Glass Wall | Neji x OC (ON HOLD)

Chapter 8: Revelations

              IZUMI NEEDED AN accompanist to play with her at the opening, and she knew only one pianist who could match her pace.

"Neji!" she called out as she walked towards the table he and their friends sat at during lunch. Neji looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Hey, Izumi."

She held out a book. "Here," she said with a smirk. Neji looked at the book with confusion, so Izumi began explaining. "This is the accompaniment piece for Fritz Kreisler's Liebesleid. You're going to play with me at the art gallery."

Notice how she didn't even ask. "Uh, Izumi," Neji responded hesitantly, "I don't think I can play. It's been years since I last touched a piano, and I don't-"

Izumi cut him off. "Trust me when I say you can do it. I wouldn't have come to you if you couldn't."

She and Neji played duets  together all the time when they were six, him on the piano and her on the violin, but when they were about thirteen, Neji lost his desire to play, and therefore abandoned it. Ever since then, Izumi has been trying to find ways to get him to play again. Ever since then, she has been trying to find the reason why he quit.

"All right, I'll do it."

Five minutes after school was let out, Neji was already being dragged down the street by Izumi. "Let's go, Neji!" Izumi shouted happily, squeezing his hand tightly as they quickly made their way towards the art gallery.

When they reached the gallery, they both stepped in quietly, Izumi going in first then Neji.

"Hello?" Izumi said, looking around for someone.

When he heard footsteps, Neji lifted his head and saw a man with ocean blue eyes and long blonde hair about as beautiful as his own. The man looked at them with a delighted smile.

"Hello, Izumi, un! And you must be... Neji, yeah?" he said as he came up to Neji to greet him. They shook hands and Neji nodded.

"And you're Deidara, right?"

"Mhm, un."

Neji was trying so hard not to be jealous of Deidara's hair. 'I wonder if Izumi likes his hair better than mine,' he thought, but when a red-haired guy walked in, he set aside that envy for now.

"Izumi," he said with a stoic expression, "it's great to see you again." The guy glanced over at Neji, and his eyes widened a little. "Are you Neji?" he asked. Neji nodded.

"Yes. You must be Sasori." Sasori nodded before turning to look back at Izumi.

"Izumi, if you don't mind, I need to speak with you alone before you two practice."

Izumi followed Sasori into another room and sat down on a nearby bench. "Is this about my mother?" she asked, her voice dull and grave.

Sasori avoided her gaze. "Yes."

Izumi's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

Sasori sighed and began, seemingly uncertain about speaking. "I've been meaning to visit you for a while now." He paused. "I wanted to tell you that... your mother is still alive and well."

Izumi flinched at his shocking words, but her expression remained unreadable.

"My mom is... alive?"

Late in the evening, Izumi and Neji were walking out of the art gallery after finishing their rehearsal when Neji noticed how stiffly his friend walked. Something was clearly on her mind.

"What happened?" he asked, startling Izumi. "Nothing," Izumi replied quickly. Neji didn't accept her bluff.

"I know you're lying. You've been acting strange ever since you walked out of the room with Sasori. When you played, it sounded dull. The sound you made today was kind of... monochromatic. Again, what happened?"

Izumi stopped and looked over her shoulder at Neji. Her bright blue eyes pierced into Neji's lavender eyes, which grew dull upon her menacing gaze. He had never seen her so angry before.

"My mother is alive, Neji!" she nearly shouted, gaining a few stares from passersby. "She never died! My whole damn family never died! I've been lied to my entire life! Now stop prying, Neji! You don't need to help me! I'm not your charge and I never will be!"

Tears fell down her cheeks like rain pouring over the earth. Her emotions came out in a flood. Anger, sadness, and... fear glinted in her eyes. Neji was too bewildered to speak.

'I've never once seen this side of her. All of her emotions are as clear as day now.'

Noticing that his mouth was agape, Izumi froze, eyes wide as she snapped out of her trance. "I-I'm... so sorry," she mumbled. One last tear was shed before the intensity in her eyes died and her emotions slowly slipped back into her heart once more.

"What did I do to deserve your compassion?"

Neji walked closer to her and pulled her into a hug.

'It's not compassion. It's... well... I'm not exactly sure. Yet, anyway.'

"What did I do to deserve your compassion?"