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Nyamu couldn’t hide her befuddlement at Sakiko’s last announcement during their band meeting. She eyed the other members’ reactions, checking if everyone had their mouths wide open just like her.
Mutsumi had her mouth slightly agape, but was otherwise as non-reactive as she’d typically be.
“You’re amazing, Saki-chan!” Uika was wide-eyed, her fantasies probably already running wild.
“This’ll surely give us even richer inspiration. How many plays will we be watching, Togawa-san?” Umiri was clapping her hands, already asking about more details. Ugh.
It wasn't really the fact that she secured 5 exclusive tickets to two shows that perplexed her, but more of the fact that this idea came from her in the first place.
“Now, now, it'll only be a brief trip. A mere two days and two nights, as I suggest we should stay one night earlier.” the blue-haired girl explained.
Beat.
Sakiko noticed some shifts in body language amongst the members as she spoke. She continued as she met her eyes with Nyamu's.
“We shall only be there during the weekend so as not to interfere with school and our activities during the week. I hope this arrangement is agreeable with everyone?”
Uika immediately nodded her head in response. Mutsumi simply looked ahead, knowing her and Sakiko, the former girl likely already had a heads up before their session today. And of course Umiri wouldn't have any problem with it.
Ah well, it's not like her own plans were set in stone yet anyway.
“Guess it works for me.” said Nyamu, her tone indifferent.
Sakiko looked round the table as she spoke. “Very well. Umiri, I’ll need your help to work on our itinerary and travel arrangements. We can discuss it right after if you're free.”
“With pleasure.” replied Umiri.
“I-I can help too, Saki-chan,” Uika chimed in.
Nyamu sunk into her seat. She feels she should be more excited about this whole idea. They're just going 450 km away to watch two (Gothic Victorian) plays for their own study after all. The drummer lightly scratched her chin.
She dropped a glance towards Mutsumi, who’d just been observing everyone and was now taking in her surroundings at RiNG. The shorter girl glanced back towards Nyamu, who quickly averted her gaze.
“It’s nothing.” The purple-haired girl muttered.
“I didn't even say anything.” Mutsumi replied, only to be caught off-guard by a grinning Umiri on her left.
—
The restaurant stirred with overlapping conversations and the shuffle of footsteps, waiters weaving through tables with just enough grace to keep from bumping into chairs. The warm lights casted a cozy glow over busy tables. And Sakiko Togawa’s irritation grew increasingly apparent by the second, behind practiced breaths at least.
“Please, just help yourselves first. I’ll ask them again about my order.” The blue-haired pianist assured the others.
“It's okay, Saki-chan, I’ll wait for you.” Uika pushed her plate of panini sandwiches aside, to Sakiko's subtle but visible chagrin.
Uika was the one who suggested they grab a quick dinner before getting on the train. Something about Sakiko mentioning Italian food some time ago stuck in her head. They figured they could squeeze it in. After all, as most of the trip’s logistics were handled by Sakiko and Umiri and neatly coordinated with the agency, the whole trip was already running like clockwork. A little pit stop wouldn’t hurt.
“What’d you order anyway?” Nyamu asked, her mouth full of spaghetti.
“... just a mere mini focaccia.” She whispered as she lowered her head.
“We need to leave by 7:45 though, our train’s at 8:30 PM.” said Umiri.
“That's what you get for ordering something out of the ordinary.” Nyamu rebutted playfully, circling her fork in Sakiko's direction. The blue-haired girl mentally swatted her hands away. A satisfying mental image of Nyamu yelping at the action appeared in Sakiko's mind.
“Have some of ours.” Mutsumi offered Sakiko the mushroom pizza that she and Umiri were sharing.
“Yeah, I‘m not eating much anyway.” Umiri added.
Fork still in her mouth, Nyamu turned to the pizza Mutsumi and Umiri were offering. “Do you two just not eat?! It looks like you only ate what, half a slice each?!”
“I’m eating another one.” Mutsumi replied. Sure enough, another slice was in her small hand. “It's good, Saki.”
Sakiko sensed that her stomach might betray her and let out an embarrassing sound soon. “Very well.”
On the other side of the wooden table, Uika’s eyes grew wide. She clumsily pushed her own plate towards Sakiko. In her rush to do so, she might've been too forceful and her backpack fell onto the ground from the sudden movement.
