Chapter 122

Luka.

It was Thursday morning, and I had just knocked on Gakupo's door. It took him a few seconds, but he opened up eventually, looking at me with weary eyes.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" I chirped. He groaned and rubbed his eyes.

"Luka...," he mumbled, "The Song of Summer is today. You know that there's no school..."

"Teachers still have to be at the Song of Summer!"

"But it starts at two! It's only nine right now!"

"Exactly!" I smiled, walking into his home, "I thought I'd come by and make breakfast."

He closed the door and led me into the kitchen. "You know, you're really too nice, Luka," he said.

I looked at him, my eyebrows arched with amusement. "Really?"

"Really," he smiled and my heart fluttered.

"O-Okay," I nodded as a blush crawled up my cheeks and my heart started pounding in my ears, "Wash up, okay? We'll cook breakfast together!"

He left the kitchen and I started pulling eggs, jam and peanut butter out of the fridge. I plugged in the toaster and started slicing some fruit.

Gakupo was back in a few minutes, pulling me away from the fruit and pecking me on the cheek. I swatted him away.

"Get the frypan heated," I smirked. He nodded and did as I said, "You know, I really can't wait for the concert. Your performance was beyond amazing yesterday, and now you're going to be singing, too!"

Gakupo chuckled sheepishly. He picked up an egg and cracked it into the frying pan. It sizzled and almost immediately, the air was filled with the smell of frying eggs.

"I wasn't that good," he said. I stopped cutting fruit and stared at him.

"Exactly," I said, "You were great!"

"Luka, seriously!"

"I am being serious!"

He sighed and smiled at me. His face was a little red. "If you say so."

I nodded, took a bowl and put the fruit in it. "Hey, Gakupo...have you ever married?"

"H-Huh?" He suddenly became flustered.

"I'm just curious!" I said quickly. He shook his head and sighed.

Gakupo.

I couldn't believe what Luka had just asked me. I was starting to worry if she had somehow see the diamond ring I had kept safely tucked away for that one day...but today was not that day, I was sure about that.

"No, I haven't married anyone," I answered, trying to stay calm. She nodded slowly and I added, "I don't mind you asking, Luka. W-What about you?"

"I haven't," she mumbled, "But, you know...maybe someday, I'll...find that special someone."

"Special someone, huh?" I slumped a little, "Luka, did you forget that we're dating?"

"N-No, I didn't, it's just...," she pursed her lips and wrapped her arms around herself. I noticed that she usually did that when she was feeling insecure. I didn't want her feeling insecure, obviously. I loved her. I had never loved anyone with the same intensity.

I walked up to her and hugged her tightly. "I love you, Luka," I whispered, "And I'm always going to be here for you. Don't worry about making mistakes. We talked about this, remember? What kind of love would exist between us if I couldn't forgive a simple mistake?"

"Right, right, right...," she nodded against me, resting her head on my chest. I stroked her long, pink locks slowly, trying to comfort her.

"Besides," I smiled, "Your flaws are part of what defines you as a human. They're part of why I love you."

I put my hand against her chin, tilting her face upwards and shutting my eyes only after she let hers flutter to a close. She looked like a goddess, with that same elegant, sharp beauty of hers that graced the school everyday. Now, she was a bigger part of my life. That used to be a dream of mine, but now, it was a reality.

As our lips touched, my heart beat harshly against my ribs, but I kept the kiss sweet and innocuous. This girl was too perfect for a rough kiss. I didn't want to hurt her. We'd move slowly, at our own pace, hanging on to each other.

Len.

I woke up in the morning when something heavy and fluffy hit my face. Rin's giggling filed the air and I groaned, sitting up straight and pulling the sheets off of my face. This was the second time that we had slept in the same bed, and we had been careful to make sure that things never got out of hand.

I didn't have much time to think before the next load of fluff hit me. I groaned and realized that it was a pillow, though what Rin yelled a second later would've clarified things, too.

"Pillow fight!" She declared. I grabbed the pillow off of my face, her infectious laughter afflicting me as I slammed it into her small figure and made her fall backwards along the length of the bed.

"That was a cheap shot, I was sleeping!" I grinned and climbed on top of her with the pillow still in my hands. Being the agile, petite girl she was, she slid right out from underneath me and grabbed another pillow, slamming it against the back of my head. I fell face first into the sheets and Rin was sitting on top of me, her fingers threatening to tickle the life out of me.

