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Title: misadventures ch. 1-2
Characters: all canon-verse characters
Summary: the original canon-verse: an introduction - setsuna sulks while boriji gets beaten at what he does best. akira gets dragged into something she doesn't want while the relationships between the rest of the team become strained.
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: i've written this so long ago - it's likely to be rough in both context and syntax. needless to say, it will get better. i promise.
Chapter 1
There is nothing – or at least, there can’t be anything wrong with her, right? She is perfect, and being perfect means that there is nothing to worry about. So the green eyed girl struts ahead, relishing the noises her loafers made as she walks down the hallway. Everyone loves Setsuna Haine after all – of course, everyone except them.
They call themselves the AIR Team, an (odd and completely inaccurate) acronym of their names, and the five of them were always together, in a small group, talking and wreaking havoc amongst themselves. Setsuna doesn’t understand why their classmates respect them so much, and why the Dream Team, a set of the most skilled players on the basketball team, want to hang around them so much. There isn’t much to them.
Ayami Kobayashi is a small, delicate fragile young girl. She is kind to everybody she meets, and because of that, everybody is gracious to her in return. It’s sickening to Setsuna – she looks like a puppy, and if you gave her a kick, certainly she would cry like one too. Her best friend is Akira Himura, a girl much too silly for her age. If Setsuna can say anything about her, she would say that the girl is much too reckless for her own good.
Izuko Kataro, however, is the sort to glare her way through life, and is never seen with a smile on her face – she gives the cold shoulder to mostly everybody, but people tend to like that ice queen personality she puts up. Brr, Setsuna thinks, it won’t be attractive in the long run. Her best friend – though it seems as if they were rivals sometimes – is Reiko Takazuki, a bold, carefree sort of character. Although she was completely nonsensical sometimes, she’s incredibly bright and this manages to throw everybody off. She remembers people’s names after a first meeting, and finds the strangest minute details in everything. This is one girl to be wary of.
Kagami Nakamura is the last – and least, Setsuna notes pessimistically – because though she isn’t an official part of their clique, they all seem to trust her, and she gives them her loyalty back. Setsuna doesn’t like Kagami at all, with her long hair tied into two pigtails (under the influence of too much manga, she supposes), and her overall quirkiness. Nobody can blame her, however, because Kagami is her younger stepsister and their past is not something worth discussing.
But what’s the point? Setsuna, in her own mind, is far better than any of those girls, who are too young to understand anything important, and that is all that mattered.
---
There is nothing Izuko hates more than the squeaking of shoes on a worn out basketball court, and there is nothing she hates more than this guy: taller than her, swifter than her. There is nothing, however, getting in the way of her winning, and the girl will do anything, at all costs, to get that damn ball into the damn hoop. Her sneakers painfully skid across the floor as she catches the rubbery sphere in her hands, feeling the pressure of it against her fingers as she tries to get it all the way down to the other end of the court. He runs past her, almost seamlessly taking the basketball, and tosses it up into the air; it makes a few circles around the inside of the rim and falls through, bouncing back up against the floor and rolling at Izuko’s feet, the sour feeling of loss making her vision blur.
Boriji Watanabe, the captain of the basketball team, is indeed a perfectionist in everything he did. The other girls swoon over him during classes and he always got the most chocolates on Valentine’s Day, which did nothing but make Izuko gag. The worst part is that he’s obsessed with her, giving all the chocolates that he had received to her (in which the girl would take them and throw them in the nearest receptacle, and he tries to do everything for her – carrying her bag, doing her work, almost everything. This isn’t helped by the fact that Izuko’s parents, high strung on the honor code and their wealth had already been set on marrying the two together. While Izuko protested, Boriji seems intent on trying – not genuinely, but trying - to fall in love with her.
“Nice game, Kitty,” Boriji exclaims. (The nickname is groundless, not to mention ridiculous.) He holds out his hand as any fair teammate would do, but Izuko glares at him, something she had learned to master by leveling her gaze and thinking icy thoughts, and turns on her heel, walking away with the little dignity she had left. However, as she opens the large wooden door, another person comes crashing down the stairs and drops all their books on the floor in their clumsiness. Izuko sighs deeply, turning to look down at the pitiful student in disgust, but once seeing his appearance, the cold-hearted girl softens up.
“Icchan,” the dark-haired girl inquires, her mellow voice full of suspicion, “what are you doing here?” The unexpected stranger looks up, his light brown hair a tousled mess, and once he recognizes Izuko he straightens himself up a little and picks up all his books, nodding slightly.
