Chaos

Chapter 9

Chaos

***

Tokyo – Saturday

1:34 PM

Hirato and Aoi strolled down the bustling streets under the midday sun, as they made their way toward the rental studio, Hirato walked with an easy pace, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, while Aoi bounced beside him with an unmistakable air of excitement, maybe with a little bit of mischief as well

"You better behave today, Aoi"

Hirato muttered, shooting a wary glance at his little sister

Aoi smirked up at him

"Behave? Me? Onii-san, you wound me, I am the picture of grace and decorum"

Hirato scoffed

"Yeah, sure, and I'm Ryan Reynolds "

"You wish"

Aoi snorted before her eyes glimmered with mischief

"But don't try to change the subject; why can't I be in the video?"

Hirato sighed, adjusting his cap

"Because this isn't a family vlog, and you're not part of the choreography"

"Then let me be the director! Or the behind-the-scenes commentator!"

She struck a dramatic pose

"'The genius, Yamashita Hirato, graces us with his presence, pouring his very soul into the music-'"

"Stop"

Hirato deadpanned

" A true artist, a visionary, a-"

Hirato clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh, hearing such words from you, Ican physically feel my soul cringing, so stop"

Aoi peeled his hand off, laughing

"Fine, fine, but I will be watching everything, so don't mess up in front of Harune-san and Ayaka-nee"

Hirato waved her off

"Please,why would I—"

" Oh look! Ayaka-nee and Harune-san are already there!"

Aoi cutted hum off before he could finish, they arrived at the meeting spot

And immediately, Hirato saw it and felr

{ Those two...}

something felt… off

Ayaka and Naru stood there, side by side, but they might as well have been separated by an invisible barrier, their shoulders were tense, arms crossed, and not once did they look at each other

Hirato's steps slowed, Aoi, sensing the shift in atmosphere, blinked between the two girls before approaching them

Silence

Aoi elbowed Hirato

"Onii-san… did you do something?"

Hirato shot her a glare

"Why is that your first assumption?"

"Because it's the most likely reason"

"Rude"

Aoi ignored him and turned to the girls and approached them

"Ayaka-nee, Harune-san!"

Noticing her voice ,Ayaka's expression softened slightly as she turned toward Aoi

"Aoi-chan, hey"

She offered a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes

Naru, standing beside her, nodded in acknowledgment

"Good afternoon, Aoi-chan"

But when their gazes shifted to Hirato, the warmth in their expressions noticeably dimmed

"…Hirato"

Ayaka greeted, her voice even but lacking its usual energy

Naru followed, her greeting just as restrained

"Yamashita-san"

Aoi, ever the observant one, narrowed her eyes

"Okay, what happened?"

Naru and Ayaka exchanged the briefest of glances, before immediately looking away from each other

"…Nothing much "

Ayaka said after a pause, crossing her arms, she seemed troubled

"Yeah, nothing"

Naru echoed, her tone far too casual to be convincing

Aoi wasn't buying it

"Lies! That was the least believable 'nothing' I've ever heard "

She turned to her brother

"Onii-san, are you seriously going to let this slide?"

Hirato glanced between the two girls

"Alright, what's going on with you two? You're acting like you just had a dramatic anime betrayal moment"

Ayaka for reasons Hirato did not know, still didn't look at him

"I said it's nothing"

Naru, mirroring her, muttered

"It's really not a big deal"

Aoi let out an exaggerated sigh

{Ugh, this seems big ,did they fight }

Hirato exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck

"Alright, whatever this is, it's obviously not getting solved here, let's head to the studio first"

Neither girl protested, but their frosty distance remained as they followed behind, Hirato exchanged a glance with Aoi, who simply shrugged

Something was definitely up.

***

Inside the Studio

The rental studio was spacious, with soundproof walls and the high ceilings along with great wooden flooring; the acoustics were perfect, and the air carried the faint scent of polished wood, Hirato dropped his bag near the speakers while Aoi immediately pulled out her phone, snapping a few pictures of the room

But Hirato wasn't about to get distracted

"Alright"

He said, turning to face the two girls

"Out with it! What happened between you two?"

