Promise to Sirius (An Utapri / Uta no Prince-sama Fanfiction)

Chapter 4: Your Voice

Ai Mikaze

Ai let out a quiet sigh as he walked along the corridor of Shining Academy.

Shadows of the curtains billowing in the warm air darkened the floor and Ai barely noticed the white pigeon soaring past the tall glass window even though he was usually one of the most observant. Shining Saotome had requested for all the Starish and Quartet Night members other than Reiji and Natsuki to congregate in his office at 9 a.m. sharp and it was, according to Ai's cellphone, 8:33 a.m.. Looking down at the bright screen, Ai tapped his finger a few times and accessed the Quartet Night groupchat that Reiji had pleaded them to join when they first became a group.

The situation's worse than expected, isn't it... Reiji?

Reiji had sent the first messages at 2:14 a.m., announcing that Natsuki had regained consciousness. Ai had coincidentally been awake, lost in his thoughts when his cellphone vibrated and indicated that there were new texts from Reiji. However, Ai had not expected Camus and Ranmaru who had the unique ability to fall asleep anywhere at any time to be awake too.

Ranmaru: Thank God he's gotten up

Camus: Indeed

Ai: Yeah. What happened was quite alarming.

Reiji: WAIT YOU GUYS ARE ALL STILL AWAKE?

Ranmaru: Tch obviously

Camus: Your sudden texts made me nearly spill my condensed milk, you fool

Reiji: THAT'S NOT MY FAULTTTTTT YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SHOULDN'T BE HAVING SWEETS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT MYUUUUUU

Camus: Are you insulting my habits now, mortal?

Ai: Back to the topic. How is Natsuki's condition, Reiji?

Ai remembered the long pause that came after he had asked that question. Camus and Ranmaru proceeded to spam Reiji with text messages like "Woi" and "Answer us, you fool," but Ai did not press Reiji. Even with the complications regarding whether what he could feel in his hollow chest were actual emotions or not, Ai had a dreadful hunch that Reiji was hesitating because something horrific had occurred, especially since the latter usually replied almost immediately after he received texts, like Natsuki did. When Reiji finally gave him a reply, Ai's eyes widened and he felt like he had been struck on the gut.

Reiji: His fever has gone down, but to be completely honest... he's extremely wrecked, guys. Even worse than you're probably thinking. He was crying, breaking, calling himself a burden and thinking that all he does is hurt everyone. It's even worse than what you saw when we found him on the sidewalk. I could see it in his eyes, guys - Nattsun's... been broken so badly, broken even more than I thought. And whoever did it told him about Satsuki and ripped him apart by using that. If you guys had been here... God, it just makes me almost wanna cry thinking about it. If you guys were here... your hearts would be breaking.

When he noticed that the office was about 10 steps away, Ai slipped his cellphone back into his pocket, knowing that if Ranmaru or Camus mentioned Reiji's updates, the Starish members would 100% be demanding and pleading him to show them the chat, and Ai was not about to willingly lend them his cellphone. Feeling the portable gadget bump around in his jeans' pocket, Ai recalled how none of the boys had been able to respond to Reiji's long text immediately, including himself. It took 5 minutes and 3 seconds for Ranmaru to ask Reiji about Satsuki, Natsuki's alter ego, and Ai remembered staring quietly at the ongoing conversation, unable to say a word. Ai had grown accustomed to Natsuki's usual personality; kind-hearted, cheerful, energetic and glowing with a contagious brightness. Annoying at times, yes, but that was mostly Ai not entirely adjusting to his colourful personality that deeply contrasted Ai's, which he had once heard been described as "monotone." Ai would not say that he and Natsuki were friends, like how the members of Quartet Night were definitely not, but the thought of the latter breaking down and in a state of chaos, anguish and deep sadness sent a sharp pain through Ai's chest and he clutched it in front of the door to the office, stopping in his tracks.