[kinki kids] sonata (staccato)
Title: sonata (cantabile) movement III: staccato
Pairing/Group: Kinki Kids minor MA, TOKIO, Tackey&Tsubasa
Rating: G
Warnings: Familiarity with the Nodame Cantabile canon is advised but not neccessary.
Notes: See also: honeyswallow's Life is Pop and my sentence set.
Summary: Into every life, a little rain must fall.
.development (staccato)
detached; play notes short and distinctly seperate, abrupt and agitated
"Hey," Koichi says, crouched down next to Tsuyoshi half sprawled across the low table. His hand hovers a hair's breadth away from Tsuyoshi's cheek, close enough that he can feel his body heat. "Hey, are you happy? Are you happy here?"
They stand balanced on the balcony rails - Koichi's hand warm in his, surprisingly strong and solid; his fingers are long, the nails rough and jagged. The wind is cold and Koichi's hair long enough that it brushes his cheek. The streets unfurl before them and in the distance, he can see the school's clocktower.
"Can you be happy?" Koichi lets his hand go and steps forward.
*
Tsuyoshi wakes up shaking. The sheets tangle around him, sweaty and damp; his heart thumps loud in his ears and his hands shake tipping out his pills.
They spill out in a brightly coloured handful against his white sheets. He takes two. Only two.
He goes back to sleep and dreams of falling like flying and the curve of a smile, sharp enough to cut.
*
"Come back here and let me brush your hair!" Tsuyoshi twitched in agitation, fingers itching at the sight of Koichi's cowlick.
"I have to go to class or else we're going to be late," Koichi said with hugely guileless eyes. "Maybe later?"
"I'm going to burn your wardrobe," Tsuyoshi threatened helplessly. "Why can't you dress yourself?"
Koichi just laughed and waving, turned to dash up the stairs to his morning class.
*
"Ahhhh," Yone said, leaning out of the first floor window with deliberately wide eyes. "It's a walking contrabass. Must be haunted."
"Haunted," Machida echoed solemnly, leaning out right next to him.
Staggering a little beneath the size and weight of his instrument, Yara carefully braced it against one of his shoulders and made a rude gesture in their direction.
*
"Tsuyoshi-nii!"
Tsuyoshi turned at the sound of his name, a small smile spreading on his face. "Tsubasa. I haven't seen you in a while now."
"I know," Tsubasa said, wrinkling his nose. He'd skittered to a stop just in front of Tsuyoshi, smiling wide enough to hurt. "They've assigned me to about three separate orchestras because they don't have enough percussionists."
"Your pain, it's so full of pride," Tsuyoshi said dryly. "Isn't that good for you?"
"So busy," Tsubasa stressed sadly, but laughed. "I'm surprised to see you still around, though. I heard a student was going to Europe on a scholarship to study and thought for sure that-"
Tsuyoshi shrugged. "It's a conducting student."
"But, Tsuyoshi-nii," Tsubasa said with the beginnings of a frown. "Aren't you-?"
"I've been busy with my piano juries." The tone of Tsuyoshi's voice made it clear that there was nothing to be discussed.
"Oh," Tsubasa said softly, eyes wide and a little distressed. "I guess I've been out of the loop."
Tsuyoshi stopped and reached out a hand to poke Tsubasa in the shoulder. "But not too busy for you," he said, a touch reproachfully. "We should have dinner sometime and catch up. How's that boy of yours?"
"Hide-kun?" Tsubasa beamed. "He's well and... I'll cook dinner for us tonight, is that okay? Are you busy tonight? I can tell you all about him." He paused guiltily then peered up with a sheepish grin. "And, you can tell me what you've been up to?"
"Sounds..." Tsuyoshi paused delicately, a mocking arch to his eyebrows. "... Like a plan. Tonight?"
"Tonight!"
*
For something always underfoot, Koichi was surprisingly hard to find at times. It wasn't as if the school was very big but Koichi was nowhere to be found, even in his usual haunts.
(Tsuyoshi had contemplated recruiting Koichi's quartet again, since they had an uncanny ability to find their erstwhile fifth, likely due to an implanted tracking device but sanity had prevailed.
He'd just have to implant one himself.)
Slightly annoyed, Tsuyoshi gave up and sent an email instead. He'd learned by now that Koichi rarely had his phone on him, let alone answered it, but with the recent piano juries they hadn't had much time to sit down and talk.
A minute later his phone buzzed in reply. Tsuyoshi quickly flipped it open and rolled his eyes.
The folded letter in his bag felt as heavy as a brick.
from: 244.endlicheri.x@softbank.ne.jp
out for dinner tonight
remember to feed yourself
from: doko.ni.kou-chan@softbank.ne.jp
ok.
*
"What happened?" Koichi leaned an elbow companionably against Machida's shoulder, peering with concern at Takizawa huddled miserably in the break room.
Machida squeaked.