Nyamu lowered her eyelids towards the blonde girl and let out an internal sigh. How so very predictable.
Sakiko and Mutsumi were nibbling on the pizza as Nyamu noticed Umiri checking the time again. Her head cocked slightly as she saw a waiter pass by. Realising this, Nyamu turned her head and waved her hand.
“Excuse me~!”
“Nyamu!” Sakiko whispered in protest as the waiter approached their booth.
“We need to leave soon, but my friend here still hasn't gotten their order.”
“Oh dear! It's the mini focaccia right?” replied the waiter.
“Yes,” interrupted Sakiko. “I’d like to cancel that order please.”
The other four looked at her in surprise.
“I’m terribly sorry it's taking a while. I’ll check if it's being done or not, please wait for just a moment.” The waiter said as she trailed off hurriedly.
“Sure you don't want your focaccia?” Umiri asked.
“We’ll be late.”
Nyamu smirked at her band’s leader. “Was that so hard?”
Sakiko rolled her eyes and sighed. “That was never the problem.”
—
The train ride from Tokyo to Kanazawa was uneventful, for lack of a better word.
Mutsumi stared out the window. The evening view was dark but the bright lights of Tokyo and its periphery dotted a large chunk of the silhouetted scenery.
Seated next to her was Umiri. The black-haired girl had her earphones in her ears. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were closed. She said something about trusting her to stay alert about their arrival at their stop.
On the other side of the train car Sakiko was tapping away on her laptop, headphones worn over her head. The screen cast a soft glow on her focused face, as well as the blonde girl watching from right beside her. She thinks the two of them should get some rest.
Just like the purple-haired girl seated in the aisle seat, who had a face mask on her lower face and an eye mask draped over her eyes. She looked pretty ridiculous.
Mutsumi rested her head on her palm as she turned towards the window again. She gradually saw fewer and fewer lights.
She didn’t mind it, but she wondered if road trips are typically this quiet.
—
“I apologize again that I couldn't get each of you individual rooms.” Sakiko said as the Ave Mujica members walked across the corridor.
“It's fine, it's fine~” Nyamu nonchalantly replied. “This is fun too.”
The check-in process didn't have any hiccups.
Maybe it was because all of them were drained from the 3-hour trip and that it was already nearly midnight, that Nyamu headed straight to one of the beds upon entering. She buried her face in the pillow, nuzzling it while making incomprehensible noises.
Umiri walked in the door, herself just entering the room for the first time.
“Wow, I’m impressed you're already ready to sleep.”
“I’m obviously not. I haven't even changed yet.” Nyamu responded with a tinge of annoyance. “How's Muuko and the others’ room?”
“Bigger. They have a lazy chair in there too.” Umiri responded as she put down her bag and took off her jacket.
Nyamu turned over on her side. “So who's sleeping on the queen bed?”
Umiri blinked. “Me and you, each?” She was pointing to the two beds in their room. “Did you want to sleep together?”
“Not our beds, you dummy, I’m asking who's sleeping together on their queen bed! Ours isn't even queen sized.”
“Ah right, it's a super single.” said Umiri as she inspected the bed Nyamu was lying down on. “I don't know, I don't think they've decided.”
Nyamu let out a yawn as she fished for her vanity bag, ready to start settling down for the night. “Whatever. I'm gonna wash up and hit the hay.”
“They better not stay up too late figuring out who sleeps next to Sakiko.” she snickered.
A soft thump sounded from the bed, muffled by the blankets.
“This is very nice.” said Umiri, half-lying down on her bed with her legs dangling off the edge.
Nyamu’s eyes landed on the bassist, who was clad in only her tank top and baggy jeans. The girl was looking at her, mystery behind her ocean blue eyes.
She scrunched her face at the sight.
“You better not try anything funny with me tonight.” said the purple-haired drummer as she disappeared behind the washroom door.
Umiri sat up. She could only arch her eyebrows as she attempted to decipher her (temporary) roommate’s words.
—
“The seats are a lot comfier here than in the planetarium.” Uika whispered gently.
“Mm-hmm.” Sakiko hummed in response.
The auditorium hushed gradually, as if the very air had decided to hold its breath. Sakiko sat with her hands folded neatly over her lap, eyes drifting over the auditorium’s quiet opulence.
