Work Text:
Makimura was heading off when She saw someone at the art studio. Curiosity got the best of her and dropped whatever she’s doing to see what’s happening. The smell of spray paint suddenly ticks her sensitive nose, sensitive in a way that actually comforts her. The shaking of the Can rings in her ears like a simple symphony that draws her in
A click, A step
A click, A step
Both the sound of the Can and her feet intensifies as she gets near the door. When she looked inside she wasn’t precisely surprised to see a certain acquaintance who also uses the studio in their free time.
After all, everyone would know that pink hair of his.
“Niibashi-san?”
“Hm?” he turned around and saw Makimura at the door “oh, it’s you Makimura-san”
It is now common for them to see one another during the weirdest times, albeit it was mostly Makimura planning to sketch while Niibashi is refilling up his 5th mug of coffee, this will soon come to both of them actually needing coffee. It took some time but both of them are now comfortable with one another, due to—you can say—similar interests.
“Yeah, I was about to leave when I heard the spray paint, didn’t really think you’re into that kind of stuff” Makimura sat at the empty chair next to Niibashi. If not filled with cans then most seats are the resting spot of different brushes he has
“First of all, Rude,” he quickly defends himself “but yes,It’s actually my first time using them, I owe something to a friend of mine..” his look already telling who it might be
“Kagiura isn’t it?” she answered
“...Yes” he looks annoyed “and don’t ask why”
Makimura looks at the different papers scattered across the floor, some are precise while some are messy with the different colors of spray paint, Niibashi must’ve been trying to get used to the cans. At the very center of everything though is a blank—about three meters long—paper (must’ve been cartolina now looking back at it)
“making a banner?”
“For his next game, Yes” he stares at it for a moment “what colors do you think I should use?”
“Blues are always his color, so maybe you could go with that.” Makimura could now envision a simple cheering banner, maybe a splash of back to match his palette..
After a certain period of getting to know one another, these two and their ideas have always been reliable to one another. Whenever someone feels doubt the other would reassure them or help them just like now
“Don’t you think he’ll get sick of it though?” Niibashi looks at her, still thinking
But it is also a reason why they clash with one another.
Makimura was silent for a second as if Niibashi was asking something so blatantly obvious. She blinks for a bit as she’s about to prove a point.
“Do you think he’ll even get tired of Hirano-senpai’s eyes-” Niibashi cuts her off before she can finish it
“Okay! I get it now, there’s no need to explain to me what both you and Miyano have come up with this time-” The time when both old classmates have met they start to catch up with one another. Makimura has always been a fan of different Mangas, old or new, so teaming up with someone who is as passionate as Miyano when it comes to his BLs, the duo became an unstoppable force whenever they hyperfixate on the latest thing they found interesting.
It was unfortunate (or rather fortunate) that this was also the time when Hirano announced that both him and Kagiura are (finally) in a romantic relationship with one another now. So only god can stop these two from hyper analyzing how the couple are so ridiculously in love with one another that they forget everyone seeing how smitten they are to each other.
The room was silent for a moment as Niibashi picked up the different cool colors that he could find. He already has a handful of cans when he looks at Makimura’s expression, eyes wide as they look at him intently.
Makimura, being the only girl in their group, is obviously the more open one in them, although everyone is pretty open to one another, there is a hint of air as it grounds you with her personality. This makes her the most expressive as well.
“You can help.”
And at that moment the expression she’s wearing is obviously asking for permission to help him making the banner
Makimura’s face instantly changed into a cheeky grin, yet no malicious intent can be found in it.
After all she always saw the beauty in small things, that’s probably why she’s always mesmerized to see the bigger picture right after.
—
“Prof did something annoying again haven’t she?” Niibashi poured the hot water down to the mug he’s using and mixed the instant coffee in it.
“Nope, it’s the commissions this time, did something that almost took me a day to finish and the client refuses to pay for it” Makimura yawns, Niibashi handing her the other cup he just finished mixing, Makimura thanked him for it.
They’re taking that 3rd break right now, the sun is long past gone and it’s only them and a few employees at the establishment who are the only ones still trying not to pass out in the middle of the night from exhaustion. Coffee breaks like these have already been a cycle for them, it just gradually turned into a chatting zone whenever they feel like it.
“I still need the money for tuition, that remaining 5% at my 95% scholarship still cost at least four thousand yen”
“Hearing you say that sometimes makes me remember that I’m actually not paying my tuition at Waseda”
“No need to brag about your status, I’m still lucky to have ended up at Showa’s even if it isn’t a full scholarship-” she stops, thinking about something Niibashi’s not really sure about
“-And hearing you brag about it makes me remember why I stupidly hate financially privileged people like you” she reacts almost expressionlessly, although this is just her past 12-am dry humor kicking in.
Niibashi just stares at the night, blues and purples can be seen while the moon highlights it with white. Both are silent for a while before Makimura, who is usually the louder between the two, speaks again
“Hey..”
“Hm?”
“How could a deaf person make music?”
“Huh?” His face is mixed with both shock and confusion.
He wasn’t reciprocated by a look or word, he’s mostly sure that the other is just letting her mouth blabber a bunch of stuff at this rate. He looked at the moon again mimicking the shorter
“You’re talking about Beethoven right?” silence, but he already knows he’s correct. “If we’re still asking about his life then we can reason out that he can still hear sounds in his early life to know the basis of making one.”
“But how could he still have the passion to do so when he can’t hear anything. It’s like being a painter who can’t see colors”
“There is no meaning to such thing, we’re not them to know nor care anyways”
She scoffs and takes a sip of her coffee, now seemingly more in spirit. “I couldn’t even think that I could still continue doing the things I love if something like that happened to me.”
Niibashi rolls his eyes, lightheartedly teasing the other “someone who is as persistent as you? As if you could actually give up on art at all.” Niibashi starts walking with his coffee in hand “tell me when it happens though.” he sarcastically added
Niibashi could hear a soft laughter that could only belong to one person in the room, which earned a smile from him.
He was later followed by the sound of walking catching up, then a series of questions that he’ll answer once they get back to work.
—
Makimura woke up to the rays of the morning light, the sounds of clicking are now gone while only a faint music that must be coming out at a speaker can be heard. She rose from her short slumber, stretched out an arm and rubbed her eyes.
The first thing she realizes is that the music is classical music, she already expects it from a flashy person like Niibashi. The second is that the cans are now replaced with different sizes of paint bottles, upon further inspection, Acrylic paint. And the last thing she saw is Niibashi focused and silent all throughout the process of painting a wind bell
It’s honestly rare for them to see each other like this, too focused to even let the morning summer light distract him. The two of them feed off each other’s energy. That is much to say about them. Mostly it’s Niibashi who stands by the sidelines to watch a hyperactive Makimura move along the flow she wants, but now as she watches an unalerted and calm Niibashi rather than a Stern and firm one, She doesn't mind.
Maybe she can stay like this for a little while..