Segue: KamiJirou

six

"So, I was thinking," Jirou spoke into the phone. She called Kaminari before she had to leave for work, there was something she needed to discuss with him.

" ...that I'd like to write a song. Just one, then I'll go back to my abstinence from instruments. It'll be for Yui. It's something I've thought about for a while, but I wanted to be able to play it for someone who knew about her. That would basically mean my parents, but I'm afraid it would make them too sad and they'd slip back into, well, what they were like when it just happened. And now that you know everything, I was thinking I could play it for you, like a little concert just for the two of us," she explained.

After getting it all out she paused, waiting for his reaction and anxiously tapping her foot. Perhaps it was too soon to put such a big responsibility on him, she really shouldn't trust him so much at this point, but after all their encounters she felt like he genuinely cared about her.

"If that's what you want, I'm not against the idea. Wanna have a jam session at my place?" He was totally in! She was thrilled at the idea of playing with him, even if it was just going to be for one song.

"Yasssss! Thank you, Denki. Just let me know when I can come over. I have to go to work now though," she squealed into the phone.

"Ok, I will. Have a good day at work," she could hear his smile through the phone and blushed at her mental image of him.

"Thanks, you too, see ya around then."

"Bye, t-"

"Wait! Don't... don't say goodbye..."

"Huh? Okay, see ya.... is that better?"

"Yeah, see ya." She hung up and gathered her things for work, letting out a sigh of relief. This had been weighing on her heart for a while. It was the only way she felt she could really pay tribute to her younger sister, to let her know, even if Yui wouldn't be able to hear it, just how she felt. Nothing expressed her feelings more accurately than music could.

At work her head was still buzzing with song ideas. As soon as she clocked out, she checked Kaminari's messages on her phone. He had said he was free tomorrow, or by now it was today, after he was done with work. Looks like she didn't have to wait long to start her little project... and to see her boyfriend again. She couldn't get home fast enough. As soon as she did she lay face upwards on her bed staring at the ceiling, unable to find the realm of sleep.

Instead of meeting him at the shop she decided to just go over to his house as soon as he got home. She brought a small bag with some CD's and her favorite guitar pick, which she couldn't get rid of even if she tried. Finally, she could allow herself to be eager to play some instruments again. Kaminari greeted her with a hug and they both made themselves comfortable in his music room.

"So what do you want to start with?" Kaminari asked her. They were seated comfortably with an array of guitars and some odds and ends like a ukulele, a recorder, tambourines, and a guiro spread out in front of them.

"Well since it's been so long, maybe we could just pop a CD in and play along with it however feels best? You're going to play the electric guitar right?" She asked, sorting through the CDs they had.

"That's my main instrument, but if you wanted a different vibe I can play anything I have here."

"I think electric guitar is fine. I don't want it to be a sad song, per say, I just want it to feel right, ya know?"

"Mn, I get ya. You want to start with that CD?" He nodded towards the one she was holding in her hand. It was One A's first album.

"Yeah, I figured we're both familiar with these songs, and... I guess it's nostalgic for me. They used some of the beat samples from songs I played with my band," a distant expression flashed across her face, but it was gone as soon as it came. "It'll help my creative juice flow. Let's do this!"

She inserted the CD into the player and hovered her hand over the instruments before settling on a classical guitar. The band's songs were well suited for any type of guitar, and after the second chorus she picked at a couple of basic chords. The vibration seemed to rock through her bones, and her fingers automatically shifted along with the song. It felt like breathing for the first time in years.

Kaminari watched with pride as his girlfriend did what she loved again. After warming up with just a few songs, her true colors began to show through. Armed with only an instrument, she was truly stunning. There was no sheet music, no embarrassment, only her pure talent and love for music pouring through her. He hadn't enjoyed a jam session like this in a long time, maybe it was even the first of its kind. It felt more intimate than just chilling with friends, and for some reason, his heart beat loudly in his chest.

After they played through the One A album, she asked him if he knew a few songs off-hand. Although he could get through a few, she far out classed him when it came to spontaneously playing anything she could think of. Eventually, she set the guitar down on her lap and paused in thought. She fiddled around with a few chord combinations, then put the guitar away and moved to the piano.

"Think you can improv while I play the keyboard?" She asked, still seeming somewhere far away. Before he got the chance to respond, her fingers were already dancing on the keys, hitting a few wrong notes every now and then but she got the basic flow down. He listened attentively then began to accompany her with his electric guitar. It added a liveliness to her tune and soon they became more synchronized, creating a new song in tandem.

Her notes slowed in an almost poetic way, and he stopped playing, giving her the chance to solo. With a hymn-like finale, she closed off the song. Glancing over at her, he noticed a small sad smile on her face, but she seemed content. He was grateful he could give her this opportunity to let her soul free once again.