When Juvia and Meredy walk onto the stage, there's a warm wave of applause welcoming them as they bow down to greet the audience. They look at each other one more time before the bluenette lifts up the violin gracefully and Meredy's hands press onto the piano key.
A soft and gentle tune emits from the violin as Juvia pulls the bow gracefully, the melody is light and soothing. In contrast to her shy personality, Juvia's way of playing the violin has always been graceful, full of pride, and yet so sweet and delighted. Her facial expression is calm, eyes closed as Juvia gets in touch with her soul, allowing the audience to feel the wave of emotion through her music.
Unlike any other musician who chooses pieces that are sophisticated and polished to show their techniques, Juvia's choice of music is soft and gentle, yet delicate and beautiful.
Salute D'Amore...Love's greeting...
A piece of music composed by Edward Elgar, a song that was dedicated to his beloved Carice...
Her music, although not as luxurious as the others, can draw other people's attention and brings joy to their heart. The sound coming from her violin is beautiful, pure and so kind...
Just like mother...
Jellal looks at the young bluenette on the stage, his hand grips tightly onto the white dress shirt. His heart aches with the feeling that he has long forgotten, peaceful and happy...
"It's beautiful, right?" Erza smiles "Such gentle sound, so tender and full of love."
"Yeah, it is..."
"Jellal, what are you going to do?" she asks worriedly.
"I...I don't know..."
Gray is standing on the other side of the stage, mesmerized by the performance. Although not know the name of the song or the meaning behind it, for some reason, he can feel his heart racing and his face heating up, welcoming the warm feeling.
From his stand, the raven head can see, the way Juvia plays her violin. Her movement is graceful, gentle yet firm. Every time the bow strokes the violin strings, it creates a smooth melody that pleasant to the ears. The sound is vibrant, bright and pure, it feels like Juvia is captivating everyone with her amazing performance.
The light shines on Juvia as she finishes the song, her eyes are closed as she still stands in the same posture, letting herself sink into a moment of silence. When she opens her eyes again, Juvia is welcomed with a wave of applause. The children are looking at her in awe and admiration, their eyes glitter with excitement. The adults and elders are pleased, clapping their hands as Juvia and Meredy bow to the audience.
"That was amazing, Juvia!" Levy exclaims when Juvia comes backstage "Lucy cried when she heard your performance."
"It was so beautiful!" the blonde sniffles as Natsu laughs and ruffles her head gently.
Lyon walks up to give Meredy a warm hug, telling her how wonderful the performance was and the pink head giggles, her face blushes bright red. Juvia smiles at the sight before she looks around, hoping to see a certain raven head. She doesn't have to wait long because the best wingman of the gang, Loke, has pushed Gray closer to her.
"Gray-sama!"
"Juvia..." midnight blue eyes look at her "That performance was simply magnificent."
She looks at him, her lips curl into a soft smile and a blush adorns her face. The way he compliments her is so genuine, so sincere it makes her heart swell. Unlike last time when he stammered a lot, Gray says those words as if he's stating a fact, a fact that brings a blissful smile to her.
Whilst their friends are talking about her performance, Erza and Jellal stand far away, observing them. The forest green eyes bore into the young couple, questions keep popping into his head as he silently asks himself what relationship Gray Fullbuster has with his dear sister. The red-haired woman just smiles softly, feeling pleased with the way her junior is treating the young bluenette.
When the MC announces Jellal's performance, Juvia turns to him, blue eyes catch his gaze on her. They look at each other for a few seconds before she silently mouths the words 'Good luck!' to him, making Jellal smile a bit in return.
Her eyes follow him as the man walks to the stage, making himself comfortable in the seat. Jellal's fingers touch the piano keys, feeling the coolness of the surface against his skin. He sighs, pressing down the keys as he begins his performance.
Erza and everyone watch the performance in awe, they are blown away by the piano sound. The melody, frantic and strong, pierces through the air and captivates the audience. In contrast to Juvia's Salut D'Amore, Jellal's La Campanella is fast and sharp, as clear as a crystal with bell-like notes here and there.
Such a complex and sophisticated piece of music, one that requires a lot of time and dedication to master. The movement of his fingers is flashy, the tempo is so fast that it frightens everyone, to see how Jellal plays the piece at ease with little to no struggles. It's uplifted and excited everyone, the way he plays the piano is marvelously wonderful.
But to Juvia, her heart tightens as she watches every second of the performance. Such perfect techniques, his skillful hands running on the piano keys rapidly as Jellal put all his mind and heart into the performance. Watching him from afar, Juvia bites her lips, the weight in her heart just keeps getting heavier and heavier.
