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The night air is filled with the thundering noise of the crowd’s cheers, the kind of noise that makes you want to run away to a quiet place. The kind of noise that always revitalises Eita.
As much as she loves the attention, usually soaking it like a sponge, this time around she is not doing it for them. She has a much simpler goal in mind.
Her fingers strum the strings of her guitar as she sounds out the lyrics of one of the songs they are covering for the night. She grins at the crowd as they sing along to the song, swaying happily to the beat. They get louder and louder as the song hits the chorus and Eita thrives in the adrenaline of performing. She scans the crowd again briefly and when she catches the familiar sight of brown long hair, her heart palpitates. Suddenly, no one else matters. Eita smirks, her voice getting louder on purpose as she makes eye contact with Kenjirou. She could see the scowl forming on her face and it only fuels Eita more.
When the song ends, Kenjirou is already full on glaring at her, standing in front of her and the crowd. Another person would have cower underneath the ever popular death glare but not Eita. Instead, her smile only became bigger. Kenjirou gives her one final warning look before turning to face the crowd.
“The show is over. Everyone, please make your way back to the dorms. It’s almost curfew,” Kenjirou says, her voice firm. She doesn’t pay attention to the sound of complaints and groans or the people calling her a mood killer. She turns to face Eita and her band instead, her arms crossed and scowl make a permanent home on her face. How she makes anger look hot is beyond Eita.
“Semi-san,” Kenjirou says, her tone sharp, “This your second unauthorised performance in campus compound this month. Are you trying to break a record?”
“Kenjirou,” Eita grins, “I’m just trying to lighten up the mood around this place. Have a little fun, won’t you?”
Kenjirou's eyes widened in anger. It’s almost too easy to rile her up, “You can have fun while still following the school rules, Semi-san. I don’t understand why you need to pull all of these stunts. Are you just that much of an attention seeker?”
“I don’t understand why you are such a stickler to the rules. Why, is the student council’s blazer too tight you don’t have any room for fun?”
Kenjirou pauses, staring at her, “Two weeks of detention to all of you. I don’t want to hear any complaints.”
Before she could leave, Eita grabs her wrist, forcing Kenjirou to face her again, “Come on, Kenjirou. Leave them out of this, it’s my idea.”
Eita watches as Kenjirou glances at Eita’s hand wrap around her wrist before glaring back at her, “Fine. You’ll do their detentions too then. That’s two months of detention for you,” Kenjirou yanks her wrist from Eita’s grasp, “I expect you to follow the rules accordingly, Semi-san or the consequences will become more dire.”
Eita stares at Kenjirou’s disappearing figure, grinning and not at all faltering at Kenjirou’s coldness. Behind her, Hayato whistles, “Eita, you look very happy for someone who just got two months worth of detention. Are you alright?”
“I’m perfectly fine, Hayato. In fact, I’m very happy.”
Hayato raises an eyebrow, “Are you drunk?”
Eita laughs, “She gave me two months of detention. Eight weeks! You guys know what that means?”
“Uh, no?” Reon says, which only makes Eita feel even more delighted.
“She says she gives me you guys’ detention too but there’s five of us. She’s supposed to give me ten weeks of detention but instead she gave me eight. I’m telling you, she cares about me.”
“Eita-chan,” Satori calls, “I have to say, even I think you’re reaching right now.”
“Have a little faith in me. I know I’m right.”
“Eita, you have been doing unauthorised gigs at campus just to get her attention,” Reon points out, “While I appreciate the fact that you always shoulder our part of the punishment, I do think that it’s best if you talk to her.”
“I agree,” Wakatoshi chimes in, “Communications are important to build a stronger relationship.”
Eita sighs, “I know. But trust me on this one. I know what I’m doing.”
“Okay, girl, if you’re sure. We are right behind you,” Hayato smacks Eita’s shoulder, “Now let's clean this up and get going.”
Eita follows her friends as they pack up their equipment, her mind still reeling with the thoughts of Kenjirou. Since the moment they met, Kenjirou and her have never been friends. They are always rivals, there is never a day where they would not argue with each other. But Eita has always been attracted to Kenjirou. Her sharp wits and death glares somehow has become something that she looks forward to seeing rather than something she is annoyed with.
Eita has never had a problem with charming people. She’s good with conversations and is easy going, eyes tend to follow her everywhere she goes whether it's from jealousy or admiration. But Kenjirou is different, a challenge. She couldn’t care less about Eita’s charms, she just wants Eita to get out of her hair. But every time she gives Eita even a smidge of attention, Eita feels her heart soar. It’s addictive to have her chocolate eyes following Eita’s every move even in the context of impatience and anger. Every sarcastic quip that leaves her mouth only seems to make Eita fall even more in love.
