Chapter Text
"Bocchi, let's work on the song at my house tomorrow."
Ryo invited Hitori to her house on a winter Saturday afternoon, leaving no excuses for Hitori to make, since she walked off without another word and continued on with her work shift at STARRY.
Hitori, with no other choice but to agree before Ryo could walk out of proximity, only proceeded to serve customers attending that night's live performance.
She could barely pay attention, with the newly arranged hangout on her mind; the vague explanation Ryo had given her sent her into a spiral of a million possibilities.
She had never gone to Ryo’s home before, let alone seen it. The unknown environment left Hitori with a bitter sense of uncertainty, rather than curiosity. It would be best if she avoided new experiences.
But maybe it wouldn't hurt to try.
So here she was, walking along the streets, the sounds of cars drifting by and cold winter air tickling her cheeks. She gripped onto her guitar case to maintain what she had left of her confidence.
She sunk her head into her scarf. Her usual jacket sufficed to keep her warm for most of the year, but with the current season, Hitori was forced to wear additional layers on top. Even so, she still felt very chilly.
It'll go well, she told herself over and over, slowly making her way toward what she believed would be the death of herself.
Hitori shook her head. There was no point in turning back, anyway, so might as well continue on. She was just a few blocks away from the given location Ryo had sent her through LOINE.
She trudged her way there, loathing the mere thought of going to someone else's house for the first time. Had she ever even been to her other bandmates' houses? Kita or Nijika's houses might have been better places to start; their extroverted energy would probably provide an easier environment to adapt to.
Although, they could be a little overpowering at times, so maybe it wasn't the best idea.
There was no time to think about that anymore: Hitori stood at the front gates of the Yamada household. The mansion was far larger than she imagined. It was a place of such grandeur that it was difficult to reconcile with Hitori’s image of Ryo, the broke bassist and eternal borrower that she was.
Waiting at the menacingly tall gates, she pulled out her phone, unsure of if she had to notify Ryo of her arrival. She peered at the screen, Ryo’s contact profile staring at her somewhat blankly, the same way she gazed at her.
Hitori was snapped out of her daze when the screeching of metal filled her ears, causing her to flinch on instinct, storing her phone back into her pocket.
"Ryo-chan! Your friend is here!" she heard a small voice call out into the distance.
The sound of another human being's presence ultimately made Hitori stiffen up, her social anxiety kicking in at a rather predictable moment.
What was she supposed to do now? There was no way she could talk to a stranger! What would they think of her?
Ah, but Ryo was waiting for her.
Hitori timidly walked past the gates and into the courtyard, tiptoed along a trail of asphalt leading up the front steps, and hesitated - freezing in place before the great entrance doors.
Before she could even comprehend the situation she was in, two tall figures donned in luxurious clothing – the same style as their daughter – ran up to Hitori, smiles and grins plastered on their faces.
"Welcome! Bocchi-chan, was it?" the male of the pair greeted Hitori, and almost right away she could recognize him as Ryo's father, the dark indigo of his hair serving as a dead giveaway. He proceeded to hold Hitori by the hands. "Please! Come in! Ryo-chan has been waiting for you!"
Before she even had the chance to answer, she was dragged by both of Ryo's parents into the mansion.
"Ryo-chan never has anyone over, besides Nijika-chan. It's been a while~!" her mother explained as the three of them entered the house, a tall ceiling sheltering them.
"Ah, yes," Hitori replied almost automatically. It was her usual response to practically anything, whether the short phrase made sense in the context or not.
They stood in the foyer of the house, the doors shutting behind them with a loud slam. There was no way Ryo couldn't have heard that from her room, assuming she was on the upper floor.
The two parents were in front of the entrance doors, facing Hitori with excited eyes. It was then the questions started.
"How has our Ryo-chan been?"
"Are you two close?"
"Can you play something together?"
"What's your band like?"
Overwhelmed by the overload of inquiries, Hitori choked on her saliva. She coughed into her elbow, averting her eyes.
“Oh, dear,” Ryo’s mother said, “A cold, perhaps? Don’t you think, dear?” She turned around to her husband, who eyed Hitori closely with intent.
Ah, she didn’t want Ryo’s parents to worry; not at her first – and probably last – visit to her house. Doing so would make a bad impression, right?
