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There’s the faint sound of music coming from the playground across the street.
It’s a bit of an overstatement to call it music, it’s mostly just sounds from what you assume is a guitar, nothing that’s near completion whatsoever, but you think it has potential. You listen to it for a few hours while you eat, study, and then get ready for bed.
You’re sitting on your balcony in your pajamas, sipping on some warm tea with a book in your hand when you finally see him.
The guy playing guitar was none other than Karamatsu Matsuno, a friend of yours from school who you met in theater class. He was quiet, but he was nice to you, and he was the only person you liked enough in that class to do group projects with.
The sextuplets were infamous in their own ways, but you were always friends with Kara. Eventually, when you met the rest of his brothers, you befriended them, too. High school became a lot more bearable with the rambunctious group of brothers by your side.
You could barely make out his figure across the street, sitting atop the playground structure, but the moonlight and street lamps illuminated the space enough for you to see his signature blue hoodie. You haven’t seen him in nearly a year, but you immediately decide to go down and say hello. The two of you were pretty close, but once high school ended a lot of things rapidly occurred that changed that.
Your walk to the park in your pajamas and slippers was short, but just long enough for you to question what you were doing. What if he doesn’t want to see you again? The two of you didn’t leave on bad terms or anything, but he hasn’t made it a point to keep in contact after graduation. Then again, you haven't either…
When you finally make it to the park after debating if you should turn around three times, you call up to him, “Kara? Are you up there?”
The poor guy jumps, visibly, almost dropping his guitar off of the side of the structure at the sound of your voice. He says your name like a question and relaxes when you confirm it.
“I haven’t seen you in forever,” he comments. “How are you?”
“Oh, you know. The usual crap.” You laugh, lighthearted, but it’s obvious to him that you’re stressed. “Work’s a bitch, uni’s kicking my ass, and I’m tired all the time.”
He blinks. He certainly doesn’t know, but he isn’t going to tell you that. “…Yeah.”
“How about you?” You start climbing up the net that hangs off of the play structure, holding onto the metal pole for stability. You’re unsure if you want to make the full ascent until Kara puts down his guitar to hold out his hand and help you up the rest of the way. You thank him quietly as you take a seat in front of him.
“The usual, too, I guess.”
“Really? Nothing big going on? How are your brothers?”
For a split second, he grimaces. He’s looking past your head as he responds, “Nothing new. They haven’t changed.”
He knows that’s a lie. He just doesn’t want to talk about them right now.
“Yeah, sometimes I feel that way, too.” You’re studying his body language, something you got very used to doing when you knew him in school. He’s relaxed, but there’s an edge there. Like something's wrong and he’s not going to tell you. You’re not going to force him to talk about anything, of course, but you have been curious as to why he’s sitting in a cold playground in the middle of the night. “What are you doing out here alone?”
He knows he could say anything. Writing music, star gazing, contemplating the secrets of the universe and the meaning of life. In the end he goes with, “Just trying to get away. It gets stuffy in that house sometimes.”
“Oh, do you guys still all live together? That’s neat. Wish I was that close with my siblings.”
Kara thinks that, no, you really don’t.
“It’s okay sometimes.” He glances at the forgotten guitar.
“I’m guessing this isn’t one of those times?”
He sighs, his eyes dragging away from the instrument to stare at his lap. “Do you ever miss how it was in high school?”
“Oh, yeah, definitely,” you nod, thinking of an easier time. You ignore the rather obvious change of subject. “It was nicer back then, for many reasons. I miss you guys the most, though.”
His head looks up at you, incredulous. “Really? You missed us?”
“Of course! It was nice hanging out after school. Now we’re busy adults. It’s boring.”
“Yeah, busy…”
That reminds you of some rumor you heard from your old classmates at a reunion you went to for your theater group recently. You also recall not seeing Kara there and what you’re about to ask gives you a clue as to why.
“I heard you’re all unemployed. That true?” You don’t say it with any maliciousness, but he still flinches, worried that you’ll lecture or laugh at him. Once again, he contemplates lying, to give you the answer that he thinks you want to hear, but in the end he sighs and decides against it. Keeping up appearances is getting tiring, anyhow.
“It’s… true. We haven’t really done anything with our lives.”
“Enjoy that freedom while it lasts, man.” You’re looking at the stars now, a sparkle reflecting in your eyes. “I only got my first job a few months ago, but it’s been hell.”
He’s not surprised that you’re not making fun of him. You were always a very kind person, he’s just not used to it. You don’t question his choices, you accept him as he is.
(Maybe he should learn to do that, too).
“I’m sorry,” he says genuinely to your little anecdote, knowing that he has nothing to apologize for, but wanting you to know that he’s listening. “I hope it gets better for you.”
“I do, too. For the both of us…” You trail off, your attention being captured by the night sky. Kara follows your gaze and a chill runs down his spine.
Nothing like the vastness of space to humble someone. The stars shine brightly no matter what. They don’t need to put on a façade to be beautiful, do they?
The silent conclusion he comes to calms his mind down. Kara leans back onto the metal pole behind him, his head no longer swimming and his attention now fully on the pretty night sky.
“I’m off tomorrow.” You put that out there before you stand to stretch your stiff legs. “If you’re free and want to catch up.”
“I’d like that,” he responds quietly, a small smile gracing his lips that wasn’t there before. You’re smiling, too, and Kara silently thanks whatever deity is out there that brought you into his life once more.