"Imai cockblocked him again," Yara answered instead. His chin was propped up on his folded hands, looking entirely bored with this progression of events. "He'll get over it."
"Isn't that a bit heartless?"
"They're in my year, they've been doing this since they met." Yara rolled his eyes. "Takizawa'll be harassing him again in no time."
"Your concern for your fellow man is so touching," Yone said, deliberately wide eyed and breathy. Yara looked disturbed.
Akiyama laughed uncomfortably. "Well they-"
"More importantly," Yara interrupted flatly. "There was some freak watching us practice. Some pervert freak. I heard he's been peeping at everyone."
"With absolutely no discrimination," Yone grinned, nodding towards Yara and Akiyama. "Funny taste."
"Pervert. Freak," Yara repeated. "The girls are all screaming about it."
"He's been wandering around the school," Akiyama added, a touch concerned and ignoring Yara completely. "You have to be careful. All the girls are in danger."
Yone coughed unconvincingly into his hand. "Girls."
Koichi brightened. "Wait, I think I know! Was he about this tall with eyes like this?" He held his own open exaggeratedly wide with his fingers and looked at the others expectantly.
"You saw him?" Yara, vaguely threatening.
"He was looking at you?" Yone, distinctly amused.
"He was looking at you!" Machida chimed in, distressed.
"No," Koichi laughed dismissively. "He asked me for directions."
Yone and Yara exchanged a look. Clearly, that was the sign of a madman pervert given that everyone knew Koichi barely knew where he was himself half the time, let alone how to give coherent directions.
"Koichi-kun!" Akiyama bellowed and rushed Koichi for a bear hug. Koichi neatly sidestepped to dodge behind Yara, who moved away with a noise of abject disgust. "You have to be more careful! There are Bad People out there."
"Bad people," Machida echoed guiltily, quietly withdrawing his hand from where it was only millimetres from Koichi's shoulder, hesitating to deliver a reassuring pat.
"And bad touches," Yara said direly.
Machida was devastated. Yone patted him on the shoulder instead.
"Maa," Koichi smiled benevolently. "I'm sure it's not that bad."
"You'll be kidnapped!" Machida said with the utmost distress.
"And not even by us," Yone grinned, sotto voice.
Yara rolled his eyes hugely. "Stranger danger, Koichi-san."
"Whatever you say," Koichi said agreeably, clearly not having learnt his lesson about strangers following him the first time.
"Maybe one of us should walk you to class and stuff," Akiyama said doubtfully. "And home and to and from school."
"Anything except that!"
*
"Koichi-kun," an already familiar voice called out.
Koichi turned around and made a warding X with his arms. "I don't think I'm allowed to talk to you on my own."
Naka〇 cackled. "I'm not seeing anyone stopping you."
"They'll know," Koichi said direly, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile then frowned as a sudden thought struck him. "Nakamaru-san, have you been sneaking into the school?"
"...You gave me directions on how to get there," Naka〇 pointed out wryly.
Koichi stopped. The seconds ticked by as he thought this over, pulling his mouth into a straight, serious line. Another beat. "You wanted to talk to me?"
"Just in the neighbourhood," Naka〇 rolled his eyes dramatically and reached up to smack the back of Koichi's head. "You'll have a meal with me, right?"
"Well..." Koichi said, wincing.
"Right," Naka〇 said cheerfully, slinging an arm around Koichi's shoulders. "Your treat."
"Eeeh?" Koichi said. "But I don't have any money!"
"I'm sure you'll think of something."
*
The gentle strains of violin music wound its way out of practice room two, late after normal classes had finished so that the only people on campus were a few stragglers or taking the rare quiet moment to practice. Yone, head cocked to one side, followed the sound - the lightning fast passages, an odd quirk of expression, each note as distinctive as the person playing it.
"Hey," he grinned, poking his head through the door- and the music screeched to a dramatic halt, one long jarring offkey note. Machida dropped his bow with suddenly nerveless fingers, clattering loudly on the floor.
"Your face," Machida wailed and Yone rolled his eyes.
"Do you have to do this every time?" he asked patiently, walking into the room to pick up Machida's discarded bow to hold hostage.
"Your upwards gaze is terrifying," Machida protested and dodged, smiling, when Yone swiped at him.
*
"Did you hear that some famous conductor is coming to teach at our school?" Tsubasa said, sliding a plate in front of Tsuyoshi with a flourish. "Word is he starts tomorrow."
Tsuyoshi's mouth twisted. "Why would someone want to come here?"
"On vacation maybe?" Tsubasa chirped brightly. He sat down opposite Tsuyoshi, uncaring of the fact that the lit candle on the table and the snow white tablecloth made it look a little more than a casual dinner between friends. "But it'll be good to work with him. I heard it's that world famous guy, Nakai Masahiro."