"Ah- Um," she attempted to say, once her coughing subsided. It seemed to serve no help, however, until the sounds of footsteps above the stairs made her ears perk up in recognition.
Ryo-san's footsteps.
Hitori turned around to find her friend standing atop the staircase in front of her. Her figure glowed against the faint lights from the large window behind her.
The two bandmates locked eyes. Hitori shifted her eyes to the side. Ryo’s parents were still here.
"Mom, Dad," Ryo coolly spoke, her voice in an unusually lower tone.
"Yes, dear~?" Hitori heard Ryo's mother ask from behind. She seemed completely unfazed by Ryo’s stone-cold aura, paying no mind to the degree of rudeness.
Instead of answering, Ryo descended the stairs slowly. The heels of her shoes clacked against the marble flooring as she made her way beside Hitori. The atmosphere was completely silent. She looked up at the other, who was staring at her parents with a hardened face.
Hitori waited in anticipation for something to happen, for whether she would get kicked out due to her unrefined behavior or just because Ryo had changed her mind last minute. Both were very believable explanations.
"We'll be in my room," Ryo finally said, before shifting her eyes to meet Hitori's. Her gaze was cold, and Hitori shivered.
"Ehhh~? But we want to meet your new friend!" her father whined in protest.
Ryo's face only hardened more - if it were possible - as she took Hitori by the wrist and began to drag her up the stairs, ignoring her parents' request for introductions.
Hitori couldn't handle that much social interaction anyways, so she was glad Ryo was able to walk her away from the oncoming situation she would rather have avoided.
Ryo's hand maintained its grip on her wrist. While they walked, however, Hitori could still feel how cold her hand was. She couldn't tell if it was due to the weather, or if she was just naturally cold-handed.
She stared at Ryo's back, how her hair was slowly beginning to grow out. She'd always thought the other could constantly maintain the same hairstyle with no problem, but here it looked more frazzled; more easygoing.
Perhaps it was because she was at home.
The two walked through a doorway and into a room, one Hitori could only assume was Ryo's bedroom, as the door was closed shut behind them.
The interior of her room certainly conveyed the difference between the two introverts, with how personally decorated the bedroom was, in contrast to Hitori's bland abode.
She observed the room. Specifically, the collection of guitars and basses that somehow always made Ryo poor every new month. There was a line of instruments hung up on the wall, boasting their presence in the space. There was a neatly made bed to the far right of where Ryo was sitting, a nightstand full of books and CDs placed beside it.
She couldn’t dare to compete with the luxury Ryo attained seemingly too easily, not with the dry, cracked walls or the empty desks and drawers that had been collecting dust in her room after all the years.
Ryo released her hold on Hitori's arm and trailed over to a large desk set up with studio monitors and a midi controller. She sat on the office chair in front of the setup, paying no attention to Hitori as she clicked on multiple windows.
Meanwhile, Hitori found a nearby coat hanger, full of Ryo's jackets and scarves, shrugging off her extra layers of clothing and her scarf. Even though she was inside, it was still chillingly cold when she took them off.
Hitori didn't know what to do. Should she place her guitar somewhere? Put it in the line of instruments arranged on the multi-stand?
"Just leave it next to the desk over here." Ryo waved a hand to her side, not bothering to turn around to face Hitori properly. "We can use it for recording later."
Surprised, Hitori jumped a little. Had Ryo just read her mind? Or was she just that obvious? Complying, she set her guitar case against the wall beside the desk and turned around. Ryo was still focused on her computer screen.
This wasn't a problem, though, since Hitori relatively hated attention. While she was glad not to struggle for conversation points, it didn't help her to feel any less awkward.
Her thoughts began to spiral once more as she stood before her guitar, mindlessly patting the top to keep it steady against the wall. Ryo did invite her over to work on the song together, right? Should Hitori have brought something? Arrived more prepared?
She did bring her lyric notebook, though, so it should have been enough, right?
A cold hand gently cupping her shoulder snapped her out of her contemplation, and she lifted her head up to the figure, who was looking at her with glowing eyes.
When did she even get out of her seat?
Any forbidding emotion from earlier was completely gone, looking at Ryo. Her eyes regained the subtle warmth and easygoing nature she tended to have.
Hitori gaped, lost in her gaze as she waited for something to happen. The two maintained eye contact, expressions blank, and voices quiet. The soft rumble of the desk computer filled the silence.
Why was her heart beating so loud?
