The Broken Music Box and Ice Doll Part 3
Title: The Broken Music Box and Ice Doll
Author: akinoyama
Pairings: YabuHika, HikaKei
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Nothing
Summary: Yabu found an old music box. He never thought it would lead him to the one he always cared about.
Warning: Terrible English and coherence. AU, Hikaru is a girl ^_^
A/N: It’s one story in ‘Salad Days’ by Inokuma Shinobu. Therefore, the plot is belong to him. I only made it as JUMP fanfiction.
Part 1 Part 2
An old music box was the last present Kei gave to his girlfriend, Yaotome Hikaru. But, the accident one year ago took Kei away from Hikaru forever…. And from that day… she never smiled again. Yabu who had crush on Hikaru tried to bring the smile he longed for by his own hands.
“Now… I more convince…. That she’s really beautiful if she smiles…” Yabu thought. “Hikaru-chan!” he called. “Hey… I’m sorry for yesterday.” He friendly smiled at her after she turned to face him.
“Yabu-san…” Hikaru coldly replied.
The boy tried to be friend with her. “Ah… just call me Kouta.”
“You’ve thrown the music box away… Yabu-san?” Hikaru asked, still with the cold expression. She seemed to have a thought; the connection between her and Yabu was only the music box, nothing more.
“Of course!” Yabu lied, smiling, though.
“Thanks. Bye!” Hikaru ended their conversation and walked away.
“Hikaru-chan, chotto matte.” Yabu called again.
Hikaru stopped her tracks, turning back and looked irritated. “Yabu-san, please keep your distance from me. Call me Yaotome!” She strictly said. “We’re even not friends, so don’t directly call my name!” Having said that, she walked away, not caring whether Yabu would hurt or not.
Yabu was clearly beaten up. “Cih! I won’t that so easily give up!”
***
“Ahh…” Yabu sighed in front of his table. “It still can’t produce the sound… I’ve tried all the way and it’s still won’t work…” He in frustration stared at the music box. “What’s actually wrong with this thing? Is it totally broken?” He looked at the clock and widened his eyes. “Oh My God! It’s already dawn???… It’s already my third day I don’t sleep to repair this music box…”
Yabu then remembered what Hikaru ever told him. “I already threw it away at the river bank… but you gave it back to me?”
“Why does she have to throw the last present from her late boyfriend away?” He wondered again, trying to find the answer for his curiosity. “She maybe wants to forget the past and start a new beginning. I maybe really made her irritate since I picked up this music box again…” He sighed. “But… there’s feeling that forces me to repair this… it’s a must! By the way, Hikaru said this music box she bought at an antique shop in Moriyama…”
After school, Yabu made his way to the Moriyama. He planned to find the shop where Kei and Hikaru bought the music box. He really wanted to know what actually wrong with it is.
“Oh I remember this. I sold it about one year ago. It’s already broken.” The man who owned of an antique shop said after he examined the music box Yabu brought.
“Eh… for real?” Yabu widened his eyes. Happiness was clearly written on his face. He already wandering for two hours and entered five antique shops.
The man nodded, convincing his customer. “Yes. I sold it to a sweet high school couple.”
“How can you remember the customer who came one year ago?” Yabu amazed.
“Because they’re impressed customers for me, mainly the boy.” The older man replied.
Yabu clearly had no any clues. “Eh?”
“After 2-3 days since he bought this music box, he came back alone, asking me to modify it.” He explained why the boy was special customer to him.
“Modify?” Yabu sounded wanted to know more.
“Well…” The owner showed Yabu something about the music box.
***
“Hikaru! Hikaru! Hey, Hikaru!” Yabu called Hikaru for many times until she stopped and faced him. He also brought along the music box.
“What?! I’ve told you, don’t ever disturb me again.” Hikaru warned as cold as ever.
“Matte…” Yabu grabbed Hikaru’s hand as she turned away, wanting to walk away from him. “It’s an urgent… this one!” Yabu showed the music box. “Its mechanism is really great, you know! Like this…” Yabu started to show the secret of the music box but Hikaru did not want it.