"Someone like him definitely wouldn't come to a backwater school like ours," Tsuyoshi said with a disdainful arch of his eyebrows, ignoring the sudden skip of his heart. "The rumour mill has to be wrong this time."
Tsubasa shrugged and picked up his wineglass. "Well, I did hear you got married to that strange second year piano student and you're now living together, so I guess."
"No, that one's true."
The wine stains would be hell to get out, Tsuyoshi thought idly, putting his plate down from whisking it out of the way of harm. Tsubasa spluttered a bit more.
"Or, semi-true," Tsuyoshi continued mildly. "My neighbour and I have the same piano teacher these days."
"Tsu-Tsuyoshi-nii!" Tsubasa protested. "That's not funny!"
Tsuyoshi smiled blandly. "Isn't it?"
"Well," Tsubasa said, trying to compose himself. "Someone like that really shouldn't be the type that-"
"He's not bad once you get used to him," Tsuyoshi said, deceptively calm. "I quite like him."
"Tsuyoshi-nii! People are going to misunderstand if you talk like that," Tsubasa protested nervously.
Tsuyoshi just smiled. "I thought you were going to tell me about what's been happening to you, not interrogate me."
"Oh!" Tsubasa said. "Well, you know Hide-kun."
"Finally decided to give him a break?" Tsuyoshi asked archly.
Tsubasa laughed guiltily. "Or something like that."
*
"Sooo, what're you cooking?" Naka〇 peered over Koichi's shoulder, supremely bright eyed and interested.
Koichi pursed his mouth in concentration, carefully peeling the piece of ginger with an over-sized knife. "Ginger pork."
"Really?" Naka〇 leaned companionably against Koichi's elbow, uncaring that he was in the way. "Is it hard?"
Koichi shook his head. "I can't really cook much-"
"So why didn't you just buy me dinner?" Naka〇 interrupted.
"But I can cook this," Koichi barralled on determinedly. "It's really simple."
Naka〇 poked at the collection of bottles, opening this and shifting that. "What's the secret ingredient?"
"Hmmm?" Koichi scanned through the ingredients, thinking hard. He bit his lip. "Um... ginger!"
"That's not a secret."
*
"I'm back," Tsuyoshi said blandly, letting himself into Koichi's apartment. He paused suddenly in the act of toeing off his shoes, sniffing the air. ... Food?
"Welcome back," an unfamiliar voice said with a cackle.
Slowly, Tsuyoshi readjusted his gaze down to the kotatsu. A man was sitting there - short, tanned, large gleeful eyes and a funny hat. Not that Tsuyoshi had any right to talk about funny hats - he absently touched the brim of his own, brushing the arrangement of cloth embellishments.
"You're rather flashy, aren't you?" the stranger said, sounding amused.
Tsuyoshi's eyebrow twitched. "Must be my Kansai roots."
"Tsuyoshi," Koichi smiled, coming out of the kitchen. He wiped his hands on a dishcloth, glancing between his house-guests.
"Koichi-san," Tsuyoshi said patiently.
"Welcome back?"
"You have a guest."
"Two, now you're here," Koichi said, sliding his eyes away guiltily. "I even cooked."
"Congratulations," Tsuyoshi said dryly. "Any introductions?"
"This is Nakama-"
"Nakajima," the other man said, grinning a touch maniacally. "Or was that Nakayuma? Sometimes, I forget. I'm an old man, you know."
"He was at the school earlier today," Koichi explained, apparently undisturbed.
"He doesn't know his name," Tsuyoshi said calmly.
"Senility is a sad thing," Naka-whatever explained cheerfully.
"I need to talk to you, Koichi-san," Tsuyoshi said, still deadpan. He neatly placed his shoes and found his house slippers, controlled and collected. There was a thin calico tote bag dangling from one hand, a bento box outlined.
"Sure?" Koichi said helplessly and followed Tsuyoshi into the kitchen, towed by his caught sleeve.
"So about this house-guest," Tsuyoshi began in a furious whisper once they were as far away - about two metres from the door in the restricted space - as the could be. "How do you know him exactly?"
"He asked me for directions?"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to speak to strangers?"
"Sure they have," Koichi squeaked indignantly. "Today, even!"
"It didn't work." Tsuyoshi rolled his eyes and held out the bento box expectantly. Automatically, Koichi took it.
"What's this?"
"Leftovers from dinner," Tsuyoshi said, looking at a fixed point on the wall. "So you don't starve."
"Oh." Koichi's smile was wide and soft; Tsuyoshi kept his mouth in a determined frown.
"Ahem."
Koichi and Tsuyoshi sprang back, Koichi stumbling into the stove and Tsuyoshi against the wall. They'd already been standing three paces apart and the narrow kitchen had little room to manoeuvre. Naka〇 grinned unrepentantly cheerful back at them and gave a little wave.
"Sorry to disturb you~!"
Tsuyoshi looked at him and absolutely did not grit his teeth. "Not at all."