"I win!" She laughed and tickled my ribs, making me squirm under her.

"Okay, okay!" I said between laughs, turning so that I was lying on my back.

She looked down at me and faltered for a moment, blushing slightly. I took the opportunity to get her back, tickling her. She tried to resist, pulling my hands away and getting off of me, running into the bathroom. I chased her to the door and she hugged me suddenly.

"Good morning!" She sang, "Len, you have no idea how happy your mood is making me."

I pressed my nose against hers and smiled. "I'm hoping," I said, "I'm hoping for my mom. I'm hoping for our performance to go well. I'm...I'm hoping that you're always with me, Rin. I want to smile because when I do, you smile, too."

I closed my eyes as she ran her hands through my hair before whispering, "I want to make you smile like this, always."

"You're the only one who can," I replied. I inched closer, pressing her figure against the bathroom door. Our bodies touched but her hands slipped out of my locks and she gently pushed me back.

"We have to be at school by two," she said, "Don't want to miss the festivities, right?"

I nodded. "I'll get changed."

Yuma.

"Yuma!" Gumi's mom opened the door and hugged me. My heart sank a little, but I smiled and nodded, "Gumi should be up soon."

"Okay," I walked into the home and peered up the staircase.

"Do you want to check on her?" Gumi's mother asked. I nodded slowly.

"Can I?"

"Of course!" She beamed and patted my shoulder. I bolted up the stairs without another thought; even though I spent so much time with her yesterday, I needed to see her again.

"Gumi!" I pushed the door open and caught her sitting on her bed, combing her hair.

We stared at each other for a moment and I smiled, making her smile in response. Her hair was still wet and her shirt was soaked around the collar. She pulled her orange comb out of her hair and tossed it aside.

"Hey," I whispered. She got to her feet and picked a hairclip off of her bedside table, using it to hold up her still wet hair. She walked up to me and just smiled, but that was enough, because it was that perfect smile of hers that made my day so much better.

"Hey," she echoed, tilting her head to one side and making a few strands of her bangs fall over her eyes, "How are you?"

I laughed and pulled her close for a hug. Every time I embraced her felt like the first, when Len had brought her out by the ice cream shop and she confessed.

"I'm...I'm great," I was feeling so giddy as I looked at her, "Just...you know, t-the concert, the festival, all that..."

She playfully punched me in the gut. "You're stammering. That's so unlike you."

I chuckled and ran a hand through my hair. "Sorry, I guess...I'm excited?"

She looked up at me, beaming, her fingers toying with the edge of my shirt. Slowly, I pulled her closer and she pulled me towards her, backing up against a wall. She looked so pretty, the way she was so simple and clean and perfect that way. I could never describe her well enough, even if I tried. She didn't need makeup, and a simple shirt and sweatpants looked amazing on her figure. She was bold and fierce and vocal, but she was also empathic and solemn when the time called for it. She was just perfect.

She looked up at me, closing her eyes. I kissed her slowly, holding her close. She smiled against my mouth and gently peeled away.

"This is the earliest time in the day we've kissed, huh?" She whispered.

"I'd like to kiss you a lot more," I admitted, running a finger along the length of her neck before kissing it. She gasped softly and I licked her smooth flesh, becoming hungrier and hungrier as I did. I wasn't sating my desire to be with her; I was only feeding it.

It's fine...as long as I get to be with her for now...

I kissed her jaw and she turned her face downwards to meet mine, burying her fingers in my hair and kissing me with that same passion that was bubbling inside of me. I stroked the soaked strands of her hair gently and her hands slipped down to my neck. She stood on her tiptoes and before I knew it, I lifted her in my arms and carried her over to the bed.

She fell back and I climbed on top of her, just looking down at her silently for a few moments.

"Yuma," she smiled, her tone teasing, "Are you just going to look at me?"

My face flushed and I shook my head. She reached up and tousled my hair lovingly. I ran a finger along her face, wanting to kiss it, but I held back, for some reason.

"I still owe you," she whispered.

"You don't owe me anything," I answered, "I love you. That's all that matters."

Gumi parted her lips slightly, as if to say something, and then suddenly jerked me forward, our mouths meeting again. She wasn't hesitating when she kissed me, and my heart was pounding, throbbing almost, similar to how my head was throbbing the day before. I felt as though my heart would smash its way out if my ribs.

