#hibike fanfic

[babybixon012]

•Intimate enemies•

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Summary: Maddy and Rafe always hated each other, and everything Rafe did Maddy hated and everything Maddy did Rafe hated. But deep down they love each other.

Warning: drugs, unprotected sex, verbal violence, "physical" violence, a funny but toxic relationship.

Maddy Pérez (Euphoria) Rafe Cameron (Outer banks)

Part 1

____________♥︎___________

When Maddy was 12 she went to the Outer Banks with her family. Maddy family was not poor they had plenty of money But they went to the island to get more money. At first Maddy hated this year that she will be separated from her friends, much less from New York.

Her parents were negotiating with the Cameron family, whom she did not know.

Maddy thought the banks were beautiful when I got there, but she was very proud. So she told her parents that I hate the beach, that I hate people and that she hated

But when Maddy family got closer to the Cameron family she met Sarah. And from then on, they became best friends. Everything was perfect everything was calm. Without Sara you would be nothing On that shitty island.

But you had a problem, a terrible problem that something in our But you had a problem, a terrible problem. Rafe Cameron....

Wafer was everything you hated. He was spoiled, it's unbearable if he thought he was the king of f***he was spoiled, it was unbearable if he thought he was the king (and he was) the first time you saw this one you thought That I was going to make friends with him like Sarah. But you hated the boy.

"Hi...I'm Maddy, I'm Sarah's friend" she said smiling.

" I don't care" he said, shrugging his shoulders and sucking on the ice cream.

"That's called bad manners, you know?" You said, getting irritated, even if you were a child, you already had a lot of stress.

"You're unbearable, you know? Get out of my way, Latina" You gape and take it as if it were an offense (and it was) and he walks away and leaves you freaking out with rage.

Since that day you hated Rafe. And everything he represented.

When you turned 13 years old, you went to celebrate at the Camero mansion, because the families are already very close.

You were very happy because all your friends that you liked were there. And the party was incredible. But that smile soon changed to a brave face. It was Rafe Cameron who was there. It's okay that the house was his. But why? He hated you and you hated him, so why was he there?

"Latina! Finally growing up" he says with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Screw you, you living dummy" Maddy says and rolls her

"you cursed!! You're screwed now, because I'm going to tell your mother" He laughs and runs to tell his mother. You despair. Already knowing that your mother would ground maddy.

He made her life a real chaos, but she also fought back a lot. There was the time she put three eggs in a bucket and whoever entered (in this case Rafe) the eggs would fall on their head.

And so it was done, the eggs fell on Rafe's head, legend has it that he is cracking the eggs to this

But anyway. You two were like cats and dogs, you fought over everything, you argued over everything, you were horrible to each other.

•Current days•

There were maddy and Sarah in the pool. You two were sunbathing.

"Hey, you know that boy I told you about?" Sarah says biting her nails. Kind of silly.

"yes....that John B, the king of the Pogues." You talk while lying down facing the sun. She didn't have any prejudice against people who were poor, but sometimes you made fun of them, because the Pogues weren't poor either Easy to get along with.

"Yes, he is! He asked me on a date" she says smiling at the sky. And at that moment she realized that her friend was in love.

"go friend, go on that date. You deserve better" maddy were referring to Topper, you were the friend, but you knew that he and Sarah didn't work out together.

"We ran out of soda. Shit, that was the last package in the freezer, I'm going to have to go buy it" Sarah says with a snort.

"Come on, and please don't take long, I want to tell you about my new Fiante" Maddy gives a mischievous smile and so does Sarah.

Sarah, I left, and you were looking at your cell phone, since you had nothing to do. Until....

"new Stayer? Who's the brave one?" He speaks in a "surprised" tone and is clearly insulting you. you huff and take a deep breath.

"You know Rafe, I went to therapy and I want to stay calm, that is, I won't pay attention to your insults" you say smiling with pure mockery and go back to your cell phone.

Clearly Rafe wasn't expecting this, but he was going to make you mad. And he was going to make it.

"Clearly I wasn't expecting all this calm." He knows you hate being called Latina by Rafe Cameron. She twist in anger and go straight for his neck.

Rafe couldn't stop laughing when you tried to choke him. You were shorter than him so it made it a little difficult.

"You're an idiot! You idiot! You weakling" she said, shouting while jumping on his neck.

Until the two of you lose your balance and fall together. For the first time Maddy could see Rafe's eyes this close, and they were beautiful. While Rafe smelled Maddy, he wanted that smell Forever.

" You're an idiot, Rafe Cameron," Maddy says, trying to get angry, but their eyes were mesmerized by Rafe's.

And the two of you were still lying on the floor, until you took the initiative to get up, but at the last second, in the second half. Rafe kisses she, kisses you with desire, kisses you with desire.

At first you didn't give in, but then you gave in to him. Rafe holds Maddy's waist. As she lets out a moa.

Until she snaps and stops kissing him desperately. "Rafe! What the fuck are we doing?" Maddy say pushing him and looking around to see if anyone saw him.

"Just enjoy your adolescence?" Rafe says, pretending to be innocent and you roll your eyes.

"For starters, you're not a teenager, you're already 18!" Rafe pretends to be shocked. "And the last thing I want is to enjoy my adolescence with she, your daddy's boy" she says, taking her things, to enter the Cameron mansion.

Rafe saw you going out in that bikini that was making him hard and crazy. And that kiss only made Rafe's day better. Rafe didn't hate she, for him to hate is a very strong word, he just didn't like maddy. He also loved making her mad, as a child.

Maddy enters the Cameron house agitatedly, and she ends up bumping into Sarah, with sodas in hand.

"what the fuck maddy, what planet are you on?" Sarah speaks and you give a slight smile... a little suspicious.

"I'm sorry Sarah, I hadn't seen you" she says, still nervous and Sarah finds her friend's behavior strange.

"Is everything okay with you?" Sarah says and Maddy rolls her

"So Sarah stop being annoying, I'm great! I'm going home, okay?" She speaks clearly trying to get away from Rafe, who was looking in their direction.

"But weren't you going to tell me about your new boyfriend? What about soft drinks?" Sarah He says looking at Maddy confused. And the more Maddy and Sarah prolonged their conversation, Rafe became closer.

I'm feeling crampy, at the party tonight I'll tell you everything! Bye friend, I love you " Maddy says practically running, and bumps into Rafe's chest, which was muscular and strong. Rafe gives a smile. And Maddy whispers Some pest. Maddy finally leaves the Cameron mansion and Sarah is still shocked by her friend's behavior.

"why the fuck did she act like that?" Sarah speaks loudly. And the rafe leans against On the counter

"I don't know, you always bring your crazy friends to our house" Rafe says, turning his back. And Sarah swears something.

Rafe didn't like Maddy, "fact" but she wouldn't leave his head. Why?

And he was looking forward to seeing you, because Sarah was having a party that night and Maddy would definitely go. So Rafe would be there.

______♥︎______

The party had barely started and Sarah and Rafe's house was full. She had Pogues and she had Kooks too. And Maddy was there, perfect as always. She was dancing with a random man, and oddly enough, Rafe only had eyes for you that night.

And Sofia, who was Rafe's "girlfriend", noticed that her boyfriend only looked at Maddy's ass. She just freaked out.

Sarah had gone to the bathroom area, until she heard Sofia and other Kooks girls, talking bad about Maddy. Sarah just ran to tell Maddy

"Maddy!!!" Sarah screamed trying to get closer to you and passes through the crowd. "Maddy, you don't know what Sofia and the other girls are saying against you" Sarah said trying to catch her breath.

"What the fuck are they talking about me Sarah?" Maddy says, and I frown.

"I think it's better for you to see it with your own eyes" Sarah says, half laughing, as she knows the future of this fight.

"with pleasure" Maddy says, leaving the guy she was with, and going after Sofia. And suddenly, she has a group of people following Maddy, sure to watch the fight.

Arriving there, Maddy found several girls around Sofia, laughing and gossiping about something. Maddy gives a smile and approaches Sofia. And Sofia noticed that she had several people around In other words, Maddy would beat her up

"So Sofia, what are you talking about me, you stupid little bitch" Maddy says and Sofia swallows hard. She knew she couldn't handle a fight with Maddy, because Maddy was a quarrelsome person And smash any dirty girl that gets in his way.

"Look Maddy, I don't want to argue with you, I'm not going to make a big show" Sofia says leaving, probably very scared, Sucker.

"Poor Maddy, I think she's scared of you" Sarah says teasingly and people scream. Maddy just laugh

"Afraid of a slut that catches everyone?" Everyone goes crazy when Sofia says that. Sarah knew that Maddy would reach her "crazy" state when she heard that.

"What did you call me?" Maddy says in a whisper. Maddy approaches Sofia and gets closer to her face "what did you call me, you fucking whore" Maddy shouted at her. The girl She was practically crying, Maddy was making her scared.

Until Rafe appears, and is amazed and trying to understand what is happening.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Rafe says, getting close to Maddy and Sofia. Maddy didn't even look at him, she just looked at Sofia.

"The maddy who murders me " Sofia says trying to get some kind of remorse from Rafe, but she doesn't get anything.

"I think you better calm down Maddy " Rafe says trying to calm the situation. And he also puts his hands on Maddy's shoulders, to give her support.

He didn't know why he was doing it, just that he felt like he had to do it.

"Shut up Rafe! It's my business with her" Maddy shouts, already pointing her hand in Sofia's face.

"Leave me alone Maddy" Sofia says trying to run, but gets caught by Maddy pulling her hair.

"Next time you don't answer me and turn your back on me, you'll regret it!" Maddy says, pulling her hair even more. And everyone screamed And Rafe was excited by that.

"that's enough maddy, leave the girl" Rafe says and Maddy obeys, and Sofia leaves completely humiliated. And everyone started shouting Maddy.

And that filled her ego. Until Rafe grabs Maddy's arm and takes her to the corner.

"I think we need to repeat that kiss" Rafe says, caressing Maddy's back, as she was very close to him.

"Don't you hate me Rafe Cameron?" Maddy says using that seductive tone of hers. And Rafe gets tougher about it

"and maybe I hate you, but I didn't say I hated you when it came to sex" Rafe says, getting closer to her mouth. And Maddy gets very close to his mouth too.

"so you're inviting me to have sex with you?" Maddy says with her lips very close to Rafe's.

"yes, that outfit of yours is driving me crazy, and you're driving me crazy" when Rafe says that, he immediately tries to kiss Maddy, but Maddy refuses

"I would never have sex with Rafe Cameron, I won't fall for that weakling curse" says Maddy, looking at Rafe with a look of contempt.

Rafe is filled with rage, almost grabbing her by force. But he exhales and looks furious.

"Sofia was right about you Madalena Pérez, you're a shit whore" Rafe says with a bitter tone, and oddly enough, Maddy was upset?

"Your opinion is the same as wind for me" Maddy speaks last and then leaves.

Maddy was so angry with Rafe that she ended up falling for her ex-boyfriend. JJ Maybank

"pay attention, babe" says JJ, recovering from the fall. Maddy and JJ dated for 1 year and 4 memes, but you broke up because of JJ's friends, who didn't approve of you guys. And JJ only listened to his friends and left Maddy aside, because of them.

"Screw you JJ" Maddy says, and JJ realizes that she wasn't cool.

"Did something happen, babe?" Jj says, approaching her. And Maddy looks down, it looks like she doesn't mean to say anything. "Do you want to talk somewhere else?" Maddy nods.

Part 2?

[flipomatic]

After six long years of performing abroad, Reina is finally coming home. Kumiko has been teaching music; her life has changed so much since Reina left. How will they fit back together? Will things be the same as they were and, most importantly, does Kumiko even want them to be?

The next piece is about to begin.

Post canon Kumirei, the first two chapters have been posted so far.

[animebw]

The second chapter of my Hibike Euphonium sequel fic is out! At last, Kumiko and Reina are together again- but all is not sunny in paradise...

[a-bucket-full-of-feels]

It's honestly insane to realise that the word count I have put out as a fanfic writer in the past 12 months (Oct'23 to present, Jul'24) is almost the same and in fact slightly more than the word count for my fics in 2016. To put it into perspective, 2016 was the year I just began university and I wrote most of my longer works during that few months break before beginning university.

I recently re-read most of my fics while I was sick in bed one day (but not sick enough to crash and fall asleep lol), and came to the conclusion that I was really in my peak form as a fic writer in 2016. I put out my most iconic love live fics (that Nozoeli law student part-time librarian/sex shop retail assistant AU and Nicomaki medical AU), which in retrospect were actually quite well written in terms of prose, storyline and pacing. Despite these fics being the most popular ones, for some reason I didn't really like it as much as for example the Kumirei S1 fix-it which I also wrote that same year, but after re-reading it years later, I actually thought my writing style back then was much better than it is right now.