*
It took about three seconds for Tsuyoshi to realise that leaving the stranger - emphasis on strange - alone in the other room was a tactical mistake.
There was an open photo album on the table.
An open photo album that Tsuyoshi distinctly recognised, given it was his own. He twitched and started across the room, prepared to - calmly, with great dignity - slam shut the book. A hand placed firmly flat on the page stopped him.
"This shrimp you?" Naka〇 asked casually. He pointed to a photo where a chubby boy - about eight, maybe ten - posed with a man. Both of them were smiling and making peace signs at the camera. "With the geezer?"
"Higashiyama-sensei," Tsuyoshi said through his teeth. "He's my conducting teacher."
Naka〇 paused. "You want to be a conductor?"
"Is there something wrong with that?" Tsuyoshi asked, mild as milk. He hand twitched on the photo album. Naka〇 stepped back with smile that showed a few too many teeth.
Koichi's nervous laughter broke the tense silence. "Maa, we should all eat, shouldn't we? Food is important."
Tsuyoshi looked at him. "Really."
"Very," Koichi insisted without the slightest hint of shame. "And I cooked."
"It was very good," Naka〇 said with huge sincere eyes. He grinned smugly at Tsuyoshi from behind Koichi's back. "Thanks for the meal."
"... Eh?" Koichi said.
Automatically, he turned to look at the low set table where dinner had been set out. The plates almost gleamed empty.
"So I should be heading off now," Naka〇 said, casually cheerful. "Koichi-kun, want to come along?"
"Eh?" Koichi repeated and looked towards Tsuyoshi.
"He's busy," Tsuyoshi said dismissively. "But please don't let us stop you."
"Koichi-kun~?" Naka〇 sang out.
"I haven't had dinner," Koichi said guiltily. "I'm going to um. Ummm."
"Sit down and eat?" Tsuyoshi suggested.
"Come with me?" Naka〇 said, with a manic edged smile.
Koichi sat down fast. Tsuyoshi smiled. "See you later."
"Oh," Naka〇 crackled like a rusty hinge. "You can count on it."
*
Tsuyoshi dreams again that night, colours edged in sound and emotion, the red in Koichi's hair bleeding sweetness smudged on his fingertips. Koichi's hands are warm and calloused tugging them both onto the balcony, up onto the rail, and he laughs, silver grey, the notes brushing against Tsuyoshi's cheek.
"Are you happy?" Koichi asks and Tsuyoshi traces the curve of his lips. Chapped. "Can you be happy here?"
Tsuyoshi doesn't answer and Koichi, smile like a curl of cigarette smoke on the wind, lets his hand go and steps forward.
When Tsuyoshi looks down, there's nothing there.
*
"Tsuyo~" Nagase shouted, barrelling down the hallway like a small moving mountain. Students scattered before him. "I've got some fabulous news!"
Tsuyoshi raised an eyebrow. "Good morning."
"Yeah, that too," Nagase said dismissively and threw himself down on the plush bench opposite Tsuyoshi, who quickly whisked away the folded letter he'd been staring at.
Application to change majors, it said in his neatest print, careful angular letters. Koichi had left before he'd had a chance to talk to him about it, and gone in for an early class this morning. He'd even dressed himself. Probably.
"The school's got a new conducting teacher," Nagase continued blithely. "And they managed to get someone awesome. Man, I wonder how they got Nakai Masahiro here!"
".. Eh?" Tsuyoshi said and immediately smacked himself for picking up on Koichi's speech patterns, of all people. "That's not possible."
"I'm serious," Nagase insisted with an emphatic wave of his arms. "I heard he's a friend of the dean's or whatever, but he's-"
"Entirely too famous," Tsuyoshi said, trying not to think of how Nagase was only confirming what Tsubasa had said.
"He's in the staff room right now," Nagase said and bodily grabbed Tsuyoshi out of his chair. "Come on and see for yourself!"
*
"You want to make a new orchestra?" Uekusa repeated dubiously, looking slightly concerned.
Naka 〇i beamed his most cheerfully manic smile. "Yes, with the students I select so my very own."
"B-but you were hired to work with the A orchestra!"
"Of course I'll spend time with them too," Nakai said placating. "But I'd like another orchestra for my own enjoyment." There was an almost palpable aura of energy surrounding him. "I'm only here for a year so I'd like to teach as many students as I can."
"Ahhh," Uekusa said, echoed by the rest of his upper management team. "As expected of such a great maestro. We can certainly arran-"
"I've chosen all the students already." Nakai smiled blithely. "Please enlist all the students pictured here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a package of poloroids, spilling them across the table.
Uekusa cautiously reached over and picked one up. "... These people?!"
*
"He's a little different from what I expected," Nagase said in his version of hushed, peering in through the little window in the door. "But that's definitely Nakai Masahi- ... Tsuyo? Tsuyoshi? Hey, are you okay?"
