I am back after a year of leaving this story with no updates at all lol. My current plan is to complete this story this year. If I manage to complete my Psycho-Pass fanfic this year as well, I would like to publish a B-Project fanfic and a sequel for my another complete Utapri fanfic. That's what I have planned but let's see if they actually happen, okay? Haha. 

CHAPTER 5

The first encounter with Masato was unexpected. His random compliment about her voice and song at the playground had caught her off guard.

She simply viewed him as a stranger who was sincere with his compliments. He was easily embarrassed, flustered and...

Left her alone on the bench they sat together way too quick.

So, she believed that was the first and last time they met each other.

But, the future promised something different for them, right from their first day in Saotome Academy.

She was busy running through the empty corridor while searching for A Class when suddenly, she bumped into a tall man. It seemed like he was also running with crazy sweats over his face, from the other direction of the corridor. Just like how she was late since she was back from helping a lost child, Masato also had his own situation that she never knew until now.

"I am sorry! Are you hurt somewhere?" Masato approached her. Anxious feeling was written over his face.

"No, it's okay. I was running and didn't see you coming," Haruka replied.

"That's a relief then," the man had a deep voice which was too mature for his age. That was what Haruka noticed right away even when they met at the playground. "Wait, you're..."

Like a cue, as he pointed at her with a pair of widened eyes, someone registered in her mind.

The shy guy who claimed that her singing had a 'heart' or something along the line.

"You...You're the guy at the playground, right?" She supplied with a bright smile.

"Ye... yes," he nodded, eyes wandered nervously at anything they could find. Probably the guilt for randomly leaving her alone after their short conversation stroke back and left him less words to say.

"Which class are you from?" She asked, friendly. She never took his reaction back then to heart so it was better to indirectly express it so that he would not feel awkward around her.

"A Class. How about you?"

"Ah, we are classmates then!"

All the more reason for them not to feel awkward around each other anymore.

"Really? We both... owh, crap!" The scion was quick to switch to his panicky mood when he finally realized what kind of situation that they were originally in. "We don't have time. We're late!"

They could not care less to merely scurry despite students were not allowed to run for their lives in the hallways. Instead, both the male and female students who looked like they just came out straight from a shojo manga could not help but run as if their lives depended on their speeds.

When they finally showed up at the front door with sweaty faces and harsh breathes, all eyes of A Class students were on them. Their reactions baffled their homeroom teacher, Ringo who cheerfully delivered the briefing session.

"You guys must be..." The teacher glanced at the attendance file in his hand. "Hijirikawa Masato and Nanami Haruka, right?"

"Yes," the couple remarked. With how unreadable Ringo's face looked, Masato and Haruka unknowingly shared the same idea that entering the classroom without the teacher's permission would be impropriate.

Okay, let's just wait until sensei said something like 'do you want to stand there for the whole day? Come on, take your seat.'

Instead, Ringo stared at them up and down with a smirk before continuing, "I hope that two of you just hold hand and do nothing else. Idols aren't allowed to date, remember?"

"Huh?"

That was when Masato and Haruka noticed that they were holding hands, thanks to Masato's panic minutes ago.

Sheepishly but quickly releasing each other's hold before everyone's sight was bound to happen. Haruka could still recall how hot her face was when the whole class laughed at their silliness but the highlight of the day was...

How red Masato's face was.

How adorable he was.

No, Haruka. What's wrong with you, seriously? It's an old story from when? 12 years ago. It's the time for you to move on...

But, I can't...

She sighed as her eyes reached the picture frame when she was in their training days. Her fingers were stiff on the piano keys as her mind was no longer on her composition. Four of them; Herself, Tomochika, Masato and Ren. They had different personalities but somehow, they could hang out together only if they excluded the moments where the scions bickered about everything.

Naturally, her eyes would reach Masato's face. He was sitting beside her while Tomochika was posing brightly from her another side. Masato was smiling awkwardly because Ren put his hand on his shoulder which he did not like it. That was what he had told her.

Where are you, Hijirikawa-san? Why can't Jinguuji-san find you even so many years have passed?

Heaving a heavy sigh since her suffocated mind left her unproductive, she left her piano. Absent-mindedly heading to her table before taking out her laptop, her heart beat fast as her thought quickly shifted to someone.

Getting a picture of how current Masato looked like was not enough. She wanted to see him face-to-face. She wanted to see how he was doing. Not because she wanted to behave like a typically old friend who wanted to compare their lives to each other.

Rather, she wanted to be a part of his life again. No matter how small it was, she wanted to be someone who he wanted to keep by his side including when the whole world became his enemy.

Her fingers naturally scrolled and pressed the keyboard and touchpad until a folder was open. It contained a lot of melodies which she came up off the top of her head. She would present her songs when the right time came. Lately, Saotome, her president had teased her for writing songs easily.