I honestly have massive respect for fic writers who can put out works that are like 50k+ and 100k+ words long, even though I personally cannot commit to reading those because I'm not a big fic reader myself and I go for shorter works just for that quick kick of serotonin. I don't know about other writers but I'm not a very fast writer myself - it really depends if I have a clear picture of what I want to write in my head or not, but if I'm productive, I probably only put out between 1-2k words a day across maybe 2-3 hours of interspersed writing. And there's also the editing because I realise my tendency to write run-on sentences is awful (you can tell from my stream of consciousness Hibike S3 rambles which are rarely edited btw), and also trying to make dialogue sound natural without awkward expressions. It's extremely rewarding to finally complete a work that has been living rent-free in your head for days and weeks, but it's also a bit draining because all I'm thinking about is getting that story written before my muse goes away.

So perhaps after I'm done with that Kumirei S3 post-canon fic, I will take a step back from writing fics again (but it could be too soon to say, for all you know a sudden bout of inspiration will hit me again and I'll write yet another fic). I'll be publishing a separate commentary post about it once the final chapter goes up, which will be linked in the ao3 notes.

[imsvg]

memories

Pairing: KumiRei (Kumiko/Reina) Fandom: Hibike! Euphonium Words: 1.6k Summary:  In which Kumiko and Reina decide to go out together for the holidays. Links: AO3 is here! (unfortunately, for whatever reason, fanfic is not letting me upload the story today; hopefully i’ll have the link up by tomorrow.)

an:  i know it's a rather late update, but i thought it'd be best to upload something before the end of the year. nonetheless, i hope you guys enjoy the story, errors and all.

“There you are. I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up, since, you know, you’re a deep napper.”

Kumiko looked up from the ground as the train doors slid shut behind her. Her eyes drifted to the only other person in the train car. Reina was staring at her with an amused smile, her legs crossed to support the small novel she held in her gloved hand.

“Had to set up several alarms,” Kumiko said, her voice rough with fatigue as she shuffled to sit next to Reina. The moment she sat down, she rested her head on Reina’s shoulder. The fur lining Reina’s white jacket left ticklish kisses on her neck.

“Mm”—Kumiko felt Reina’s lips press against the top of her head—”are you going back to sleep, then?”

Kumiko fought through a yawn to say, “Prolly.”

The train lurched forward soon afterward. The rhythmic ka-chak, ka-chak of the train slowly settled into a steady tempo. Kumiko felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier as she listened to the mechanical metronome of the train. Her breathing slowed, chest rising and falling, taking in the scent of vanilla that clung to Reina during the holiday season. Fatigue weighed heavily on her, draping itself over her shoulders to keep her warm, comforting her, lulling her into slee—

Kumiko suddenly jolted away from Reina’s warmth as the train went over a rickety track. Reina’s arms flew out to catch her before she fell. Kumiko could barely register the faint thud! that filled the room when Reina’s book hit the floor.

“Are you okay?” Reina asked. Kumiko felt goosebumps litter her skin as she dumbly nodded and sat back up.

“Y-yeah.” She laughed shakily and picked Reina’s book from off the floor. “Looks like I’m not goin’ to sleep anytime soon, though.”

Reina took back her book with an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

“‘S fine,” Kumiko said, resting her head on Reina’s shoulder again. The mechanical ka-chak, ka-chak became the only sound that filled the car as Kumiko stared out the window. The sun was well above the green horizon of hills, and was beginning its descent to the west. Wisps of clouds decorating the orange sky whisked past. Buildings, cars, and people were nothing but blurs. The city of Uji suddenly broke into a field of almost barren highways, and for a moment, Kumiko felt a faint feeling of emptiness in her chest.

“It’s pretty.”

Kumiko blinked, Reina’s voice suddenly pulling her from her thoughts. “Yeah,” she finally said, “it is.”

“It’s weird to travel this way with the sun up.”

“I know,” Kumiko said with a chuckle. “I’m so used to seeing it at night because we always leave for competitions in the middle of the night.”

“Or maybe we don’t see anything at all—because we sleep on the bus the whole way through.”

Kumiko chuckled again. “True.”

Electronic taps echoed throughout the empty train car. “We should be approaching our next destination in about thirty minutes or so.”

“Yeah?” Kumiko said, fighting through a yawn. “Are we getting off there?”

“No.”

“…We’re not?”

“No.”

“Well”—Kumiko fidgeted in her seat—”when are we getting off?”

“At the end of train line.”

“Which is where?”

“No idea.”

Kumiko stared at Reina, completely baffled. It took a moment for Reina to realize that she was being stared at, but when she did, she turned to Kumiko with a confused, yet endearing tilt of her head.

“What?”

“You don’t know?”

“Yeah.” Reina blinked.

Kumiko narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “So…why’re we here? ”

The vibrant purple of Reina’s eyes turned into a blinding amethyst as her lips curled into the smallest of smiles. Kumiko felt her heart fall into a sporadic beat, and a sense of familiarity washed over her.

“I’ve always wanted to do this, remember?” Reina said with the quietest of laughs.

And suddenly, Kumiko was reminded of her first-year in high school. She remembered the sense of awe that had washed over her. Reina’s hair had drifted in the wind, her white dress fluttering in the sudden breeze that had passed through them, carrying along the warm scent of lavender.

Reina had felt so distant and cold, yet so close at the same time.

“Yeah,” Kumiko breathed out. She reached out for Reina’s hand, holding the back of it. It took a moment before Reina turned her hand and intertwined their fingers together, their shared heat thawing Kumiko’s frozen fingers.

Times have changed since then; she’s warm.

After a while, Kumiko softly added, “I remember.”

-X-

“In the end we couldn’t make it all the way through,” Kumiko said through a laugh, meandering through the tides of people walking past them.

“Yeah.” Kumiko took a quick glance and saw Reina wearing a sullen expression.

“I know how much you’ve waited for this.” Kumiko said, squeezing Reina’s hand—Reina faintly squeezed back. “But I know you’re uncomfortable in crowds. It was getting pretty packed in there, to be honest.”

Reina hummed. “Well, if it counts for anything,” she began, smiling slightly in Kumiko’s direction, “we still don’t know where we are. Since we couldn’t hear the train announcement.”

Kumiko laughed nervously. “I don’t know if that should be a good thing.”

“It is.”

“Whatever you say, Reina.”

Hand-in-hand, they fought through the crowd without another word. The both of them took a breath when they reached emerged from the train station, relishing in the way the cold air faintly burned the back of their throats.

“Looks like we’re in Osaka,” Reina said, pointing to a nearby sign.

“Really?” Kumiko’s eyes flitted to the glowing sign. “Huh. Looks like we are.”

“We didn’t travel far.”

“I mean, look at the bright side,” Kumiko said, nudging Reina with her elbow. “At least we went somewhere.”

Reina’s stoic mask broke into a small smile as she quietly said, “Yeah.”

“Wanna look at the sights?”

Kumiko felt a faint squeeze on her hand. “Nothing better to do,” was all Reina said before walking forward, taking Kumiko with her.

Christmas lights, brilliantly shining gold and silver, hung between the streetlamps, illuminating the sidewalk. Passersby were bundled up, burying their noses into their scarves and shoving their hands into their pockets. Couples snuggled up against one another, sharing quiet conversations and laughs as snow floated gently to the ground.

Kumiko took a breath and held it. The faint smell of peppermint and chocolate lingering in the air was masked by the trail of vanilla Reina left in her wake. A cloud escaped her lips as she exhaled, taking one last sweep of her surroundings before settling her eyes on Reina’s back.

She smiled to herself.

With the way Reina was leading her in that white coat of hers reminded Kumiko of their first hike to Mount Daikichi.

Some things just don’t change.

Reina took a turn, somewhere away from the crowds of people heading deeper into the urban areas. The bright lights dimmed, making way to only street lights. The noise of the city turned into a small drone as Reina led her to a bench, illuminated by a single lamp, like a little brown island in the sea of white snow.

Reina let go of Kumiko’s hand to brush off the snow dusting the bench before sitting on it. She patted the spot next to her. Kumiko happily complied.

From where they sat, Kumiko felt that she was staring at the gates of heaven: trees flanked either side of the path they just walked, disappearing once the path spread out to connect with the main street, the bright lights of apartments and shopping complexes shining gold and white.  The Christmas decorations they passed by winked at them, like the stars hiding behind the clouds.

“Reminds me of our usual place,” Reina began quietly, “but it’s on the ground.”

Kumiko laughed. “Well, that’s certainly one way to put it.”

“…We’re graduating this year.”

A breeze passed between them before Kumiko replied. “I know.”

“Do you have your colleges set in mind?”

“Yeah. Think I might go in undeclared.”

Reina hummed thoughtfully, her hand finding Kumiko’s. At the touch, the both of them laced their fingers together.

“You’re studying music, right?” Kumiko asked.

“Mhm.”

“Like, musical performance?”

“Mhm.”

“…Still planning on going abroad?”

Reina stayed silent.

Kumiko turned to look at her, only to find Reina staring straight at her. Reina features were as stoic as one would expect, but Kumiko caught the sad glint of apology dulling the brilliant purple of her eyes.

“I’ve accepted it, you know,” Kumiko said quietly, squeezing Reina’s hand.

“I know, but”—Reina’s eyes broke contact as a cloud escaped her lips in a sigh—”I wish you could come with me.”

“My parents don’t have that kind of money. And there’s no way I could ever amount to the amount of talent they’re looking for, no matter how hard I practice.”

Reina visibly winced, as if Kumiko’s words had slapped her. Still, she said nothing.

Kumiko let out an inaudible breath as a small smile tugged on her lips. “I guess that just gives us all the more reason to cherish what we have now, right? So we can keep these memories once we graduate.”

That was enough to coax a tiny smile onto Reina’s face. Slowly, she met Kumiko’s eyes again, her smile growing bigger as she did so.

“Yeah,” she began, “it is.”

Reina began to move closer, gently resting her head on Kumiko’s shoulder. Warmth washed over Kumiko as she rested her head atop Reina’s, ticklish strands leaving pecks on her lips. Kumiko returned them with a soft kiss on the top of Reina’s head.

“Merry Christmas,” Reina whispered. Kumiko didn’t need to look at her to know there was a smile on her face.

The thought left Kumiko’s heart soaring in her chest.

“Merry Christmas, Reina.”

and to those that don't celebrate christmas, i hope all of you had a great day <3 happy holidays, and have a happy new year; all of you deserve to make great memories of your own.

[eiuuei]

Am I gonna torture myself by reading a 367272 year old unfinished fanfic? Hell yeah

[girlwiththehighbeams]

n like yea i’ve been talking about eupho a bit so like here’s the only fic i’ve written that i actually dont hate. it’s v short but like eh idk i like it i think.

[khaleesirin]

First Love Euphonium

Pairing: Kumiko Oumae and Reina Kousaka

Anime: Hibike! Euphonium

Summary: If I have been given the right to write a retelling of First Love Trumpet (which I think is a beautiful episode),while taking some liberty here and there. A more (or very) introspective Kumiko.

For love and for euphonium.  

One-Shot:

------****------

They're at it again. Not talking, wanting to talk but not speaking. She's at it again. Giving a cold shoulder, taking all the strides as if no one is there to join the ride with her, as if no one is there to interest her enough. She's at it again. Believing that she's better off alone.

But that's not it, is it?

Kumiko knew what went wrong. Or she thinks she knew what’s going on. She knew it doesn't have to do with her suddenly not interesting enough in the eyes of Reina. Reina has been thoroughly clear on that, at least. In all honesty, she came to like those conversations, those weird confessions that Reina had been throwing at her, despite herself. She came to like the fact that of all the people Reina could've reached out, it's Kumiko she wants to peel the mask off. Naked, bare, unmasked, with edges outlined by the fingertip of one lady trumpet. The Kumiko Oumae that Reina wanted, the Kumiko Oumae that she herself couldn't yet understand. Did she take those for granted? Or did she underestimate the passion, the intensity of Reina's weird confession of love?

She could've asked Reina, but then again, she's not the one who broke the communication.

Wishy-Washy.

But even if she knew what's going on, she also doesn't think she's wrong. Like before, she told Hazuki and Midori that whatever was going on, she doesn't find any reason to apologize. And like before, she still doesn't feel any relief over that admission. She doesn't like not talking to Reina, but she's afraid to tell her "I'm not leaving you behind." Can she even have the courage to say those words?