Pairing/Group: Kinki Kids minor MA, TOKIO, Tackey&Tsubasa
Rating: G
Warnings: Familiarity with the Nodame Cantabile canon is advised but not neccessary.
Notes: See also: honeyswallow's Life is Pop and my sentence set.
Summary: Into every life, a little rain must fall.
.development (staccato)
detached; play notes short and distinctly seperate, abrupt and agitated
"Hey," Koichi says, crouched down next to Tsuyoshi half sprawled across the low table. His hand hovers a hair's breadth away from Tsuyoshi's cheek, close enough that he can feel his body heat. "Hey, are you happy? Are you happy here?"
They stand balanced on the balcony rails - Koichi's hand warm in his, surprisingly strong and solid; his fingers are long, the nails rough and jagged. The wind is cold and Koichi's hair long enough that it brushes his cheek. The streets unfurl before them and in the distance, he can see the school's clocktower.
"Can you be happy?" Koichi lets his hand go and steps forward.
*
Tsuyoshi wakes up shaking. The sheets tangle around him, sweaty and damp; his heart thumps loud in his ears and his hands shake tipping out his pills.
They spill out in a brightly coloured handful against his white sheets. He takes two. Only two.
He goes back to sleep and dreams of falling like flying and the curve of a smile, sharp enough to cut.
*
"Come back here and let me brush your hair!" Tsuyoshi twitched in agitation, fingers itching at the sight of Koichi's cowlick.
"I have to go to class or else we're going to be late," Koichi said with hugely guileless eyes. "Maybe later?"
"I'm going to burn your wardrobe," Tsuyoshi threatened helplessly. "Why can't you dress yourself?"
Koichi just laughed and waving, turned to dash up the stairs to his morning class.
*
"Ahhhh," Yone said, leaning out of the first floor window with deliberately wide eyes. "It's a walking contrabass. Must be haunted."
"Haunted," Machida echoed solemnly, leaning out right next to him.
Staggering a little beneath the size and weight of his instrument, Yara carefully braced it against one of his shoulders and made a rude gesture in their direction.
*
"Tsuyoshi-nii!"
Tsuyoshi turned at the sound of his name, a small smile spreading on his face. "Tsubasa. I haven't seen you in a while now."
"I know," Tsubasa said, wrinkling his nose. He'd skittered to a stop just in front of Tsuyoshi, smiling wide enough to hurt. "They've assigned me to about three separate orchestras because they don't have enough percussionists."
"Your pain, it's so full of pride," Tsuyoshi said dryly. "Isn't that good for you?"
"So busy," Tsubasa stressed sadly, but laughed. "I'm surprised to see you still around, though. I heard a student was going to Europe on a scholarship to study and thought for sure that-"
Tsuyoshi shrugged. "It's a conducting student."
"But, Tsuyoshi-nii," Tsubasa said with the beginnings of a frown. "Aren't you-?"
"I've been busy with my piano juries." The tone of Tsuyoshi's voice made it clear that there was nothing to be discussed.
"Oh," Tsubasa said softly, eyes wide and a little distressed. "I guess I've been out of the loop."
Tsuyoshi stopped and reached out a hand to poke Tsubasa in the shoulder. "But not too busy for you," he said, a touch reproachfully. "We should have dinner sometime and catch up. How's that boy of yours?"
"Hide-kun?" Tsubasa beamed. "He's well and... I'll cook dinner for us tonight, is that okay? Are you busy tonight? I can tell you all about him." He paused guiltily then peered up with a sheepish grin. "And, you can tell me what you've been up to?"
"Sounds..." Tsuyoshi paused delicately, a mocking arch to his eyebrows. "... Like a plan. Tonight?"
"Tonight!"
*
For something always underfoot, Koichi was surprisingly hard to find at times. It wasn't as if the school was very big but Koichi was nowhere to be found, even in his usual haunts.
(Tsuyoshi had contemplated recruiting Koichi's quartet again, since they had an uncanny ability to find their erstwhile fifth, likely due to an implanted tracking device but sanity had prevailed.
He'd just have to implant one himself.)
Slightly annoyed, Tsuyoshi gave up and sent an email instead. He'd learned by now that Koichi rarely had his phone on him, let alone answered it, but with the recent piano juries they hadn't had much time to sit down and talk.
A minute later his phone buzzed in reply. Tsuyoshi quickly flipped it open and rolled his eyes.
The folded letter in his bag felt as heavy as a brick.
from: 244.endlicheri.x@softbank.ne.jp
out for dinner tonight
remember to feed yourself
from: doko.ni.kou-chan@softbank.ne.jp
ok.
*
"What happened?" Koichi leaned an elbow companionably against Machida's shoulder, peering with concern at Takizawa huddled miserably in the break room.
Machida squeaked.