The light fixtures glowed low, casting soft shadows across the dark wood panels and lending the space a warmth she found tasteful. She heard the whispers of a low, polite, civilized tapering off into a gentle hush. In her periphery, Nyamu adjusted her jacket noisily and Uika fidgeted lightly right next to her.
“Psst.”
“Psst. Togawa-san.”
Sakiko looked to her left, her brow slightly furrowed.
“I believe we can still talk, since the show hasn't started.” Umiri whispered in Sakiko's ear.
“Yes, we can still talk. And you don't have to come that close.”
It was only for a split second, but Sakiko saw Umiri’s dejected reaction to her second sentence.
“Sorry,” The bassist continued, “Sorry that we got a bit lost earlier. I didn't know my reception isn't strong here. It won't happen again.”
Sakiko raised her eyebrows. “I mean, we got here before it started anyway. It's alright. Thanks again for your help.”
“So you’ll still trust me?”
Sakiko looked into Umiri's eyes. She winced and mustered up a smile. “Of course. Now let's enjoy the show.” she said as she positioned herself to look in front again.
Umiri’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Togawa-san.” she replied as she did the same as Sakiko.
She hoped her heart would stop thumping so hard so that she’ll be able to focus on the play.
—
“Even in death, I wore the veil you gave me. Not for love, but for the curse you left behind.”
The actress stood alone illuminated beneath the spotlight, veil fluttering like it remembered the wind. Her dress was old, stained with time, clinging to her like regret.
Her voice was quiet. Soft as silk, sharp as glass. Her delivery was melancholic but powerful.
This was ‘The Curse of The Crimson Bride’, the first out of the two plays the members of Ave Mujica would be watching.
Nyamu found herself slouched forward, her hand on her chin even. Her eyes darted to each part of the actress's body movements, studying every detail about the performance on stage. This was the whole reason for their trip after all, right?
At times she felt it was hard to keep track of everything happening. It didn't help that her mind kept on wandering to reflect on her own performances and those of a certain green-haired girl who happened to be sitting right beside her.
Nyamu blinked away the blur in her eyes, only to notice Mutsumi quietly watching her. Startled, she turned back to the stage a beat too fast, almost guilty. For a moment, she wondered what kind of expression Mutsumi had worn in that silence between them.
—
“Here's your apricot tea, Saki-chan,” said Uika.
The pianist mouthed a ‘thank you’ and nodded politely. She was writing something in her small notebook.
It was 11:30 AM. The show ended around half an hour ago, and the members of Ave Mujica found themselves in a coffee shop. Uika just returned from the counter, bringing her and Sakiko’s orders, which for some reason were finished later than the rest.
The five of them were all wearing stuff covering their faces of sorts, whether it was a face mask, sunglasses or an oversized hat. Kanazawa’s quite far off from Tokyo, but it doesn't mean there wouldn't be people recognising them.
Uika cupped her hands on her Americano. It was nice to just be like this with Saki-chan. She'd been over the moon when she told her they were going on a trip. A comfy trip, where she didn't even need to bring her guitar for once. Although, she had to admit she felt guilty that her excitement had dulled a little once she realized it’d be all five of them. Oh well. She did want to try getting along with everyone anyway.
The vocalist tucked some of her hair behind her ear. She looked at the rest of her band members seated around the table. Nyamu and Umiri were talking about something, probably about the play. The former was sipping a latte. Mutsumi was simply listening in to them.
Uika peeked over at whatever Sakiko was doing. The girl had a soft, barely visible smile across her lips. She seemed engrossed in thought. Uika felt like she could watch her like this forever.
She jolted a bit when the blue-haired girl suddenly cocked her head back and let out a deep breath. “That was incredible, wasn't it, Mutsumi?”
Uika reflexively turned her head toward the other girl, who simply smiled and nodded.
“The production design was immaculate. I especially loved the cutouts of the old manor during the last scenes! Perhaps we should have some too for some of our performances… Ooh I am getting so many ideas!”
Mutsumi smiled softly. It had been a long time since she’d seen Sakiko genuinely light up like that, her eyes glimmering with sparks of wonder. She gave a quiet nod in her direction again.
But the moment slipped away just as quickly. As Sakiko turned to face Nyamu, Umiri, and Uika, a look of fluster crossed her features, gone in an instant, replaced by her usual typical cold demeanor. She caught it, though. Perhaps the others didn’t even notice.
Uika and Mutsumi did realise however, that Nyamu was getting restless, even underneath her sunglasses and sunhat.
