The Seventh Color: Orange Sunlight

Normal POV

Mai decided to tell Keiko and Michiru about her recent problems at lunch.

Keiko was a cheerful girl, but she could be filled with a kind of righteous anger. Michiru was a little calmer, but what she lacked in volume was made up with angry tears. So, afraid that her friends might make a scene, Mai took them to the library. Technically, the staff didn't allow students to eat food in the library, but Chikao had told her about a certain blindspot in an empty corner she could use. The plan was to use this place themselves once it got too cold for the rooftop, but a trial run wouldn't hurt.

Mai endured the teasing from her friends as she led them to the table tucked in the corner, and they soon discovered that they'd have to keep their voices down even more than usual in order to avoid being discovered. Michiru handed Mai her English assignment and the brunette opened up her own papers to fill out the worksheet.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

Mai nonchalantly filled in the blanks, keeping her eyes on her work. "Oh nothing much. Just that the kids in class started pulling some pranks on me today."

Keiko laughed. "Haha, what's with that? They opening up to you or something now?"

Michiru smiled good-naturedly. "A lot of the boys in our class are a little shy."

Mai shook her head. "Not quite."

"What do you mean?"

The brunette slowly explained the morning's events, from the stares at the front gate to the chalkboard. She watched her friends' expressions carefully. Keiko's was growing gradually horrified while Michiru was staring in open shock. Mai felt her heart warm at their honesty.

"What's with them?!" Keiko hissed.

Mai put a finger to her lips. "Shh! We can't get caught eating here." She whispered.

Michiru sniffed noisily, and Mai worriedly offered her a handkerchief. "Don't cry, Michiru. Please?"

The raven haired girl swallowed thickly and then nodded. But fat tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

Mai felt her heart swell with emotion.

After her friends had calmed slightly, Keiko let out a small chuckle.

"What is it?" Michiru asked in a wobbly voice.

Keiko shook her head. "Still, I'm surprised you told us everything Mai."

Said brunette tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Her pigtailed friend grinned. "I mean, you're not very honest."

"Keiko!" Michiru scolded. Mai stared in surprise.

But before Michiru could say anything more, Keiko was waving her off. "I don't mean it in a bad way, of course." She said almost defensively. "Hear me out for a second."

Michiru grumbled under her breath.

"Mai's been a quiet girl for as long as we've known her, but somehow, I get the feeling she wasn't like that originally." Keiko explained.

Mai sat still in her chair, worksheet long forgotten. Michiru was nodding at Keiko's side almost solemnly.

"It's true…" She said. "I-It's not like we don't like you for that Mai, I swear. It's just… well, there's some days where we'll call your name and then see you staring out the window in the classroom. Like… kinda hurt, and kinda sad."

The brunette was taken aback, but she had no time to cut in with protests because Keiko spoke again.

"And sometimes, you smile when you don't really feel like smiling." Keiko smiled softly at her with a sheepish shrug. She chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head. "I think I can tell the difference now. That smile when we all passed the auditions? That was by far your best one."

Mai gasped when Michiru reached out and put a hand over Mai's fist on the table. "For someone like you, who doesn't really talk about herself or her problems, it's surprising… when you come right to us for help."

The brunette felt her breath trembling as it left her. She could feel tears gathering, and tingling in her throat, and her mind racing. "Th-Then why?" The tears fell. "Why would you stay friends with me?"

Keiko laughed at her as Michiru reached out and wiped away Mai's tears with another handkerchief. It was a soft baby blue, Michiru's favorite color. Mai held it in her hands carefully, thumbs pressing into the cloth, as if it were something precious.

"Well, Micchi here can't leave someone alone once she knows they're in trouble." Keiko said.

Michiru flushed pink. "You're the same way!" She accused.

Keiko shook her head, and her pigtails shook with the motion. "Nah, I'm not as nice as you when it comes to these things, Micchi. But I have to admit…" She passed a small smile to Mai. "I liked Mai's real smile too much to leave her."

Mai reached out and held their hands, shaking.

She couldn't believe the friends she was blessed with in this little, mundane town at a not-so-mundane school.

"Thank you…"

"Then, you'll let me know later if you hear anything, right?" Mai asked as they stepped out of the girl's toilet. She and Michiru had spent time freshening up, since their eyes had gotten puffy and red from crying. Keiko tagged along.

"Of course!" Keiko saluted playfully. "Leave the recon to me, captain!"

The corner of Mai's lips quirked up at this. "Sure."

They made their way back to classroom, passing the students in the hall. They were still staring at and gossiping about her, but some of the gazes now had a malicious edge to them that wasn't there in the morning. Michiru held her shoulders and walked closely with her, as if shielding Mai with her body. Meanwhile, Keiko wasn't shy and outright glared back, as if daring one of them to approach.

Mai was sure that she would never be able to forget their kindness for the rest of her life.

The class atmosphere settled once the next period started up. Mai decided she would do her best to focus things besides the occasional glances her way and the day's events. She started off by letting herself relax, since her incomplete English homework was giving her anxiety earlier. Now, there was no need to worry. Mai has happy when the papers were collected.

And between periods, she only allowed herself to think about the next period, the Strings Club, and her upcoming ballet rehearsal. The brunette tried very hard to ignore the drama about the photograph she had found, promising herself that she would just have to wait on figuring it out until the weekend when she made her weekly trip to Kana-san's home. There was no use in wondering about it now, when she had other things on her plate to worry about.

She was also trying very hard to ignore the recent confusion she felt from both Chikao and Naru.

Mai's mind eventually wandered to the concurs instead. Naru had told her earlier that the theme was "sincerity," but she had no idea what to think about that.

In the first place, is it really okay for the organizers to use such vague things as the theme? She sighed mentally, gaze eventually pulled to the window next to her. The trees here must be so beautiful in the spring. It's called Sakurado High School for a reason, right? It had gotten dark half-way through the last period, and sheets of rain were beginning to fall, much to the students' dismay. The water poured soothingly over the window next to her, washing everything away. Yes, autumn was beautiful here too, but when it rained like this, the leaves stuck to the ground and the colors of the trees dulled.

It didn't matter that the rain barely an arm's length away from her was falling like orbs of sparkling light.

"You're not very honest." Keiko's voice rang out in her head. Mai stilled and looked down at her open notebook again. "I liked Mai's real smile too much to leave her."

Honesty, huh...The brunette put her chin in her palm. It's true that I haven't really felt like smiling at all lately.

"You smile too much." This time, it was Naru.

Was she really so obvious? None of these people had known her longer than two months or so. How could they tell?