Jellal-nii...This style of music...Why...?
"Amazing, right?" Gray stands next to her, admiring the man.
"No...it's not..."
The raven head looks at her, surprised. By looking at her expression, he can tell that Juvia is not happy with this, but why? She looks sad, confused, and utterly defeated like this performance is not what she has expected. The sapphire orbs fill with disappointment and dismay, why would she express such negative feelings like this?
Juvia holds the violin tightly in her hands, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall. Listening to this performance makes her feel like someone is grabbing her by the neck and squeezing it painfully, she feels suffocated, unable to breathe.
There's nothing wrong with Jellal's performance, his techniques are outstanding and almost flawless. However, he's too focused on his techniques, trying to master every single note he plays. She doesn't see any enjoyment he has for the performance, only the desire to perfect the piece of music. Jellal looks like he's being restrained like he's unable to freely express his feelings while playing the piano. No longer the warm and soothing melody that she used to hear, the current melody is so foreign, so stiff and so unemotional.
Just like father's music after...after...
The applause Jellal receives from the audience is even louder than they give for Juvia's performance as he bows down a bit before taking his leave. Erza looks at him, her eyes shining with pride as she fondly smiles at him.
"It was wonderful."
Her voice, as soft as a feather, calms his still-racing heart. Jellal's hand slowly lets go of his shirt, returning her smile with a small nod. When he turns to see Juvia, the look she wears on her face sinks his heart.
Disappointed, sad, and lost...
Her eyes no longer have the ray of light, they're filled with confusion, frustration and disbelief. And Jellal fists his hand tightly that the knuckles turn white
She hates it...
Juvia lowers her head, not wanting to meet his gaze, she turns to Gray and to talk about something else but the raven head knows, he knows something is bothering her. But he doesn't want to mention it, because Juvia hasn't said anything and because they're not alone. If this is their house, Gray would gladly ask her to open up to him, to tell him what's in her mind and if there's anything he can do to make her feel better.
Those blue orbs are staring into the abyss, there's no light in her eyes as if she's giving in to the void, letting the vast emptiness consume her heart and soul. Gray doesn't know why he cares so much about this, about her. He always tells himself to mind his own business, that he doesn't care about it, that she will be fine, but every time he catches her doing that, his heart clenches.
"Hey guys, the buffet is ready, let's go and grab some food!"
She raises her head, still gluing herself in the spot. The bluenette thinks to herself for a bit before stepping back, telling everyone that she's not feeling well and wishes to go home. Meredy and Gajeel look at their friend, and her behavior worries them. Juvia waves at her friends before taking her to leave, running past Jellal as the man without looking at him.
"Is she okay?" Loke asks his friend, confused at what happened "She seems to be gloomier than before..."
"I'll go after her." Gray responds and turns to Meredy "Can you and Lyon help us?"
Understanding what the raven head is saying, Lyon nods his head and takes the pink head to the buffet table, telling her to do as he says while Gray runs after the young bluenette. When passing Jellal, midnight blue meets forest green, there is tension in the air. He looks at the man before turning away to follow Juvia.
"Idiot couple..." Gajeel mutters under his breath.
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When Gray catches up to her, he spots the girl sitting on the bench under a big tree, ocean blue hair dancing in the wind. She raises her head, feeling the cool breeze on her skin and a wave of calmness wash over her mind. Gray walks up and takes a seat next to her as he stays silent, letting the bluenette enjoy her moment.
"G-Gray-sama?" she startles to find a certain raven head sitting next to her "Why are you here?"
"Well, I can't let my neighbor walk back home by herself."
"But what about the buffet?" she asks.
"It's okay, I'm not that hungry."
The bluenette stays silent for a moment.
"Gray-sama, you don't have to worry about Juvia. She's fine and she can walk home by herself, so..."
Before she even finishes her sentence, her eyes open widely when Gray inches closer to her. A bright blush appears on her cheeks as Juvia gulps, feeling his breath against her skin. Despite Juvia getting all flustered, the raven head is oblivious to even realize what he's doing or how inappropriate his actions are.
"Are you?"
"Y-yes?"
"Are you really fine?" he asks again.
The way his eyes stare right into her soul makes Juvia squirm uncomfortably in her seat. She bites her lips, keeping the squealing noise to herself. From her view, she can see how his eyes are filled with concerns and worries, which makes the poor girl lower her head, embarrassed. Since when did her beloved care so much about her?