“Gahhh! We’re all the way out here and we're cooped up in this shop?” the drummer stood up and started walking away. “Let’s go and see the sights already!”
Uika stood up as well. “N-Nyamu-chan! But Saki-chan still hasn't finished!”
“Uiko?”
“W-what?”
Nyamu motioned her fingers together like a chattering dog puppet, “Arf arf!”
She stuck her tongue out and dashed out the door.
Uika was stunlocked.
“Sigh…” Sakiko rubbed her temples. “Umiri, Mutsumi, could you please follow Nyamu?”
“Of course, leave her to us!” Umiri responded. She dashed out as well with Mutsumi in tow.
“Nyamuchi-san! Free and easy time only begins at 12 PM!” Sakiko heard Umiri's voice slowly trailing away as she continued jotting down a few more lines of her notes.
Uika sat back down and sipped on her coffee, her eyes drooped like a sad puppy's.
—
Mutsumi found herself wandering the area nearby the Kanazawa station alone. She was simply following Nyamu and thought that Umiri was trailing along, but the bassist was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps something caught her eye.
She hasn't caught up to Nyamu yet. The purple-haired girl was a good twenty paces in front of her. She's sure Nyamu knew she was right behind, though, as the drummer kept sneaking glances every now and then.
Eventually Nyamu stopped in her tracks. Mutsumi caught up to her and was curious about what could've caught the taller girl’s attention.
It was a giant teapot replica. The lid was taken off, lying next to the pot itself. Mutsumi herself was rather impressed.
“Take a photo of me for a sec?” Nyamu handed her phone to the green-haired girl.
The taller girl walked over to the sculpture and took off her sunglasses. She posed as if she was drinking directly from the spout. Then she posed as if she was lifting it with only a finger. Finally another one where Mutsumi didn't really know what she was doing, it looked like she was compressing the teapot with both hands.
Mutsumi thought they were pretty funny pictures. The drummer had a knack for effortlessly twisting her body to comical proportions. She was always able to easily look so happy, even if she may not have realised it. Mutsumi thought that part of her was admirable.
She handed the phone back to Nyamu. “I hope they came out good.”
Nyamu simply took her phone and put it in her handbag. She had somewhat of an embarrassed look on her face. Come to think of it, she looked like this when she asked for the photos earlier too.
“It's for my siblings,” said Nyamu.
The shorter girl only stared back, looking like she was waiting for more explanation.
“Uh… we make some stupid jokes about our mom’s silverware and stuff, it's hard to explain.”
“That’s nice.” Mutsumi replied softly. “Do you miss them?”
“Humph.” Nyamu simply groaned in response, shifting her face away to hide her facial expression.
“C’mon, help me pick out some souvenirs for them.” the taller girl continued.
Mutsumi replied with a sincere nod, “Okay.”
—
“What do you think of this T-shirt, Misumi-san?”
“Huh? I don't know, I think it's alright…”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll take all five of these.”
“Ehh? Are you serious?”
Uika was shocked at Umiri’s extravagant spending. Was she simply joking around? It was hard to tell with her. Not to mention she actually frankly thought the T-shirts looked pretty tacky, the kind that purely existed to bait tourists.
“Do you love Kanazawa that much?” Uika asked, only for Umiri to look at her funny.
“Does it seem that way?”
“No, I mean, if you did, it’d make sense for you to buy… all this merch you picked out.” Uika explained.
“Ah, I see. In that case, it's not like I love this place so much, I just wanted all this stuff.” said the bassist matter-of-factly.
“Oh-okay then,” Uika pointed towards a taiko drum keychain. “Did you get that one for Taki-chan?”
“Not really, I thought it looked special. Wait, do you know she likes this?” Umiri stared straight at Uika.
“N-no, no, no, I just thought it's because she plays the drums…”
Umiri started fishing through her shopping cart and lifted up two boxed drinks.
“Specialty cocoa, made and packaged here.” the bassist gazed directly into her classmate’s eyes. “Think she'll like this?”
Uika let out a giggle, imagining a scowl on the fabled Shiina Taki’s face. “Maybe she would.”
—
“Haaah, that was so spicy~!” Nyamu coughed into her hand. “Phew!”
The drummer was standing outside the izakaya they just had dinner at. The others were still munching away at their skewers and half-finished drinks.
