I'll Try Harder

Jirou set down her bass guitar on its stand and stood up from her bed. She sighed heavily at the sheet music on her music stand.

Why is this piece so hard?

Jirou's mind whirled with thoughts and insecurities as she unplugged the amp to her guitar. After putting her setup away, she flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, still thinking about that difficult piece of music.

Why can't I nail it?

She started drifting deeper into her thoughts when she was interrupted by her stomach calling out for sustenance rather loudly, snapping her out of her trance. She rolled off her bed to answer the call of her stomach and headed for the kitchen.

What's your problem, Jirou?

She shook her head as if to shake the thought out of her head literally. She reached for a strawberry yogurt, but decided on peach instead. Upon shutting the door to the fridge, she spun around and was met with a familiar face.

"You didn't eat dinner?"

Jirou jumped back and slammed herself into the fridge, dropping her yogurt.

"My bad. I didn't mean to startle you."

Jirou refocused and discovered Todoroki standing in front of her. She blushed in embarrassment and reached down to pick up her yogurt, but Todoroki had beaten her to it. He handed her the yogurt without a word. Sheepishly, she took it from his hand and spit out a "thank you", still taken aback by the encounter.

"No, I didn't eat dinner..." Jirou finally replied.

"A yogurt isn't enough. You need more." Todoroki commented. He opened the fridge and presented a bowl of cold soba, his favorite. He held out the bowl in front of Jirou, offering it to her.

"Ever had cold soba?"

"N-No, not really..."

She slowly took the bowl in her hands and reached a pair of chopsticks. Her hand shaking, she picked up some of the noodles and slurped them into her mouth.

This actually taste great! Wonder if Todoroki made this himself?

"Thanks, Todoroki, but you didn't have to give up your soba for me."

"You didn't eat dinner. You need it more than I do."

Cue a blushing Jirou.

She averted her gaze from Todoroki and ate more noodles. The both of them stood in the kitchen alone in silence, the only sound being Jirou's quiet slurping. When she finished the bowl of soba, she placed the dishes in the sink and turned to go back to her dorm room.

"By the way, Jirou,"

Jirou froze in her tracks to listen to Todoroki.

"You play your guitar well..."

He pauses for a brief moment.

"I like listening to you."

A sheet of red appeared on her face at the compliment.

Todoroki likes my music?

Shyly, Jirou turned her head toward him and uttered a soft "thank you". He nodded and gave a small smile.

"Sorry for eavesdropping on your playing..."

Jirou chuckled audibly and continued walking back to her dorm. She couldn't stop smiling at Todoroki's compliment.

He likes my playing.

When she arrived at her dorm room, she shut the door and reached for her bass.

I'll try harder.