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Hibiki never lived a bad life. For the most part, he considered himself blessed. School was never pleasant, at least not while growing up. Kids learned to pick at others for the silliest things, and they knew nothing of what it was like to suffer for the consequences of their actions. Kids were the only group of people void of responsibility. That was why Hibiki hated school. Bullies never got what they deserved, and thus, they never stopped bullying. All the teachers could suggest was having Hibiki transfer to a different school. The problem with that was that different schools had different bullies, and by transferring a lot, he never made any real friends.
It was his senior year of highschool now, and he was going to spend it in a completely different school. Sometimes, he’d last for the entire year. Other times, he transferred in the middle of important exams. Fortunately for his sanity, he was diligent with his studies. That was one of the perks of having no friends to spend time with, and doing exams earlier. His mother found work in a different district as a math teacher, and was now not only his mother, but his tutor as well. As much as he loved his mother, and as much as he knew she’d keep everything strictly professional, he could not help but feel that he was under constant watch around the clock.
She drove him to school, which guaranteed he never arrived late. She dragged him to her classroom in case he was not there by the time the door swung open. All in all, he felt restricted both inside his home and outside. Finding friends was difficult during five minute breaks, and during lunch, his mother insisted he do his homework so he could have more free time at home.
Free time.
For what?
There was nothing to do at home. Cartoons used to fill up that space as a kid, but nowadays he rarely watched television. He took an extra activity to see if he could be a violinist, but learning how to play violin on his own was a struggle. The free time on his hands was often spent studying ahead, or going over things he already finished reading to see if he could memorize it for an upcoming exam, just in case. There was something draining about spending his head buried in books all day, even if reading novels and poetry helped his creative thinking, and prevented him from feeling as if the very life was sucked out of him.
Despite only spending a few days in this new school, other kids had already began targeting him. He assumed it must be the glasses. Glasses somehow always made everyone think he was a genius. Then again, perhaps it was the fact his mother was a math teacher that made them bother and beg him to help them with their homework. Hibiki would not call it ‘helping’ as much as it was ‘demanding’. He was not someone who allowed himself to be pushed around, but when faced with a group, there was not much else to do than back off, and when there was a wall behind him, backing off did not seem like an option anymore.
Normally, he could strike people that got up in his face, but it was different now. His mother worked at the school. Nothing good could come out of punching this guy if he laid his hands on him. Any poor behavior was going to reflect negatively on his mother. That made him submit regretfully, accepting whatever terms and conditions this bully decided to set up for him to follow if he wanted a peaceful life.
The little window of freedom he had during his five minute breaks was now also gone.
“Hey, Takashi! Over here!” The boy that had him pinned up against the wall turned his head towards the voice, only to get a mouthful of snow tossed in his face. Hibiki stared towards the open door to the right to them, and saw a boy with brown hair grinning widely.
“Tag, you’re it!” Hibiki took notice to how he seemed to say it so casually, as if he had done nothing wrong.
“When I catch you, Shijima-!” The boy’s grin only widened as he stuck his tongue out. If Hibiki did not know better, it almost looked like he was provoking them on purpose.
“Oh, you couldn’t catch a cold buried in snow! What makes you think you ca- and this is the part where I run!” The boy cut his taunting short when he realized the bully had already started sprinting towards him. The two other students that accompanied him soon followed like loyal little minions, and Hibiki was yet to learn the boy’s name so he could thank him properly. Shijima was not exactly a name he heard mentioned before today.
Hibiki managed to track down this Shijima character during the next few days, but only saw him during class. The boy always arrived late, so Hibiki never got to sit down next to him for a conversation. Once class was dismissed, Hibiki lost him in the crowd. This guy was so incredibly difficult to find, even during lunch when he should be in class. He figured he’d put a pin on this mission for the time being. There was homework to do, and as much as he lacked hobbies, reading was still a time consuming activity.
