According To The Muses {UTAPRI}

20: Her Lost Child's Heart

Otoya hmmed, "...Well. Now that I think about it..." He paused and I paused as well. "~AH!"

"Ah!" I repeated. "What?"

He slammed a fist into his hand, "I know who I want to ask!"

"Okay!" I mimicked him playfully, "Who is it?"

"It's~uh..." Otoya's excitement seemed to fade. "...no one."

I tilted my head, "But you just said you knew someone."

"..." Otoya looked to the side silently. "...I don't think I should tell you yet."

"Why not!?" I yelled making Otoya jump.

"Look, you have nothing to worry about!" He put his hands out defensively, "It's just an idea! It's not set in stone after all!" Otoya continued walking ahead of me, "If I ask the person and they say yes then I'll tell you."

"What kind of sense does that make?" Otoya's lips closed nervously. "Oh, I get it. You don't want to tell me because I might pick the same person. How cheeky Otoya!" The red-head buried his hands in his pockets and refused to talk about it any further.

"Let's just go find the guys already." With a frown, I complied.

____________

Almost four weeks had gone by since that conversation with Otoya. The two of us had not spoken to each other since. Whenever we passed each other in the hallway, the interactions were never long. Both of our schedules didn't seem to ever line up, so we never found the time to see each other outside of classes. Otoya was always "too busy". It didn't take me long to wonder what the heck he was doing that was so important.

"Nanami! Can I talk to you for a sec?"

The familiar voice of the redhead caught my ear as I had traveled in the same hallway he and I had last spoken in.

"Sure Ittoki-san."

"Haru." The person he had stopped to talk to was none other than our classmate Nanami Haruka. I didn't know why I felt the need to hide, but I hid behind a nearby pillar, spying on their conversation.

"I'm sorry about the other time, at the summer camp." Otoya scratched his neck nervously, "But I'm serious! I'm not thinking about anyone but you!" My eyes widened at his exclamation.

"Something happened between them during the vacation?" I thought aloud, "Why didn't he say anything? And what did he mean he's thinking about her?!"

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to shout." Otoya backed up from leaning over the short red-headed girl. He lowered his voice, "I'm finally turning it in. I wrote your name down on it, Nanami."

"What?!" Haruka seemed to gasp.

Otoya blinked at her reaction. He then slid his hands in his pockets out of nervous habit. "B-Between m-my music and your singing...I think we'd make a dynamic combo! Like when we passed the recording test earlier this year. I was able to sing naturally with a lot of confidence. And it was a lot of fun."

"B-But Ittoki-san~"

Otoya gathered some inner courage and leaned in closer to her again, this time on purpose. "Nanami-chan. I think...I think that I am the closest one to you. I-In style...and in terms of working together..." He swallowed the rest of his nervousness and spoke clearly. "If I am your partner, I promise I could turn any sound you make into a fantastic song, for our graduation audition!" He clasped her hand in between one of his. The boy's ruby eyes peered into her golden-green ones.

"Ittoki-san." Haruka was always one just to mutter like that. She seemed moved by his confidence. "I...I am flattered. Um...Umm...I~"

"It's okay." Otoya brought her hand closer, "You don't have to decide right now." He whispered even lower than before, "Just put some thought into it, please. For me."