"You seem like you never out of inspiration, Miss Nanami. Are you perhaps in love right now?"

"Wh... what? No, I am not..."

"Just saying because normally a creative person like you can write a lot of love songs because they have a muse."

Even it was a mere flashback, Haruka still blushed at the cheeky guess.

How could she possibly imply that she was not ready to answer such a personal question in the politest way?

"I got inspiration everywhere, president."

"Then why are you blushing? Did you mean to say that you get inspiration from everywhere Mr. Jinguuji is? That's sweet."

Not again.

Haruka shut her eyes as the thought of her relationship with Ren clouded her mind again.

She felt bad for Ren. She had tried her hardest to make it clear that she and Ren were best friends. She treasured Ren just like she appreciated Tomochika's company. No one was better or worse than the other.

But, there were sure people who had the weirdest common sense ever. They claimed her annoying and arrogant for claiming that it was just a friendship between her and Ren.

It was the same case with Masato back then.

"I don't need a song. I want you to sing instead. I demand you, HAYATO-kun!"

"Hmm... but, my ideal man is you, HAYATO-san. Can I confess to you instead? Other listeners will be our witnesses."

"Please, HAYATO-san! Can you do a face reveal someday? I am dying to see your face. You must be so handsome if your voice is hot like this!"

Go die for real, then.

God knew how desperate Tokiya was in order not to let those words escaped from his mouth.

Apart from music, his job when no one decided to touch his nerve or no listeners came up with farcical requests, his house, Masato...

Yes, despite he always exclaimed how tiring or self-pitying the man was, he liked and was comfortable to be around the blue head. They both shared different kinds of hobbies when they actually had a peaceful conversation.

Other than that, Tokiya could not think of any that could win his liking.

Going straight to the radio station and also going straight to his house after his shift without bothering to join a business dinner was normal for him. He hated to socialize after working but now, he was forced to forget the routine, thanks to a meeting with a few other staffs who knew who was behind HAYATO persona.

To be specific, it was a meeting where DJ Nagi decided to directly pick a fight with him instead of being sarcastic. To add the 'spices', he would look daggers or spread an annoying smile that deserved a hit with a mic.

Tokiya was born with a short temper due to his toxic upbringing but as he grew up, he learnt to stay silent at first to avoid troubles. His introverted demeanor had a very limited energy so he was not going to waste it for someone like Nagi. The small man with a loud voice was not his friend nor his family so he did not deserve Tokiya's time as well.

"I understand where you come from, Nagi. But, as you can see..."

To make it worse, despite how sturdy he looked like, their boss, Otori Eiichi was no help either. He was more into strengthening the relationship and teamwork among his staff that he was too naïve to handle arguments and dissatisfaction.

"No need to so diplomatic, Eiichi. Just say that you agree with me and I will be forever in your debt. Just expose this guy's face in one go," while pointing rudely at Tokiya's straight face, Nagi must think that the 'perks' of being Eiichi's long-time friend allowed him to be as blunt as possible. "Or else, the rest of us have to answer his fans like his manager for the rest of our lives."

But, unlike Eiichi, Tokiya was not going to have it.

"You do your job with your mouth every single day so what's the problem with answering questions with 'no comment' and so on?" Tokiya said at last. He hated to do an eye contact, not because he was scared that Nagi would leave a burning hole with his glare. Rather, he just did not want to cause troubles.

Not to mention for some reason, whenever Nagi annoyed him, a pen or any object in his hand felt significantly light. What a perfect timing for Tokiya to practice his throwing skills.

"Have you ever realized that we are talking about your attitude and how we're going to fix it?" Unlike Tokiya who was being too nonchalant like a bystander, other staff including Shion as the radio program writer could not help but feel restless in their seats. They eyed Eiichi desperately, begging him to stop this fight from escalating any longer. The meeting room was cold but thanks to Nagi and Tokiya, it felt searing that everyone wanted to escape from it as soon as possible.

"No because we never have to fix it. Why? It's my agreement with the boss before I work here. You're not even the big boss so you shouldn't expect the boss to follow your lead."

"You don't need to tell me what to do, you bastard."

"I can't help it. You sound so dumb every time you flap your gums."

"Just stop it, okay? You don't need to be at each other's throats when we're supposed to be working," Eiichi interposed. Rather than his workload and his father's high expectation on him, dealing with these two was much more depressing at times.