Eita learns fast that if she wants Kenjirou’s attention on her, she can’t do the same thing she does to everyone else. Smooth lines and flirting isn’t going to shake her but instead something like riling her up and giving her a challenge will. So, Eita tries to play her cards right. She will make sure that Kenjirou looks at her and sees her, however way she can.
ִ ࣪𖤐◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ `
“You haven’t even touched your food since we got here,” Reon says, looking at Eita who is slumping on the table, her cheeks resting on her outstretched arm and her shoulder length hair framing her face.
“Eita-chan here is a little bit sick,” Satori teases, munching on her food.
“Are you okay, Eita? Should you go to the nurse?” Wakatoshi asks from her place next to Satori, her eyes gleaming with concern.
“Not that kind of sickness, Wakatoshi-chan,” Satori giggles, “She is love sick. She hasn’t seen Kenjirou for weeks now and she misses her, isn’t that adorable?”
“Shut up, Satori,” Eita scowls, which only makes Satori giggles even more.
“Yeah that’s a given,” Hayato says, “I heard the student council has another event coming up. Something about an entrepreneurial carnival? She’s probably busy managing all that.”
“Entrepreneurial carnival? Are they inviting students to open booths and do performances again?” Reon questions. Eita sits up straight at the information, suddenly interested. She already has a hunch on where this is going.
“Yeah, kinda. How much you’re willing to bet that they’re gonna ask us to perform at the closing ceremony?” Hayato smirks.
“Would they? After all the stunts we pull I doubt the student council are very fond of us,” Reon adds, “I think the chances would be very low.”
Eita leans forward in her seat, “I think they would. We’re the only ones that can bring the crowd in. They have to.”
“Well, aren’t you confident, Eita,” Satori states, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course I am!” Eita exclaims, “Trust me, they would come begging for us to perform. I can’t wait.”
Hayato rolls her eyes, “Please, you just want an excuse to see Kenjirou again.”
“You know it,” Eita winks, “She would come running to me any day now.”
“Good luck on that, Eita. Though I suggest toning down the arguments this time,” Reon advises. Eita only offers her a cheeky smile.
ִ ࣪𖤐◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ `
When Eita sees Kenjirou waiting for her outside of her classroom just a few weeks later, Eita couldn’t help but grin, her heart thumping quickly in her chest at the sight of her.
Kenjirou’s brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, tied with a ribbon in a half ponytail. Her uniform is a bit skew but somehow still looking all put together. She’s carrying stacks of books in one arm and is looking blankly at Eita, not bothering to offer her a smile. That’s good enough in Eita’s dictionary, it means Kenjirou’s annoyance is at medium level. Nothing Eita can’t handle.
“Kenjirou,” Eita greets, tucking her hair behind her ears. She doesn’t miss the way Kenjirou stares at her, “Fancy seeing you here. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“There’s a carnival coming up that the student council is organising,” Kenjirou starts, straight to the point, “We want your band to perform at the closing ceremony. For audience engagement.”
“Huh,” Eita lets out, hiding an amused smile, “What makes you think I would agree?”
Kenjirou’s face hardens, her eyebrow furrows, “Because you’re an attention seeker? Figures you want the spotlight on you this time around too. Without getting your ass in trouble again.”
“Real funny,” Eita crosses her arms, looking at Kenjirou all challengingly, “But it’s bold of you to assume that I would want anything to do with the student council after everything.”
Kenjirou scoffs in disbelief, “You know well enough that everything that happens is because you’re too arrogant to follow the rules. We wouldn’t be in this situation if you didn’t pull those stunts.”
“And yet you’re the one coming to me begging for my band to play at your ceremony.”
“I’m not begging,” Kenjirou stresses, her hold on her books tightening.
“Right,” Eita says, “I have no reason to say yes then.”
Eita’s arms fall to her side as she walks past Kenjirou, a smile making its way to her face. She purposely walks slow enough, knowing that any time now Kenjirou will stop her.
“Fine!” There it is. Eita stops but does not bother to turn to face Kenjirou.
“Please play at our event. It would mean a lot to us,” Kenjirou pauses before sighing, “To me.”
Eita’s smile becomes wider and she finally turns around, walking closer to Kenjirou.
“Can’t believe I got the Shirabu Kenjirou begging for me.”
Kenjirou glares at her but refuses to say anything, which only seems to make Eita more delighted.
“Tell you what,” Eita starts, “We will perform at your event under one condition.”
Kenjirou raises an eyebrow, looking at Eita warily, “What?”
“When the event is over,” Eita leans closer, Kenjirou’s vanilla scent becomes stronger, “You will go out on a date with me.”
“What?!” Kenjirou leans away, her mouth agape as she stares at Eita as if she has lost her mind, “Are you crazy?”
Eita shrugs, smiling, “Not crazy. That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
“What do you mean go out on a date with you? We hate each other!”
