Good Night Song
2717 Words
CHAPTER 2
"I can't believe it!" Kana suddenly blurted out in the middle of tennis warm-up that the girls' tennis club had for that afternoon.
"Can't believe what?" Aika and Hanako asked in unison with hints of confusion in their voices.
Just what could have made their red haired friend blurt out something like that? And to think it was almost time for practice, too...
But the answer that first came out from the said person's mouth was a sigh—a heavy sigh. It was then followed by a pout and a look of envy on her face.
"You know, Kana, you've been acting weird ever since the Kanto Regionals. Is that what you always become whenever you're playing in Singles 3?" Hanako said.
Another sigh came out of Kana's mouth that made Aika and Hanako look at each other. "Something is definitely wrong with her."
"I just can't believe that..." Kana paused and faced her friends.
"That?"
"That two of the Five Columns of Seigaku had already found the love of their lives. Of course, it's already inevitable for Kazu-chan to find hers since she returned here for the purpose of asking Tezuka-san's forgiveness. Although shocking, Tezuka-san turned out to be in love with her, as well—even longer than we thought. But for Miya-chan to have found a love life, as well... I can't believe how it all happened. And it was so fast, too."
No one from the other two Columns spoke a word after hearing that.
Ever since their ingression as regulars in the girls' tennis team, the five freshmen (Kana, Miyako, Aika, Hanako, and Kazumi) had gained a group nickname—The Five Columns of Seigaku, courtesy of their captain Hirota Asami. Kana was dubbed as the Valkyrian Column for some reasons. Until now, the red head was trying to figure out what could possibly be the meaning of her Column name. But she knew it has nothing to do with rankings. Although she has to admit that among the Five Columns, Aika was considered to be the strongest despite not being an all-rounder like their captain. In fact, her blue-haired friend was a counterpuncher.
Anyway, that was not the case she wished to discuss for now.
For her friends Kazumi and Miyako to find the love of their lives was already something she deemed as inevitable. The circumstances had been laid down in front of them. It was just a matter of manipulation, convincing, and faith for everything to happen as it was planned. Or maybe it exceeded beyond everyone's expectations. And to be honest, Kana was glad with that.
But even if she was glad with the events, something inside of her felt like losing hope. And she was sure that Aika and Hanako could definitely relate to what she was actually feeling at that point.
The struggle of falling in love with someone who happened to be your friend—your close friend, best friend, childhood friend, family friend. Kana had been dealing with that kind of struggle for so long. Her friends knew but didn't dare try to do anything at all. Not that she was bitter about it. But Miyako and the others knew she was defenseless—or rather, her heart was immediately left defenseless—when love was the issue.
Especially if the issue was her own feelings for her childhood friend...
"I guess that's just how love works," Aika said that made Kana snap out of her musings.
The red head faced her with a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"We don't have any means of knowing whether or not love has already blossomed or at least sparked between two people. Just take Tezuka-san's feelings for Kazumi-chan as an example. All this time, we really thought that such stoic person had never felt something as intense as love for once in his life. We all thought he has no time to feel such emotion at all. And yet, we just found out that he only shielded his heart and isolated the rest of his emotions to the rest of the world for one reason. Tezuka-san had long given his heart to only one girl. He just needed to retrieve what he had lost in the past by seeking forgiveness to the person he lost so that he can be with her again. That way, he was given the chance to at least mend what was broken and finally have her back in his life for good," Aika answered seriously, despite the small smile on her face.
Kana could only stare at her friend in awe. I guess that's what love can do to a person's perception about everything, huh? But analyzing the words that Aika had spoken, she could only say that the blue-haired girl has a point.
"And now he was proudly showing that world how much he loves her," Hanako stated, but added something with a smirk. "In his own stoic ways, of course."
That did it.
The three of them burst out their laughter, but still tried their best to stiffle it as to not disturb other members who were practicing and doing warm-ups.
"But I think it's better compared to Miyako-chan's relationship with Fuji-kun. From what I can see, she's the only person who can keep up and at the same time minimize that freaky tensai's sadism."
"Well, she had been dealing with Seiichi-kun's personality for years, that's why," Kana responded to Hanako's comment.
