When you're gone...
WHO: Kobayakawa Sena and any of Nodame's friends that want to drop by and confirm her disappearance
WHAT: Sena's first friend in Rivelata, and possibly best friend, has vanished without a trace. And he's not quite sure what to do.
WHERE: Nodame's house- the one with the piano in it.
WHEN: After Sena turns back to normal talking, human being.
She was gone. Sena knew without a doubt when he tried to visit her home as a dog. It was instinct. One of those things you just...knew. It was a good thing that she was gone right? She could go to Paris now and perform with her Chiaki-senpai like she wanted. She was finally away from Rivelata, finally gone, despite being one of the first people to arrive here.
He should be happy for her. It shouldn't have hurt so much to find out that his friend was gone. It shouldn't have hurt as much as it hurt when he thought Shin-san had lost respect for him, had no longer seen him as a capable rival. It shouldn't have hurt more than knowing Mizumachi-kun was gone too.
But it did. It hurt so much.
He tried denying it at first. Nodame wouldn't leave without saying something to someone- to him or any of her other friends. He had tried retreating back into his own mind, pushing the hyperactive puppy voice to the forefront while he took refuge in his own silence and the comforting growls of the dog. But once he transformed back (an excruciating process that left him dead tired and wondering why he felt like he had been tridented tackled by Shin-san three times in a row before being thrown out to be trampled by Gaou-san), he couldn't deny it anymore. Nodame was gone. No amount of searching would have her found.
Nodame was his first friend here. He had taught her football, had listened to her play piano, take care of Shiro(who was long gone by now too) and just be friends together. If someone were to demand a truthful answer out of him, he would've admitted that yes, Nodame was his best friend here. Not Riku, who had been his childhood friend/older brother but Nodame. Who was silly, childish, naive but an amazing person.
He could talk to her about anything- no matter how depressing or childish it sounded and she listened to him and always, always managed to bring him out of his funks. He could talk to her about things he'd never dare tell anyone else. Hell, he could talk to her about things he was wary talking about to Monta. She might've been years older than him, but he had felt more comfortable with her than anyone else. She had been there for him without question or because he was obviously upset, recognized his moods better than anyone else(something Riku and Mamori-neechan were horrid at), became his friend because she wanted to(and not because they had met through other circumstances) and never once looked down on him for being Sena. She had only been gone for what...a couple of days now and Sena missed her so badly already.
And if she came back? It wouldn't be the same because she wouldn't be the Nodame he knew(like what happened with Nill) and that was the most painful thought.
More painful than transforming back into a human being was. Now he had to deal with two other voices in his head, neither of them human. He couldn't tell Riku or Mamori- he knew they'd flip out and worry over him, something he just didn't want. He didn't want a guardian or anyone to look down on him, he just wanted his friend with him. Nodame would've been there for him. She would've made it easier for him to laugh and smile and pretend everything was alright(but it wasn't- as long as he was here and not at home, it would never be alright).
Taking a deep breath, he steadied his thoughts and opened the door to her house. It wasn't locked. Silly Nodame forgot to lock in. He stepped into what could've been a garbage dump- dirty bowls stacked up upon dirty bowls everywhere, music sheets left scattered on the piano and other miscellaneous items of rubbish. Wait. Music sheets?
He frowned and made a beeline towards the piano, touching it gingerly. Nodame adored music and the piano as much as he loved amefuto- she wouldn't leave music sheets lying around like this unless she thought she was coming back, wouldn't she? She definitely would've covered up the piano too in order to take care of it.
But did it matter anymore? Sighing, he carefully straightened up the sheets into a neat stack, shutting the top of the piano before placing the sheets ontop. He then turned to the rest of the house.
He supposed he better get cleaning up- the fumes from the garbage were getting to him. He wasn't crying. Nodame wasn't dead. He bent down and began to pick up some bowls, ignoring the stinging sensation in his eyes, keeping his back to the door.
Why would he have a reason to cry?