But they're still my friends. Mai's more positive side answered. Time is important in any relationship, sure, but… Her mind flashed to the tears and the shaking hands and the baby blue handkerchief. They knew, and they still kept me by their sides. Mai felt bile rise in her throat, unbidden. Her grip on her pencil tightened. For me, that's enough.

She remembered warm hands on her shoulders.

That's enough.

Maybe that's what it meant to be sincere. To be honest, and to convey your feelings. She remembered when she and Naru had first played together...

Naru handed her a set of sheet music and she shuffled through it with a pained expression.

Yikes! This is hard! And I haven't been practicing at all! This is gonna be impossible… Mai stared at the title. I don't know this one at all…

"Omoi wo Tsutaete." Mai mumbled to herself, doodling stray lines and swirls in her notebook.

It had been easy to forget it, but...

Could she learn to be sincere again too?

The end of the day came quickly, and Mai was happy for it. Michiru had clean-up duty, so Keiko said they could just meet up at the ballet studio later.

"Jeez, today's Japanese lecture was so long." Keiko groaned, rolling her shoulder. "We already know Japanese, so what's the point of studying it?"

Mai shrugged. "The science today wasn't fun either." She sighed. "I feel like I'm falling behind in classes because of the cultural festival."

Keiko shook her head. "They should hurry up and stop classes already. It's not like anyone's paying attention anymore anyway."

They walked down the halls, ignoring the other students' gazes. At this point, Mai was starting to get annoyed, but yelling at them and causing a scene wouldn't help her at all. Keiko gave her a nod of determination, a silent promise that they would get through this soon, and Mai gave a small smile of gratefulness.

"I haven't heard anything about why this is happening to you." Keiko said seriously, eyes facing forward as they walked. "Some of the girls and boys I asked complained that they knew I was your friend so there was no point."

Mai nodded. "So anyone who associates with me is automatically not included…"

"Maaaaaiiiii!"

The brunette jumped and spun around at the loud voice. Keiko turned too. She was surprised to see Chikao running towards them.

"Chikao-kun." Mai blinked. "What's up?"

The violet-eyed boy grabbed her shoulders. "Are you okay?!"

Keiko shot her a knowing glance and Mai flushed lightly down her neck. "Uhhh, yes?"

Chikao searched her face desperately. "Really?!"

"Yes, Chikao-kun, I am." Mai grew redder and gently pried Chikao's hands off. "Why?"

His hands stayed in front of him, as if ready to grab her again. "I heard about what happened in your class this morning. Man, the kids around here sure have zero tolerance when it comes to people like you."

Keiko's brows pressed down in an angry v-shape. She stepped between Chikao and Mai, forcing him to back up. "What do you mean by that?"

Realizing what he said had sounded wrong, Chikao waved his hands in front of him. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it, Nagase."

"Just 'Keiko' is fine." The pigtailed girl sniffed. "Otherwise I feel like people are calling for my older brother."

Chikao looked uncertain. "Then… Keiko-chan." He amended. Keiko nodded approvingly. "But I was talking about how Mai's mom was one of the more famous dancers in this area."

Mai gasped through her nose and quickly looked around. She then grabbed Chikao and Keiko by the wrists and pulled them along until she found an empty stairwell, ignoring their cries of annoyance and pain.

She whirled on Chikao. "Who told you?!" She demanded. "The only people who should know about that are the girls in my dance class and Matsumoto-sensei."

Chikao bit his lip. "Well, it's not a secret anymore." He said. "I mean, the whole school knows about it now."

"Huh?!" Keiko exclaimed. "How?!"

"I have no idea." Chikao shook his head. "But the guys in my class have been talking about it all day - how Taniyama Mai is getting favoritism from Matsumoto-sensei in ballet because her mother is Sakurai Kaori." He explained. "But I thought that it couldn't be true. I mean, did you say she passed away, Mai?"

Keiko's brows flew to her hairline. "She's dead?"

Mai bit her lip and stared at the floor.

Chikao looked between them uncomfortably. "Oh, sorry… I didn't know you…"

The brunette shook her head. "It's fine. Honestly, Chikao-kun, don't worry about it." She turned to Keiko, who was staring at her in open surprise. "I've been meaning to tell you guys for a while, but I couldn't exactly find the right timing…" Mai smiled weakly. "I mean, there's not really a good time to just up and say, 'Hey, my parents are dead and that's why I've been super sad all this time,' ya know?"

Keiko floundered for a bit. "I-I see…" She then shook her head frantically. "Don't worry about it, I understand." The girl then turned back to Chikao. "And? Did they say anything else?"

"To be honest, I don't see why having a famous parent is such a big deal. There's probably tons of kids like that at this school right?" Mai asked.

"And what was that bit about favoritism?" Keiko asked.

Chikao chuckled nervously at their overwhelming flood of dialogue. "Well, it's true that there are a lot of kids here who are carrying on their parents' legacies. That's why they have zero tolerance for students who try to use their parents' names to get the things they want." He explained.

Mai nodded in understanding.

"But Mai hasn't been throwing her mom's name at all!" Keiko cried indignantly. "She's kept it a secret all this time instead, so why?"

Chikao sighed. "They think that Mai got her solo in the cultural festival because Matsumoto-sensei was showing her favoritism because she's Sakurai Kaori's daughter."

Mai felt calm wash over her. Dead calm. "Oh." She merely said. "So that's what this is about."

Keiko bit her lip worriedly as she watched Mai's face shut down. "Mai?"

The brunette looked back up from the floor and said, "It's fine. It's nothing I haven't seen before."

Chikao floated in place, flustered. "It's not fine. The rumors are clearly fake!"

The brunette broke out of their little three-person circle and began walking back towards the main hallway. "Don't worry about it that much." She said, as Keiko and Chikao started behind her. "I'm actually relieved. If it was about something else, I would have been worried. The rumors will die off pretty quickly anyway." She gave a reassuring glance back at her friends. "They always do."

Keiko sighed dejectedly. "Well… if you're fine with it then I guess...right?" She looked to Chikao.

He nodded. "Yeah, there's not much we can do in the first place."

"I'm more worried about Matsumoto-sensei." Mai admitted as they turned the corner to the ballet studio. "I don't want anything to happen to her because of something like this, but I'm pretty sure all the teachers know I'm an orphan already, so…"

"Yeah, the staff usually knows about things like that and keeps it quiet." Chikao agreed.

They pushed the doors open to the studio, and found several girls already dressed and spread out across the floor, stretching. Others were chatting. The room quieted when they noticed her, but now that she was in her element, Mai paid them no heed.

