"Yamaa Tomohisa you better hurry up!" Maki banged on the door, her fist balled up. By now the neighbors were used to this.

"Tomohisa open up! I am not performing that song without you!"

"Will you chill?!" The door finally did open up only to reveal Tomohisa in brown pants and a white shirt, the buttons still open. "How am I going to finish with getting dressed if you keep yelling?!"

Maki stood still, her hand still balled up. Her expression was blank before she turned away. "Just meet me at the lobby then..."

Truth was, she just didn't want to keep seeing his abs yelling at her or him seeing her drooling. She pressed the elevator button and entered just as their neighbor Higashiyama-san exited, smiling at her.

"Lovers quarrel early in the morning Maki-chan?" The old lady smiled.

Maki chuckled nervously. "We're not lovers Higashiyama-san." She said.

"Ah sou sou..." Higashiyama-san moved on to her apartment but still knowingly looking at Maki.

With a shake of her head, Maki rode the elevator then waited by the couches at the lobby. She knew she promised herself that she wouldn't be Tomohisa's alarm clock but she needed to do this today. It was the first day of school and the two of them needed to perform the song they'd composed.

Sighing, she cradled her bag to herself and rested her elbow on the couch arm. After a few moments, Tomohisa came, carrying his lucky guitar with him.

"Ikou?" He asked in a rather bored tone.

Maki nodded her head and stood up, briskly walking out the door.

As always they didn't really speak as they headed to work. People usually spoke to each other but they were comfortable just with the company anyways.

There was a pole by the doors, Maki situated herself by it, holding the metal while Tomohisa stood beside her leaning on the wall.

The train started moving and Maki actually felt Tomohisa leaning in closer to her so he could balance himself. She let him. It was nice to know that she wouldn't be stumbling since she had her own personal pole. The train ride was going well until she realized something was poking her back.

"Maki come closer..." Tomohisa whispered.

"Eh?"

Tomohisa pulled her towards him and acted as if he was shielding her with his body. Maki watched as Tomohisa glared at the middle aged man who she realized was at her back a while ago.

"Please step back..." Tomohisa growled at the man, his eyes flashing. With a gulp, the man cowered and turned away, walking to the back so he could get as far from them as possible.

Maki blinked in realization and shivered. She looked up at Tomohisa. "Arigatou..."

"Stick close..." Tomohisa replied and placed Maki by the pole so that his body was covering hers.

Maki still shivered. Imagine if Tomohisa wasn't there. She would have been violated! Her hands gripped her bag tighter and she closed her eyes, trying to shake the feeling away. But then she felt Tomhisa's hand comfortably placed on her arm. She looked up and saw that he was softly looking at her, in a comforting manner.

The doors then opened; they had reaced their stop.

"Ikou shorty, we're going to be late." Tomohisa smiled at her, laying a hand by her lower back to lead her outside

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Tomohisa shook his head as he followed Maki who was running towards the school. She didn't want to be late and she could achieve that by running.

Him on the other hand, well he just strutted his long legs.

"Tomo we'll be late! Hurry up!"

Tomohisa smiled as he watched Maki running ahead of him. At least now she was feeling fine again. His blood boiled when he saw that dirty old geezer staring at Maki's and feeling her up. It was a good thing it didn't actually happen or he would have punched the living daylights out of that man.

His thoughts were too much in the way that he didn't notice that they were already by the gates. This time he did run along with Maki, placing an accompanying hand on the woman's back as they made their way to the auditorium. Students, old and new flocked the auditorium, bodies squished together because of their large number.

"Tomo! Maki!" Kazuya was just by the entrance, waving his hand over to them.

"I thought we were late..." Maki breathed in, fixing a wisp of her hair that had gotten into her eyes.

"I'm assuming Tomo here was the reason." Kazuya laughed, placing a hand on Tomohisa's shoulder who simply smirked.

“Jaa, so who’s singing?” He asked.

Maki raised her hands in defeat. “Not me. Wouldn’t want to rain on anyone’s parade.” It was true. Maki knew she was a damn good piano player and composer to add to that but she pleaded with anyone to not let her sing. She’d rather not embarrass herself.

“Hey hey let’s get a move on!” Erika came pushing them through. Thankfully it wasn’t their time to perform yet.

Kazuya and Tomohisa watched as the two girls chatted their way over to the backstage along with the other professors. The two of them both stayed by the edge of the backstage, next to the curtains and the refreshment table.

Maki and Erika on the other hand, stood where they could see all the people entering from outside.

They were hid by the curtains, but they could still witness everything going on there. Students had these looks on their faces. Some were looking all sweaty and terrified. Some looked dead-panned and some looked really determined.

“You can guess what the students major in ne?” Erika asked.

Maki nodded her head. Aside from the ones carrying their obvious instruments to show what they were good at; some just had that aura around them that yelled whatever they majored in. Since there were available dorms right at inside the school, some students had actually moved in about a week ago and now looked more comfortable.

“Ne…” Maki nudged her friend and pointed at one student sitting at the front. “I bet that girl majors in piano…”

“How do you know?” Erika questioned, turning to Maki then back to the suspected student just to make sure.

With a knowing smile, Maki explained. “You see, her fingers are layed on her lap and she keeps tapping like there’s an invisible piano. Plus, look at her bag.

Erika did so and noticed that the student had this small body bag which was designed with piano keys. The two instructors laughed at each other before Erika pointed out one small fact. “Don’t you think that girl could be our love child?”

Maki whipped her head over to Erika. What was that? “Eh? Our love child?”

