Chapter Text
Too early in the morning that even the stars were still out, she had an appointment to a hospital that she had been going to for the majority from the beginning of the year. All these schedules were monthly, much to her dismay.
Every now and then she would have phone calls or emails by an unsaved number and no sender, both with no return address, insisting her to do this or that as she was and still being monitored from when she had been taken under the organization, so it was expected of her. Izumo should be grateful that she hadn't been killed. Grateful that expenses were paid for and that she didn't have to do anything except do well and do what they said.
Yet she'd rather be dead than grateful to them. Though having her dead would have thrown a wrench in their plans.
It was all a facade that she was in as she was led into the room to be poked and prodded at. It was mandatory after all and a routine she didn't have to know to do.
Put in a paper thin gown that even though it was the summer, she was chilly as the air conditioning puffered through the vents as she ran her fingers on her arms. Picking at the serial number band on her wrist from habits of having it on whenever she came to be examined. It was there reminding her why she was there and she didn't want to show any weakness. Sitting atop the examination table, the plastic and paper making the most noise as she shifted her legs to at least appear confident as the doctor had came in.
An scientist under the disguise of a doctor, had taken blood samples that left her a bit faint before giving her doses that would increase her apparent abilities which were a concoction of synthetic magic that had been produced in the labs. That way the probability of succession were higher.
Disinfecting her arms, a tray of needles in a consecutive row were presented to her. Plethora of abnormal substances were in the syringes and awaiting her. With the passing years as she had grown, so had the length of the needles.
Since it could go all into her veins as that would possibly kill her, it was to be put into where she channeled her power from, that were her arms. At the beginning the needles were inserted with precision as it was in the vein but then on her arms it was in any area at any depth which was further in to make it more effective. Blood had been wiped away and then a band-aid or a pad with gauze over it, with no systeming whatsoever but it was always like that. Needles were the most used as opposed to pills as the organization could see her taking it rather she faking to swallow the pill.
As a child she had hid the pills under her tongue until she was caught.
All the while she had taken it without a sign of pain, but inwardly her body was recoiling at the intrusion of chemicals that were going into her with the tensing and untensing.
Those were, supposedly, energy boosters or some genetic modification antibodies to pump throughout her system while enhancing her linkage to her powers but rather it made her feel like she wanted to die or reject all of this by all the toxins that she was putting in her body.
Besides her health, the people who went through the procedures had tacked it on and it was making her more tired. With all the testing that was done to her, it wasn't like they would ever tell her if all of this was actually doing anything.
No, they'd flip through their files and mark down her bodily functions as they had even when she was a little girl. She was just a lab rat like her mother in the end and she was self aware but turned her back to it.
And her mother.
The syringes weren't that bad but she also had a high pain tolerance so she couldn't be the judge of that.
Even at a young age she gotten use to pain. Scuffing up her knees, as she did trip a lot and while also keeping her sister safe from people she didn't trust when she was younger. Though as a result she had an endless supply of baind-aids and had gone through it all.
When seeing as her arms were dealt with she was about to leave when she saw another tray pulled out. Usually it was just injections but this time there was a contraption she hadn't seen before but knew it wasn't any good for her. The doctor made her sit, and she did as then there was a gloved hand that was creeping into her gown.
Irked, she angled her head to the side, neck away from it and what little shielding she had had; its neckline dropping as they said it was procedural. Cold iodine was onto her as it sanitized, the yellow-orange made a staining on her pale skin and then it was onto her and that's when she did make some sound.
The device, whatever it was, hurt and it had punctured into her skin and injected but also pulled something else that wasn't blood out while it did so. Her rate of heartbeats per second were going up and down, she endured it until it was taken off and there wasn't as much blood as she had thought as it felt like she was getting murdered.
Nevertheless bandaged up on there too, she couldn't move her upper half without being overcome with the stinging of everything she had to sit through for the past hours or so and the scientist had left her shortly.
Mechanically, Izumo moved herself into her clothes which made her have to stop a few times. Though she was mad she didn't know what that new thing was. It could have been their latest creation to test on her, as it had made her more in tune with things. Like how much her arms and chest hurt that much she was certain of.
When leaving with plaster lining up and down on her arms and a patch pressed right above her heart, all these would be hindersome. Although she did have on her uniform, the sleeves loose enough to not be too constricting. The only good thing about this was that she had the appointments early in the morning so she wouldn't have missed any classes.
