Palette! And Shades

Chapter 4. 1

“Dang! Those vocalists are great!” Satori said and stretched her hands in the air. The audition for their band was already finished and they promised to deliberate the next day because they were too tired to even stand, after trying to console people and sugarcoat their shortcomings as performers. “So I really had to send Mr. Murase there to drag you back in here, you Kuu!”

“He sure came- nice timing.” Kuu said- and he had been sulking for about three hours since he was dragged away from the old music room- and worse, Mr. Murase caught him in the act of stealing a selfie with Akuji.

It’s not like I violated her human rightssssssssssss~

But Mr. Murase did not scold him nor tell his bandmates where he dragged him from- and he was too thankful for that.

“Yo. I emailed you the images boss. Now make sure you include me in that group thesis or something- and teach me Math and physics.” Josef suddenly approached him, making him flinch- but the moment he heard what he said, Kuu immediately shifted back to his normal self- his lively and cute self and began scrolling and downloading on his phone. “You bastard not telling me you knew a pretty girl. Aren’t I- Josef the great- your best friend for life, your childhood friend- the first person who was supposed to know that you already have a girlfriend?!”

It seemed like the [girlfriend] word rang onto his entire body and he became as red as strawberry as soon as the thought came to him. “Sh-shut up! I don’t want anyone to know this. So shut up.”

“Yes boss.” Josef said and laughed at him teasingly.

Kuu finally received the notification that the photos were already downloaded. He quickly opened the folder- and there he saw the most precious picture he saw in his entire life-

A nostalgic room- a huge white piano with Anonymous and him leaning on each other. He quickly turned to Josef and jumped to him for a hug with sparkles on his eyes again.

“You are amazingly reliable despite how you look!” Kuu said as Josef hit his head lightly in a playful manner.

“Didn’t I tell you that I was a journalist? That is nothing but a simple feat.” Josef said but Kuu was already away from him, sparkling as he looked at his phone, selecting the most beautiful one to become his wallpaper.

“I shouldn’t tell him about the renovation.” Josef said and tried leaving- but Kuu held his hand- but he seemed mad.

“Wh-nani omaiwa-“

“Is this all?” Kuu asked, showing him his gallery.

“Dude- that’s a hundred pictures of you and her talking to each other- leaning against each other- and I even got a close-up on her- see?” Josef said but Kuu seemed more upset.

“You didn’t capture her true hair- this is a wig and she looked more beautiful in her hair- her true hair!” Kuu said, pointing to the close-up picture of Anonymous he tried to stick to his friend- but Josef ended up looking at the picture while blushing.

“She could be more beautiful than that? And a wig? What are you talking about you nitwit?”

“Her beauty while wearing this wig isn’t even comparable to when her long curly hair extends to her waist. She looked like a goddess.” Kuu said, now calm and collected as he remembered how Anonymous looked.

“So that was why you failed to find her- the wig.”

“I haven’t completely found her. Her name is still registered as Anonymous in my brain. Wait. What should I use as a wallpaper among these hundred photos? Dang I can’t believe I was forced to leave her like that. That Satori! Oh! She’s cute here- here as well- and she’s smiling here- and here she’s ethereal- the sun made her look like a goddess- hey! Help me choose!”

But Josef already left him to his own company and splinted towards the others as they said goodbye to each other. As they left the theatre, Kuu was able to catch up to them but he was still paying attention to the phone he had on his hands and that was why he bumped someone.

“Kyaaaahh! I’m sorry!” Kuu said without looking away at his phone. However, the person he just bumped took away the treasure in his arms and held it up in the air. “Hey! Are you trying to start a fight- wha- eh- S-sir Murase- I’m sorry! I’m so sorry- don’t drop my phone please!”

Mr. Murase stood in front of him- superior in height and in size and on his hands were the phone of Kuu- who almost cried there and then, afraid that the photos will be deleted. He eyed Kuu and looked at the images on his phone. “What were you doing with my student in that old music room Kuu?” he had his intimidating presence displayed in front of Kuu who was surprisingly no longer faltering. “Why is her hair straight?” He gave the phone back to him and almost left, but a question that Kuu threw at him made him stop in his tracks.

“So you know her, sir.” Kuu said.

It was an inane statement that Murase looked at him in an instant because he doubted that it was from one of his top students. “She’s my student. How could I not know her? Ah, just a piece of advice- that girl isn’t very welcoming of strangers. I suggest that you stay away before your heart gets broken.”

“So you know her more than being your student.” Kuu said, again with a serious tone and expression.

“Yes. She was a former trainee in my sister’s agency. She- no- her group was set to debut after completing her training but one day, she just turned in her paper which indicated that she wanted to leave the agency- then no news about her came to us- well, my sister tried to convince her out of it- but what we knew was that the girl stopped singing- no- she stopped music completely so the moment I saw you – I saw her on that music room, I was shocked.”

Kuu didn’t know what to say- or do- or how to react to the sudden revelation that felt like slapped his face- he failed to realize how versatile her playing was- her extreme control and precision on her tone- her monster presence-

“From what I heard, one of her group mates is also here- but you know, after she left the group, my sister reprimanded the group she used to be a part of- but that I don’t know why- and I knew they disbanded even before debuting.”

“A-anonymous. I- I can’t believe it.”

“So you don’t know her name yet but you cling to her like that? LOL.” Murase said and left him to his own thoughts, and when he turned around, the members of FIX club caught her attention because he saw Akuji, and it almost looked like she belonged there- with the people that walked beside her. Her appearance shocked him- because her hair was too long now that it hid her face.

He clenched his fist and looked down, heartbreaking endlessly.

Everytime I see Akuji, I always remember how I failed as her group’s teacher.