Chapter Text
He still remembers it like it happened only yesterday, his sole reason for standing on stage today. In front of a room full people. People he can't even see. What is the point of standing there, when he can't even see who is sitting in the audience. When he can't even see if he is there. Ritsu sighs and walks toward the piano, and sits before it. He takes a deep breath and starts playing.
Do you remember this piece? I played it when we met that day, many years ago. I didn't think much of it. Yet, ever since then I've been playing it everyday. Hoping that if I do, we would meet again. But you never came back. Even though I waited for you. No, even now, I'm still waiting for you.
***
"Did you play that just now?" A voice suddenly asked, startling Ritsu. He looked into direction of the voice, and in the window opening he saw a young boy, about the same age as him, look inside the room. Ritsu sighed and looked away.
"You're really good!" The boy continued talking, realising he wouldn't get a reaction anyway. But those words didn't affect Ritsu. He's heard it many times before, by other kids, adults, his parents, his brother. After hearing it so often, he's been very aware that he can play the piano well. Standard praise like that didn't faze him anymore.
The boy watched Ritsu for a while, as if he were waiting for an answer he wasn't receiving. But then after a few moments he continued. "I never heard a sound more beautiful."
This caught Ritsu's attention, and made him look at the boy again. However, what he saw surprised him even more. The smile the boy had on his face, the way he looked at him. As if his eyes were sparkling with excitement. Sure he's had genuine praise before, but there was something about this boy's expression that moved Ritsu's heart. Realising that he's been staring at the boy for a while, Ritsu quickly looked away again as he felt the embarrassment rise to his face. "I know..." He replies softly, not sure how to take the compliment properly.
"Ah..." The boy opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but then seemed to have changed his mind. "Nevermind..." He said softly instead, more to himself than to Ritsu. Soon after he increased his volume as he spoke again. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt you?" He asked, noticing that Ritsu hadn't moved ever since he talked to him.
"Not really..." Ritsu replied shortly. "I was done playing."
"So you're not playing anymore?" The boy asked, sounding a little disappointed by it. "I wanted to hear more."
Those words made Ritsu feel a little embarrassed, but it also made him want to play another piece specially for that boy. Ritsu wondered why. He never cared much about these kind of words before, so why did it this time. It actually scared him a little. Ritsu glanced over at the boy again, this time he observed him more carefully. His hair had a beautiful red colour, and the way the bangs almost fall over his eyes was quite cute. But his eyes… Those emerald coloured eyes… Ritsu couldn't think of anything more beautiful than that boy's eyes, and he found himself getting drowned into it. Maybe, if it's for this guy, he'd be willing to play another piece especially for him. A song just meant for him.
Ritsu hesitated a little, but after a few moments he spoke. "Maybe I could..." He started slowly, but before he could continue, he got interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.
"Mao!" The voice called, and seeing how the boy reacted to it, Ritsu figured that it might have been his name.
"Ah, I'm sorry!" Mao apologised to Ritsu. "I have to go home now."
An empty and sad feeling fell over Ritsu, after hearing those words. He shouldn't be surprised, but for some reason he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He looked at his piano, away from the boy, from Mao. There was nothing he could think to reply with it. There was no way he could tell him that he didn't want Mao to go yet. That he wanted him to stay and listen to him play. They just barely met each other, and Ritsu was in no place to impose that kind of selfishness on him.
"I'm really sorry..." Mao apologised once more, after getting no reaction from Ritsu. "But if you'll play again, I promise I'll come back to you." He added afterwards, and it made Ritsu look back at him again.
"You'll come back?" Ritsu asked carefully, to make sure if he heard the boy right.
Mao nodded. "I really want to hear the sound of your piano again."
For the first time since Mao appeared, Ritsu's lips curved into a smile. "I'll wait for you." He replied, this time sounding more firm than he had before so far. And Ritsu saw something change in Mao's expression. He couldn't exactly understand what it was, but he's sure that he saw a slight blush.
"Then, I'll see you again!" Mao said with a smile, after which he quickly turned around and left the window he was leaning on.
They only just met. They barely talked. It wasn't even that long, yet Ritsu found himself missing the boy already. And the thought of meeting him again, made him impatient for it to happen.
But it didn't happen.
Day after day, Ritsu waited for him. In the same piano room, he played the same piece over and over again. Hoping that the boy would recognise it as him playing, and that he would come again. And lean against the window sill he did the other day. But every time Ritsu looked over toward the window, Mao wasn't there.
Did he forget about the promise? Did he lose interest in him? Or was everything just a lie? Ritsu tried not to think about it, but with every passing day the doubt grew stronger. To the point that he couldn't bring himself to even look at the piano anymore. But he didn't want to give up. He wanted to meet him again. Ask him why I he never came back. Why he made an empty promise that he never fulfilled.
No, that's all just an excuse. In truth, Ritsu really wanted to see that boy again. The boy who with just a few words moved Ritsu's heart, and made it his own.