During the third week into his senior year, Hibiki noticed posters hanging off the bulletin boards in the hallway. He curiously grabbed the piece of paper by its edge and tilted it to better read the glossy writing. It was some sort of announcement for an upcoming contest. From the looks of it, it seemed to focus on music bands formed within the school. The selected groups would compete for a first, second, and third prize. It looked like the first prize was a trip for the winner’s entire class. As much as Hibiki wanted to enroll in a club that centered around music, his mother was iffy on such activities. Why spend time outside when you could practice more efficiently at home where no one was holding you back? Despite it, he still wanted to see what talents this school had to offer, and if anyone from his class would be present.
That was why he decided to go to the trials, even if it was not mandatory. It was hosted during a free period after all, and he needed to find a better way to kill time than watch paint dry.
Upon entering, he found quite a few students sitting down in the front row already watching a performance take place on stage. A woman with red wavy hair did a traditional dance in some oddly provocative clothing while a younger girl played the piano. The dancer’s singing voice was not anything extraordinary, but when paired with such an elegant dance, it was difficult not to compare the two. Instead of sitting down, Hibiki remained by the entrance, leaning against the wall to watch the people go up on stage from afar.
The school definitely had talented people at their disposal. One young boy in a beanie with dark hair was particularly good with his violin, and Hibiki took a mental note to give him a call and ask if he had some pointers to share. Just when he thought the auditions were over, and the teacher seemed to be wrapping it all up, another contestant stepped up on stage and asked for the teacher’s attention. Hibiki would have closed the door behind himself, had he not heard a familiar ‘hey’ through the microphone, and turned to see his classmate up on the stage. The brown haired boy they called Shijima looked both excited and nervous. Hibiki gently walked back inside, and closed the door not to make noise. It was not such a bad idea to wait so he could meet Shijima after class.
“Shijima Daichi, I’m assuming? Go ahead.” The woman coughed and stared down at her papers, which Hibiki knew were probably just for show, but she played the role of a busy judge down to a t.
Daichi cleared his throat with his fist resting at his lips, and braced himself one last time before putting on a show. Despite his insecurities, he grabbed the mic-stand before kicking the bottom to tip it over into his arms as he struck a dramatic pose. It was his way of putting on a memorable introduction. That performance would have worked good and well as a start, had the microphone not slipped out of the stand’s grasp and hit the floor, causing a loud shrieking echo to vibrate through the auditorium. Peers covered their ears as the noise boomed through the speakers, and scowled when Daichi dropped the stand to cover his own ears. Dropping the stand so close to the microphone only added to the noise. Unfortunately, the static was not loud enough to drown out the snickering of some of the younger kids in the front. Hibiki flinched, but was not close enough to the speakers to get an earful of the blast.
The teacher that had been caught off guard by the sound of the mic dropping pulled herself together to lay her verdict, as if that was Daichi’s entire performance. The way she scrunched up her nose made the ivory-colored frames of her glasses slide up with it. She pulled her graphite pen up from behind her ear and licked the tip before writing down something in her notepad.
“By all means, Daichi, this is a serious competition. If that’s all you’re bringing to the stage then kindly step off it.”
“Will do!” He thought she was going to give him another chance, which was why he replied before he actually had time to salvage what it was she had told him. “W-wait, no, will not do! Will definitely not do! It was an accident, I swear!” There was disbelief in her tone as she sighed and mumbled an ‘alright’ before allowing him one more chance.
“Just-” She spoke up as soon as Daichi reached out for the microphone stand. “-leave it. Just take the microphone.” He assumed that was fair, given how dropping things seemed like a new habit of sorts.
“So?” The teacher added. Daichi stood still, one arm raised to hold the microphone up to his lips, and the other resting stiffly against his side. Hibiki furrowed his brows slightly, but a small smile made itself visible on his pale features. Judging by Daichi’s stiff shoulders, his tight grip on the microphone, and the way his voice wavered, it was obvious he either had stage fright, or no clue what he was doing what-so-ever.
“I-I, um…” The latter seemed far more plausible, and Hibiki felt bad for him for being pushed into an awkward confrontation.
“I don’t… really get what you mean?” The teacher sighed again.
“Sing, boy!” Hibiki tried not to take enjoyment out of Daichi’s stage fright, but he was like a deer in the headlights- so paralyzed and lost with fear that he barely spoke. Seeing him like this made him wonder if he was even the same person, or if he had a twin brother of sorts.
“I-I’m not a vocalist! I’m a pianist!”
