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yhrkcnrk · 25 days ago

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Tainted Hearts

Chapter 94: Sudden Email

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59749615/chapters/168130372

Riko stirred awake as the sound of her alarm filled her room. With a sleepy groan, she reached over, turning it off before rubbing her eyes. Still groggy, she grabbed her phone from her nightstand and glanced at the screen.

A LINE message from Yoshiko.

Blinking a few times to fully wake herself up, she tapped on it. It was a video message. Curious, she played it.

On the screen, Yoshiko appeared in her cozy-looking sweatshirt pajamas, her navy blue hair slightly messy from sleep. She was sitting at her kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal with a spoon—using her splinted hand.

"Hi, Riri! Good morning!" Yoshiko greeted cheerfully, smiling at the camera while recording with her uninjured hand.

Riko giggled softly at how cute she looked.

"Well, it’s kinda hard to type, you know, with this hand being like this," Yoshiko lifted her splinted fingers for emphasis before taking another bite of cereal. "So I thought, why not just do a video message instead? That way, you get to see my face too—lucky you." She grinned smugly.

Riko, watching from her bed, felt warmth spread through her chest as she smiled.

Yoshiko continued in the video, pointing at her bowl. "Look, Riri, I’m eating, see? Just like I promised! I’m having breakfast before heading out. You proud of me yet?" She smirked, looking quite pleased with herself.

Then, after a brief pause, she added, "I don’t really know what else to say, so… see you later. Love you."

And just before the video ended, she puckered her lips and kissed the camera.

Riko clutched her phone to her chest for a second, feeling her face heat up. She quickly typed out a response.

"Good morning too, Yocchan. Just woke up. And I’m happy to see your face early in the morning."

She hesitated for a moment, then added:

"And yes, I am proud of you."

Just as she was about to put her phone down and get out of bed, another notification popped up on her screen—an email.

"Huh?" she muttered sleepily, opening it.

Her eyes widened slightly as she read the sender: Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai).

Quickly, she scanned through the email. It was about the entrance exams—she had two: a written exam and a performance exam, each scheduled on different dates. The email listed the locations, the requirements, and one final note.

For the performance exam, students must prepare an original composition.

Riko swallowed, gripping her phone a little tighter.

"An original…?"

She had written a composition before, but that had been years ago. Could she really do it again?

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, shaking off the nerves creeping in. No, I can’t panic now.

She placed her phone down, got out of bed, and started getting ready for the day.

------------------

Downstairs, Riko sat at the dining table with her mother, already dressed in her school uniform. As they ate breakfast, Riko decided to bring it up.

"Mom, I got an email from the school about the entrance exams."

Her mother looked up from her coffee, smiling. "Oh? That’s great, dear! When is it?"

"It’s in February next year."

Her mother nodded. "That’s still a bit far away. That means you have plenty of time to review and prepare."

Riko poked at her food with her chopsticks. "Yeah… but the exam isn’t just written. There’s also a performance exam—kind of like an audition."

Her mother wasn’t surprised. "Well, that makes sense for a music school. But I know you’ll do great in both and pass with flying colors."

Riko smiled softly. "Thanks, Mom."

"They’re also asking for an original composition," she admitted after a pause.

Her mother’s face brightened. "An original? You’ve done that before, right? That should be a walk in the park for you."

Riko hesitated. "But that was only once… and that was before I stopped composing. I don’t know if I can do it again."

Her mother gave her an encouraging look. "Of course you can, honey. I believe in you, and I know you can do it."

Riko remained quiet, still unsure.

Her mother smiled knowingly. "I’m not the only one who believes in you, you know. Your dad, your friends, and of course, Yoshiko."

That made Riko smile a little.

Her mom chuckled. "Heck, even Yoshiko’s mother believes in you, and she’s only met you once."

Riko let out a small laugh. "Maybe that’s just because I’m dating her daughter. She’s just being nice."

"Nonsense," her mother said. "She knows talent when she sees it."

Riko giggled. "She hasn’t even seen me play, though."

Her mother leaned forward playfully. "Moms have a good eye. Maybe she sensed the radiating talent coming off of you."

Riko burst out laughing. "That doesn’t even make sense, Mom!"

Her mother laughed too. "It doesn’t, but I just know you’ll do great, dear."

------------------

After breakfast, Riko was finishing up her final preparations before heading to school. She was double-checking her bag when her mother suddenly called out.

