Koetsuji-chan

Chapter IV

     A loud huff had come from the girl, sweat dripping down her brow. "That's a wrap! Take five." Said the director. Fujiwara straightened herself up, wiping her dripping brow. Yes, practice had gotten harsher. The date of the show had been rapidly approaching, and had in fact only been less than twenty-four hours away. Fujiwara had made sure to hydrate so she wouldn't overheat. This show was outdoors, and was going to be performed at the dead of night on the full moon. 

     Walking over to the sidelines, the girl had grasped her water bottle. She quickly took a swig before deciding to sit down and rest her body. "I'm not as flexible as I used to be.. damn." Muttered the girl, using the hem of her shirt to wipe away what sweat had formed on her brow once again. She glanced up, the bright blue sky above her and the stage. "Just one more night.. then it's go time." Said the girl. She blinked twice, remembering the piece she had composed. That's right. She wrote the piece to be played with either viola or cello, and she had opted to play the viola on stage. More movement, room to dance and sway. Not to mention, the restraints she would be wearing would lift her in the air. 

     "Fujiwara." Said a voice behind her. Mid sip, too. Fujiwara had gotten startled, hurriedly spitting out the water and choking on it. "Grace." Muttered the man behind him, shaking his head. "Here." Said the man, holding out a small towel to her. Fujiwara had turned her head, looking up at the man before her. "Camus? What are you doing here?" Asked the girl curiously, taking the towel and quickly drying her face off. "I came to check on you." Said the man, standing himself directly beside the girl. He had glanced down, his bright blue eyes focused on the girl who sat a mere foot or two before him. What replayed in his mind was the memory of the hug they had shared about a week ago. Hell.. it had replayed hundreds of times already. He yearned for another, though, knew of her problems. 

     "On me? Why?" Asked Fujiwara, lifting her right brow in curiosity. Camus kept his eyes on her, his gaze cold but with a tinge of a flame lingering within. "I knew you were nervous about this performance, Fujiwara. You are very easy to read." Said the man. A sigh came from the girl as she had then shook her head. "Damn you and your intuitiveness..." She muttered before raising her head once again. "Yes, so what if I'm nervous? This will be the biggest concert I've played, ever." Said the girl. Camus closed his eyes and let out a tiny laugh. "Hmph. Is this REALLY the Fujiwara that I met years ago?" Asked the man. Fujiwara lashed out, giving the back of his calf a slap. "Don't even dare start with that, Camus." Said the girl, shaking her head. Camus moved his leg upon feeling the sting and moved away a single step, shooting the girl a glare but had done nothing else. He knew that scolding her would only make things worse. "You have my support." Stated the man of ice. 

     Fujiwara had gotten away with a lot more than others with Camus. Who could smack his leg and get away with it? Only Fujiwara. Who could call him 'prince' and not face any repercussions? Fujiwara. She had a magic touch with him. Perhaps, it was what Camus had felt deep within that stopped him from lashing out. He knew how he felt about her, but, he also knew that he couldn't speak up about it. He didn't want to hurt her again. Seeing her that day, it broke his heart. He wasn't going to put tears upon her face, only smiles from here on out. 

     A sigh came from the girl as she leaned herself back. "That's reassuring." She had said, tilting her head upwards. She could feel a cool breeze brush past them. The girl took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Camus looked away from her, focusing his gaze upon the stadium before him. "You've got this, Fujiwara. You have not let anything stop you at this point, not even I. You won't disappoint." Said Camus, his voice softer than usual. It was only her that brought out this side in the man. "I have high hopes for tomorrow evening, Camus. Just, promise me you'll be there." Said the girl, opening her eyes. She turned her head, looking up at the man before her with worry in her eyes. Camus focused back down on her, his own eyes of ice seemingly thawed ever so slightly. "It is a promise." Said the man, a nod to follow. "Good." Fujiwara said, looking ahead of her once again. Soon enough, she had stood herself right back up. "I ought to get at least another hour of the routine in before resting up. Thanks, Camus." Said the girl, turning to face him. Her heart raced, knowing this was an opportunity.