With a hum, she pulled out her phone and flicked to the selfie they took earlier. It was fine, probably, everyone was smiling at least. Her own face seemed a beat off though, the grin just a little too thin.
She simply shrugged and sent it to her family’s group chat. “I’m… havin’... fun… too… see…” she muttered as she typed.
“So this is where you were.”
Nyamu whipped her head backwards at the owner of the voice, who was none other than the blue-haired pianist. “Oh, it’s just you.”
“What do you mean by that?” Sakiko replied, slightly annoyed.
“Done eating already, Sakiko?” asked Nyamu, as she continued fiddling with her phone.
“Yes, I’ve had my fill. I hope you have too, we shouldn’t be wasteful of the agency’s budget we’re using.”
“Sure.”
The two of them sat in silence, the evening air outside the izakaya still thick with the smell of grilled meat and smoke.
Nyamu didn’t like this awkwardness.
“What time’s the next show?”
“Hmm, it starts at 9. Umiri said it’s only a five minute walk from here, so we can take our time.”
“That’s great~” Nyamu replied.
A notification buzzed on her phone, and Nyamu glanced at it. Her mom had sent a photo of everyone gathered around the dinner table. She gave it a quick look before closing the app, suddenly aware of the girl beside her.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t see it clearly,” Sakiko spoke up.
What the heck, Nyamu didn’t even say anything about that. She was thinking of saying something mean, but Sakiko interrupted her thoughts, “How is your family doing?”
She was taken aback a bit. “Well, they’re doing fine, things are as usual.”
Sakiko was still looking at her, perhaps thinking Nyamu was going to say more.
“I guess my li’l siblings keep saying they miss me. We haven’t seen each other in a while.” Nyamu didn’t know why she continued to elaborate.
“I see.” Sakiko merely replied. “I hope you’ll get to visit them soon.”
“Yeah.” Nyamu knew Sakiko was an only child, so she probably wouldn’t actually understand.
“Are you enjoying this trip so far, Nyamu?”
“Huh? It’s been pretty fun, I guess. I wouldn’t have ever come here if not for the band.”
“I’m glad to hear it. You seemed a little distant recently, so I was a touch concerned.”
Nyamu rolled her eyes upward, thinking, before turning back to Sakiko, “Eh? I look that way?”
“Well, I was only just assuming, apologies if it’s not my place to say it.” the girl looked a bit uncomfortable.
The drummer clicked her tongue, she could feel the heat creeping up her neck, prickling just under her skin. Getting read like that, it caught her off-guard. Maybe she was flustered, maybe just annoyed, more at herself than anyone else. She hated that her usual mask had slipped.
Without thinking, Nyamu pointed her finger towards Sakiko, “That’s really rich coming from you, when you barely look like you wanna be with us half the time!”
Sakiko audibly gasped. Her hand moved to clutch her left arm as she lowered her gaze.
“I… I’m trying, alright…”
Nyamu blinked. Her anger thinned into regret. Maybe she let her mouth run ahead of her again.
Shit, she thought.
She shook her head and let out a groan.
“Look, I’m sorry.”
The purple-haired girl frazzled her hair.
“To be honest, I was gonna go back home and spend some time with my folks this weekend. I found out yesterday they said they were celebratin’’ my li’l sis gettin’ top of her class in the last exams.” Nyamu practically confessed.
“Why didn’t you just tell me before we went ahead?”
Nyamu could just weakly shrug. “I dunno, I was thinkin’ this was an opportunity I couldn’t let pass.”
“I can just visit my family anytime, but I guess I’m still kinda hung up about it.” she continued.
Sakiko exhaled quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“We could always accommodate. It’s important to me that all of you be happy.” The pianist wasn’t looking at her directly, her eyes were somewhere off to the side. Maybe it was easier to speak that way.
Nyamu lowered her body down to a squat. “I mean, it’s not like I regret it or anything, it’s just… what the hell…”
“Don’t worry, next time just feel free to talk to me. Don’t forget, I am Ave Mujica’s God, after all.”
Nyamu couldn’t help but chuckle. Her ‘God’ was terrible at comforting people, that much was obvious. But somehow, the nonsense she said still managed to tickle her heart. Something about it warmed her chest, just a little.
“Yeah, Kami-sama? Then are you actually happy?”
