The music was as though dancing in the air every time Aiko plays it. However, today was different. It was heavy, uncatchable, and it was totally just… messy. The phone call incident distracted Aiko and she just couldn’t continue on playing the piano. Frustrated, she slammed both of her fists hard onto the keys, before the intolerable tears flowed down once again.

“That is not the way to treat a piano. If you don’t feel like it, don’t touch it,” that cold and icy voice sounded.

Aiko lifted her head up, and saw a figure leaning against the wall that was near the door. Wiping her tears away, the new one just flow down. “I…. I’m sorry,” she whispered. Chinen sighed, before he walked over to the piano, and settled down, before starting to play a piece.

The music entered into Aiko’s ears, and it started to soothe her down. However, it didn’t really help much, and her heart started the clench tightly again. She ran out of the room immediately.

Chinen look at Aiko, before he shake his head, and ran after her. ‘What a troublesome girl she is,’

Panting, Aiko arrived at the tree that was outside. Clouds formed when she breathed out since it’s snowing, and that she doesn’t have her scarf, as she left it inside the room. She sit down onto the ground, and her hand went over to the necklace that was around her neck. Grabbing it tightly, she pulled it out with all her might, and throws it across the white landscape. Afterwards, she buried her face into her knees, and shut herself off from reality.

A figure went over and picked the necklace up. Slowly, that figure walked over to Aiko, and sit beside her. “What’s wrong?” that voice sounded. Aiko turned, and saw that it was Takaki.

“Takaki-san…” Aiko’s voice was unclear. Tilting his head slightly, “Yes?” Aiko head couldn’t get off the voice that was inside.

‘….You choose this path yourself….”

Aiko- clenching her fist, she stood up, and attempted to walk away, before a force was held on her wrist. “Wait, your necklace,” Takaki stopped her. “I don’t need it anymore,”

“Isn’t it precious to you?”

“I said I don’t need it anymore!” Aiko shouted, and turned around. What faced Takaki was a tear-stained face; eyes blood shot, and haggard looking girl. Takaki, as someone’s older brother, couldn’t stand her looking so weary. She was a kind and sweet girl, Takaki know it from the first time he met her.

Takaki pulled Aiko into his embrace, and hugged her tightly. “Cry all you want. Nobody will see that you’re crying. I’ll hide you,” Takaki whispered. While hugging that petite figure, he could feel that her whole body was shivering. Shivering with fear, uncertainty.

Finally, Aiko break down.

***

After the long chat on the phone, Riko hanged the phone up, and decided to go home to have a long and nice nap. Packing her stuffs, she left the school compound. Just then, right near the gates, she spotted the familiar figure walking hastily around, as thought finding for someone.

“Chinen-kun?” Riko called out. Chinen turned and saw Riko. He heaved a sigh of relief before he started to explain the situation to her. Riko hurriedly nodded her head, and followed after Chinen to find for Aiko.

Just then, Chinen have stopped in front, which almost cause Riko to collide into him. “Hey, can’t you watch where you ar---” before she completed her sentence, she saw the scene that was right in front of her- the reason Chinen stopped.

Right in front of her, was like a scene extracted from a movie, where the main actor and actress were hugging each other. The white landscape added much more atmosphere to it. Riko looked at Chinen, and by then, he was gritting his teeth. He then pushed the scarf towards Riko, and turned his back and left. Riko decided to give them some time alone, and she followed after Chinen, not forgetting to ask Aiko about it when she’s back in the apartment.

“Thank you, Takaki-san,” Aiko replied, after she had cried everything out. Takaki smiled, and patted Aiko’s head. “I’m glad you’re all well now,” Takaki handed over the necklace to Aiko. “I’m sure you’ll regret throwing this away in the future, keep it for now,”

Aiko smiled, and nodded her head. “And from now on, call me any name you like. After this, we’re good friends now. Stop with the formality, I kind of feel uncomfortable,” Takaki said, before he turned and walked off.

Aiko shouted, “Thank you, Taka-kun!”

Takaki smiled to himself before he lifted his hand and wave without looking back.

The next day, Aiko and Riko went back to school since there is a make up lesson despite been holidays. Yuto and Ryosuke was in the classroom early, when Aiko and Riko entered. Apparently, Riko have attempted to ask Aiko about the situation, but Aiko just kept quiet without saying anything. Riko looked into her bag, and saw Aiko’s scarf inside. She made a mental note to pass the scarf back to Chinen.

During the break, Aiko have left the classroom without telling Riko anything. She is still probably affected by Hiroto’s sudden break-up, and she just needed sometimes alone. Riko know something was wrong, and as a good friend, she didn’t probe further on Aiko’s problem.

“Is something wrong with Sugihara-kun?” Ryosuke have gone over to Riko’s table and asked her. “She don’t look good,” Yuto added on. Riko could only nod her head and say nothing else. “I don’t know either. Seems like she couldn’t trust me just yet… There are lots of things I don’t know about Aiko-chan,”

Yuto and Ryosuke looked at each other, before they looked down to Riko. This was the first time both of them do not know what to do to cheer Riko up.

***

“So you’re saying you didn’t cheat on me when you hug her?” Chinen retorted, as he looked at Takaki, with fury in his eyes. “Chii, chill down,” Takaki tried to chill Chinen down by embracing him, but it seems to be futile. “How can I be chilling down, Yuyan!?”

The door was open, but wasn’t loud enough to disrupt the commotion between Takaki and Chinen. Aiko heard shootings, and just decided to sit near the rooftop’s door since she doesn’t want to know who or what is it about.

“Don’t you trust me?” Takaki asked. Chinen stopped, before he went over to the railings. “It’s your behavior that makes me doubt you, Takaki,”

Takaki’s lips curved up slightly. “I knew that this day would come,”

Chinen turned and faced him, somehow anticipating something. “Let’s break up Chii. Nothing is working out anymore,” Takaki pointed out, his fingers inking deep into his palm. “Instead of you loving me, you feel that you’re in debt of me, don’t you think? One year ago, the competition. We failed, didn’t we?”
He wasn’t stopping. He wasn’t giving a chance for Chinen to explain all his behaviors. “You feel that you’re in debt of me. You’re working so hard not for your sake but for my sake. Chinen, that’s wrong. If being with me gives you more pain than support, we shouldn’t even have stayed together from the beginning,”

“What the hell are you saying? After all these times we’ve been together?” Chinen asked, tears formed at his eyes.

By then, the conversations details have already gotten into Aiko’s ears, and things are turning for the worst. Aiko decided that she should leave before they realized that she was here. “Fine then, we’re over,” Chinen said, before he turned and walked away.

Little did he expect, right around the corner, was Aiko. He looked up, and his eyes were red, tears nearly falling down. Aiko turned away, before Chinen walked pass her and down the staircase. She turned and saw Takaki grabbing on the railings tightly.

She didn’t know what took over her that she turned and run after Chinen. She know she should be comforting Takaki since he had helped her so much when she was in need. However, her legs have chosen to run after Chinen- that cold and icy prince.

“Chinen-san! Wait for me!” Aiko constantly shouted out, before she no longer can take it and shouted for his attention. Chinen stopped in his steps. He turned, and immediately, Aiko have hugged him, “You’ve stayed strong for long, it’s time for a break,” while patting onto his back.

Chinen broke down.