“You thought wrong. So, do we have a deal?”
Kenjirou looks away, her cheeks painted red. She bites her bottom lip, a habit she does whenever she’s deep in thought. A habit that Eita has always found endearing. After what seems like an eternity, she turns to face Eita again and somehow, her face becomes redder.
“Fine,” She says, “One date.”
Eita blinks, “Really?”
“One date and you perform five songs. That’s the deal.”
Eita lights up, excitement bubbling up at the pit of her stomach, “Perfect. Can’t wait.”
Kenjirou fixes her a final stare before walking away, not bothering to say goodbye. When she’s out of sight, Eita lets out an excited squeal. She can’t wait for the date.
ִ ࣪𖤐◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ `
The last thing Eita expects to see when she enters the library is Kenjirou sleeping on one of the tables. Her usually kept hair is a mess, falling freely behind her shoulders, free from her usual half ponytail. Her school blazer hangs behind the chair that she is sitting on, her name tag glistening against the sunlight. When Eita walks closer, she is slightly drooling, her saliva wetting the textbooks she’s using as a pillow. Even when she’s a mess Kenjirou still looks so beautiful.
Eita admires the view in front of her, very rarely did she ever get the chance to stand this close to Kenjirou. Kenjirou looks tired lately, her clothes not as neat as they used to be and she’s frowning every so often. Eita rarely sees her in the cafeteria anymore and her eye bags are getting even more visible as days go by. Kenjirou seems to have lost her usual composed aura and a part of Eita is concerned that she’s putting her health at risk.
Kenjirou stirs in her sleep, groaning, causing Eita to step back a little. She blinks a couple times before slowly sitting up, rubbing her eyes. She looks up, surprised, at seeing Eita before quickly shifting to her usual blank face.
“What?”
“Oh, uh,” Eita clears her throat, “I saw you sleeping here and thought…well, I thought I could say hi.”
“Okay. Hi,” Kenjirou says flatly, “Are we done here?”
“Well, no,” Eita pulls the chair in front of Kenjirou and takes a seat, “You look bad.”
Kenjirou rolls her eyes, “Semi-san, if you’re here to talk to me about how awful I look then I suggest you — ”
“No, Kenjirou, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry,” Eita cuts her off, “I just…you look tired. Have you been taking care of yourself?”
“What I do with my time is none of your business, Semi-san.”
“I know that but — ”
“Semi-san, are you seriously saying you care about how I look or how tired I am?” Kenjirou scoffs, rolling her eyes again, “Yes, I’m tired. I have so many things to do. I barely get any sleep. I don’t have time for whatever it is that you’re doing. I don’t need you to break any more rules and add more to my stress. So, just leave me alone.”
Kenjirou stares at her, face settling into a frown. For a moment, Eita wants to be mad. But the second she looks at Kenjirou and her disheveled state, she couldn’t bring herself to.
Eita sighs, “You need a break.”
“Oh wow, I don’t know that,” Kenjirou comments, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Eita shakes her head before standing up and rounding the table before finally ending up next to Kenjirou. She holds up her hand and Kenjirou stares at her blankly.
“Come on. You need a distraction. Let’s go to band rehearsals with me.”
“And do what?”
“Just come.”
Kenjirou looks up again from Eita’s face and her hand, biting her lips in contemplation. She exhales, pushing Eita’s hand away and stands up. She takes her blazers and wears them. She fixes Eita a look that screams this better be worth it before packing up her stuff. Soon enough, the two of them are out of the library.
The walk to the rehearsal room is quiet. Kenjirou never likes small talks and Eita doesn’t bother to start them. When they arrive, the rest of the band is already there, lounging around and cracking jokes with one another. Satori is the first to look up, smiling mischievously at the sight of Kenjirou who is standing awkwardly by Eita’s side.
“Well, well,” She grins, her head tilting to the side, “Eita-chan, you didn’t tell us you’re bringing a guest.”
“She’s just here to watch us rehearse,” Eita tells her before turning to face Kenjirou, “You can sit on the sofa. I promise you will enjoy this.”
Kenjirou hums and makes her way to the sofa without any complaints. Eita turns back to her band, ignoring their questioning and curious looks. Immediately, she instructs them to get into position, not bothering to address any of their probable questions. As Eita takes her position, hands on the microphone, she takes a final glance at Kenjirou who, much to her surprise, is already staring back at her. Eita gives her a wink which causes Kenjirou to blush and turn the other way. Eita smiles as the beat of Hayato’s drum begins to sound.