Because if she says that, Kumiko would just be telling Reina that she's not really special. Would Reina admit that she's avoiding her because she felt left out? Is Kumiko assuming too much about who Reina is? But more than anything, does she want to hurt Reina that bad?

Right. She just couldn't.

Almost automatically, her eyes followed the movements of Reina in the practice room. The flick of her fingers, the stump of her foot, and that striking confidence when she stood up and walked across the room. All without giving a single glance to Kumiko.

Yup, they're at it again.

Kumiko is angry, she's pouting. Here's a girl she admired the most, who took her breath away, whose taste for adventure made her want to accept death willingly, as if it's a confession of her own love. Her best friend, the person who reminded her why she picked up the euphonium again. Suddenly ignoring her. Strangers. As if there’s nothing between them, with the desire to reach out left heavily on one side.

She's angry because she thinks they're both failing, failing to connect all those times. Misunderstanding each other in the wave of filling the spaces between them.

She's angry because she can see through Reina now. She can see through but still, can't reach out. Is this why Kaori pushed her to talk to Asuka instead? A closeness born out of too much admiration, too much wanting to know, too much wanting to believe; closeness in believing that they're the same, in believing that the other is too different.

As Reina stepped out of the room, Kumiko quivered. She'd seen it. It was not that visible, but it happened. There was a slight tremor, a slight movement of the eye, of those lips. And she knew that the Reina who stepped out, was not building up her walls, she was hiding the broken pieces. And it dawned on her.

"Ahhh, Kumiko, you really are a terrible person," she whispered to herself.

She’s been so fascinated and greatly enamored by Reina that she has been unwittingly feeding her things she shouldn't have. Reina isn't special. Reina is not always mature. Reina has been alone for so long, clinging to a thread of love for Taki-sensei that couldn't make her afloat. And she had been supporting that.

A tap from behind. It was Asuka-senpai.

"Hey Oumae, want to practice together?"

Kumiko knew what that meant, and she only nodded in response.

------****------

"A lovers' quarrel? Eh eh, let me help you with that," Asuka teased Kumiko over their neglected euphoniums.

"Ehhhhhhh? No, no, no, no," she crossed her hands for emphasis, the rapid succession of the "no's" blurring the line between not wanting help and denying that it's a lovers' quarrel, or that they are lovers for that matter. After the satisfied laugh from Asuka and more sighs from Kumiko, they settled into a comfortable silence.

"Asuka-senpai?"

"Hmmm?

"Does it really happen?"

Pause.

"Kumiko, stop stalling. What?"

"You know, when the closest person to you is also the person you misunderstood the most. Uhmmmmm, I dunno, but I feel like it's happening with me. . . and Reina." Two sentences Kumiko outlined in sincere awkwardness. Asuka would have laughed under different circumstances.

Yet there’s only a shuffle, a movement of hand from air to instrument, from amusement to concern.

"Oumae, you really are a wishy-washy person. You should have known the answer by now. Let me correct that. You already know the answer to that. I think you went overboard last time you cried in front of me. . . ” Asuka suddenly broke her gaze on Kumiko, seemingly lost in her own thoughts, like a river in its last journey to the ocean-- a vast strange place, yet home.

"I'm sorry." A weak apology left hanging in the air, completely ignored. Rather, a smile floated from the lips of Asuka towards the school field outside. Below, their bandmates, standing on the open field, waiting for a friend, a lover, a team, while others hold their instruments.Tightly, Asuka’s smile seems to think.

She's happy, Kumiko realized.

“Thank you.”

“Ehh?”

"You know, that's what I need. Someone who wouldn't just tie my shoelaces and walk away. You're a terrible person who speaks her mind. But for me, and maybe for Kousaka as well, a person who can remind us that we're immature, that we are really just children, is a special person."

A shuffle, a movement of hand from instrument to air, from concern to relief.

Stunned, Kumiko looked into the eyes of Asuka, trying to find herself in there.

"Hey, Kumiko, are you falling in love with me?"

"Senpai, it's a confession of love. I have to go. Thanks"

This time, it’s not just a shuffle, but a rapid movement of air from stillness to storm. This time, Asuka stood still, speechless.

Asuka, you really are getting rusty.

------****------

She said it's a confession of love. She said she had to go, for Reina. To reach her. But, now, every inch of her body screams at her to run away. They're here again, at Mt. Daikichi. As it turned out, she really didn’t need to collect some sturdiness of will to finally speak to Reina. The girl already did that for her. Even at this moment, she just had to follow her lead.

Following the flow of water, of current. Always following, but never deciding.

“Reina, are you sure it's ok to go up here? It's already dark.”

“If you don't want to go, you could have said so.”

That hurts. Her voice, so different from the last time they went here. So much indifference from the girl who once decided to climb this mountain on heels, in a dress, for a night Kumiko could only describe as beautiful; an unforgettable memory of looking at a goddess who swept her heart to the sky, as if she's in heaven, as if she is heaven. She only shivered now.

“So cold.”

Reina stopped. And for a moment she just stood there. Kumiko could only see her back since Reina never did turn her head to look at her. Not once. She stopped. They had been too silent, too distracted from not wanting to hurt, from not wanting to get hurt.

And here they are both, suffering the cold.

Finally, Reina spoke. “I know.” She started to walk again.

They didn't exchange any words until they reached the top. Looking at the night lights, Kumiko reminded herself that this is the place they built that bridge, for a truly meaningful relationship. For a truly meaningful intertwining of their songs, from trumpet to euphonium, from solo to duet. Standing here again, Kumiko is afraid that this same night light, the background that outlines every contour of Reina’s body, of Reina's being, would only give light to a grave reality: the drifting away of music that they once shared here.

So when Reina walked to the edge, she could only stay in the middle, looking down at her.

So when Reina screamed out loud, she could only listen in silence, looking out for her.

So when Reina admitted her own weakness, recognizing her own childishness, she could only stare at her.

So when Reina asked her “you knew, didn't you,” she could only say yes.

“Why did you hide it from me?”

“I didn't want to hurt you.” This isn't right. None of what Kumiko is saying, or not doing, is right. She realized that her heart beats differently now, a thumping of chest for finally seeing a naked, bare, unmasked Reina Kousaka. Out of the white dress and heels, but before the burning lights of something ungodly, yet real.

“...even so, I would have wanted to hear it from you.”

Kumiko, you left her. Maybe, after all, Reina doesn’t need  someone interesting, but someone who can give her the reality, an un-pretence, someone who has the naivity to bring Reina back from heaven, to make her stand on her feet; not a goddess, but a flawed and frail human being.It rings cruelly in Kumiko’s mind, I would have wanted to hear it from you. Reina is aware,she acknowledges her own insecurity, and within those words, of a child who never really had the experience of having a real friend. She is aware of her own selfish loneliness.

That's right. Reina is angry at her because she kept a secret from her. With a trust doubted outside the walls of a reality unspoken. In not wanting to hurt, she doubted the trust Reina willingly gave her-- the love to Taki-sensei, the desire to be special.  And her love for the words of a Kumiko who never thinks before she speaks.

Just how far can she say she will not leave her alone, when she felt short in speaking the reality of Reina?

Is this what drove her to say that Taki-sensei’s wife is dead? Not so much as to appease Reina, but to finally erase the goddess in her eyes, to clearly see Reina than is falling, that is hurting. To be responsible for her unmasking. If Reina wants to have the real Kumiko in front of her, she would be willing to hurt her. She would, even her heart doesn't want to.

In a voice that is unusually too somber, too subdued, perhaps because she knew her words do not really communicate comfort, almost a whisper she said, “I am rooting for you.” Holding her hand, gripping it tightly, Kumiko is rooting Reina back, for her.

Reina looked at her, lilac eyes trying to speak the sound of the broken melody inside her heart. Of course. There's no comfort in knowing that the person Taki-sensei loves is dead. Of course. There's no thank you for the words that don’t really communicate support. She doesn't know if this is how people should communicate, but perhaps in that uniqueness, in not always knowing what the right words to say, in stumbling, in that imperfection, that people want to seek each other out.

Right there, as Reina finally met her reality, Kumiko saw her own.

You're a terrible person.

Kumiko had known it then. She knew it before her hand let go of Reina’s. Knew it before her fingers traveled forward to brush Reina’s tears. She painfully, yet decidedly, knew it as her palm rested on Reina's sunken cheek. And when her feet closed the distance between the two of them, she could only say these words.  

“Reina, I’m sorry. But I will hurt you more.”

She's opening herself now, peeling her mask off, as her lips touched Reina's own.

And now, the next piece begins.

[shintorikhazumi]

Teachers and Brass Bands Prologue (a H!E fic)

Disclaimer: Don't own it… Hibike! Euphonium, that is. Don't own the Mikagura reference either, sorry.

A/N: So this is one of my OLDER works... like WAAAYYY older (2 years?) so quality could be lower than my usual. But I did say before that I might share this here, and well... WEll? Umm... Here it is! Though, I couldn’t rewrite it anymore, but I guess I’ll be taking a second journey with this...

This is my change of pace for now, and well... I’ll get back to Lwa once I catch up other fics. 

Now...

Warning for Quality drop and Horribleness?

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

@emutant I’m tagging you because of your page? hahahaha... do you like H!E? and you’ve been reblogging a lot of my chapters soo...

Teachers and Brass Bands

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Prologue: Teachers and Brass Bands

Music surrounding the halls with a feeling most unfamiliar, but very welcome all the same. Waves of euphoria washed over all the players as it gave way to a scene of serenity among the band members. They had just finished the piece. They were the favorites to win the competition. They had practiced harder than anyone, they claimed. They had the utmost confidence in their capabilities… so then, why? Why were the results so blindingly unreal?

Mikagura Gakuen: Silver

You didn't have to be Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison to know what it meant. The banner said it all. They had fallen into second place. The fire in their hearts, put out. Her passion for music- locked away. Why? They were the best in the whole nation, the school that won each and every year. An InterMusic university, so they said. Was it because she took the solos this year?

'You shouldn't have switched instruments, show-off.' A voice echoed in her head. An insult. Her pride had taken the best of her. 'If I kept playing the euph, would the results have been different?' She thought to herself.

"Oumae-san." A voice called her. She looked up, pulled out of her trance. She was the only one left seated in the massive hall, that was once filled with an audience. Everyone had already left, Kumiko had yet to recover from the shock and move forward.

"Taki…" she responded, still gripping her trumpet in her hand, acknowledging the man's presence.

"You know it's not your fault right?" Her sempai in college smiled at her, though it seemed to be an empty one, devoid of its usual uplifting powers.

"Yeah… I know." She responded. The older man just offered her another smile. This time though, it was full of pity and another indescribable emotion.

I don't.

I don't know.

I should've known.

"Oumae, geniuses are born to fail, stars are made to fall. Someday… you will too."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

'Beep-beep-beep'

"Ugh…" The figure moved around, tossing and turning in bed trying to block out the annoying sounds of a beeping alarm clock. "What the hell." She covered her head with a pillow trying to drown out the sounds with the soft cushion. "Why the hell is my alarm on?" She mumbled to herself, gathering enough resolve to actually get up and get her alarm to shut up. Why is it on in the first place? Just as she was about to sink back into the realm of bliss, unusually fast sounds of footsteps approached her room.

"Oumae Kumiko!" The voice bellowed. All but throwing open her door resulting in it banging against the wall.

Due to human reflex, Kumiko found herself tightening her grip on the pillow that was covering her ears.

"Ugh… Shut up Nee-chan. Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" Kumiko buried her head deep into the softness of her bed. She tried her best to ignore her sister's incoherent mumbling to herself.

"You told me to make sure to wake you up, remember? You're supposed to go out today. Something about meeting up with Taki again for some job he offered." Mamiko sighed out as she leaned against the doorframe of Kumiko's bedroom. Hearing all this and registering it in her half-conscious state, Kumiko immediately shot up from her bed and ran to the bathroom.

"Thanks! Love you!" She yelled at her elder sister as she shut the bathroom door behind her.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Sinking into the warm waters of the bath, she pondered on her dream last night.

'What the hell was that about? That was two years ago. Why am I thinking about it now?'

That year was her junior year, well senior, if you consider the fact that she graduated before her entire batch. She felt compelled to do so- or rather, she felt pressured by her anxiety. The reactions her class would have, especially those in the band, who along with her, had lost the competition- she was afraid of them. It was a huge failure to Kumiko. She felt that she could no longer show her face in school. Thus she resolved herself to study hard and take the senior's final exams, finishing early. How she got permission from the teachers to do that is a mystery in itself.

'Hah… I sure was desperate.' Kumiko laughed at her pathetic state before and even now.

