With the Stars and Us

Chapter Two

Practicing and playing sax was the only thing she had interest in aside from her weird habit of looking at the stars. But for some reason, this day, she felt queasy. And it's either it's that time of the month or something else. Manaka's painfully annoying today, as she points out.

"Zuumin~" Manaka purrs like a cat, "Help me with these chords, please?"

She pops a vein. Zuumin stands from her stool and approaches Manaka. "What is it?"

"This part from the score looks impossible to play. You know pianists work, you know, they can do it with ten fingers." Manaka winks, but Imaizumi tilts her head in confusion. "Eh? What does it mean?"

The sly girl freezes in disappointment. As usual, flirting with Imaizumi wasn't looking good; despite her pretty mature appearance, she can be light headed at times. Risa just sighs, exasperated, while Kobayashi was quiet, still uneasy.

For no reasons whatsoever, the entire course folding in front of her wasn't as interesting as before. She'd find herself ignoring them or try to mind her own business, unsure if that was of any help, but hey, it kinda works. She just had to focus on her measures. Yuuka's entrance exams are fast approaching, as well as the school festival; and the fact that they're the ones breaking the ice on that day was pressuring.

"Zuumin?" Yui wasn't able to hold her curiosity back. "Was that an old nickname?"

"Oh, no, it isn't." Zuumin beams from Manaka's corner, "Mona made it."

"Mona?" Risa interrupts, "Wow, I didn't know you two are already close."

Manaka clicks her tongue and winks, pointing both at Kobayashi and Watanabe in a suave manner. "Just your family friendly Shida Manaka in the house!"

"Pffff," Risa waves her hand in dismissal, "That's even worse than your joke the other week."

"So," Kobayashi starts, trying not to look too obvious. "How did you two become close?"

"Well mostly because we play the same instrument, really." Shida answers, "And since I'm not that much of a pro as Imaizumi I'd always ask her for help most of the time."

"That's.. That's nice." Yui quietly answers. Shit. Was she too obvious?

"How about you?" Shida grins with troublesome intent, "You and Zuumin looked pretty close."

Kobayashi shrugs as she fixes her saxophone inside her case. "Ah, well—"

All of a sudden, a sudden tug on her blazer sleeve managed to stop her. Maybe it's because of how Imaizumi smiled at her, or maybe Imaizumi herself. Either way, she forgot what else she needed to say.

"That's a secret." the older Yui turns her head towards Watanabe and Shida, a satisfying smirk present on her lips.

"Eeeh?" Watanabe furrows her eyebrows. "Now I'm curious."

"Now now, Kobayashi-san," Gah. The honorific sounded bland and distant. It's like she's different from the other two; the two coolest people at school. But of course there's nothing wrong in that. Kobayashi thinks she's just too boring and straightforward that no one would even dare try to befriend someone as dull as her; and being with someone as interesting and funny as Shida and Watanabe are easier to approach, proven and tested.

That might just be the most pathetic thing she ever thought of.

"Are you gonna go?"

"Well, yeah. I'm cutting practice for now, I honestly don't feel like playing today; I'm sorry."

"Aww." Risa pouts, "Something on your mind recently?"

Kobayashi forgot any words to say. She subtly looks at the shorter girl beside her, unaware, before shaking her head no.