Out of all the five songs they handpick for the entrepreneurial carnival, only one of the songs is an original. The song they are currently rehearsing is one that Eita writes in the comfort of her dorm room, when the dark has consumed the sky. She remembers sitting on her bed, biting the end of her pen and letting the cold air from the window hit her skin as she tries to think of inspiration. The sound of Satori’s snores and her scribbled out notebook are her only company. She remembers thinking of Kenjirou, who’s always such a brat but somehow also charming with her blank stares and dry humours. Who somehow always manages to bring out the best and worst in Eita. Eita found the words to her songs easily because despite everything, Kenjirou has always been her muse.
Now, as she looks at her sitting in front of her on the couch, her lips curling into a rare smile and her dimples showing on her cheeks, she is still Eita’s muse. She sings out the words, her eyes never leaving Kenjirou. She looks relax, happy, just watching Eita and her band perform and Eita finds that watching her is like a mirror. Kenjirou’s feelings reflect back to Eita.
As the last beat of the song fades out, Kenjirou gives them a small smile, her cheeks slightly red. She claps her hands, “That was impressive. That sounds amazing.”
“Yeah?” Hayato says, grinning, “Eita made the song. Guess you can say she has a magic touch.”
Kenjirou’s eyes flicker at her and Eita can only offer her a smile, “Glad you love it, Kenjirou.”
Kenjirou stays until practice wraps up, occasionally chatting with them and laughing at their jokes. Eita couldn’t help but feel comfortable having her here, like she fits right with them. This is the first time in weeks Eita has ever seen Kenjirou look less stressed and more like herself. It’s a nice look on her.
“Hey,” Kenjirou says when it’s just the two of them in the room, her hair hiding her face ever so slightly, “Thanks for bringing me here today. I feel much better.”
Eita shrugs, slinging her guitar case over her shoulder, “It’s no problem. I just thought you could use some pick me up.”
“Yeah,” Kenjirou pauses, her eyes trailing from every corner to the room before finally settling on Eita, “I’m sorry. About everything I said. I just…let the stress get to me and lash it out on you.”
“It’s nothing, Kenjirou. I get that,” Eita smiles. She thinks for a while before deciding to take the leap, “Do you want to walk to the dorms together?”
Kenjirou stills for a bit but hesitantly nodding. Eita feels her knees going weak. Kenjirou is rarely ever shy, especially around Eita but god, is she cute. The two of them make their way to the dorms, walking side by side. There’s a slight distance between them and the silence is slightly overbearing but the stars shine bright above them tonight and Eita will cherish the moment as it is. Even like this, Eita wishes the walk would never end.
“What you said the other day,” Kenjirou breaks the silence, her grip on her bag tightening and she doesn’t look at Eita, “About the date. Why do you do it?”
Eita blinks, looking at her, “Why do I sorta ask you out?”
Kenjirou nods, “Yeah. We’ve never been on good terms before. I figured…you don’t like me much for always ruining your fun.”
“That’s never the case at all,” Eita states, “I never not like you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…I’m going to admit something embarrassing here but uh,” Eita gulps, the tip of her ear feels warm and it doesn’t help that Kenjirou chooses this moment to turn to her, “I have a crush on you. A very huge crush. I used to not like you at all because I do think that you’re kind of a fun police but…somehow, my feelings change. I know I can’t get to you through smooth lines and being all charming so I do it the only way I can. I…pull those stunts so that you would pay attention to me.”
“You mean…” Kenjirou interrupts, “Those unauthorised gigs and other things are just ways to get my attention?”
Eita’s heart thumps against her chest, each beat getting louder. Her hands feel clammy all of a sudden, “Yeah. It’s stupid, I know. But…I realised that I just want your attention, however I can get it. Even when I know you’re glaring daggers at me and probably thinking of me in the context of murder.”
Kenjirou stays quiet for a bit as the two of them walk together. Eita is too nervous to even look at her, she feels as if she’s naked and her soul is bare. She doesn’t know what Kenjirou would say and she could only hope that she’s brave enough to face it.
“You’re unbelievable,” Kenjirou mutters finally. When Eita glances at her, her cheeks are slightly red.
“That’s a good thing?” Eita asks, smiling hesitantly. The two of them come to stop in front of the dorm buildings.
Kenjirou looks up at her, her face flushes and she looks away again, “Yeah. It’s a good thing.”
Eita smiles, her own cheeks warm and she feels alive.
That night if she squeals into her pillows, that’s her own business.
ִ ࣪𖤐◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ `
Perhaps her prayers are being answered because before Eita knows it, she and Kenjirou are close. They text each other almost all the time, usually with Eita starting first. But it never escapes her attention that Kenjirou is always so quick with the replies as well. It sends Eita a sense of thrill whenever her phone lights up with a notification from Kenjirou. Their current relationship is weird to Eita but she will take whatever kinds of texts Kenjirou would send her which are;
eita
band practice ran late today
we r so gonna rock the event
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
Right
Be sure to not break any rules though
When you perform
Otherwise our deal will be off
eita
WHAT
YOU CANT DO THAT???