“Hm? Where’s your lead singer?”
“Ahaha, that’s just it! You see…” Daichi’s smile faded as he tried to come up with a better response than utter silence. Eventually, he breathed out weakly with a saddened look on his face. “I don’t… have one.”
“This is a contest for groups, specifically. I’m sorry, Daichi. Maybe you’ll have better luck next year.” Yes, Hibiki did recall that the poster he saw mentioned bands specifically, and not individuals. He could tell Daichi was desperate for the teacher to understand him.
“I-I’m a senior! There won’t be a next year this time!”
“Maybe you’ll repeat a grade!” The outburst from one of the students in the first row made Hibiki want to yell back at the asshole to shut him up, but the teacher beat him to it, dismissively saying ‘quiet down’ before focusing on Daichi again. Hibiki wished she’d be as stern with the students as she was judging this contest.
“Like I said, I’m sorry, Daichi. You have to be at least two people to qualify.”
At least two people.
“...I’ll sing.” When everyone turned their heads to see who had spoken up, Hibiki cleared his throat and repeated himself with more certainty. “I’m his vocalist.” Daichi scanned the crowd, and came to a halt when he noticed someone at the entrance. Hibiki walked over towards the center, and up on stage to pull the microphone stand next to him.
“Sorry, I’m late. I got held up.” Hibiki hoped Daichi would look happier someone was offering him some help. Instead, he looked even more worried.
“Is this your partner?” The teacher posed the question to Daichi, but Hibiki answered in his place. The answers ‘yes’ and ‘no’ clashed to the point the crowd could not tell who had said what. Daichi quickly covered the microphone with his hand to lean closer to Hibiki so he could speak to him in private- as private as a conversation could possibly be when they were up on a stage.
“I guess you have a different take on this than I do. See, I was going for the answer that wasn’t going to brutally embarrass us for the rest of our lives… I have no idea what you’re doing.”
“Let me help you out.” Why Daichi looked hurt at the mention of help was something Hibiki could not fathom. Daichi stared off to the side, and covered the microphone with both hands, almost as a layer of extra protection just in case it could still pick up their whispers.
“Sorry, I don’t know who sent you or why, but tell them I’ve embarrassed myself enough as it is.”
“...You really don’t remember m-”
“You two, are you going to perform or what?” The teacher’s stern voice carried far. Daichi pulled his hand off the mic and hooked it up to the stand in front of him as he leaned in to reply.
“No, we’re-”
“-just getting ready!” Daichi glared at him and tugged the microphone out of his reach.
“No, we’re not!” He whispered not to let the mic pick up the reply that was directed at no one else but Hibiki. Against Daichi’s wishes, Hibiki grabbed the microphone stand and told the teacher ‘give us a minute’ before pulling Daichi aside.
“Dude, who are you and why are you doing this to me!?”
“What songs do you know on the piano? Let’s pick something you know how to play and I know how to sing.”
“W-what!? We’re not performing! We haven’t even practiced!”
“What song were you going to play?” Daichi soon realized that arguing with this guy was absolutely pointless.
“U-um, Rolling Stones, Miss You?” The uncomfortable look on Hibiki’s face told him he either never heard of them, which was a whole new level of blasphemy, or he did not know this particular song.
“Do you know anything else at the top of your head?”
“Yeah, some songs from KISS-” Daichi glared at Hibiki apathetically when he had no reaction what so ever to the band being mentioned, so he changed his course. “Starset?”
“Do you know anything more modern?” Hibiki could tell his classmate was losing faith in him. No matter how academically skilled he was, he could still be stumped by questions like these. It almost made him wonder if Daichi considered him an idiot for posing the question.
“I-I practically jumped half a century there, dude! Oh, God, this isn’t good, our tastes don’t match at all!”
“Um, hey-” It was unusual to hear himself stutter, but with so many eyes peering at the back of his neck, he could not help but to feel helpless. “...Daichi?” Hibiki asked, and when Daichi replied with a vague ‘yeah’ he figured he heard his name right when the teacher announced it. “Do you have any original songs?” Daichi blinked, lips slightly parted as if to speak before he could come up with the words.