“Why does the box still in your hand?” She asked.
“Heh?”
“You said you’ve already thrown it away, didn’t you?” Hikaru sighed. “So… you lied?!” She angrily shouted.
“Ah… Sorry, but I…” Yabu tried to defend himself.
Hikaru cut Yabu off again. “What’s other reason, Huh? You said your father ran an antique shop… if you actually want it, just take it! Take it, and don’t ever again show yourself in front of me! I don’t want to see your face, or that music box ever again! It’s clear, isn’t it? I go! Bye!”
“Matte… Hikaru! I…” Yabu felt something wrong on himself. He felt dizzy. “Hika…ru…”
BRUK!
“Eh?” Hikaru turned back as she heard something fell behind her. “Hey! Don’t joke on me! Yabu! Yabu!” Hikaru desperately called. She’s panic seeing someone laying down on the floor, unmoving. “Oh My God! Help! Help! Someone is passed out!” Hikaru cried for help.
“Akh… my body can’t move any longer… I’ve no sleep for four days… I can’t stand it…” Yabu inwardly said before his gaze and mind turned black.
***
A taxi stopped by in front of an antique shop. The driver then opened the door and helped an unconscious boy, followed by a girl who helped him as well.
“Kou-chan!!!” Yabu’s mother exclaimed when she recognized the unconscious boy was none other than her son. “What happened to you, dear?” She asked approaching them.
“He fainted at school at the break. Doctor said he’s alright, just need a rest.” Hikaru explained briefly to the upset mother.
“You?”
Hikaru then introduced herself. “I’m Yaotome, his school mate.”
“Thank you very much for both of you.” She bowed her head a bit and took her son on her arms. The driver also excused himself afterwards. “Ah… I’m sorry Yaotome-chan, my son surely gave you trouble for this.” She apologetically smiled.
“Ah… so-sore…”
“Kouta?” A voice in sudden could be heard behind Yabu’s mother.
“Honey!”
“What happened to him?” He asked in concern eyes his son.
“He’s fainted. I think he just force himself too much lately.”
“Well… you’re right. Let me take him to his room.” Yabu’s father took his son to his room, leaving his wife and his son’s friend behind.
“Just sit down, Yaotome-chan. I’ll make a drink for you.”
“Ah… it’s no need.” Hikaru refused.
“It’s okay. Just think it’s my way to say thank you for helping my son.” She smiled and walked to the kitchen.
Hikaru sighed and sat down on the couch. She actually wanted to leave right after sending Yabu home without have to sit down and drink but she seemed to not able to do it. She then pulled out the music box from her bag and placed it on the table, blankly staring at it.
“That music box…” The call fromYabu’s father startled Hikaru a bit. “That kid is really stubborn after deciding something.” He continued as he placed himself on the couch in front of Hikaru.
Hikaru tilted her head and frowned, showing she did not catch Yabu’s father intention.
“He has spent his days for repairing this music box.” He said and took the music box. “He even did not sleep for four days to make this music box voice again.”
“Like father… like son…” Yabu’s mother added as she came to the room and brought a glass of orange juice then placed it in front of Hikaru. “His love to the antique is alike you, honey.”
“Well… he’s my successor after all.” Yabu’s father said, smiling.
“Can I wait until Yabu wake up?” Hikaru in sudden said meanwhile her eyes kept locking at the music box. She actually surprised she could let out that request. She was just so curious with the reason why Yabu looked so interested in her music box.
“Sure. You can wait in his room.” Yabu’s mother replied.
“Ah… please bring this to his room. I’m sure he’ll look for it when he wakes up.” Yabu’s father added and handed it to Hikaru.
****
“Ah… how comfortable the bed is…” Yabu murmured in his sleep. “I’m really such a fool, nee… but I… still… want to see her smiles.” He slowly opened his eyes and sat up. “EH… Huh??? Huh??? Huh???” Yabu darted his eyes to every corner of the room. “My room???”