"Riko, don’t forget to take this!"

Turning around, she saw her mom holding out a neatly wrapped package.

Riko blinked. "What’s this?"

"A little something for Yoshiko," her mother said with a smile. "I baked brownies for her to make her feel better."

Riko took the package carefully. "Mom… she’s going to be so excited when she sees this."

Her mother chuckled. "Well, make sure she eats it, okay? And you can have some too if you want. But it’s mostly for her," she teased.

Riko laughed. "I’ll make sure she gets it."

As she slipped the package into her bag, she headed for the door.

"Bye, Mom! I’m going now!"

"Take care, honey!" Her mother waved. "And tell Yoshiko to take it easy with that hand of hers!"

Riko giggled. "I will!"

With that, she stepped out, feeling a little lighter. Even with the pressure of the entrance exams looming in the back of her mind, she had the support of everyone around her.

And that was more than enough to keep her going.

------------------

At the classroom, Riko sat with Chika and You, chatting while waiting for their teacher to arrive.

"I got an email earlier about my entrance exam date!" Chika announced excitedly. "Did you guys get yours too?"

You shook her head. "Not yet for me."

Riko nodded. "I did too, actually."

Chika leaned forward, eager. "Ohh, when’s yours? Mine’s in late February next year."

"Mine’s earlier—early February," Riko replied.

Chika pumped her fists. "I'm so excited for it! I really hope I pass."

You smirked. "Well, be sure to get plenty of studying then."

Chika pouted. "Hey! You’ll see! I’ll build a cocoon in my room and study in there!"

You chuckled. "Try not to turn into a butterfly, okay?"

Riko giggled at their antics.

Chika sighed dramatically. "I wish I had Riko-chan’s brain. I bet the entrance exam will be so easy for her with all the studying she does."

You nodded in agreement. "Yeah, can we borrow your brain when we take the exam, Riko-chan?"

Riko laughed softly. "Well, for the written exam, I don’t have much of a problem with it."

Chika tilted her head. "Wait, written? There are different types of exams in yours?"

"Just two," Riko explained. "A written exam and a performance exam."

"Oh, right, since your school is for music and arts," You realized.

Chika blinked in confusion. "Performance exam? Like… you’re gonna dance for your exam?"

You shot her a flat look. "What?"

Riko laughed, shaking her head. "No, Chika-chan. The performance exam is where I have to perform an original composition with my instrument. The teachers and staff will evaluate it."

Chika’s eyes widened. "Woah… that sounds scary. Good thing we don’t have that. I might faint!"

You chuckled. "Yeah, composing sounds really hard."

Riko looked a little troubled. "It is."

Chika grinned and grabbed both of their hands. "Don’t worry, Riko-chan! You can do it because you’re amazing!"

You nodded. "Oh, I know she’ll do it. I just meant it sounds hard because I have no clue how to do it myself."

Riko giggled at their encouragement. "Thanks, Chika-chan. You-chan."

Chika beamed. "Don’t worry, guys! All of us will pass, and then we’ll all become millionaires!"

You squinted at her. "Is the millionaire part necessary?"

Riko laughed as Chika pouted, then smiled warmly. "But we will all pass."

------------------

Riko and Yoshiko were seated together, as usual, sharing their lunch. After Riko finished eating and feeding Yoshiko, she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh! That’s right," Riko said as she reached into her bag. "Mom wanted to give you this as a get-well-soon gift."

She placed a neatly wrapped container on Yoshiko’s desk and opened it, revealing a batch of freshly baked brownies.

Yoshiko’s eyes widened in delight. "She baked these?! I missed her baking! This is awesome!"

Without hesitation, she grabbed one and took a big bite. The moment the rich chocolate flavor hit her tongue, she melted in bliss.

"Hmm… so good!" she mumbled through her bite, leaning back like she was floating in heaven.

Riko giggled at how adorable her reaction was. "I’ll tell her you liked it."

Yoshiko eagerly nodded, still chewing. "Tell her I said thank you. And tell her these are delicious!"

Riko smiled. "I will."

Yoshiko swallowed and then grabbed another brownie. "Come on, have some too, Riri. Or better yet—" she smirked, holding one up. "Let me feed you this time. At least I can easily grab these."

Riko hesitated for a second before leaning forward and taking a bite. "Mmm… yum!"

Just as she was chewing, Yoshiko noticed a tiny crumb on Riko’s lips. Without a second thought, she reached out, wiped it away with her thumb, and popped it into her mouth.