Naru and Ayaka tensed

Aoi perched on a chair, watched from afar like an entertained spectator at a drama premiere

A heavy silence followed, thick with unspoken words ,then, Ayaka inhaled sharply, squared her shoulders, and suddenly said

"I like you, Hirato"

The words cut through the air like a sharp chord in an otherwise silent song

Hirato's brain stalled

Aoi's jaw hit the floor

Naru looked like she'd just been hit by lightning

"…Huh?"

Hirato finally croaked

Ayaka clenched her fists, her cheeks flushing crimson, but her gaze remained unwavering

Hirato, still frozen from shock, turned toward Naru, but before he could even process Ayaka's words, Ayaka turned to Naru, eyes sharp and continued

"Well? You too, right Naru? Say it"

Naru flinched

"W-What?"

"You heard me"

Ayaka's voice didn't waver

"You like him too, don't you? Stop hesitating and just say it"

Hirato's head snapped between them

{HUH????}

Naru hesitated, biting her lip, her grip on the strap of her guitar case tightened as she wrestled with herself, then, after what felt like an eternity

"I…I like you too, Yamashita-kun"

As those words echoed through Hirato's brain

???????????? ERROR !!!!!

His brain officially blue-screened, his legs gave up on him, and he fell backward, landing flat on the wooden studio floor on his ass

Aoi gasped dramatically

"Oh my God, Nii-san, are you okay?!"

Hirato ignored her, staring at the ceiling as his heart pounded, two confessions in less than five minutes, if his discord otaku buddies heard about this he might get crucified by the entire community

He snapped back to reality, immediately looking at the two girls who just bombarded him with their big reveal

Ayaka crouched down first, an amused but concerned look crossing her face

"You're acting like I just punched you"

Naru, still flustered but worried, turned to Ayaka

" Ayaka, stop joking for now "

She then turned to Hirato with shaking eyes as she offered him her hand

" Are you okay Yamashita-kun? You kind of… just collapsed"

Hirato stared at them, his pulse hammering, he exhaled sharply, trying to process this insanity, it was too much, much too much for a monster virgin like him to handle

"…Why?"

{I'm no Rentaro nor Gojo so why??}

He finally asked

Aoi, completely invested in the drama, leaned forward, eyes shining

Ayaka smirked but softened. She leaned in slightly, her golden-brown eyes locking onto his

" Well "

Her voice unlike the usual was shaking

"I realized it a bit late but apparently, I liked you since way back"

Hirato blinked

"Way back?"

She flushed

"The da we met, back in elementary school years… when I was lost during the storm, where I met you, who helped me find my way home"

Memories flickered in Hirato's mind. Rain-soaked streets, a scared little girl. His younger self, holding her hand as they ran through the downpour.

Ayaka bit her lip, getting even redder

{Gosh is how all those boys who confessed to me felt? I'm sorry I rejected you all sosharply}

"And then recently, when you started chasing your dream so seriously… you started looking even cooler "

Aoi turned red seeing Ayaka being so openly vulnerable

Ayaka exhaled deeply

"I c...couldn't stop looking at you, and when I found out that Naru liked you too, I realized… I want you, Hirato "

Naru, blushing furiously, tightened her grip on her case strap, she glanced at Ayaka before gathering her courage and joined in

YY-You… helped me, too"

Her voice wavered but grew stronger

"Back when I thought I couldn't play again, when I drowned in self-pity and doubt… at first, I thought it was just admiration or gratefulness, but then..."

She inhaled sharply, remembering Ayaka's confession, her dark brown eyes filled with emotion

" I don't want you to be with anyone else. I like you, I like you a lot, I really, really like you!! "

Hirato felt something twist in his chest.

Aoi collapsed onto her knees, staring at him with wide eyes

"T....This can't be ,O...Oniisan is popular??!!!"

