Muse [h.s.]

1. japan

🎵Lovers in Japan — Coldplay

Harry's POV
a month before the release of
Fine Line

Tokyo, Japan — one of the busiest, largest cities in the world. I can almost blend in so seamlessly in the busy streets and crowds; no one seems to bother me here.

The past few weeks in this beautiful city, this beautiful country, has been surreal. I've experienced so much, met so many wonderful people, and wrote some songs that I'm most proud of.

One thing about Japan — it has the most beautiful sunrises. In the time I've spent here, I've made sure to wake up each morning to catch the sunrise.

Something about it reminds me of her.

And it's quite funny. I came to Japan hoping to escape my thoughts of her, to finally gain some closure. In a sense, I did — I'm not saddened by the course life planned for us, not anymore.

But instead of escaping thoughts of her, the thoughts have only been amplified by thousands, if not millions. I see her everywhere — in the sunrise, resembling the vibrance of her eyes when she used to look at me, the bright aura she radiates; in the sunflower fields that Mitch and I visited two weeks ago for inspiration; in the city, bustling with life, it reminds me of her wild laughter when she'd run down the streets of Manhattan, the wind blowing in her hair.

It's my last week here in Japan and I'm seated outside the house I've been staying at, taking in the world around me.

Overcome with emotions, maybe with going back home, maybe with leaving this country that I've come to adore so soon, I grab my phone out of my pocket.

I dial the number and it rings a few times before someone picks up. "Hello?" A deep voice answers.

"Jax," I say with a smile. "Hey man, how are you? Is Lydia around?"

Jax laughs over the phone as he fumbles about. "Yeah, bro, I figured you called to speak to her, she's just walking out the bathroom...here she is!"

I hear them whisper to one another over the line, something I can't quite make out, as they exchange the phone between them.

"Harry, hi!" Lydia chirps over the phone. "How are you? How's Japan? We haven't heard from you in a while."

"I've been well, Japan is great," I reply. "I'm actually coming home tomorrow, well, I'm still a bit funny with the time difference, but..."

Lydia laughs. "Oh, yeah, you caught us early! It's morning here in New York, we're just rushing to the airport to pick up...um..." Lydia trails off. I can hear the uncertainty in her voice but I laugh.

"Lydia, it's fine, you can say her name," I say through my laugh, but I can't ignore the way my heart speeds up just at the mention of her. Lydia laughs softly on the other end.

"How is she? I didn't know she stayed so long in France..." I say quietly, playing with the string of my sweatpants. Lydia told me that she originally went just for a few days, but she's spent two weeks there, according to Lydia.

"Yeah, well, you know she went there because she heard you were there for a little, then I guess she ran into Elise and Lucien and...yeah," Lydia says, clearing her voice a little. "But she's doing well, she's supposed to land soon."

Lucien, of course. Anger flares within me but I try to calm it; she's happy, that's what matters. But then my heart quickens when Lydia says she went there because of me...had I known at the time, I would have done anything to see her, even just a glimpse.

"Are you coming to New York?" Lydia suddenly asks, a hint of defense in her tone. I chuckle quietly — I can't blame her. Of course she'd want to know if her best friend's ex boyfriend was coming to town.

I shake my head, though I realize she can't see me. "No, I'm heading back to California. Gonna record these next few songs before December," I reply.

"Oh," Lydia breathes out.

"Yeah," I reply. "Well, Lyds, I'll leave you to it. Tell Jax whenever I'm in town we'll hang out. And...well, give Aurelia a hug for me when you see her." Saying her name causes my heart to wince a bit; I haven't fully said her name out loud in a while. It almost sounds foreign leaving my mouth.

"Of course," Lydia replies. "And Harry...take care of yourself. Call soon, okay?"

We say our goodbyes and the phone clicks. I sigh, pushing it back in my pocket as I lean back against the chair, staring up at the full moon.

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anddd we're off! book 2 here we gooooo!

i'm so excited for you all to see what i have in store for Harry and Ella...

please comment and vote! reading your comments make me wanna squeeze you all soooo tightly!

loveeeee,
ashley