"Even more delicious coming from your lips," she teased with a wink.

Riko turned bright red. "Yocchan!" she squeaked.

Yoshiko chuckled. "Oh, come on, don’t get all shy. We’ve already kissed, what? A hundred times now?"

Riko groaned, covering her face. "I really can’t handle your teasing sometimes."

Yoshiko laughed. "Sorry, sorry! But you’re just so cute when you get embarrassed, okay?"

Riko sighed, but her lips curled into a smile.

A little later, as they continued eating, Riko brought up the email from Geidai. She explained the entrance exams, mentioning the written test and the performance requirement—an original composition.

Yoshiko raised an eyebrow. "An original composition, huh? Have you ever done that before?"

Riko hesitated. "Only once… but I don’t know if I can do it again."

Yoshiko frowned slightly. "Riri, you’re doubting yourself again."

Riko looked down at her hands.

"You shouldn’t do that," Yoshiko said firmly. "It’s bad for you. I know you can do it again. And I bet it’ll be even better than the last one."

"Are you sure?" Riko asked softly. "How do you know that?"

Yoshiko grinned. "One—because you’re the best pianist alive. Two—because you’re the most talented person I know. And three—well… you’re my girlfriend, and I believe in you."

Riko stared at her for a moment, then smiled warmly.

A small giggle escaped her lips. "I’m not really sure if the first two are true…"

"But the last one is," Yoshiko pointed out.

Riko nodded. "That’s right." She reached over, gently placing her hand over Yoshiko’s. "Thank you, Yocchan. Thank you for always believing in me."

------------------

It had been two weeks since Riko received the email about her performance exam for Geidai.

That night, she sat in her room, studying for the written entrance exam. The studying part was easy—she had always been good at memorization and theory—but no matter how much she tried to focus, she couldn’t shake the nagging thought in the back of her mind.

The composition.

She needed to write an original piece for her performance exam, but every time she tried, nothing felt right.

With a sigh, she closed her book and turned to the upright piano in the corner of her room. Maybe if she just played around with some notes, something would come to her.

She sat down, fingers hovering over the keys, then pressed a few, forming a small melody. She played a few more notes, trying to weave something together, but every time she did, she groaned in frustration.

"Why is writing so hard this time?" she muttered, resting her head against the piano.

A gentle knock on her door made her sit up.

"Riko, dear?"

"Come in, Mom."

Her mother stepped inside, immediately noticing the troubled look on her daughter’s face. "Having a hard time?"

Riko sighed and nodded. "Yeah… I just can't think of anything."

Her mother smirked. "Maybe you need some inspiration."

Riko raised an eyebrow. "Inspiration? What do you suggest, Mom?"

Her mother grinned. "Well, since there’s no school tomorrow, why don’t you go to Yoshiko’s place and get inspired there?" She wiggled her eyebrows teasingly.

Riko blinked. "How would that even help? Yocchan doesn’t have a piano."

Her mom chuckled. "I don’t think you need a piano. I think you’ll get plenty inspired just by being with your inspiration."

Riko blushed. "M-Mom!"

Her mom giggled, clearly enjoying teasing her. "You’re too tense, honey. Overthinking is clouding your creativity. You can’t write in that state. So, I suggest you relax by hanging out with Yoshiko. Maybe when you come back, the music will flow more naturally."

Riko thought about it for a moment. "Maybe you’re right… I have been stressing too much."

Her mother smiled. "That’s the spirit! But don’t get too relaxed when you’re there, okay?" She winked playfully.

Riko blinked, then her face turned bright red as she realized what her mom was implying.

"I-I wasn’t even thinking about that!"

Her mother laughed. "Oh, right! Yoshiko still has an injured hand, so maybe that kind of relaxing is out of the question anyway."

"Mom!"

Her mom giggled again, clearly having too much fun teasing her. Then, as if remembering something, she added, "Oh, and since Christmas is coming up, we’ll be visiting your father this year, okay? He misses you. You already spent last year with Yoshiko, so I think that’s fair."

Riko’s excitement faded slightly. "Oh…"

Her mom chuckled. "Dear, at least pretend to be happy about it."

Riko let out a small, guilty laugh. "Sorry."

Her mother softened. "The reason I want you to come with us this year is because your graduation is near. And after you graduate, you might want to spend Christmas with Yoshiko since you’ll be moving out. So, I figured we should borrow you one last time before then."