"Imai cockblocked him again," Yara answered instead. His chin was propped up on his folded hands, looking entirely bored with this progression of events. "He'll get over it."
"Isn't that a bit heartless?"
"They're in my year, they've been doing this since they met." Yara rolled his eyes. "Takizawa'll be harassing him again in no time."
"Your concern for your fellow man is so touching," Yone said, deliberately wide eyed and breathy. Yara looked disturbed.
Akiyama laughed uncomfortably. "Well they-"
"More importantly," Yara interrupted flatly. "There was some freak watching us practice. Some pervert freak. I heard he's been peeping at everyone."
"With absolutely no discrimination," Yone grinned, nodding towards Yara and Akiyama. "Funny taste."
"Pervert. Freak," Yara repeated. "The girls are all screaming about it."
"He's been wandering around the school," Akiyama added, a touch concerned and ignoring Yara completely. "You have to be careful. All the girls are in danger."
Yone coughed unconvincingly into his hand. "Girls."
Koichi brightened. "Wait, I think I know! Was he about this tall with eyes like this?" He held his own open exaggeratedly wide with his fingers and looked at the others expectantly.
"You saw him?" Yara, vaguely threatening.
"He was looking at you?" Yone, distinctly amused.
"He was looking at you!" Machida chimed in, distressed.
"No," Koichi laughed dismissively. "He asked me for directions."
Yone and Yara exchanged a look. Clearly, that was the sign of a madman pervert given that everyone knew Koichi barely knew where he was himself half the time, let alone how to give coherent directions.
"Koichi-kun!" Akiyama bellowed and rushed Koichi for a bear hug. Koichi neatly sidestepped to dodge behind Yara, who moved away with a noise of abject disgust. "You have to be more careful! There are Bad People out there."
"Bad people," Machida echoed guiltily, quietly withdrawing his hand from where it was only millimetres from Koichi's shoulder, hesitating to deliver a reassuring pat.
"And bad touches," Yara said direly.
Machida was devastated. Yone patted him on the shoulder instead.
"Maa," Koichi smiled benevolently. "I'm sure it's not that bad."
"You'll be kidnapped!" Machida said with the utmost distress.
"And not even by us," Yone grinned, sotto voice.
Yara rolled his eyes hugely. "Stranger danger, Koichi-san."
"Whatever you say," Koichi said agreeably, clearly not having learnt his lesson about strangers following him the first time.
"Maybe one of us should walk you to class and stuff," Akiyama said doubtfully. "And home and to and from school."
"Anything except that!"
*
"Koichi-kun," an already familiar voice called out.
Koichi turned around and made a warding X with his arms. "I don't think I'm allowed to talk to you on my own."
Naka〇 cackled. "I'm not seeing anyone stopping you."
"They'll know," Koichi said direly, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile then frowned as a sudden thought struck him. "Nakamaru-san, have you been sneaking into the school?"
"...You gave me directions on how to get there," Naka〇 pointed out wryly.
Koichi stopped. The seconds ticked by as he thought this over, pulling his mouth into a straight, serious line. Another beat. "You wanted to talk to me?"
"Just in the neighbourhood," Naka〇 rolled his eyes dramatically and reached up to smack the back of Koichi's head. "You'll have a meal with me, right?"
"Well..." Koichi said, wincing.
"Right," Naka〇 said cheerfully, slinging an arm around Koichi's shoulders. "Your treat."
"Eeeh?" Koichi said. "But I don't have any money!"
"I'm sure you'll think of something."
*
The gentle strains of violin music wound its way out of practice room two, late after normal classes had finished so that the only people on campus were a few stragglers or taking the rare quiet moment to practice. Yone, head cocked to one side, followed the sound - the lightning fast passages, an odd quirk of expression, each note as distinctive as the person playing it.
"Hey," he grinned, poking his head through the door- and the music screeched to a dramatic halt, one long jarring offkey note. Machida dropped his bow with suddenly nerveless fingers, clattering loudly on the floor.
"Your face," Machida wailed and Yone rolled his eyes.
"Do you have to do this every time?" he asked patiently, walking into the room to pick up Machida's discarded bow to hold hostage.
"Your upwards gaze is terrifying," Machida protested and dodged, smiling, when Yone swiped at him.
*
"Did you hear that some famous conductor is coming to teach at our school?" Tsubasa said, sliding a plate in front of Tsuyoshi with a flourish. "Word is he starts tomorrow."
Tsuyoshi's mouth twisted. "Why would someone want to come here?"
"On vacation maybe?" Tsubasa chirped brightly. He sat down opposite Tsuyoshi, uncaring of the fact that the lit candle on the table and the snow white tablecloth made it look a little more than a casual dinner between friends. "But it'll be good to work with him. I heard it's that world famous guy, Nakai Masahiro."
"Someone like him definitely wouldn't come to a backwater school like ours," Tsuyoshi said with a disdainful arch of his eyebrows, ignoring the sudden skip of his heart. "The rumour mill has to be wrong this time."
