The Truth About the Girl With the Broken Smile [Ouran Host Club] (Editing)

First Date

***

                “Indie festival?” Kaoru rubbed a hand across his chin. I smiled.

                “You don’t get a say in it, I’m kidnapping you, remember?” I chuckled. The cool winter’s wind nipped at the nape of my neck. I puffed warm air into my hands and rubbed them together. Kaoru looked at me sideways and shook his head.

                “You’re an interesting one, that’s for sure.” He sighed. He was nervous. I could tell. His usual calm demeanor was drenched with uncertainty. I hooked my arm with his and rested my head against his shoulder. He tensed.

                “Loosen up, will you? This is going to be fun. It’s not your first concert, is it?” He didn’t respond. My jaw gaped wide open. “No kidding? Wow! You’re going to love this, just you wait!”

                “Where’d all this energy come from?” He chuckled. I was practically bouncing up and down I was so tickled. Back in America, concerts were my life. The little Indie Festivals were my favorite. They were never too crowded and usually really fancy. Lots of art and homemade knick knacks cluttered the area, but the dance floor was always open.

Exposed.

Ready to captivate the audience.

                Kaoru and I took the turn down the street and strolled down the beach in the direction of the peer. I unfolded the sheet and double-checked the address. A smile twitched at my lips. Even better, it was on the abandoned peer across the street.

                “Are you sure about this?” Kaoru complained. His anxiety sent butterflies twirling in the pit of my stomach. I sucked in a sharp breath trying to cool my nerves, but it failed miserably. The cool air set my lungs on fire causing me to choke out steam.

                “It’ll be fine.” I managed. “Trust me?”

                He gave me a dull nod. My grin widened as I tugged him onto the pier. The wooden flooring creaked at our presence. There was already a decent sized crowd busy stringing up icicle lights and a medium sized stage. A few people had already set up tables to display jewelry and, as I said, handcrafted knick-knacks. I clung to Kaoru’s arm to stop myself from leaping with joy.

                “Isn’t this exciting?” I asked in a daze. The sun was beginning to slip behind the ocean casting pinks and oranges across the horizon. I stared up at Kaoru’s face. He was blushing. A small band started tuning interments back behind the stage. I dropped his arms and tangled my fingers into his hand. “Dance with me?”

                “I’ve never danced with anyone before.” He stated. He was embarrassed. “Hikaru has always been my dance partner. In fact, this is the longest I’ve been without him.”

                So that was it.

He missed his brother.

I couldn’t blame him.

So instead,

I smiled.

                “Like this.” I said placing his hand on my hand. I clasped his other hand tight feeling the warmth of his gloves. His face turned beat red. I held my smile. “Follow me lead.” I twirled. The band roared to life. The singer had a low, raspy voice that he lured with a sleepy guitar. The keyboardist kept the beat lively as the drummer beat on. I laughed, twirling and twirling keeping Hikaru on his feet. He spun me in, flung me out, spun me in

And then out again.

                The more the band played, the more he loosened up. Despite the envious glares, we were the only two people in the entire world. I felt safe. At home. For the first time in I can’t remember how long. The next band that played sounded like a lullaby. Kaoru’s confidence had finally reappeared. He held me close to his chest, so close I could hear his heartbeat. We swayed back and forth, but the tighter he held me, the more prominent I could feel my face flushing with heat. What was this feeling? How did it sneak into me? And why did I-why did I love it?

                Suddenly the music stopped. I pulled away. Above us, stars smiled brilliantly down at us. How much time had passed? I wasn’t sure.

                We watched as a small man in a top hat took the mike. A band gloomily hung behind him.

                “I’m sorry, but our final band of the evening won’t be performing tonight.” He said firmly. “It appears as if their lead singer, erm, got lost along the way.” He shot the band a curious glance. The drummer shrugged. “Sorry. Please enjoy the rest of your night.”

                Kaoru’s face dropped. His shoulders slouched down. I read his face in an instant. He was just as disappointed as me. I raised my hand. The man looked at me sideways. The crowd parted to expose me.

                “I can sing.” I volunteered. I cleared my throat feeling my heart flip-flop in my chest. Kaoru squeezed my hand in his.

                “Do you know their songs?” He asked. I shrugged.

                “I can improvise. I mean, at the very least I’ll get booed off the stage.” I shot a sheepish smile. The man in the top hat glanced back over his shoulder. The drummer shrugged. He nodded.

                “Go right ahead.”

                Kaoru released my hand and I made my way to the stage. Whispers broke out along the crowd. I told myself it would be easy, I had attempted this a thousand times before. It was nothing.

                “What style of music are you?” I asked.

                “New age electronic indie pop.” The drummer said. He looked painfully uneasy. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

                I gave a dull nod. “We’ll just have to see. I’ll follow your lead. Go ahead.”

                The keyboardist pounded on the keys letting an interesting pounding sound roar through the speakers. The drummer hit the bass. I nodded my head to the beat, humming, warming up my vocals hoping I was on key. The drummer tapped the lip of his drum, the keyboardist tapped the same notes over and over again. I started singing, then started clapping. The crowd slowly joined me.

                I danced along the stage, trying to think of things to sing but ended up repeating myself over and over again.

                The keyboardist hit something on my mike making it warp. I smiled over my shoulder at him. He had my back. I leaped off the stage and grabbed people’s hands, singing in their face, trying to hype them up. I found my way to Kaoru and danced in front of him. The crowds circled around me. I held the mike in both hands and closed my eyes. My voice soared and dived, filling the salty ocean air with sharp musical notes. The crowd clapped along with me as I danced my way back on stage. I winked over at the drummer making him bring the song to a much unwanted end. The man in the top hat climbed back on stage grinning from ear to ear.

                “Amazing.” He said prying the mike out of my hands. “Give it up for the band!”

                Everyone cheered. I bowed.

                “Thank you.” I giggled. “All of you.”

                I slid off the stage and made my way back to Kaoru. He embraced me in a hug.

                “Lovely as usual.” He said looping arms with me. “Where to next?”

                I glanced around the festival and smiled. I was done with this place. More than anything in the world, I wanted to show him the Japan I used to know. I placed my hand over his upper arm and nodded my head in the opposite direction of the pier.

                “This way.” I said. “Come on, I’d like to show you something.”