"Bocchi," Ryo said firmly, "show me the lyrics."
Hitori looked to the side. "Th-There isn't anything new yet..."
She had attempted to write a new song the night prior, in preparation for this visit, but nothing had come to her. Instead, she spent that night editing another one of her guitarhero videos to escape reality, sitting at her laptop in the comfort of her closet, lights off, and her headphones snug around her head. While it removed the burden of creating new content for her followers, there was no new material for her friends; her bandmates.
Hitori dared to spare Ryo a glance, her eyes meeting those golden eyes she would always get lost in. This time was no exception.
Hitori only stared into Ryo’s eyes, which burned a subtle flicker of light, as if they could glow in the dark. Maybe that was what made her so menacing at night. Although, there would only be one way to find out…
Wait, that wasn’t important right now.
Ryo spoke one word in question. "Why?"
Maintaining her stare had been a horrible idea. Hitori thought she had seen a flicker of annoyance - of aggression - in Ryo's eyes, her brow furrowing slightly.
"U-Um, well," she attempted to say, but her throat failed to rasp out even the most basic of words.
All the while, Ryo waited for Hitori to say something, anything, coherently, her eyes shifting every now and then as she studied her.
"Are you having trouble coming up with something?" Ryo asked in the softest tone Hitori ever heard from her as her face relaxed.
Hitori looked at the floor.
"Y-Yeah," she mumbled.
She could see the footsteps of the other walk away, the feeling of a hand on her shoulder disappearing.
Maybe Ryo was fed up with her after all. Now, she would walk away and tell one of the servants to drag her out.
Or so she thought.
Instead, Ryo came back with a very familiar notebook in hand, pushing it towards Hitori so she could see it with her head facing down.
Hitori looked up and saw only the blank expression Ryo always wore.
"Show me what you have so far," she said coolly, gesturing at the notebook.
To avoid any conflict, Hitori only complied with a nod, and followed Ryo as they walked off to her bed. The mattress squeaked as the two sat on the edge. Ryo was unusually close to her, with their shoulders brushing against each other. Hitori could feel a slight warmth adorning her cheeks as she flipped the notebook open, the pages fluttering. She turned to the most recent of her work.
Hitori pointed to a single phrase on the fresh page. Its entourage of doodles was proof of her writer’s block. "T-This is all I have," she said, shifting the notebook between them so they could both see it clearly, "Sorry, I couldn't come up with anything else..."
Ryo gazed at the line carefully before turning to meet Hitori's eyes. Her eyebrows raised in question, her head tilting slightly as she faced Hitori.
Hitori looked down at her lap. "I c-can't find anything good to write about. I-It's all too plain, or boring, or uninteresting. And," she sighed, shoulders drooping, "n-nothing feels genuine. It's all fake or o-overdramatic."
Ryo, in response, only nodded her head thoughtfully before observing the page for an awfully long time.
How could one stare at a single line for so long?
Hitori kept silent, shifting around slightly to calm her nerves. It caught the attention of the other, though, since they were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
Hitori didn't say anything, only inaudibly hoping Ryo would not mind. She stared at her hands in her lap, feeling her gaze locked on her.
"Do you need inspiration?" Ryo asked, placing the closed notebook into Hitori's lap.
"W-Wha-" Hitori said, looking up to see the other already standing up, at her desk. She watched as Ryo pulled up a project file, revealing several tracks serving as instruments representing the band.
She turned to Hitori and gestured her hand to the screen. "Listen to this."
Hitori nodded, unsure of what was supposed to happen next. Was she supposed to stay sitting there while Ryo pressed play? Find some headphones to plug into the computer?
Hitori waited for Ryo to initiate, sitting still as they stared into each other's eyes. It was only then Ryo waved a hand towards herself to tell Hitori to come over.
With the new instructions, she stood next to Ryo, notebook in hand as she looked at the more-than-confusing program. Ryo nodded at her side, pressing the "play" button. Music rang out of the studio monitors.
When the arrangement started, Hitori didn't know what to expect. She didn't know if it was finished or not – it would be, right? Would Ryo even consider the idea of showing an unfinished project? She tried to find the right lyrics that would fit this song, analyzing key aspects of the composition; how it would make the audience feel, or what mood it would fit.
Hitori was so focused she didn't realize Ryo was staring at her. She pressed the spacebar and ceased the music. Hitori snapped out of it, jolting slightly.