“Well, yeah but my compositions don’t have lyrics.” Hibiki tried his best not to look as nervous as he was feeling. Remaining calm through the ongoing chatter taking place behind them was not easy, but he turned to look at Daichi with a surge of determination.
“That doesn’t matter. Do you have a sample?”
“Huh? A soundbite? Yeah, I should have it on my phone…” Daichi fumbled to search through the pockets of his uniform, and then his pants, until he found his phone.
“What songs do you prefer? Slow paced or fa- yeah, nevermind, we don’t have time for that, um-!” Daichi scrolled through the list and put an earbud up to Hibiki’s ear to give him a rundown of the melody.
“This is… really good.” Daichi’s eyes widened slightly before he furrowed his brows and looked confused.
“Huh? Really?” He noticed how Hibiki closed his eyes, and seemed to be counting for some reason. Daichi would have assumed Hibiki was just figuring out the tempo, but the way he mumbled seemed related to something else entirely. Hibiki moved the earpiece slightly to point at it and urged Daichi to listen along as well.
“So, this is where you want the chorus?” Daichi leaned close enough for their cheeks to touch, if only slightly.
“Yeah. The bridge is right after that actually, this recording is-”
“Shijima Daichi and Kuze Hibiki-” The teacher’s harsh tone pierced right through the soothing medley, and they both turned their heads.
“Either you start right now, or you get off the stage.”
“We, uh-” Daichi stuttered, but Hibiki answered with confidence.
“We’re ready!” He turned to face Daichi again, with an expression a little too serious for Daichi’s comfort. Well, at least one of them was optimistic. “Make sure to play it exactly as you did in that recording.”
“W-what? What happens if i-”
“Will both of you decide already?” The growing impatience of an elderly woman helped speed things along.
“Have you ever…?” Daichi handed the microphone over to Hibiki, but not before he nudged him with it. Hibiki’s eyes glanced at the microphone briefly before taking it into his hands.
“No, I’ve never sang before. Why?” Daichi seemed to laugh nervously at his reply. For what reason, Hibiki did not know. Daichi had time to practice, and Hibiki did not.
“N-nothing. I’m going to play a three year old unfinished composition from memory and you’re going to make up lyrics on the fly. W-what could possibly-”
“Shijima Daichi!” Daichi gave Hibiki a soft pat on the back, and sent him off with a hardy ‘the stage is yours, bro’ before taking a seat at the piano.
The next few seconds seemed to pass him by so quickly. There was no room for pauses to collect himself, even if he desperately needed some privacy just to gather his thoughts. Without warning, Daichi was off at the keys, and Hibiki closed his eyes, counting along silently in his head before parting his lips to sing. Daichi’s fingers ghosted over the piano, gently stroking the keys to the slow medley. When Hibiki began singing, Daichi faltered only for half a second and snapped his head to look at his classmate. He continued playing along for him to sing, mouthed a silent ‘holy shit’ before focusing on the piano again. The melody had lyrics now, the only problem was Daichi had no idea what those lyrics were.
The last thing he imagined Hibiki would do was get up on that stage and start singing opera. No, the last thing he expected was for it to be any good. This was surprisingly fitting to his composition, and although his piece had no lyrics, he was willing to accept Hibiki’s rendition as a permanent update. He took a mental note to ask him if he considered doing a vocal version when he updated the medley, but he was getting ahead of himself. There was no guarantee he was ever going to play this piece again, even playing it now was proving to be a challenge.
When Daichi finished the bridge, and had to make up some sort of outro on the fly, Hibiki had already played his part and finished singing. Hibiki had one arm tucked behind his back, and took the opportunity to give Daichi a thumbs up as confirmation that the performance went along smoothly without a hitch. That did not stop Daichi from breathing out a sigh of relief, his forearm resting at the rim of the piano’s sidearm. He sat there for a second to collect his thoughts, and mentally gave himself a pat on the back for even remembering how to play this cursed melody. His palm came up to cover his mouth to hide the grin on his face. This was so ridiculous, but they managed to work together despite not having anything prepared.
“As interesting as your performance was,” The teacher caught Daichi’s attention when she finally decided to speak up about their act. “-I’m afraid it doesn’t make the cut.” The smile on Hibiki’s lips faded, and he grew worried. He lacked the courage to turn his head back and see how Daichi was holding up.
