#nagareboshi lense

[fruitdropss]

SHOUJO MANGA DUMP !<33

-gifs and icon by me !

[writer-and-artist27]

Civilian Pianist Chapter 55 Preview

In honor of @wingbladeweaver1357 being a dear. Here’s a gift for you, friend. 

A bit late for CP’s third anniversary, but I’m not dead. Things are just going really slow now. But have hope because I am writing.

Listening to this song while thinking on it, so go ahead and listen yourself. :) 

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The piano was always a familiar friend no matter what time it was. Even with all the shit that had gone down in the past decade or so, I couldn’t stay despondent with the familiar black and white keys sitting under my fingertips. Closing my eyes had me meet Hisako in my mind, and she was already offering an easily recognizable paperback to me from the library. I couldn’t miss the turquoise covers any day.

What song are you up for today, honey? Her voice was soft and welcoming as usual. Pokemon? Yu-Gi-Oh? Any other anime aside from 4Kids rec’d stuff? 

I’m not sure, Hisako. For once, even with the piano under my hands and Mama nearby, the cafe felt a bit more empty. Team Minato had gone out a long time ago, and for once, Papa and Uncle Sakumo weren’t home either. They had gone out for their own reasons, and I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was going to happen. The sweat was still building up on my back and my hands, and that just wasn’t right when there was still work to do. I was still wearing Mama’s kimono dress that made me the pianist of Nagareboshi Cafe. I couldn’t falter, but— 

With nothing else to add, I relented with a smaller, What do you think? 

My Nobody blinked, clearly surprised by the question. I wasn’t expecting you to ask me, honey. Her voice went softer. Almost like Mama. Are you doing okay?

I… A part of me wanted to snap. Another part of me wanted to go back in time, for just a second, to convince past me to become a ninja. Maybe then Rin-chan wouldn’t have gone out with a sour look on her face. Maybe then Rin-chan could actually look at me in the eyes like when we were kids. Maybe maybe maybe— 

I took a deep breath and clutched my Wayfinder necklace. I don’t know. 

Hisako sighed. The gesture alone proved she already read what I was thinking. It’s stressful, isn’t it. Waiting. 

It is. I let go of the metal star hanging around my neck, instead starting the first chord to Lugia’s song from Pokemon 2000 because I knew it was going to distract me. I wanted it to distract me. They went out again, and Papa, and Uncle Sakumo too, and I feel like a sitting duck who has a fat ass. 

Hisako’s voice turned hard. You did what you could, Tomoko-chan. Don’t call yourself those things. You’re beautiful and you should own it. She huffed through her nose. Or do I have to sing to get it through your head?

It took all I had to keep playing the Song of the Sea on the keyboard and not look out of place in my thoughts. 

What? I thought finally. 

Hisako slapped a hand to her chest, eyebrows raised in that way that screamed, “Oh no.” I have Neon from RWBY memorized thanks to you, honey! 

Oh god. Please don’t—

We’re all born with a dream~! We all want to make come true~!

Nope, nope, NOPE! NONE OF THAT! I DON’T WANT ANIME NYAN CAT STUCK IN MY HEAD, PLEASE.

Hisako is laughing by the time I got to the orchestral part of the song in piano form.

Even if my face is tempted to burn just like the times after Kakashi’s finished ravishing my lips in kisses, I let her keep singing because at least it lightened the weight on my chest, just a little bit.

I couldn’t get used to the ninja being around forever. As much as I wished otherwise.

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Meanwhile, Kakashi held back the urge to sneeze, tempted to scowl into his mask while lowering his binoculars. The watch post near the camp was tall and the winds just brought along a lot of scents and a lot of flower petals. If not for carefully trained tolerance, he certainly would have sneezed.

“Thinking about your mate again, boss?” Pakkun snarked from his right side, and Kakashi turned to give the pug a raised eyebrow. “I might as well think you want to marry her already.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about, Pakkun,” Kakashi said sorely instead, looking through the lenses again to focus. There was no one approaching the encampment in the range of a meter or so, at least for now. Who knows how long that would hold up. He took a breath. “You’re supposed to focus and help me find any approaching enemies.”

“I know, Boss, but you don’t have to be so snappy about it.” A soft padded paw landed on his leg. Kakashi spared his ninken a look. Pakkun stared back, in sympathy or teasing, he wasn’t sure. But Pakkun was looking at him. “I know this mission is a big one. It’s natural you’ll miss your mate in times of stress.”

“I’m surprised you say that already even though you’ve only met her once or twice,” Kakashi snarked back, turning to the binoculars in an attempt to thwart the conversation. “Get back to the mission. It’s important.”

“I know, I know,” Pakkun muttered with a dog-like yawn, and the paw on Kakashi’s knee disappeared as soon as it came. There was a single second of silence between them before he added, “And don’t act like once or twice wasn’t enough to solidify the memory. My nose is sharp. And you let me meet her back when I was a pup. The scent was there even back then.”

Kakashi was very tempted to put his face into his hands. “…We were obvious back then?”

Pakkun barked a laugh. “I’m still shocked you didn’t act on it sooner, Boss. She’s a good mate! The rest of the pack has been hounding me to introduce her.” There was no need for eye contact when it was obvious through the voice that Pakkun was rolling his eyes. “Only reason why they haven’t asked you personally is because we’re out here and there’s ninja trying to kill us.” 

“Ha ha, very funny,” Kakashi droned while looking through the binoculars again in the hopes of the nearby foliage having something more interesting than this hot shit-mess. It took a moment to ignore the sudden urge to grip the silver-black metal star tied around his right hand. “I didn’t know you were into puns, Pakkun.”

“Had to get it somewhere considering my slowpoke of a Master in trying to woo his mate,” Pakkun added with the same barking laugh. “You’re less of a dog and more like a snail, Boss.” 

“Shut it.” Everyone had issues, I couldn’t say it first. Tomoko’s past could go into a sealing scroll. 

“It’s true!”

Kakashi sighs. There was no getting out of this, so he grumbled half-heartedly, “I love Tomoko with all my heart. There, happy?” 

Pakkun barked. 

“Silly dog.”

“More like your silly summons aide, Boss.”

Kakashi held back a smile once an explosion echoed in the distant forest. “We got company. Ready?”

This time, a growl answered him. “Just about. I’m ready to chew on some legs.”