Hitori knew Ryo was staring. Hitori was shifting her own eyes every now and then back and forth from the screen to those golden eyes.
"U-Um," Hitori started timidly, "I-I like the song...?"
Ryo continued to stare at her closely, not saying a word. Hitori shifted her eyes to the side awkwardly, desperately trying to avoid her pressing gaze.
Finally, Ryo opened her mouth. "Did you get any ideas?" she asked carefully, observing her reaction.
Hitori only perked up slightly in thought, wondering how to answer her question. "N-No?" Hitori said confusedly, "N-Nothing new really s-sparked up in me."
This caused Ryo to look down in disappointment. Which, in turn, made Hitori panic as her anxious tendencies kicked in swiftly.
"N-Not that your song is bad or anything!" she quickly explained, waving her palms in the air to further prove her point, "I-It's just that what I think of d-doesn't really go anywhere, so..."
Ryo's silence made Hitori trail off uncomfortably, a bitter taste left by her words. Had she just said something worse? Did she just escalate the situation?
"R-Ryo-san," she said slowly, trying to get her attention.
Ryo looked up. She only stared, and Hitori didn't know what to say next.
Maybe Ryo was finally going to kick her out. Tell her she was a lost cause and make her leave, tearing her notebook into shreds forever. Yeah, Hitori wasn’t worth the trouble anyways, was she? She couldn’t write lyrics the way Ryo wanted her to, yet alone-
"Bocchi," Ryo finally said, "Just write whatever's on your mind."
Hitori flinched, her thoughts ceasing.
Was it really that simple?
"B-But everything I write n-never works out-" she tried, but was cut off by the wave of Ryo's hand.
"So?" Ryo asked, her brow furrowing, "If you never write anything, when will you find something that does work out?"
Hitori opened her mouth to rebut, but she could not find any words to do so. She closed her mouth, her shoulders drooping as she thought about what Ryo said.
"I-I guess you're r-right..." she trailed off.
Ryo snatched the notebook out of Hitori's hands before opening to a blank page and handing it back to her, her other hand offering a pen.
"Write something right now," Ryo said.
Hitori was just about to protest, but the look on Ryo's face told her protest was not an option. With no other choice, she took both of the items and began to write.
It was more difficult with Ryo staring at her intensely, but she hid her face in the pages of her book to hide Ryo's pressing gaze. She didn't know what to write. Nothing much came to Hitori's mind. Not even thinking about the song Ryo had just shown her did any help.
"Just write whatever's on your mind."
Whatever was on her mind...
Hitori got to thinking, writing down the exact words pouring into her thoughts, finding some way to convey them into lyrics. She had unknowingly gotten into the “zone,” words and characters spewing onto her notebook with the stroke of her pen.
She felt movement coming from Ryo, and Hitori saw Ryo’s arms surround hers, taking her mouse and keyboard in hand to presumably continue the unfinished project she had just shown Hitori. Maybe she also had to get “whatever was on her mind” converted into a musical composition.
Hitori felt a pair of eyes on her from the side. Hitori still had her nose buried into the notebook, eyes wide and focused as her pen fluidly scattered words across the page. She knew Ryo thought of her as an excellent writer, but she wanted to live up to the claim – there was no way she could disappoint someone so thoughtful about music.
Hitori tried to focus on the lyrics in her notebook, but she couldn’t help but glance at the subtle movements Ryo made every now and then, curious as to what she was doing on the project. She could hear bits of music occasionally as Ryo edited her work.
"Um," Hitori spoke up after a moment, looking past her notebook and at Ryo, who turned around almost instantly, "I-Is there another c-chair that I could b-borrow somewhere?"
Hitori watched Ryo look around and followed her eyes, realizing that there wasn’t one. There were no other chairs, and Hitori guessed Ryo never had the need for another chair. She barely had anyone visit, right?
"You can sit on the bed," Ryo said, gesturing towards the space behind Hitori, where her large mattress sat neat and tidy. Perfect for Hitori to settle in and relax while she wrote.
"A-Ah, but I want to stay next to Ryo-san," Hitori said, before immediately clasping her hand over her mouth. She wasn't meant to say that part aloud.
Ryo raised an eyebrow skeptically before it twitched slightly, holding her chin in between her index finger and thumb.
