The boys is mine situation
Chapter 8
The boys is mine situation
***
Tokyo
Two Days Later
3:30 pm
Immediately after school Hirato walked through the bustling evening streets of Tokyo, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the cityscape for the perfect spot, he had already shot most of the video for Jam, the parts where he himself would appear; various locations, and some of the nice locals who allowed him to shoot them play basketball, and high-energy shots; but now, he needed a studio
A proper one
Somewhere with the right acoustics and lighting where Naru' solo would shine even more, and ofcourse without any distractions, somewhere spacious enough for him to dance the final choreography
{Speaking of the final parts, my rap has been getting better}
He smirked to himself, replaying the lines in his head, covering Heavy D's rap had been an unexpected challenge at first, but he had to admit
{Rapping is more fun than I thought}
He'd been so focused on Naru's problem and practice and track production practice, that he rarely practiced it regularly before, but now that he had, it felt… addicting
The city blurred around him, cars honking, people laughing, advertisements blaring from giant LED screens, as he walked past a row of buildings, then, he saw it
A rental studio, tucked between a café and a boutique ,it looked large enough, and it also seemed soundproof, the sign on the door read Studio Available for Hourly Rental
{Perfect}
He pulled out his phone, dialed the number on the sign, and within minutes, he had secured a booking for the weekend
Everything was coming together
Now, all that was left was to tell Naru and Ayaka
But little did he know
***
Yesterday
After School, a café called Harley near the campus
The café was cozy, a small place tucked into the corner of a quiet street, sunlight streamed through the windows, painting golden streaks across the wooden tables, the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air
Naru sat across from Ayaka, stirring her iced latte absentmindedly, her guitar case rested beside her chair, a familiar presence she no longer felt nervous carrying around
"You've improved a lot, Naru"
Ayaka smiled, resting her chin on her hands
"I knew you had it in you, but damn, that performance in Hirato's room? You were really good "
Naru chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck
"I don't know about that, but… yeah. I think I finally get it now."
Ayaka's eyes softened
"Get what?"
"That feeling, the one Hirato would often talk about,you know 'Feeling the music's "
Naru flexed her fingers, as if reliving the moment
"When I played Jam, it wasn't just about getting the notes right, it was like, like I was one with the music, you know?"
Ayaka nodded
"That's what it means to truly play"
Naru exhaled, leaning back in her chair
"It feels… amazing"
Ayaka grinned
"See? I told you! And I must admit, Hirato really made me happy this time, helping you out with your problem "
Naru's fingers froze around her straw, Ayaka didn't notice at first, sipping her coffee
"Seriously, that guy's relentless, he just never stops"
She sighed dramatically
"It's one his charms though"
Naru let out a weak laugh which was followed by warm smile
"Yeah…"
A brief silence, followed causing Ayaka's gaze to sharpen
She knew Naru well enough to notice the way she suddenly wouldn't meet her eyes, the way she fiddled with her straw, the slight pink tint on her cheeks
"…Wait"
Ayaka narrowed her eyes
"Hold on a second"
Naru stiffened
"What?"
Ayaka leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper
"Harune-chan… don't tell me"
"I have no idea what you're talking about"
Naru cutted n too quickly leadiy Ayaka at the realisation
"Oh my god"
"Shh! Lower your voice!"
Ayaka's expression morphed into something between shock and delight
"You like Hirato?!"
Naru groaned, burying her face in her hands. "…Ugh"
Ayaka sat back, hands over her mouth, still processing, she had always assumed Naru found Hirato a little annoying, a little too much to handle
But now, faced with this, it was so surprising to her that she almost laughed, because underneath that surprise, there was something else, something heavier
Something she didn't want to acknowledge
Instead, she forced a teasing grin
"I never thought Hirato would be your type of guy, though"
Naru peeked through her fingers, pouting
"He's not"
"Oh?"
"I don't know, it just… happened"
Ayaka stirred her coffee, forcing herself to keep smiling
"Huh"
Naru glanced at her
"You seem pretty shocked "
Ayaka let out a small laugh
" Well I guess ,but kind of it makes sense now I think about it....he's the one who has been pushing you to get better this whole time, it's only natural to feel something"
"Yeah… maybe"
The conversation should've ended there, but it didn't, because despite her lighthearted tone, Ayaka's heart felt… heavy
But instead of saying anything, she simply sipped her coffee
Smiling as if nothing had changed
The ice in Naru's latte clinked softly as she lifted her straw to take a sip, Ayaka was still staring, her expression unreadable, the sunlight outside had dimmed slightly, the golden glow now shifting into something softer, less warm
Naru tapped her fingers against her glass, feeling the weight of Ayaka's gaze
Then, Ayaka spoke
"Well… so then, Naru, about your feelings, what do you plan on doing with them? Are you gonna confess?"