Noboru Taki, her sempai who was two years her senior and Mamiko's classmate, had attended the competition to watch her after her invitation, despite knowing that he had work to do. It being his first year at his new job only served to add guilt to Kumiko's conscience. He reassured her that it was fine, though he wasn't that convincing.

"Ah… I forgot. I'm supposed to be there before 8:30 right?" Pulled out of her train of thoughts, Kumiko spared a quick glance at the bathroom clock.

'7:13' it read.

It was still quite early and she knew she shouldn't be excited, but she couldn't help but hurry up her morning rituals a bit. It wasn't like her but it wasn't every day that you were offered a job either.

'A job, huh? Question is… what job is he gonna give me?' Kumiko thought of all the possibilities of the job that she could have. Her eyes widened, her face contorting into one of sheer disgust, as her mind drifted to one particular job. "Taki… don't tell me you're gonna make me a janitor…" Imagining having to clean all those filthy stalls left by irresponsible and whatever teen-

'Oh right… I'm one too, aren't I? A teen that is, disregarding the irresponsible and whatever parts, i'm still a teen.' She sighed at herself.

Rechecking the clock, she noted that she had spent ten minutes lost in her thoughts and an extra five in actually cleaning up. Deciding that it was enough, she left the bath and changed into casual wear, though thinking on it, Taki might scold her. It's still a formal job after all. Changing into a short-sleeved white blouse and black fitting pants she decided to go with that and went to eat her breakfast, wisely choosing to steer clear from the hassle of being lectured by the music major.

"Morning hon." Her mother greeted, as she came waltzing down the stairs.

"Mornin'" She replied as she sat down and ate. Her mother handed her a neatly wrapped bento to which she complained. "Mom…" Her voice dragged. "I'm not a kid anymore."

"EH? Kumiko, thanks to you and your sister graduating too early, I don't get to enjoy being a mother of two highschool girls! You're sixteen for crying out loud!" Her mom whined.

'Right...'

Since they were small, Kumiko and Mamiko had been graced with astounding knowledge and talent. Their parents even wondered if they were their kids, which kinda hurt in a sense but... y'know. At the age of three and five, Kumiko and Mamiko, respectively, took a great interest in the euphonium- An odd choice, considering the instrument was not that popular, but still they insisted on learning it.

Their ever supportive parents, wanting their children to grow in... let's say more ways than one, agreed to it, and by the age of five, Kumiko had already entered primary school.

Geniuses not only in music, but in other areas of academics as well, both skipped many grades, entering college at the very young age of fourteen, Mamiko graduating at sixteen, skipping one year, but Kumiko taking only two years, graduated at fifteen.

'Come to think of it, I skipped six years of school. I hardly remember what school life was like.' Kumiko sighed, taking the bento from her overjoyed mother's hands, Mamiko doing the same as she sat down for breakfast.

Mamiko had taken a course in the entertainment and music industry and was currently a famous composer and performer. Kumiko though, was won over by the concept of lounging on the couch and relaxing everyday rather than working, thus she was still jobless despite graduating last year. That is, until Taki had pulled her into his little world.

'I think i kind of regret that part though' She thought as she brought her dishes to the sink.

Kumiko bid her mother and sister farewell as she walked to the train station. She kept the little map Taki had given to her in case she got lost. 'I'm not totally hopeless with directions you know.' She huffed as she boarded the train going to her destination.

Kitauji Highschool.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

8:07am. That was the time she arrived. She was still early, she knew, but it didn't hurt to be a bit early right? She did promise Taki and he was a good friend, so much so that he would even give her a job offer at the school he worked at. Looking around the said school though, she observed something-

"Doesn't look like anything special." Kumiko said out loud. True, it was blunt and seemed a bit harsh, yet no one could deny that fact.

"Of all places, Taki, Why did you choose here?" She wondered. Noboru Taki was a man nothing short of gifted. Kumiko knew her friend had received one-to-many offers to teach at prestigious and cutting-edge schools, so it came as a huge surprise when Taki revealed to her his plans of teaching at one of those 'not-even-sure-if-this-school-exists' or 'never-heard-of-this-school' schools.

'Oh right. His father used to teach here.' Kumiko recalled the main reason her male compadre decided on this particular school.

Entering the gates, she tried to locate the administrative office. Walking for a bit, she reached a certain part of the school, not minding the stares she got from some students.

'What do you care? So what if I'm not wearing the required uniform? I don't even go to school here for crying out loud- wait… I don't GO to school anymore, well not for studying reasons that is.' She replied to those whispers around her, though only in her mind. She kept walking until-

A tune, a melody, a song.

Kumiko's highly trained ears picked up on a certain sound, something all too familiar to her, except the fact that they seemed to be insulting the composer by giving off a half-assed performance of could have been a great piece.

Approaching the small crowd of students situated in a seemingly wide area, Kumiko caught sight of what looked like the school's very own brass band. 'And all they'll ever win is brass too I guess. Maybe even lower.' Kumiko thought to herself. Honestly, why other people enjoyed it so much, she wished she could relate. She couldn't hear what they were hearing, and they certainly couldn't tell the difference between how good or how bad this performance was like she could.

Kumiko walked away from the crowd and went inside the main building, deciding that she'd rather not aggravate herself so early in the morning by listening to something that wasn't even worth anything in the actual competition. Finding a layout of the school inside, she located her target room and arrived there with ease. 'See Taki? I'm not hopeless with directions!' She smiled proudly to herself.

Standing by the huge mahogany door, Kumiko knocked soundly with the words 'Excuse me' and being replied with a 'come in', she pushed open the door.

Upon opening it, she was greeted by the pleasant sight of her friend standing beside a man, who Kumiko assumed was the chairman of the school.

"Ah! You must be Oumae-kun. Please come in and have seat." The jolly- Kumiko thought he was a jolly type of guy- man coaxed. "Noboru-kun has been telling me a lot about you." He smiled. He seemed to be eyeing Kumiko from head to toe, the poor girl squirming under his gaze. The man seemed to have taken notice of her uncomfortable state and apologized.

"Sorry. Actually seeing you in person, it confirms the information Taki has been telling me." He explained. "Not that I don't believe in him, it's just... well anyway, thank you for accepting this job. We've been a bit short on staff, but with your talent, as Taki described, you might be a great help to us." Kumiko listened, though she couldn't avoid opening her mouth.

"Sir, I don't really get what you're saying. And what information? Can you please elaborate?" Kumiko sighed. She didn't understand a thing. The man turned to Taki and asked a few more questions, ignoring Kumiko's curiousness before returning his attention to Kumiko and looking at her once more.

"Still… you are quite young aren't you, Oumae-kun?" He said. Kumiko raised a brow at that. She was expecting it. Many had already questioned her about her age, but it was still difficult to get used to.

'Oh so that's what he was having a hard time in asking. Not that I mind.' Kumiko thought. "Yes sir. Sixteen to be exact, well turning sixteen."

"Oh? So technically, you would've been a freshman if not for your genius?"

"I guess so, sir." Kumiko replied. 'Genius?'

"Hmmm… well, I guess that's all Oumae-kun-"

"Huh?"

"-and Taki will be the one responsible in showing you around and briefing you on your job."

With those words Kumiko stepped out with Taki, still overwhelmed by the whole situation that just occurred. The lack of information was gnawing at her and she turned to the person who held the answers.

"Sorry about that. It's just that… everyone in the staff found it hard to believe that a sixteen year old girl would be working with us." He smiled at her sheepishly.

"What exactly do you have planned for me, Taki?" Kumiko asked out of genuine curiosity.

"Well, you see… I'm the music teacher here, but someone had to take a maternity leave so I had to cover for her, though maybe you would like to do that? Or would you prefer covering my subject instead?" Taki asked her.

"I'm going to teach?"

"well for a while, yeah."

"Without a license?"

"It will only be temporary, unless you're going to take an exam for one, we wouldn't mind in the slightest."

"Anyway, do you want to cover for her or for me?"

Kumiko weighed her options. 'Hmmm… teach a music class or another class? I do love music, but I can't decide yet till I know what the other one is.'

"What class are you covering for this teacher currently?" She asked.

"English." He responded as the bell rung, resounding around the entirety of the school.

"Heh… can't we like… do it alternate? I kinda want to try doing both." Kumiko said honestly, interested in this proposition and the mere mention of having at least a bit of experience in teaching.

"Not a bad suggestion. I'll tell the chairman, but for now, maybe you should go around the school. Don't forget to come to the teacher's lounge at two-thirty. I'm taking you somewhere." Taki said, seriously pondering the offer, then acting as if he had his own little proposition later.

"Huh?"

"You'll know later." And with that he left her to enter one of the many classrooms.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Kumiko had spent the whole day roaming around and more or less found zero entertainment in the campus. It was about five-past-two and Kumiko decided that that was enough sightseeing for now. Heading back to locate the teacher's lounge as she was instructed by Taki, she bumped into someone.

"Sorry."

"Excuse me."

Kumiko thought she was dreaming. She probably was, but who cares? Standing before her was a beauty. A real one. One with onyx hair and eyes the color of- I don't know actually, but Kumiko was entranced as the figure stared right back at her before averting her gaze and bowing before running off to wherever.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Kumiko found Taki waiting for her and they started heading off to wherever he was planning on taking her, but her mind was still on the girl she had just bumped into. 'Who was that? Will I see her again.' Her mind was plagued with these thoughts until-

"Ouch! What the- Taki!" Kumiko whined as she rubbed her reddening forehead. "I know I wasn't paying attention, but did you have to flick my forehead so hard?" She gave him a glare.

"Sorry, sorry." He replied chuckling.

"You don't sound sorry at all." Kumiko huffed, small tear droplets forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Sorry. It was the only way i could think without having to raise my voice, but as I was saying… we're here." He pointed to a door. It was a music room and students seemed to be in it. Bustling about, preparing their BRASS instruments.

"No… No, no... no, no, no...NOoooo NO way Taki. This was not part of my job description." She looked at him like she was being forced to a death sentence, stepping away from the door.

"You had one?" He asked thoughtfully.

"Taki! You know me! I'm fine with teaching music class or whatever, but I am most certainly NOT going to be affiliated with any band, ESPECIALLY one composed of many brass instruments." Kumiko stated.

"Some are woodwinds though…"

"I don't really care! Anyway I'm not gonna do whatever you wanna ask me." she said turning around.

"But I haven't even asked." Kumiko began to walk away, but felt a strong hand gripping her arm. She looked at Taki, his expression darkened.

"Kumiko… don't you think…" Taki looked into her eyes sincerely. "That it's time to face the music? You're a talented musician. Why not use it? You'll be amazed what these kids can do- I think." Taki said. Kumiko looked at him as if he was joking, though knowing him, he might as well be.

"I know what they can do, I heard them this morning and I am not impressed in the slightest." Kumiko replied firmly recalling the performance that morning.

After pondering on something, Taki snapped his fingers. "Well, there is someone who might catch your interest though." He said. "Please Kumiko. Just one session. That's all I ask. I wanted you to be my assistant in directing, but you don't seem ready for that yet, but please?" Taki almost looked desperate. He wanted to help her get over the past, but did she want to? Kumiko sighed. She's been sighing a lot lately.

"One session."

"Huh?"

"I'll watch one session. If I don't like it, I'm out." Kumiko turned to him saying this was a one time offer. Take it or leave it.

"Thanks!" Taki's demeanor brightened up considerably. "-but cut them some slack. Some are brand new to this, someone even bought a tuba mouthpiece saying she wanted to play the trumpet." Kumiko suppressed a laugh at this revelation. 'Brand new indeed.'

"Anyway, now that that's that, how 'bout I introduce you to the band?" Taki held on the doorknob. "Ready when you are, Kumiko." Taki said.

Kumiko nodded. "Alright Taki. Show me what you've got."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

A/N: SO I finished it in under an hour before? Haha… please tell me how you liked it in the reviews please… if you could follow/favorite, it is much appreciated friend. Anyway, thanks for giving this junk a chance and see you again? As I said, forgive it if there are a lot of things it needs to improve on. This is me bringing back my past and well... hooo boy. Let’s just see and hope for the best.

