikami nodded and left the room to give her some privacy. It should be okay, right?
"Haruk-"
"Yes?"Hearing the sound of a woman"s voice, Lila froze on the spot.
"h.e.l.lo? He-h.e.l.lo?"
For the next few minutes, Lila was frozen before she said, "I need to speak with Haruka."
"Right, it"s still my turn for a while though. Hey Haruka, your next client wants you. "
"Hmmgh?"
The woman giggled, "Maybe she"s cancelling and I can extend my time." After a while, Haruka eventually picked up.
"Is it a cancel or an extension?" His tone was filled with such coldness that she s.h.i.+vered slightly. Is this how he speaks with all his clients? So he isn"t attached to any of them, that should relieve her and yet...
Lila shook her head and took a deep breath before she said."It"s me."
"Do you need picking up?" Haruka asked softly.
She clenched her fist, as she heard how his tone changed to a gentle one.
"I think, I"m going to stay so.."
So, don"t come after her? Don"t get worried? Heh, that"s really laughable. He seems to have loads of women at his disposal. He doesn"t need her. He doesn"t need her, so why did he change his tone? Why does he sound so kind?
Lila thought that was enough and was about to hang up the phone, when Haruka replied softly, "I"ll be lonely."
!!! She immediately ended the call then, without saying a single word back. Lila stared at her phone and exhaled deeply, cheeks burned red. Thump. Thump. He"s so stupid.
.
.
"A song?"
Oujiro nodded, "Yeah, Kiryu-san was working on one together right before this all happened. This was the reason why he couldn"t contact you. He wanted to finish this first."
"For..DEVIL?" Lila asked.
"That"s right, after the incidence. I received word that he pa.s.sed this on to me to finish. But honestly, when I read it I was stumped. I"ve never seen a song like this before."
A song that senpai isn"t sure about.
Lila edged closer to get a look, but Oujiro suddenly put it away.
"Lila, I want to ask you something honestly first. Before you sing this."
"About Haruka? We"re not dating."
Oujiro paused but nodded. "Not yet?"
Lila averted her gaze and sighed deeply, "I didn"t think you"d question me on this too senpai.."
"I think I deserve the right to know. I"m not a third party in this either.."
At that comment, her cheeks reddened.
"D-don"t blush stupid."
"S-sorry, but it"s your fault." Lila stammered. Why is she getting embarra.s.sed? How careless.
"...Truthfully, that"s not my main reason. Whether your feelings changed. You"d probably be able to sing this. Romantic feelings aren"t the main factor to this song after all. "
Oujiro paused before he pa.s.sed the sheets of paper onto her hands. Lila scanned the half written lyrics and melody.
Wings of light.
Her eyes welled up realising.
"He...he noticed," Lila repeated in a daze.
"He did. He said when you last met, you were really uneasy and afraid. He wanted to rea.s.sure you, that it would be okay. That you can still stand in the light."
Ah, he really is an idiot. He"s so foolish, her Kiryu.
"Lila, could I be perfectly honest with you?" Oujiro suddenly said in a serious tone.
"What is it?" She managed to reply, despite how emotional she felt at that moment.
"Your present relations.h.i.+p with Karas.h.i.+ma, I think you ought to stop it... I"m not saying this out of jealousy or anything, but I just think that you should maintain some distance."
How does she help Haruka if she"s distant from him though? "At the start, I intended to maintain a boundary.." Lila muttered, "But, I noticed how lonely and fragile he was. No, I already knew that before. But I realized that back then, I would not have been able to help him, especially with my present state."
Back then she would not be able to help him since all she ever thought about was Kiryu. But now its different. Right now he has become so very important to her.