Flakes Of Love

Musical Penguins

Hitoka was all wrapped up in some warm clothing, even though she was inside. She was trying to warm her hands up with some hot water under a tap, when her Mother pounded on the door. "Hitoka, dear!" She said. "Hurry up in there! Mother has an important business meeting to go to this evening!" Hitoka and her Mother sighed at the same time, almost identically, and then Hitoka came out of the bathroom, her head hung low. "Hitoka, if you want people to notice you then I suggest keeping your head up."

"Sorry Mother." Hitoka said, fixing her stance. "Do you know what time you'll be back tonight?"

"I am unsure." Her Mother replied, applying lipstick. "Some time in the evening, if there is complication's I will let you know, yes?" She turned and glared at her daughter with a most un-mother like gaze, almost like she was punishing her for a crime she did not commit. 

"Y-Yes Mother." She smiled at her daughter and tapped under her chin as she passed, almost as if telling her to keep her head up, and then she was gone. Out the door of their small apartment and into the cold, wearing no coat, only a thin jacket. Hitoka shuddered at the thought, and her phone pinged. She picked it up and looked at the text from Kiyoko 'Did you know penguins huddle for warmth?' it read, making Hitoka laugh. 'Is your Mum on a business meeting tonight?' Came the next text through. 

'Yeah,' Hitoka texted back. 'Why?' She was very confused at this random penguin fact, but she didn't mind. She stared at the small blue bubble that had shown up close to Kiyoko's name. 

'Want to be a penguin with me?' Was her text. Kiyo, are you drunk?  Was Hitoka's first thought. Her second was Don't penguins mate for life?  'Seriously, want to come over? I made one too many cookies. Also, we agreed to meet up over winter break and we haven't.' Hitoka laughed, sighed, and texted her friend back. 

'I'll be over soon, just text me your adress.' 

'Be carful of the snow!' Came Kiyoko's next text, and Hitoka realised if her hoodie was not protecting her indoors, it was not going to protect her outdoors. 

As Hitoka was trying to fight the elements, Kiyoko was tidying up her bungalow, as currently, music papers, homework, books and her laptop was open on the side, and her work uniform was over one chair, far from the 'perfect view' she displayed to the world. She pilled her music sheets into one pile and her books into another, and shoved the books into her school bag to hide them, and then there was a knock at her door. Shit. Kiyoko thought. Her place was no place for visitors currently, but she couldn't leave Hitoka outside in the snow, so she'd just have to let her in, and let her see the mess. She dropped the books she was holding and ran to open the door, and saw Hitoka stood there, covered in small flakes of snow. Kiyoko grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, shutting the door quickly afterwards. "Oh you poor thing, you must be freezing." She said, dusting a snowflake off her own head, and then dusting some things off of Hitoka's head. "I'm sorry its so messy." Hitoka had never seen Kiyoko so frantic before, her eyes were constantly darting around to each part she considered 'messy' and Hitoka considered 'fine'. She put her bag on the coat hanger and she also began picking up Kiyoko's music, and staring at it. 

"Kiyoko, these lyrics..." Hitoka said, still staring at he paper. "They're about the team, aren't they? They're beautiful. I always forget you take music, you know." She laughed, and noticed Kiyoko's shocked expression. "I mean it. Look, if you need someone to say it to you so you can realise how great they sound. 'You're trembling we share a kiss, our worlds eclipse'," She read out, wonder filling her face. "'You're bigger, bigger, why do you hide,' Oh, Kiyoko. I think I know who this is about." She laughed, causing Kiyoko to turn away. 

"Y-You do?" She said, folding up her work uniform. Please, god, don't. She prayed, finishing folding her uniform.

"Yeah, its Noya, right? 'Eye of the storm', I get it." Hitoka laughed, and put the music sheet down on the floor, by the guitar case. "You wrote these, and its beautiful. You shouldn't undersell yourself." She walked over and tapped Kiyoko on the shoulder, who shook slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Hitoka, who glanced around slightly. "Kiyoko are you ok?" 

"Yeah, I'm," She wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to people praising me for my work. My parents always told me it was hopeless. Anyway." She turned around. "I'm sorry if my place isn't really what you imagined." She turned back around to face her friend, who looked extremely concerned about her. "I'm used to just being alone, I didn't realise you lived so close." Kiyoko plastered on a small smile. "Would you like to hear one?" 

"One of your songs?" Hitoka asked. "Yes! Please! Should I go somewhere?" Kiyoko looked her friend up and down for a moment, and nodded. 

"Um...My bedroom has my mic in it. I'll be in soon." She said, sitting down at her laptop and filing through all of her songs. What would Hitoka like? Something soft? Or something strong? She decided to just shut her eyes and do a random game of chance. 

Hitoka sat down on Kiyoko's bed, her room seemed to be blue, and it only had a small lamp as a source of light, but it was switched off, and the curtains were wide open to allow the natural daylight and the lampposts to seep in. It was a really comfy room, full of just Kiyoko things. A broken letter light of K.S hung on the wall, as well as some drawings she had done, and some posters of musicians. There was a small set of draws in the corner, labelled so that the draws could be easily pulled in and out of. Kiyoko came in, and she had her guitar slung around her. She walked straight to her mic in the corner, put her laptop on the bed and plugged her mic in. "So, I couldn't find you a song that wasn't...terrible...So this is one of my covers. I made it a while back." She hit play on her laptop, and began to sing. Hitoka felt like she'd heard this song once before, maybe on the radio, and she could hear Kiyoko's pain as she sang. A few lyrics stood out to her, "No matter when, or where, or who," and "Then tore right through it," were ones she could hear her voice crack on, but she didn't say anything. When the song ended, Hitoka stood up immediately and clapped, but stopped when she noticed Kiyoko had been crying the entire time. 

"Kiyoko are you sure your ok?" She asked, walking over to her friend and holding both of her shoulders, and her friend shook her head. "Ok, that's ok." She hugged her friend, who wasn't a lot taller than her, so it wasn't that hard or awkward, aside from the acoustic guitar that was in between them. "Its ok, I'm here." She said. "Hey, I know what'll cheer you up. I brought stuff for cupcakes, you want to make some?" Kiyoko nodded, and put her guitar down on the floor.