~Shintori Khazumi

[shuturquibble]

Finding You Chapter 1: receiving

Fandom: Hibike! Euphonium/Sound! Euphonium Pairings: Kumiko/Reina; Natsuki/Yuuko; implied Asuka/Kaori/Haruka; Nozomi/Mizore; Hazuki/Shuuichi Summary:  Two years have passed since Reina left after their second-year. Two years have passed and Kumiko is now a freshman in college. Two years have passed and she receives a letter from Reina. Two years have passed but something Kumiko thought she lost is making its way to her. Words: 3.8k+ Links: FF link is here! AO3 is here!

hi friends. another kumirei story, but this time, it's multi-chap! and i actually finished! it's a miracle! i actually completed the story a while back, and intended to post it as a big oneshot, but i thought it would be better to post in chapters. the main story is roughly four chapters long, and i'm considering about creating an extra chapter. this has been, to say the least, a very personal project of mine in more ways than one. all the relationships portrayed in this story isn't necessarily what i ship, but they all serve a purpose in telling the story. i hope that you guys enjoy. 

i also recc reading it on AO3 because the formatting of the story is much easier there.

Kumiko never got much in the mail.

 Well, no, that wasn’t entirely true. Kumiko did get mail (she wasn’t that much of a recluse), but mail, more often than not, disappointed her. Whenever she went down to her PO box as part of her morning routine, her mailbox would hold bills, bills, the newspaper if it was Sunday, a sheet of coupons if she was lucky, and even more bills. Checking her mail was always a dreary start to her day (although, Kumiko had to admit, she did get giddy whenever she saw the coupons because who wouldn’t want a buy-one-get-one-free meal?), and it was certainly not one of the most eventful aspects of her life.

 If anything, checking the mail reminded her of the struggles of young adulthood, and that never failed to get Kumiko down.

  Kumiko stifled a yawn as she trudged down the stairs of her apartment complex, clad in her pajamas and rabbit slippers. She tasted the inside of her mouth, scrunching her nose at the rancid flavor; maybe she should have brushed her teeth before going down.

 But then again, no one would be down except for the landlady on a Saturday morning.

 Kumiko grunted as she pushed through the stairwell entrance, the door creaking with protest. The smell of lemon-scented cleaner and sunlight greeted her. She squinted as the door slammed shut behind her, trying to get used to the sudden change of scenery.

 “Kumiko-chan?”

 An elderly woman poked her head out the counter that overlooked the entire lobby (which wasn’t much in the first place). The chains of her glasses rattled, and the sound made Kumiko smile.

 “Mornin’, Gram,” Kumiko greeted.

 The wrinkles on Gram’s face made way for a smile. “Aren’t you on break for college? Why are you up so early?”

 Kumiko gave a one-shouldered shrug as she shuffled her way over to the PO lockers next to the counter. “It’s a habit now, I guess,” she said, fishing for her keys in her pajama pocket.

 Gram chuckled. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re here so early. Here”—Kumiko looked back at Gram and saw that she was holding out Tupperware full of food—”for you.”

 “Thanks,” Kumiko said with a crooked smile as she took it.

 It was still warm.

 “You take care of yourself, hm?” Gram said.

 “I will.”

 Gram’s laughter filled the air as her head disappeared from view. Kumiko’s smile, on the other hand, stayed where it was, even when she struggled to open her mailbox.

 Kumiko never knew her grandparents, maternal and paternal. Gram was the closest thing she ever had to one, and, quite frankly, Kumiko loved her with all her heart. Though their conversations were mostly short-lived, Kumiko always felt at-ease whenever she was around Gram.

 “Oh crap.” Kumiko watched as her mailbox vomited its contents on the floor, envelopes and sheets of coupons scattering everywhere. She sighed and rested her food inside her locker, bending down to scoop her mail in a haphazard pile she tucked under her armpit.

 As she stood up to take the Tupperware and shut the locker, she noticed her food rested on a lilac-colored envelope.

 Kumiko’s heart lurched in her chest.

 The color purple made her uneasy because it reminded her of high school.

 And high school reminded Kumiko of her.

 A chill went down Kumiko’s spine as she gathered her food and the envelope. Sparing the front of it a quick glance, she noticed that there was no return address, and the only thing decorating the envelope was her name and PO box address in flawless cursive.

 Kumiko couldn’t deny how clammy her hands were getting as she tucked the letter with the rest of the mail. She had to wipe them on her pajamas when she stuffed her mailbox keys into her pocket.

  You’re stupid for getting antsy over a letter, a part of her jeered. It’s words on paper. It’s like the other things that you get in the mail. What’s so special about this one? The possibility that it might be from her?

 Kumiko didn’t know the answer to her own question as she flung the door open.

 -X-

 The heat her living room was suffocating.

 Even with the miniature fan blowing at her face on full blast, Kumiko felt sweat rolling down the back of her neck. It was almost eleven now, and on a normal day, Kumiko would have been in the bathroom enjoying a blood-chilling shower.

 Instead, she was staring at the purple envelope like an idiot.

 Kumiko didn’t know what she was expecting. It’s an envelope, said Logic, and it’s going to sit there like all the other envelopes beside you. It isn’t going to grow a mouth and start screeching at you.

 She took a breath and decided to listen to Logic for once. With a gentle hand, she grabbed the envelope and swept a finger under the flap to break the seal. She took the letter out of its purple case gingerly, and unfolded it as if it were text from a time long forgotten.

  Kumiko,

  You probably won’t be expecting this letter. But, knowing you, you probably don’t receive many letters in the first place (and no, bills don’t count).

  I would start out by saying that it’s been a long time, but that’s something that the both of us know. There’s no need to be redundant when it comes to correspondence; there’s only so much space on a piece of paper.

  I’m writing to you now because I want you to know that I’m back from my time abroad so that I can finish my studies here. You would think that homesickness would go away after two years of being in a foreign country, but there was always something pulling me back here.

  You can find my mailing address below.

  Reina.

 Kumiko’s lungs froze once she reached the end of the letter.

 She had a gut feeling that this letter was from her.

 She knew it

 She expected it.

 She anticipated it.

 Why couldn't she believe it?

 Kumiko found herself scanning the letter over and over again. Each time she did, the stitches she sutured on her heart began to snap with every word. She had to put the letter down, lest her wounds reopened.

 She sunk into her couch and sighed.

 She mused that if Reina had sent this letter a year earlier, Past Kumiko would have been over the moon sobbing her eyes off with snot dribbling down her nose. She would have been so happy, touched, and relieved.

 Present Kumiko’s, on the other hand, didn’t know what to feel. She didn’t know if she was happy, touched, or relieved. Hell, she didn’t even know if she felt anything positive toward this turn of events.

  She honestly has the audacity to send you a letter after all this time? It’s been nearly two years, Anger fumed.

  But why a letter of all things? Confusion asked.

  At you least know she’s doing well, Optimism whispered. It could be a chance to find some answers….

 Frustrated at her thoughts, Kumiko got up from her coach with a sigh.

  Maybe a cold shower would cool you down, Logic suggested.

 For the second time, Kumiko agreed with Logic and shuffled to the bathroom.

 -X-

  Call Transcript

  Asuka Tanaka → Kumiko Oumae

  12:33 PM

  AT: Hello? Oumae-chan?

  KO: [voice sounds far away] Guh—ah! [rustling is heard, and her voice is clearer] Hi, I’m here.

  AT: Did I startle you? [laughs]

  KO: More like scared the living shit out of me because my phone rang on full-blast right next to my ear. Think my soul’s on the floor with the rest of my stuff.

  AT: Well, that’s not good. Sorry about that.

  KO: [scoffs] No you’re not.

  AT: It’s the thought that counts.

  KO: So…why’d you call?

  AT: What do you mean why did I call? It’s time for our monthly talk, Oumae-chan!

  KO: That time already?

  AT: Indeed! Shall I start?

  KO: If you want. [rustling is heard once again, and her speech sounds muffled] Crap, the pen’s under the desk...

  AT: Mm…what haven’t I told you yet?

  KO: [muffled] A lot.

  AT: [with light sarcasm] How specific.

  KO: Well…has school ended for you, yet?

  AT: While ago. About…two weeks ago, I think?

  KO: [still muffled] Really? Same here.

  AT: But Kaori’s on her last week this week. Since her university started late and all.

  KO: [rustling] That kind of—[a loud bang is heard] OW, FUCK!

  AT: [laughs raucously] A-are you—[sharp inhale]—o-okay?

  KO: [groans] Never better. [rustling once more, and then her voice is clearer] Glad to see you haven’t changed since the last time we’ve spoke.

  AT: Why would I ever?

  KO: Good point. Are you still working on majoring in music?

  AT: [in English] Of course!

  KO: You’re doing…instrumental performance, right?

  AT: Indeed! Although, I did consider instrumental conducting.

  KO: You?

  AT: Hm? What’s with that tone?

  KO: Well, it’s just surprising, you know. Seeing you lead a band isn’t really the first thing that comes to mind.

  AT: Why’s that? In case you’ve forgotten, I was drum major during your first year.

  KO: Well, I don’t know. I think it’s because whenever I think of band director, I think of Taki-sensei, you know? Someone serious, full of tough love and secrets, but always has good intentions, you know?

  AT: [chuckles]

  KO: W-what?

  AT: It’s funny how you remember a lot about high school.

  KO: Is that…bad?

  AT: No, not at all. It means you’re observant. [chuckles] I don’t even remember half the things that happened during those three years.

  KO: [laughs nervously] Well, a lot of things worth remembering happened during high school….

 [A door opening and closing in the background is heard]

  AT: Welcome back!

  ???: [very faint] Who’s that?

  AT: Oumae-chan.

  ???: Oh! Tell her I said hi. It’s been a while.

  AT: Kaori says hi.

  KO: Hi, Kaori-senpai.

  AT: She says hi.

  KN: [sounds closer] I know, Asuka, you have her on speaker.

  AT: Just making sure. [laughs] How was class?

  KN: Same thing as usual. Boring. Tiring.

  KO: What’re you studying, Kaori-senpai?

  KN: Business management. I want to open my own café one day.

  KO: I can see that happening. I’ll be sure to stop by once you open it.

  KN: [laughs] Thanks. Hey, Asuka?

  AT: Hm?

  KN: Is Haruka here?

  AT: In the room. She has the PM shift for the shop today, so she’s probably resting.

  KN: Oh okay. I’ll leave you two with your “monthly talk.” [laughter]

 [Shuffling is heard, and in the distance, another door is heard opening and closing.]

  AT: Okay, you’re off speaker now.

  KO: Did you always have me on speaker?

  AT: Only when Kaori was inside. [chuckle]

  KO: …Why?

  AT: Why not?

  KO: [sighs] I’m not going to continue with this line of questioning.

  AT: [laugh] Anyways, what’s new with you?

  KO: Eh, you know….

  AT: No, I don’t.

  KO: Well, er, school ended.

  AT: You already told me that.

  KO: Oh. Right.

  AT: Did…something happen?

  KO: Well, yeah. But it’s not anything bad…I think.

  AT: You think?

  KO: Well, I got a letter.

  AT: [laughter] How old-fashioned.

  KO: And it’s from Reina.

 [Silence]

  AT: Now I can see how that’s a problem.

  KO: Glad we’re on the same page. [laughs half-heartedly]

  AT: So…what’re you going to do? Reply to her?

  KO: That’s what I’ve been trying to do for the past…hour and a half.

  AT: Knowing you, you probably haven’t made any progress.

  KO: Went through an entire packet of stationary. Still nothing.

  AT: [whistles] Those poor trees.

  KO: [laughs] That’s what you’re worried about?

  AT: Trees are very important for the environment, Oumae-chan.

  KO: Okay, you got me there.

  AT: So…. [pause] How are you feeling? About all this?

  KO: Honestly? I don’t know what to feel.

  AT: I’m listening.

  KO: It’s just—God, I don’t know—so complicated. Like, why now? Like, I understand why now because she just came back from studying abroad, but, like, why now? You know? She just disappeared without a trace, even after all that shit that happened between us in high school, she just had the audacity to just go up and leave and—[sniffles] G-God, it just hurt, Asuka. It hurt so much….

  AT: [softly] I bet it did.

  KO: L-like, I know she wants to pursue music and she’s so stubbornly set on being special, whatever the hell that means. But she could have said something, you know? [strained laughter] It’s kind of ironic, you know. I always told her that if I ever left her side, that would give her the right to kill me. But I don’t think it ever crossed my mind what I would do if she ever left me.

  AT: [still quiet] I’m sorry, Kumiko.

  KO: [quietly] She never said goodbye. She didn’t break our relationship off. She left a note and she was gone. Like the wind.

  AT: [in her regular volume] Maybe she didn’t know how to break up.

  KO: Maybe.

  AT: Or maybe she thought that when she came back, everything would be normal again between the both of you.

  KO: [sighs] Maybe.

  AT: Or maybe she was abducted by aliens.

  KO: Okay, now you’re just pulling shit out of your ass. [weak laughter]

  AT: Anything for my precious protégé.