“What?” Hibiki pulled the microphone away from his lips when he realized he spoke for everyone to hear.
“There were better performers, sorry.”
“W-wait,” Hibiki felt a hand at his shoulder, and saw Daichi take the microphone off the stand to speak to the teacher. Hibiki’s hands were still on it, but that did not seem to matter to Daichi. He leaned closer despite it, just to say his peace.
“-you can’t be serious. He just did a whole opera bit on the fly!” Admitting they made it up on the spot was not his brightest idea, but he needed to give credit where credit was due.
“It has nothing to do with the style. I can’t accept such a short and unfinished piece as a final product for a big competition.” Hibiki hated to agree. Compared to the rest of the people auditioning, they really came unprepared. If they actually planned something, maybe the outcome would have been happier. Daichi tried to reason with her again.
“It’s not finished! If you just give us a chance, we can finish it in time for the contest!” Hibiki agreed, but he soon realized that perhaps he should be disagreeing. He was not counting on multiple performances, but by stepping up on stage so carelessly, he had put himself in such a position. Fortunately for him, the teacher was not giving them a pass.
“I’m sure you could, but my job is to asses whether or not you meet requirements right now,” She pinched a few papers by the edge and flipped them over her clipboard briefly before setting them back down again. Hibiki was convinced this was also just for show. “-and you two don’t qualify.”
“B-but that was-!”
“I’m afraid you’re out of time. Return to your respective classrooms. The trials are over.”
People began whispering, giggling, and Hibiki was convinced it was because of his singing. He had no clue what his voice sounded like, or if it even fit the melody. He had very little to compare to. Even if he did not consider himself someone with low self esteem, standing up on a stage while others ridiculed him silently in their seats was not a pleasant experience.
Hibiki lowered his head, eyes fixed on the microphone in his hands. The whispers and stares made his cheeks feel hot, and there were too many people watching him for it to be comfortable. It was so embarrassing to get up on stage and make an idiot of himself to no avail. The small squeeze Daichi’s hand gave his over the microphone helped him ease his grip and let go. That was when Daichi turned to whisper into his ear, far too quietly for the equipment to pick up.
“On three, cover your ears.”
“What?”
“Three.” Daichi dropped the microphone and quickly covered his own ears. Hibiki did the same the moment he saw Daichi let go of it, and another piercing noise shot through the speakers sharply. When the sound settled, and nearly half the audience gave Daichi death glares, he grabbed Hibiki’s arm to go backstage into the music room.
Hibiki had trouble getting adjusted to the new environment as it was, and now he found himself trapped in a room he had never seen before. Judging by the stairs leading towards a black door, he assumed this was more of a storage, and that they could get out at that alternate exit. Daichi had a pleased smile on his face when he punched Hibiki’s arm lightly, and Hibiki wondered if he had made Daichi upset or if this was an endearing action.
“Dude, that was sick! Never sang before? You’re so full of it!” Hibiki looked uncomfortable at his words, so Daichi gave him another pat on the back and smiled brighter.
“Honest! I wouldn’t peg you for soprano at all, but damn that worked smoothly! You could probably do hella acapella!” The compliments felt a little overwhelming. While Hibiki could tell that Daichi was sincere, it was still hard to believe with all the snickering going on in the audience.
“You can stop now…”
“Whats up? You totally saved me from looking like an idiot.”
“I don’t regret that, but… maybe I shouldn’t have sang something so… outdated?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. They can’t make fun of you for it,” Hibiki smiled, all up until Daichi finished his sentence. “-they probably don’t remember the words.”
Hibiki groaned and leaned his head against the nearest wall. He could tell it was not said intentionally, but Daichi really needed to know when to stop talking.
“Uh, what are you doing to the wall?” Hibiki placed one of his palms over the wall to run his fingers over the bumpy surface.
“Merging with it.” Daichi stood next to him and leaned his back against it with his arms folded over his chest.
“Hey, I’m being completely serious. That was awesome. Some people are just… I dunno, immature.” Hibiki turned his head to gaze at Daichi. While he had no regrets, he probably would have considered just dropping a lower pitch for his own safety. He already got mistaken for a girl in middle school because of his light voice. There was no reason for him to keep that tradition burning. He wondered if things would have been better off if he just sang the words normally.