“A-ah, Izuko, it’s nice to meet you again…I-I…I’m joining the team…” the shorter boy stutters, and he looks as if he wants to shrink and melt away. Izuko only scoffs lightheartedly and ruffles his hair. Boriji eyes the boy suspiciously, his expression full of scorn.
“You, new kid, who are you?” He asks roughly, and Icchan looks up again, turning back into his nervous self. He still stands up as straight as he can, trying to compare himself against the two taller upper-termers.
“My name is Icchan, and I’m going to be the new number 13,” Icchan states. Izuko suddenly seems very self-satisfied with herself, but doesn’t say anything as she picks up her schoolbag and heads towards the changing rooms, listening to the conversation going behind her.
“As in tradition of the basketball team,” Boriji mutters halfheartedly, “you have to play a game against our captain, but don’t get your hopes up. Even she,” Boriji said, pointing in the direction where Izuko had just stood, “lost against him.” Icchan only raises an eyebrow.
“So who’s that?”
“Me.”
---
Setsuna stares as the second hand makes countless trips around the clock, racking her brain about what Akira had that earns her the respect of the blond haired boy sitting beside her. There is no use in learning about calculus. What they should really teach, Setsuna thinks, is how to get people to notice you. For now, she can only daydream and spin her metal pen over and over in her hand, heaving a sigh every time the minute hand moves once again.
The egoistical girl makes the mistake of losing her grip, sending her writing utensil flying out of her fingers, hitting the boy in front of her. He jumps with surprise and flinches from the sharp pain, and so he picks up the pen and stares at it for a few seconds, rubbing the back of his head. Turning towards Setsuna, he mutters something under his breath, sounding like, “Haine, this is yours.”
This is Daichi Amaya. Setsuna had to admit to herself that this is the kind of guy she preferred, who is handsome, gracious, but still boyishly rough. The worst part about him however, Setsuna thinks with a grimace, is that he was often very affectionate with Akira, and this makes Setsuna less than important to him.
“Excuse me, Haine?” Daichi asks once again, and Setsuna realizes she had spent a moment or so staring at his face, her mind wandering off. She smiles flirtatiously at him anyway, feeling Akira’s glare on her, and takes the pen from him. Daichi only gives her an odd look and turns back to talking with Akira, much to Setsuna’s dismay.
Oh, yes, one day, she will get her revenge.
---
There is silence on the gym as sneakers skid to a stop.
“H-how…how did you beat me?” Boriji gasps. He had worked his hardest and ran his fastest, trying to beat this kid who Izuko is so friendly with. The girl is usually cold to everybody, and the way she was so nice to Icchan, Boriji wants that same attention.
“Um…well, I actually like soccer the best, but everybody says that I’m good at basketball. I don’t even like it that much! Izuko persuaded me to join the basketball team here, since it’s my first year, and it’s good for extracurricular activities,” Icchan explains, trying to comfort the taller boy, who probably hates him as of now. Perhaps he should’ve let the team captain win? Izuko walks back in, fully dressed in her regular school uniform.
“So, who won? Should I be pleased with the results?” She inquires, feigning curiosity.
“I did,” Icchan raises his hand, and Izuko smirks a little.
“I thought so. Good job, kid. I have to go to class,” Izuko says, with a slight bow, “so I’ll see you later,” and Izuko continues on her way.
“Sure, Kitty, anything for you,” Boriji retorts, feigning admiration, and Izuko rolls her eyes at this, grimacing, continuing to walk without turning around.
“You two have quite a relationship,” Icchan remarks, but a shout of “he’s not my boyfriend!” from across the gymnasium makes him fall silent. Boriji only glares at him once more before picking up his bag from a corner and walking away as well.
This was going to be a long day.
Chapter 2
Setsuna sighs, because as always, there is something wrong with her life that could be solved if it wasn’t for the AIR team. It’s like they’re there just to foil her plans. But what did she do wrong? She gets good grades in school, she is kind and gracious, and she always prays at the temple on holidays. She even sews her kimono obi herself for those events, and yet, she isn’t the best of the best? With another heaving sigh, she pulls out her phone and calls her younger stepsister Kagami, because Setsuna is absolutely prepared to take out all her anger on her.
“This is Kagami, may I ask -” Kagami answers, still being very gracious even though she definitely knows who is calling her. It’s her way of mocking, a way of saying “I don’t care that you’re older than me! I won’t listen!”
“You brat,” Setsuna interrupts, “where are you? Why aren’t you here when I want you to be here?” She can feel Kagami flinch from the other end of the phone – that serves her right.