Gracefully, and with her head held high, Mai walked straight to the changing rooms with Keiko following close behind. Chikao parted ways with them and headed for the piano.

Inside the locker rooms, Mai received the same treatment, though in the smaller space, the negativity and the heated glares were a lot more powerful. She felt Keiko slip her hand into hers, and she squeezed back gratefully. Together, they made their way to their lockers.

The other girls in their specific dance class were already there. Saitou Aoi turned a worried stare to them both. "I was afraid you wouldn't come with all this fuss!" She sighed in relief.

Aoi's braided pigtails that reached just to the line of her shoulders, and her kind green eyes, were reassuring to Mai, and she couldn't help but smile gratefully at her. "I could never miss the first company-wide rehearsal." She shrugged sheepishly, opening up her locker.

Itou Kiyomi and Takahashi Yuuko gave Mai reassuring pats on the shoulder and encouraging words. "Don't worry, Mai-chan, I'm sure everything will resolve itself soon."

"Thanks, Taka." Mai sighed. "It would be great if that happened."

Kiyomi pressed a temple charm into her hands. "You can use this." She said shyly. "It's for good luck and protection."

Mai held her hands in front of her as if scooping up water, and stared down at the charm in surprise. "O-Oh! There's really no need, Itou-chan."

Kiyomi shook her head, her braided buns bouncing gently with the motion. "It's okay. I usually keep it in my locker, but I think you need it more than I do right now." She smiled kindly. "You can just hold onto it for me for a little bit."

Mai marvelled at her ability to make it sound like she was doing a favor for her. "Okay then…" She said after a moment. "I'll hold onto it. Thank you."

Satisfied, Kiyoko and Taka smiled at each other before turning back to their lockers and leaving Mai to her clothes. Said brunette looked to Keiko and Aoi, who were approving onlookers, and blushed a light pink. She hurriedly turned back to her locker and began changing, ignoring her friends' giggles.

Once they were dressed, the girls made their way out of the changing room as a group, and Mai knew they were trying to protect her. Even Michiru, who had showed up a little later, and Kiyomi were doing their best, despite being on the shy side. Together, the girls helped each other stretch and warm up for rehearsal, taking up a space near the piano so they could include Chikao in their conversations too.

Eventually, Matsumoto-sensei called the company to order and all of the ballet concentration students gathered to hear her speak. "Good afternoon." She began. "Today marks the beginning of our company-wide rehearsals. Remember to keep your voices low and the chatter to a minimum so you can hear the instructions. If I have to call anyone more than twice, they will be going home for today and expected to return to rehearsal with a better work ethic on Thursday."

The students shivered.

Matsumoto-sensei ran a stare over her students' faces. "We will be blocking out the showcase today. For our newer students, 'blocking' refers to calibrating the act with the stage. There are frequent stops and starts, as I will have to help each soloist and group with their movement across the stage." Her stare grew strict. "That is why it is imperative that you remain as quiet as you can, so that the communication between the groups on stage and myself is not interrupted. I cannot talk over all of you."

The students gulped nervously. So scary!

The third years, the primas, were smiling, probably laughing at the kids who weren't used to Matsumoto-sensei's personality just yet.

"That said, let us do our best to get as much as we can done today and Thursday. If possible, I would like to get the students in the technical concentrations help us with microphones for the piano and some lights starting Thursday, but it depends on today's progress." Matsumoto-sensei said. "We will be practicing in the auditorium some days, and in the studio others, at least until the outdoor preparations begin."

"Outdoors?" Mai leaned over and whispered to Aoi, who stood on her right.

"Yeah, the showcase for ballet happens on an outdoor stage at the end of the cultural festival, to get as big as a crowd as possible."

"Hehhhh…" Mai whispered in awe. "That's cool."

"Make your way to the auditorium now. Only take the things you need, and go ahead and sit down in the House." Matsumoto-sensei said. She picked up a thin binder and some pens and made her way out.

The students followed.

Blocking, actually, was not as bad as Mai thought it would be. The other students were too focused on not getting their heads bit off by Matsumoto-sensei to worry about Mai, and it was honestly a relief. With this many students all in one place, she had expected the chatter to be much worse too, but it wasn't too bad for a group of high school kids. Enough that sensei only had to yell for quiet once or twice.

Mai paid careful attention to stage, as this was the first time she could see the other performances that would be in the showcase. There was a group doing the Dance of the Four Swans from Swan Lake and a little girl from the lower level classes the school hosted for the general public doing a simple variation on the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker. She was very cute, and Mai couldn't help but fall in love with her little ballerina bun and her beginning dancer's shoes.

A male dancer, danseur, had agreed to a pas de deux (a French phrase that roughly meant "dance for two") with a ballerina. It looked like it was from Romeo and Juliet. She was particularly in awe of the prima's fluid motions and grace.

"Taniyama-san!" Matsumoto-sensei called. Mai jumped up and made her way to the stage as the couple walked off.

Mai made her way to Chikao-kun first to check in and make sure everything was all set. Then, she walked to center stage and waited for Matsumoto-sensei's instructions. She did her best to ignore the way the company was oppressively staring her down with contempt.

"Sensei," A voice called.

Matsumoto-sensei turned. "What is it?"

A girl with twin braids and thick black glasses stood up. "Many of us students have been wondering why you decided to put a new student into the showcase." She said, and Mai felt her heart stop.

They're doing this now?!

Sensei sighed and closed her binder with a snap, turning to face the House fully. "I don't see a problem here, Kuroda-san."

Mai blinked and squinted hard as she tried to stick the name "Kuroda" to the girl's face.

"It's just that she's new to this school and has never performed with us before… A lot of us were thinking that it would be too much pressure to have her do a solo so soon." Kuroda pressed.

Matsumoto-sensei narrowed her eyes, then turned to Mai, who flinched. "Taniyama-san, did you audition as a soloist against your own will?" She asked sternly.

Mai shook her head furiously. "No, sensei."

The woman's sleek bob fluttered gently as she turned back to face Kuroda, who stood in the middle of the deathly silent House. "It seems your worry is unwarranted, Kuroda-san."

"Sensei, please." Kuroda said with a concerned face. "You don't have to give in to her! A lot of us know about how she's been using her mother's name to force you into putting her in the show!"

There were a few gasps ("My gosh, she really said it!") in the House, and Mai felt her cheeks burn with shame.

Matsumoto-sensei looked extremely stern. "You've been saying 'a lot of us, a lot of us' for awhile now, Kuroda-san. Who, exactly, are you referring to?"