  KO: Gee, thanks.

 [Pause]

  AT: Say, Kumiko?

  KO: Mm?

  AT: I—mm—Sorry. For not being a bigger help. Haruka and Kaori are better at this than I am. [chuckles]

  KO: It’s okay. You listening to me is more than enough.

  AT: ‘m glad about that.

  KO: Me too.

  AT: We’ll talk later then, hm?

  KO: Yeah. Later.

  AT: Take care of yourself, Kumiko.

  KO: You too, senpai.

  Call End

  1:26 PM

 Kumiko sighed and set her phone facedown on her desk.

 Despite how liberating venting to Asuka was, Kumiko suddenly felt very sluggish and drained.

 Maybe taking a nap would ease her for a bit. She could worry about the letter later.

 With another sigh, Kumiko wiped away a stray tear that rested on her cheek. She raised herself from her chair, and shuffled her way over to her unmade bed. She collapsed on the mattress and took a deep breath.

 The moment she closed her eyes, she was out like a light.

 -X-

 lights are blinding

you always knew that

but you also knew that

her radiance was

something greater

 she was brighter

than the town lights

on a dark evening

she was brighter

than the sun

on a summer’s afternoon

she was brighter

than your alarm

on an early morning

 her brilliance showed

in the smallest of gestures

like whenever she

brushed back her hair or

spoke to you or

played her trumpet

 like the sun

you thought

she would stay

but

the sun always sets at night

and there will be a time when

it won’t rise

 it was cloudy the morning she left

and the only thing that

brilliant girl left was

a purple note with the words

“i’m leaving today, i love you”

 the hole she left in your heart was

bigger than a black hole

and whenever you walk by

the old rendezvous you remember

that the brilliant girl is

no

longer

there

 -X-

 Kumiko woke with a start when she heard her phone vibrating against her desk.

 Groaning, she rolled off her bed, clumsily landing on her feet. She shuffled her way over to her phone, and picked it up.

 A reminder for her to go buy groceries at 5:30 PM was printed on the lock screen of her phone.

 Kumiko sighed as she rubbed the sleep out of one eye. Almost a three-hour nap and she still felt tired.

 Her eyes hovered over to the blank stationery sitting on her desk, and opted to ignore the pile of crumpled papers next to it.

  Work on it later, a voice told her, it’ll still be there tonight.

 Without saying a word, Kumiko threw on a nearby hoodie, grabbed her wallet, and walked out her room.

 As she shut the door behind her, Kumiko wondered if Reina was just as bright as she remembered.

 -X-

 “Kumiko?”

 Kumiko stopped in her tracks before she exited the grocery store. Turning her head, she saw a familiar face—and horrible-looking pants.

 “Natsuki-senpai,” Kumiko said with a growing smile. She noticed how Natsuki’s hair now curled under her chin in a messy bob. Kumiko thought it suited her. “When did you come back from Tokyo?”

 “Got back a couple of days ago.” Natsuki said as she walked alongside Kumiko out the store.

 “How’s college?”

 Natsuki shrugged and shoved her hands into her pants. “Well, it’s school. So boring. Tiring.”

 A sense of déjà vu hit Kumiko. “Seems to be a popular thought.”

 “Well, ain’t much you can say about it.” Natsuki laughed. “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about dropping out.”

 Kumiko widened her eyes. “Really?”

 Natsuki nodded. “School just isn’t for me. Even back in high school, the only thing that really kept me in was band. Everything else about school isn’t my forte—music pun intended.”

 Kumiko cracked a smile at the quip. Natsuki’s down-to-earth sense of humor was something she missed.

 “Say, do you still play?” Natsuki suddenly asked, kicking the pebbles that dared to stand in her way.

 Kumiko blinked. “U-uh, what? Euph?”

 “No.” Natsuki rolled her eyes. “Duh, euph. What else? Trumpet?”

 Kumiko forced out a laugh to mask the sound of another stitch on her heart snapping. Natsuki’s comment was too soon. “O-oh r-right. Yeah, I still play. Once or twice a week, running through several scales, long tones. Sometimes I even go through an old song or learn a new one if I really feel like it.”

 “Wow,” Natsuki began with a chuckle, “you’re still pretty dedicated, huh?”

 “You can say that.”

 “I honestly think that the last time I’ve touched an instrument was…when I last visited Yuuko in Osaka about two months ago? She said I sounded like a rusty motor.”

 Kumiko raised an eyebrow. “You visit Yuuko-senpai?”

 “A-ah, yeah, well”—Natsuki turned into a bashful shade of red as she scratched the back of her neck—”we’re kind of…dating?”

 Kumiko felt a burning sensation under her gut. “Really? Since when?”

 “Mm…last month was our first year anniversary. We got together sometime after we graduated. It’s a pretty long story.” Natsuki laughed again. “Looking back on it, it’s kind of funny. We used to hate each other’s guts back when we first met. Now, we’re together. We’ve come a long way since high school.”

 Kumiko found herself wishing that she could relate.

 The embers in her gut combusted into a flame.

 “Does…this change who I am to you?”

 Kumiko blinked, and she turned to Natsuki. “What? No, of course not.”

 The tension in Natsuki’s eyes melted as she laughed. “Oh, good. You looked upset, so I thought it was because I was dating, you know, another girl. Haven’t told my parents yet, so I’m still on edge about the whole thing.”

  She’s not entirely wrong, something whispered in her ear, about her dating another girl. Because that should have been—

 Kumiko mentally slapped herself.

 “No, don’t worry about it. I mean, I’m kind of in the same boat.” Kumiko chuckled.

 “You gay?” It felt more like a statement than a question.

 “Yeah.”

 “Explains why you always ignored Tsukamoto’s advances. Or, ‘advances’.” Natsuki curled her fingers into air quotes and laughed. “That guy was kinda pathetic. Made me almost feel sorry for him.”

 Kumiko gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I’m sure he found someone by now.”

 Their conversation died once they stopped at a corner. Natsuki pointed across the street. “My place’s thattaway.”

 “Mine’s the opposite way,” Kumiko said, pointing with her thumb.

 “Looks this is where we part.”

 “Seems like it.”

 “Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Natsuki grinned and tapped Kumiko’s shoulder with her fist. “I know you still have my number. Don’t be afraid to call.”

 Kumiko smiled and nodded. “Got it.”

 “Natsuki!”

 The both of them looked in the direction of the voice, and across the street, Kumiko saw the faint figure of a woman, wearing a comically-large ribbon in her hair, waving.

 The flame in Kumiko’s gut grew, and she suddenly recognized the sensation.

 Jealousy.

 Natsuki waved back. “I’ll be there!” She cried out. She turned to Kumiko and gave a salute. “See you ‘round, kid.”

 Kumiko lamely waved back, watching as Natsuki jogged across the street once she was prompted to do so.

 Kumiko ignored the bitter taste in her mouth as she turned around.

  That should have been you and her, Jealousy jeered. You wish you had that, didn’t you?

 “Shut up,” Kumiko mumbled under her breath.

 Jealousy said nothing else, but the flame still burned her gut.

 -X-

 Kumiko sighed, running a hand through her hair, and read over the letter she finally finished. It was certainly not the best response, Kumiko thought, but an answer was better than none.

  Hi, Reina.

  If I’m being honest, I have no idea how to write a letter. It took me much longer than it should have to write this.

  But here goes, I guess.

  It’s been two years since you left, and well, a lot has happened since then. I don’t know if you’re interested (because you were never into that sort of thing in high school), but I need something to talk about to fill the space on the page.

  I’m in college now. I moved out of Uji, but I’m still a two-hour train ride away. I wanted to get out and see new faces, but I still see some familiar ones once in awhile, like Natsuki-senpai (her family moved after she graduated and it just so happened to be in the same town as me, so I see her around when she’s not in Tokyo for college).

  Midori-chan moved to England for college. Hazuki-chan is still in Uji, I think. It’s been awhile since I last called those two. I don’t know where Shuuichi went. He’s somewhere.

  You know, I’m surprised that you moved back to Uji. I always had the feeling that you didn’t want to come back to a town like that. Something like that.

  Anyways, welcome back. Tell me something new.

  Kumiko

 Stifling a yawn, Kumiko folded the letter into thirds and tucked it into a nearby envelope. She scribbled Reina’s address in the middle and her own address in the corner. After she sealed the envelope, she made her way to her bed and collapsed.

  Is it safe to talk to her after two years? Fear asked as Kumiko crawled under the sheets. What if she leaves you again? For good? How would that feel? You know how heart-broken you were when she left.

 The thought chilled Kumiko.

  She came back for a reason, Logic piqued. She said that in her letter.

 Pessimism scoffed. Probably not for you.

 Logic couldn’t think of a rebuttal.

  Well, whatever the reason, Optimism began, all that matters is that she’s back.

  But for how long? Fear asked.

 A chill went down Kumiko’s spine, and she burrowed herself in her sheets, despite the heat.

 No one answered Fear.

[noncannons]

your nozomizo art...exquisite

Thanks! Ive read your Hibike fanfics before; theyre very sweet and cute!

[animebw]

Against all odds, I'm back.

I never thought in a million years I'd be writing fanfic again, let alone my first ever multi-chapter fic. But after finishing Eupho's third season, I was left with the inescapable feeling that I had more story I wanted to tell. So here I am telling it: ten years after the show's end, Kumiko and Reina's next piece begins. And hopefully I'll have the commitment to stick with this project without abandoning it midstream. Because that's what the greatest love story of all time goddamn deserves.

We're in this one for the long haul, folks. Hope you enjoy!

[mistyheartrbs]

From the fanfiction reader asks: 7, 9, 13, 20, 23, and/or 28 please ^^

7. What’s your favourite fic genre to read?

post-canon works always hold a special place in my heart - especially if they’re fix-its!

9. What tag(s) do you track?

the hibike! euphonium tag!

13. What is your favourite fanfic trope?

“only one bed” is a fun one!

20. Have you ever read a fic more than once? What is it about that fic that made you read it again?

there are a few! the one that comes to mind is “every step” on ao3, because it’s just...so tender.

23. What do you wish more fic authors would do?

i’ve overall found the fic authors i surround myself with to be a good bunch - if we’re speaking about fandom as a whole i do wish there was more respect given towards celebrities re: boundaries.

28. What do you think of OC’s?

they’re good! personally i use them sparingly in my works (though momoko moritomo will always have a special place in my heart) but they’re a great way to just have fun, which is the point of fanfic when you get down to it.

thank you for sending these!

[imsvg]

Finding You Chapter 2: building

Fandom: Hibike! Euphonium/Sound! Euphonium Pairings:  Kumiko/Reina; Natsuki/Yuuko; implied Asuka/Kaori/Haruka; Nozomi/Mizore; Hazuki/Shuuichi Summary:  Two years have passed since Reina left after their second-year. Two years have passed and Kumiko is now a freshman in college. Two years have passed and she receives a letter from Reina. Two years have passed but something Kumiko thought she lost is making its way to her. Words: 4,760 Previous Chapters: 1 | Links: FF is here! AO3 is here!

i rec reading on AO3 b/c it’s much easier to read it on there. oh, and see if you can spot the two references i made in this chapter

The next letter from Reina came a week after Kumiko delivered hers.

Kumiko,

  You wrote a lot more than I expected. I’m quite glad you did, honestly; it reminds me of the times you would run off on tangents on our monthly hikes. I’m pleased to hear that everyone we know from band are doing well.

  That, obviously, includes you too.

  What degree are you working towards? I initially planned on majoring in instrumental performance and making a living off of that, but I heard that Taki-sensei received an offer to play in a prestigious orchestra that’s based in Tokyo. Although he won’t be leaving until a few more years, I’ve decided to become the next band director for Kitauji. It’s one of the reasons I’m back in Uji.

  Speaking of Kitauji, I dropped by the other day. It looks just as I remembered it, but something is inherently different about it. I honestly can’t describe it, but when I walked around, it felt so surreal. It didn't feel real. I thought that if I looked away, if I even blinked, it would have faded like a mirage.

  Maybe it’s the homesickness talking, but I really missed Kitauji. Sometimes I wonder what my senior year might have been if I didn't leave.

  Maybe if I stayed, I wouldn't feel this way towards it.

  On a much lighter note, it seems that the company that creates those strange instrument creatures (you know, the ones that Kawashima-san loved—or is it loves? I would think that she would have grown out it, but she never fails to surprise me, if I’m being honest) sponsors the band, now. I think Taki-sensei has mixed feelings about it.

  Write soon,

  Reina

  Kumiko reread the letter, taking in every syllable.