Tsubasa shrugged and picked up his wineglass. "Well, I did hear you got married to that strange second year piano student and you're now living together, so I guess."
"No, that one's true."
The wine stains would be hell to get out, Tsuyoshi thought idly, putting his plate down from whisking it out of the way of harm. Tsubasa spluttered a bit more.
"Or, semi-true," Tsuyoshi continued mildly. "My neighbour and I have the same piano teacher these days."
"Tsu-Tsuyoshi-nii!" Tsubasa protested. "That's not funny!"
Tsuyoshi smiled blandly. "Isn't it?"
"Well," Tsubasa said, trying to compose himself. "Someone like that really shouldn't be the type that-"
"He's not bad once you get used to him," Tsuyoshi said, deceptively calm. "I quite like him."
"Tsuyoshi-nii! People are going to misunderstand if you talk like that," Tsubasa protested nervously.
Tsuyoshi just smiled. "I thought you were going to tell me about what's been happening to you, not interrogate me."
"Oh!" Tsubasa said. "Well, you know Hide-kun."
"Finally decided to give him a break?" Tsuyoshi asked archly.
Tsubasa laughed guiltily. "Or something like that."
*
"Sooo, what're you cooking?" Naka〇 peered over Koichi's shoulder, supremely bright eyed and interested.
Koichi pursed his mouth in concentration, carefully peeling the piece of ginger with an over-sized knife. "Ginger pork."
"Really?" Naka〇 leaned companionably against Koichi's elbow, uncaring that he was in the way. "Is it hard?"
Koichi shook his head. "I can't really cook much-"
"So why didn't you just buy me dinner?" Naka〇 interrupted.
"But I can cook this," Koichi barralled on determinedly. "It's really simple."
Naka〇 poked at the collection of bottles, opening this and shifting that. "What's the secret ingredient?"
"Hmmm?" Koichi scanned through the ingredients, thinking hard. He bit his lip. "Um... ginger!"
"That's not a secret."
*
"I'm back," Tsuyoshi said blandly, letting himself into Koichi's apartment. He paused suddenly in the act of toeing off his shoes, sniffing the air. ... Food?
"Welcome back," an unfamiliar voice said with a cackle.
Slowly, Tsuyoshi readjusted his gaze down to the kotatsu. A man was sitting there - short, tanned, large gleeful eyes and a funny hat. Not that Tsuyoshi had any right to talk about funny hats - he absently touched the brim of his own, brushing the arrangement of cloth embellishments.
"You're rather flashy, aren't you?" the stranger said, sounding amused.
Tsuyoshi's eyebrow twitched. "Must be my Kansai roots."
"Tsuyoshi," Koichi smiled, coming out of the kitchen. He wiped his hands on a dishcloth, glancing between his house-guests.
"Koichi-san," Tsuyoshi said patiently.
"Welcome back?"
"You have a guest."
"Two, now you're here," Koichi said, sliding his eyes away guiltily. "I even cooked."
"Congratulations," Tsuyoshi said dryly. "Any introductions?"
"This is Nakama-"
"Nakajima," the other man said, grinning a touch maniacally. "Or was that Nakayuma? Sometimes, I forget. I'm an old man, you know."
"He was at the school earlier today," Koichi explained, apparently undisturbed.
"He doesn't know his name," Tsuyoshi said calmly.
"Senility is a sad thing," Naka-whatever explained cheerfully.
"I need to talk to you, Koichi-san," Tsuyoshi said, still deadpan. He neatly placed his shoes and found his house slippers, controlled and collected. There was a thin calico tote bag dangling from one hand, a bento box outlined.
"Sure?" Koichi said helplessly and followed Tsuyoshi into the kitchen, towed by his caught sleeve.
"So about this house-guest," Tsuyoshi began in a furious whisper once they were as far away - about two metres from the door in the restricted space - as the could be. "How do you know him exactly?"
"He asked me for directions?"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to speak to strangers?"
"Sure they have," Koichi squeaked indignantly. "Today, even!"
"It didn't work." Tsuyoshi rolled his eyes and held out the bento box expectantly. Automatically, Koichi took it.
"What's this?"
"Leftovers from dinner," Tsuyoshi said, looking at a fixed point on the wall. "So you don't starve."
"Oh." Koichi's smile was wide and soft; Tsuyoshi kept his mouth in a determined frown.
"Ahem."
Koichi and Tsuyoshi sprang back, Koichi stumbling into the stove and Tsuyoshi against the wall. They'd already been standing three paces apart and the narrow kitchen had little room to manoeuvre. Naka〇 grinned unrepentantly cheerful back at them and gave a little wave.
"Sorry to disturb you~!"
Tsuyoshi looked at him and absolutely did not grit his teeth. "Not at all."