“Why do you care where I am? I’m with Akira and Reiko,” Kagami replies, and Setsuna rolls her eyes – of course, she’s wreaking havoc with the crazier part of the AIR team once again. They’re all so immature. Setsuna decides she doesn’t want to hear from Kagami anymore, and so she abruptly hangs up on her, flipping her cellphone closed.
Through her anger, however, she doesn’t realize that there are lingering footsteps behind her, and it must be too late, because before Setsuna can register her surroundings, she feels a rough hand grab her and cover her mouth, preventing her from shouting for help. It’s a short, silent scuffle until Setsuna falls unconscious and is pulled away.
The hallway is left silent and empty.
---
Ayami Kobayashi has nothing on her mind but the small bubble of melody that flows through her ears through her earphones; Akira invited her to eat with her at the nearby ice cream shop, so the small square building in the distance is her destination. She focuses on the rebound her feet make on the sidewalk, and when somebody lays a hand on her shoulder, pulls out her earphones, and begins following her steps, she jumps in surprise.
“Hey Ayami,” the acquaintance says, but she doesn’t need to turn around to identify it. From hearing this voice so much, Ayami already knows who it is.
“Hello, Takeo,” Ayami replies, turning to face her classmate, Takeo Ayakashi. Although he’s slightly shorter than Ayami, most classmates think that they look adorable together and love to put them together for any pairing or group work.
“What’s with this song, Ayami? It’s so mushy and upbeat. Don’t you have something darker and cooler to listen to?” Takeo complains, giving Ayami her earphones back. Ayami just shrugs a bit, breaking eye contact with Takeo.
“It’s my favorite song,” she whispers, and hooks her earphone back into her ear before falling back into her previous rhythm that she walked in. Takeo follows her nonetheless, and the two only smile at each other as they walk together.
---
Daichi and Akira sit in the ice cream shop, with Akira glancing at the time every so often as they drink from the same ice cream soda, one straw per person, and attempt to drink down soda than the other. After Daichi wins, they burst into laughter, but it eventually dies down, replaced with a long silence.
“When was the first time we met?” Akira asks wistfully. This was the last year of middle school for them, and nobody has any idea where they want to go for high school. Everybody simply decided that they were going to that local high school in the next town, but it isn’t a commonly discussed topic. With people like Reiko and Izuko, who are notable for having a lot of money in the household, they might go off to a fancier boarding school.
“That’s a good question,” Daichi mutters, and after a long pause, “I think it was that summer of the last year of elementary school.” Their conversation stops as a waitress approaches them, her head and eyes cast down. She turned to the couple and grips a notepad in her hands.
“Hello…” the waitress murmurs, “may I have your order?” Daichi was about to open his mouth and speak graciously to the waitress, but those green eyes and pale hair had to belong to Setsuna, no matter where she was and what she was wearing.
“Haine, I didn’t know you work here!” Daichi exclaims, and Akira only pouted, deciding that it wasn’t the time for her to speak. Setsuna only blinks once; however, her mouth is still a frown. Once again, she repeats her question. Well, Akira thinks, she’s probably in a bad mood – but then again, she always is.
And so, Akira begins reading a list of things off the menu that sound appealing to her – a chocolate milkshake, a sandwich, and quite a bit more. It was no wonder why Reiko – whom she has a rivalry against - often called her a glutton. When she stops speaking, Daichi almost immediately follows with his own spiel, much shorter than Akira’s. Wordlessly, Setsuna walks away after seemingly memorizing both their orders.
After a short while, Setsuna comes back to their table, balancing all of the food in her arms and not struggling at all. It comes off as slightly uncanny to Akira, but considering the possibilities, it can’t be that suspicious, and so she begins to gulp down her chocolate milkshake. Akira stops midway and begins coughing like she had swallowed some of it the wrong way, so Daichi places a tentative hand on her back, trying to calm her.
“Himura, are you alright? Do you need a cough drop – it wouldn’t be good to get a cold this time of year, would it?” Daichi asks, rummaging through his bag, however, when he turns back, it is already too late.
Akira is unresponsive, unconscious. The drink must’ve been poisoned.
---
To Reiko, the thud that her shoes make on the clay tennis court is more satisfying than any sound. She is undeniably skilled at the sport, and for such a boyishly rough girl, Reiko can execute incredible grace on the court. What else can she ask for, Reiko thinks, when she is playing her favorite sport with Takeshi Shima, being her coach? The boy is like a loyal dog, from the way he always smiles when around Reiko to his shaggy black hair. The fun, however, is interrupted by Izuko, who drags Reiko all the way to Kagami’s garage, which was where the AIR team holds their band.
