"Ouch."A large thud followed by a yelp broke out in the quiet park. It was almost sunset, the skies were dyed a beautiful shade of orange and yellow. While most people would be resting at home by now. Takahiro found himself practising in the park. Don"t just ask him to do a new solo song out of the blue, he only just got back. Couldn"t you have at least given him the message sooner? But Kouta"s words are absolute. He pulls something out of the mess on the ground. "This definitely won"t do."
It"s a well-written song. But it"s average at most. A year has already pa.s.sed since RAY debuted. Mediocre songs like this will damage the group"s image. What"s more, he doesn"t want to sing a song like this. He wonders when it was, when did he start taking being an idol seriously; since when did he start pursuing a path that was completely unlike him.
)
"What are you guys doing? We have practice."
"Take it easy for a bit Taka."
"Right, were guaranteed to win anyway."
How can they win if only a few of them cooperate? A deep sigh escapes his lips. Forget it, he will just do enough practice for the strength of the whole team. The champions.h.i.+p should be there"s. If they win, he will get that high school scholars.h.i.+p.
"Ima kimi ga ii kaketa kotoba ga yubisaki ni sotto furitekita.
The words you were just about to say fell softly onto my fingertips."
Huh? This voice ---
Takahiro finds himself turning around. He didn"t know what made him do this. But Takahiro finds himself turning around. "Hey, what are you watching?"
"Oh, now you"re interested."
"Budge over."
There stood a girl with mid-length black hair on stage. This, "It"s the semi"s before the G.o.ddess4 finals."
(
Just listening to that voice once made him throw away the champions.h.i.+p. He threw it away, didn"t get the scholars.h.i.+p, left the team to take responsibility and --accepted Kanehera Kouta"s offer. For a while now that guy had been looking around for teammates. He should have been looking for someone in his school to form a team, and yet that guy stood around where all the central schools were, and promoted every day. At the start, he just went past by him like every other person. But before he knew it, he found himself, searching for him.
Come to think of it when he abruptly came that day.
)
"It was about time you came."
"Huh?"
"You didn"t get the hint, why I chose to stand in this place?"
"Err...what, for me?"
"You"re a moron I see. Well, I know you"ll be a star..."
(
It turned out, the person who had been asking around about him was Kanehara Kouta. Takahiro never understood exactly what Kouta saw in him. He never showed interest in music prior or even displayed a hint of skill, in any event, he could have pa.s.sed. But, Kouta sounded so confident with himself. He never really understood that. That person"s voice made him change his mind, he didn"t think he would get to meet her so soon. He should have stopped Mikami for being too straightforward about it; about asking her to be Ray"s composer. If he did something different.then, he should have spoken up, even after all that. He summed up some courage, to go see her and apologize. His thoughts break of catching a glimpse of someone running. She stops upon seeing him.
Mid-length green hair wearing a thick, bubble-like parka of neon yellow and light blue. Three pins are sewn to the lower right, while the orange string is strewn through the hood. Two split layers of the skirt are included, one portion orange with gold letters and triangles, the other is white with yellow and blue various style triangle. A strap hangs from each hip, one blue, one yellow, both with triangles of hot pink and the alternate colour. Sneakers with three Velcro straps and a white bottom accent by stripes.
Oh. His childhood friend.
"Practice?"
"A little. Running?"
"Yeah, there"s the tournament coming up and also the star of stars."
"You"re really entering? You"ll be busy with the tournament?"
"It"s okay, I"m used to multi-tasking by now!"
"Well yeah.."
But, isn"t it difficult? Balancing sports and music? In order for him to be able to get the music scholars.h.i.+p, he stopped practising. He"s still able to do some things now. But any complex skill he had before, has already left him. The fact
"Oh, it"s Arin.."
"Arin? You two are close."
"Not exactly, but Yumeko"s really fond of her and I"m trying to get the girls in our circle to warm up to her. So I thought nicknames would work."
"Uh…"
Ruka"s way of thinking is way too simple. In the first place, the reason the girls in your circle aren"t fond of her is due to the girl"s beauty. Lilchan"s air of elegance and her composed manner cannot be concealed by a mere disguise. Adding her beauty on top of that. She"s popular with the guys. The girls in your circle don"t like that sort of thing. Even though Rukchan and Yumeko-chan are pretty, they are accepted. Since Ruka has sports and Yumeko-chan is too loud for anyone to like her.
Takahiro thoughts broke off, upon seeing the girl slump by the fountain.
The two of them rush over.
"Woaaah! Arin? Are you okay?!"
"Ari-chan?"
"Ah, Takahiro-kun, Rukchan..I"m fine, um...do you know...how to get to senpai"s place from here? I"ve only ever gone from school, so I feel a bit confused…"
".."
She"s going to see Karas.h.i.+msan? In that condition of hers? Ruka too seemed shocked.
"Ari-chan, maybe you shouldn"t.."
"No! I have to see him...I don"t...want him to misunderstand."
…
Ruka still tried to persuade her, instead of doing the same. Takahiro finds himself offering to take her on his bike, "I"ll bring you by my bike."
Ruka was speechless. Don"t give him that look, he knows already.
Lila weakly responded, "Okay...thank you."