  Reina’s words were so raw, so honest, it took Kumiko aback. She thought she would have needed to peel back layers of protection covering Reina’s feelings again, the same way she did during their first two years of high school.

  It seems that wasn’t the case. Or, at least, to Reina it wasn’t.

  Well, of course Reina would have it easy, Logic began as Kumiko reached out for her lukewarm mug of coffee. She was the one who left, after all.

  Kumiko had a hard time forcing the coffee down her throat.

  She downed the rest of her drink, and rose from her seat, leaving the letter on the table. After a quick shower, she decided, she would begin working on her reply.

  Hopefully.

  -X-

  Call Transcript

  Hazuki Katou → Kumiko Oumae

  1:35 PM

  HK: Ku—mi—ko—chan!

  KO: Hazuki-chan! It’s been a while.

  HK: [laughs] Right? It’s hard to believe that summer’s already here! Next thing you know, it’s going to be the holidays, then spring comes, and it’s a whole new school year! Then we’re going to be second-years in college? Funny how time flies, you know?

  KO: [chuckles] Yeah, yeah, I get it. What’s new with you?

  HK: Nothin’ much, really. Just tryna get through school. [laughs] Sometimes, it feels like I never graduated from high school. I’m still in the same place, still seeing some of the same faces, still hating studying. It’s hard to believe that’s been already a year since we left from Kitauji.

  KO: [chuckles] Some things never change.

  HK: I guess. [chuckles] What’s new with you? I haven’t seen you in ages.

  KO: Nothing really. I mean, school ended for me too. Now I’m just…whittling the hours away by myself.

  HK: Eeeeh? Really? By yourself?

  KO: Well, yeah, by myself.

  HK: Thought you would have gotten another girlfriend or somethin’ by now.

  KO: [laughs nervously] No, no, not…yet.

  HK: That's a shame. You’re real pretty, Kumiko-chan. Bet you could get any gal you set your mind to.

  KO: A-ah, I guess. [nervous laughter] Thanks?

  HK: You can probably find someone at the Agata Festival!

  KO: It’s already that time of year?

  HK: Mhm! I think it’s…in several weeks, or something. But the town’s already making preparations for it. I think they’re really upping their game this year.

  KO: I don’t see why. [chuckles] The Festival’s the same every year.

  HK: How would you know? You haven’t been home in ages! [laughs] Say, you should come over! Stay over at your folks’ house, reconnect with people. You know, so that you’re not a hermit for the rest of vacation.

  KO: Maybe I will.

  HK: You should! Midori-chan’s coming over, too!

  KO: No way, is she really?

  HK: Yeah!

  KO: All the way from London? Damn.

  HK: Oh, oh! And guess who I saw recently!

  KO: Uh…Shuuichi?

  HK: [incomprehensible stuttering]

  KO: I’m…I’m sorry, what?

  HK: K-Kumiko-chan! Ho-how’d you find out?

  KO: …Find out what?

  HK: Oh. O-oh….

  KO: Is there…something I’m not getting here?

  HK: Oh…I—[laughs nervously]—I thought you knew.

  KO: Knew what?

  HK: Well…er…Tsukamoto-kun and I are together.

  KO: [sputters and coughs] I-I’m s-sorry—[coughing fit]

  HK: [worried] A-are you okay, Kumiko-chan…?

  KO: Y-yeah, I’m just—[clears throat] taken aback, is all. How long have you guys been…together?

  HK: Not long. I think this is our…fourth month?

  KO: [hums] You never stopped likin’ him, huh?

  HK: [titters] Y-yeah, guess not. You—er—don’t mind, do you?

  KO: O’course not. Why would I?

  HK: A-ah—mm—no reason….

  KO: [sighs] Hazuki-chan, you know I never liked him that way. You don’t have to worry about me being upset. Just ‘cause he’s my childhood friend doesn’t mean we were anything more than that. Don’t worry, okay? ‘Sides, you two make a good couple. I’m happy for the both of you. [laughs] Although, I am surprised that he managed to get someone as pretty as you.

  HK: Thanks, Kumiko-chan. [laughs quietly] But that wasn’t what I was going to tell you.

  KO: What is it, then?

  HK: I saw Reina-chan!

  KO: O-oh?

  HK: Mhm! It seems she’s back from studying abroad. She was taking a walk around the river. I wanted to go up to her and say hi, but Tsukamoto-kun and I were on a date. She looks…the same, but different at the same time. I mean, yeah, she cut her hair, but there’s something more to it that I can’t really describe it. If you saw her I think you would understand what I mean.

  KO: That so?

  HK: Mhm. Mm…Kumiko-chan?

  KO: Yeah?

  HK: Mind if I ask you a question?

  KO: What is it?

  HK: Do you two…still talk? Like, I know the both of you had a falling out back in high school when she left, but I was wondering if…you know—a-ah, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to! I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t, you know, opening up old wounds.

  KO: No, it’s fine. [chuckles] We’re talking to each other. Kind of.

  HK: Really? No way!

  KO: Kind of is the key phrase here. She sent a letter a week ago, and we have this correspondence going on between us. Sort of.

  HK: Ooh, letters! How romantic!

  KO: [stammering] I-I g-guess? [chuckles nervously]

  HK: Never thought Reina-chan would be that kind of person. You know, because it’s so convenient to just call or send a text.

  KO: Yeah, I get it. But, then again, she was always one for the unconventional.

  HK: [laughs] Sounds just like her.

  [The sound of a door opening is heard, followed by muffled speech is heard in the background]

  HK: Ah? Already? Okay. [whispers] Talk to you later, Kumiko-chan. I better see you at the Festival!

  KO: [laughs] Sure, sure. See you, then.

  Call End

  2:03 PM

  Kumiko locked her phone and set it aside.

  Seems like everyone’s finding love, hm? a part of her pointed out as she reached for a pen. Maybe she found someone new, too.

  Kumiko’s hand froze in mid-air.

  Slowly, she set her hand down and stared at the blank stationary in front of her. Kumiko would be lying if she said that the thought of Reina having another person in her life didn’t bother her.

  Wait, Logic chimed in, if, hypothetically, Reina did—and I’m not saying she does—but if she did, wouldn't have she mentioned it by now? She was never one to beat around the bush.

  She didn’t mention the day she was leaving.

  But look! Optimism added her voice as Kumiko took a quick glance at Reina’s recent letter. Look how she wrote those words. Look at that tone. You took Literature, didn’t you? How in the hell could she have someone when she wrote like tha—

 “Ah, shut up!” Kumiko cried out, silencing her thoughts. She slumped in her seat, her forehead hitting the desk with a faint thunk.

 “Why is it so hard to write?” She sighed and turned her head, her cheek resting on the cool parchment.

  The sight of a familiar potted cactus greeted her.

  Kumiko felt a small smile curl her lips. “At least you never left my side,” she muttered.

  The cactus said nothing.

 “It’s dumb,” Kumiko continued, “that I can’t be honest with Reina anymore. I mean it’s not dumb—it’s understandable, isn’t it, since she left and all?—but I hate how I can’t just go back to what we had. I mean, look”—she sat up and gestured to Reina’s letter—”at how she can just open up like nothing happened between us. Why can’t I do that? Why am I so s-scared?”

  Kumiko hated hearing her voice crack.

  Maybe you should talk to someone, Something suggested.

  The thought was sudden, but Kumiko didn’t dare argue, not when the familiar sting of tears was prickling the back of her eyes. She cleared her throat, and reached out for her phone. She ignored how her heart was pushing against its stitches, threatening to break them.

  With a quick input of her password, Kumiko sent out a text.

  2:09 PM

  kumiko: natsuki-senpai?

  natsuki: Whats up kid

  kumiko: i

uh

can i

talk to u about smth?

  natsuki: Sure

But i think i remembered telling u to call me

Not txt

  kumiko: you dont mind, do you?

  natsuki: Ofc not

I was just playin w/ u lol

  kumiko: oh okay

  natsuki: So what do u need

  kumiko: ah well

it’s just

uh

tbh idk how to start lol

  natsuki: Just start w/ the problem

  kumiko: well reina’s been sending me letters

okay it’s only been two but still

it’s been really hard to reply to her

  natsuki: Y

  kumiko: honestly it’s b/c im scared

  natsuki: Of what

  kumiko: opening up to her again

she’s talking to me like nothing’s happened

like she didn't leave

and i cant bring myself to do the same thing

  natsuki: So ur scared of talking to her

Is what ur tellin me

  kumiko: basically yeah

  natsuki: U no

If ur not comfortable w/ talking to her the same way u used 2

U dont have to force urself

Forcing urself to be comfortable will make u uncomfortable

But it seems u already no that lol

Take things slow and soon ull be talking to her like u used too

I no itll b hard

But being able 2 be at ease w/ the other person is important in any relationship

And thatll come eventually if u let it

  kumiko: it looks like you’ve had a lot of experience w/  this lol

  natsuki: Dont tell yuuko but

One of the reasons i acted like an asshole 2 her back in the day was b/c i didnt no how to talk to her

And b/c i thought she was annoying as shit

I always thought she was cute but

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  kumiko: those are very natsuki-like reasons lol

  natsuki: U cant deny that yuuko is an acquired taste

  kumiko: okay i guess you're right lol

  natsuki: Can i ask u smth now

  kumiko: yeah what is it?

  natsuki: U said u were gay rite

  kumiko: yeah

  natsuki: Were u and reina an item or smth

  kumiko: yeah

we kept it under the covers-ish

only a handful of people knew, like asuka-senpai and midori-chan and hazuki-chan

i dont think any of her family knew

but we were somewhat open w/ affection like holding hands and stuff

you know?

  natsuki: Yeah i no lol

I kinda called it tbh

But it wasnt my business and idc who ppl date anyways

As long as ure happy and safe

  kumiko: mhm

  natsuki: She must have meant a lot to u huh

  kumiko: …

yeah..

it sucks that things went the way they did…

  natsuki: Yeah

It rly hurt u a lot huh

When she left

  kumiko: was it noticeable?

  natsuki: Kinda

U always had this zoned look on ur face when no1 was talkin to u

And u were quieter

  kumiko: you're surprisingly observant

is it your vice-president intuition kicking in lol

  natsuki: Lmao i guess

U pick up things after a while

  kumiko: yeah i get it

  natsuki: Plus i think i got it from u lol

  kumiko: yeah?

  natsuki: Yeah

U have this weird ability to read ppl sometimes

  kumiko: wish i could read what reina was thinking back then

or when she writes to me now

so that i know why she left in the first place

  natsuki: Ull figure it out

Maybe itll be clear sooner or l8r

Ask when ure ready

  kumiko: yeah maybe

thanks natsuki-senpai

for letting me talk to you

i would have gone to asuka-senpai but she gets a little too blunt sometimes lol

and as much as i love her she’s useless when it comes to these kinds of things

  natsuki: Anytime kid

Oh btw this is offtopic but

R u going to the Agata Festival

  kumiko: i was thinking about it

are you?

  natsuki: Yeah

Yuuko’s been begging me to take her

I think its so that she can see kaori again lol

  kumiko: or maybe she just wants to spend time w/ you

you know

since you’re her girlfriend

 natsuki: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Who knows

Anyways were planning on leaving in two weeks

So we could have a week to chill before the actual festival

U wanna come

  kumiko: sure

  natsuki: Cool

Ill txt u more deets l8r

  kumiko: sounds good to me

i’ll ttyl then

better start on this letter lol

  natsuki: Got u

Ttyl

  Kumiko locked her phone, and reclined in her seat. She stared at the ceiling, noticing how, despite the summer heat around her, her chest felt considerably lighter. Like someone came and took a weight she never knew she was carrying.

  Just build up to her, Something whispered. You can do that, right?

  Kumiko sat up and reached for her pen again. Once the tip touched the paper, words began to form on the page. Words turned into sentences, which took shape into paragraphs, and before Kumiko knew it, she had to reach for another piece of stationary.

  Reina,

  I went into college undecided. Right now, I’m getting all the general classes out of the way, but I took a music composition class as an elective. It was an interesting experience; it made me remember why I loved music and euphonium so much in the first place. I might take extra classes on it.

  If I’m being honest, I’m surprised that you decided to become a teacher. I never would have expected that from you, considering how well you received the underclassmen when they came in. You would always rant on and on about that whenever we went on our hikes, too. Especially when you got frustrated at the “lack of commitment” from the underclassmen during our second-year. But, you know, we pulled through in the end. We managed to get a gold at Nationals that year (but then you complained on how it was a dud gold and not real gold, and that reminded me of a particular scene back in the middle-school).

