Red Symphony

Unexpected Wish

Alice was tidying up her belongings at the hall when she noticed someone approaching her.  Her head immediately turned to that someone.

Alice smiles with a shocked expression. "Ellie?"

Ellie smiles back.  "Teehee. Hey, Alice. How's practice?"

"Um, it's going well, but what are you doing here?"  asked Alice, confused with her presence at the hall.

Ellie smiles sheepishly and steal a glance to her back with her eyes.  Alice who understood her gestures, immediately followed Ellie's gaze.  Behind them were Brett and Eddy talking.

"Wait, don't tell me..." Alice tries to guess. "You and Eddy are...?"

Ellie nods in agreement.  "Thanks, Alice. Your advice really helped me."

Alice smiled happily at her.  She shook her head.  "It's all thanks to yourself. I'm happy for you."

"Hey, what's all this?"  Caca suddenly came over to the two of them.  She turns to Ellie.  "You're not bothering Alice, are you? I'll let you have a piece of mine if you do."

Ellie chuckles at that, fully understand why Caca gets so alarmed around her.  Then she immediately said goodbye to Alice.  "I hope you don't mind if I come here often from now on. Bye, Alice."

Alice waved her hand at Ellie briefly, then grins at Caca.  "You're quite scary for a girl, huh?"

Caca smiles.  "I'm not letting anyone bother my friends, you know."

Alice laughs.  "Thanks, but I'm fine. In fact, Ellie and I have been getting along recently."

"Oh yeah? How come?"  asked Caca curiously.

"That's ... a secret," Alice joked.  "The important thing is that there are no more problems between us now."

"No fair. I want to know too! Fine then, if she doesn't do anything weird to you, I'm happy for you," said Caca.  "You're going home with Brett, right?"

Alice nods.  "How about you?"

"I'll stop by for shopping, then go straight home," said Caca.  "Well then, see you later, Alice."

"Okay, bye," Alice said as Caca goes to leave the hall too.  Shortly after that, Brett appeared to approach him with a worried face.

Alice looked into his face in surprise.  "What's wrong, Brett?"

"Uh, Alice, do you have a moment after this?"  Brett asked carefully.

"Yeah, I have. But what's up?"  asked Alice in surprise.  Brett's feelings were fine during the orchestra practice earlier.

"Uh, I wanted to visit Dad for a bit. Because..."

---

"You finally visit me again."  said Brett's Dad, seems holding back a smile in front of Alice.

Alice smiles confusedly.  This is the second time she visits his Dad.  However, this time Brett was asked to wait outside, leaving the two of them alone.  Honestly, Alice was getting uneasy for it.

"What's the matter, Sir? Brett said, You want to meet me?"  asked Alice curiously.

"Uh," Brett's father scratched the nape of his neck which didn't itch.  "How are your relationship with Brett now?"

"Eh? What?"  Alice is a little taken aback.  "I... Uh, It's alright."

"Looks like to me, you've been together for a while. What do you think about Brett?"  asked Brett's father curiously. He went straight to the point.

"Uh... what's wrong, Sir?"  asked Alice, confused.  "Did something happened to Brett?"

Brett's Dad shook his head.  "Just answer my question."

"Um," Alice paused for a moment.  At a glance she remembered everything she had been through with that man.  "He is very hardworking and kind. He helped my brother studies a lot."

"I see," said Brett's Dad, smiling a little.  "Then?"

"Then what?" asked Alice in confusion. She didn't get what he is trying to pull of.

"Then what do YOU think about, Brett, girl?" He asked, more firmly this time.

Alice paused again, then shrugged her shoulders, didn't really know what to answer him. "He's just a nice man to me."

Brett's Dad silents, he just stared at Alice, deep in thought.

Alice looked back to him with a little nervousness.  The expression on her face grew even more confused.  There was anxiety starting to rise inside of her.  "Something is definitely wrong, isn't it, Sir? Why? What's wrong with Brett? Just tell me, Sir. He does a little introverted to others."

Brett's Dad smiles again at her reaction.  "So you do worried about Brett that much?"

"Uh, well I..." Alice lowers her head.  Her voice sank, her face turns away with embarrassment. Looks like that question was just a bait for her to spit out her feelings.

"You love him, don't you?"  Finally he shoots the question directly to her.

Alice looked at Brett's Dad in surprise.  "Eh, S-Sir... N-No..."

"No? Are you sure?" He asked again.  "I mean, if you do, maybe you can help me."

"Eh?"  Alice's face softened. She lowered her head.  "Why?"

"You... want to make Brett happy, right?"

Alice stared at Brett's Dad face in silence.  Her body trembles at the question. 

That sentence again.  The same sentence, which Ellie asked for.  But this is different.  This is Brett's Dad.  His own father asked.  She couldn't possibly refuse it because she surely wanted to make Brett happy, but...

Brett's Dad sighs.  "Sorry if this is too sudden for you. But, I know I can only ask this from you."

"But why?"  asked Alice doubtfully.  "He's happy, right? I heard you guys communicate well already."

Brett's Dad nods.  "Yes, that's true. But talking to him every time we meet won't be enough for me, Alice."

Alice fell silent.

"I have left him since elementary school. For a dozen years he didn't know me, we didn't get to know each other and now I won't be able to watch him grow. I'm sure he will listen to you more than me because obviously you're the person he trust the most right now."

"But I don't know if I can look after him like you did."  said Alice still felt doubtful.

Brett's Dad patted Alice on the shoulder lightly.  "First of all, be honest with him first. About your feelings."

"Eh?!"  Alice looked at him in horror. Her heart stopped hearing his words.

What do I do now?

To be continued :)