"The other dancers in here." Kuroda answered confidently. She then pointed an accusatory finger at Mai. "We all know that her mother is Sakurai Kaori, and that you have to put her in the show to keep favor with her."

Matsumoto-sensei looked dangerous. "I don't know what you have been told, but I have not had any contact with Sakurai Kaori since she disappeared twenty years ago. In any case, our showcase includes dancers at every level, beginner to prima. I do not see any reason why Taniyama-san should not participate."

Mai could barely hear their conversation. It had all fallen away to a low buzz in the back of her mind. She felt sleepy, yet hyper aware of her surroundings. The same deadly calm the brunette had felt in the hallway while talking to Keiko and Chikao returned and flowed down her body, as if she were an empty container being filled with water. Before she knew it, she was moving. Mai found herself sitting at the front of the stage, the skirt, her legs dangling over the edge. Kuroda, who had lost her cool, threw all pretenses out the window and began accusing Matsumoto-sensei of favoritism, bias, absolutism, and anything else she could pull out of her ass.

Mai kicked her legs lightly, and cut Kuroda's tirade off. "My mom is dead."

"- and I don't believe that she could possibly-" Kuroda froze, voice cut off in the middle of the word. "Huh?"

The auditorium was so quiet, only the heavy thumps of the back of Mai's heels hitting the stage could be heard.

"I said, my mom is dead, Kuroda-san." Mai smiled bitterly. "Or did you happen to miss out on that information when you ran your background check?"

Kuroda was pale, but Mai only chuckled lightly at her.

"Tell me, why would Matsumoto-sensei try to please someone who's already dead? How would that benefit her? Could bias exist in this situation? Could you be any more pathetic than you are now?" Mai's voice grew stronger and stronger with each question, until Kuroda lashed out.

"Then she's giving you the solo because she's pitying you for your mom being dead!"

"Kuroda-san!" Matsumoto-sensei barked. "Taniyama-san!"

Mai shot her teacher an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry, sensei, I didn't mean to cross the line."

"Kuroda-san." The strict woman whirled on the student. "I have had enough of your poor behavior. You will be banned from rehearsals until further notice." She hissed. Kuroda paled and shakily sat down in her seat, tears welling up in her eyes.

Mai couldn't care less.

"Is there anyone else in this room that would like to add to Kuroda-san's speech?" Matsumoto-sensei demanded.

The students looked away and remained silent.

After a long moment, the teacher turned around to face the stage. "Get up there, Taniyama-san." She sighed.

"Yes ma'am."

Mai went to center stage and nodded to the pale pianist. Chikao snapped out of it and shakily nodded back.

She took a deep breath and tried to remember what Aspicia's variation was about.

Celebrating. Right… Mai sighed mentally. I definitely don't feel like celebrating right now.

Then the music started and Mai moved into her first steps. She stretched a smile onto her face and hoped for the best.

"Oh yeah, what about you Mai?" Michiru's voice suddenly rang out in her head.

"I haven't decided yet, but I'd like to do a short solo."

"So you've decided to take the road less travelled, huh." Keiko's voice commented.

"I guess."

"The competition for the solos is really fierce, Mai." Michiru had warned her. Little did she know that it would be far worse than either of them had imagined.

"For now, I just want to try having fun."

Mai gasped under her breath. That's right… She chose this piece for a reason. I wanted to try being happy.

The feelings she had put into all of those practices at home before the audition, her days on the rooftop with Chikao pouring over the sheet music, the extra practices in the studio with the piano… She suddenly remembered all of it.

"You smile too much."

"You're not very honest."

Naru and Keiko were right. Mai gently extended her leg over her head, bringing it to her waiting arm. But the feelings and effort I put into this piece, my wish… they won't die here. She repeated the action with her other leg and arm.

Sincerity. It wasn't that hard, after all. Her wish to one day be happy again was real. Her feelings were genuine. What else did she possibly need?

In the House, Michiru gasped next to Keiko, and grabbed her friend's forearm. Mai had started off the dance stiffly at first, and they were nervous for her, but now…

Mai was smiling. Sweetly, softly, and genuinely.

"Well would you look at that…" Keiko grinned next to her. "Her smile really is too pretty to waste."

As I thought… dancing really is fun!

Mai thought to herself as she launched into the next step with a sense of freedom. The flat black of the stage under her feet thumped with her heavier steps, and the notes of Chikao's cheerful piano resounded in her ears. The scenery of the stage spun past her in blurs, and she could hardly see a face in the audience. The joy and love in her heart was overflowing.

Mai thought back to the story of Aspicia's celebration and her freedom to marry the man she loved, and put her heart in sync with hers.

Aspicia must have felt something like this when she danced.

As she the tempo changed and the music picked up, Mai switched gears and paid careful attention to the notes of the piano, pulling the sounds with her body as she moved. The brunette could feel the bond of absolute trust between herself and Chikao as the song went on.

Push and pull, push and pull.

She was so grateful for her friends' help up until now, but she was especially thankful for Chikao. Silently, Mai sent a prayer of thanks to whatever divine being up there had sent him to her. If it weren't for his support, she had no idea if she would be dancing on this stage at all right now. As Mai danced nearer to the piano, she caught Chikao's encouraging smile in her direction and felt her heart dance along with her. He had supported her from the very beginning. Had been the first to know about her parents and stay by her side. Had been her friend.

Mai's heart warmed as she went into the last sequence, filled with spins that travelled in a large circle around the stage. And then she was done. She stopped on a dime and set a leg behind her, as if in a curtsy, arms out. On the last note, she flipped her palms in the opposite direction and sent a dazzling smile to the audience, chin tilted slightly up.

Oh Kami, I love him so much.

After the students finished their applauding, Matsumoto-sensei turned to face them.

She searched the faces of her students. "Are there any objections?"

Mai stood in the middle of the stage nervously, hands at her side stiffly even though she wanted very badly to bring them together and wring them.

But she had to maintain her posture.

The students were silent.

"Good." Sensei nodded once. She sighed lightly before going on. "Kuroda-san, Taniyama-san, get out of my auditorium." Mai flinched and nearly ran off stage, but sensei wasn't done. "I have no need for distractions in my show."

Mai raced off, trying her best not to feel hurt. Sensei was only doing what was best right now in order to keep rehearsal running smoothly. It was true that drama like this was a distraction.

"I expect to see both of you ladies in my office tomorrow after class. Taniyama-san," Mai looked back at the front of the stage from where she was along the edges of the auditorium to grab her things. "You will return to rehearsal on Thursday. My earlier decision for Kuroda-san still stands."