“Yeah!” Erika exclaimed as if she hadn’t said anything absurd. “She’s got your nose and my lips, oh Maki we have a baby!”

“Stop it!” Maki laughed, playfully hitting Erika’s arm.

Enough with the student for now. They then focused on the other professors who were ushering said students inside.

At one end was Takahisa, his gullible and cute face comforting the students while he led them to their seats. Then there was Keiko whom Maki noticed was being flocked by some female students, understood to be either sophomores, juniors or seniors.

“Keiko is really famous with the students ne?” Maki said, turning to Erika.

The latter agreed, showing this with a nod of her head.

They stood silently but Maki couldn’t seem to let go of her thoughts. “She’d be great for modelling!”

“What, Keiko?” Erika faced her.

“Yeah…”

The other piano teacher laughed slowly, her arms now uncrossed. “Can’t you see almost all of us here could be models?”

“Wow. So humble Erika…” Maki teased.

“What?” Erika feigned non-chalance. “If I didn’t love playing music I’d probably be modelling.” She laughed and circled her arms with Maki’s “Of course, I’d want you and Mei-tan to come with me…” She breathed in but then remembered their earlier topic.

“You know, it’s a known fact that Keiko likes Tomo-kun.”

“Sou…” Maki nodded her head. She shouldn’t really be bothered by this right? And why did people keep informing her about this? It wasn’t any of her business. “Shame. Blame Tomohisa for being so slow!”

“Slow?” Erika asked confusedly.

“Yeah…” Maki reacted. “I mean, if he had done something about that then he’d be with her now right?” Somehow something inside of her wanted herself to shut up. But then again, she had to ask herself, why?

Erika actually snorted, not caring that it was un-lady like. “Maybe he’s not doing  something about it because he doesn’t want to…”

“Really? Why not?” Maki asked. She watched as Keiko smiled at what seemed to be freshmen dancers then led them to their seats.

Erika sighed then shook her head. “You know Maki, sometimes, you can be an idiot.”

“Huh?”

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“Oi Tomo stop staring…”

“What?”

Still seated, Kazuya laughed as he watched his best friend staring at the woman next to his girlfriend.

“You’re my best friend and yet I never knew you were a ert?”

“What are you talking about?” Tomohisa asked. He was getting annoyed and confused at the same time.

Clearly Kazuya was getting a laugh from all of this. “You keep staring at Maki’s .”

“Oi, I am not.” Tomohisa denied. “I was staring at her, not her .” It was too late before he was able to stop his not so save of his words.

“Aha! So you were staring at her, period!” Kazuya emphasized. When Tomohisa didn’t say anything and only turned to look down, the former shook his head then clasped the guitar instructor’s shoulder. “You are an idiot. Just go ahead and tell her.”

“Tell her what?” In a second, Kazuya’s softly punched his friend after Tomohisa uttered those words. Fine, if he wasn’t going to admit it yet then he’d let him find out for himself.

“You should get some sleep Kazuya.” Tomohisa said. “You’re all disoriented.”

There was no reply as the dancer only sighed and rolled his eyes. But something was eating him through with all of this. “If not what I’m talking about, why don’t you just lay it out for Keiko softly?”

Tomohisa knew what Kazuya was talking about. “I already told her I’m not looking for a relationship with a girl. And I think she understands that.”

“Really now.” Kazuya looked challenged. “You’re not looking for a relationship? Or you were just waiting for one girl?”

Before Tomohisa could say anything, Kazuya had already left his side and approached Erika. He blinked his eyes awake and realized that Maki was now standing in-front of him.

“Hey Tomo! Is everything alright?” Maki asked, shaking him awake as she tapped his shoulders.

He was still full of his thoughts from what Kazuya was telling him.

“I think it’s my fault you’re drowsy and haven’t had breakfast. I was hurrying you.” Maki sighed. She looked like she was talking to herself more than to him. In the next moment she had him pulled up from the chair. “Ikou, there’s still time, let’s get some coffee!”

“Maki…”

“Nani? You don’t want to?” Maki asked, looking at him with a small smile as if she was taunting him.

In the end, he whipped himself over, giving a small smile. “Fine, I know you need your dose of caffeine shorty.”

“I am not short!” Maki grumbled as they walked out of the auditorium and to the academy’s cafeteria.

“Whatever you say shorty…” He teased, patting her head just to show her that she was shorter than him.

They kept bickering all the way to the cafeteria. It was the morning and the first day so there was sure to be lots of food.

While walking, Maki stopped short, being serious as she looked at the man beside her. “Anou Tomo…?”

“Yeah shorty?”

She rolled her eyes and let it pass by before continuing. “Thank you for this morning, you know, in the train.”

She could tell that he was sort of taken aback by that. The situation wasn’t calling for that conversation but they were alone so she took the opportunity.

Finally coming back to his senses, Tomohisa nodded his head and showed a smile; a smile his inner self knew he only showed for Maki. “Of course Maki-chan…” After that, he led her to the cafeteria so they could get their coffee.  

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AN: Hello everyone! Thank you for reading! Did you like the chapter? :D Please comment! Next will be time for Maki and Keiko to talk ohohohoho! I'm excited about it. Thank you to those silent readers!

@jumpyamajima - Yamaki scenes are always icing on the cake for me! Yes I will never let go of Ryou-chan haha! and I think you know who the student Maki and Erika are talking about in this chapter... *wink wink* Thank you as always! mwah!

@rengganis - whoo! hi-five! Yamaki makes me tingly aside from my heart beating fast :p hai hai, I love music as you can see hehe! thank you for that compiment! and yes! thank you for always commenting!