"Oi, Mizuki," Aki called to his friend when he entered the room. "They said you went to see the principal. Anything wrong?"
"Yeah, you must watch the students more closely. Even girls can be delinquent, too." Seiran complained. "Really? I've never encountered one."
"Maybe because she's beautiful that's why you didn't notice that devil inside this school."
"Now now, you don't have to be harsh. Tell me, what happened?" Aki smiled at Seiran. He laughed when he heard his story. It must be her, Aki thought. Bridgette.
"What are you laughing at?!" Seiran was very annoyed with his friend's gestures. "It's not funny, I was harassed!"
"Oh come on Mizuki. You said she's beautiful, right? So how come you call it harassment?"
Yes, she's beautiful. She moves so gracefully, even when she shoved her hands on my mouth, Seiran thought. The way she had spoken about the piano... wait, why am I having thoughts of her?!
"Hey, are you listening?"
"Shut up. I'm listening."
"I said it might be Tsukishiro san."
"Tsukishiro?"
"Bridgette Tsukishiro. She's a kouhai from UK." Aki blushed while he was explaining to him. "She's the one you had mistaken as my... as my..."
"..."
"Well, she isn't my lover or anything. Onimura sensei wants me to take care of her since she's alone here in Japan, I'm kinda used with her around-"
"Why are you making excuses?" Seiran said to Aki. "I- I am not. You just misunderstood her. I think she likes the piano, like you do. And actually, you two are very similar."
"Eh. In what sense?" Seiran asked, mocking Aki. He just shrugged as an answer. Tsundere, Aki thought.
"It's so boring." Seiran complained again. Aki was about to answer when they heard some music playing. Everyone turned to see Seiran on his seat. He was shocked himself—it wasn't just an ordinary piano piece. He knew that he had heard the song once, yet wasn't sure from where and when.
"Mizuki kun! Where do you think you are going?" Baba sensei shouted as Seiran stood and went up the door. He looked at the teacher, surprised. "Go back to your seat. I am not allowing you to go anywhere during class hours. Understood?"
"Tsssch." Seiran returned to his seat. Where had I heard it? It wasn't any amateur playing there. Could it be...
★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★
"Please let me play the piano today."
No matter how many times she think about it, Bridgette still can't figure why she said that to Masahiro. Is it out of pity? Is she mocking herself? Or simply because she's weak?
She let out a sigh. Her hands still trembling from the notes she played earlier.
"Prelude in C-sharp minor."
It's been a while. I am weak, alright. I am selfish, keeping things to myself. I never told anyone why I stopped playing the piano. Nobody knows the pain it's causing me. And now, another pain has taken me to the depths.
"It's impossible!"
"Don't do it!"
Nobody told me those lines before. Nothing is impossible for me. Nothing can stop me from doing what I wanted to do.
"Somebody stop him! It's dangerous!"
"Huh?"
Bridgette found herself staring at a guy jumping out of the window. She just pouted to see Ren grinning at her.
"Are you stupid? Just what the hell are you doing?" she scolded after he actually jumped from such a high place. "Were you scared?" Ren asked as if nothing had happened.
"If you are to kill yourself, please do it in a more fashionable way."
"You look so cute when you are upset."
"Baka! Aren't you hurt? That's quite dangerous!"
"Don't worry, I'm super fine. I'm an immortal hero afterall."
"Ha?"
"I should get going. Those girls are chasing me again. See you!" Ren started to run, then he stopped and looked back at her.
"Bridgette chan," he said.
"What?"
"Let's go to the farm this Sunday. I wanted to show you something."
"Ha?"
"I'll see you. Ja! Aw!" He grunted from pain as he hurriedly stepped away from her. Bridgette just sighed.
"Baka. Sunday? Is he really okay?"
☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆
"Tanaka san!" Aki called to Emi, who was now comfortable with his presence. "Tachibana senpai, Mizuki senpai." she greeted. "How are you, Tanaka?" Seiran asked her. He have no intentions of tagging along with Aki to meet with Bridgette, but hearing that Emiri is her classmate changed his mind.
"I'm fine. Tachibana senpai, are you looking for Bridgette?" Emi asked Aki, who nodded while looking at their room. "She isn't here?" he asked.
"She's in the infirmary. I'm going there to bring her her things." Emi explained. "Let me carry them," Aki said, smiling at her. It seems that they forgot they have Seiran with them.
"How troublesome. Why would you bring her things? Obviously she's faking her illness, she's a delinquent after all." Seiran commented. This made Aki and Emi stop cold.
"Care to take back what you've said?" Aki said.
"No way! She had left me a bad impression-"
"Mizuki senpai, I never thought you could be mean to someone you barely knew." Emi said, obviously pissed over Seiran's statement. "Don't make friends with her, Tanaka. She's-"
"Why? You only met her today, right? She might've left a bad impression to you, but we are having a good friendship. She's such a nice girl," Emi said. "She seems crying when she came back after our break. She doesn't look fine that Onimura sensei told her to go to the infirmary. I feel so bad that bringing her things to her is the only thing I can do."