WE HAVE A DEAL
KENJIROU NOOO
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
I fail to see how that’s my problem
eita
fine i will behave
i know u look forward for our dates <33
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
No.
And its date. I agree with one.
eita
THERE WILL BE MORE COMING
TRUST
This is all fine to Eita, really. She loves getting texts from Kenjirou, loves the fact that Kenjirou even bothers to reply to her. It totally doesn’t make her heart race and make her feel like she’s floating on clouds. But then, there’s also texts like this;
eita
i saw u at the library this evening
dont tell me ur still there
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
Okay.
I’m not still there.
eita
kenjirou.
its 10 pm
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
I just need to get some things done.
I will go back to the dorms soon.
eita
have u even eat dinner yet
arent u tired
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
I haven’t.
And I am.
But this cannot wait.
eita
okay stay there
im buying u food and taking u back to the dorms
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
That’s not necessary, Semi-san.
I can handle this.
eita
i hope u like burgers thats all i can afford rn
be there soon!!!
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
…Fine
Be careful.
And this;
eita
hey bought u some food and meds just in case u need it
i hope u r not still holed up in the library
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
I’m in the Student Council’s office.
You don’t need to do all this, you know.
eita
someone has too
i will go to u
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
Thank you, Eita.
I appreciate it.
Her friends might roll their eyes at Eita whenever she giggles over a simple thank you text from Kenjirou but she doesn’t care. Things are looking up and Eita is over the moon.
ִ ࣪𖤐◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ `
Eita flips her hair, looking all smug as she adjusts her guitar in her hold. Her guitar pick rests between her teeth and she smirks when she sees the sight of a flustered Kenjirou standing just a few feet away from the stage. Kenjirou glances away, pretending to go back to her job which is to oversee the rehearsal. But when Eita flexes her bare biceps on purpose as she strums her guitar, she sees Kenjirou glances at her again. Eita thanks her brilliant mind for choosing to wear a tank top to the rehearsal today.
“That’s good enough! Let’s take a break everyone!” Someone says. Eita takes her guitar and puts it in her case. She looks around the area trying to find Kenjirou in the crowd. For whatever reason, the Student Council decides to hold the closing ceremony outdoors, in an open space on campus that could fit too many people. The stage is spacious and big which seems to be above the budget for the council, not to mention the vibrant and bright decorations they set up. It’s the biggest crowd that Eita and her band ever played for and the thought of it is so exciting for her.
It takes her a few moments before she finally sees Kenjirou sitting on one of the benches, writing in her notebooks and looking as if she’s seconds away from falling asleep. Eita smiles and walks towards her.
“Kenjirou,” Eita calls, one hand on her hip. Kenjirou jolts, blinking slightly before finally looking up to face Eita.
“Semi-san,” Kenjirou acknowledges, “That was a nice performance.”
“Thanks,” Eita says before taking a seat next to Kenjirou, “You look tired, Kenjirou. Have you slept?”
“Yes,” Kenjirou answers.
Eita raises an eyebrow, “Right. How many hours is that?”
“Enough.”
“What exactly is enough?”
Kenjirou sighs before mumbling, “Two hours…I got too busy.”
“Kenjirou…”
“I’m fine. I just need to get things done and then I will rest.”
“Kenjirou, you need to rest. This isn’t good for you.”
“Semi-san,” Kenjirou puts her hand on top of Eita, looking at her with a smile so soft it makes Eita weak, “I can handle this. You don’t need to worry.”
Eita finds herself lost in Kenjirou’s eyes, unable to answer. Before she knows it, they are called back to rehearsal and Kenjirou lets go of Eita’s hand. She stands up and dust her skirt, giving Eita one last smile before walking away.
The rehearsal goes by smoothly, Kenjirou and the rest of the council fixing any mistakes and possible mistakes that could happen. It’s amazing to see Kenjirou in her element, a position that allows her to shine. It’s not the first time that Eita thinks of her as captivating. Rehearsals end and before Eita knows it, all of them are packing to go home. Eita says her goodbyes to her bandmates and turns to find Kenjirou sitting on the steps of the stage, still scribbling diligently on her notebook. Eita straightens her coat before approaching her, both hands in her pockets.
“Aren’t you leaving?” Eita asks.
“No,” Kenjirou replies, not bothering to look up, “There’s still some things I need to fix. You can go ahead.”
“Kenjirou, look,” Eita steps closer, “It’s getting late and it’s going to be cold soon. You need to sleep and eat.”
“But I — ”
“Kenjirou,” Eita pauses, “Please. You’re going to be sick and we can’t have that. Come have dinner with me.”
Kenjirou closes her eyes and exhales before looking at Eita, “You’re not backing up, are you?”