Ritsu wanted to meet the boy, he had fallen in love with.
***
The performance ends perfectly, and there's a loud applause coming from the audience. So noisy. Why can't there be a quieter way to cheer on people. Despite feeling annoyed by it, Ritsu gets off his seat and walks toward the front of the stage. He looks around the audience, but with the stage being the only part of the room with light, it's still difficult to make out anyone. A sigh leaves him, and he gives the audience a polite bow, before leaving the stage again.
Ritsu sits in the changing room, waiting for all the remaining performances to finish and for the results to come. He doesn't particularly care about them, and he really would like to leave. But he can't. Not because it'd be considered rude, but because he'd like to have a glimpse of the audience when they leave. If possible, he'd wait at the entrance and carefully watch anyone who comes out, so he won't miss Mao in case he came to watch. But the last time he did that, he caught a lot of unnecessary attention. He already hates being there enough as it is, so being crowded by people he doesn't know really isn't something he needs. It'd be worth it if Mao was part of the crowd, but so far he has yet to see him around.
Ritsu thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door, much to his surprise. Usually it's just his teacher, or his excuse of a brother who comes into the room. And even if it's just them, Ritsu dislikes having them around. So if this is someone he doesn't know…
“Yes?” Ritsu finally decides to answer, in the case it is something important that he needs to know about.
The door opens soon after he answer, and a staff member enters the room. “Mr. Sakuma?” He asks as if to make sure if he's the real thing. “Someone left a bouquet for you.” He moves closer to Ritsu, much to his dislike, and hands over the bouquet of flowers.
“Who is it from?” Ritsu asks, while he searches the flowers for a card. He quickly finds a small one and reads it.
[The performance sounded as beautiful as I remember.]
This is all Ritsu read from the card. Nothing more. Not even a name. Yet somehow his heart starts beating faster. It couldn't be… He looks up at the staff member, waiting for him to answer his question.
“A man left it.” The staff member says. "He didn't give me his name."
“A man?” Ritsu repeats. He has had presents before but they were often all from women, and the only males who gave him something were his brother and friends. But they'd definitely give it to him personally, and not through someone else. So it couldn't possibly be… "What did he look like?"
"He had red hair." The staff member answers, but then pauses, trying to recall more details. "And his eyes… I think they were green."
Ritsu can feel his own heart beat even faster. This has to be… It couldn't be anyone else… Even up to this day, he still remember the red colour of his hair clear. And the eyes. They were so beautiful, that despite the short moment they saw each other, the memory already got engraved in his mind. And even after all these years, there hasn't been anything that could possibly compare to that boy's eyes. To that emerald green colour.
That man. His looks and the message he left Ritsu. It has to be Mao who did it. Ritsu is sure of it. Mao came to see his performance. He was there, in the audience where Ritsu couldn't see him. His heart sinks a little at the thought. Knowing that Mao was there, yet not having seen him… It might not been his fault, but if he missed Mao like this, Ritsu wouldn't be able to forgive himself. For years has he waited for this one moment, and he has no intention of letting it go.
Before Ritsu even realises it himself, he rushes out of the dressing room. He vaguely hears the staff member saying that the man had already left, but Ritsu doesn't care. If he left the flowers just now, then that means he couldn't possibly have gone too far.
Ritsu runs out into the main hall of the building, and looks around to find Mao. Despite the competition still going on, there are still many people around in the hall. This is only making it difficult for Ritsu to find anyone that fits Mao's description. But he keeps looking around, while trying not go too deep into the hall to avoid getting attention. Still no Mao. Ritsu is about to turn back to the dressing room, when, out of the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of a familiar red colour. He quickly turns towards it, and even though it's been a long time and the both have aged. Even though he's only seeing him from behind. Ritsu still immediately recognises him.
His heart races as he starts to walk quickly towards him, forgetting about all the other people who are around. And the attention he's probably getting. None of that matters right now, the only thing that does is Mao.
"Mao!" He calls out, but his voice gets drowned out by the noise of others talking. "MAO!" He calls again, this time increasing the volume in the hopes that his voice will reach Mao. If only for a moment, Ritsu is sure that he saw the guy react to the name, but he doesn't turn around. It starts to make Ritsu feel unsure if he even got the right guy. But even if years have passed, if there's something Ritsu is confident about, it's his clear memory of the boy he met.
"MAA-KUN!"
He yelled it one whim, not expecting anything from it. After all, it wasn't Mao's name. But it was as if something inside him told him to do it. And whatever it was, Ritsu is glad that he listened.
Because right after calling him by that nickname, the man in front of him turned. And though he aged, Ritsu can't help but think he still looks the same. Those green eyes, looking at him in surprise, it's still has the same beauty as it did back then. It still has that magical power that drowns Ritsu into it. And though his feelings have never faded, Ritsu find himself falling in love all over again.