Hitori, however, immediately backtracked, waving her hands in defense as she sputtered uselessly, "I-I mean, I d-don't need to stay n-next to you or anything, but- Well, t-that's not true, but- No! I can just s-sit on the bed."
She was already on her way to her bed, turning around sharply and taking a step.
It was only Ryo's voice that paused her. "Bocchi," Ryo said, "You can sit on my lap."
Hitori immediately turned around to see Ryo's deadpan expression, her hand gesturing to, yes, her lap.
"W-What-" she started, not knowing how to answer.
Ryo nudged her head downward, signaling the option was, indeed, free.
Hitori hesitated for a moment, staying in place before taking a small step forward, her notebook still in hand.
Ryo had to be joking. This was another one of her silly antics to tease Hitori, wasn’t it?
Hitori made another step. She looked up to see Ryo’s eyes blank, piercing through her sharply. Well, maybe that was just her imagination, but it sure felt like it.
Maybe she was being too overdramatic about this. Perhaps something like this was normal between friends, right? Had Hitori seen Kita or Nijika have such intimacy with another friend?
She looked at Ryo for a second with uncertainty, only to be met with an unhesitant expression from the other, showing that she had no intention of backing out of her offer.
Maybe it won’t be so bad.
Hitori eventually caved, awkwardly walking in front of Ryo, slightly trembling. "P-Please excuse m-me," she muttered, lowering herself onto Ryo's lap. Hitori felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist to keep her from falling, and suddenly she felt self-conscious.
What if she thinks I smell bad? Do I smell bad? Wait, am I too heavy?!
Hitori's heart was speeding up, getting louder and louder as anticipation welled up inside her. Moving around or freaking out wouldn't do her any good, either. It would probably only insult Ryo, and then Hitori would need to apologize in cash for displaying such ill-advised behavior.
On the contrary, Ryo rested her chin on Hitori's shoulder, her arms lifting Hitori up before letting go, resting her hands on her keyboard and mouse as she nonchalantly continued to work on the arrangement.
Hitori only sat there, at first, unsure of if she was making the other uncomfortable. And Ryo was so close, too. She could practically feel her breath over her shoulder.
Eventually, Hitori reopened the notebook in her hands, returning to the page she was writing on and setting it on the edge of Ryo's desk, writing from a rather crooked position. Ryo compensated by pushing her chair forward, sending the two of them closer to the desk.
It helped immensely. Hitori was now in a much more comfortable position, and she could write her embarrassing lyrics in a more secluded way. Although, Ryo would read them like she always did anyways.
Ryo leaned closer to Hitori, making contact with Hitori's back. She felt Ryo’s nose tickle the fabric of her tracksuit, yet Hitori remained as focused as she could.
It was only when Hitori shifted around slightly did Ryo refocus herself, continuing on with her composition.
Hitori slowly got more comfortable, sitting on Ryo's lap, and it uniquely felt very enjoyable. She could certainly get used to this feeling.
Wait, that sounds wrong.
She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts, taking a better look at the lyrics she was writing. She only just realized how much exactly she wrote, and it was a cosmic amount. In fact, she could almost be done, with that many lyrics written. A whole song could be written up for this.
As Hitori continued writing and revising her lyrics, she could hear Ryo clicking and clacking on her mouse and keyboard, the sounds of drums, guitar, and bass ringing out briefly every few moments. Sometimes, Ryo would play the song altogether to listen to what she was working with.
Watching a composer at work is truly a sight to see, Hitori thought, pausing her movement to watch Ryo's hands moving briskly as she worked on the composition.
She could still feel Ryo's chin resting comfortably atop her shoulder. At one point, she nuzzled closer to Hitori's neck, but Hitori didn’t say anything, too focused on her lyrics – she was working on the chorus of the song.
They sat there for quite a while, the only sounds being Ryo's composition at work, heard ringing out of the studio monitors.
Hitori didn't know how much time had passed. Ryo closed her DAW, saving the project and releasing her hands from the keyboard and mouse on her desk.
Ryo moved her arms around Hitori's waist, gripping it tightly, but not so much that Hitori would be in pain. Hitori was pulled back towards the center of the chair; to her surprise, she finally noticed that she’d almost slipped off while concentrating on the lyrics. Hitori felt Ryo’s head drop with a small sigh, burying her eyes into Hitori's shoulder.