They both just happened to be the top two DJs in the radio station but they both also happened to hate each other. Well, in fact, anyone could tell that the hatred was not mutual. Rather, it was pure hatred versus pure not acknowledging the other's existence in daily basis until it was time for Tokiya to explode. Nagi was well-known for his chummy image and cute charm despite his age while for Tokiya, his mysterious image and mesmerizing voice pulled more listeners. Eiichi's father, Otori had always pressurized him so he could not afford to lose both of the DJs. He brought them to this place and they had been the reason why he could live his life peacefully while obtaining Otori's compliments.

"We are working, up until he said something unnecessary and made us question his amount of brain cells," Tokiya answered swiftly, sending Eiichi to massage his forehead out of tension. "By the way, what are those things that you want to announce? You know, before this midget starts to bark again..."

"Wh...what?" Shion who was sitting beside Nagi swore he could literally see the guy's veins started to bulge out of anger. It was a universal fact in the station about how sensitive Nagi was when it comes to his height. It was that universal that Tokiya decided to rub salt into the wound.

"Yeah, about that..." Tokiya and Nagi's crisis might be too much for Eiichi that for a second, he forgot why they were here in the first place. Eiichi took out a few posters from a file before gesturing at one of the writers to pass them out to others.

Tokiya felt bad for the Eiichi. He was one of his close friends so for Eiichi's sake, he tried to stay away from Nagi as much as possible; just like how one would do had a bomb was detonated around them.

"Shining Agency is going to organize a grand audition for idols. Shining Saotome-san himself had contacted our president and we are given the chance to promote the event regularly."

After Eiichi ended the meeting, that was basically the summary of Tokiya's daily life. Getting more worried about Masato and getting others worried and annoyed with his decision to keep HAYATO's identity as a secret.

He had promised himself that he would carry the secret to his grave.

"They called me this morning. It's a new book café and I'll start instantly this evening! Can you believe that, Tokiya?"

Wow, that didn't take long enough, Tokiya thought. The news of Masato's new job might bring the greatest relief and happiness for his day since it was enough for him to freeze on his spot. Instead of opening his car door, he stopped and leaned against his car. He never realized it but whenever Masato was happy and rambled too much, it was hard for him to say anything since he was busy listening with a small smile on his face.

Or it might be because he had developed such a habit since years ago. Listening to other people's stories intently had become a part of his job as a DJ anyway. Listening to Masato's problematic life had also become his second nature as the man's housemate so when he got a call from Masato, he was a bit panicky. He thought that the guy was in a big trouble even he just stayed at home all day after being fired from his latest job. He also thought that the guy got bitten by their neighbor's dog but...

"Guess what? I got a job, Tokiya!"

Thank God.

"I see," he replied, being surprised at how hard for him to express what he felt.

"That didn't take long enough, right? I also can't believe it! I mean, even with my bad record, this is the shortest duration for me to be jobless. You should be happy for us, Tokiya! I mean... I don't have to use your laptop and be a bother anymore. You can write as usual," Masato exclaimed.

Or maybe the fact that Tokiya could not feel too happy with the news was caused by how busy his mind was with a certain thought. His meeting with the annoying Nagi might cause him to be mentally exhausted and decided to imagine things.

"Masato..."

"Yes?"

"I was thinking... Should you just decline that job and work with me instead? I don't know. Like... just be my assistant for my writing process or keep the house..."

But the scion just chuckled. Tokiya was always serious no matter how spontaneous he was with the offer but he knew it. Masato would immediately decline his offer because...

"What are you talking about, Tokiya? I just got a job and you asked me to decline it immediately? No, definitely not. It's a book café, Tokiya. We both know how heaven-sent and wonderful the place is. Just imagine how blessed it is to work with books around you for eight to ten hours a day. Plus, did I mention to you? Your favorite author, Aiba Takeru is the owner. I can ask for his autograph for you whenever you want."

If they were in a normal conversation and normal conversation, Tokiya would be so happy. Aiba Takeru is truly his inspiration to be a novelist but...

"Hey, Masato."

"What? Are you happy now that your housemate is going to work with someone famous like Aiba-san?"

"No, it's not like that," deciding to be honest with his scary thought, Tokiya blurted out, "Are you sure you don't have enemies? You know, in this world, while you think you're trying your best not to be a nuisance for everyone, there are people who still feel bothered with your presence. Do you think you have any around you?"

He knew what to expect. Masato would think that he was being too pessimistic.

"You sure have such an honest way to put your words, Tokiya," Masato said with chuckles. "I know what you are trying to say. You're afraid that I will get fired again, right?"

All this time, Tokiya thought that it was only Masato who was an open book.

"But, it does make sense, right? I am just saying it since so far, none of your nice personality traits went handy when it comes to your jobs. Have you ever wondered why?"

He put his words it in a blunt way but no words could describe how worried he was. He believed it was unfair for both of them. People sought him for his look when he did not ask for it but all Masato literally needed to do was breathing and people would find ways to pick a fight with him.