The asphalt is a bit rough, but it’s the best place to be able to play music without disrupting anybody. Ayami is the only person there when Reiko and Izuko arrive, hooking up her pink electric keyboard to various cables. Reiko’s drum set, with their band name, ARIA (another clever portmanteau of their name,) engraved on the base drum, was left untouched, with her blue and green drumsticks resting on the stool. Izuko’s electric bass, a sleek dark blue with ARIA engraved on the side, lay on the floor against her amplifier, and Akira’s red electric guitar, leaning against the wall, was next to the smaller amplifier. Kagami appears a short while later, twisting the microphone in its stand, as she had decided to be the manager of the team and to sing when Akira and Izuko didn’t want to. While Reiko hops onto her stool and Izuko begins tuning her bass, Akira still hasn’t come, and instead, Daichi is the one who walks into the garage.
“Himura’s sick, so I’m sorry that we left the ice cream shop early, Ayami-chan. I’ll fill in for her today,” Daichi states, looking in the closet in the back and pulling out his dark green guitar. After everybody had finished setting up, they begin to strum a few notes and play.
Although Kagami tries her hardest to keep together with everybody, she can tell that everything was out of sync, and maybe it’s just that everybody is in a bad mood, but something just doesn’t sound right. Ayami doesn’t pay attention to the small details, such as fading out or switching synths and Izuko’s bass line sounds horribly flat that day. It’s only Reiko, banging on the drums, who is oblivious to the discomfort and continues her drumming without any falter.
Even Daichi himself feels a bit off that day, and he feels as if he doubts himself too much, wondering if Akira is going to end up alright. His train of thought, however, is interrupted when the garage door slides open and Takeo and Boriji strolls in. Izuko looks exasperated and suddenly stops singing, in which Kagami, who realizes she has no backup, stops as well. When there is no voice to follow, Daichi stops strumming his guitar strings as well, and because of the sudden silence, Ayami finally stops too, her fingers lingering on a particular chord. Reiko, however, is the only one still going at it, her drum beat flawless, although there is nobody to follow. It is only when Izuko, realizing that there is still noise in the background, pulls out the plug and the deafening feedback from the amplifier fills the garage, did Reiko stop.
“I’ll be going, I’ll see you all soon,” Izuko blandly states, and without turning back once, she picks up her bag and makes her way out of the garage, walking down the sidewalk. Reiko glares at Boriji, who gives her an innocent stare back.
“You did something again, because every time Izu’s mad, it’s your fault,” Reiko points out, but he shrugs his shoulders and goes to the closet, but sighs when he realizes that his electric bass isn’t there.
“Right, my bass got sent in for repair, so I don’t have it with me. I guess I’ll just use Kitty’s then,” Boriji states, picking up Izuko’s rejected bass and trying to tune it, because Izuko has the habit of tuning her bass oddly. However, everybody decides to try to forget everything that happened and tries to continue the song without any further disruption.
Ayami, however, still feels as if something was bothering her. Usually, she would turn to Akira for all her problems, but because Akira is always so close to Daichi these days, Ayami has no choice but to bury her face in Takeo’s shoulder and cry. However – this would make her seem too weak, and would Takeo like her that way? Did he even like her at all? Takeo is very gracious, but mostly towards other girls. When Akira was upset that one of her childhood friends moved away, Takeo gave her a gold locket. He had even given candy to Reiko and flowers to Izuko during their birthdays.
And what had Ayami received from Takeo? She had gotten nothing but a kiss. Why did it seem that Takeshi and Reiko, or Daichi and Akira, had it so easy? Of course, there was also Boriji and Izuko, but they didn’t count, because it was more than obvious that the latter hated the former. It’s funny, Ayami thinks, because each of the couples has a different personality. The normal couple was Akira and Daichi, while Reiko and Takeshi mostly cheered each other on during games or matches. It wasn’t as romantic as any of the other couples, but it was refreshing. Ah, then there was Izuko and Boriji, if they even counted as a couple. There was nothing to call it but a love-hate relationship, because at this point, there was the possibility that this was all unresolved tension. And of course, there was Ayami and Takeo, but she had no idea what to categorize it as – the lovey-dovey couple? They were the ones who hold hands in the flower field, but perhaps there was a darker meaning. Ayami wants Takeo to be hers, and hers only – she loved him no matter how much he hurt her. Reiko is lucky, Ayami notes as the other girl obediently follows the drum rhythm, Reiko is happy and carefree, and nothing seems to bother her.
How much Ayami will give for a life like that?
