According To The Muses {UTAPRI}

17: Who's Orpheus?

MPK: The cover above is done by kokoko6891 on YT. I consider her the real-life Haruka honestly, her piano covers are beyond amazing. She's really talented. She's covered a bunch of Utapri songs and still does covers for other animes to this day, so check her out if you want~

So, I got even lazier and didn't write the song for my OC for this chap. (So sorry T-T Sike Nah, I needed a break). But I think the one I used fits anyway...See if you can guess what it's from~More about it at the end of the chap~

WARNING: This chapter's pretty emotional and touches a pretty heavy adult subject. Exercise some caution when reading it.

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"Ladies and gentlemen! Can I have your attention, please?! The results of the first round of the Pair Vs Pair Contest have been decided!"

A giant LED leaderboard appeared on the stage screen.

"These are the final 10 pairs going head to head in the final round! Get ready for a finale you'll never forget! Right after this break!"

After the announcer finishes, the cameras cut off and fade to black. The leaderboard remains on the screen to be deciphered.

"I'm...I-I'm in first." Otoya's ruby-red eyes widened. He couldn't fathom it at all, "Me. I'm in first!?"

I hugged the redhead, "There was never any doubt! Right, Otoya?" I teased.

Otoya looked away from me nervously, "Y-Yeah...no doubts at all..."

"Oi! Otoyma~err!" The dark bluenette coughed, "Otoya." Tokiya approached us from the contest stage. "HAYATO" had just finished doing a half time segment for the audience of the live special, and thought he was now in the clear to go do Tokiya things.

Except he wasn't.

This IDIOT was still wearing HAYATO's uniform with one of Tokiya's sweat jackets on top of it all. Furthermore, the ends of his hair were still curled up in HAYATO's normal style. It was obvious Tokiya was burnt out, but I didn't expect him to be so careless! Pick the right character in the right circumstances, you big DUMMY!

I karate kicked Tokiya behind some tall crates nearby. Otoya blinked and whisked around to see no one else there. "Huh? Was that Tokiya just now?"

"Wha? No~Not at all!" I brought Otoya back to face me. "He should be still in the audience!" Tokiya crawled from behind the cloth table next to it, only to catch my foot in his face, knocking him back. Otoya looked back again, but I slapped his cheeks.

"Oww! What was that for~?!" Otoya whimpered.

"I-I~uh~" I quickly gathered my excuse. "B-Because I'm nervous!"

"Well then why didn't you slap your own cheeks?" Otoya removed my hands from his face. "You shouldn't be nervous Me-chan. We're in the lead right now. You'll blow the rest of this competition out the water!" He squeezed my hands with a tease, "No doubts, remember?" I sweatdropped when he threw my own words back at me. That made him smile. "Re-mem-ber?" He then pinched my cheeks just as I frowned.

"Hey, guys! The performances are starting again!" Tsubasa interrupted me before I could fully protest. Of all people, Serena and Aruhi accompanied him. "Everyone's heading on ov~whoa! I didn't mean to get in the middle of anything...But well. If it isn't ship material, I don't know what is~" Otoya pulled away and his smile lessened.

Serena grinned wickedly, "Hey! Don't stop on our account~by all means continue! Saotome or the other teachers aren't backstage to pester us."

"They always have such horrible timing," Otoya muttered to me.