Masato Hijirikawa X Ren Jinguji

Part 1: Masato's POV

I was sat writing at my table, secretly watching Ren play darts. Again. The way he concentrated on the bulls-eye, the flick of his wrist as the dart flies from his hand. Even as the dart hits the bulls-eye he doesn't celebrate, his concentration doesn't break. Not until the last dart has hit the target.

I felt a subtle smile spread on my lips. Until there was a knock at the door which made me jump back into my writing.

"Ittoki." Ren said as he grabbed his bag and left me behind. I was now alone and silent in the room.

~TIME GAP~

I awoke to the sound of Ren's voice. It sounded sad, but I couldn't make sense of the words being muffled by his pillow. I sat up as Ren rolled onto his side.

"Masato." He whined.

I moved to his side to wake him from his sleep, until I saw, even when sleep-talking, how peaceful he looked when he slept.

"Masato." He repeated my name, snapping me out of my trance.

I shook his shoulders lightly, to try and wake him.

"What? Masato?" He mumbled, trying to sit up.

"You were talking in your sleep." I explained to him.

"What was I saying?" He said as he rubbed his eyes, like a child.

"It doesn't matter." I replied, not wanting to embarrass him. Then I stood and returned to my bed and laid there unable to sleep.

~TIME GAP~

We were walking through the corridor to the hall. Ren surrounded by a group of desperate, swooning girls. The girls finally moved to find seats with their friends in the assembly hall. The assembly announcements consisted of Shining Saotome telling us classes for the next two days have been cancelled, due to the teachers being actors or idols, but we did get homework -for idols and composers- to create a song to perform in class when they return. Everyone groaned at the word homework and Saotome took this chance to leave as dramatically as he had entered. A harness hoisted him up making him fly out of sight. Everyone started making their way out of the hall or talking with their friends when the other members of Starish walked over. Natsuki rushed over chasing Syo who hid behind Ren. Then Ittoki and Cecil bounced over and Tokiya followed moodily after them. Nanami rushed over clutching her notebook to her chest. "I have these for you. And I also composed this for Starish."

"Thank you, Little Lamb." Ren said taking his copy of the melody of a song yet to be written.

I waited for Nanami to hand me my copy then left for my dorm.

The corridor was buzzing with people, probably discussing the teachers' absence or the homework. Where as I, on the other hand, had some lyrics to write. So I sat at my desk and let the music flow. I had almost finished when I heard the sad, jazzy song of a saxaphone. Ren's saxaphone, coming through the window. I tried to carry on writing but when I read my lyrics through I realised the tone had changed slightly. Strangely, it worked with the rest of the lyrics. Would it work with the melody? I got up and walked to the classroom and sat at the piano. I let the words flow as I played the melody, ignoring the world around me. I stopped and was surprised at the small round of applause from the other members of Starish and Nanami. I turned to hide my blush. Ren saw and diverted their attention away from me. "We came here to Write lyrics for the song."

I nodded my thanks to him.

~TIME GAP~

We had been practicing the song for an hour, with the hour before that coming up with lyrics. Now we just needed choreography; my least favourite part of this whole thing, and I love pretty much all of it.

"It's getting late, we should carry on tomorrow." Ittoki yawned.

I picked up my stuff and walked alongside Starish to the dorm. Ren is always surrounded by girls, they see him walking and then in a quick moment they're an impenetrable barrier around him. I stop and wait for my best friend to leave the crowd behind. It took ten minutes, but I knew he was trying his hardest to escape. Only I could tell he actually wanted to get away, the girls were clueless. Clueless in more than one way, what they didn't realize was that Ren was mine, and as he had said many times before, I was his. Was. Until Nanami came along. Now he barely talks to me anymore, even the girls notice his attraction to Nanami. I am not going to lie, it does annoy me. How she was able to get into his heart so quickly. I have the self control to hold it in, to hide it. I have sort of convinced myself that his feelings for me were just the result of a childhood friendship. We did grow up together, but I also can't help thinking he's bored of me. I mean, I've heard girls tell their friends not to ask him out because he'll get bored and go off with someone else and dump you. The player, cheat, liar even. But even so, I can't stop myself from liking him. Maybe it's me who is blinded by our childhood connection. Maybe I am misinterpreting my feelings for him.

~TIME GAP~

We walked back to the dorm in silence. I had nothing to say, but Ren obviously didn't feel comfortable in the growing-cold-atmosphere.

"Are you okay? You seem off." he seemed genuinely worried.

I nodded my head and spoke. "I'm fine." But even my tone sounded wrong. But why?

"Did I do something to anger you?"

"I'm not angry."

"You sound it."

We got to our door and I opened up and I walked inside, Ren following behind. He shoved my back against the door and it closed.

"What's wrong with you?" He slammed a hand on the door next to my head. "You've been acting different all day."

Tears sprung to my eyes, not because I was afraid, but because he was angry at me. "You! That's what's wrong with me. You and Nanami and girls."

is face was sad. "Girls? Wait. Nanami? What about Nanami?"

"You obviously like her. The way you look at her."

"I have no feelings for Nanami," He brought his face close to mine. "Or other girls."

I pushed his arm away and walked past him, the tears finally making their way down my cheeks. "Please don't. Not now." I quickly got changed and climbed into bed, but I didn't sleep. I couldn't. Not now. I just couldn't trust him. "I don't believe you." I whispered when I thought he was asleep.

He sighed. "Fine then."

I rolled over and Ren was looking at me. I felt guilty that he had heard, but, it was his face showing guilt. He rolled over facing away from me. I couldn't sleep for the rest of that night.

In the morning I got up earlier than usual to avoid Ren. I left an apology note in his favourite jacket's pocket and left for the classroom to go practice my song on the piano.