Hitori stopped writing, eyeing the other from the side. "R-Ryo-san?"
"I'm tired," Ryo said groggily. She spoke slowly.
"D-Do y-you want me to get off?" Hitori asked worriedly, "I-I can if-"
Ryo cut her off. "No. I want to stay like this." She further proved her point by nuzzling closer into Hitori, lifting her up more.
"O-Okay," Hitori said slowly, waiting for a few seconds before going back to her writing, making sure not to move so much that Ryo would be uncomfortable.
Ryo closed her eyes against the fabric of Hitori's tracksuit, her breathing slowing down as her arms loosened from around Hitori. Turning her head to the side, Hitori’s line of sight met Ryo’s face covered in her blue hair, resting on her shoulder.
She looked kind of cute.
Wait, what?!
No, that wasn't right. That was weird! How could Hitori think of such an awful thing?
She shook her head to get rid of the thought, perhaps a little too forcefully, because she felt movement from behind her as Ryo stirred.
Ryo lifted her head, going back to resting her chin on top of Hitori's shoulder. Her eyes were half open, a small yawn escaping her lips as her eyes watered.
Hitori only waited for a moment, unable to take her eyes off Ryo. As she stirred, she caught a glimpse of Hitori’s worrisome expression and raised an eyebrow. In slight disarray, Hitori blinked. She had to get a hold of herself, or Ryo might get uncomfortable again.
Hitori caught Ryo’s eyes, which were half-lidded in exhaustion before they widened at the eye contact. Hitori tried to crack a smile but soon realized she looked awkward at best. Ryo didn’t seem to mind, though, and tilted her head akin to a nod before she closed her eyes again.
Huh, maybe it was okay.
Hitori couldn't help but smile at the sight. Ryo was always one to fall asleep at random points of the day – at the most inconvenient times, even – but perhaps her tiredness resulted from her hard work at composing for hours.
It's amazing how she can come up with all our songs so easily, Hitori thought. She watched as Ryo closed her eyes again. Maybe letting her take a nap would be for the best.
Hitori only hoped she wasn't making Ryo uncomfortable. Surely Hitori’s weight was numbing Ryo’s legs, right? She may have blocked off Ryo’s blood flow completely!
Her heart jumped again as the realization hit her. That was right, Hitori had been sitting on her lap for quite a while, no? She could have ruined everything – or worse, killed her! Hitori’s breathing began to speed up rapidly before she remembered to look at Ryo herself.
If Ryo was uncomfortable, she would have said something by now, right? Hitori looked down at her sleeping face to gauge her emotions, which didn’t seem all as painful as she thought it was. Right, Hitori couldn’t lose herself now.
She sighed and looked down at the lyrics she had written, which took up two whole pages of her notebook. She decided to revise a few things here and there as she let the other get the rest she deserved.
There weren't a lot of things to fix in the first place, though. Hitori sometimes found it difficult to add or remove anything from her lyrics. Maybe she was a little lazy, but she was still content with what she had.
She considered writing another song to pass the time.
Turning to a fresh page, she thought about what to write, since her current thoughts were, well, not ones she would like to admit aloud.
The pen Ryo had given her hovered over the page, stalling idly in one place as ink stained the pages, seeping through. Hitori forced her pen to move, and before she knew it she started writing again. She didn't know what, exactly, but it was certainly something at least.
She continued with the lyrics, sitting comfortably on Ryo's lap, with Ryo sleeping peacefully on her shoulder. The sun, shining through the window beside her, was starting to set.
Sure, hours had passed since Hitori arrived at the Yamada household, but it wasn't like she didn't get anything done. She had two newly written songs, after all. Hitori closed her notebook, four new pages fully filled, closing her eyes before opening them once again. She sighed contentedly, leaning back into Ryo's touch as she felt the other shift around slightly.
Hitori waited for a moment, hoping to not have woken Ryo up, but thankfully she only moved to find a more comfortable position. Hitori rested her head against Ryo's, placing her hands over the ones around her waist. Ryo's hands were certainly made for bass. Hitori absentmindedly traced her fingers around her knuckles.
Ryo, in her sleep, shifted even closer, her nose buried into Hitori's neck. Hitori had to fight the urge to laugh, as she felt the soft inhales and exhales coming from Ryo, her breath tickling her neck.
Hitori was blushing deeply, for sure, but right now she felt no signs of panic, no urge to jolt around nervously.
