Me and Ai

Chapter 28: Summer Camp Is Coming

Chapter 28: Summer Camp Is Coming

It was break time and I was on my way to Saotomate. When I passed by the main hall, there were many students by the bulletin boards. I wonder what everyone is getting excited for. I saw Tomochan and Haruka and went over to them.

"Hey, what's with everyone?"

"Ah! Kaori-chan! Summer camp is nearly here!" Tomochan said.
I can tell she's excited over it because of her smile.

"Summer camp?" Haruka asked.

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"Listen everyone! The long awaited annual summer camp is just around the corner!" Hyuga-sensei seems excited about this summer camp as well. His announcement also made everyone else in the class excited.

"This year's summer camp will be held in a southern island resort!"

Ah! Now Hyuga-sensei has made me excited for this summer camp as well!
Everyone got even more excited over the location!

"The blue sea, the beautiful white sand, the cool sweet wind, you'll all be enjoying those!"

Everyone was fired up!

"However, after we come back home, it will be time for deciding your fate! Once we get back from the summer camp, it will be time for you to find your partner for the graduation audition!"

Everyone became a bit serious.

"Pairs will be formed between those who are in the idol course and composer course. After finding your partner, the two of you has to work together to form your dream debut. I'm sure some of you have already decided on whom you're going to work with, but for those who haven't...this camp is your big chance for finding a partner! Choose your partner carefully and remember that falling in love is forbidden!"

Again with that weird rule of no romance. Well I guess that in a school of many talents and beautiful people, one could actually fall in love if another but that's not my problem. My problem is getting a partner! I'm not even sure if I can get a partner for the graduation audition! Most probably I'm going to be told to partner up with "Kaoru". This is so lame but I guess I don't mind performing and composing. Sigh...it's like doing a school project all by myself. Such a hassle. Oh well, I'll ask Hyuga-sensei after class.

Class went on as usual and when it was over, I went over to Hyuga-sensei before leaving the classroom.

"Hyuga-sensei, about choosing a partner for the graduation auditions..."

"Ah yeah. Tsukimiya and I talked about it with Saotome yesterday."

"So what did he say?"

"You'll be debuting as both Kaori and Kaoru."

"So I'll be writing a song for my alter ego after all..."

"Hm? Not exactly. When I said that you'd be debuting as Kaori and Kaoru, I meant that you will write a song separately for Kaori and Kaoru and you'll sing as Kaori and Kaoru."

"W-wait! So I'm debuting as myself and as Kaoru?!"

"Yes. So I'm afraid you'll have to decline anyone who asks you to be their partner."

" Okay...Thank you for your time, Hyuga-sensei..."

So I really am going to be working with myself but I didn't expect that I'd be debuting as a man and a woman. So I guess I'll have to compose two songs before graduation comes.
I was already about to go out of the classroom's door until,

"Yamashita-san, I forgot to mention something to you."

"What is it, Hyuga-sensei?"

"Saotome also mentioned that you'll be revealing that Kaori and Kaoru is actually one person."

"I-I have to what?!"

"You have to reveal that Kaoru is actually you. Saotome said that it's a must. It won't be mentioned in the media so only those who are going to be present in the graduation auditions will know. We also asked the guests and special spectators to keep it a secret so that your future employers won't know as well as the general public."

"How come?! Do I really have to?!"

"We decided on this because we thought that it would bring closure with yourself."

"Closure?"

"Recently, we've noticed something about you. When you perform on front o people as Kaoru, you're full of confidence and you appear to be shining. However, when you perform as Kaori, you seem to lose confidence in yourself and you end up being restrained; you don't shine as bright."

"..."

I see, they noticed after all. The reason why I created Kaoru was not only for joining contests as a man to hide my identity...it was because I had no confidence in myself. I felt that if I was "Kaori", then I'd automatically end up losing; that was what I thought. So I pretended to be another person—a person who was "better than Kaori. I've always had an inferiority complex. When people praised me, I always felt like I didn't deserve it and that I didn't have any talents. In a way, I looked at myself as a worthless person.

"We want you to be as confident as Kaoru. We want you to realize that you really do have a talent and that you're capable of doing this. We know that you have an inferiority complex and we all think that you have to get rid of it. If this won't get rid of it completely, then we hope that it would at least lessen it greatly. You need to believe in yourself more, Kaori."

"O-okay. I'll do my best."

I left the classroom and now, I'm starting to go crazy. I have to reveal that I'm Kaoru?! I find that quite embarrassing! Thinking back on my acting and all, Kaoru is just too far from Kaori's personality. I wish that I could have just kept it a secret!
Oh well, I'll have plenty of time to reflect and get over this during the summer camp...I better start packing. Wait, do I even have a swimsuit for the beach?

I was walking and was on my way to the practice hall to play with the piano. I just wanted to calm down a little plus I didn't really have much to do for the time being.
I sat down and started playing a melody that I wrote before and then I started playing melodies that just popped up in my head. This is really fun. Just hearing the piano fill up the room, it's like I'm in the middle of a forest where everything is just calm and music just comes around to wrap you in warmth and happiness with a nice cool breeze.
I started making up lyrics to the melodies and started singing. Music is so much fun! I can't imagine living without it! I want to make many more moments like this that not only I would enjoy but others will as well. I want to make them smile and enjoy the magic of music. For me, music is love. I continued playing and singing whatever came to mind until I heard someone enter the room.