The brunette nodded and bowed once before gathering her stuff into her arms and hiking it out of the auditorium without looking back. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, from both the drama of the rehearsal and the direction her thoughts had turned during her dance.

Frantically, Mai tried to push the thoughts away and focus on avoiding Kuroda-san. The last thing she wanted was another confrontation.

I can't even go to the changing rooms right now or she'll be there too. The brunette thought to herself.

Making an executive decision, Mai decided to go right past the studio and its changing rooms, and find someplace else to hide out until she was sure Kuroda was gone.

Thoughts a mess, Mai walked in whatever direction happened to have less people. It wasn't technically against the rules for ballet students to walk around with their leotards still on, but it wasn't exactly smiled upon either. Plus, it could be embarrassing, but this didn't apply to Mai considering she spent more time in a leotard than in her school uniform each day.

The sound of music broke Mai out of her reverie.

A beautiful, smooth and low sound slipped past her like a ribbon of silk. Then a higher sound like a singer's voice followed. After a moment, they found each other and came together in blissful harmony.

Strings… Mai realized, coming to a stop. It took her a moment to recognize her surroundings, but then she understood that she was near the Strings Club's room now. Of course.

Feeling her nerves calm and her muscles relax, Mai went closer to the door. Deciding against going in right away and interrupting the music, she slid down the wall next to the door and sat on the floor with a sigh. She closed her eyes and listened, head tilted back slightly.

That must be a cello… so it's John playing. She thought. And that passionate violin is definitely Naru's. Always so unlike the player himself.

After a moment, Mai pulled her ballet bag open and took out a water bottle. She drank from it greedily. The hall was empty except for her, but she could hear the laughter and chatter of students nearby. The floor and wall were hard against her body, and her toe shoes were laced up a little too tight, but she was somehow still comfortable.

The sunlight streaming in after the rain from the big square windows across from her was peaceful.

Mai sat quietly until she heard the cello and violin finish their song. She threw her water bottle back into her bag and stood up, throwing the bag over her shoulder. Then, with both hands, she slowly slid the door open to about halfway and peered inside.

"Mai."

It was Naru who saw her first. The sound of the door opening caught his attention. The brunette was shyly peeking into the room, half of her body hidden behind the door.

She was a sight to behold in her practice clothing. The baby girl pink leotard showed every line of her torso, and its spaghetti straps accentuated her slender shoulders. Her fine, chestnut brown hair helped in that regard by sitting neatly in a bun at the crown of her head, some strands falling astray. The girl's long, pretty legs were covered in sheer tights, and her ankles were wrapped in the pale silk ribbons of her pointe shoes. They were well worn, since one could clearly see that the tips of her shoes, where the boxes were located, were a little dirty.

"Hey guys," she greeted simply, opening the door fully and coming in. "You're practicing even though there's no club today?"

She nimbly stepped inside and slid the door shut behind her, then set her bag down on the floor in the corner.

Yasu gave a low whistle at Mai's figure, and winked at her playfully. "I had a dream this would happen."

Mai flushed pink and came closer to the table, gingerly sitting down at her usual spot and successfully hiding a part of herself under the table. John shyly offered her the thick blazer of his winter uniform, and Mai gratefully set it on her shoulders, but didn't put her arms through the sleeves.

"What about you? Why are you here?" Naru asked.

Mai sighed. "I got kicked out." She admitted.

"Ehh?!"

"Matsumoto-sensei said she didn't need any distractions in her rehearsal." Mai mumbled, looking away from them.

"What happened?"

Naru narrowed his eyes. "Was it the drama from this morning?"

Mai nodded.

"Eh? Ehh?! 'Drama from this morning?!' What does that mean?" Yasuhara demanded.

Naru explained the morning's events, and then Mai took over to explain what had happened in the auditorium. She didn't bother mentioning her mother's death yet though, as it didn't have much significance anyway.

Yasu sat back in his chair. "That's whack."

John nodded his head in agreement. "It was unfair of this Kuroda-san to assume bias so easily."

Mai pursed her lips. "No, she planned this." She stated. "No one knew about my mom except for the girls in my group and Matsumoto-sensei. Chikao-kun too." She added, and avoided Yasuhara's grin. "I'm almost 100% sure that none of them said anything, which means that Kuroda looked into my background on her own."

Naru spoke up. "If that's true, then she would be the person behind the rumors and the grade-wide hazing."

Mai nodded. "She seemed the type. She lost her cool in her argument with sensei and it got really ugly for a second."

"And then what happened?"

"Sensei made me dance the solo anyway, and then asked if there were any objections…"

"Damn." Yasu grinned at her. "Matsumoto-sensei is such a badass."

"I know right," Mai laughed weakly. "So when she kicked Kuroda and I out, I high-tailed it out of there. But then I didn't want to end up in the changing rooms alone with Kuroda, so I…" She trailed off.

"That was probably for the best." John nodded sympathetically. "It could have gotten dangerous if ya were alone with her."

"I wasn't thinking about it that way, but sure." Mai shrugged. "I just wanted to avoid another confrontation."

"Don't tell me Mai-chan doesn't actually like drama?" Yasuhara teased. "I seem to remember a certain someone challenging a club member to a duel on her first day~"

Mai flushed red and buried her face in her hands. "No!" She cried. "I hate drama! Why won't people just leave me alone?"

"Talent attracts both the good and the bad." Naru suddenly answered seriously. Mai lifted her face up and turned to him. "Jealousy is one of them."

Mai stared with slightly widened eyes (Did he just admit I was talented?!) before nodding slowly. Then, after a moment, she relaxed. "To be completely honest, this isn't the first time. I've seen similar things happen to my senpai and experienced something once, when I was younger… Just not on this scale." Mai shrugged. "It was new, but the part where people got quiet when I walked into the room was pretty cool." She joked, and earned a few laughs from Yasuhara.

"As I thought, Mai-chan really does have a terrible personality." Naru commented.

"Like you should talk!" She yelled back.

"Maa maa," John let out, holding his hands out placatingly. "Let's talk about something else instead."

"Like what?"

"Like that hamburger we didn't get to eat yesterday!" Yasuhara excitedly sat up from his slumped position, eyes shining. "You left so quickly yesterday that I forgot all about it!"

John smiled. "I have time to go today, but only if it's later." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I still have some things to do here."

"Okay~" Yasu sang.

Mai shook her head at the two of them. "We don't have to go eat hamburger just because I mentioned it that one time."

"No way!" Yasu protested childishly. "I've been looking forward to it since then! Changing it to something else would suck."