Masato was nice to everyone but still could get sacked for no right reasons but Tokiya...

He stayed with his current job for six years already even though he was not nice with just anyone. He was picky when it comes to those people who could invade his personal bubble.

"Tokiya," Masato's tone was familiar for him. It attempted to comfort him despite it should be the other way around. "You seriously should stop be nice to me or else, it'll be too hard for me. Honestly, the fact that I don't need to pay the rent for the time being still bothers me so I think, the least I should do is working hard and paying you someday."

Tokiya was too tired to say, "no need to pay the rent' for the nth time so he decided to follow the guy's way.

"I guess I will drop by. Just to see what books they have over there," he said eventually.

"Yes, that's what I want to hear!"

All more reason to be worried about his housemate.

"Meet you around 8 o'clock, okay? I promise I will finish this as soon as possible."

"It's okay, Jinguuji-san. Just focus on your shooting. No need to worry about me."

"Of course I need to worry about you, Haruka. Today is very special for me."

"Huh? Why, Jinguuji-san?"

"Eh? Hm... I mean, it's special because today we're going to meet in a book café; your favorite place. And... yeah, I would like you to start calling me Ren-kun from now on."

But, why all of sudden? That was the only thought that had clouded her mind ever since Ren asked her to meet in a new book café. Sure, Haruka could not wait to have a cup of hot coffee in such a café and skimmed over those books but it seemed like Ren hid something from her. She almost could never read his mind. Everyone around her said that his heart had become hers from the start but she never took it seriously.

Ren's consideration for her left her no words to say just how much she was thankful for him. She knew how much Ren hated books. Back in their academy days, the scion would complain about how Masato deliberately asked Haruka to study in a library so that if Ren decided to disturb them, Ren ended up being drowsy and bitterly left the place.

Ren had always thought of her and made her as his first priority. If only she could give the world to give him back...

I guess I am ecstatic. I got here a bit early, she thought. It was 6.55 p.m. and the book café was not open for business yet. Since the area was crowded with people, she did not hesitate to wander aimlessly until her legs reached a nearby park. She threw her look at the kids and family around her, smiling to see how close they were to each other.

There were also couples around her, chatting and joking around. When she saw those young couples, they reminded her of how it took all for her to finally confess her feeling to Masato.

The confession was not supposed to happen given the path that they would take but when Masato suddenly wanted to quit, she was lost. She thought that even her feeling would not be reciprocated, they would be at least around each other for a long time as a composer and her singer. But, when Masato decided to leave the academy, she wanted him to know her feeling. She wanted him to realize just how much he meant for her.

Yet, it did not bring her anything. Being rejected was totally okay. She did not want to push him to love her back but to after that, their shared fate met despondency. She did not know where he was.

Back then, you didn't know what to expect when you confessed to him. But now, if you manage to meet him again, what will you do, Haruka?

Love was so strange. So strange that because of it, she could literally bring 'someone else' to question her decision in her head had she met Masato again.

Or maybe, that voice in her head really knew what it did because as she made her way deep into the park, she recognized a guy who was sitting alone on a bench. His hair was midnight blue and she could tell how tall he was. His long eyelashes had her skip her heartbeat as he closed his eyes while listening to music. He was leaning comfortably against the bench while his head was nodding softly at the beats from his black headphones.

The long eyelashes... she used to secretly admire them whenever they brushed Masato's face every time the scion fell asleep in the school library.

Haruka knew it was vague to solely depend on Masato's candid picture which her schoolmate had taken when they were in the reunion party but...

Her heart was stubborn this time. As her mind matched the man's figure and the picture from her schoolmate, she quickened her pace. Her hand clutched her maroon handbag in excitement.

A man who she had thought she had lost him for good... she had to make sure that it was really him before another regret swallowed her again.

Maybe she was desperate. Maybe she was delusional but for once and this time, she would cut some slack for herself. She did not notice that she was biting her lower lips out of nervousness until she spoke up.

"Ex... Excuse me?"

It did not catch the man's attention right away, given her voice was shaky and slow. Plus, he might listen to the music too loud for him to hear her. No responses from him had her restless.

What if this guy is not Hijrikawa-san?

That was when the guy opened his eyes and could not help but look at her in shock.

He has blue eyes, that was the first thing she thought of when she could fully register his face in her mind. No matter how awkward their current situation was with her still staring at him, she only had one thought.

It was only one thought since she believed in what her heart said about this guy.

Back then, you didn't know what to expect when you confessed to him. But now, if you manage to meet him again, what will you do, Haruka?

I will never let him go. 

While I am more into STARISH, I still like HEAVENS's songs style and I do love to write about them especially Eiichi :D