And that she was doing this all for her dear, little, sister.
As school dragged on she found herself getting tired and couldn't focus as well. Each time the bell rang it was like a death toll for her head. Anytime someone was going to go into her she had to move quickly as her arms were hurting. From all the other times she had done it she may have been sluggish but nowhere near to this.
By the window she let herself doze, something that the students and teachers hadn't seen from her. Extremely out of the ordinary as the girl wasn't even hiding it, though her head had been inclined to the window.
Her arms and chest weren't stinging as much now a dulled pain that wasn't going to cease and sleeping it off had come natural to the body. Now she knew why Rin slept so much during lectures.
From everyone of the class as they whispered amongst themselves, the closest person to her had tried to whisper to her. When that didn't work they then shook her that made her snap her head up.
"Kamiki-chan? Maybe you should go to the nurse?" A deskmate ventured to say and the girl nearly bite their head off as they pulled their hands away and had apologized.
As a teacher had noticed and sent her to the nurse, (who took an critical eye at her before telling her to go take the day off going as far to phone the teacher), she did exactly that. However before she went back, she had asked for the current assignments except for cram class. By the afternoon she would be better and she would come to cram school.
Wishing they had an elevator, she went up the flight of stairs before unbolting her door and falling onto the bed, her schoolbag somewhere on the bed as she had let go of it. Her covers weren't made and she squirmed into it. There was some salvageable warmth as she went deeper in and she could go back to sleep if she just didn't try too much and just rest.
It would be the easiest thing to do. Laying there she breathed in deeply before letting it out in a sigh deep within her, from her very soul. It was still early, just and hour or two that she was dismissed and she decided if she couldn't do work at school she would do it here as it was homework.
Getting up, she took out the material from her core classes from her backpack, as those were the most important after all, and went to her desk where she would sit in her chair for another hour until she noticed that it had turned to the afternoon where cram class would begin.
Those being the utmost priorities she decided that she would stay in, just for today as she had a growing headache. She's been stuck on a paper not that it was hard but she kept losing her spot and her writing varied from smooth lines to ambling spaced out ones that went off the edge of the paper.
Bothered, as her arms were more tired than she actually was that she had to rest them in the table and not lift them up as the pain from the needled that had pulled at her skin made her want to take out the wrappings.
Opening her sliding closet, she reached to where the first aid kit was on a shelf but saw that her pajamas near it.
Instead she thought better of it and instead took the clothes, and a towel with other shower necessities and went to the showers.
Dialing the spray to a lukewarm as she didn't want it to be too hot, she put her arms under the water to test it out. Through the band-aids she could tell that most were still bleeding and stood in the shower. Water went through the cloth and into the openings that was prickling in her skin.
Easing into it, she did wash herself but had limited movement of her arms. When dressing herself she saw that the shots had bruising from picking back a bandage, assumably from how far it has went and how it had been administered. No matter, it had been done. Dressing herself, she had her clothes in her hand with her bathing items.
Going back to her room it was much hotter than before and had turned on her fan. As it whirled, making her papers bend up with it; Izumo went back into the closet and got the first aid kit. It was always too far up and she got on her tippy-toes before having it in her hands as she propped it open. Bandages should be changed often and the ones she had were wet and used.
Taking it off from bottom to top, some still clung to her arms and she pulled at wincing as her skin was pulled along with it. Balling it up and dragging the trash can over to dispose it in, Izumo then ripped the paper off the sheer strip ones as those were the easiest to take off for minor wounds.
When applying them she put some ointment to speed up the healing process, though it aches when she patted it in. Getting the blood circulating would make the bruising go down she read somewhere but she did it for a few as it did hurt. Her shirt had a wide neckline and she didn't have to pull it down as she went to the last one left on.
Peeling it back, the bleeding had been slowed but there was still a bit and she took it off completely to relieve the heat of her body. Putting cooling ointment, she then laid a adhesive pad over it and made sure there were no wrinkles in it as she smoothed it down. From some of them, they had excess blood and she had used her uniform to try and wipe it up.
It was then that she was beginning to feel a bit woozy and she was still hot as if the fan hadn't help. Laying herself on the wooden floor that was cool, she let herself blackout.