"Or we could just not go at all." Mai mumbled, sitting back in her chair.

The president suddenly spoke in a serious, soft voice and a straight face, "Do you really not want to go out with us, Mai?"

The brunette sputtered a bit and felt her cheeks warm. She averted her gaze.

Sincerity.

"No…" She mumbled. "I just don't want to be an inconvenience."

Yasuhara relaxed, satisfied, and gave a smile. "And I'm saying I want to go. Okay?"

Mai grew even redder, and slid down in her seat as if the table could swallow her. "Okay…" She mumbled.

"Then it's settled!"

"You should come with us, Kazuya." John said warmly. "It's our treat."

The raven haired boy shook his head. "No, thank you. I have someone waiting at home with dinner already."

"Oh, okay then."

"I guess it's just the three of us~" Yasu sang. "Naru-chan is missing out~"

John chuckled. "So what time would be good?"

Mai glanced at the clock. It was still early, so she wasn't hungry just yet. "I'd be okay with five or six." She said, but then glanced at Naru. "I want to be home by seven or seven-thirty though."

I have to practice more with Naru...

Yasu turned to John. "Is six okay with you?"

Said blond hummed thoughtfully. "I think I can make it."

"Good!" The president said cheerfully. "Then this meeting is adjourned."

Mai rolled her eyes and stood up, giving John back his blazer. She made her way back to the door and picked up her bag. The boys watched as she threw a small smile over her shoulder and said, "Then I'll see you later."

When the door slid shut behind her, Yasu shook his head appreciatively. "Those looks could lead a man to his doom."

John flushed pink and swallowed thickly, but nodded hesitantly. "She was awfully pretty."

Naru stood abruptly, interrupting Yasu's next comment. He grabbed his school bag and his violin case, face cold and slightly menacing. Then, like Mai, he gave a smile over his shoulder. But this smile was cold and fake.

"Well then, I'll be going on ahead."

And turned and left.

Yasu shivered pleasantly, and hugged himself. "Those looks could also lead a man to his doom."

John paled, but nodded stiffly. "They're both awfully pretty people."

With a sigh, Mai set her keys and school bag down on her table. She stood for a moment in the stillness of the apartment and was slightly surprised to feel herself unwinding from the stress of school.

Was she perhaps starting to think of this place as home?

She pushed the thoughts away and walked past her mini-studio to her bedroom. After leaving the boys in the club room, she went back to the changing rooms in the ballet wing of the school. Thankfully, rehearsal was still ongoing and Kuroda was long gone. The silence of the changing room was welcome at the time.

Mai threw her uniform onto her bed and opened her closet. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a white blouse, and a soft orange cardigan. This should be casual enough… Then dug around at the bottom of her closet for some shoes. Once she found a comfortable pair, the brunette nodded once to herself.

Mai put the clothes on and hung up her uniform so it wouldn't wrinkle in the time she was gone, though she was tired enough to collapse right into bed.

Maybe I should just cancel…

The brunette sighed and shook her head, tossing the idea away in the trash. Yasuhara and John were excited, and they were doing this for her. There was no point in cancelling just because she was a little anxious and a lot tired.

Sometimes, you just don't feel like going out.

But Mai pushed through it and dragged herself into the bathroom. There, she splashed some cold water onto her face and hoped she didn't look as tired as she felt. The dark and puffy circles under her eyes disagreed with her, though, and Mai dug around for her weapons.

She wasn't really into makeup, considering that she spent most of her day sweating and most schools didn't allow it. She did know some things from her stage performances as a dancer, but now was not the time for that. Instead, like many other girls her age who couldn't turn to makeup for help in Japan, Mai was more into skin care routines and drinking water. That was why she smiled satisfyingly to herself when she found her under-eye cream. The brunette dabbed a bit under her eyes quickly and hoped for the best from there. As the cream did its work, Mai grabbed a comb and tried her best to tame her long hair.

Then froze.

Hmmm… She stared thoughtfully at her reflection. But do I have time for that? Mai pulled her phone out of her back pocket and pursed her lips. No. Then I guess it'll have to wait. The brunette raked the comb through her straight hair and sighed in frustration when it didn't sit the way she wanted it to.

That's it! I'm not going!

Mai fumed, all while grabbing a hair tie and pulling her long hair back into a cool-girl ponytail at the middle of her head.

My hair is a mess, my clothes aren't even cute, and the bags under my eyes are still dark.

The brunette grumbled mentally, all while getting her over-the-shoulder purse from her room and rummaging through it to make sure her wallet was inside.

So do I even have money or…?

She mentally berated herself for her lack of financial responsibility, all while pulling on her shoes and grabbing her keys off the table. The metal jingled lightly at the motion before she tightened her grip and marched out.

I am definitely not going! She thought, as the door to her apartment slammed shut.

Mai glared at the ground. "Your words and your actions don't match, Taniyama." She muttered, turning around to lock the door.

With a huff, Mai set out.

She met up with the boys in front of a tall clock in a park, as Mai wasn't familiar enough with this town to know what they meant by "Lets go to Garden!" She was not surprised to see them in casual clothes like herself.

Yasu wore jeans and a zip-up hood over a striped tee-shirt. John wore jeans as well, but was dressed more similarly to Mai with a light blue sweater that matched his eyes over a crisp white dress-shirt.

"Sorry, did you guys wait long?"

Yasu smiled charmingly. "No, we just got here a moment ago too." Then with a teasing grin, "John, take notes. That is how you respond if you ever show up early for a date."

John sputtered, turning a pleasant shade of red, and reached over to bump Yasu with his elbow. "Yasuhara-kun!" He cried.

Mai merely smiled at them. "So what were you guys saying in the group chat? About a garden?"

Yasuhara tutted at her. "No, no, Mai-chan, not 'niwa,' garden." He said in English. "It's a family restaurant across the street that has excellent hamburger!"

"Garden…" Mai repeated in English, blinking in slight confusion. "Huh… well okay, sure, lead the way."

And so they left the park and crossed the street, shaking their heads and laughing at Yasu's antics.

I'm glad I came after all.

Mai muched happily on the salisbury steak in front of her. It was warm and juicy and fluffy - when the waitress had set it down in front of them moments ago her mouth had watered. Yasuhara was eagerly scarfing down the delicious meal, and John was chuckling softly while taking his time to enjoy it.

"This is my first time eating this," He said. "Asian cuisine is different, but good."

Yasuhara nodded sagely. "You still have much to see, John-dono!"

"Oh right, somehow I forgot that you were an exchange student here, John." Mai said after swallowing her food. "It feels like you've been here the whole time, somehow."