“You made me almost got a heart attack, you know!?” An angry voice made Yabu almost jumped.
“Hi… Hikaru-chan?!” Yabu flustered, seeing his crush sat on the chair near him.
“I even was asked to send you home by our school doctor. What a troublesome!” Hikaru rolled her eyes, complaining. “I heard from your family as well. They said you did not sleep just for repairing the music box. You’re stupid. Really dumb!” She suddenly sounded sad. “Just for that thing…”
“Hikaru, why do you have to throw it away?” Yabu asked.
Hikaru looked a bit uneasy after Yabu said the question. She stared at the thing on the table they were talking about. “I have to… because it only reminds me with a bitter memory.” She replied sadly and bitterly. “My boyfriend bought it as a present for me. We saw it at an antique shop, and I loved it at the very first sight. But… few days later… we fought…” She reached out her hand and took the broken music box in her hand. “And I gave it back to him right away… I never knew… I won’t see him anymore… He has passed away…” She looked down until Yabu only could see the bangs covered her eyes. Yabu felt sorry to her.
“At his funeral… his family gave the music box back to me… but… every time I think about it, what I remember is simply our last fight. What comes to my mind only his angry face… I can’t maintain… therefore… I wish… I wish… I was given a chance to make it right… to be able to see his smile once more…” Hikaru could not hold back the tears. She would cry every time she remembered Kei.
Yabu smiled. “I’m sure, he feels the same way too.” He said in a very shooting tone as if he could understand Hikaru’s pain.
“Huh?” Hikaru looked up, revealing her puffy-wet eyes and trails of tears on her cheeks.
“Give me the music box.” Yabu gently asked. He opened it and kind of did something with it.
Hikaru widened her eyes in surprised as a nice good sound filled Yabu’s room. “The music box… can produce a sound? You repaired it?”
Yabu shook his head. “Nope… he purposely modified it.”
“Eh?” Hikaru was surprised. She clearly had no knowledge about the modification.
Yabu moved the box closer to Hikaru. “Here… take a look. Over here is slipped a tool that right away let out a sound when it’s touched by the light. This tool is purposely made complete with the saving box.” He opened the saving box. “When you open it, the music immediately starts. It’s a perfect modification, I did not realise until the modifier explained it to me. And… in the saving box, there’s your photograph who is smiling.” Yabu showed Hikaru her own photograph. “Doesn’t it mean he wants you to always smile?” He placed the music box on Hikaru’s hand.
Hikaru only silent for awhile, listening to the played music and her tears began rolling down again. “This song… ‘Gymnopety’ by Eric Saty… it’s my favourite song… the song which we heard when we became a couple… and then… it’s also the song to make us forgive each other after fighting… Kei is stupid… why does he have to bother himself to do all of this for me.” She covered her face by her free hand, wiping her tears. “Kei…”
“Kei’s last wish is… you always smile… Hikaru.” Yabu straightly looked Hikaru in the eyes. He wanted to convince Hikaru, she still had a reason to smile again.
Hikaru stared back at Yabu in his eyes as well. She tried to register what he just said. Not long after… she pursed her lips and widened it to both side. She granted Kei and Yabu’s wish for smiling.
“As I thought… she’s surely very beautiful when smiling…” Yabu inwardly commented, smiling back at her. Although Hikaru’s tears were still on her eyes, she still looked beautiful on his eyes. “I’m a successor of antique shop. My job is to showing the loveliness of old things to the owners.”
“Hikaru… can you lend me the music box for a little longer?” Yabu stretched out his hand to Hikaru.
“Eh? Sure… what for?” Hikaru asked in much friendly voice as she handed the music box to Yabu.
“I’ll repair it until it’s really good!” He replied.
“Huh? Is it already good?” She asked back.
The unmoving time for Yaotome Hikaru slowly moved on… and Yabu Kouta promised… someday… he would be the reason for Hikaru to smile. He would always protect her smile.
END