Then she was in her bed and ended up spilling most of her life story to the devil's son. While she had talked to him though a bit scared that she was finally telling someone all of this afterwards, there was the slightest lift of something heavy from her whole self.
Still, there were secrets that she had kept from him and would keep bottled.
Somewhere when she was almost asleep, she realized that she had told Rin most of her secrets she felt a bit of a fool. Now he could tell anyone if he wanted. Though she didn't know if he would she had to be sure and confront him on it. Right now she would sleep.
The next morning had gone relatively the same as it usually did. There were no dizzy spells or random spikes of pain as she went through each class.
Resisting the urge to scratch at how exposed she was she patiently sat through the lessons of day until it was time for cram school.
Bandages weren't meant to be worn for more than a few days if not one, unless to be redressed and the holes on her arm and near her chest were healing up so she had taken them off. Better to not cause any suspicion either.
At lunch she and Paku were seated in the cafeteria to take a break from the heat. There was a secluded spot near the ends of the tables that they seated themselves. Opening her lunch, she ate but saw that Paku was glancing at her every minute or so.
"What is it?" The girl jumped slightly at her question.
At that Paku looked down at her uneaten lunch. "It's just that you didn't reply back to my texts…" Izumo felt bad but her phone was low on battery and had to be charged overnight. Though she wasn't up to reply to any of the text and just deleted them. "My phone was almost dead," it wasn't a complete lie or the truth but Paku seemed to understand when she nodded.
As they both ate, Paku slower than Izumo she looked up. Apparently she hadn't understood and Izumo looked back at her until the girl spoke her thoughts.
"So Okumura-kun checked up on you?" So that's what she wanted to know. Setting the chopsticks in their plastic container she had closed her bento.
"Yes," Izumo put away the empty container into her schoolbag, "he did."
"Oh."
That concluded what she had to say as the girl went back to eating and made talk about a different topic altogether. Making Izumo appreciative that she had dropped the other topic and hadn't even questioned what Rin did other than check up on her.
Lunch had ended, and they went to their classes. Unlocking the door, she went through the door to go on with the other classes.
Demon Pharmacology was sooner than expected and she waltzed in. There was everyone else who looked up at her in varying degrees of emotion and for Rin he was glad that the girl had shown up.
Certainly, he hadn't expected her to do what she promised. It wasn't in her nature to do things like promises anyway.
—
Yesterday, after shutting her door, Rin let out a huff of air. With this information he really wanted to interrogate her further but he didn't know if she was really okay, mentally or physically. For now he would leave her be.
Out the window he went and down the side of the building, and Rin had gone to cram school to see if he could catch the last lecture. Or perhaps he would get lectured by his brother/teacher.
When going to the doors of the classroom, he saw that it was bolted and that there wasn't any students or teachers. He'd have to make it up double.
From the time that was on his mobile phone, school had let out a while ago. In his notifications, there were messages all from Yukio much to his trepidation of what his brother would do.
Distraught, he had went to the old dormitory and up to his room. When he had gotten to his room and shut the door he saw his brother at the desk, who had two stack of papers on opposite sides of him.
When Rin walked in, Yukio slide his eyes to him that had bore mild chagrin with disappointment that made Rin a bit mad himself.
Nonetheless, he went back to his task of grading his papers, the red ink circling and numbering the many assignments, tests, and pop quizzes that had been taken over the trimester.
Yukio didn't have time to also worry about his brother. He had a job to teach but also be Rin's somewhat of a guardian which honestly didn't bode well with him. Surely, it was supposed to be the other way around and when his twin had sent him a vague and couple worded message he had to be a tidbit concern of what exactly Rin was doing. He'd leave the worrying to Rin himself, after all he was born first so he held some responsibilities that Yukio couldn't have.
And for that, he was envious.
"Where were you Nii-san? I couldn't figure it out through one text and you didn't answer my others," his phone is on his desk beside him as he did his work and Rin fell onto the bed, his sword and bag, left on the floor. "You can't go skipping school."
From the accusation the boy was now melancholic with an agitating indignation that he had whenever his younger brother scolded him.
The entire reason why he was even here was to become the best exorcist that the world had ever laid eyes on. Which would be soon. Rin hoped at least in this lifetime.