*
It took about three seconds for Tsuyoshi to realise that leaving the stranger - emphasis on strange - alone in the other room was a tactical mistake.
There was an open photo album on the table.
An open photo album that Tsuyoshi distinctly recognised, given it was his own. He twitched and started across the room, prepared to - calmly, with great dignity - slam shut the book. A hand placed firmly flat on the page stopped him.
"This shrimp you?" Naka〇 asked casually. He pointed to a photo where a chubby boy - about eight, maybe ten - posed with a man. Both of them were smiling and making peace signs at the camera. "With the geezer?"
"Higashiyama-sensei," Tsuyoshi said through his teeth. "He's my conducting teacher."
Naka〇 paused. "You want to be a conductor?"
"Is there something wrong with that?" Tsuyoshi asked, mild as milk. He hand twitched on the photo album. Naka〇 stepped back with smile that showed a few too many teeth.
Koichi's nervous laughter broke the tense silence. "Maa, we should all eat, shouldn't we? Food is important."
Tsuyoshi looked at him. "Really."
"Very," Koichi insisted without the slightest hint of shame. "And I cooked."
"It was very good," Naka〇 said with huge sincere eyes. He grinned smugly at Tsuyoshi from behind Koichi's back. "Thanks for the meal."
"... Eh?" Koichi said.
Automatically, he turned to look at the low set table where dinner had been set out. The plates almost gleamed empty.
"So I should be heading off now," Naka〇 said, casually cheerful. "Koichi-kun, want to come along?"
"Eh?" Koichi repeated and looked towards Tsuyoshi.
"He's busy," Tsuyoshi said dismissively. "But please don't let us stop you."
"Koichi-kun~?" Naka〇 sang out.
"I haven't had dinner," Koichi said guiltily. "I'm going to um. Ummm."
"Sit down and eat?" Tsuyoshi suggested.
"Come with me?" Naka〇 said, with a manic edged smile.
Koichi sat down fast. Tsuyoshi smiled. "See you later."
"Oh," Naka〇 crackled like a rusty hinge. "You can count on it."
*
Tsuyoshi dreams again that night, colours edged in sound and emotion, the red in Koichi's hair bleeding sweetness smudged on his fingertips. Koichi's hands are warm and calloused tugging them both onto the balcony, up onto the rail, and he laughs, silver grey, the notes brushing against Tsuyoshi's cheek.
"Are you happy?" Koichi asks and Tsuyoshi traces the curve of his lips. Chapped. "Can you be happy here?"
Tsuyoshi doesn't answer and Koichi, smile like a curl of cigarette smoke on the wind, lets his hand go and steps forward.
When Tsuyoshi looks down, there's nothing there.
*
"Tsuyo~" Nagase shouted, barrelling down the hallway like a small moving mountain. Students scattered before him. "I've got some fabulous news!"
Tsuyoshi raised an eyebrow. "Good morning."
"Yeah, that too," Nagase said dismissively and threw himself down on the plush bench opposite Tsuyoshi, who quickly whisked away the folded letter he'd been staring at.
Application to change majors, it said in his neatest print, careful angular letters. Koichi had left before he'd had a chance to talk to him about it, and gone in for an early class this morning. He'd even dressed himself. Probably.
"The school's got a new conducting teacher," Nagase continued blithely. "And they managed to get someone awesome. Man, I wonder how they got Nakai Masahiro here!"
".. Eh?" Tsuyoshi said and immediately smacked himself for picking up on Koichi's speech patterns, of all people. "That's not possible."
"I'm serious," Nagase insisted with an emphatic wave of his arms. "I heard he's a friend of the dean's or whatever, but he's-"
"Entirely too famous," Tsuyoshi said, trying not to think of how Nagase was only confirming what Tsubasa had said.
"He's in the staff room right now," Nagase said and bodily grabbed Tsuyoshi out of his chair. "Come on and see for yourself!"
*
"You want to make a new orchestra?" Uekusa repeated dubiously, looking slightly concerned.
Naka 〇i beamed his most cheerfully manic smile. "Yes, with the students I select so my very own."
"B-but you were hired to work with the A orchestra!"
"Of course I'll spend time with them too," Nakai said placating. "But I'd like another orchestra for my own enjoyment." There was an almost palpable aura of energy surrounding him. "I'm only here for a year so I'd like to teach as many students as I can."
"Ahhh," Uekusa said, echoed by the rest of his upper management team. "As expected of such a great maestro. We can certainly arran-"
"I've chosen all the students already." Nakai smiled blithely. "Please enlist all the students pictured here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a package of poloroids, spilling them across the table.
Uekusa cautiously reached over and picked one up. "... These people?!"
*
"He's a little different from what I expected," Nagase said in his version of hushed, peering in through the little window in the door. "But that's definitely Nakai Masahi- ... Tsuyo? Tsuyoshi? Hey, are you okay?"