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

Chapter Nineteen: I Like Him?!

C H A P T E R 19 :

☆ Tsukimiya Ringo's Place ☆ Morning ☆

"Mae-chan, are you really planning on attending the academy?"

Mae blinked, staring up from her phone screen. She instantly wiped off the smile she was wearing and gazed at her teacher questioningly.

Ringo narrowed his eyes at her reaction, and then towards her phone. "Are you texting that redhead?"

Mae flinched, blushing furiously. "U-u-uh, he was just asking me if I could go to the local daycare because the daycare lady wanted to see me..."

Sighing, Ringo put his hands to his hips before shaking his head.

"Mae-chan, you are finishing the assignments that I'm giving you now with much more enthusiasm than before, but you need to focus on what exactly you're aiming for," he scolded her and Mae set down her phone.

What she was aiming for...?

Ringo raised an eyebrow at her reaction. "The school year is almost finished. If you are actually serious to becoming a professional composer, you have until the end of this week to enter the academy permanently to find a partner."

Mae's eyes widened as Ringo continued.

"The principal told me to tell you that," he said. "Listen Mae-chan, I'm not promising that you'll be able to find a partner even if you do attend now. You wasted your chances by not attending the academy from the start. Even my lessons were designed to go on until you finally entered the academy, but those very lessons are coming to an end too. Next year, I won't be able to do this again Mae-chan. This setup was only arranged for you."

Hearing the pink haired male's words, Mae's heart clenched. She knew that much...

"Do you want to redo this course next year too?" Ringo asked.

Mae frowned. She hung her head with a sigh. "Of course not..." she stated. "I mean, I only entered this academy because my dad didn't want me to drop out of high school and give up on my dream to become a composer, but... now I've been having the urge to debut as a composer and create more tunes..."

Ringo listened up until the moment Mae's words faded out. He exhaled loudly as he stood up straight. If that was how she felt...

"Then, what are you waiting for?"

Ringo's words pierced the auburnette and she bit her lip, lowering her head even more.

She'd been asking herself that question as well. If she wanted to go to the academy and not waste any more time she'd already wasted, why didn't she just go? Her dad would instantly support her decision since he'd been waiting months for this to happen; even Ringo here was advising her to go too.

But...why was she so reluctant to just go...?

As if to answer her thoughts, Mae recalled that smiling redhead, following the images of his friends. Her eyelids shot up, but it wasn't in surprise.

She knew that... If there was any reason as to why she didn't want to go, it would be because she'd be leaving them - him - behind. If she did find a graduation partner and passed the audition, she wouldn't be able to interact with her beloved redhead much anymore.

And on the if side, she did fail... Would she be dedicated enough to redo the entire year and aim to become a professional that way?

No... Even Mae herself knew next year would be impossible. She didn't want to wait another year to get her debut; she wanted to start working as a professional now.