UtaPri: Ai x Reader

Ch. 21

I sighed as I finished my rounds around the dorms.
I'm probably holding QUARTET NIGHT down, I thought. After all, I haven't been singing lately. I've been concentrating too much on my...
Relationship with Ai. Was this the reason why romance was forbidden? Because you get distracted from your work?
My heart broke at the thought of that. I loved Ai, but I also loved my career. I did a 360 before curling up against a tree and crying.
And then there's the fact that we're against Raging. Those dirty little cheaters... Will they sabotage? Will they do something to harm my team? These thoughts and emotions were just too much.

~*~*Time Skip, brought to you by I-kinda-forgot-what-I-was-gonna-write~*~*

3rd Person POV:
QUARTET NIGHT sat in a conference room. It was just the boys, __________ had said that she had something important to be done.
"Ne, minna," Ai said. "There's been something wrong with _________ lately."
"Hmmm... Could she nervous about the competition?" Reiji asked.
"_________, nervous about singing? That's unlikely." Ranmaru said.
"Maybe it's the fact that we're going up against Raging." Camus stated.
"There's that..." Ai said, a frown gracing his poker face. "It's just that... There seems to be more."
And he was right, there was more. It was just shocking at how he found out.

Your POV:
It was about eight at night. I had told the boys that I wouldn't go to the interview because I had something important to do. And I did, I need to practice my singing.
And I was just so frustrated right now. No matter how many times I wanted to get the tone I wanted, I couldn't get to it. I banged the keys on the piano, feeling the need to scream. This was my umpteenth time trying to get the perfect tone.
One more time, I thought. Then, I'll go to bed.
Or, that's what I told myself. It's like when you're watching anime. You tell yourself only one more episode, but end up finishing the anime. Well, it's been three hours since I told myself that.
I finished singing QUARTET NIGHT... and smiled. "Finally!" I cried. The tone was even and mature, daring and bold. Everything I wanted it to sound like!
There was a light knock as the shiny oak door opened, and Ai walked in, eyes droopy. "Ara, so I was right." He said with a small lopsided smile. "Practicing?"
I walked into his open arms. "Hai, I finally have the tone I want. I'm so happy."
He buried his head in my hair. "Good for you." He yawned.
"Ne, Ai?" I said. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was asleep. I was too endeared to wake him up, so slowly, I walked him to the couch that lay in the corner, laid him down, and curled up next to him.

~*~* Time Skip!~*~*

It was now seven o'clock as I roamed down the halls. I felt sleepy and a bit scared. The dream I had last night was haunting me.
"Ne, _______-chan!" I heard Ringo cry as he charged at me. "Ne, let me hear you sing your song!"
He dragged me to QUARTET NIGHT's practice room.
"Ne, sing!" He prodded.
"Hai, hai!" I said. And so I sang.
"Segoi yo, ______-chan!" Ringo cried. "Where did you learn to sound this bold and mature tone?!"
Then, he squinted at me, studying me. "Demo, it was missing something."
"Missing?" I asked, making my surprise.
He nodded. "Missing... Heart, maybe? Excitement, also? Gomen, but I missed that in your voice."
My hand tightened behind my back. "Hai, I'll practice more!"
Ringo nodded. "You do that. I have to go!"
After to door firmly shut behind him, I broke down. It was a clear day today, for some reason, I wanted it to rain.
"________?" Ai's voice came. "_________?"
I didn't bother to answer as I sobbed silently. Suddenly, his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me up. "_________, doushita no?" He asked, stroking my hair.
"Atashi no uta..." I said. "Watashi no uta... DAIKIRAI!"
And I sobbed harder.
"Doushite?" He asked.
"Because.... Because.... I don't have heart, Ai! I've lost heart and excitement. I've lost my passion for singing!" I cried.
I felt something wet drop onto my scalp. I looked up to see Ai crying, and my heart broke. "Gomen, for making you cry." I said, before racing out of the room.
"_______!" I heard him cry, but, I ran.
I bumped into Tokiya as I ran outside. "Ara, _______-senpai." He cried.
"Gomen nasai." I whispered, before trying to get around him. But, it was too late, he saw my crying face.
"Senpai, doushita?" He asked.
"Iya, nande mou nai." I said. "Hanashite yo."
"Senpai." He pressed.
"My singing." I answered. "I don't have heart or excitement. No matter how much I've practiced.... I just... I can't."
"Senpai," he said. "You must have something to sing for. If you sing just to sound good or to win, you won't sound good. It'll sound like sounding brass, you need something, some one, some sort of goal to sing for."
My heart skipped a few beats at his words, before I asked, "Arigato, demo...How do you know all this?"
He smiled sadly. "I had the same problem, Senpai. And, it looks like the reason you should sing is coming."
He turned and left quickly, and Ai replaced Tokiya's presence.
"Ne, __________," he said. "Let's go out on a date. Now."
I giggled a little, feeling better. "Hai, let's go. Where ever you want."

YOUR TURN: Set up your own date (again) and choose a song that QUARET NIGHT sings to you (A/N: I'm lazy, gomen!)

"Minna, arigato." I said, giving them a group hug. "I'm sorry that I was worrying you all. During the UtaPri Awards, I'll sing for you all, and for our future. I promise that we'll win."
Rei-chan high-fived me. "Of course!"

I got kinda lazy, sorry so, how do like it? Guys, I can't wait! Almost finished! Woo! So, enjoy Mikaze Ai while you can!