Juvia refuses to talk, or at least, refuses to acknowledge that she is, in fact, not okay. She doesn't want to bother anyone, especially Gray. She knows how complicated her problems are, a big, tight knot that has yet to be untangled. It's a big mess, one that will take a lot of time and effort to solve, which is why she doesn't want to talk or even mention it.
Because Juvia knows that everyone will stay away from her after knowing the truth...
Because she has experienced that kind of treatment before, where she was left alone, haunted by nightmares and flashbacks of that fateful day. No one was there to help her, no one was there to comfort her, to show her a way out. She was alone, in her own dark and twisted world.
The burdens that weigh on her shoulders are too much for a young girl like her to carry, but Juvia refuses to share them with anyone, not even her brother. Because if she does so, then he will take everything from her and will make her friends suffer. Her friends will stay away from her, Gray-sama will stay away from her, which is why she refuses to let anyone know the truth.
"Juvia, you know that I'm always here for you, right?"
Such kind words, Gray-sama...
So kind that they make her heart ache. Her inner self is screaming for release, to let him know about everything that she has been hiding, how unstable she is, how her emotions are all over the place, and how she needs someone to save her.
"Juvia knows that." she nods, a soft smile appears on her face "She knows how kind you are."
That's not the answer Gray wants, but he digests it anyway. A loud, grumbly sound erupted, causing both of them to startle and move away from each other. The raven head blushes, feeling embarrassed as he scratches his head, averting his gaze away from her.
"I'm hungry now..." he mutters under his breath "We still have leftover curry from last night, right?"
"Ah..." Juvia looks at him before giggling softly, a faint blush adorns her face "Let's go back and eat some curry, Gray-sama!"
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Juvia enjoys this, she enjoys every single second she spends with her darling. Whenever she nears him, the bluenette feels like all her worries vanish, her mind is as calm as water. It's quiet and peaceful, the way they spend time together, smiling and laughing together, so carefree like no problem in the world can stop them.
Right now, Gray is talking about their school work, how his exams had exhausted his brain and how he hated it when the instructor suggested he 'do better on your presentation'. The young man lays flat on the dining table, exhaling as his body finally gives in to the weariness. Juvia giggles at the sight, she has finished washing the dishes and is now brewing a pot of tea.
"Gray-sama, your tea."
"Ah, thank you." he smiles when the bluenette hands him the cup "Hm...it smells kinda sweet."
"It's bubble gum tea, Meredy gave it to her last week." said Juvia.
As the young girl enjoys her cup of tea, Gray carefully observes her. It seems like she's in a better stage now, which is a very good thing. He has tried to avoid the touchy subject that is Jellal and his music, knowing how tense the girl can get just by witnessing the incident this afternoon. Juvia's mood is lightened, she's smiling at his words, her eyes gleam with happiness and he doesn't find any sign of discomfort around her.
Good job, Gray! Good job!
As they're enjoying the sweet aroma of the tea, Juvia's doorbell rings. They look at each other, both raising a brow, wondering who would come to visit her. It's 7:00 PM and she doesn't believe Meredy would go to her place during this time.
"I'll go get the door."
Gray stands up from his seat, raising his hand to stop the young girl from voicing her objection. He slowly makes his way to the door, looking through the peeping hole to see the bright scarlet-colored hair standing in the hall. Standing next to her is the familiar bluenette.
Erza and...Jellal-san...?
He frows, obviously not happy at their sudden visit, especially when he knows the person on the other side of the door is the whole reason why Juvia got all miserable this afternoon.
"Gray-sama, who is it?"
Turning to meet her sapphire orbs, Gray bites the inside of his mouth. Should he tell her who is it or should he tell her to ignore it? He doesn't have the right to stop her from seeing them but at the same time, he doesn't want to see that smile fade because of them.
"Gray-sama?"
She looks at him, finding his gaze a bit odd and uncharacteristic. What happened...?
"It's...it's Erza and Jellal-san..."
He can see it, immediately after he says the names, the light in Juvia's eyes disappears. She lowers her head, averting his gaze as her hands play with the fabric of her skirt. After a minute or two, she sighs, knowing that it's time for her to face the older bluenette.
"Gray-sama, Juvia is fine. She..." she sighs again before continuing "Juvia wants to see them."
"Are you sure? It's okay if you don't want to. I'll tell them."
"She's certain."
When Gray sees her nod, he exhales heavily and opens the door, welcoming Erza's stern gaze and Jellal's surprised eyes.
"W-what are you doing here, Fullbuster?"