A Song Just For You (GirlxGirl)

32-  Priorities

Nani and I ended up not going to Russia during the summer before our senior year, instead we spent the time in Yokohama. Going to Sato's bar almost every night, hanging out with Akio and Miu, helping Minato and Hirato pack before their move to Tokyo, and taking a small trip to a hot tub spa in Yokohama.

     The first semester of my senior year, I ended up living with Minato and Hirato, who moved to Tokyo. I felt like an intruder, the third wheel of all third wheels. My semester consisting of awkwardly walking in on them kissing or having an emotional moment together. I began playing with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra along with my private lessons with the conductor, I played in another three shows since the one in Spring. My days consist of school, work, and piano practice- barely having time to get a full meal in. We had a show in October, November, and December. Nani graduated early from Kobe University just as she said she would, then immediately headed to Tokyo where we soon found an apartment close to the university of Tokyo, where she decided to go for her doctorate. The apartment was in a newer modern building; when you opened the front door it faced the hallway which lead down to the living room, to the back right side was the kitchen and the dinning room table, then another hallway that had a bathroom, then the main bedroom that had another bathroom with a tub and shower along with a walk in closet. Our first apartment together, in Tokyo, Japan.

    "I honestly can't believe you survived a whole semester living with Hirato and Minato," Nani laughed as we stood outside on our balcony.

    "I almost died" I lit my cigarette.

    Nani looked over at me,"You're going to actually die if you keep smoking."

    "Will you come to my funeral then?"

    Nani laughed and grabbed the cigarette from my hand, "I won't let you die before me"

    "I probably will"

    She burnt out my cigarette and kissed my forehead, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

    She followed me as I walked inside, "Yeah I'll be home after."

    I kissed her goodbye then headed to the university, which was a couple blocks down from where we lived. Another cloudy day, I wore black pants and a hoodie as I went to go meet Chiko for music practice. When I walked into the room, he was already playing the violin.

    "Hey" He put down his violin, "You're late."

    I walked up to the piano, "Give me a break."

    "Hey" I looked up as he put his violin down on top of the piano, "Have you talked to Suka recently?"
     I was shocked that he mentioned her. I started taking music sheets out of my backpack, "Not since she moved out, she moved back to Hiroshima though?"
     He leaned on the side of the piano, "Yeah I guess she's working at her families cafe, but I heard you didn't go to her graduation."
     "I couldn't make it but I left her flowers and a note in her bedroom."

    He looked at me, "What happened between you two? You guys were so close."

    I pushed the bench back that I was sitting on so I wouldn't have to keep looking up at him, "Nothing really happened."

    "Mika I'm asking you what happened because I already know."

    "Then why even ask me?"

     "Because I want to hear it directly from you."

     "But nothing really happened, she tried kissing me one night after we got home from the bar and told me that she liked me. She knew about Nani, she knew I was in love with her. I didn't mean to ruin our friendship, what was I suppose to do, pretend I liked her back?"

     "No you weren't, I didn't ask you to scold you about how your friendship was ruined."

    "Then what Chiko?"

     "Were you blind the whole time leading up to that moment or were you playing dumb?"

     "What are you even talking about?"

     "The way she looked at you, how she flirted with you every chance she got, her kissing you on your cheek all the time, her cuddling up next to you, her literally doing everything for you."

    "I really didn't know, I didn't know until I knew she was the one who told Nani that I was out of town when she came looking for me in Tokyo and even then someone had to tell me that she liked me."

    "So you're just dumb?"

    "No"

    "Then what?"

    I sighed,"This has happened to me before, back in Russia I had good friend who was a guy. Every summer when I went, we would sneak out to the clubs at night, have secret sleep overs, cuddle each other while watching movies. I never felt anything towards him other than friendship, but it was never the same with him. I didn't know until one summer he ignored me, later to find out he had a girlfriend. I was confused why he still would not talk to me even while he was dating someone else, that shouldn't have mattered. But I guess at the end of it all, he had been in love with me since we were kids and I didn't know. I never felt that way towards anyone until I saw Nani" I could feel my face turn red, I stood up from the bench that sat in front of the piano,"So if you talk to Suka again, tell her I am sorry, maybe I am just dumb."

    "Wait, where are you going?"

    I walked out of the music room, "To see my wife."