Rin sat up, "I wasn't! Just…" He didn't want to tell Yukio that he had skipped school to go to the girls dormitory and to see a girl no less, despite it being Izumo, she was still a girl. Which would make his brother even more suspicious than he already was.
Grumbling he laid back down and turned away from him, the sound of papers being sorted through being the only sound in the room.
As he graded the papers Yukio spared his brother a look. "Just don't let it happen again." Though he didn't know what Rin had exactly done he didn't think too much on it.
"Yeah yeah."
"By the way," there was some rifling through that made Rin turn over to observe his brother. "You made a rather low grade on the compound test. I suggest you take a retest." Holding his paper up, Rin didn't have to be a genius to see that he failed.
"Argh!"
The day had started off unremarkable for him, as almost being late, napping on and off through the majority of his classes, until it was lunchtime. Digging through his backpack to get his lunch, he met the other boys under the tree since it provided spacious shading, as they all ate together.
"Izumo-chan is here today! I saw her in the hallway but she's not here," Shima informed them, as he had tried to get the girl to answer him but she had pretended not to hear him and turned a blind eye. He would have invited her to eat lunch with them!
Konekomaru smiled, "That's good to hear," while Bon was indifferent to it.
However Rin had also seen her in the hallways and was relieved and a bit gleeful that the girl had did what he said. Maybe she did listen, sometimes. She also looked better from yesterday and not a pasty pale as she had when he found her and that reassured him.
When looking around the classroom, Shiemi was figidity. Class was beginning and Rin saw the girl couldn't stop looking about, as her eyes moved constantly.
"What's wrong? You look like you lost something." Rin queried and the girl flushed.
Shiemi stuttered as she spoke, "I-it's not that. It's that," her eyes darted to where Izumo sat by herself. "Kamiki-san she wasn't here yesterday…"
At the girl he had realized that from all of them Shiemi was the one that the girl didn't like very much. In fact, the first time that Shiemi had befriended Izumo her concept of friends had been distorted though she knew what Izumo was doing was wrong. But still she let her do it.
However after the mission to the capital, the two girls seemed more at peace with one another, with Izumo not looking at the girl as if Shiemi was offending her every time she talked. Briefly, Rin wondered when the shift had happened but that was between the two, themselves.
—
Pestering was Shima as she had taken on her sudden one day leave. "Izumo-chan where were you yesterday? I missed youuu." Oblivious to him, she had sat in her chair and then gotten out her papers and material for the class.
Everyone watched her and Bon spoke to her.
"Kamiki! You shouldn't slack off. We have enough slackers," Bon said, and Rin and Shima looked away, muttering at the call out about them.
As the girl inclined her head to him, her expression was sour. It was reflected back at her, Bon glaring.
"Not everyone has perfect health," so she was going with the excuse of being sick and Bon didn't have anything to say to that. As everyone else got seated, Shiemi looked back and forth to her.
Shiemi beside him then spoke to the girl. "I-if you're sick then I have some herbs that may help…"
The girl was taken back at how she just offered so easily as they were practically strangers, but refused. "I'm not sick. It was just something stressful." Though she was used to her rejections, Shiemi couldn't do much about it and they waited for Yukio to show up.
"Izumo-chan, you should get more rest if you have to take a day just from stress," Shima said and the girl didn't respond to the pouting boy.
It was then that Yukio came in and began the lesson. Mostly reviewing over a pop quiz that was at the end of the period, that she aced without being there. It was just common knowledge after all.
Rin stuffed his quiz away as Shiemi blubbered over her's. "It isn't that bad…" the girl then went over to Yukio to discuss it. When seeing her's it was several points higher than his own. There were red circles and slashes and he drooped when seeing his. What was he doing wrong?
Dampened by it, he went to go cheer himself up by reading manga in his room or something but he saw the Kyoto trio waving at him as they were in the hallway. Coming up to them, Shima had a smile on, not at all bummed that he had failed as he had been closer to passing. Much to Bon's and Konekomaru's reprimanding.
"There's a new karaoke place that opened up! They say it's pretty hot. Wanna come?" Shima said. Bon was just roped into it along with Konekomaru as Shima had used an excuse on both of them. No doubt it was that they hadn't gotten him anything for his birthday and this was how they were making up for it.
"Sure." As he didn't have anything else better to do he could sing his sorrow away or something.