Characters: all canon-verse characters
Summary: the original canon-verse: an introduction - setsuna sulks while boriji gets beaten at what he does best. akira gets dragged into something she doesn't want while the relationships between the rest of the team become strained.
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: i've written this so long ago - it's likely to be rough in both context and syntax. needless to say, it will get better. i promise.
Chapter 1
There is nothing – or at least, there can’t be anything wrong with her, right? She is perfect, and being perfect means that there is nothing to worry about. So the green eyed girl struts ahead, relishing the noises her loafers made as she walks down the hallway. Everyone loves Setsuna Haine after all – of course, everyone except them.
They call themselves the AIR Team, an (odd and completely inaccurate) acronym of their names, and the five of them were always together, in a small group, talking and wreaking havoc amongst themselves. Setsuna doesn’t understand why their classmates respect them so much, and why the Dream Team, a set of the most skilled players on the basketball team, want to hang around them so much. There isn’t much to them.
Ayami Kobayashi is a small, delicate fragile young girl. She is kind to everybody she meets, and because of that, everybody is gracious to her in return. It’s sickening to Setsuna – she looks like a puppy, and if you gave her a kick, certainly she would cry like one too. Her best friend is Akira Himura, a girl much too silly for her age. If Setsuna can say anything about her, she would say that the girl is much too reckless for her own good.
Izuko Kataro, however, is the sort to glare her way through life, and is never seen with a smile on her face – she gives the cold shoulder to mostly everybody, but people tend to like that ice queen personality she puts up. Brr, Setsuna thinks, it won’t be attractive in the long run. Her best friend – though it seems as if they were rivals sometimes – is Reiko Takazuki, a bold, carefree sort of character. Although she was completely nonsensical sometimes, she’s incredibly bright and this manages to throw everybody off. She remembers people’s names after a first meeting, and finds the strangest minute details in everything. This is one girl to be wary of.
Kagami Nakamura is the last – and least, Setsuna notes pessimistically – because though she isn’t an official part of their clique, they all seem to trust her, and she gives them her loyalty back. Setsuna doesn’t like Kagami at all, with her long hair tied into two pigtails (under the influence of too much manga, she supposes), and her overall quirkiness. Nobody can blame her, however, because Kagami is her younger stepsister and their past is not something worth discussing.
But what’s the point? Setsuna, in her own mind, is far better than any of those girls, who are too young to understand anything important, and that is all that mattered.
---
There is nothing Izuko hates more than the squeaking of shoes on a worn out basketball court, and there is nothing she hates more than this guy: taller than her, swifter than her. There is nothing, however, getting in the way of her winning, and the girl will do anything, at all costs, to get that damn ball into the damn hoop. Her sneakers painfully skid across the floor as she catches the rubbery sphere in her hands, feeling the pressure of it against her fingers as she tries to get it all the way down to the other end of the court. He runs past her, almost seamlessly taking the basketball, and tosses it up into the air; it makes a few circles around the inside of the rim and falls through, bouncing back up against the floor and rolling at Izuko’s feet, the sour feeling of loss making her vision blur.
Boriji Watanabe, the captain of the basketball team, is indeed a perfectionist in everything he did. The other girls swoon over him during classes and he always got the most chocolates on Valentine’s Day, which did nothing but make Izuko gag. The worst part is that he’s obsessed with her, giving all the chocolates that he had received to her (in which the girl would take them and throw them in the nearest receptacle, and he tries to do everything for her – carrying her bag, doing her work, almost everything. This isn’t helped by the fact that Izuko’s parents, high strung on the honor code and their wealth had already been set on marrying the two together. While Izuko protested, Boriji seems intent on trying – not genuinely, but trying - to fall in love with her.
“Nice game, Kitty,” Boriji exclaims. (The nickname is groundless, not to mention ridiculous.) He holds out his hand as any fair teammate would do, but Izuko glares at him, something she had learned to master by leveling her gaze and thinking icy thoughts, and turns on her heel, walking away with the little dignity she had left. However, as she opens the large wooden door, another person comes crashing down the stairs and drops all their books on the floor in their clumsiness. Izuko sighs deeply, turning to look down at the pitiful student in disgust, but once seeing his appearance, the cold-hearted girl softens up.
“Icchan,” the dark-haired girl inquires, her mellow voice full of suspicion, “what are you doing here?” The unexpected stranger looks up, his light brown hair a tousled mess, and once he recognizes Izuko he straightens himself up a little and picks up all his books, nodding slightly.
