“Congratulations!” Risako praised her former mentor while she walked away from the hall.
“Thank you, Rii-chan! If you hadn't performed well, I wouldn't have made it this far.” Risako took a deep bow to her and the band.
A few years ago, Risako had been recruited along with six others to be students of the traditional arts. Her age held her back a level and feeling that pain of separation made her determined to achieve the next level. However, she was not the only one to be left back, another girl who barely missed the level of the others.
Kuma-chan aka Kumai Yurina had missed out on the basic level and with Risako they had developed a friendly rivalry. The simple things became a competition between both of them, sleeping, etiquette, and learning were their battlegrounds. Within the next year, they took the front of the class, and were given an opportunity to move on.
“Kumai, Sugaya, please approach the stage for dance.” The master sat down on the stage with the band setting up their instruments.
“Kuma-chan, you seem nervous.” Risako smirked at the tall girl.
“I guess so, but you seem the same way, good luck.” Kuma-chan gave her a wink and both were in the starting position.
The performance began and both had shown their elegance and skill to the crowd leaving them amazed at the technical level. The main point was the competition became a battle to gain the master's permission and as they both end their performance, the crowd and the master stood up and applauded.
“Sit down.” The master commanded and both took their seat as the master turned toward his committee.
After a few minutes, the master stood them up and let them at the edge of the stage. The crowd cheered and shouted their favorites as the master killed the shouting. The master brought up the mentor and stood by him. The mentor kept her attention toward Risako as Kuma-chan kept staring at the crowd and the master took a deep breath before approaching them.
“You two did incredibly well, I am proud of you, you have shown the talent each of you possessed. However, we have only one spot for dancing and the other will be given a choice. I am sorry we couldn't get both into dancing, so both of you will make a fair decision and when you decide, please inform the us and the crowd.” Yurina and Risako walked backstage.
“Kuma-chan, what shall you take?” Yurina kept the thought of the mentor's reaction in her mind and it seemed the decision was clear to her.
“You choose.” Yurina said under her voice.
Risako tried to hide her smile as it was obvious to her but it bothered her that Kuma-chan would give up an important decision to her. Risako spent a few minutes to break through Kuma-chan's mask with very little conversation and it left her with more questions. Then, she had accepted her decision giving Kumai the signal. Risako stepped up to the master and shook the mentor's hand before giving her announcement.
“Mentor, please accept me as a student.” Risako bowed to her leaving Kuma-chan to nod her head in agreement.
“Sugaya-san, this is Natsuyaki-san, you have met each other before so it should be easy for both to get along. Kumai-san, have you decided on a path?” Kuma-chan smiled and walked over to the band.
“I will learn to play these instruments and support Risako in her dance skills.” The master gleefully applauded as they both took their paths.
Kuma-chan sat with the elder people while they practice their instruments, she observed all the members, and each gave her an opportunity to play all the instruments. She eventually fell in love with the koto, her long, slender fingers, and the music it gives off, rang in her ear every time she played. Yurina knew her place as a backup to the elders but as she learned she took up small jobs around the place to assist with her living conditions.
“Kumai-san, you are so diligent.” The band leader praised.
“Thank you.” Yurina bowed her head in respect to the much shorter man.
“We have a concert for the dance troupe in about a month, we want you to play the koto, you seem talented to play for the group.” Yurina lowered her head and her eyes teared up.
“Thank you for teaching me, I will practice for the concert.” Yurina walked over to the instrument room to practice her strumming.
Risako became hardened by Natsuyaki-san's training, despite adoring her, she never could face her about what was bothering her the most. She had fallen for her master, a sin within any reason, but with the wedge, she saw what she was doing to her. The more scolding she dished, Risako took it in stride improving her technique.
“Natsuyaki-sensei, thank you for the lesson.” Risako bowed to her.
“Risako... we have one month before I become a full-time dancer, if you can past the concert, I can move onto performing for the pride of the school.” Risako nodded and went toward the dressing room.
“Rii... meet me outside in half an hour.” She walked the other way while Risako got changed.
After half an hour, Risako calmly walked out to a plainly dressed woman. She turned to find sensei with her hair down and light makeup. Risako followed her as she was being greeted and reached her place. The two walked in and Risako offered to make tea, she managed to peek at the sensei as she held her face in her hands.
“Sensei... is there a problem?” Risako asked.
“Not really, it is a personal issue.” She replied back.
