A Performance of Love - Hibike Euphonium

The Day After

(A/N: Hey everyone! Long time no see! Sorry for kinda disappearing for 6 months, a lot has gone on this year and it's not given me enough time to write. I'm planning on continuing the Doki Doki Precure story, with another one that is basically a remake of my first story. Just better in many ways.

I recently finished Hibike Euphonium, which is my new favourite anime, and I decided I needed to write.

This is just an introductory chapter, set at the beginning of season 2. There isn't gonna be a time jump or anything, I just thought I'd point out where the story takes place.)

Kumiko awoke to her alarm clock going off. She groaned and with a clenched fist, hit the clock to shut it up.

The brunette opened her eyes and gave them a thorough rub. Bad idea. Now she could see stars around her, and her vision was temporarily blurred.
She could see the sunlight pouring through the window, beckoning Kumiko to get out of bed and get ready for school.

Just yesterday she and her classmates scored gold in the Kyoto Competition. That feeling of happiness had finally begun to sink in.
Then she began to think of something else, or rather someone else.

Kousaka Reina.

Kumiko began to smile. In just a few short weeks she became closer to Reina, and she was glad.

Kumiko stood up and got dressed. She then went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her hair, although the ends of her hair were naturally curly.
After that, she went to the kitchen to get some bread before saying goodbye to her mother and heading to school.

She looked at her phone. She had told Reina she would start going to school earlier so they could spend more time together. She wasn't one to break promises.

Kumiko stepped onto the train and was relieved to see Reina sat down, looking at her.
"Good morning, Kumiko." She greeted in her usual deadpan tone.

"Good morning." Kumiko responded tiredly. Reina couldn't help but smile seeing her in the state she was in.

As soon as Kumiko took a seat next to her she began to run her fingers through Kumiko's thick hair.
"You've got bedhead." She stated nonchalantly.

"I do?" Kumiko responded.

"Yep. Although you look rather cute."

A light blush formed on Kumiko's face at her response.
She may not have been very awake, but she was awake enough to recognise Regina's comment.

Without thinking, the brunette rested her weary head on Reina's shoulder.

Reina smiled and moved slightly closer to Kumiko, as to not make her uncomfortable.

"Reina is so beautiful.."

Reina looked down at Kumiko, and realised she was thinking out loud, something she was very well known to do.
She blushed and stared off into space.

____

The two girls entered the school and Kumiko had finally started to wake up.
"Are you sure you're gonna be able to keep up?" Asked Reina who was walking ahead to get to the staff room.

"I'm finally starting to wake up, so I'm sure I will."

The two entered the staff room.

"Good morning, Taki-Sensei," called Reina as she entered the room and approached him.

"Ah, good morning Kousaka. Do you need the key to the music room?"

"Yes."

"Yoroizuka-San is already in the music room."

Kumiko thought hard to decipher who this Yoroizuka was. Was she a new member?

"Yoroizuka?"

"Yeah, Yoroizuka Mizore. She comes earlier than I do to practice." Answered Reina.
Kumiko nodded, now understanding the situation.

Kumiko had already known Reina had a heavy crush on Taki-Sensei, but in this moment, Kumiko began to feel a strange pain in her heart. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew it was linked with Reina.

Reina and Kumiko left the staff room and headed upstairs to the music room.
"You only go there just so you can talk to Taki-Sensei, right?" Kumiko asked.

Reina simply nodded, causing a light sting in Kumiko's heart, but she put on a smile.
"You're so adorable, Reina." She said through giggles.

Slowly but surely, Kumiko was figuring out what that emotion she kept feeling was. She knew it involved Reina. Thinking of Reina caused her heart to skip a beat. Reina looking at her caused a blush to form on her pale cheeks.

It was obvious. She loved Reina. Of course she loved Reina. Reina was like a goddess to her. Kumiko would always end up staring at her in awe, and her mind would always throw her back to that night she saw her in that mesmerisingly angel-white dress that complimented her best features.

"Kumiko!" Shouted Reina.

Kumiko snapped back to reality. She realised she was stood at the top of the stairs, in which she still stayed motionless for but a moment, until the realisation of the moment kicked in.

"Oh-sorry! I just kinda zoned out a little! Heh heh.."
Kumiko chuckled a little out of embarrassment, putting both her index fingers together, as if to form a shield to block out the awkwardness.

Reina simply smiled and rolled her eyes.
'Typical Kumiko'.

The two began walking once more and within a couple minutes, made it into the music room. Yoroizuka Mizore was already there, playing her oboe. It was a fine melody, but Kumiko could feel a sense of longing in the piece, as if calling out to somebody lost. She was the only oboist on the band, likely due to the fact the oboe is one of the most complex woodwind instruments.

"Hey Yoroizuka-Senpai." Greeted Kumiko.

Yoroizuka only turned and nodded before going back to playing the oboe.
This gesture made Kumiko uncomfortable. She knew Yoroizuka was the quietest in the class, but not this quiet.

"That's odd. There's two of you this time." She said almost robotically.

Not wanting to be in this awkward situation any longer, Kumiko grabbed Reina's hand.
The latter glanced at Kumiko confused.

"Uh-yeah!" Said a flustered Kumiko as she made her way to the side door, "we're going to do some practice outside!"
And with that, the two friends made their way out the door and onto a walkway that connected to another part of the school.

There was a gentle breeze and the sun was high in the sky now.
It was definitely summer.

Reina stood at her usual standing place and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the breeze on her face. Kumiko stood beside her. They had already grabbed their instruments. They were ready to practice.

Reina took a deep breath and began to play her instrument, the trumpet.
She was playing the solo, and that's what she was currently practicing. It gave off a sense of longing.

Kumiko watched in awe momentarily before picking up her Euphonium, and accompanying her.