Her kisses continued, sweet and soft and amazing. It was like falling in love with her all over again. As we kissed, my mind flashed back to when I crushed on her and just watched her from the distance. I could never have imagined that one day, I'd be with her like this.

Her hair was wet and cool, but her mouth was warm. I slowly ran my fingers along the hem of her shirt, brushing against the smooth flesh of her stomach. I let go of everything, the entire world, my family, the festival, my friends, where I was...Gumi was the only thing on my mind. I focused on her hair, her body, her mouth against mine, the kiss transporting me to paradise, a world without worries, a place where wishes came true.

I forgot myself, I forgot to breathe, I forgot everything except for the girl underneath me. She loved me, and when we finally pulled away, breathless, the lust still lingering in our eyes, I wanted nothing more than to do it all over again.

"Hmm," Gumi smiled and I trembled a little, my palms splayed open my her sides, the bedsheets peeking out from the gaps between my fingers. I only had a chance to take a short breath before she pulled me down again.

Our bodies crashed against each other, our limbs a tangled mess. She kissed me harder this time, her tongue rubbing against my teeth. I opened my mouth slightly and let her explore me for a few seconds before pulling back and pressing my lips against her ear.

"My turn," I whispered seductively, making her tense up. I trailed kisses down past her earlobe, to her neck, just reaching her collarbone when I heard a sound behind me.

The door...

We both twisted our heads back to look at Gumi's mom standing in the doorway. My face turned a deep red. She would never let me come near her daughter again, after seeing something like this.

"Whoops...," Gumi whispered as we untangled ourselves and her mother approached us silently. Quickly, we skittered off and stood awkwardly beside each other.

"Ma'am, I'm so...," I started to apologize when Gumi's mother grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh my goodness, Gumi!" She squealed, climbing across the bed and taking her daughter by the shoulders, shaking her back and forth, "He is perfect, so perfect, so perfect, dear! The way he kisses you and touches you and..."

I slumped a little as my cheeks burned with embarrassment. She let go of Gumi and wrapped her arms around herself, running around the room and laughing.

"If you want to marry him, I'll let you do it right now!"

"Wait, do what, exactly?" I was even redder. Gumi elbowed me in the gut.

"She doesn't mean do 'that,' she means, getting married," Gumi whispered. We watched her mom run around the room before falling back on Gumi's now wrinkled sheets and rolling around like a teenage girl.

"You two are just so cute!" She went on before sitting up and smiling at us, "Oh, don't mind me, just fangirling! You two, go ahead, continue."

"Uh...," Gumi looked up at me and I smiled, taking her hand, "M-Maybe later?"

"Right!" Her mother suddenly got to her feet, "Can't get all lovey-dovey on an empty stomach, now can you? Come on downstairs, I've made pancakes."

She hummed happily, walking out of the room. We exchanged glances before slowly following her.

"Hey," I paused and looked at Gumi.

"What?"

I kissed her nose. "I wasn't done yet."

She giggled. "You done now?"

"No, but that'll have to do," I frowned, "I got scared there for a sec."

"So did I," she took my hand and pulled me out of the room, "Come on, she'll get excited all over again if you feed me pancakes!"

I laughed. "You just want me to feed you, isn't that it?"

Neru.

I knocked on Oliver's door and he opened up almost immediately.

"Aw, were you waiting for me to knock?" I teased before tossing my backpack to the ground and opening it, "Look what I brought."

I held out two pairs of brand new rollerblades in front of him. He gaped at me.

"W-What?" He looked as though I was holding a dead baby or a mutilated kitten or an empty Slurpee glass or something in front of him.

"Let's rollerblade!" I smiled.

"I've never rollerbladed before!"

"Well, neither have I," I admitted. He crossed his arms.

"Then why'd you buy those?"

"I thought we could practice and learn together in the summer!" I pouted, dropping the rollerblades onto my bag and looking at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"Oh...," his gaze softened, "We could do that..."

"Could we?" I asked, "I just thought that it'd be so much fun!"

He smiled and took my hand suddenly, pulling me across the threshold and into his home. I crashed against his figure, looking up at me. He leaned closer and gently kissed my mouth.

"We'll go right now, if you want," he grinned, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"I had a bagel," I said, my cheeks red because of his kiss.

He laughed. "Me too!"

"Coincidence!" I declared dramatically, "Or fate?"

He kept laughing, pulling me closer for a hug. I shifted a bit, wrapping my arms around him, thinking that maybe I'd rather stay like this than go rollerblading with him.

