A Song Just For You (GirlxGirl)

23- Off To College

Another hot humid summer morning, sitting on the balcony of my apartment drinking iced coffee, while my mom was painting in the living room. I lit a cigarette while watching a butterfly land on the railing of the balcony.

    "You better not be smoking!" My mom shouted from the living room. I quickly put the cigarette out and went back inside. She was taking up most of the living room with all her painting supplies. She looked up from the chair that she decided to bring home from the studio that now sits in the middle of the room, "When are you moving to Tokyo?"

     I was surprised when she asked me this, "When school starts." I said with a sassy tone as I stood to the side of her.

    She turned towards me, "I decided I'm turning your room into an art room" She smiled, "So the sooner you leave the better" I stared at her with a poker face. She laughed, "I'm joking! But I am turning your room into an art room. But it's not like I want you to leave, this is your own doing."

    "I'm going to college, even dad thinks I should."

    "Don't bring your father into this" She turned back towards her painting.

    "You should be happy for me"

    She dipped her paint brush into black paint, "I am."

    She refocused her attention back to her painting, signaling me to leave her be. Ever since I told her I was leaving to Tokyo University she has become more and more distant towards me. I put on a pair of wide legged jean pants on with a white button up and headed to work.

    "You going to Akio and Miu's band concert tonight?" Minato asked me as I walked to the back with three empty bowls of ramen. I tilted my head confused,"You didn't know? They texted the group chat?"

    I set down the ramen bowls in the back and looked at my phone that had ten text notifications from the annoying group chat Hirato decided to put all of us in. Then texted Nani,

Want to come to Akio and Miu's concert tonight?

Hell yeah

Could you come to the ramen shop at 9? We can walk there from here.

    Hirato walked in, wearing black jeans cuffed up with black leather boots and a white plain shirt with a cheetah print sweater over. "You bitches ready?" He shouted as Minato and I walked towards the front of the shop.

    Shortly after Minato locked the door to the shop Nani walked up wearing a tight short leather skirt with a black corset and a dark green leather jacket with black boots-looking beautiful as always. Where they were playing was not too far from the shop, and only a couple blocks past the bar. We walked into a building that was a bar and in the back- had a door, behind the door was a staircase leading to the basement- almost like a secret concert. A basement with a stage up front, a bar towards the back and people packed shoulder to shoulder. We stood near the back of the room where the bar was as we watched Akio and Miu preform on stage.

    "Beer?" Minato handed Nani and I a drink.

    I remember going to these types of concerts back in Moscow during the summer time. Places just like this, sneaking into underground bars and indie concerts as a kid. I could feel the stickiness on the ground from the drinks that were spilt throughout the night, the loud music that echos off the wall, the different colored strobe light in the dark room as you're watching all the people dance in front of you to the loud music.

    Akio and Miu walked up to all of us who were waiting outside the alleyway for them to get out. I turned around, Miu was wearing a black button up that was mostly unbuttoned with a loose white tie and black pants and Akio was wearing a grey button up with a blue sweater vest and white cuffed pants. We headed to Sota's bar, we were lucky to get a table being how crowded it was for even a Saturday night. We sat at the table that was by the window and also in front of the piano. I walked up to the bar counter to grab a drink to see Sota standing to the side of me leaning on the bar counter.

    I was a little startled at first, "I heard you got into Tokyo University of Arts?" I shook my head yes. He smiled,  "Damn" his smiled disappeared, then he sighed, "I was going to offer you a job" I looked at him surprised, "Well to play piano here, but I guess that will have to wait."

    I interpreted him before he could go on, "I can play when I'm back" I had to force a smile.

    "I'm thinking about opening up a second bar in Tokyo anyways," He smirked at me then walked away, "I'll let you know when" he turned around and winked.

    I got my surprise cocktail and headed back to where everyone was sitting. I don't know why I had to force a smile in that moment. Maybe it was the thought of moving and leaving everyone. I'm not scared of going to college and I don't think I'm scared of the idea of change. What was the fake smile for then. I could say Nani because it probably was the reason of having to leave the one thing I came to love- her. I just hope it wasn't the possibility of me losing interest in the one thing that made me apply to Tokyo University. This whole time I have been listening to other people praise me on my piano skills and encourage me to apply as an art major. So- did I really do it for myself.? If it was for myself, it was also for others as well. And as of right now, I'm not sure if that thought sits with me well.

    "You know, I leave soon?" Nani said as we laid on her bed one early morning after a brutal night of drinking with everyone.

    I stared at the celling above us, "I guess I do too."

    I could see her from my side view as she looked over at me, "Let's leave at the same time."

    I leaned in to kiss her as she grabbed my waist pulling me closer to her. We bought tickets for our flight on the same day but both to different places. We were leaving next week; so I decided to work every day before then and see Nani every day leading up to our flight. Spending my hot summer days at the ramen shop working with Minato and the humid nights at the bar or somewhere else with Nani. I wish it lasted longer, but now I'm saying goodbye to my mom as I take the train with Nani to the airport. I am not too worried about leaving my mom, her girlfriend, Ena moved in a couple weeks ago. I said goodbye to Minato, Hirato, Miu, and Akio the other night at the bar, I tried finding Sota but he had went on a business trip to Seoul for the week. I backed my suitcase and two backpacks, one full of my school supply and the other with the rest of the stuff I couldn't fit in my suitcase. I was walking in the hot summer sun wearing a backpack on my back and another in front of me while rolling my suitcase along.

    "Mika!" I turned around to see Nani waving her hand at me as she was walking towards me. She was rolling a bigger suitcase than mine and carrying two large handbags as well as a backpack. I stood there as I watched her walk up, I was surprised how much stuff she was bringing with her. We got on the train and headed to the airport, we didn't talk about much on the way over. We sat on the train, her luggage was on her lap as well as mine. I held her hand that was lying to the side of her and glanced over at her. She didn't have any makeup on like she normally did, wearing grey shorts with a black shirt. Her hair, thrown up in a bun.

    We stood in the middle of the airport, our flights were in the opposite direction. I looked down at her ticket, her flight was taking off in less than an hour. I looked up at her, "You have to go, you're gonna miss your flight."

    She looked sad, but she still had a bright smile on her face, which made me smile. We both did not know when we would see each other again.

    I hugged her, "I love you."

    She held me in her arms for a bit longer then backed up and grabbed her bags that she set on the floor, "I love you too," She started to walk away but turned around and looked at me, "You better not find anyone cooler than me,"

    I laughed, "Not in a million years" I said quietly.

    "What?" She yelled at me from a distance.

    "Right back at you!" I shouted as she headed the opposite direction.

    I watched her as she walked away, her back was towards me as she waved a peace sign at me. I watched her as she disappeared into the crowd of people walking throughout the airport. Sitting in the seat of the airplane, off to Tokyo, Japan to spend the next four years. Without my mom or dad, without Minato, Hirato, Miu and Akio, and without Nani. I texted Suki when I arrived, the girl who I had met last time I was in Tokyo.

I'm in Tokyo!

Let me know when you're all moved in! Let's grab dinner!

Okay!