“A-ah, Izuko, it’s nice to meet you again…I-I…I’m joining the team…” the shorter boy stutters, and he looks as if he wants to shrink and melt away. Izuko only scoffs lightheartedly and ruffles his hair. Boriji eyes the boy suspiciously, his expression full of scorn.
“You, new kid, who are you?” He asks roughly, and Icchan looks up again, turning back into his nervous self. He still stands up as straight as he can, trying to compare himself against the two taller upper-termers.
“My name is Icchan, and I’m going to be the new number 13,” Icchan states. Izuko suddenly seems very self-satisfied with herself, but doesn’t say anything as she picks up her schoolbag and heads towards the changing rooms, listening to the conversation going behind her.
“As in tradition of the basketball team,” Boriji mutters halfheartedly, “you have to play a game against our captain, but don’t get your hopes up. Even she,” Boriji said, pointing in the direction where Izuko had just stood, “lost against him.” Icchan only raises an eyebrow.
“So who’s that?”
“Me.”
---
Setsuna stares as the second hand makes countless trips around the clock, racking her brain about what Akira had that earns her the respect of the blond haired boy sitting beside her. There is no use in learning about calculus. What they should really teach, Setsuna thinks, is how to get people to notice you. For now, she can only daydream and spin her metal pen over and over in her hand, heaving a sigh every time the minute hand moves once again.
The egoistical girl makes the mistake of losing her grip, sending her writing utensil flying out of her fingers, hitting the boy in front of her. He jumps with surprise and flinches from the sharp pain, and so he picks up the pen and stares at it for a few seconds, rubbing the back of his head. Turning towards Setsuna, he mutters something under his breath, sounding like, “Haine, this is yours.”
This is Daichi Amaya. Setsuna had to admit to herself that this is the kind of guy she preferred, who is handsome, gracious, but still boyishly rough. The worst part about him however, Setsuna thinks with a grimace, is that he was often very affectionate with Akira, and this makes Setsuna less than important to him.
“Excuse me, Haine?” Daichi asks once again, and Setsuna realizes she had spent a moment or so staring at his face, her mind wandering off. She smiles flirtatiously at him anyway, feeling Akira’s glare on her, and takes the pen from him. Daichi only gives her an odd look and turns back to talking with Akira, much to Setsuna’s dismay.
Oh, yes, one day, she will get her revenge.
---
There is silence on the gym as sneakers skid to a stop.
“H-how…how did you beat me?” Boriji gasps. He had worked his hardest and ran his fastest, trying to beat this kid who Izuko is so friendly with. The girl is usually cold to everybody, and the way she was so nice to Icchan, Boriji wants that same attention.
“Um…well, I actually like soccer the best, but everybody says that I’m good at basketball. I don’t even like it that much! Izuko persuaded me to join the basketball team here, since it’s my first year, and it’s good for extracurricular activities,” Icchan explains, trying to comfort the taller boy, who probably hates him as of now. Perhaps he should’ve let the team captain win? Izuko walks back in, fully dressed in her regular school uniform.
“So, who won? Should I be pleased with the results?” She inquires, feigning curiosity.
“I did,” Icchan raises his hand, and Izuko smirks a little.
“I thought so. Good job, kid. I have to go to class,” Izuko says, with a slight bow, “so I’ll see you later,” and Izuko continues on her way.
“Sure, Kitty, anything for you,” Boriji retorts, feigning admiration, and Izuko rolls her eyes at this, grimacing, continuing to walk without turning around.
“You two have quite a relationship,” Icchan remarks, but a shout of “he’s not my boyfriend!” from across the gymnasium makes him fall silent. Boriji only glares at him once more before picking up his bag from a corner and walking away as well.
This was going to be a long day.
Chapter 2
Setsuna sighs, because as always, there is something wrong with her life that could be solved if it wasn’t for the AIR team. It’s like they’re there just to foil her plans. But what did she do wrong? She gets good grades in school, she is kind and gracious, and she always prays at the temple on holidays. She even sews her kimono obi herself for those events, and yet, she isn’t the best of the best? With another heaving sigh, she pulls out her phone and calls her younger stepsister Kagami, because Setsuna is absolutely prepared to take out all her anger on her.
“This is Kagami, may I ask -” Kagami answers, still being very gracious even though she definitely knows who is calling her. It’s her way of mocking, a way of saying “I don’t care that you’re older than me! I won’t listen!”
“You brat,” Setsuna interrupts, “where are you? Why aren’t you here when I want you to be here?” She can feel Kagami flinch from the other end of the phone – that serves her right.