Either way, it'd be perfect.

Kaito.

I was quiet. Miku, my princess, just looked at me with those sparkling eyes of hers, her lips so close to mine, one hand holding mine and the other in my hair. The wind caressed our faces and darkness embraced her. Being with her like this was so perfect. It was more magical than a dream.

"Kaito," she whispered before kissing me slowly and saying my name again against my mouth, "Kaito..."

"Hmm?" I pulled back. She didn't say anything for a moment. Then, suddenly, she began singing at the top of her lungs.

"Sekai de ichi-ban ohime-sama, sou-iu atsukai kokoro-eteeeeee...!"

I gasped and opened my eyes, sitting up straight in bed. A dream, it was just a dream.

Well, except for the part where my princess was singing at the top of her lungs. She looked at me, standing on the other side of the room in her pyjamas, smiling sweetly.

"I thought I'd sing to wake you up!" She said.

"M-Maybe you were a bit too loud," I mumbled, getting out of bed.

"Wash up quickly, okay, Kaito?" She said as I headed towards the bathroom, "Jeremy the Second's making breakfast downstairs!"

I nodded and headed into the bathroom, taking a quick shower and brushing my teeth. I walked out with a towel wrapped around my waist, my hair sopping wet and falling over my eyes. Miku was sitting on the bed, playing with her phone.

"Kaito!" She gushed at the sight of me, "You're so handsome!"

My face flushed. "Where are my clothes?"

"Do you want me to dress you?" She grinned.

"P-Princess, as much as I'd...like that, I don't think right now is the best time."

She pouted momentarily before getting off of the bed and walking over to her closet, pulling the doors open and browsing the clothes. "Where did Jeremy hang yours..."

"Hey, Miku, you know how cute you look in pyjamas?" I smiled, walking over to her. She looked up at me.

"Really?" She whispered.

"You'd look cute, no matter what you wear!" I laughed and she scoffed.

"That's not a very good compliment."

"Hey, that's how much I love you," I said firmly, "There's more to my princess than how she looks, you know."

She sighed and pulled out a pair of black pants and a blue, long sleeved shirt. "Here," she said, "Your scarf would look nice with these."

"We're going to wear costumes for Cendrillon and Cantarella, right?" I asked, taking the clothes from her. She nodded and I tossed the clothes onto the bed, pulling her towards me for a hug.

"K-Kaito!" She yelped against me. I nuzzled her neck, a smile on my face.

"It's been too long since I hugged you," I explained.

"You held me like a teddy bear all night, you know..."

I laughed as the sleepy memory came back to me. "Right, I remember...it'd be nice to do that again, don't you think?"

"Not right now," Miku said, "We have to eat and get to the festival soon, you know."

"Okay, fine," I pulled away and walked over to the bed, pulling the shirt on, "But after all that, we're going to have some ice cream and tacos!"

She giggled. "I knew you'd say that."

"Hey," I said, "Turn around, princess."

"Huh?" She frowned and realized what I was talking about after a minute, "Oh! Sorry!"

Immediately, she spun around and put her hands over her eyes. She was so adorable that I felt like teasing her.

"Unless you want to look," I sang, quickly putting the rest of my clothes on.

"Kaito!" She shook her head, still turned away, "Are you done yet?"

I nodded and she turned to face me. "Okay," she smiled, "Let's have breakfast."

I grinned and approached her, taking her hands and dancing around the room while singing Cantarella. She laughed at first and then started singing along. We waltzed out of her room and skipped down the stairs. I pulled her close for a kiss every two steps or so, and once we got off the stairway, we sang Cendrillon and danced our way towards the dining room. I took Miku in my arms and she squealed as I carried her into the dining room and sat her down on the table.

"I think I'm supposed to be sitting on the chair," she smiled. I nodded and kissed her on the mouth slowly, cupping her face in my hands.

"Just wanted to do that first," I said before pulling her off and pulling out a chair for her. I took a seat beside her and Jeremy brought the food in.

Rin.

Len and I arrived at school around ten minutes past two. The festivities had begun, and there were stalls and people everywhere.

"Don't want to get lost," Len grinned and squeezed my hand. I laughed and nodded.

"Let's find the others," I said, "Look, there's Meiko, Mikuo, Oliver and Neru."

We walked over to the four. They were by a food stall and they waved after seeing us.