Seiran was shaken with what Emi had said. Now it looks like I am the bad guy. It may be true that I was judging her. Did I really went that far? he thought, staring at his two companions.
"You're being judgmental, Mizuki." Aki said. Seiran just shrugged. "Sorry, Tanaka."
"Why would you be sorry to me? It is Bridgette whom you should apologize."
"Fine. I'll carry her things then." Aki gave Bridgette's bag to Seiran.
★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★
"She hasn't gone here?" Aki said, surprised not to find Bridgette in the infirmary. "Maybe she went to some relaxing place to ease her mind, say the rooftop," Emi mused.
"See, I told you. She's a-" Seiran stopped as he saw Bridgette approaching them. "Why are you here?" she asked.
"Bridgette! Are you alright? We're worried about you." Emi held her hand, almost tearful. She looked at Aki, who was staring at her, and to Seiran, who is clutching at her bag. She held out her hand to him.
"W-what?" he nervously asked. His heart is thumping so hard as he looked at her delicate, green eyes. Did she really cried? he asked himself.
"My bag." She quietly said.
"Oh." He handed her bag to her. He looked at her tiny hands; he remember how small it was against his hand, and it's incredibly warm to touch.
"Tanaka san said that you were sent to the infirmary yet the nurse said you haven't been there. Where have you been?" Aki asked her. She just stared at Seiran. How would she say that she played the piano instead of staying in the infirmary?
"Oi," Seiran called to her. "Are you the one who played the piano?"
Bridgette didn't took her eyes off him. She was deep in her thoughts. I know I had met you personally, but where? In a concour? No, I would've remember meeting a Japanese person there.
"A few people know that piece. Prelude in C-sharp minor. Are you the one who played it?" Bridgette still didn't budged from what he's been saying.
"Oi Mizuki."
"I..."
Everyone was looking at her, expecting her to answer. "I-"
"I was the one who played it." A voice said that made everyone, except Bridgette, to turn around. "It is a surprise that Mizuki knows that particular piece." Onimura sensei said. Bridgette flinched at the words spoken by the teacher.
"I often heard it played in some parties I attended when I was younger. Why did you know about it?" Seiran said, amused on Onimura's statement.
"The principal requested me to play it for some reason. He have a copy of the score since it's his favourite." He explained. "That explains why you dismissed us earlier than usual." Emi said.
"So Bridgette, where have you been?" Aki asked. She had somewhat recovered herself.
"I was called to the principal's office before I reached the infirmary. Apparently, some noisy boy complained to him of being held hostage in the music room." Bridgette said, still looking at Seiran, making his ears hot. "You see, I was being chased by those stupid club reps, he's too noisy that I have to put my hand over his mouth for him to shut up."
"You were so harsh!" Seiran protested. Once again, he was looking at a set of weak eyes, pretending to be strong.
"I'm pretty sure I said I'm sorry. If you are not contented, then again, I'm sorry."
Seiran stared at her, like it was his first time to see her. No, this wasn't our first meeting. We've met sometime ago, ages ago.
"Won't you say something, Mizuki senpai?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm sorry." Seiran replied. "Wait, why am I saying sorry?! I-"
"Enough of this!" Onimura sensei said. "Tachibana, I will take her home today."
"Eh? But sensei,"
"You wanted to ride a Maserati, right?"
"Uhm, about that..."
"Bridgette, Mizuki senpai have a Maserati, too." Emi said. Bridgette looked at him.
"What are you looking at? As if I would let you ride my car." Seiran said, blushing.
"I will never ask a lift from you, stupid! Sensei, Bugatti is much better than the model you are currently driving. But I recommend McLaren to you. It'll suit you better." Bridgette said. "It's smooth in drifting, too."
"Is that so?"
"If that is the reason you were taking me home, I'll pass."
"No, it wasn't my reason." Everyone looked at Onimura sensei who turned his back on them.
"Follow me to the music room. I would like to see a violin genius at work."
☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆
"Onimura sensei surely is stupid," Bridgette complained. "Calling me a violin genius, making me play Paganini over and over again. What is he, a devil?" The girl in the other line laughed.
"But Yui, you are a genius," Aimi can't stop her laughter, making Bridgette pout. "I said don't call me by that name while I'm here in Japan. Besides, I was like this because I trained myself hard."
"Yeah, right. Hardwork beats genius, huh?" Aimi said. "But you and Mizuki senpai will look cute together, more than with you pairing with Tachibana senpai."
"The hell we are! Stop pairing me with them!"
"You are such a tsundere."
"Tsundere ja nai!" Bridgette stopped, realising her answer. Seiran had also said the same thing.
"Are you sure you haven't met Mizuki senpai in gatherings? I mean, he's a Mizuki."
"I don't know. Maybe. He seems familiar. But I really can't remember an instance where I actually met him face to face."
"Oh."
"And he will surely recognise me if he knew me. I had a very tiring day. Thanks for your call."
"Good night Yui."
"It's Bridgette." She put down her phone and stared at the city below her. She can't keep him out of her mind. His eyes, his hands, it was like a vivid dream to her.
"Could it be that I found you?"
And she fell asleep.