“Sorry, we didn’t make the cut.”
“Nah, that’s fine. I’m not upset. Without you volunteering, they wouldn’t even have bothered to listen. Thanks, man. At least I lost my place fair and square this year.” Hibiki pushed himself away from the wall to lean his back against it, and gazed around the room curiously, trying to see if he could spot a violin among the instruments.
“So that song was something you composed three years ago?” Daichi hesitated to answer, his voice came out a little muffled.
“I guess, yeah. It’s more like four years now…”
“Why’d you never finish it?”
“Oh, um, it was…” Daichi laughed nervously. “Kinda a lil too personal there, don’t you think, Hibibi?”
“Hi-what?”
“Did I get it wrong? I’m sorry, I only heard it announced through- Oh, yeah, we never- well, hi, I’m Daichi.”
“Kuze Hibiki,” Hibiki made sure to emphasize his first name for clarity, and Daichi looked a little embarrassed to have gotten it wrong.
“...You’re in my class, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, that means we still have our free period, right?”
“Out with it, Daichi.” Daichi knew he was slow to get to the point, but for someone to notice so soon after befriending him was eerie.
“Oh, uh, I just thought we could use the stage for a bit.”
“You mean when the students and teachers leave?”
“Yeah. No one can hear you sing then. I can back you up.” If Hibiki interpreted Daichi’s words correctly, it sounded like he wanted them to do a duet.
“I dunno…” The idea of them working together like that again was a little unsettling. Daichi turned to gaze out the open door, and saw that the auditorium was completely vacant. The coast was clear for them to make use of the grand piano, and despite Hibiki’s uncertainty, he was curious of Daichi’s skills as a pianist. Daichi took a seat at the bench as if the whole instrument belonged to him and looked eager to start.
“You didn’t have to do opera for it, y’know.”
“What do you expect me to come up with when you call the track ‘aria of the soul’?”
“Well, excuuuuse me for being poetic. I’ll put on my hipster glasses next time.” Hibiki furrowed his brows, and wondered if Daichi was making a joke about his glasses in particular or if it was some sort of weird saying.
“Show me what you can do on the piano.”
“You wanna see me play something seriously? Alright!” Daichi intertwined his fingers and stretched before gently letting his hands fall on the keys.
“This one’s called My Demons by Starset, Mr ‘do you have something more modern’.” Hibiki rolled his eyes.
“Does it have lyrics?”
“Um, well, yeah, but like I said, I’m no vocalist…”
“You just heard me sing in soprano.”
“Yeah, haha, I guess that’s fair. Welp, here goes nothing.” The start of the song had Hibiki wonder why he was only using his pointing finger to tap one key repeatedly as his right hand carried out majority of the melody. Daichi’s attention turned towards Hibiki briefly, only to wink at him with a grin before fixing his attention back to the piece. Hibiki raised an eyebrow, but smiled nonetheless. This could prove interesting if Daichi actually acted confident for a change. The griddy and murky tone was set in all but a few simple notes.
It looked pretty easy to play, judging by the intro. Then, Daichi started singing, and he could tell why he did not want to do so in front of others. His voice was raspy, unfitting for the soft melody he played on stage, but there was an unmistakable charm to it that made Hibiki listen eagerly. As the intro was closing and the first verse was starting, Hibiki instantly took notice to the way Daichi’s hands seemed to slide over the keys more smoothly, and the way he was using both hands to cover more areas. Daichi closed his eyes partly when he reached the chorus, and had become completely immersed in the music. He could tell his classmate no longer cared about how he pronounced the english words or how his voice struggled to keep up with his fingers. All that mattered was letting his feelings behind the song guide him to play.
Daichi’s accuracy was so honed that it looked as if his fingers were being pushed back by sheer force after every key he pressed, dancing along the surface- hands running over the keys like waves crashing against the shore. Elegant, precise, and wicked fast, they bounced from one location to the next with ease. This seemed like a natural talent of sorts. While Daichi could speed through the song with his eyes closed, Hibiki was struggling to catch any of his movements. Hibiki caught him nodding his head softly along with the flow of the rhythm and the lyrics, his fingers sliding of the black and white notes almost lovingly.