"How about you teach?" Yukio was walking by and stopped to look at them.
Shifting his briefcase in his hand he shook his head. "I have matters to attend to." He walked away to wherever he was going,not offering to why he couldn't go.
Why Shima offered was because Rin was his brother but he knew that their teacher wouldn't go out with his students, at least not Yukio as he was as straight-arrowed than even Bon.
"Four eyes is always busy," Rin brushed off, as he looked off somewhere at the ceiling.
That didn't make the disappointment he hid any less prominent and Shima knew exactly how to cheer him up.
Shima grinned at him, "Now to get some ladies," seeing the two girls exit he went for it, and waved at them, "Hey, you two want to go with us to sing karaoke? I have a sweet deal and get us all in!"
"O-oh uh—"
"Okay." That came from Izumo as she strode towards him, leaving the girl and boys to gander at her. Izumo, taking up a invitation by Shima? The pink haired boy was also in stupefied state as he gaped at her while she passed him.
Well, she had went to his brother's concert with him once, though it wasn't how he'd thought it would have turned out when his idiot brother had invited everyone else.
"Are you really okay Kamiki?" Bon said and the girl turned on him. "Did you hit your head too or something?" From that, she sent him a look.
"What you invited me right?" The girl said, pompous and Bon was going to fight her right then and there. But Shima held him back at arm's length as he then turned to Shiemi, radiating expectation.
Perhaps she would come too now that the elusive girl had decided to. Even if she didn't come he'd still consider this a win for him!
Now if there was another girl going she didn't see why it wouldn't hurt to try it. "If Kamiki-san is going then…I will too."
This was an opportunity for her and Izumo to become better friends. Izumo saw that she had changed her answer because she was coming too and frowned.
At this moment, Shima was overjoyed that he had gotten two girls rather than all his friends to take his offer as he blabbered on. As they went down the winding stairs, Rin was also overjoyed to a lesser extent. Since he could hear and see Shiemi singing, that made him more excited than it should.
From the girl that was behind him, he wondered if Izumo was feeling lonely if she was tagging along with them. It had been a while since all of them were out.
Last time they had been altogether and not on a assignment was when they had become exwires. Which was and had been a accomplish for all of them.
Teamwork and all, it had improved and then fell from when it was revealed that Rin was a demon's spawn. Still, it was rebuilding itself, and it was times like these when karaoke was crucial to maintaining the structuring, no matter how insignificant it seemed.
Into the city they went, their uniforms sticking out as high schoolers as they crossed the many street lines. It was near the train station that the new one was at as Shima told them along the way. Coming to an stop it was what most karaoke places were and saw that the deal hours were up. A surplus of people meant half off which was a bargain.
Entering they were all greeted and were to follow the questions as there were procedures.
"Is it your first time here?" Multiple nods and shakes of heads. Counting them all up, the assistant had went to their computer. Six people altogether the prices would go down. 100 yen to 400 yen were in the peak hours so it was within range.
"How long will you be singing?" Shima had to think on that one as Shiemi couldn't stay out too late as her mother would get onto her and opted for at least one or two hours.
"Food or drinks?" They were just there to sing as Shima's wallet would be full of dust bunnies if he said anything different. But since they had paid and there were more than one person they got unlimited drinks.
"Karaoke player?" It didn't matter, Shima waved them off and they gave them a room in an instant, with the tab that was at a good enough price.
Going down the white hallways on the side were glass cups. Getting one, everyone corseted around the machines, dispensing their beverages with the push of the button. There were so many options that Rin had sneaked two cups with him, being the rebel he was, with mild scolding from Bon.
As they went to the room they saw why it was so popular. Everything was updated and since it was new it had become a hotspot for the younger age demographics. The room wasn't anything special, just modernized. Spot lights were in a overhang, and there were neon panels under it.
There was a selection of many songs in CDs and a flatscreen on the wall. Putting their things beside them Shima bounded to the karaoke player.
Holding it in his hands he looked to his seated peers. "Since I'm paying for all of you out of the goodness of myself I'll be picking out the first song." They just drank their drinks and waited for the boy to choose the song as he tapped the stylus across the screen. The boy liked most of the genres of music and since he was out and had girls to show off to he was feeling risky.