  It’s hard to believe, yet at the same time, I can picture Band Director Reina perfectly. You would be similar to Taki-sensei, I think. Overly-serious, with a stoic face and straight voice. You would give tons of tough love to the slackers and the ones who weren’t improving as quickly as you would like, but your harsh words would carry good intentions.

  Writing that made me realize how much I missed Taki-sensei and Kitauji. Maybe I’ll drop by when I come by in a few weeks, around the Agata Festival.

  Speaking of the Festival, are you planning on attending with anyone? Me, I don’t really have plans to attend, honestly. Midori-chan is coming back from England, so I might be with her—maybe. I heard from Hazuki-chan that the Festival is going to be more lively this year. How much more lively, I wouldn’t know—I haven’t gone the last couple of years.

  Maybe if you go, we can run into each other again.

  Kumiko

  Finishing her signature with a flourish, Kumiko glanced over her letter with a touch of pride and lots of satisfaction.

  She certainly wrote much more than she had expected.

  But, underneath her contentedness, there was a nagging question in the back of her mind, prodding around for answers.

  Why did Reina leave in the first place?

  You can ask her once you’re ready—just build up to it. Like Natsuki-senpai said, Something assured. And then you’ll be able to find the answer.

  Kumiko pulled out an envelope from her desk drawer, folded the letter into thirds, then tucked it into the envelope. As she wrote down Reina’s address followed by her own, Kumiko noticed a budding feeling in her chest. It made her feel jittery at the thought of sending this letter to Reina, while at the same time, an unbridled sense of anticipation filled her when she thought about the possible replies Reina’s letter might hold.

  -X-

  Reina’s reply came a mere two days after Kumiko delivered hers.

  Oh, Kumiko,

  If that was your way of trying to find out whether or not I have someone else in my life, the answer is no, I don’t have anyone to go to the Festival with. But, if you’re in Uji for the Festival, then perhaps we can go together—that is, if you’re not busy with your plans with Kawashima-san.

  (At this, Kumiko pictured Reina curling her lips into the subtlest of smirks, and she had to pause reading to gather her flustered self)

  But, you know, attending the Agata Festival wouldn’t be so bad. It’s been two years since I’ve attended it, after all. I doubt that there will be any groundbreaking changes, but I think I’ll still go. For nostalgia’s sake, you know? Coming back to Japan made me realize how much I’ve missed everything. I suppose you can say that the Agata Festival is one of them. I’m not one to linger on these types of things, but when you leave the place you once knew for a whole new world, you’ll start to miss the flavor of familiarity. Sure, there’s the thrill of trying new things, but that can only last so long.

  You know how they say you can never truly appreciate something until it’s gone? I think I understand what they mean now.

  Anyways, it’s a pleasant surprise to hear that you’re still involved with music. Music composition is a very interesting choice of study. I remember I took a class on it in my time abroad. I didn’t find it quite as enjoyable as actually performing, but I’m still going with it. Maybe somewhere along the line I’ll actually like it.

  Speaking of music, have you watched Kitauji’s performance in this year’s Sunrise Festival? I’m surprised at the rapid growth of the group, if I’m being honest. They’ve improved a lot since our second-year performance with them. They nearly doubled in size—instead of 40 people in the band and only a handful of color guard, it’s almost an 80-piece band. I didn't get a proper count of the color guard, but there was a considerable amount. Their diagonals were a bit off, but their steps were together, and all of them were on beat. The sound was amazing as well—loud, bold, yet majestic. If you ever decide to drop by Kitauji when you’re in Uji, I’m sure Taki-sensei will show you the tape. I feel a sort of quiet pride exuding from him every time I mention it. You’ll understand what I mean if you do.

  Awaiting your reply,

  Reina

  It’s almost comical how our letters to one another are getting longer and longer. Kumiko chuckled, taking out a sheet of stationary.

  Maybe it’s all part of building up to each other, Something mused. Kumiko silently agreed as she reached for a pen.

  Unlike her last two replies, Kumiko didn't hesitate to work, her words filling up page after page.

  -X-

  Before Kumiko knew it, she established a comfortable correspondence with Reina. She received Reina’s letters at unpredictable times, sometimes two days after she sent her own reply, other times a whole week. Nevertheless, Kumiko found herself stopping by her PO box with anticipation every morning. If she was especially restless, she would even check her mailbox multiple times a day. Once that letter arrived, however, Kumiko made sure to reply and deliver right away.

  Even if it meant going down to the lobby near the dead of night.

  “Going to deliver something so late, Kumiko-chan?”

  “Guah!” Kumiko nearly jumped out of her own skin. Whipping her head around, she saw Gram staring at her behind the counter with a smile, brown eyes twinkling in the bright light of the lobby. “G-Gram! I—uh—didn’t see you there.”

  Gram chuckled. “I can tell.” Her gaze drifted to the lone envelope that Kumiko held in her hands. “Bills?”

  “A-ah, no.” Kumiko scratched the back of her neck. “It’s, uh, a letter.”

  “A letter?”

  “Yeah. For someone.”

  Gram looked back at Kumiko, her smile never wavering. “It looks like your generation knows how to write letters after all.” There was an amused lilt in her voice, and hearing it made Kumiko smile crookedly.

  “Admittedly, it wasn’t easy.” She chuckled. “The first couple of times took me much longer than it should have to write.”

  “That’s how it is with a lot of things,” Gram said with a knowing nod. “I was the same, you know.”

  “Really?”

  Gram nodded and turned to the small picture frame that sat on her desk. Kumiko followed her gaze, craning her neck to get a better look, and saw the faded black-and-white picture of a young couple., The man was meticulously dressed in a suit, hair slicked back. His arm was around the waist of a young woman dressed in a flowing kimono, her black hair tied back into an elaborate bun. While at first glance their expressions seemed stoic, Kumiko noticed that both their lips were curled into the subtlest of smiles.

  “Hideo-san had to find work, oftentimes abroad, especially in the beginning of our marriage,” Gram began. “We would write letters to one another, but in the first few years, I struggled to figure out on what to write. What do I say to someone that I barely knew, yet at the same time, someone I was supposed to share my everything with? We were an arranged marriage, and we didn't get to meet face-to-face until our wedding day.”

  “Sounds…tough.”

  Gram laughed, her voice rich with nostalgia. “It was. Our letters to one another at first were sparse, both in quantity and quality. But over time, we—how do I say this? We—”

  “Built up to one another?”

  “Yes,” Gram said with a nod. “Something like that. Our responses to one another grew and grew, and so did our love.” Gram looked at Kumiko, and Kumiko noticed how her brown eyes shimmered in the light. “Love finds its way, Kumiko-chan. It always does.”

  Kumiko’s stomach churned, as if it had a hard time digesting the sudden sweetness in Gram’s voice. “That so?”

  Gram let out a breath of amusement. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “Wha—I never said tha—why would you assume—”

  “It’s fine, Kumiko-chan,” Gram said with a laugh. “It’s hard to believe it when love hurts, like so many things in life.”

  Kumiko’s words died on her tongue.

  “Love is never easy. I’ve learned that the hard way. But”—Gram reached over to cup Kumiko’s face; she melted into the calloused, yet gentle touch—”it’ll always find you. Whether it’s through a passion or a person, developed or spontaneous, love will find you. And when it does, it will stay. Do you…understand?”

  Kumiko pursed her lips to keep them from quivering as she gave a faint nod. “Yeah, I—I think I get it.”

  “Good.” Gram lightly pinched Kumiko’s cheek before pulling her hand away. “You’ve been hurt by this person, haven’t you?” Her eyes drifted to Kumiko’s letter.

  “Yeah. She, uh, left. To study abroad. Didn’t really say anything about it, though.”

  Gram hummed and gave a knowing nod.

  “But she sent me a letter a couple of weeks ago saying she’s back in Japan, so….” Kumiko shrugged and looked down at the letter in her hands. “My friend told me to slowly build up what I used to have with her. I found it a little hard at first, but I’m getting used to it now. I even look forward to getting letters. But, it’s just that—I don’t know—I just I think she’ll leave again, and this time, she’ll never return.”

  “Well,” Gram began, “if she came back in the first place, it must mean something, hm?” She raised her eyebrows and a playful smile tugged her lips.

  Kumiko chuckled. “Yeah, I guess….”

  “Is this person someone important to you?”

 “Yeah,” Kumiko said, “she’s an important…friend.” Kumiko forced the word out, and ignored the way her heart winced in her chest.

  “Your eyes say otherwise.”

  Kumiko’s ears were suddenly ablaze, the shame of lying to Gram consuming Kumiko’s face in a red blush. “U-uh—w-well—”

  “You’re still the same to me, Kumiko-chan.” Gram said with a growing smile. “Love has no boundaries. Never be ashamed of loving another person, regardless of who they are.”

  Kumiko’s lips pulled into a crooked smile. “Thanks, Gram.”

  Gram’s smile turned into a grin as she chuckled. “Anytime. Ah, before you go, I have something for you.” Kumiko watched as Gram shuffled off into the back of her office, rustling about, until she returned with a Tupperware container full of food.

  Kumiko’s stomach growled when she saw the chicken katsu and rice inside.

  “Thanks,” Kumiko said as she reached out for the food. She could feel the slight warmth of the rice tickling her fingertips as she held it. “You know, you don’t have to do this, though.”

  Gram shook her head. “It’s fine. I want to do this. I love cooking because it reminds me of Hideo-san. I would always cook for him whenever I had the chance.”

  Kumiko’s heart ached when she saw Gram’s shining eyes drift towards Hideo-san’s picture, a nostalgic smile on her face.

  Her love never ends for him, Something whispered. Maybe she’s right. Maybe love does stay.

  The thought left warm feeling in her chest.

  “Thanks, Gram,” Kumiko said quietly.

  Gram looked up at Kumiko. The beads of tears that were collecting in her eyes sparkled in the light, and in that moment, Kumiko thought that Gram looked like the beautiful young woman in the picture.

  “Enjoy the food,” Gram said, the smallest of smiles tugging on her lips.

  -X-

  you remember

the first meal you cooked

together

  she was home

  alone

  “no one’s here?” you asked

“yeah, but it’s okay,” she said

as if it was normal for her to be

  alone

  you tried not to let that bother you

as the both of you prepared dinner

together

  the drone of the tv playing,

the clatter of cutlery,

the ruckus of pots and pans,

the sizzle of the meat,

all of that was just background noise to you because you focused on

  how she looked

how she laughed

how she spoke

because it was moments like these, you realized

that she looked genuinely happy,

and sparkled in the moonlight

like an angel

flung out of space

  you prepared the food

together

you set the table

together

you ate

together

laughed

together

you spoke

together

you were happy

together

  “the food tastes amazing,” she said

  “yeah,” you said, “it does.”

  but in the back of your mind

you wondered

how often she ate her meals

  alone

  and how bland they tasted

whenever she ate

  alone

  because people always say

meals taste better when eaten

together

[mossheartlesbian]

I've never written anything before but this whole scenario *would not* leave my head so here is my very first fanfic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24208741

[ryqoshay]

Have you read/watched the Kase-san series? It's absolutely fucking adorable

Who the what now?

I had to google that one, and I will admit that the art style is appealing, so I will add it to my list. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of Love Live entering - and mostly taking over, particularly via NicoMaki and YohaRiko - my life is that other anime and manga have fallen by the wayside.

Kiniro Mosaic managed to ping hard enough on my radar that I actually watched it, despite being in the middle of X rewatch of LL. Sakura Trick was recommended by a friend, but only made it to my to-watch list as I was busy delving into fanfic for more LL content. I saw clips of Wake Up, Girls! in AMV’s, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’m not honestly sure how No Game No Life manged to break my attention away from LL long enough for me to watch it, especially since it aired alongside the second season, but I’ve yet to look into 0, which I believe has since been released. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun looked too cute to pass up, so I managed to watch that and Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu had twintail in the title and looked tongue-in-cheek enough that I had to see it as well. And I believe Gakkou Gurashi! may have been the last anime I watched as it came out as my obsession with SIF was getting stronger by this point.

I know there was a second season of Kinmoze as well as a new animated adaptation of a Rumiko Takahashi work. And Yoshitsugu Matsuoka voiced the protag of Food Wars and thus made it worthy of my attention. Friends have recommended Hibike! Euphonium and I’ve seen it in AMVs, but still haven’t watched it. I started watching Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon, and it was adorable, but for some reason I didn’t finish; probably SIF. I only skimmed BanG Dream for background info on the game, which I’ve since stopped playing to make more time for SIF; more specifically SIFAS. Same goes for Revue Starlight. Further skimming through the archives of AniChart reveals absolutely nothing else that I remember even noticing.

I think LL may have ruined my anime watching habits...