“Why do you care where I am? I’m with Akira and Reiko,” Kagami replies, and Setsuna rolls her eyes – of course, she’s wreaking havoc with the crazier part of the AIR team once again. They’re all so immature. Setsuna decides she doesn’t want to hear from Kagami anymore, and so she abruptly hangs up on her, flipping her cellphone closed.
Through her anger, however, she doesn’t realize that there are lingering footsteps behind her, and it must be too late, because before Setsuna can register her surroundings, she feels a rough hand grab her and cover her mouth, preventing her from shouting for help. It’s a short, silent scuffle until Setsuna falls unconscious and is pulled away.
The hallway is left silent and empty.
---
Ayami Kobayashi has nothing on her mind but the small bubble of melody that flows through her ears through her earphones; Akira invited her to eat with her at the nearby ice cream shop, so the small square building in the distance is her destination. She focuses on the rebound her feet make on the sidewalk, and when somebody lays a hand on her shoulder, pulls out her earphones, and begins following her steps, she jumps in surprise.
“Hey Ayami,” the acquaintance says, but she doesn’t need to turn around to identify it. From hearing this voice so much, Ayami already knows who it is.
“Hello, Takeo,” Ayami replies, turning to face her classmate, Takeo Ayakashi. Although he’s slightly shorter than Ayami, most classmates think that they look adorable together and love to put them together for any pairing or group work.
“What’s with this song, Ayami? It’s so mushy and upbeat. Don’t you have something darker and cooler to listen to?” Takeo complains, giving Ayami her earphones back. Ayami just shrugs a bit, breaking eye contact with Takeo.
“It’s my favorite song,” she whispers, and hooks her earphone back into her ear before falling back into her previous rhythm that she walked in. Takeo follows her nonetheless, and the two only smile at each other as they walk together.
---
Daichi and Akira sit in the ice cream shop, with Akira glancing at the time every so often as they drink from the same ice cream soda, one straw per person, and attempt to drink down soda than the other. After Daichi wins, they burst into laughter, but it eventually dies down, replaced with a long silence.
“When was the first time we met?” Akira asks wistfully. This was the last year of middle school for them, and nobody has any idea where they want to go for high school. Everybody simply decided that they were going to that local high school in the next town, but it isn’t a commonly discussed topic. With people like Reiko and Izuko, who are notable for having a lot of money in the household, they might go off to a fancier boarding school.
“That’s a good question,” Daichi mutters, and after a long pause, “I think it was that summer of the last year of elementary school.” Their conversation stops as a waitress approaches them, her head and eyes cast down. She turned to the couple and grips a notepad in her hands.
“Hello…” the waitress murmurs, “may I have your order?” Daichi was about to open his mouth and speak graciously to the waitress, but those green eyes and pale hair had to belong to Setsuna, no matter where she was and what she was wearing.
“Haine, I didn’t know you work here!” Daichi exclaims, and Akira only pouted, deciding that it wasn’t the time for her to speak. Setsuna only blinks once; however, her mouth is still a frown. Once again, she repeats her question. Well, Akira thinks, she’s probably in a bad mood – but then again, she always is.
And so, Akira begins reading a list of things off the menu that sound appealing to her – a chocolate milkshake, a sandwich, and quite a bit more. It was no wonder why Reiko – whom she has a rivalry against - often called her a glutton. When she stops speaking, Daichi almost immediately follows with his own spiel, much shorter than Akira’s. Wordlessly, Setsuna walks away after seemingly memorizing both their orders.
After a short while, Setsuna comes back to their table, balancing all of the food in her arms and not struggling at all. It comes off as slightly uncanny to Akira, but considering the possibilities, it can’t be that suspicious, and so she begins to gulp down her chocolate milkshake. Akira stops midway and begins coughing like she had swallowed some of it the wrong way, so Daichi places a tentative hand on her back, trying to calm her.
“Himura, are you alright? Do you need a cough drop – it wouldn’t be good to get a cold this time of year, would it?” Daichi asks, rummaging through his bag, however, when he turns back, it is already too late.
Akira is unresponsive, unconscious. The drink must’ve been poisoned.
---
To Reiko, the thud that her shoes make on the clay tennis court is more satisfying than any sound. She is undeniably skilled at the sport, and for such a boyishly rough girl, Reiko can execute incredible grace on the court. What else can she ask for, Reiko thinks, when she is playing her favorite sport with Takeshi Shima, being her coach? The boy is like a loyal dog, from the way he always smiles when around Reiko to his shaggy black hair. The fun, however, is interrupted by Izuko, who drags Reiko all the way to Kagami’s garage, which was where the AIR team holds their band.
