[1] Smile Magic (UtaPri - Ittoki Otoya Fanfic)

Chapter Twelve: Starts With A Smile

C H A P T E R 12 :

☆ Local Park ☆ Sunset ☆

Mae didn't even notice Otoya had finished singing until he let out a shaky laugh, flashing her a weak smile.

"Nanami wrote me the song, and I wrote the lyrics..." He eyed her reaction meekly. "Was it that bad? Sorry, I probably shouldn't have...sung..."

Mae's heart was racing crazily. Ittoki-kun was...the one from that day...

"Ittoki-kun..."

Otoya flinched at the call of his name and he looked at Mae's awestruck expression. Instantly, he felt slightly self-conscious.

"Yes...?"

Mae's thoughts lifted to what he said before and her heart stopped.

"I once wrote a song for him," Haruka told her, shocking her. "When I did, I had an image of him and composed a song the best I could so that it could suit him."

This song...Nanami composed it for him...and he sung it....

She couldn't believe it... The voice she was always singing in her heart, the music that saved her from her depression...the person who saved her with those bright smiles... They were the same person.

Mae opened her mouth despite her trembling state. "Ittoki-kun...a few months ago in January...in the forest across from this park... did...you sing this song?"

Otoya blinked at her odd question. He cocked his head. "Why?"

Mae's anxious expression told Otoya all that he needed to. So instead of pestering her for an answer, he put on his best thinking face.

"January...? In a forest..." Otoya's eyes lit up with sudden realization and he bobbed his head. "Nanami wrote me the song so I needed to write lyrics, so while thinking about them I wandered into the forest and..."

Just then, Otoya's face soured, baffling the teen.

"And...?" she prodded, interested.

Otoya turned his head to look at her and laughed weakly. "I heard a voice. It sounded as if they were crying." Mae's eyes shrunk back while Otoya scratched his cheek. "I wanted to cheer her up...and with that in mind, the lyrics just seemed to flow. I still wonder who it is but I guess I can't meet her face to face so that's that..."

Mae's gaze fell to the ground. He... Then that meant that he heard her crying... And he sung that song just for her...

Something fluttered in the pit of her stomach as she looked at the redhead who was continuing to babble on about Nanami and the composition.

Regardless of Nanami writing it, Otoya had still sung for her. Her.

Mae swallowed hard as her inconsistent heartbeat rang in her chest.

This redhead really did change her... He had done so much for her... She really...

"What will you do if you find him?" Haruka asked.

"Thank him." She looked at Haruka, sincerity flashing in her eyes. "I... want to thank him."

"Anyways, Akahana!" Otoya suddenly cried, jolting her.

Mae blinked widely, her mouth dropped. "Y-yes!"

"The bazaar's practically over! You have to go!" Otoya said, pointing to the setting sun for emphasis.

Mae winced. "B-bu-"

"I still want to ask what you meant and why you didn't tell me you attended Saotome Academy, but I do know that you have to perform that song!" he stated, holding up his fists. "You worked really hard on it didn't you? And you even asked Nanami for help! There's no way you can drop out!"