Naru blinked, startled by the directness of the questio, looked away, eyes drifting to the café window where people walked by, completely unaware of the turmoil in her heart.
"Confess…?"
She echoed, as if the word itself was foreign
Ayaka tilted her head, watching her closely
"Yeah. I mean, you like him, right? So what now?"
Naru slowly exhaled, sinking further into her seat
"I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead"
Ayaka frowned
"Why not?"
"Because… I don't even know what to do with my feelings right now"
Naru's grip on her straw tightened
"I mean, it's Yamashita-kun, he's always been this loud, annoying presence every since we met, I never once looked at him that way until recently, and besides, what if it's just—"
She hesitated
"—just admiration? What if it's nothing more than respect for how much he's helped me?"
Ayaka's lips parted slightly, her throat tightening
Naru didn't know, she didn't know how much those words affected her
Because as much as Ayaka wanted to be happy for her, as much as she wanted to support her best friend, there was something ugly, something selfish curling in her chest
A thought she couldn't suppress
{I don't like it}
Her fingers curled into the fabric of her skirt beneath the table
{Why though? Don't tell me… I also like Hirato}
It was shocking
She had known Hirato for as long as she could remember, they grew up together, and he was the boy who had always spend most of his time away from her, the boy who would annoyed her just as much as he made her laugh
She had never once thought about him that way
Right?
Ayaka's heart pounded, her mind racing through old memories, the day they met, the day they started drifting apart, her regular thoughts of worry for him when she saw him from afar
And now, hearing Naru say she like him
Ayaka felt something rise inside her, possessiveness
She didn't want him and Naru getting together ,not at all
She liked him, even more than she thought she did, the realization ,it made her heart burn
She clenched her jaw, trying to calm the storm inside her, and began to think about it
{ Naru likes him though, my friend }
"Naru."
Her voice came out unsteady
{She told me her feelings}
Naru turned to her
"Yeah?"
Ayaka took a deep breath,then, she forced herself to speak
{So it's only fair that I tell her too}
"I… I think I also like Hirato"
***
The evening glow bathed Tokyo in warm hues as Hirato stepped off the train, stretching his arms over his head, the weight of the day settled into his muscles, but a rush of excitement kept his exhaustion at bay
{The studio's booked, the video's coming together}
With a smirk, he pulled his hoodie over his head and started walking home, the streets in this part of town were quieter, lined with small convenience stores and parked bicycles; it was a stark contrast to the busy streets of Shibuya, but it was home
He reached his home, climbed the stairs two at a time, and unlocked the door
The moment he stepped inside, a voice greeted him, sharp, curious, and a little accusing
"You're late"
Hirato barely had time to kick off his sneakers before his younger sister, Aoi, appeared in the hallway, arms crossed, fourteen years old, still in her middle school uniform, her dark hair tied up in a high ponytail; her sharp brown eyes locked onto him like a detective questioning a suspect
Hirato blinked
"Uh, okay? And?"
Aoi huffed
"And you've been out all day! Dad called earlier, by the way, says he was wondering what you and I were doing today, I told him you were probably wasting your time dancing somewhere"
Hirato rolled his eyes, tossing his bag onto the couch
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, brat."
Aoi grinned
"You're welcome"
She followed him into the kitchen, watching as he grabbed a bottled drink from the fridge
"So? Where were you Onii-san ?"
Hirato took a long sip, then leaned against the counter
"Looking for a place to shoot the last part of my music video"
Aoi's expression shifted in an instant,her arms uncrossing, her eyes widening just slightly
"Wait, what, a studio?"
"Yeah, a studio"
He shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal
"It's got good acoustics and lighting, me and my friends are gonna use it this weekend"
Aoi's hands slammed onto the counter
"TAKE ME WITH YOU."
Hirato coughed mid-sip
"What?!"
Aoi's expression was dead serious
"I wanna see the shoot"
"No way"
"Yes way"
"No"
"Yes"
"Aoi"
"Niisan!!"
They stared each other down, both unyielding
Then, Aoi leaned forward, eyes slowly getting teary as she pleaded with a pout
" Please!! "
Hirato groaned
"You little—"
She continued
"Take me with you!!"
He let out a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his head
"Fine, but don't get in the way"
Aoi grinned, triumphant, her tears immediately vanishing,
"Deal"
She turned on her heel, heading toward her room
"I expect VIP treatment, by the way"
Hirato exhaled, shaking his head
{She's impossible}
But as he watched her disappear down the hall, a small chuckle escaped him
Despite her antics, he knew Aoi wasn't just trying to mess with him
She was genuinely curious and honestly her acting was kinda cute
{She should be an actor someday}
Somehow, that made the exhaustion of the day feel a little lighter
End of chapter