Hirato might've gotten angry had he heard that but he didn't, his pulse was out of control, his thoughts a chaotic mess to process anything else right now

Two of the most beautiful and talented girls he knew, one, his childhood friend; the other, someone who had gotten incredibly well with, had just confessed to him

This wasn't a confession, this was a collision

Hirato groaned, rubbing his temples and begged

"I....I....I need a minute!! "

Aoi broke in the background at the scene unable to handle such a shock as she slowly brought out her phone

" O... Oniisan is popular...g...gotta snitch, gotta tell so- "

But before she did ,her dear Ayaka nee and Naru nee immediately grabbed up and silenced her

And Hirato... He ran to the bathroom

***

Hirato shut the bathroom door behind him and leaned against the sink, gripping the cold porcelain as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, his heart was still racing, and his mind felt like it had been thrown into a blender, turned into a soup

Two confessions, by the only two girls he cared about

"…What the hell am I supposed to do?"

{ Gods of rom com ,I prefer to read about stuff like this, not experience it! }

He thought to himself, running a hand through his hair, indeed , finding himself in such a sticky situation in reality did not feel good at all

Ayaka

She was gorgeous, confident, and had this natural charisma that pulled people in, she was the type to take charge, and honestly, that was kind of hot, he wasn't sure if his attraction to her was just surface-level or something deeper though. Sure, she had a special place in his memories, as the one who always stood bybhis side no matter what people said about him, it would be easy for him to love her wholeheartedly

And then there was Naru

Sweet, quiet Naru, who had once been a shadow of herself, struggling with self-doubt, he'd seen her at her lowest, and he was there when she clawed her way back up; she was thoughtful, passionate, and had this quiet strength about her. She wasn't as bold as Ayaka, and he was also sure that compared to Ayaka she still holds a smaller place in his heart, but that did not mean he didn't like her, no, infact compared to Ayaka, he was more protective towards her whom he secretly found cute and adorable at times

But right now , the problem was, no matter who he chose, the fallout would be immediate.

If he chose Ayaka, Naru would likely,maybe get depressed again, and their friendship would likely shatter under the weight of that rejection

If he chose Naru, Ayaka,as far he knew, would be so hurt, because from what she said, he was likely her first love, she might act like it was fine, but their dynamic would never be the same

{Wait am I also Harune-chan's first love???}

Bothered by such thoughts his thoughts began to pile up,choosing right now? Today? If he did ,then forget this project, they'd be too busy dealing with heartbreak and awkwardness to get anything done

He took a slow breath, gripping the edge of the sink

{…I need them to take a step back}

If they both got a little disillusioned with him, if they realized he wasn't some amazing guy worth all this trouble, maybe they'd let go of these feelings

A reckless plan formed in his mind

What if he threw the decision back at them, forced them to confront it head on, they'd back off, right? They'd see how ridiculous this was, how impossible it was to choose in a situation like this, and maybez just maybe, they'd stop looking at him like this an as only a friend again

{Yeah, that would work

…Right?}

Steeling his resolve, Hirato strolled back into the room, feigning confidence despite the absolute mess in his head, Ayaka and Naru were still standing there, tense, waiting, Aoi had moved closer, practically vibrating with curiosity despite the small bump on her head

He stopped in front of them, took a breath, and then

" Okay here's my response"

They all wanted for it with tension, anticipation, fear and maybe also with excitement

" I'll make my decision 2 months later on October 20, until then both of you will help me make my decision"

Silence

Ayaka narrowed her eyes, Naru's brow furrowed, Aoi looked like she was witnessing the greatest plot twist of her life

"…What?"

Ayaka asked, looking genuinely surprised

"You two are both serious about this, right?"

Hirato shrugged

"Then this is my response, Ayaka ,Naru, help me make my decision, it's not fair that both of you would just force this on me when we're in the middle of an important project when I'm already busy with something many things "

{There, that should make them hesitate, should make them realize how absurd this whole thing was}

Hirato felt like he succeeded seeing their reactions but then

"…Hmmm I suppose that's fair,"

Ayaka approved, nodding, still looking a bit bothered

Naru swallowed, then, after a moment, nodded too

"Okay"

Hirato felt the ground drop out from under him

{Huh????}

This was supposed to fail, they were supposed to realize how ridiculous this was and step back

Not… actually go along with it

Aoi, on the still looked at her brother with the most shocked gaze she has ever given to anything

"Nii-san is..."

She whispered

"A...a player of girls?? "

" No!!! "

Hirato yelled in refute

End of chapter