"Seiichi-kun?"
Kana nodded. "Yukimura Seiichi-kun. He's Miya-chan's and my childhood friend, even though I hadn't technically lived in Kanagawa longer than Miya-chan. I guess that's why he's closer to Miya-chan."
"Jealous?" Aika teased.
She replied with a laugh. "Sort of. I mean, having a childhood friend as good-looking as that Child of God is something to be proud of. But I have no intention of bringing that up to other people, especially the other girls who ogle at him and his pictures almost all the time. Anyway, Seiichi-kun and Fuji-san both have their sadistic streaks in various things. Their smiles, though charming to most of the girls, are in some ways creepy. You rarely see what's real in those smiles and their charms—which work differently—are definitely enough to drive many girls crazy and to their feet. You know what I mean, right?"
The other two girls nodded.
"But I guess having Miya-chan in Fuji-san's life is better than not have one at all," Kana later said in a serious yet relieved tone.
"Well, Fuji-kun did fight for Miyako-chan despite what she did to make him stay away from her. After what they've went through, I'll be cursing fates if those two still didn't end up together," Hanako added.
I wish I could do the same... Yeah, right. As if it was that easy—cursing fates, that is.
"But something tells me it's not about our friends' love lives that bothers you, Kana-chan. It's Oishi-kun again, isn't it?"
Though she was surprised at Aika's words, she chose not to show it. Her friend managed to read her already, anyway. "I think I'm about to give up, Ai-chan."
"Give up? At this point. That's not like you, Kana-chan."
"I only thought of it, though. But to be honest, it crossed my mind a lot more than usual. Can I still wait for him? Should I tell him the truth? What about our friendship? Could I afford to it? To be honest, I'm not even sure if it's the right thing to think about," Kana said almost sadly.
"I guess Aika and I can relate to your situation," Hanako suddenly admitted that made Kana look at her two friends.
At that point, she realized something.
That's right... Hanako and Aika were also going through the same predicament as she was. Aika was secretly in love with her childhood friend/family friend Kawamura Takashi while Hanako to her childhood friend since elementary Inui Sadaharu. Both girls were strong and fearless in courts. But what it comes to the one they love, they crumble down for many reasons.
Just like I do... And at that point, Oishi could really crumble down Kana's defenses long before he knew it. It was hard, but that was the truth.
She was weak... when it comes to her childhood friend who also happened to be the only man who captured her heart.
Oishi Shuichiro...
-x-x-
Well, her predicament was surely something that almost distracted her with her daily activities. But since she wasn't allowed to slack off at all cost, she was doing her best not to be affected entirely by the situation. One way or another, she must not show that she was, in fact, struggling at some point. Especially when Oishi was just near.
Yes, it was starting to get that hard for her and her envy for her two friends' successful and happy love lives was getting to her. Now she strongly wished that she finds the one who would love her. But... how would that happen if there was already one person who she wanted to fall in love with her?
A ring from her cellphone disrupted the flow of her thoughts. She was currently in her room at the Miyuzaki estate just three houses away from the Yumemiya estate. Yes, by estate meaning Kana was also as rich as Miyako for the sole reason that the red head's family belonged to the renowned Miyuzaki clan. Her mother was a Miyuzaki, that's why. Her father—originally named Shinjou Sasumu—took the Miyuzaki's name upon marrying her mother.
She picked up the phone and frowned at the sight of Oishi's name on the screen. Not to mention, her heart's tempo increased that she was already used to feeling. But what could have made Oishi call her at that hour?
"Hello? Miyuzaki Kana here," she started in a bland tone.
"Eh? Kana-chan, are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine. What made you ask that?" Weird. As far as she knew, she wasn't sick or anything close to that. Why would this guy ask for something like that?
"The way you greeted me. Are you perhaps sleeping already?"
"No. In fact, I can't sleep... for some reasons." And it was the truth. It was already past nine in the evening which was way past her bedtime.
"Is there something bothering you?" Oishi asked after a long pause. His voice was serious but wasn't enough to hide his concern for her. "You know I hate your habit of keeping your concerns to yourself. Tell me what's wrong."
