Eternal Melody

Is she really having fun with this? He watched as she put some water in the kettle and pulled out a bottle of sugar and a bottle of coca powder.

"Hot chocolate again?"

Sumire laughed. "Mm, it's the best drink for rainy days."

Now that he thought about it, something like this happened in the past. He noticed how unusual she behaved whenever it rained. She seemed more docile and weak. It was during those days where he caught a glimpse of the real her.

"I didn't think you would come; at least I thought you would skip the first day since you have your concert."

During the draws, Ran and Kou were doing strange chants and other things to avoid getting first. They usually would argue who would go first, but it was the opposite this time.

It didn't matter to him whether he got first or not. Sumire-san will find a way to skip out and spend more time with Yuhi-san. Unlike Ran, he is not bitter about her not spending time with them. It is normal. Sumire-san has a boyfriend now; naturally, she wants to use her free time on him.

'It does feel a bit lonely but as long as she is happy.' That's right; they didn't come to Tokyo to bother her. They came here to make sure she was living happily.

"Something has changed between you and Yuhi-san."

It was just a normal remark, but he watched as the girl seemed to tense up.

"S-something has changed?" Sumire stuttered.

He knew even without facing her that her face was bright red. Or rather, he could see through the reflection of the window.

"Remember, you are still high school students."

"I don't want to hear that from the four who deliberately failed a year."

"If we didn't, then it wouldn't be possible to attend the same the same school."

Sumire sighed deeply as she walked over with a cup of hot chocolate and some medicine.

"Drink this first, and then you can have that."

Jun nodded and weakly sat up. His entire body felt sluggish and hot, but he managed.

"You guys didn't have to come here."

It seems she is finally willing to talk about this.

"Indeed, there was no need. But we didn't trust Yuhi-san back then."

To think he managed to do the impossible. Back when they first met her, she was a very cold-hearted person. She only brightened up when it came to anything music-related. She had a hard time getting along with others.

It surprised him when he first entered the school and saw her getting along with her classmates. What sort of magic did he pull?

"He did the impossible." Jun trailed off. "I thought only Mamoru-san could manage it."

Sumire laughed. "It is impressive. Yuhi-san's stubbornness won."

"More like his love for you."

"Uh-aha."

"It is because of his strong feelings towards you wanting to live a normal life, to see his loved one experience happiness."

Even though they all tried back then to help her, it did no good. She got along well with them. But it was hard to close that distance between the members of her class and her. It was strange because everyone in the senior year liked Sumire.

She just never seems to get along with people her own age; why is that? They never figured it out, and yet Yuhi managed it.

After spending time with him in the same group, Jun finally understood how he could do it.

"This is the first time for me, meeting such a foolishly honest person."

Sumire nodded. "Mm, I thought that too. He is so foolish and honest about his feelings. It was dazzling. I never thought I would see somebody shine so brightly. His honest feelings won me over. I could tell that he genuinely wanted me to get better, to experience love and happiness."

"Are you still afraid?"

"I am; there are times where I feel like breaking down, but unlike before, something has changed. I have Yuhi-san by my side. I can run to him whenever I have a hard time."

It seems there is genuinely no need to worry about her. Jun's thoughts broke off when they heard a knock on the door. Narasaki Hino enters.

"Sumire, head to the venue with Yuhi."

"But-"

'Oh, now I understand the reason why she is with Narasaki when Yuhi-san's schedule this morning isn't that busy.' Is she worried that something will happen like before?

"You said it yourself that you doubt that the enemy will use the same move twice."

"Stupid Hino, don't tell Yuhi that."

At those words, Yuhi entered the room. He quietly observed the situation before picking Sumire up. No to be more accurate, he lifted Sumire-san over his shoulder.

"Yuhi! Please put me down! I already said I won't go with you!" She kicked and hit his back, but it did no good.

"I'm escorting you right to the door. Hino, you can send over that stuff to the house and join us."

"Alright."

Jun finished drinking the mug of hot chocolate and put it down before swallowing the tablets Sumire-san left.

"Kira Jun."

"What is it?"

"Yuhi acts nonchalant about it. But it would do you no good to remember."

'That should be my decision. I wonder why he is acting so sensitive about it.'

"Think why Maon Kou hasn't told you anything even though he remembers."

Why hasn't Kou told him anything, huh? Jun didn't reply and watched as Hino shut the door behind him. Jun slumped back down onto the couch and placed his hand on his forehead.

It is not like he wants to remember. Back when he told Sumire-san that he had lost his memories. He only said those words to comfort her; he wanted to indirectly say that she wasn't the only one.

'You can live even without those memories.' Up till now, he has never tried to get his memories back. There is no need; he is content with his current life. But after learning that he knew not just Sumire-san but even Yuhi-san in the past.

'I am curious.'

Even before the idol board proposed making a group with Terashima Yuhi, a part of him drawn towards Terashima, is it because he is the god of composers? Certainly, it would not be odd for him to admire someone based on their skills. But there was something more.

When he first met Ibuki Sumire, he realized that there was something different about her than all the others.

'Why are those two so important to me?'

Jun couldn't fight back the exhaustion and sickness in his body anymore and ended up falling asleep. For once, the image of that field did not appear in his mind.