“No,” Eita holds out her hand, “Come on. I even pay for you.”
“You better,” Kenjirou sighs, smiling defeatedly before taking Eita’s hand in hers.
“This the second time you bought me burgers again, is it your favourite meal or something?” Kenjirou asks, stretching out her legs. They’re sitting on the curb of the street just in front of their campus, near the burger stall where other students buy their food whenever they are sick of the same old cafeteria menu.
Eita only laughs, “Well, it’s cheap and it makes you feel full. That’s a win for me. Unless you want to eat the cafeteria’s mashed potato tonight, be my guest.”
Kenjirou scrunches her nose in disguise, “Yuck. No, thank you. I would rather go to sleep hungry.”
Eita laughs again, finding everything about Kenjirou adorable. She put her unwrap burger on her lap, before gathering her hair in her other hand and tying it up. From the corner of her eyes she sees Kenjirou tracing after her every movement and Eita couldn’t help but feel smug.
“You sure stare at me a lot today,” Eita teases, “Find something worth looking at?”
“No!” Kenjirou looks away, “You look stupid.”
“Right. Nothing to do with my pretty face, huh?”
“Yes,” Kenjirou answers. She takes a huge bite from her burger to avoid any more embarrassing conversation and it only makes Eita laugh again. Eita unwraps her burger and begins eating too, letting the silence engulf them.
“Do you ever feel like…you’re nervous? Afraid that you’re going to mess up?” Kenjirou asks, the wind blowing her hair lightly.
“All the time. Especially before performing. I learned to not worry about it though. Why?”
“I just…” Kenjirou looks down at her lap, “I guess that’s why I work too much. Because I worry too much. Makes me nervous.”
“Well, that’s only normal, you know,” Eita nudges Kenjirou with her shoulder, smiling, “Even the most perfect girl feels nervous.”
“Most perfect girl?” Kenjirou says, amused.
“Well, you are,” Eita grins, “Besides, I have the perfect trick to help with that.”
“And that is?”
“My favourite song when I was a child was twinkle twinkle little star,” Eita begins, “I always sing it while looking at the star every night before I sleep. In some ways, I always associate the song and stars with comfort and good memories. So, whenever I feel nervous, I look up at the stars and feel…hope.”
Eita looks up, staring at the stars twinkling above them. Kenjirou stares at Eita before following suit, letting her eyes rest on the stars.
“Do you have a name for them?” Kenjirou asks, “The stars.”
“Ah, no,” Eita turns to Kenjirou, “Why?”
“Important things need names, don’t they?” Kenjirou smiles at her, “So name them. Name the stars.”
Eita feels breathless, once again hypnotised by Kenjirou's bewitching smile. She smiles back, softly and sure.
“Well,” Eita looks up and points at the brightest star she can find, the one at the center, “That one is Shira. She’s the brightest, prettiest star. She put everyone to shame.”
“Shira? Really? Naming stars after me now?”
“You’re important,” Eita states, simply.
Kenjirou flushes, rolling her eyes, “You need to stop saying things like that.”
“Just saying the truth,” Eita shrugs, grinning, “You name a star now.”
“Okay,” Kenjirou scooches closer, her eyes searching for a star before finally stopping at one, pointing at it, “There. The small one above Shira. Her name is Semi. You give my last name to a star, it’s only fair I do the same.”
“A small star? Really?”
“Just like you,” Kenjirou teases, their shoulders brushing against one another.
“Kenjirou, you’re smaller than me.”
“Details,” Kenjirou waves her hands dismissively, “Look at Shira and Semi up there, they’re so shiny. Beautiful.”
While Kenjirou has her eyes on the sky, Eita has her eyes on Kenjirou. She smiles, feeling a little bit out of breath, “Yeah. Beautiful.”
ִ ࣪𖤐◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ `
Eita is the first person to arrive at the dressing room, already dressed up in her outfit for their performance that night. Music blasting in the background as she sways her hip to beat and sing along, all the while trying to apply lip gloss on her lips. The beep on her phone interrupts her mini concert and Eita puts down her lip gloss before switching her phone on, the name kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍 staring back at her.
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
Hey
Can I come to your dressing room for a bit?
I need to do my makeup.
eita
sure!!
just come here
kenjirou 🤍🤍🤍
Thanks.
I’ll be there in 10 minutes.
True to her nature, there’s a knock on the door ten minutes later. Eita checks her hair one final time before opening the door, greeting Kenjirou with her usual charming smile. Kenjirou stands in front of her, dressed in a purple dress that reaches just below her knees and her hair curled up, falling down just above her waist. She has a makeup bag on her left hand and her handbag on the right. Her face is bare without makeup, there’s a pimple on her chin and she looks beautiful.
“Hey, you,” Eita greets, “Come on in.”
