── :: 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄♡ ︵ .
▸徹. . . ❀︵︵ ↴
[Yuna Sugawara had earned the nickname of the 'ice princess,' known for her stoic demeanor. She never smiled, never showed anger or sadness, leaving people to assume she possessed no emotions. However, the tr...
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Yuna leaned her head back on the wall behind her, letting out a profound sigh. A new day had dawned, its fresh possibilities and challenges waiting to unfold.
Seated between Tooru and Hajime, Yuna found herself enjoying the change of scenery. The three had opted to eat lunch on the rooftop today, a departure from their usual routine.
The main reason for their choice of location was the ongoing cultural festival. Most classrooms were jammed-packed, creating a noisy environment. The trio preferred to enjoy their lunch away from the commotion, which is how they ended up on the tranquil rooftop.
"That sigh of yours was quite heavy," Hajime remarked, his words somewhat muffled by his chewing. "Is everything alright?"
Leaning her head lazily to a tilt, Yuna responded, "Well, the music club is performing as our contribution to the festival."
"I would imagine you'd be excited for that," Tooru commented, prompting Yuna to turn her gaze towards him. She paused for a moment before sighing again.
"I'm excited, probably more than ever," Yuna started to say, but her voice trailed off mid-sentence as the image of Kurai flickered through her thoughts.
Her once-bright eyes dimmed, and her mind seemed to cloud over with troubled thoughts.
The first issue was that Kurai was in charge of coordinating the performance. Yuna's club leader had deemed him the perfect instructor due to his high standing, but she was close to voicing her annoyance. Still, she knew better than to let her personal feelings interfere with a decision that had already been made.
In addition, Yuna had not disclosed Kurai's involvement to Tooru and Hajime. She simply didn't think it was something they needed to know, but there were moments when she secretly wished she could share the information with them. Deep down, she knew there was nothing stopping her from being open about it, but she was still learning to navigate the unfamiliar boundaries of their budding friendship.
These two were her first genuine friends, people she genuinely trusted and confided in. She had never had the opportunity to share her innermost thoughts and feelings, the way that many others could. Despite their closeness, there was still a part of her that found it difficult to open up about the past that still held a grip on her present life.
Unfortunately, neither of the males had shared their own past experiences with her, leaving Yuna feeling uncertain. Lacking the experience of reaching out for help, gossiping or candidly sharing her deepest worries, she was left without assurance about what their responses might be if she decided to open up.
She had discussed some matters with Tooru, but whatever she had shared paled in comparison to the ongoing struggle she faced with Kurai, which only added to her mounting stress.
"But?" Tooru leaned forward, his gaze shifting to look at her more closely. Yuna emerged from her reverie, her thoughts interrupted by his single word.
Yuna's inner turmoil overtook her, but instead of confessing what was truly troubling her, she forced a smile and shook her head. "Just hoping for a good turnout," she declared, offering only a small part of the truth. Yet holding the entire truth within her only added to the already burdensome guilt she felt.
Tooru immediately recognized the artificial nature of her smile and had the urge to question her about it, but he sensed that she was not ready to reveal everything. Over the course of the school year, he had attuned himself to her subtle cues, so he knew it was best to wait patiently for her to open up in her own time.
Tooru grumbled as he returned to eating his lunch, his exaggerated chews making his discontent abundantly clear. "I definitely can't say I'm looking forward to the festival," he mumbled. Neither Yuna nor Hajime could blame him—after all, both the male and female volleyball teams were doing a joint crossdressing café, a prospect that Tooru obviously found less than appealing.
Hajime grumbled in agreement, "Let's just be thankful that we're exempt from classes during the festival."
Tooru deflated onto the floor in defeat, his disappointment clear as he complained, "I'd rather be involved in classes! Our class is just selling sweets. I still can't believe the 3rd years lost the matchup against the girls—I bet they're relishing this moment far too much." He sighed in recollection, "Last year we served Yakisoba...why can't we do that again?"
"It was first come, first serve," Hajime explained, "and the basketball team took the spot before we had the chance."
Tooru groaned in frustration, "The one thing that's bugging me is that none of us on the team know what to wear—the girls told us to figure something out. And we can't ask the drama club for help either, since all their costumes have already been taken by other clubs and classes."
Yuna sat quietly and observed the two males as they continued their animated discussion. In her first year, she had been unable to participate in the cultural festival because she had fallen ill with a terrible cold, which had lasted longer than the festival's three days. The music club at the time had been in a similar position, and it had been a challenge for them due to Kurai's absence as the club's other pianist.
The deeper consideration only fueled a strong irritation within her. He had not participated in the year prior because her absence had deprived him of the competition he craved. He had left the club in a lurch, forcing them to scramble for a last-minute solution. It bewildered her why her club leader had thought it wise to enlist his services again this time.
After taking a moment to observe the dismayed expressions on her friends' faces, Yuna redirected her thoughts. The annoyance she felt towards Kurai returned to the forefront of her mind, causing a tinge of discontent to wash over her.
"Since my performance isn't until the end of the festival," Yuna spoke up, her voice cutting through the males' conversation, "I can likely assist the team. My father works in the fashion industry, and he'd gladly help us."
As soon as Yuna uttered those words, Tooru and surprisingly, even Hajime, promptly embraced her and showered her with repeated words of gratitude.
The rest of the lunch break was spent trying to extract herself from the males' firm embrace, yet despite the effort, Yuna was thoroughly pleased.