The asphalt is a bit rough, but it’s the best place to be able to play music without disrupting anybody. Ayami is the only person there when Reiko and Izuko arrive, hooking up her pink electric keyboard to various cables. Reiko’s drum set, with their band name, ARIA (another clever portmanteau of their name,) engraved on the base drum, was left untouched, with her blue and green drumsticks resting on the stool. Izuko’s electric bass, a sleek dark blue with ARIA engraved on the side, lay on the floor against her amplifier, and Akira’s red electric guitar, leaning against the wall, was next to the smaller amplifier. Kagami appears a short while later, twisting the microphone in its stand, as she had decided to be the manager of the team and to sing when Akira and Izuko didn’t want to. While Reiko hops onto her stool and Izuko begins tuning her bass, Akira still hasn’t come, and instead, Daichi is the one who walks into the garage.
“Himura’s sick, so I’m sorry that we left the ice cream shop early, Ayami-chan. I’ll fill in for her today,” Daichi states, looking in the closet in the back and pulling out his dark green guitar. After everybody had finished setting up, they begin to strum a few notes and play.
Although Kagami tries her hardest to keep together with everybody, she can tell that everything was out of sync, and maybe it’s just that everybody is in a bad mood, but something just doesn’t sound right. Ayami doesn’t pay attention to the small details, such as fading out or switching synths and Izuko’s bass line sounds horribly flat that day. It’s only Reiko, banging on the drums, who is oblivious to the discomfort and continues her drumming without any falter.
Even Daichi himself feels a bit off that day, and he feels as if he doubts himself too much, wondering if Akira is going to end up alright. His train of thought, however, is interrupted when the garage door slides open and Takeo and Boriji strolls in. Izuko looks exasperated and suddenly stops singing, in which Kagami, who realizes she has no backup, stops as well. When there is no voice to follow, Daichi stops strumming his guitar strings as well, and because of the sudden silence, Ayami finally stops too, her fingers lingering on a particular chord. Reiko, however, is the only one still going at it, her drum beat flawless, although there is nobody to follow. It is only when Izuko, realizing that there is still noise in the background, pulls out the plug and the deafening feedback from the amplifier fills the garage, did Reiko stop.
“I’ll be going, I’ll see you all soon,” Izuko blandly states, and without turning back once, she picks up her bag and makes her way out of the garage, walking down the sidewalk. Reiko glares at Boriji, who gives her an innocent stare back.
“You did something again, because every time Izu’s mad, it’s your fault,” Reiko points out, but he shrugs his shoulders and goes to the closet, but sighs when he realizes that his electric bass isn’t there.
“Right, my bass got sent in for repair, so I don’t have it with me. I guess I’ll just use Kitty’s then,” Boriji states, picking up Izuko’s rejected bass and trying to tune it, because Izuko has the habit of tuning her bass oddly. However, everybody decides to try to forget everything that happened and tries to continue the song without any further disruption.
Ayami, however, still feels as if something was bothering her. Usually, she would turn to Akira for all her problems, but because Akira is always so close to Daichi these days, Ayami has no choice but to bury her face in Takeo’s shoulder and cry. However – this would make her seem too weak, and would Takeo like her that way? Did he even like her at all? Takeo is very gracious, but mostly towards other girls. When Akira was upset that one of her childhood friends moved away, Takeo gave her a gold locket. He had even given candy to Reiko and flowers to Izuko during their birthdays.
And what had Ayami received from Takeo? She had gotten nothing but a kiss. Why did it seem that Takeshi and Reiko, or Daichi and Akira, had it so easy? Of course, there was also Boriji and Izuko, but they didn’t count, because it was more than obvious that the latter hated the former. It’s funny, Ayami thinks, because each of the couples has a different personality. The normal couple was Akira and Daichi, while Reiko and Takeshi mostly cheered each other on during games or matches. It wasn’t as romantic as any of the other couples, but it was refreshing. Ah, then there was Izuko and Boriji, if they even counted as a couple. There was nothing to call it but a love-hate relationship, because at this point, there was the possibility that this was all unresolved tension. And of course, there was Ayami and Takeo, but she had no idea what to categorize it as – the lovey-dovey couple? They were the ones who hold hands in the flower field, but perhaps there was a darker meaning. Ayami wants Takeo to be hers, and hers only – she loved him no matter how much he hurt her. Reiko is lucky, Ayami notes as the other girl obediently follows the drum rhythm, Reiko is happy and carefree, and nothing seems to bother her.
How much Ayami will give for a life like that?
Current Music: no you girls | franz ferdinand
Current Mood: busy
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