Flowers of the Future

Present - Performance

I was scheduled for a gig tonight, at Honoka Coffee no less. I had gotten back in touch with her about the possibility of playing the piano there. Honoka had told me that she didn't have that big of a client base, which was perfect for what I actually wanted to accomplish. I wasn't in it for the boost to my reputation or the money, in fact, I wasn't getting paid at all, but it was imperative that a certain someone came to attend the recital. Naturally I had told Umi about it, and just as expected, she was very eager to see it. She never missed any of my recitals, be they in a huge theatre hall or at a local bar. I always played with the intention of giving Umi the show of her life, but this time I would ask for a little something in return.

The sign on the door had been flipped to display the word "closed". That wasn't a mistake, in fact this whole performance was a private one, with only a select few special invitees. Though, for effect, we'd temporarily flip the sign over again in order to retain a bit of authenticity for when Umi would arrive.

Upon entry, I noticed the café was very dimly lit, curtains closed, neon light strings sparsely affixed to the walls and ceilings, not dissimilar to a nighttime bar. It was a backdrop I was quite familiar with from some of my earlier gigs; the atmosphere lent itself well to mellow jazz tunes or slower piano pieces. For tonight, I had practiced one such slower piano recital, something simple and welcoming, moreso fit for a warm-up, though it was allowed to feature as the main act just this once.

The others had already arrived. There were some very familiar faces and some that were a little less familiar: they were the members of µ's, Tsubasa Kira from A-RISE and a few other students from Otonokizaka High that Honoka was able to get into touch with. It made for a pretty meager audience by regular standards, but it was great to see all of these familiar faces again, even people I hadn't spoken to anymore in quite some time.

"Maki-chaaan!" It was Rin, waving in my direction, wearing a frilly dress that clashed somewhat with the current look of the interior. Hanayo was seated next to her and dressed in a more tasteful two-piece outfit, consisting of an olive, cotton vest over a white blouse and a modest olive skirt that reached to a little under the knees.

"Rin! Didn't you hear about the dress code? We can't have you stand out too much." I crossed my arms and Rin's energetic expression deflated into a more guilty one.

Hanayo chuckled nervously. "I tried telling her about it, but she insisted on wearing this for your performance."

"Exactly! I chose it, because it reminds me of you! Don't I look like a princess?" I rolled my eyes, but couldn't suppress a silly smile. I couldn't stay mad at this girl.

"So this is what you've come up with, huh?" It was Nozomi, seated at a table not too far away from Rin and Hanayo's. Her eyes had lit up in a devious manner, as if she was talking from one schemer to another, though her expression soon mellowed more to that of a proud parent. "You've come quite a long way, Maki, going to these lengths for another person."

"Honoka told me about your plan. I was scheduled to leave for Russia again tonight, but if it can help a fellow member of µ's, I'd gladly take the next flight." Eli's resolute tone lent me some confidence that I was now desperately lacking. If Eli approved of my plan, then it would have to work, right?

"So you're saying you wouldn't have stayed if I'd asked, Elicchi?" The mischief was back in Nozomi's eyes, but it was cleverly disguised with an exaggerated pout.

Eli scrambled to find the right words: "I-I didn't say that! I mean, I had already booked a later flight because you asked, didn't I...? I would do anything for you, moonbeam!"

Amused, Nozomi chuckled. "I know, butter bun, I was just teasing you~" Nozomi affectionately took hold of Eli's arm and pressed it up against her body. "Butter bun" looked like she had some things left to say, but her words melted away like butter in a pan.