Outsider Syndrome | ✓

Toru Ending - "From Beginning to End"

~3 Months Later~

Toru Igarashi's POV:

"We have a problem," Sena and Yunoki announced in unison come after school.

I glanced up at my bandmates in confusion.

"What's up?"

"What's up?" Yunoki demanded. "Your new song is what's up!"

The melody and lyrics flooded my head at the mention. A grin tapered up my lips. "I outdid myself, right? When I showed it to Shiina, she couldn't stop gushing about how cute it is."

"That's why it's a problem!"

Their wrath wasn't subtle in the least. I expected numerous things when I summoned them to our typical clubroom to showcase my newest composition. This reaction, however, existed outside those possibilities.

"Why wouldn't she gush?" Yunoki thrust the music sheets back in my face in a heap of exasperation. "This entire song's about her! Kisses, dates, affection. . . It's a sappy ass love song!"

"If only I had a good voice," I mused. "Performing it would've been a lot more romantic. I should practice singing. What if we make it a duet—"

"Come back to reality!" Yunoki jostled my shoulders, as if to banish my mushy reverie. "We're a rock band! We only sing rock!"

Sena buried his face into his palm. "How did I forget how much your emotions influence your compositions? At least before you two started going out, you could suppress your romantic feelings; keep our image in mind when songwriting. Now, you can't go two seconds without mentioning Kisaragi's name."

As I shoved the touchy-feely Yunoki off me, I addressed him with a pointed finger.

"I so can!" I lied through my teeth.

Sena—consistently aloof and indifferent Sena—glared at me, anew.

"Break up."

The suggestion was a bullet through the chest. "I know we're friends but even I'd have to slug you for that! How can you suggest something so cruel? You guys are acting like it's the end of the world! Can't you be happy for me?"

"As friends, we are," Sena replied. "As members of the same band, with a larger gig coming up in a few weeks—one that requires a brand new song—we're not."

Yunoki rapidly bobbed his head. "Feel bad for us single Pringles! We're the ones who have to stomach your lovey-dovey behaviour! On top of that, even your songs are getting tainted. If you can't keep our music separate from your relationship, our band is doomed!"

I faltered a step.

"Let's just pack up and disband now," Sena sighed. "Knowing Toru, it won't happen."

"Fine, fine!" Huffing, I darted for my bag. "I have another song we can use that I've been working on. So long as it's 'untainted', we're fine, right?"

I rummaged for the said music sheet. Upon retrieving it, I hurled it at their chests.

"No more complaints, are there?"

Yunoki snatched it, bearing it in a way in which Sena and him could do the honours of scouring what was written. Their impassiveness provided no leeway into their inner thoughts. Eventually, however, Yunoki whooped.

"Now we're talking!"

Unimpressed in comparison, Sena locked eyes with mine. "Where are the lyrics? You wrote some, didn't you?"

A spine-chilling silence blew through.

"What does that matter?" I whistled. "The composition's perfect, right—"