Shiemi shyly messed with her ribbon, "I've never been to karaoke." Taking her drink she held it in her hands. "But I heard a ton of girls seem to like it." Many of the girls in her class went to karaoke boxes and this was one that she heard about. A part of her was terrified but exhilarated to be doing this. This was what most teenagers did on a fun night from what she had heard so much on and finally she could experience it too.
Izumo folded her arms, "Paku is always asking me to go out and do this with her. Singing in public is humiliating." Yet her actions were contradictory, she had her notions.
From that Shiemi felt some disappointment from the lack of enthusiasm from the other girl. Drinking from her cup, she thought on what she would talk about that would initiate a conversation with the girl, rather than actually doing it.
Konekomaru and Bon didn't usually sing but this time they would probably be forced to. But since it was Shima they couldn't say no, exactly. Coming across the song that was foreign Shima pressed it and the screen blipped. It was an American song that though they couldn't understand most of it it didn't matter as they almost went dead from how off key he was. Then again the song he had picked wasn't what most Americans listened to.
"I'd forgotten how tone deaf Shima was," Bon said as he plugged his pinkie in his ear. Rubbing at the back of his head, Shima passed the karaoke touchscreen panel to Bon.
It was a blues song that the gravel in his voice was distinguishing as he sang the lyrics with fidelity as if he was saying a mantra rather than singing. It was quite amazing that he was still tuneful with the song. At the end he looked at everyone as they clapped politely. It hadn't been terrible but the way he had sung it wasn't right for the style of song.
"Sheesh, sing it don't say it," Shima criticized and Bon scowled at him and punched him at the shoulder earning him a whine before passing it to Rin.
The boy had been awaiting his turn and had went to a rock song that had been mainstream, by Uverworld with the song Reversi.
Singing his heart out, Shima goaded him on whooping at the quicker parts and Konekomaru clapping him on. Tail out, he pretended to air guitar with it that made them laugh at, but he messed up his timing during the jazz intermission as he scrambled to sing along with the lyrics on screen. Out of all the songs that were chosen, his was the loudest with the drums and guitar blaring and him matching it, to be louder than both. It was suitable for him, the song choice and lyrics.
Izumo wouldn't admit it to him but she was impressed by how he could get so into it and that he wasn't too shabby of a singer.
When he was done they had clapped, Shima proud of his friend as he wringed his arm around Rin's neck. It was as if they were drunk off of the vibe that had settled over everyone, their drinks replenishing them.
Passing it to the meek girl he gave her a smile. "Now Shiemi! You do it!" Handing her the mic and the touchpanel, the girl took them and had to have assistance until she settled on a too cute song.
As there was a metronomic beat that had a count down, it started as she hadn't. Not wasn't saying anything she looked at the screen and then at the boys who urged her on.
The singer was within her voice range and she even didn't try to do cutesy dance moves in the video as she mumbled through some of the lyrics to keep up with it, having stage fright.
Shima and Rin approved of her singing skills as they all listened to her wavering voice follow with the multi-colored lyrics.
The song was for cute people to sing and she was definitely cute unlike Izumo much to her vexation. When hearing her sing, her mistakes didn't matter as much as Rin liked her—her voice. Yeah he liked it, and her.
Soon it was over and the girl breathed out, as the notes hadn't been as high as she thought they were but soft and that had taken an effort. Sipping on her straw, the spritz of the carbonated drink made her burp and her squeaking out an 'excuse me!' and she then looked down into the melting ice cubes.
"I think I did bad," she said and Rin looked to her.
The girl had sadness on her face that didn't suit herself at all. Slouching in the adjoined booths, he directed himself to her and she peered at him from her lap.
"It's just karaoke, it's for fun so don't sweat it," the boy said to her and gave her a grin that she was surprised at before smiling back at him. Rin was such a good friend!
As she had to give it to someone she was going back to give it the person closest to her. And that was, Izumo as the girl was draining her drink.
"Kamiki-san?" It was offered to her but she shook her head.
There was a momentary awkwardness and then someone unexpected stood up.
"I'll go next," Konekomaru offered and took the next turn. Typing it in, it came across a popular song, that was from a anime that had been confusing to many people. But the music video was the anime opening extended showing some clips that made it confusing as there were flashes of text.
