BLURRY EYES

It's now lunch break at Ryonan High. As usual,  the Umeda brothers got together for lunch.

"What IS this stuff?" Shinobu kept poking his 'food' with his chopsticks.

"I dunno. It is Teriyaki, says the menu." Shinobu's younger brother Sakuya answered.

"Next time, we bring our own food." the eldest Umeda son, Shinji told his younger brothers.

"Really now. It was not this bad as long as I remembered. They must have got a new cook."
Sendoh, the Ryonan basketball captain, said to the Umedas.

Shinobu complained and complained on what he and his brothers are going to eat. He even
blammed Sendoh on their bad 'food luck'. Sendoh, couldn't take the usually so quiet (and he hopes
he stays that way) Shinobu's blaming, they ended up in a quarrel with some threats on making them
eat all the 'thing that you call food' in the  cafeteria. Sakuya, who cares for the both of them,  can't seem to calm them down and just gave up. Shinji, on the other hand, just watched and seems  to enjoy himself.

They were almost on a brawl when a trail of dust and a loud voice 'boomed' in the cafeteria.

"SHI-NO-BU-KUUUUUUUUUNNN!!!!"

When the smoke, dust....whatever disappeared, a girl with shoulder length dark brown hair with a
pink hairband in female Ryonan uniform came into the four boy's view.

"Ah, hello, here for lunch?" Shinobu greeted the  girl as soon as he recognized her.

The girl, still catching her breath, just shook her head to decline.

"Who might she be?" the youngest Umeda inquired as he eyed the girl confusedly.

Shinobu stood up from his seat beside Shinji and walked towards the girl.

"She is," Shinobu has put a hand on the girl's  shoulder, "Nanami Mizuno, a friend of mine."

After she finally caught her breath, she greeted the others.

"I am Nanami Mizuno, second year. Pleased to meet  you all." the girl named Nanami said and bowed
respectfully.

Shinobu was about to introduce his companions but he was disturbed by Nanami.

"Introductions has to wait later. I need to have  a talk to you, Shinobu." Nanami told Shinobu with
her best pleading eyes.

Being taught in being a gentleman, he excused  himself to his brothers and captain let him be
dragged out of the cafeteria by Nanami.

Sendoh, Shinji and Sakuya, confused on what was happening, could only raise a hand as a goodbye.

****

Nanami has led Shinobu in an empty classroom. She motioned her hand to offer Shinobu a seat on
one of the chairs and Shinobu gladly complied.

"What is it, Nanami?" Shinobu finally asked her.

"Well..." Nanami fidgeted on where she was standing.

"You see...You know I'm a manager of 'The Need' band, right?"

"Yeah, I know..."

"And...Our classmate, Makoto-kun, is the lead singer,  right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"And...You know there will be an amateur band contest, right?"

"Yeah..." 'Riki Mink of Black Moon is one of the judges.'

"You know it is VERY important for me...And the whole band, right?"

"Yeah, you guys have been practicing almost non-stop  for that."

"Well, you see...You know Makoto caught a VERY, very bad cold and the contest is on the day after tomorrow."

"Yeah....He didn't come to class today..."

"Well...What I was meaning to ask is..."

"Is?..."

"Can you be our lead singer? Even just for this contest?"

Shinobu only blinked at her until what she said finally  sinked in.

Shinobu suddenly stood up and slammed his palms on the  table in front of him, "YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!?!?!!"

"Please, Shinobu-kun." Nanami faced him again with her best pleading eyes, "You're the only one I could ask for help. The whole band, even Makoto-kun, approves of you. Please, Shinobu-kun."

What Nanami said didn't even reached Shinobu's ears. His brain was still taking in the fact that if he will join, he will see the person he hated the most. But he wants to help a friend, since he doesn't have much. His mind was working like clock work.

"Shinobu, pleeeeeeaase???" Nanami asked for the nth time.

'I...I don't want to be selfish...' Shinobu, finally out of his own world, faced Nanami, "Ok...Just this once...I'll do it..."

Nanami bursted with happiness and hugged Shinobu tightly and showered him with a lot of thanks.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she finally let go of Shinobu, "I better go and tell them the good news! Meet us after school ok? We'll try to excuse you on your basketball practice, for well...practice!"
with a wave, Nanami disappeared through the door.

Almost right after Nanami left, Shinobu leaned on the  wall and slid to the floor. He folded his knees close to his chest and hid his face into it. He dreads the day he will meet Riki again...

****

It was already nigthfall when Shinobu finally got home. When he entered the house, he immediately saw his two brothers waiting for him.

A very angry and worried Shinji approached Shinobu,  "Where were you? You didn't came back at lunch and we  didn't met you at practice coz you got excused! You  didn't even called! What happened? Tell me!"

"Shinji-aniki, please calm down!" Sakuya tried to calm down his aniki.

"Gomen, aniki. I didn't have time to..." Shinobu  answered barely in a whisper.

"I guess it is best if we talk about this tomorrow." Sakuya said now having a bit of a hard time to calm
down Shinji.

"I'll be going to my room then." Shinobu said as he started to walk in to the corridor that leads to the
rooms, "I'll explain in the morning. I promise."