Kenjirou comes in and immediately sets her bag in front of the vanity table, “Thank you for this. I don’t wanna be late so I have to do my makeup here.”
“It’s nothing,” Eita takes a seat beside her, “The others won’t be here any time soon. Take all the time you need.”
“Why are you here so early?” Kenjirou asks as she puts on her foundation.
“Contrary to popular beliefs, I like being early. Helps me get rid of the pre performance jitters,” Eita answers, carefully leaning on the seat to avoid messing her hair. Her hair rests on her shoulders, messy and decorated with star hair clips. Earrings dangle on both of her ears and choker resting on her neck. She’s wearing a crop fur jacket with a crop shirt underneath and a skirt resting mid thigh. Normally, this would warrant her punishment for breaking the dress codes but Eita doesn’t care.
“Nice to know I’m not the only one nervous,” Kenjirou comments, blending a pink blush on her cheeks, “I hope things go smoothly.”
“I’m sure it will. Everything you do often does,” Eita reassures, rubbing Kenjirou’s bare shoulder. Kenjirou smiles slightly, glancing at her, “Thank you.”
Kenjirou puts down her brush before taking out her eyeliner and passing it to Eita who looks at her confused. Kenjirou looks at her shyly, “Can you do my eyeliner for me?”
Eita looks at her, dazed, “Uh, yeah. Sure.”
The two of them turn their chairs to face each other and Eita feels her heart thumping loudly against her ribcage. She uncaps the eyeliner before leaning closer to Kenjirou who does the same.
“Can I?” Eita asks, her hand hovering near Kenjirou’s chin. Kenjirou nods slightly. Eita cups Kenjirou’s cheek, turning it slightly and bringing their faces close to each other. Eita feels her cheeks warm at the distance between them.
“Don’t close your eyes,” She instructs. She brings the eyeliner close to Kenjirou’s eye, trying to focus on drawing the perfect eyeliner wing and not on the fact that Kenjirou smells like vanilla. Kenjirou’s attention is on her, quiet and unwavering as if trying to analyse every line and curve on Eita’s face.
Once done, she shifts to her other eye, leaning closer once again. Her hand feels sweaty as she holds the eyeliner still, trying not to let her nervousness ruin Kenjirou makeup. She draws the wing tentatively, Kenjirou’s skin soft against her fingers. Slowly, she pulls away, her hand still cupping Kenjirou’s cheek.
“All done,” Eita whispers, taking her hand off of her but not exactly leaning away.
Kenjirou sits up straight, smiling at Eita, “Do I look pretty?”
“You look beautiful.”
Kenjirou’s flushes and Eita feels herself doing the same. Their eyes meet and for a moment, nothing else seems to matter. All Eita can feel is her, Kenjirou’s bare knees brushing against her own, her breath against Eita’s face and her vanilla perfume mixing with Eita’s lavender. She could lean in and everything that Eita has ever dreamt of will come true. She could —
The footsteps and loud chattering from outside drags them back to reality. Kenjirou leans away, clearing her throat awkwardly and Eita finds herself missing their close distance.
Kenjirou stands up, packing her stuff and avoiding eye contact, “Thanks. For that. I should get going now, they’ll need me.”
“Uh, right. Sure. No problem,” Eita says, watching as Kenjirou opens the door. She pauses for a bit before turning on her shoulder to look at Eita.
“Good luck tonight, Semi-san. I’ll be watching.”
And then she’s gone. Eita leans back on her chair, letting out a breath she doesn’t know she’s holding.
After what seems to be hundreds of different performances in front of different sizes of crowds, you would think that Eita would get used to it. But standing here in the middle of the stage with these many people looking at her, the night sky as their roof and the lights blinding, she feels as if it’s her first performance all over again. It’s not exactly because of these crowds but it’s mostly because this is the first time Kenjirou ever watched her performances thoroughly. This is the first time Kenjirou ever paid attention to her genuinely. Eita gulps, suddenly everything feels a bit too much.
She grips on the microphone, overseeing the crowds in front of her before willing herself to look up to the sky. Staring back at her are the two stars from before, Shira and Semi. They’re twinkling, shining so brightly above the sky. It brings her back to her childhood, of good memories and hope. But more importantly, it brings her back to that night with Kenjirou where the stars couldn’t rival her smile.
When she looks back to the crowd, she sees Kenjirou looking at her with a smile. Suddenly, the amount of people cheering doesn’t matter. At this moment there are only two of them, existing only in each others’ orbit. Her nervousness is replaced by exhilaration and without another thought, she strums her guitar.
Eita is taking a sip of water after the show when Kenjirou approaches her, tucking her hair behind her ears. Kenjirou has her hands behind her back, looking at Eita with her rare shy smile. Eita smiles back, closing the lid of her drinks before setting it aside.
