Behind the Club Room Door

She Doesn't Love Me?

Hello all~ Welcome back to the next installment of Behind the Club Room Door! I do hope you've all enjoyed the story thus far because it's been really fun rewriting it! Anyway, there are only a few more chapters left in this story so strap in and prepare yourselves!

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Maki's P.O.V.

I walked into the club room late after school, expecting it to be empty, but instead, I found Nico sitting at her computer, several tabs about idols open before her as her fingers flew over the keys. No doubt leaving comments or making posts on various forums. Again. I took a few steps towards her and asked, "Nico-chan, can I please talk to you?"

She froze, slowly looking over her shoulder to stare at me ."What more could you possibly have to say to me?" Her voice was cold, unforgiving, but her eyes showed the sadness she was desperately trying to hide. She turned back to her computer and shut it down, standing up and beginning to gather her things into her bag.

"Please just let me explain, it's not what you think--" I started to walk towards her but she put her hand up, looking away from me.

"There's nothing to explain, Maki." Her use of my name without the honorific she always gave me felt like a punch in the gut. She continued, "Whatever I thought we had was one-sided; you made that painfully obvious." I was dumbstruck. What did she mean by that? As if reading my thoughts, she walked around me and said over her shoulder as she paused in the doorway of the club room, "I can't be in love with someone who doesn't love me back. From now on, I don't love you anymore. Okay?"

She didn't give me a chance to answer before she walked out of the club room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

It didn't matter that my heart was cracking inside my chest or that tears were streaming down my face as I slid to the floor. The only thing I could think was, She doesn't love me?

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Maki's P.O.V.

It had been two weeks since Nico and I had our last conversation. 

For two weeks I'd suffered through unimaginable heartbreak. She wouldn't even look near me. I knew what I had said was stupid, but did she really believe that I didn't love her? After all the time we had spent with each other? 

Practice had been a living hell, and all I wanted to do more than anything was play the piano. Normally I would walk home with Rin and Hanayo, but I told them to leave without me of me in favor of staying behind to hole up in the school's music room and hogging the piano in the hope that its sweet sound would carry me away.

I sat on the bench and opened the cover over the keys, my heart racing with the thought of playing again. The great expanse of black and white tempted me until finally, I rested my hands against them, but when I reached into my mind to find something to play, I came back with nothing.

So, I sat there in the light of the setting sun, trying to find something--anything--in order to get my mind off of everything that had been going on. It was then that I remembered a song I'd written a long time ago that I used to sing when times got hard. It was the same song that had earned me the spot as the official songwriter of μ's. I chuckled a little at the memories and placed my fingers over the keys, the first notes and my voice blending together in perfect harmony.

As I played, I couldn't help but think about everything that had been going on, even though that was the one thing I was trying to avoid. Deciding not to fight it anymore, I lost myself in thought. How had I let this happen? I thought things with Nico and I had been going well. We were eating lunch together, walking home together, and pairing up for practice nearly every day. Sure, her god complex could be frustrating to say the least,  and she got on my nerves sometimes, but isn't that what love is about? There is no such thing as a perfect relationship, and I loved her despite all of that. So what had gone wrong?

Mid-song, I heard the door slide open but I kept playing, my eyes closed. I didn't care who it was, even as tears began sliding down my face and my voice shook with each word I sang. They could watch all they wanted. Who cares what they thought? Nico didn't love me and that's all I could focus on. The absence of her was like losing the warmth inside my body. I felt cold and empty without her laughter after I had told some stupid joke, or the brush of her hand against mine as we walked through town. No, it didn't matter what the person who had come in thought of my tears or my voice breaking. The only things that mattered were me, the piano, and thoughts of Nico.

All too soon, I reached the end of the song, and I lifted my fingers off the keys. I slowly opened my eyes, tears still spilling over my cheeks in waterfalls as they fell onto the keys. I heard someone stand and I looked over. I started, surprise drying my eyes as I saw Nico walking towards me, her own eyes filled with tears. She paused before me and set her hand over mine. The touch sent electricity through my body and I swallowed, staring up at my senior.

"If you meant what you sang, come to the clubroom at this time tomorrow," she said, her voice shaking. "There are some things we need to talk about." Without giving me the chance to respond, she removed her hand from mine and walked to the doorway, pausing in to cast one last longing glance over her shoulder before closing the door, taking my heart with her.

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Ahhh! Thank you so much for reading! This chapter is very different than the original but I still hope you liked it! I just hope my children make up soon TwwT They both deserve so much love. Anywho, let me know what you thought of the chapter (if you want)! That's about all I have to say. Until next time! Jaa ne~