Rendered in Code and Color

Chapter 4: Shadows and Silhouettes

Things changed a little bit in middle school. He met some people of like mind and situation and was able to hang out with them. Creating the illusion of comradery. They could have been genuine friends, but he didn't let them get close enough for that.

But at least in middle school people left him alone. The music teacher was someone that worked with Kazuki's mother in the past. Kazuki's mother was a professional pianist. She did solo shows, accompaniments, and she taught lessons. Naturally, she taught Kazuki as well. He was far from professional, but he was good enough to make a hobby out of it.

So during school performances, he would bang away at the keys. It didn't make him popular, but at least people didn't seem to hate him. His performances seemed to cancel things out, allowing people to forget enmity towards him.

Then, his father, a software developer, got a job offer with a large company in Tokyo that included a serious pay raise. So, just after his second year of high school started, he moved halfway across the country. As far as he was concerned, this wasn't a bad thing. It was like pressing reset. But even though he thought about it, he was never able to step out of that comfortable box he grew so accustomed to.

Datcord finally finished updating. There were a few messages in his game server asking where he was and commenting on how it was unusual for him to be MIA. He shot a quick message into the chat.

Sorry guys, met with some people after class today and time kind of flew by.

A few replies shot back. Such as, 'no way! Dude, I thought we were you're friends', and 'oh, could it be a gf?'

He chose to ignore their dumb comments, put his headset on, and switched to the voice chat channel.

"So, what game are playing today?"

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Miyuki returned to a quiet penthouse. Mrs. Suzuki seemed to notice something different in Miyuki and asked several questions about Miyuki's day. After hearing Miyuki's spent the evening at a cafe with friends, her expression seemed to soften. Miyuki inquired about any messages left by her family, but there were none. It seemed they were content to give her the silent treatment for now.

Honestly though, Miyuki saw that as a blessing in disguise. There was no way they would approve of her attending an art college. After all, this was a family that existed entirely in politics. Even most of her extended family had their hands in politics in one way or another. Those that didn't were barely a foot note in their family tree.

Her parents weren't horrible people, though. They just didn't really know anything outside of politics. They didn't look down on people in other professions either. They simply had a long history that proved success in politics.

It was for that reason they pushed Miyuki to follow the same path. And for years she dutifully followed the future they laid out for her. They weren't a particularly affectionate family but she knew they cared about about her and her future. As she got older however, things started to change.

Simply put, she didn't want to make a career out of arguments and blackmail. As far as she new, her family stayed away from shady practices, but we're under constant pressure. They had to make sure they left no ammunition to be used against them.

On top of that, she was slowly beginning to hate the spotlight. She didn't see herself as special in anyway. Sure, her family had a lot of money and her lifestyle was certainly different compared to most, but it's not like she earned any of that.

After dinner, she went up stairs to wash up and relax. She enjoyed taking a hot bath in the evening, then she would sit outside with a cold drink and her sketchbook. As she lowered herself into the bath, her thoughts flashed back to her childhood friend.

If Miyuki wasn't so popular, would things have been different? It's not like she could control her popularity, but she still blames herself for her friend's bitter words.

She sank her chin into the water as she pulled her body close to her legs. Would something similar happen with her new friends? If she got any closer to them, and things did come crashing down... would she be able to recover from that?

She thought back to how Kaori treated her when they first spoke. Miyuki's childhood friend knew who she was from the start, at least in name. But Kaori had no idea at first, she was just memorized by a sketch. It was like that sketch was a window that allowed Kaori to see who Miyuki was inside.

Later, when Kaori did find out Miyuki came from the Shimizu family, she was surprised — but she didn't treat Miyuki any differently. Like it was nothing more than a fun fact to her.

She leaned back in the tub, trying to push the positive thought train along. She really adored Ayaka, too. She had such a dynamic and honest personality — like she couldn't care less what people that, she was going to be herself no matter what.

Between Ayaka and Hiroshi's banter, and Kaori's constant teasing, she could suspected a lot of lively days to come. The thought gave her a light chuckle.

There was also Kazuki. She started to wonder, if you strip away the exterior shell, how different were they really? She couldn't quite remember how she imagined him as she watched from a perpetual distance. But she did know he was much more complicated than she thought.

She always thought they were completely different, but after his comment at the cafe, she realized something.

"It's not that he's against bonding with people, it's just that it's easier to not try. Safer. Just like me." She mumbled to herself.

She thought back to the intricacies of his eyes up close. Green, like the pine trees that hold their color even in the harsh winter. Holding hope until spring. Could Kazuki be the pine that caries her through to spring?

Her mind went blank for a moment, then a second later Mrs. Suzuki, preparing lunch in the kitchen, could have sworn she heard an embarrassed sequel from upstairs. Miyuki, feeling like her face was on fire, decided it was time to get out of the bath and redirect her focus towards a drawing.