"Well, Mai-chan is new, so I don't blame you for thinking that way." Yasuhara said. "But John started with us in April."

John nodded. "Yeah, I came here at that start of y'alls school year."

"Heehhhh…" Mai let out in interest. "But what about school in Australia? Isn't it different?"

"Ya," John took a sip of his soda. "School starts in January for us. And then it goes until late December."

"Wow, January?"

"Yes, because summer in the southern hemisphere happens at the end of the calendar year." He nodded. "It's opposite from you guys."

Mai nodded. "Yeah, I remember that from class." Then a thought crossed her mind. "Then, is this maybe the first cold Christmas you're seeing?!" She asked excitedly.

"Yup!" John grinned boyishly. "By the time December 25th comes around in Australia, it's already hot enough to swim in the ocean."

Mai sat back in the booth in awe. "That is so cool."

"More like so hot." Yasuhara grinned at his pun, but pouted when neither Mai nor John smiled. Then, with a thoughtful voice and a hand to his chin, he said, "Speaking of foreign exchange… What made you decide to come to Japan, John?"

The blue-eyed boy smiled softly down at the table, his shoulders dropping. "Well, I…"

Mai sat up straighter, interest piqued at John's behavior.

John looked up and smiled weakly. "I couldn't swim anymore."

"Swim?" Mai echoed, blinking.

Yasuhara didn't seem surprised. "Oh yeah, Mai-chan doesn't know."

"Know what?"

"Actually, my concentration is swimming, not music." John clarified.

"Eeehhh?!" Mai said in a loud voice, nearly standing up.

"Wai- Mai, shhhh!" Yasuhara put his hands out nervously.

Said brunette looked around and noticed the stares of the other customers, and quickly turned pink. With a small bow, she apologized and sank down low into her side of the booth. "Sorry guys…" She mumbled.

"'S'alright." John chuckled.

"But…" Mai tugged at the sleeves of her orange cardigan. "A swim concentration when you play the cello so well?"

John nodded with a nervous smile. "Well, it's not that rare for the students at school to pick a club that's different from their concentration to try 'n' explore other interests, right?"

Come to think of it, Michiru said something like that when I first came here…

"I guess so…" Mai let out.

"By the way, I'm a computer science concentration." Yasu winked and pointed to himself, but Mai had already used up all of her surprise for the day. He pouted at her, and then turned to John. "So what do you mean by not being able to swim?"

John calmed again, almost wilting. "Well, it's something like that, but not really… I guess it's like a mental block? I dunno what's wrong." The blond stared at the table again. "My times wouldn't get any faster. If anything, I was gettin' slower."

Mai frowned. "That sounds frustrating."

"It was." John nodded, and then put a hand over his heart, clutching the cloth over it. "How do I explain it? I would be swimmin' and then it just felt like the water was against me. Like… we weren't friends anymore."

The booth was quiet.

Yasu suddenly clapped his hands. "So you've come to Japan to recover your lost mojo!" He sang. "Excellent choice. Sounds like a break-up trip!"

John cracked a smile at this. "Ah yes, it's a custom here for girls with broken hearts to go on a journey."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him, John. First of all, you and the water didn't break up! You probably just needed a break, or something!" She said, doing her best to cheer him up. "And second of all, it's not really a custom, it's just something that some girls do… others think it's tacky."

"You're probably right." John said. "Japan has been good to me. And I haven't had many problems during our concentrations."

"Isn't that why you still had errands to do earlier?" Yasu asked. "You had to go pick up something from the captain?"

John nodded. "Yeah, that's why I said I wanted to do this later."

"That makes sense." Mai said. "So maybe by the time you start swimming for real, you'll feel better."

"I hope so."

Yasuhara eventually steered the conversation towards lighter topics as they finished up their food. The waitress brought refills of soda for John and Yasu, but Yasu ordered a float for Mai, who protested.

Eventually, she gave in because she liked western sweets.

They sat for a while longer, the boys finishing up their drinks and Mai nursing her float, talking and complaining about classes and the cultural festival. Eventually, the drinks were finished and the conversation came to a lull, so the group of three stood and shuffled out of the booth. Yasuhara and John paid for her meal together at the cashier, despite her protests, saying it was their idea to take her out and celebrate and to "leave it to your senpai, Ma, jeez."

She thanked them as they left the restaurant and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The sun was already setting, and the fall scenery was dyed a warm orange.

"Oh!" Yasu let out suddenly, and Mai jumped. "If it isn't Naru-chan! Naaaarruu-chaaaaan!" He waved gleefully to the cold violinist, who was walking a few paces ahead of them.

He stopped and turned. "Yasuhara-senpai." He acknowledged.

As the group caught up to him, Mai noticed he was wearing black clothing again. Something he did when he wasn't wearing his school uniform.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were eating dinner at home!" Yasu said, playfully slinging an arm around Naru's neck.

Naru stood stock still and stoically took the treatment, already used to it. He lifted up a dark blue paper shopping bag and pointed to the building he just left. "I did eat dinner, but then I went there."

Mai followed the direction he pointed in and noticed that the store a few buildings down from the Garden was for music supply. "Oh, what did you get? New music?"

Naru looked down at her. "A new E string." The E string referred to the note E in music. On a violin, it is the thinnest and, therefore, highest string.

"Oh."

"Well you showed up at just the right time!" Yasu grinned. "If my memory serves right, you and Mai live in the same apartment complex right?"

Mai gave him a confused stare while Naru frowned.

"I saw it in our club records." He grinned, answering the unasked question. "But anyway, I live in the same neighborhood as John's host family, but it's in the opposite direction." He jabbed a thumb behind him. "And it's getting dark. Why don't you walk her home for us?"

Mai flushed pink. "It's not like I can't protect myself you know!" She yelled. Then, grumbling, she said, "Despite how I look, I did live in Tokyo…"

Naru nearly rolled his eyes. "Stop whining. We live in the same place anyway, so what are you going to do? Say no?"

Mai pursed her lips. "Fine…"

"Good," John said. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, Mai."

The brunette passed up a smile. "Thanks, John. Thanks, Yasu. See you tomorrow."

"See ya~" Yasu waved over his shoulder as he and John turned and walked away.

The cement was still dark and damp from the earlier rain, Mai noticed as she walked at Naru's side silently, and the leaves that have already fallen are sticking to it. Brown and wet and shiny.

"Do you feel better?"

Naru's voice broke the silence. Mai looked up from the sidewalk and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Eww, Naru-chan's trying to be nice. It's creeping me out!"

