Eternal Melody

Present day, Wednesday, February 9th, 5:30pm.

A certain teal-colored-haired boy opens his eyes, only to scan his surroundings to find that he is in his room. Yet the colour that filled the light that spread across his room was a deep orange.

Ah, how unusual. He slept in quite a bit; from what he could tell from his alarm clock, it was already well into the afternoon. According to his schedule, he did have a day off today, so it's not as though he messed up.

His gaze lands on the blanket wrapped around him and notices the familiar lingering scent.

"How stupid," Jun mumbled.

It's obvious who wrapped it around him. He reaches over to touch the chair beside his bed, and warmth transmits to his skin.

He probably just left around an hour or so ago. That fool. He doesn't have to look out for him just because he promised his brother. That person doesn't need to do something like that anymore. But, even if he were to tell Kou that, he would say with a foolish grin that 'this is something he wants to do.'

Jun placed his hands on his neck and then his forehead, only to discover that he was drenched in sweat. 'I ought to get changed.'

That same dream again; how many times has he seen it already? He wants to know more. Previously Narasaki Hino warned him about regaining his memories, but it's difficult to ignore when he keeps having these dreams. It actually seemed like the frequency of the dreams increased after that conversation.

The image of a young him, being dragged along on an 'adventure' with two people. A girl with a beautiful smile carrying a basket of food and flowers, and a boy with a black hair who watched over him and the girl.

His gaze fell on the alarm clock.

'I slept for a long time, meaning the memory was longer than usual.'

Jun walked over to the kitchen sink and washed his face. He wonders how much longer he can pretend that he doesn't want to know more. This entire time he has limited his involvement with the underworld and the fight against the black Alice organization. He helps with hacking and analyzing information. But his actual involvement is minor.

Oh, but there is one person who noticed his impatience. Narasaki Hino saw right through him, and that must be why he received that warning. His gaze fell on a case right beside the door. That's right, since he has time today, he should take advantage of this opportunity.

....

Tokyo Main streets.

Quite some time had passed since he last played his cello; since he had some free time, he figured he would pass the rest of the evening playing it. Unfortunately, the long absence of not using it has collected a lot of dust. So, he wandered around town to find a quiet classical instrument shop and found the perfect one on the corner of a less busy street.

The moment Jun entered the shop, he paused, hearing a familiar piano playing. Huh? This-? He took a few more steps forward and found a girl with brunette hair playing the piano. It's Sumire-san.

"Holy crap." Another voice mumbled. "You can even play that song? Seriously, what kind of musical genius are you?"

Sumire laughed. "Fu, didn't I tell you? You shouldn't challenge me, Hino."

The girl was not alone; there by the counter was Narasaki Hino.

"Right, I shouldn't, you-" Hino paused, making eye contact with him.

For a moment, Jun froze but only for a moment since Sumire stood up and happily rushed over.

"Jun-kun!" Sumire beamed happily. "It is good to see you."

"Likewise, the same goes for me." Jun trailed off. "I did not expect to find you here of all places."

He thought she only had singing and the current state of the underworld at the moment. But, his gaze fell on Narasaki, who was holding a familiar violin and cleaning it with a cloth.

Sumire laughed. "What is that supposed to mean? Ah, did you think I was neglecting my instrument?"

"Yes," Jun stated bluntly.

After all that has happened, and considering the timing of Mamoru-san's death, it would certainly surprise him if she had played her instrument in that time frame.

"Jun-kun, you're as blunt as ever. Hmm, it's true I haven't been playing. However, occasionally I would bring it out and look at it. So, I didn't leave it to gather dust in the corner or something."

"I think you are the blunt one," Jun mumbled.

He feels guilty, but a lot has happened since the final concur.

"So your here for-?"

"Ah, violin maintenance."

"Violin maintenance?" Jun repeated.

"That's right. I haven't really played it since the final selection. However, I've been practicing a little again the past couple of weeks. I'm worried about its current state, so I regularly come here and have Hino check."

"The same here." Jun pointed to the case containing the cello on his back.

"Ah, then let Hino have a look."

Hino sighed. "What's with you two? If you play instruments, maintain them!"

Despite this lecture, Narasaki Hino took the cello from him. Jun's gaze fell on Sumire, concerned, and she looked over.

Sumire giggled. "I am okay, Jun-kun."

"I hear you're pregnant. You mustn't be rushing around on your own."

It's not surprising considering how the two spent that time together during winter break. Jun figured that with the way they were all over each other, it would be just about time.

"It's alright. Yuhi dropped me off here before he went to work." Sumire reassured him."Besides, this is why I have my reliable manager."

"I'm not Yuhi, so even if you flatter me, you won't get anything."

"Che, you're just stingy, Hino. Besides, you already owe me for the bet just now."

"Just don't request anything too unreasonable."

"I won't."

Jun sat there on the stool, silently observing the two. He has a very strong impression of Narasaki Hino. However, it wasn't until fairly recently that he spoke to him. From what he observed, this person is the second closest person to Sumire-san right now.

In terms of who could actually snatch Sumire-san away from Yuhi, it would be this person. But, this is something many people do not realize because Hino is supposedly Yuhi's 'guardian.'

The two are close enough to be like a real family. Because of this connection, nobody would think that Hino would snatch Sumire away. Certainly, this is the main reason why Naraskai hasn't made a move on Sumire. However, there is no doubt that they are close.