****

The next morning, Shinobu came to the table last. He  this time met with a MUCH calmer Shinji and a smiling Sakuya. They've eaten their breakfast, as usual, and finally, Shinji brought up the topic about last night.

"WHat happened now, Nobu?" Shinji asked.

"Well...you see..." Then Shinobu told his brothers about what he and Nanami talked about at lunch and the practice completely missing the part about Riki Mink.

"But still, aniki, you should have at least called us." A concerned Sakuya told Shinobu.

"I really didn't had time. They really wanted to practice fast."

"What's the song, Nobu?"

"'Blurry Eyes'."

"That's a great song, Nobu-aniki! I'll cheer for your  group! It's tomorrow ,ne?"

"Yeah." 'Yes...the dreaded day is tomorrow...'

"Good luck then, Nobu."

"Good luck, Nobu-aniki!"

"Arigatou, aniki, Sakuya."

****

The day of the competition has finally come. Shinobu is at the backstage with the others. Shinji, Sakuya and Sendoh, who decided to come, are at the audience.

The announcer finally came out, "Good afternoon, everyone! Before we start the introduction and performance of the bands, I would like to acknowledge the presence of our guest of honor and one of the judges, Riki Mink of the Black Moon! Please give him a round of applause!"

Almost all of the audience cheered for Riki. However, Shinji paled and Sakuya boiled in anger. Sendoh is oblivious to this because of the loud cheering of the  crowd.

After the loud cheering has subsided, the program has begun.

****

During one of the breaks in the competition and Shinobu's group was next after it, Shinobu got an unlikely visitor at the backstage.

"Shinobu..."

At the call of his name, he turned around and faced the source of the voice. Instead of paling, like his aniki, he stood his guard and his face was emotionless.  Eventhough, inside he was a bit nervous facing him alone.

"Hello, Shinobu, it's been a long time." Riki said as he strode closer to Shinobu. However, Shinobu didn't budged nor answered Riki.

"Why being so cold all of a sudden?"

"Why?" Shinobu said through his gritted teeth.

"Why what?" Riki just smiled and his hand caressed  Shinobu's face.

Shinobu pushed Riki's hand away, "How dare you!.."

There was most probably a fight between them if there was no knock on the door.

"Umeda-san get ready!" a voice called out from outside.

"I'm coming!" Shinobu shouted back and just walked past Riki without even facing him.

"Good luck, Nobu." Riki said without turning around.

With that, Shinobu slammed shut the door.

****

"Our next band! THE NEED!"

The audience cheered. With the announcer's signal,  they started to play.

 [Intro]

'Just don't think about Riki. Everything will be over after this.'

 tooku no kaze wo
 mi ni matou
 anata ni wa    todokanai
 kotoba narabete mite mo
 mata shisen wa dokoka
 mado no mukou

 ~Carried on a wind
  from far away,
  no matter how many times I try to say these words,
  they never reach you.
  Once again, my eyes stare somewhere
  out the window.

 kawaranai   yokan wa   tsudzuite-iru  
 ano hibi sae   kumotte...      

 ~This foreboding hasn't changed, I still feel it.
  Those days are getting blurry...

 kago no naka no
 tori no you na
 utsuro na me ni    furete-iru
 gogo no hizashi wa maru de
 anata wo soto e
 sasou hikari

 ~Seeing through
  blank eyes
  like a caged bird,
  the light of the afternoon sun is just like
  the light that shines on you
  from outside

 kawaranai   yokan wa tsudzuite-iru
 ano hibi sae   kumotte shimau

 ~This foreboding hasn't changed, I still feel it.
  Those days are becoming blurry...

 meguri-kuru toki ni
 yakusoku wo ubaware-sou
 kono ryoute   sashinobete mo
 kokoro wa hanarete

 ~I feel the changing season
  will see my promise broken.
  Even if I reach out with my hands,
  my heart will stay distant

  [Instrumental]

Shinobu could feel Riki's eyes are on him.

  (Why do you stare at the sky with your blurry eyes?)

  [Guitar Solo]

He swallowed hard, 'I wish he would stop looking at me.' Having so much in his mind, he almost lost timing.

 meguri-kuru toki ni
 yakusoku wo ubaware-sou
 kono ryoute   sashi nobete mo
 kokoro wa hanarete

 ~I feel the changing season
  will see my promise broken.
  Even if I reach out with my hands,
  my heart will stay distant.

 meguri-kuru toki ni
 taisetsu na hito wa   mou
 furimuita   sono hitomi ni
 chiisa na tameiki

 ~In the changing season,
  the one precious to me
  looked back toward me with those eyes,
  sighing softly.

 (Your blurry eyes)  ...your blurry eyes
 (Your blurry eyes)  ...kokoro wa
 (Your blurry eyes)  ...hanarete
 (Your blurry eyes)  ...yuku

 ~(Your blurry eyes)  ...your blurry eyes
  (Your blurry eyes)  ...My heart
  (Your blurry eyes)  ...will stay
  (Your blurry eyes)  ...distant.

And the song ended...with someone...having... blurry eyes...covered by his long hair... CHESTNUT BROWN hair...

"anata ni wa todokanai kotoba narabete mite mo..."
(no matter how many times I try to say these words,
  they never reach you...)

"Shinobu..."

Chapter 14