If only I could just do that, Shuichiro... But what will you do if I tell you that you're the one bothering me? Wait! That was just the wrong phrase. It was the thoughts of him which bothered her till late that night. And this was going on for such a long time already.
Was there any way for her to stop this? This feelings for her childhood friend and her first love... Could she stop this so that she wouldn't suffer at all? Loving her childhood friend had always been one hell of a torture to her, especially if she couldn't tell him the truth...
She was a coward... and that was all she would ever be.
"Kana..."
A sad smile crept on Kana's face as she sighed. "I'm alright, Shuichiro. But thanks for worrying about me, anyway. Hearing your voice like this is already enough for me to feel fine."
"Do you want me to sing a song for you? It might help you sleep," Oishi offered that made her smile gladly at that.
"I thought that was my job to you."
"You're the one who needed the sleep, so I should be the one singing. No buts or I'll head there and scold you until you get tired of listening to me and sleep soundly."
"I think I'll prefer the lullaby more than your motherly scoldings," Kana joked. This was one of those times when Oishi could really make her smile. But perhaps it would have been better is he was doing it for the one reason she strongly wished to happen.
"Make sure you're already lying on your bed before I start singing. I don't want you to sleep on your study table or wherever you are right now as you listen to me singing this song. Just bear with my voice for a while, okay? You know I'm not a good singer."
Kana complied with what he said and laid her body down on her comfortable bed. With the large teddy bear on her right side, she placed her earphone on her ears and closed her eyes while saying to Oishi on the other line, "I'm ready."
She heard him sigh on the other line; an indication that he was preparing himself to do the task. A few seconds later, he started singing.
To her amazement, he sang one of her favorite songs. In fact, it was the one she occasionally sang to him whenever he would sleep on her lap.
There's a star in the sky tonight
And it trembles like my heart
In this world we're all alone tonight
So close and yet so far
But she couldn't help wondering. Why would Oishi suddenly decide to sing that song now, of all times? Yes, it was one of her favorites but it wasn't just that. That song held another deeper meaning to her.
A meaning that even Oishi doesn't know at all.
Oishi singing that song was a good way of distracting her away from her worries, nevertheless. This time, she must enjoy this wonderful moment with the one she loves—although all she could do was to love him secretly.
My heart would never be
I can feel you want me too
And if that star should fall
Then baby, here's what we should do
No matter how her heart loudly screamed out her affection for him, it would forever be unheard of to Oishi. And now, it hurt her to no end.
But there was nothing she could do. Maybe that was all she would ever be to him.
Just a friend... nothing else...
That thought was the last thing on her mind before she dozed off and a tear feel from her closed eyes.
-x-x-
Wish, take me by the hand and wish
Hold your breath and we may find
It might come true on this starry, starry night
Singing a song to Kana was something that Oishi usually do whenever he could tell that something big was seriously worrying that red-haired childhood friend of his. He couldn't help feeling troubled for her because of that. After all, Kana was someone who would rather keep her worries to herself than let the others be bothered about it.
But he couldn't help thinking that... perhaps... it was him who actually bothered Kana. He smiled wryly at that. Well, that was possible considering her actions after settling the issues about Miyako and have the blonde-haired girl become Fuji's official girlfriend.
Yes, that must be it.
Wish, look into my eyes and wish
Reach out for the dream that's there
For me and you
And we might fall in love tonight
Oishi doesn't need this night—or any other night—for him to know that he was in love with his childhood friend. He already realized that a long time ago—long before that particular night came their way. And since he was a natural worrier, it was no surprise for him to think of the consequences if ever he told that hidden truth to her.
More than anything, he couldn't risk their friendship getting ruined if he did that. He couldn't afford to lose her because of that.
"Good night, Kana... I love you..." But Oishi doubted if Kana even heard the last three words he uttered. Heaviness soon filled his heart as he ended the call after singing that lullaby for her. Will I be able to say those words to you, Kana? Will I be able to let you know how much I love you?
Now, more than ever, how he wished that he would be able to do it—the sooner, the better.
If only he has the courage to say it to her...
Why am I such a hopeless person?
- Writer