The blue-haired girl looked down at her. A soft, knowing smile curved on her lips lit gently by the shopfront glow, like a blessing cast from above. “Most certainly.”
Nyamu thought she saw a hint of sorrow in the way her eyes looked. She still didn’t fully understand Sakiko, not with all the baggage they carried, and not with how distant the others still felt sometimes.
But for now, she was okay with leaving her doubts with this person.
After all, Gods can’t afford to waver, can they?
—
“Grief is not madness, they say… but Lady Evangeline—she keeps the door open for the dead to return.”
The voice of Reverend Alcott boomed across the stage. The set looked like one of those old-timey rooms from a ghost story, the actor stood atop a narrow staircase that led up into the shadows.
Mutsumi didn’t really get the storyline in this one though. She lost some of the plot when the purple-haired girl beside her kept squirming in her seat, changing her posture every now and then. Eventually, her shoulders subtly trembled, the way they lifted a little too quickly concerned Mutsumi. The girl hugged her jacket, trying hard not to sniffle too loudly.
The guitarist looked in front again. Was this story actually pretty sad?
“Hey, hey, Mutsumi-chan, don’t you realise it?” a voice came from within her headspace.
“Of course I do.”
“And you’re still gonna keep watching this boring play?”
“I don’t really know what to say to her.”
“Mutsumi-chan, Mutsumi-chan…” the identical girl wearing a red beret shook her head. “You know what I realised? There’s some things only you can do.”
“Mortis…” Mutsumi smiled.
“Heheh! Just enjoy the show!”
“He never left me, child! He only changed the room he waits in!” Lady Evangeline screamed desperately.
Mutsumi laid a hand on Nyamu’s thigh. She flinched a little at this, but didn’t swat it away.
“Muuko…”
She couldn’t see her face visibly in the dark, only faint glimmers in her ruby eyes.
“It’s stupid. I can’t really focus on the show.” Nyamu whispered with a tone of playful resignation.
Mutsumi simply let her hand remain on Nyamu’s lap.
—
“Huh?”
Umiri had the shock of her life after she got out of the shower, realising Nyamu was nowhere in the hotel room. She panicked, searching all over the little room, and called out to the corridor, still clad in just a towel. Where on Earth was she?
She remembers her phone and dialed her (temporary) roommate’s number.
“Umiko?”
“Where are you?!”
“Whoa calm down, I’m crashing in Muuko and everyone's room.”
Umiri exhaled in relief. “Oh, I see. So you didn't abandon us.”
“The hell are you talking about? Hurry up and join us! We’re gonna play carrom.”
After quickly getting dressed in her night clothes, she made her way to the others’ room.
“Umiri-chan!” Uika exclaimed at the sight of the bassist, who entered as she helped to open the door.
“Where’s the carrom?”
“We don't even have a board…” Uika replied.
“But you gotta have carrom on a trip night like this! It's the law!” Nyamu replied with enthusiasm.
“I see, I wasn't aware of that.” Umiri mentally noted.
Mutsumi was sure that wasn't the case, so she just looked at Nyamu funny. That is, if her facial expression actually changed.
Nyamu was sprawled over the queen-sized bed, which apparently Uika and Sakiko were sharing. Uika was sitting cross-legged next to her head, not looking too pleased. Mutsumi was already snuggled up in the single bed right next to the window, looking especially cozy. Umiri walked over to the countertop and leaned against it, crossing her arms. She could hear the shower running, Sakiko was probably in there.
“So what are we gonna do~? Anyone have old maid?” Nyamu asked.
Uika sheepishly replied, “A-actually I think some of us are kinda tired, Nyamu-chan…”
“Nonsense!” The drummer kicked her legs up and down. “It's the perfect time for us to do fun night stuff!”
She continued, “I know! Let's gossip! I’m sure you know a buncha stories Uiko…”
“Well, my stories are pretty boring…” the vocalist replied.
“Ooh, not even about who's your c-r-u-s-h..?”
“No!” Uika cupped her cheeks with both hands. She could practically feel that her face was as hot as an oven.
The drummer lifted both hands in the air, gesturing a surrender.
“I have a bottle.” a soft voice came from behind them all of a sudden. “Spin the bottle.”
“Now we're talking, Muuko! Truth or truth, then!”
“I think it's truth or dare.” Umiri corrected.
“I’m not in the mood for any dares, I just wanna hear y’all's truths! C’mon Muuko, put it over here.” Nyamu sat up next to Uika.