“Okay... the water should be ready soon.” Risako walked back to find the kettle steaming.
Risako carried the dish onto the table and offered her a cup of tea, warming up the sensei enough to start the conversation. Before she spoke, Natsuyaki-sensei placed a picture in front of her, Risako glared at the picture to find another girl with an arm around her. Risako felt the anger in her, but somehow she knew it was not going to happen.
“Rii-chan, please call me Miya, I have to confess that I wanted you as a student.” Risako nodded. “However, it grew to be stronger than my control, and I was beginning to realize that I couldn't show my raw emotions to you.” Miya stopped to sip the tea.
“Does it matter that you cannot have me as a girlfriend?” Risako asked.
“Yes, it does, I have to hide how much I really do love you and when you succeed at the concert, I cannot see you again.” Miya stopped and waited for Risako to reply.
After a few minutes, Risako went to the ground and apologize to her, she understood that it was going to be impossible to stay with her. Miya held her up and gave her a hug before letting her go, Risako wanted to strike her for leading her to believe in them. However, she knew who would be willing to take her in.
She ran across campus and got to the band building, Risako heard the sound coming from the room, and opened the door to find Yurina kneeling to practice her instrument. Kuma-chan paused to find the broken girl in front of her. The room became dead as the two stared at each other, Yurina removed the picks from her finger, and stood up.
“Why did you let me decide to go with Miya?” Risako asked..
“What made you attracted to her?” Yurina poised that question, knowing the answer.
“Why can't you answer my question???????” Risako yelled.
“The answer was with you, you fell for her, her beauty, elegance, and the assumption was she would take you in like a slave.” Yurina paused as Risako shook her head.
“You knew... Why didn't you stop it?” Risako grabbed onto Yurina and sobbed into her clothing.
“Miya always had you on her mind, she admitted that to me on the first day, you were sitting next to Chinami and Saki. She wanted to know how to talk to people because she never had friends and after a short talk, we were split up. Then, we had our test to put us into groups, Miya never wanted to get demoted, and I tried to help but was caught, instead of kicking me out they let me stay at the lower level.” Yurina explained as the thorn pierced her side again.
“That's why when I saw Miya, she never looked at me, she knew what she did, but now with her admitting that she liked you, I couldn't stop that because it hurt her more that she had to face you every single day.” Risako turned to the window.
“So, what about you? Didn't you liked someone?” Yurina smirked.
“Yeah, I did, she had become what I saw her to be, she never cried, whined, or quit at any point, she took everyone with her horns up and determination. Luckily, she was one of my best friends too.” Risako started to giggle at Yurina's speech.
“Thank you, I never expected you to push me away before coming back to comfort me, I thought you being nice, but you were making me understand about life. I really do thank you.” Risako hugged the tall girl and pecked on her cheek before leaving the room.
Yurina held her arms close to her heart, whispering the words into her mind, it was well worth the time together. Risako grew to what Yurina was expecting, talented, tough, and technical, without one no dancer would be successful. Yurina began her practice again until the night and the elders became instant fans of hers.
With the days slowly dwindling down to the concert date, both practiced til the evening time, and after that it was the fine tuning before the date. Each had become adjusted to the new lifestyle and experiencing the production from all corners. Yurina had herself prepared through the concentration and became a better musician.
That night, Risako slept alone with Miya away to the head master as she grew anxious of her student's performance. Miya expressed her concerns and it was normal for a teacher to be nervous but inside it was still eating her that she still couldn't face Risako. Especially, if her current girlfriend did know, it was deep in her that she would ever think about leaving her for Risako.
The day finally came for the performance and as everyone got prepared, it had become a mess quickly with all the late arrivals. By the time it was prepared for the show, it was thirty minutes to showtime, Yurina and Risako gave each other encouragement for the performance, and stepped out to their respectable positions.
The song and dance had become in harmony with each other as the two newest members had shined for their future, leaving Miya to be gleeful. Miya thanked everyone and with the end, Risako had said her good bye.
“Thank you, Rii-chan! If you hadn't performed well, I wouldn't have made it this far.” Her voice faded and Yurina left her hands on her shoulders.
“Good job, Rii-chan.”
“Thank you, Kuma-chan.” They both held each others hand for the first time and never let go of their special bond.
Topic: Kuro's Unusually Weird Oneshots 1/5/13 OTP trial (Read 71132 times)