Riko hesitated, then smiled. "Mom, it won’t be my last Christmas with you and Dad. I’ll still visit. Maybe Yocchan can even come along with me sometimes."

Her mom smiled warmly. "That’s sweet, dear. But I just want to make sure we get at least one more holiday with you before you fully spread your wings." Then she added, "Oh, and maybe ask Yoshiko if she wants to come this time. She still hasn’t met your dad, has she?"

Riko giggled. "Okay, I’ll ask her tomorrow when I visit."

Her mother nodded. "Oh, and one more thing—don’t tell Yoshiko you’re coming. I think she’d love a surprise visit from her lovely girlfriend."

Riko giggled, already imagining Yoshiko’s reaction. "Okay, Mom."

------------------

The next day, Riko stood outside Yoshiko’s apartment door, holding a small bag she had brought for her. She was wearing a cute casual outfit—a soft-colored skirt paired with a cozy top. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.

At first, there was no response.

She pressed it again.

From inside, she suddenly heard a muffled groan, followed by an irritated voice.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!"

Riko giggled. Even when grumpy, Yoshiko was adorable.

She rang the doorbell one more time just to tease.

There was a loud stomp toward the door, then more grumbling.

The door swung open, revealing a very sleepy Yoshiko in her sweatshirt pajamas, her navy-blue hair messy from sleep.

"What!?" Yoshiko barked, clearly annoyed by the repeated ringing—until she registered who was standing at her doorstep.

Her expression instantly changed from grumpy to pure joy, like a puppy seeing its owner come home.

"Riri!" Yoshiko beamed, eyes lighting up.

Riko giggled at the drastic shift in mood. "Good morning, Yocchan~"

Yoshiko’s bright smile only grew as she practically pounced on Riko, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Riri’s here!" Yoshiko practically cheered, squeezing her like she never wanted to let go.

Riko, laughing, hugged her back. "Yes, yes, so calm down before your neighbors hear you."

Yoshiko pulled back slightly, still grinning. "Oh, haha. Sorry." She stepped aside and motioned for Riko to come in. "Come on, let’s go inside."

Riko smiled and followed her in, already feeling lighter just from seeing Yoshiko so happy.

Once inside, Riko walked over to the dining table with Yoshiko following happily behind her. As soon as Riko stopped to set her bag down, Yoshiko nearly bumped into her, still wagging her imaginary tail.

Riko turned around, taking in the sight of her excited girlfriend, and giggled as an idea formed in her head. She held out her hand.

"Paw."

Yoshiko blinked in confusion but slowly lifted her injured hand, placing it in Riko’s palm.

Riko giggled. "Other paw?" She held out her other hand.

Yoshiko, catching on, placed her left hand in Riko’s as well.

Smiling, Riko tiptoed up and pecked Yoshiko’s lips before whispering, "Good puppy~"

Yoshiko beamed, her imaginary tail wagging even faster.

"Sit."

"Where?" Yoshiko tilted her head.

"At the dining table," Riko said, amused.

"Okay!" Yoshiko happily obeyed, plopping herself onto the chair with a grin.

Riko chuckled. "I assume you haven’t eaten breakfast yet?"

Yoshiko shook her head. "Not yet. I was still sleeping earlier."

Riko sighed playfully. "What were you planning to eat?"

"Uh… cereal?" Yoshiko answered sheepishly. "That’s what I usually eat since my hand got injured."

Riko shook her head with a knowing smile. "Well, lucky for you, I already made breakfast for you at home and brought it here."

She pulled out a neatly packed bento from her bag and set it on the table. Yoshiko’s eyes widened in excitement. "Riri, you made this for me?! I’m excited to eat it!"

"I was going to cook here, but I knew you wouldn’t have ingredients for a healthy breakfast," Riko teased.

"What? I do have healthy food!" Yoshiko gasped in mock offense.

Riko gave her a deadpan look. "Really? Like what?"

"Uh… cereal?" Yoshiko tried, looking away.

Riko shook her head with a giggle. "I thought so."

As Riko sat beside her, she picked up the chopsticks and started preparing the food.

"What are you doing, Riri?" Yoshiko asked curiously.

"Feeding you, of course. You can’t exactly use chopsticks, can you?"

"Oh, right!" Yoshiko grinned. "Then, I’ll be in your care!" She eagerly opened her mouth as Riko picked up a bite of food and fed her.