There were little subtleties in every segment Daichi played. The intro started with a small smile that eventually grew more confident until he no longer had to rely on his eyes to find the keys. It was amazing to see what good muscle memory could do, and how entertained Daichi was by working the pedals in unison with his hands. It was hard to imagine that a person that moved his wrists with such grace could be bested by a measly microphone stand. Reduced to a stuttering mess when confronted with a casual conversation, but at ease in a complex melody. He really put his voice into it, threw his head back and moved not only his wrists, but his shoulders to change into a more comfortable position. Hibiki picked up the clicks and thumps of keys being smashed a little too rough through the song, but enjoyed the passion behind it nonetheless.
Reaching the bridge was a clear tell that Daichi never usually sung while playing the piano. The power in his voice had started to fade, and he looked ready to just quit singing altogether, but powered through for the sake of completion. Fatigue was gnawing at his fingers as he accidentally moved his index finger over the wrong key when he was supposed to be using his thumb. The faulty hand-placement made him falter, albeit only for a weak moment before coming back stronger for another go at the chorus. This time, Hibiki joined him and sang along from memory, and earned himself a friendly smile in return.
When Daichi slammed his left hand against the keys and allowed it to hover in the air as he finished the outro with his right, Hibiki took a hold of his free hand, which made Daichi’s fingers trip over the keys again a little more noticeably as a simple C turned into a combination of G, F, G, A, and B and A-flat. The touch had him release the pedals, and the soft sound of notes came to an abrupt halt. His voice faded, and he cleared his throat when Hibiki did not let go, despite the awkward silence.
“Dude, what are you doing?”
“Your fingertips are red.” Hibiki ran his finger along the surface of Daichi’s palm before rubbing their fingertips together. “Do they always look like this after you play?”
“I, uh, I never noticed I-” His eyes were focused on Hibiki when he tried putting the fallboard down over the keyboard, but crushed his right hand in the process by not looking. A muffled but high pitched cry was accompanied with the sound of heavy wood slapping against bones. He quickly pulled his fingers out of Hibiki’s grasp to pull the fallboard up so he could remove his hand. He gave it a small shake and rubbed the sore area to soothe the pain.
“Are you okay?” When Hibiki leaned closer to inspect the wound, Daichi pulled himself back, “Yeah, yeah, no pro-” until he ran out of space, and slipped off with a thud, one leg still draped over the bench. He arched his back and rubbed his head. Seeing Hibiki stare down at him with that lost look on his face prompted him to say something.
“You know, I’ve been meaning to tell them to put seatbelts on these things.” Seeing Hibiki smile at his joke made this feel a lot less embarrassing.
“Forget red fingers, I’m surprised you’re not bruised all over.”
“Bruised? Please, Hibibi, I work as an anti-bully repellent. I’m always bruised all over.” It was such a shame that Hibiki’s glasses reflected in this lighting, because Daichi was squinting to try and see if he was holding back a smile. Hibiki reached out to help him, and Daichi pulled himself back up on his feet with only slight difficulty.
“Do you want to practice?” Daichi asked the question as if they had all the time in the world. Practicing sounded fun, but Hibiki struggled to understand why they would need to do so together. There was also no time for it right now.
Hibiki decided to get back to him when their last period was over. For now, they both needed to hurry to their math class not to be late. It was the first time Hibiki managed to take a seat next to Daichi in class.
A part of him wished he didn’t.
“Oh man, is our new math teacher hot or what! Short black hair, kind blue eyes, and those hips, dude! Hips that could-”
“That’s my mom.” Hibiki covered his lips to hide the smirk on his face as Daichi choked on air before taking a good look at the woman, then back at Hibiki. His cheeks seemed to light up with embarrassment.
“Aaaand now it’s weird. Thanks. You’ve made it weird.”
“Imagine how I feel.” Hibiki could sense his mother's eyes on him, so he quickly shut down the conversation and opened up his workbook.
Judging by their exchange today, it seemed like Daichi was more open to conversation.
At least he did not completely run out on him after class this time.