“Hey,” Kenjirou says, “That was a good show.”
“Thanks,” Eita leans closer, “I look at the stars tonight. Before the performance.”
“Yeah? Did you see the ones we named?”
“Yeah. Made me think of you,” Eita murmurs. Kenjirou walks closer to her, Eita could feel her breath against her lips.
“Good things, I hope?” Kenjirou whispers.
Eita lets her eyes fall to Kenjirou’s lips, still glossy from her makeup and that is all she can focus on, “Always.”
Before she could lean in, Eita feels a hand land on her chest stopping her. She looks up to Kenjirou, confused, only to be met with an amused look from her.
“I don’t kiss before the first date,” Kenjirou murmurs, smirking. She leans away and Eita lets out a disbelief scoff.
“I’ll make sure we kiss during the date, mark my words.”
Kenjirou snickers, “I’d like to see you try.”
Despite Kenjirou teasing her, Eita couldn’t help but feel excitement reels inside of her. She can’t wait.
ִ ࣪𖤐◞ ꙳ ๋࣭ ⭑ `
“For you,” Eita shoves the small bouquet of flowers in front of a shocked Kenjirou, “I would get you a bigger one but that would be a hassle to carry around during our date.”
“Oh,” Kenjirou blushes, taking the bouquet, “Thank you.”
“No problem. In fact,” Eita smiles before taking one of the flowers and slipping them in Kenjirou’s ear, “There. Look better on you.”
Kenjirou shoves her, looking away, “You are such a sap. Come on, we have a date to get to.”
Eita laughs as she walks besides her, carefully slipping her hand in Kenjirou's very own. Kenjirou doesn’t pull away and instead squeezes their hands together. Eita feels butterflies in her stomach as she swings their hands together.
When the two of them arrive at the funfair together, Kenjirou is practically beaming with excitement. Her eyes gleaming as she looks around the different games and food that they have to offer. She drags Eita to one of the game stalls that offers the customers a plushie of their choice if they are able to knock down the tower of tin bottles using tennis balls.
“Watch me,” Kenjirou says proudly, “I’m gonna win you one of those dragon plushies.”
“You’re confident,” Eita comments fondly. Kenjirou is so cute.
True to her words, Kenjirou manages to knock down the tower of tin bottles in only two tries. When Kenjirou presents Eita with a small black dragon plushie, Eita feels her heart swells at her proud grin. This is the first time she has ever seen Kenjirou so relaxed and happy, it makes her feel warm. Happiness makes her look even more radiant and Eita feels addicted.
“Thanks.” Eita says softly, hugging the plushie close to her, “This is our child now. Say hi to Mr. Big Eyes.”
“I would never name my child something so ugly,” Kenjirou states, poking at the plushie’s cheek.
“Don’t say that about him! He loves that name!”
“He got his bad taste from you.”
As the day goes by, Eita and Kenjirou find themselves trying out different games together. Eita finds out how competitive Kenjirou is in everything, always trying to one up her in any games that they come across. Most of the time she would win and almost every time she would look at Eita as if to see if she saw it. Eita couldn’t control the urge to ruffle her hair at that. How she ends up on a date with the cutest person alive is beyond her.
After a round of food and games, the two of them find themselves on a ferris wheel. Kenjirou excitedly looks out the clear glass of their cart, her smile never leaving her face as she scans for everything and anything. Eita scooches closer until their thigh touches, her hand finding Kenjirou’s hand.
Kenjirou turns to look at her with a smile, “Thanks for today. I really enjoyed it.”
Eita smiles, squeezing their hands together, “Me too. I’m glad you came.”
Kenjirou sighs, looking at something behind Eita before hesitantly making eye contact, “I told myself that if I see Semi and Shira I would tell you something important.”
Eita perks up, “Did you see them?”
“Yeah,” Kenjirou pauses, “I guess I have to do this then.”
To Eita’s surprise, Kenjirou takes both of her hands and holds them in hers. Kenjirou leans in and suddenly all Eita can taste is her strawberry lip gloss against Eita’s lips. Her heart drumming against her ribcage and she can feel her everywhere. Without hesitation, she closes her eyes and kisses back, her hand travelling to cup Kenjirou’s cheek. Kenjirou sighs against her lip and pulls her closer.
Eita doesn’t know who pulls away first. All she knows is that Kenjirou’s face is close to hers and she is out of breath. Adrenaline rushes through her veins, she still feels high from the sudden kiss and she can only see Kenjirou.
“Oh…” She lets out, finally grinning, “That was something.”
“I like you too,” Kenjirou states, straight to the point, “Are we gonna kiss again or what?”
Eita laughs before cupping her cheek again, pulling her close, “Definitely.”
As the two of them kiss, two stars above the sky twinkle. Everything else doesn’t seem to matter.