Mutsumi placed the plastic bottle and spun it around… landing in the direction of Nyamu herself.
“The pleasure’s yours, Nyamuko.” Umiri teased. “Okay, have you ever cheated on a test?”
“Pffft! What a lame question!” Mutsumi, no, Mortis suddenly exclaimed. “Hey, Nyamu-chan, hmmm, who would you kiss in this room?”
“H-huh?!” for some reason the drummer certainly wasn't expecting this kind of question, nor did she expect Mortis to suddenly show up.
She looked around the room for no reason really, unconsciously stalling the obvious.
“Is it Umiri-chan?” Mortis looked at the bassist flirtatiously. “Uika-chan? Hmm? Or is it me, Nyamu-chan?”
Umiri hopped onto the bed in anticipation, quite excited to see Nyamu being a nervous wreck.
“W-w-wait, this isn't-”
“What's going on?”
Sakiko came out of the shower, her hair wrapped up in a towel, the steam from the hot shower trailing her.
“Saki-chan!”
“Sakiko! Truth or truth! Who was your first crush?” Nyamu blurted out.
“W-what?” the blue-haired girl was flabbergasted.
Mortis pinned down the drummer who was trying to run away. “Hey, why are you of all people the one trying to escape?!”
Uika flinched at the sudden rough housing.
“Come on, Nyamuchi-sensei, who would you kiss? I need to know!” Umiri lent Mortis a helping hand.
“Th-this isn't fair..!” Nyamu struggled, a blush forming on her face.
“Umiko tried to peek at my boobs yesterday night!” she squealed.
The bassist jerked backwards, face full of betrayal. “I did not! That didn't happen!”
"Graah!" Nyamu struggled under the grip of Mortis and Umiri, the blanket now a swirling mess.
Sakiko could only form a confused face at the bizarre sight happening on her bed.
“How will I sleep tonight…”
—
It was already around 2 in the morning. Umiri found herself lying down next to Nyamu and Uika, who had both already been knocked out from the day’s fatigue. She looked over to the other bed and saw Sakiko also sleeping, a graceful expression on her face as opposed to Nyamu's open mouth. Beside her was Mutsumi, also peacefully sleeping.
She couldn't sleep though. She considered waking Nyamu up to go back to their room, their current sleeping positions weren't very comfortable. Although after glancing at how peaceful her sleeping face was, all squished up against Uika's arm, she aborted the thought as her instinct told her to just leave her be. She’ll just get her to go back first thing in the morning.
The bassist simply laid on her back again, facing the ceiling. She was still feeling some adrenaline from the excitement of the activities they had earlier.
She grinned as she recalled the ridiculous compromises they made with Nyamu for her to spill the beans.
She recalled everyone not believing her when she honestly said she never thought about who she had a crush on, only for her to scapegoat Taki’s name so that they wouldn't lose their trust in her. It's now her new secret.
She looked over at her bandmates, even though she couldn't really see them in the dark.
Despite the freezing air-conditioning courtesy of Nyamu at the thermostat, she felt warm inside.
—
The train ride from Kanazawa to Tokyo was uneventful, for lack of a better word.
This time, Mutsumi sat by the window next to Sakiko. Around half an hour ago she heard Uika and Umiri talk about the next day’s homework. Now the both of them were quiet, it seemed that they had already gone to sleep.
Nyamu was asleep too, this time in the more typical sunglasses + face mask combo. Guess the three of them finally felt the toll from the previous day’s activities.
“Not tired?”
Mutsumi turned to face the owner of the voice.
“Saki.” the green-haired girl shook her head. “I thought you were sleeping too.”
“I was just listening to music. I found more compositions from yesterday's orchestra troupe. They're superb.”
Mutsumi hummed in response.
“Would you like to listen?” Sakiko offered an earbud after wiping it with a tissue.
“Sure.” Mutsumi put it in her ear to listen.
She looked at Sakiko again and smiled. The other girl did the same.
Calm, melodic music filled her ears as she looked out the window.
She stole another look at Sakiko, who had closed her eyes as she listened to the same music as she was.
Her friend was satisfied.
Mutsumi watched the countryside passing by in the warm daylight. Somehow the day’s journey felt more idyllic than the night’s.
She felt at ease in this gentle silence, even if it has to be for an eternity.