Broken Dreams Blossom into Beautiful Songs

5

Akito walked into his home. The lights were off. It was rather late... He sighed as he treaded up the stairs. He walked in the hallway that lead to his room and saw his sister's door was left open. She was crying and screaming, tearing up her recent paintings. Akito sighed as he watched painfully. He hated seeing her like that. He made his way back downstairs and went to the kitchen. He decided to make something for his sister to enjoy in the morning. He decided to make her favorite, cheesecake.

He had been practicing backing and cooking for a while, hoping that one day he'd be able share it with his crush. Akito was no half-ass cook. He always put one-hundred percent of his effort in things he cared about. He pulled his sleeves back and washed his hands. Then he pulled out the pans. He looked in the fridge and saw they had some extra ingredients. He decided he'd make some cookies to take to school with him tomorrow. He had a sweet tooth after all. For the next hour or so Akito worked diligently, making sure everything was perfect.

His concentration was impeccable as he steadily decorated the cheesecake he made for his sister, Ena. It looked as if a professional put it together. He smiled at his creation. He wrote a small little note for his sister to read in the morning as he stuck it in the fridge. Then he turned to start making the cookies. Though it was getting rather late, he enjoyed taking his time. Steadily improving with every whip of his hand. He didn't want to just make plain chocolate chip cookies... He had made that too many times...

He thought back to the cafe visit he had with Toya. He thought about Toya's strange choice of black coffee. Akito found it to be tooo bitter for his own taste, but he wondered if he could incorporate it with the cookies. Perhaps trying something different would bring variety to his skill set? He huffed as determination coursed through his body. He carefully picked the ingredients and began to stir away. He didn't have a recipe, so he could only pray that it would turn out well. As the homemade mocha cookie dough grew thicker in texture, Akito began rolling small balls of dough and placed it on a cookie sheet before gently placing them in the oven.

He then washed his hands and moved them to his hips. He felt accomplished. His love and care being threaded into each of those mocha flavored cookies. He nearly spent two hours on them. His precision and careful execution were perfect, and his determination carried him through the night. He wiped a hinge of sweat off of his head, the heat of the oven affected him slightly. It was all worth it. The happiness he felt as he took the cookies out of the oven and they turned out perfectly was almost as good as when he successfully made a song he liked.

However, it still didn't compare to his passion for music. He felt a tad bit guilty on all of this 'wasted time' he spent on baking instead of practicing, but he knew it'd be worth it to see the smile on his older sister's face. Even if she wouldn't verbally thank him, her smile would be enough... Right? He looked to the side. He never really knew if he was doing the right things. 'A little bit of validation wouldn't hurt.' he thought as he wrapped the cookies up in a cute little bag and tied an orange ribbon around it.

He wasn't the cutesy kind of guy, his fashion leaning more into grunge and street fashion. However he could appreciate a well put together look. He placed the cookies in his school bag for tomorrow and then made his way to his room. He'd just have to practice all the more the next day. Especially since he was spending lunch with Toya. He rolled his eyes. Why'd he give away his precious practice time like that..? He picked up a guitar in the corner of his room and began to strum simple cord as he hummed along.

He had a song idea in his mind, he knew he wanted to write about the feelings he had experienced on a daily basis. However, he still wasn't sure on the lyrics, so he decided to focus on the cord progressions. It went from a C minor to an A flat to an E flat then to a B flat then to a C minor 7 then to a B flat then to an E flat then to a G. That was all he had figured out so far. It was rather complicated and changed at a fast pace, but Akito had always worked hard in perfecting his arts. Akito's feelings seeped out from his body and into his guitar as a tear dropped from his eye. His heart was beating, but his body failed to move.

He put his guitar down on his bed and sat down on his desk. It was pretty late in the night at this point, but Akito felt his motivation running through his body. He pulled out his sketchbook, that he usually kept hidden, and flipped through it's pages. Then he went in his closet and pulled out a mannequin that he also kept hidden. He was working on creating one of his sketches and turning it into something he could actually wear. He began stitching the zipper onto it. Akito was a fashion kind of guy, and he was fascinated by it. During rough nights like this, it helped to keep himself busy to keep his mind away from his sister's tears in the next room over.

He didn't really quit art. In fact he continued to draw in secret. However, he could never be open about that. It tore his sister apart. She worked hard everyday, art was her sole purpose for living, and yet their father always told her how her art was worthless. She continues to create in her own way of rebellion. Akito on the other hand was naturally good at art, at least in his father's eyes. He often received praise for it, creating a tense atmosphere between him and his sister. He decided it wasn't worth causing so much trouble and "quit" art altogether. Though he couldn't bring himself to really do it, a part of his life was intertwined with it after all.

He thought himself selfish. His sister worked so hard on improving and yet he still held onto it. He should've quit. He sighed as he accidentally pricked his finger with the needle he was using to sew. He decided that maybe he was too tired to fully concentrate in the way he wanted to, and it'd be best for his piece if he'd call it a night here. He bandaged his bloody finger and then hid his art. After that he changed into his pajamas, brushed his teeth, did his skin care routine, and then passed out onto his soft bed. He felt his body sink into it as he still felt as if he hadn't done enough. He had to work tomorrow. He sighed as he drifted off to sleep.