ai | s. manjiro & m. takashi

はち

On the way home, Ai sat behind Hakkai as they drove off into the quiet neighborhood.

"Since when did you became close with Mikey?" Hakkai asks.

Pushing away her long hair that dared stick on her face, Ai twisted the ends of her long hair into one side. "Do you really want to hear it?"

"Sure. I am your older brother after all." Hakkai says.

Ai pursed her lips before finally speaking. "It started last weekend when I met him in Shibuya. Then he started coming to school and hanging out with me. Even picking me up from the ballet academy."

Hakkai hums softly. "Is that the reason why you started to fall for him?"

A light pink tint splotched across her cheeks. "Y-Yeah...I like him"

"Unacceptable."

Ai lifted her head up, eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Hakkai's back. "What do you mean unacceptable?!"

Hakkai shrugs lazily. "Any guy can do that - pick you up at school, take you home and make you feel things. But not every guy can make you feel secured."

Hakkai then turns off the engine of his bike, taking his keys before getting up and helping Ai get off. "What I mean to say is, though guys can make you feel happy, giddy and important, pick a guy that makes you feel safe and secured."

These were the rare moments that Hakkai acted and or spoke like a big brother to her. Though Ai is the youngest, Hakkai acted like the youngest out of them. As Ai handed to him the spare helmet, she leaned her head on his back.

"Thank you, nii chan." She whispers.

Smiling to himself, Hakkai turned around and hugged the small girl in his arms.

"I still think you would look good with Taka chan!"

"I don't see him like that, nii san!"

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

Ever since Mikey took her favorite pink hair tie, Ai stopped tying her hair into a high ponytail. Only tying it into a bun whenever she has ballet sessions in the afternoon every after class.

Truth be told, her favorite pink hair tie was a gift from their late mother.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ms Yamazaki asks, arms crossed over her chest as she stood before Ai, idly standing before her. "Stop that damn music!"

As her loud voice boomed, the music playing from the audio player turned off.

"With your performance being like that, you shouldn't have been given the leading role. Your performance today is shit." Ms Yamazaki spats, making Ai lowering her head in shame.

"So did all of you. Your performance today is shit as well." She says, turning her head to look at each and every girl inside the studio.

"You all shouldn't be so complacent just because you landed the lead role or the supporting roles." Ms Yamazaki says, turning her feet to walk around in circles. "Practice, practice, practice! Give your life into practicing! Practice until your feet feel like giving up, practice until you can no longer stand up. Give your maximum effort."

With her head still hung low, Ai held her hands together.

"Here's what were going to do." Ms Yamazaki says, sitting back into the steel chair. "Let's not meet up tomorrow. I'll give you all a free day tomorrow to regain your focus. But when we meet the day after tomorrow, you all should give your everything, understood?"