She felt... strangely at peace.
Maybe it was because she felt like she was on cloud nine, or perhaps she was dreaming. Both were two believable reasons. Though, she was relaxed, despite the loud thumping of her heart that never receded. She was able to ignore it, appreciate it, even, if that even made sense.
She felt so at peace she didn't even realize how hungry she actually was.
The two maintained that position for another while. Hitori thought she might have drifted off at one point. Ryo continued to prevent Hitori from slipping off her lap, subconsciously gripping her waist in her sleep.
Hitori was drowsy when Ryo spoke up, mumbling into her neck.
"Bocchi," she said, jolting Hitori awake, "What time are you leaving?"
The rather out-of-place question caught Hitori off-guard, and she turned around to meet Ryo's eyes.
"U-Um, what time d-do you want m-me to leave?" she asked in return.
"When's the latest you can stay?" Ryo asked instead.
Would Ryo really let her stay until the latest hour?
Hitori checked the time on Ryo's monitor, which showed Ryo's lock screen: a high-definition portrait of her signature white Precision Bass.
Hitori floundered. If she left too early, she would be offending Ryo's hospitality, wouldn't she? On the other hand, if she stayed too late…
A thought occurred to her, making Hitori pause. Normally she would dread the idea of staying in an unfamiliar place for even a minute longer than she had to, but this time was different: the idea of spending time with Ryo wasn't unpleasant. Strange.
She tried to avoid all eye contact, looking down at their overlapping hands. She just had to put her thoughts into words, but saying so felt like a selfish request; too much to ask from Ryo.
But… she wanted to.
"I-Is it okay if I stay o-over for dinner?" Hitori asked, looking to her side.
Ryo was still leaning against her shoulder with her chin, gazing at her curiously. She looked so cute. She reminded Hitori of a cat.
"Yeah, sure," Ryo said, "What do you want for dinner? The chefs can make anything."
"Eh?" Hitori flinched. She didn't know what she wanted! Most of the time she only ate what her sister wanted, or just what her parents happened to have cooked that night. "U-Um, I-I'll just eat w-whatever you're e-eating, Ryo-san," she said timidly, hoping her choice wouldn't disgust the other so badly to the point she would get kicked out.
Ryo raised an eyebrow, before nodding and brushing it off. "I usually have the same thing every night, so they already know what to cook."
Is this the rich life? Hitori asked herself. It was truly difficult to picture this as Ryo's daily life, due to how often Hitori would see her chewing on weeds or grass.
Ryo didn't say anything after that, so Hitori remained, easing into the comfort of Ryo's arms. She didn't know why Ryo agreed to let her sit on her lap, but if it wasn't a problem for the both of them, then Hitori wouldn't mind.
Of course, there was a line between mutual benefit and taking advantage of one's open nature. Though, Hitori knew she wouldn’t cross it.
The two sat there idly before hearing a knock at Ryo's bedroom door. They both turned at the sound, staring at the door. Hitori turned to face Ryo, who happened to turn to her at the same time.
Hitori felt some kind of unspoken order being handed out to her, and so she got off of Ryo's lap, the mere feeling of standing after hours causing her knees to crack unceremoniously. She cringed. Hearing the sound of bones cracking never appealed to her. Ryo only chuckled before standing up herself, her legs wobbling unbalanced.
Yep, Hitori totally numbed Ryo's legs.
Nevertheless, Ryo opened her bedroom door, and someone Hitori couldn't see pushed a cart with two plates of food into the room before closing the door shut.
Did Ryo eat dinner in her room, too?
She continued to watch as Ryo pushed the small cart in front of her bed, walking past Hitori to drag her only chair across from it. There were two makeshift seats for both of them, now.
Hitori let Ryo take her seat first, gesturing her hand to both sides when Ryo eyed her curiously. The other only shrugged before sitting on the chair side, and in response, Hitori took the bedside.
There were only two plates, but both had large portions. The plates had the same dish, but that didn't stop Hitori from being impressed by how wonderfully delicious it looked.
Almost on cue, her stomach growled in protest of how long ago she had last eaten - just before she left her own house to get here. Hitori felt her cheeks turning red, and Ryo smiled amused before picking up her chopsticks, already beginning to eat in silence.
Maybe this is normal for her, Hitori thought. She had never experienced a "silent dinner," however, since she had always spent her evening meals with her family, who were always chatty around that time.