"Oh, that’s right," Riko said as Yoshiko chewed. "Mom told me I’ll be going with her to visit Dad on Christmas."

Yoshiko blinked. "Oh, the family tradition?"

"Yeah," Riko said softly. "So that means I won’t be able to spend Christmas with you…"

Yoshiko noticed the sad tone in Riko’s voice and smiled reassuringly. "It’s okay, Riri. This is your family trip."

"But… you’re family now too," Riko mumbled, looking down.

Yoshiko’s heart warmed at that, but she chuckled lightly. "Thank you for that. But I’ll be fine. Besides, I don’t think I’m ready to meet your dad yet."

Riko giggled at her honesty. "That’s fair."

"And actually," Yoshiko added, "I was thinking of spending Christmas with my mom this year, since it’s been so long."

Riko brightened. "That’s a wonderful idea! She’ll be so happy."

"I know," Yoshiko said. "I think I’ll surprise her."

Riko giggled. "I’m sure she’ll love that."

------------------

Later, Yoshiko was lounging on the sofa, stretching her arms across the backrest. She pulled out her phone and quickly snapped a picture of Riko’s back while she was washing the dishes.

She sent the picture to her mom with the message: Riko’s here~

Her mom’s reply was almost instant.

"Tell her I said hi!"

Yoshiko smiled and typed back, I will.

Putting her phone down, she turned her gaze back to Riko and watched her for a moment before asking, "I forgot to ask, but why the sudden visit?" Then, quickly added, "Not that I didn’t like it."

Riko giggled as she finished rinsing a plate. "Mom suggested it. She thought I needed to relax a bit, take my mind off composing."

"Ah, I see." Yoshiko stretched her arms. "I don’t really know how I can help with that, though. I’m not exactly a musical genius like you."

Riko dried her hands with a towel before walking over and sitting next to Yoshiko. "I didn’t come here for that, Yocchan. I just wanted to relax with you… and maybe get inspired while I’m here."

Yoshiko tilted her head. "How would being with me inspire you? Do you want me to sing or something?"

Riko giggled. "While I do love your singing voice, this composition isn’t for vocals. It’s for the piano."

"Oh, right." Yoshiko chuckled. "So, what should we do? How do we relax?"

Riko thought for a moment. "I don’t really know…"

Yoshiko smirked. "Wanna make out?"

Riko’s eyes widened. "What?"

Before she could react further, Yoshiko leaned in with a teasing grin, about to kiss her—until Riko quickly placed a hand against her face, stopping her.

"Stop, Yocchan," Riko mumbled, her face turning red.

Yoshiko pouted as Riko pushed her back. "Why? I thought you wanted to relax?"

"Not that kind of relaxing," Riko huffed, still flustered.

Yoshiko crossed her arms. "That’s the only thing I can think of. Not in the mood?"

Riko shook her head, cheeks still flushed. "It’s not that, it’s just… making out with you might turn into something else."

Yoshiko smirked. "Well, isn’t that what you want?"

Riko stammered, her face growing redder. "Y-Yes, but… your hand is still not healed."

Yoshiko glanced at her injured hand and shrugged. "Oh, this? Like I said before, I can still use my mouth and tongue."

Riko’s face turned a deep shade of crimson. "Yocchan!"

Yoshiko chuckled. "What? I’m just saying—"

Riko, barely able to contain her embarrassment, mumbled, "But… I might want your… fingers… inside…" Her voice trailed off into an embarrassed whisper.

Yoshiko blinked. Then coughed, caught completely off guard. "O-Oh. I see… Okay. No to sex for now."

Riko, still covering her face, peeked at Yoshiko through her fingers. "Thank you, Yocchan… for understanding."

Yoshiko smiled and leaned back on the couch. "So, what else do you want to do today?"

Riko sighed in relief at the change of subject and leaned against Yoshiko’s shoulder. "Honestly? I’m fine doing nothing. Just relaxing right here with you."

Yoshiko smiled, wrapping an arm around Riko’s shoulders. "Well, doing nothing it is."

And so, they stayed there, simply talking about nothing and everything—laughing, teasing, and being comfortable in each other’s presence.

And maybe, just maybe, something in that moment would spark inspiration for Riko’s next composition.

#yohariko #yoshiriko #sakurauchi riko #tsushima yoshiko #fanfic #aqours #ao3 fanfic #love live sunshine

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