"We're buying popcorn!" Meiko grinned.

"I wish they had a Slurpee machine," Neru mumbled. I watched as Oliver linked arms with her and sweetly kissed her forehead. They really were cute.

After we bought popcorn, we headed over to another stall. They had a huge sheet of white paper laid out on the field and were handing out markers. I saw Yuma and Gumi kneeling down on the paper, drawing things and laughing.

"You guys, let's draw something!" Len said, grabbing a yellow marker from a large tray. I took an orange one and the rest of the group grabbed other colours, following us as we headed over to Yuma and Gumi.

"Hey," Gumi waved and Yuma tackled her, pinning her down against the sheet and tickling her.

"I'm gonna draw a moustache!" He sang, uncapping a marker and tickling her with his free hand. She pushed him back as he jokingly brought the marker closer.

"Yuma, you idiot!" She pushed him off and swiped the marker from him, writing 'pink haired boys are crazy' in huge capital letters across the sheet before doodling what looked like a chibi Yuma.

"Gumi, that's not true!" Yuma wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back. She swatted him away.

"Shush, I'm writing that to keep the other girls away from you!" She said.

I sat down near a blank space and opened my marker before glancing at Len. "What're you going to draw?" I asked.

"A banana!" He exclaimed. I laughed.

"I'm drawing an orange!" I said.

"Obviously," he smirked. I stuck my tongue out at him and drew a huge orange circle, peppering one side with dots.

"Look, the gang's already here, Kaito," I heard Miku and turned to look up at her. She was holding a bright green marker. Kaito was holding a blue one, "I see you're drawing an orange, Rin."

"Of course I am!" I giggled as the two sat down beside me. Miku drew a leek and Kaito drew a girl with long, teal pigtails. She was holding an ice cream cone in one hand and a leek in the other.

"Guess who it is," he said, elbowing Miku.

"Um...," Miku stared at the drawing for a long moment before answering, "Is it Meiko?"

"N-No!" Kaito grabbed her by the shoulders suddenly, "It's you, princess!"

"Oh...," Miku's eyes widened.

"How did you not see that?" Len frowned.

We kept doodling for a while, eating popcorn as we did. Gumi had also brought three bags of baby carrots, and while she ate most of them, there were a few left for us.

It was around four in the afternoon, and we were wandering around the area when Miku called us all over.

"We have to get ready for the concert," she explained, "Backstage, come on!"

"You ready?" I asked Len. He nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied. We hurried after Miku towards the stage, heading behind the curtains.

Miku.

By the time we were all ready to go, it was already six. I was sitting behind the curtain, peering out every now and then, sipping from a glass of water as a crowd began to form.

"You'll do great," Kaito said. He was sitting beside me, his icy blue eyes set against my teals, "Miku, I can't believe it. Another year, another concert. You're...you're just so amazing."

I smiled and handed my empty glass to him, glancing across at the rest of the gang. Neru and Mikuo had just headed out to join the audience, and Gumi was still with Yuma. He was being much more affectionate than usual, kissing her cheek or nose or forehead every few seconds, making her squirm and blush. He looked at me suddenly, making eye contact and letting go of Gumi momentarily.

"Miku," he began, "Can we take a group picture?"

"Huh?" I nodded, "That's actually a good idea."

I clapped my hands together. "You guys! Let's take a picture! Gumi, could you take it?"

"Huh?" Gumi looked at me, confused, "Okay..."

"It's the entire music club," I explained with a smile, "Does your phone have a good camera?"

She laughed sheepishly. "Good enough, I guess," she said as we all arranged ourselves in a group. She held her phone sideways and smiled, "Okay, you guys, smile!"

We all put on our best grins and she snapped a photo. Next, we made funny and stupid faces and she took another one.

"I'll send it to all of you," she said, pocketing her camera. I nodded and walked towards the curtains.

"Go, Miku!" Rin yelled, "Let's start this thing off with a bang!"

"Yeah!" I nodded and Kaito grabbed me before I could step out. He closed his eyes and kissed me on the lips, tilting his face to one side.

"For luck," he whispered once he pulled away.

"Great, now my face is red," I joked and nodded, walking out onto the stage.

The crowd was huge. I couldn't believe that there were so many people, the entire school, basically, and that they were all there to watch us perform.

No biggie. I love singing!

I smiled and waved to everyone, eliciting roars of applause from the crowd. As soon as they quieted down, I started to sing.