And while silence usually left Hitori feeling as awkward and uncomfortable as ever, she had gotten used to the silence she shared with Ryo. Ever since the first time they hung out together - when Hitori showed Ryo her lyrics for the first time - they had always carried a strange bond.
So, they ate in comfortable silence, fully enjoying their meals.
Or so she thought it was comfortable. Hitori felt it was too quiet. With the heater off in Ryo’s room, there wasn’t even some kind of white noise to keep her ears busy. She looked at Ryo’s food, which was the same as hers. Right.
The silence was only followed by more silence, and Hitori couldn’t shake the feeling of awkwardness off of her. Why was she even here? She could have just said that she needed to do something at home and left, but no because she just had to give into her selfishness.
Her overthinking started again, and she could feel that this time, she would really lose herself. She could already feel her body trembling as her eyes moved around rapidly, searching for anything to focus on.
"Doesn't beat Nijika's cooking," Ryo mumbled into the silence, and Hitori perked up, gazing at Ryo for a second. Right, Ryo was here, too.
Hitori had only tried Nijika's cooking once – when Nijika brought her home cooking to band practice. "Just a little gift for my friends!" she had said. Hitori remembered it was the best cooking she had in a while.
Hitori nodded in agreement. "Home cooking is always better."
"It's made with love," Ryo added, smirking rather smugly, "And Nijika just loves me so much."
"Ah," Hitori said, lifting the corner of her mouth. Ryo’s confidence never failed to impress her. "Yes." She does.
As much as Ryo fooled around, she really was good friends with Nijika, and what Ryo said was true. Though, Nijika wasn’t the only one.
I feel the same way, Hitori added to her thoughts. She dared not to say it aloud, but the feeling tightened in her chest.
Once the two finished their meals, the servants came back to collect their dishes - Hitori could barely remember their faces - and Ryo lingered behind her.
"I-I think I sh-should go now," Hitori mumbled, her back facing the other behind her. Hitori felt something latch onto her back, and she realized Ryo was hugging her again.
Ryo buried her face into Hitori's shoulder, mumbling something incoherent. She looked so cute, Hitori caressed her head delicately, and Ryo leaned into her touch.
That was not supposed to happen. Hitori wasn’t thinking! She probably should have stopped now, but Ryo seemed to be enjoying it too much for her to cease her movement, so she only continued, a warm feeling welling up in her chest.
It’ll be fine, Hitori began to realize. Yeah, this would all be okay. It was okay from the very beginning; how had she not known this? After all, Ryo wasn’t as scary as she thought. It was actually… nice, staying over at her house.
She wouldn’t mind doing it again.
"I'll see you at tomorrow's shift," Hitori said, her first sentence of the day that wasn't delivered in a stuttering mess.
"Yeah," Ryo muttered, releasing Hitori.
Hitori collected her things and then opened the bedroom door. Ryo followed her down the stairs to walk her out. Hitori felt much warmer with her coat and scarf back on, but it didn't feel the same as Ryo's warmth, despite how cold her hands were. The latter was much warmer, actually, in a way. Hitori couldn’t put her finger on why, though.
"Bye, bye, Bocchi," Ryo waved, holding the front door open as Hitori stepped outside, back into the cool, winter night.
"S-See you tomorrow," Hitori stuttered. She almost wanted to blame the cold for her sputtering coming back, but she knew Ryo would see right through her endless excuses.
With one last nod, Ryo closed the door, and Hitori could hear the same squeaking of the gates behind her. She departed from the Yamada household and made her way to the train station.
Once on the platform, she pulled out her phone to notify her parents of her soon-to-be arrival, then put it away again. As she stood there, she let out a puff of air as her shoulders dropped.
Her heart sped up again, and she thought about the events minutes ago. How everything welled up felt too good, too rewarding. She wasn’t that dumb to not know Ryo acted weirder than normally. What did Hitori even do to receive such treatment from Ryo?
It just felt… too good to be true.
Although, perhaps Hitori was overthinking the whole situation. There wasn’t any concrete evidence that Ryo was acting weirdly – she already was weird, anyhow. She’d always been unpredictable in the first place.
The sound of the train approaching made Hitori silence her thoughts, putting her thinking aside – even if it was just temporary.
Even though, maybe Ryo was cooler than she had thought.