As the lyrics came on, everyone was surprised, sans Bon and Shima when hearing the smaller boy sing. He sang rather good and got the beat as he stamped his foot and the guys mostly cheered him on to sing louder. Impassioned the boy sang as loud as Rin if not louder when hitting the high note that could be reached by a woman and done it.
Afterwards when catching his breath, they had all stared at Izumo. To which the girl sipped noisily on her drink.
"Awe come on Izumo-chan, what's the point of even coming with us?" Shima said to her.
Swirling the straw around her cup, she said, "To see how silly you guys are when singing."
Though most of them were actually decent singers their actions could be seen as embarrassing and Shiemi had thought that she had done atrocious on singing and following the tempo of the song. But it was all for good fun as Rin had said so himself and she thought that Izumo should have some fun herself. Because in this moment, Shiemi...she was happy with all her friends.
"That's rude," Shima tutted out as he put his lips together. "Y'know I'm paying for all of us so you might as well." Him paying still didn't make her do anything. If anything it made her want to sing less.
"Yeah Izumo! Please?" Rin looked to the girl and she knew that he was guilt tripping her somehow but in a more discreet way than Shima.
Sighing, she took the microphone and touchscreen with resignation. "Don't beg Okumura, it's unfitting." The boy in question was going to go for a quip but went to siphoning his drink.
Scrolling through she chose a song she actually knew, as everyone waited, most shocked at the uncharacteristic nature of the girl.
"Kamiki must be sick if she's actually going to sing," Bon said before getting elbowed by Shima. This was a once in a lifetime thing and he was going to relish this.
As the instrumental begun with the piano and strings, Izumo began to sing and just shut herself off to everyone. She had stayed seated as she sang, her voice cutting through the silence as they just listened to her.
It took everyone off guard, as they hadn't expected to be that good. Her voice coincided with the instruments and went with it accordingly. She was on pitch and kept up with the song and didn't have to look at the lyrics as much as anyone else. Yet she rushed it a bit to make it end faster.
Bowing her head to the microphone, she let herself sing along until it was the end of the song. Then she put it down, "There, happy now?"
Clapping wildly, Shima had a smile on his face as did Rin and Shiemi were also clapping but not as much as their classmate. Bon muttered something as he drank his drink and Konekomaru gave her a thumbs up for doing it.
"Very, I've been graced by Izumo-chan's angelic voice," Shima practically cooed at her. Ignoring his comment, she was going to drink her beverage but saw that she had already done that. Eyeing Rin's other cup she pondered the possibility of if she could take it from him.
"Kamiki-san your voice really is like an angel," Shiemi complimented which made the girl blanch at her. "I wish I could sing with that much confidence." From that the girl felt some inhibition but also some pride in that.
Rin added on, "Yeah Izumo that was pretty good! Didn't know you had it in you to sing like that." The girl was overwhelmed from the praise and looked away.
It came as a surprise and Rin wondered how many uncovered secrets did she have. Either way, it seemed that he was uncovering one everyday.
From Shima wanting an encore that he wouldn't get, instead they spent the rest of the tab singing group songs and going back out for refills; everyone laughing at the other or with one another. As Izumo had sat it out, she watched everyone else be silly as she had thought they would be. But…
They were lively, silly people without a care in the world that were having fun.
As it was getting late, they had left the karaoke box. Saying their goodbyes and that they should do it again, they went to their current residentials. As everyone went up or down steps, she and Rin were on the same platform. Before he could walk away she whirled on him and that made him stop to eye the girl. Parallel from one another, the pair had a couple feet between them.
Across from him, in the myriad of streetlights that streaked into the surroundings, Izumo had her eyes on him and only him. Somehow, Rin was offput from that.
"What I said to you, pretend I never said it to you." Going up the steps she didn't even stop for him to open his mouth as she spoke again.
"And don't even think of telling anyone of this. Keep it to yourself."
Then she was gone, the flipping of her pigtails and skirt in the breeze of the late night.
Letting that sink in, Rin scratched at the side of his neck. It was a hot night and the breeze that went by him did little to subside it and he would get a heat rash if he scratched harder.
"Does she honestly think that I'll tell anyone..." he said to himself, she couldn't think that lowly of him. Going up the steps he then stopped.
"Does she think...that I could really forget that?"
There was no answer for him, as he then went up the stairs mulling over the events of the day and how it had been continuing to go up.