Naru nearly sputtered but glared down at her instead. She could practically hear the I go out of my way to talk first and this is how you respond? that he didn't say.

A light chuckle. "You have a terrible personality too." She gave him a grateful smile, and he calmed. "But yeah, it was nice of them to do that for me. I haven't had a chance to see much of this town yet, even though it's so important to me…"

"What do you mean?"

He let his eyes wander down her form, taking her in. The jeans suited her pretty legs, trained from years of ballet, and the modest orange cardigan matched the colors of autumn. Her long hair flowed behind her in its ponytail, and her brown eyes were warm in the light of the sunset.

She belonged in moments like this.

"This is the town where my mom grew up."

Her chestnut brown eyes turned to him, and he couldn't look away. Her smile was small, and slightly pained, but still genuine.

"I see."

"That's why I'm grateful. I haven't been anywhere but the school almost all this time, and the grocery store near the apartment." She explained.

"And…" Naru began slowly, "About the drama at school?"

Mai sighed gently. "I told them the truth. Kuroda didn't know she was dead, so her 'favoritism' argument fell apart."

"I see."

He noticed she avoided talking about her own feelings concerning the event, but as Naru wasn't quite the type to discuss such things, he let it go.

"Things will probably sort themselves out on their own from here." Mai said quietly. "The whole company heard so the rumors will probably switch to that instead." She clicked her tongue and glared at the ground. "Damn. Now the whole school will know."

Naru lazily looked back to the road. "Does it really matter?"

"It does!" Mai yelled, surprising then both. She quieted after a moment. "I don't want anyone's pity."

Naru stayed silent, but she could tell that he understood.

"What are you doing?"

After Naru checked in with Lin and picked up his violin, he stepped into Mai's apartment, only to find her dining room table transformed. A rectangular mirror was sitting at the edge of the table, a little bigger than a picture frame. Mai had pulled a chair around and set it over an old sheet.

She waved a comb and scissors at him. "I had an idea earlier, and talking about today on the way home convinced me." She began. "I'm going to chop off this hair."

Naru furrowed his brows at her, not seeing the connection. "Why?"

The brunette sat in the chair in front of the mirror and picked up a spray bottle filled with water. "They warned me when I first got here that someone would figure it out eventually." She began as Naru came closer and sat in a different chair. "My mom and I look the same. The girls in my group said someone would see it, especially with this hair." She twirled a strand around her finger tips. Then, simply, and almost uncaring, she lifelessly said, "So I'll just cut it off."

This is probably one of that last things I have of mom.

Naru watched as she sprayed her hair with water until it was damp and straightened it out with a thin-toothed comb.

"People don't usually cut their hair themselves." Naru pointed out.

"Well most people aren't poor orphaned students, now are they?" She said back smartly, focusing on her reflection in the mirror. "Maybe I should have done this in the bathroom after all?" She wondered aloud. "Anyway, I have you here too."

Naru's brows shot up doubtfully. She heard the silent Me? that came her way.

Mai looked up from the mirror to Naru. "I'm counting on you to get the back for me, Naru-chan."

He debated on saying no. In the first place, it sounded like a pain, but he also knew she would make it a big deal until he gave in. Therefore, he could just cut it for her and get to practice in less time than if he argued. Reluctantly, Naru nodded once.

"Good."

The first, sharp snip of the scissors had them both nervous. The cut hair dropped down to the sheet under the chair with a plop. Mai let out a shaky breath, and stared in the mirror for a few moments. Then, snip, snip, snip, snip. The left side was done.

"Oh god…" Mai let out, but pushed on.

Snip, snip, snip. She started her right side, using her left hand to cut it and staying as still as she could to make sure it was even. Snip, snip.

Naru stood and Mai held the scissors out to him. She stared worriedly at her reflection, stiff.

"You'll have to relax your shoulders." He said quietly, and Mai sat straight but dropped her shoulders.

"Don't look so nervous, Naru-chan." She said, looking at him through the mirror. "It's just hair."

He stared back at her doubtfully.

"I mean, make it even at least, okay?"

Naru sighed and gathered up a piece of her hair and carefully cut it to match the length Mai had cut earlier. He then cut across her back in careful, short snips until he made it to her other shoulder. The wet locks plopped down to the ground.

"Mai, look up, not at the mirror." He said impatiently. "You're tilting your head down."

"I'm trying my best~" She whined, but tilted her chin back up.

"As I thought, this side is uneven."

"Whaaaa?!" Mai cried in dismay.

"Stop moving! It can still be fixed." Naru said, and Mai sat still again. "Give me the comb."

She passed it to him, and Naru ran it down her hair again. "Don't tell me you're actually good at cutting hair?"

Naru used the comb to accurately line up the ends of Mai's hair. "I used to cut it for my brother, and he would cut it for me."

"Heeehhh, a brother huh? I didn't know you had one!" Mai grinned in the mirror. "Lucky you."

Why did I just… Naru stared hard down at his hands. He had said it thoughtlessly - no, she had pulled the information out of him. Again, Mai was proving herself to be a dangerous existence.

"There, it's done." Naru said roughly, pushing the scissors and comb back into her hands. "If you don't like it, Matsuzaki-sensei can fix it for you at club tomorrow."

"Eh? Ayako?"

But Naru was already putting on his shoes.

"Wha- Naru? What about practice?!"

"We're skipping it tonight!"

The door swung shut behind him.

"Okay…" Mai stared at the door in shock.

Naru? Skip practice? No way…

"What's his deal?" She muttered as she stood and cleared up the mess.

Unbeknownst to her, Naru was leaning back against the door to Mai's apartment, mind racing. He put a hand over his mouth.

"What am I doing?"

LMAO HOW DID NO ONE GUESS IT WAS KURODA?

lolol i hashed out this chapter super quick after i woke up to 5 reviews the other day. My eyes hurt from the phone/computer screens, but it was worth it~ *sparkles*

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT MIKAZUKINIKA IT'LL BE FUN I PROMISE!

Sometimes I wonder if it's Mai or Naru who's really earning new colors for their kaleidoscope… ;)

Don't ask me in Yasu is bi in this story, because idk yet lololol.

Be shook. John is actually an Australian swimmer lolol. Fun fact: his specialty is breast stroke. ;)

Mai accidentally noticed her feelings for Chikao-kun, and Naru accidentally noticed his feelings for Mai… Can someone say LOVE TRIANGLE?

REVIEW PLEASE I UPDATE FASTER IF YOU DO! *sparkles*

Thank you for 3k hits 3

~MikazukiNika