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flipomatic · 1 year ago

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Face First

Summary: Falling in love? No, Taki didn’t think of it that way. This was more like tripping on the overpass stairs and smashing her face straight into the cement, a sudden feeling that engulfed her instantly in the immense longing for another person. The words of this song, the truest words from Tomori’s soul, struck straight through her like the echoing of a drum pounding in her chest in perfect time with the rapid beat of her heart. The drum that, oh no she was supposed to be playing.

Word Count: 2300

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In terms of first impressions, Taki wished she had made a better one. As she sat around the table at Hazawa Coffee, reminding herself not to stare at the Afterglow member who took their drink order, her simple introduction was irritatingly supplemented by Soyo and Sakiko’s comments about her older sister. This wasn’t the foot she wanted to start on with the new band, she thought as she reminded them that her sister had nothing to do with this. They didn’t seem to understand why she cared about the distinction.

More than anything, Taki wanted to make an impression that was all her own. Being in this band was her chance to start doing that, to show off her drumming to the world and be known as more than just Maki’s little sister. It was a chance to be herself, even if she couldn’t put that desire into words.

As she tried to establish herself with this new group, so too did she form impressions of her new bandmates. She had been speaking with Sakiko via text for a while to organize the band, and already had an idea of what she would be like. The other three, however, were completely new to her.

They didn’t make too strong of an impression, not at first. Soyo seemed polite and overly friendly, while Mutsumi gave off more of the opposite sort of vibe. Their vocalist sat across from Taki at the table, quietly fidgeting as Sakiko talked up her lyrics. When she handed a notebook over to Soyo, Taki was able to take a peek at the lyrics. With a single glance she could see that they were emotionally driven, just from seeing a handful of lines.

Even after they parted ways for the day, Taki couldn’t stop thinking about those lyrics. She wondered what kind of song they would become, what kind of meaning they held.

How had those words come from the slouching, quiet, stuttering person who had sat across from her? Tomori had barely spoken a few words the entire time they were at the restaurant, let alone with any confidence. It didn’t make any sense and, at this point, Taki didn’t understand her at all.

However, she withheld judgement until rehearsal. After all, a musician spoke through their music much more than their words.

But the practice only made it harder for Taki to understand Tomori. Their new singer couldn’t sing in front of a mirror, let alone a group of people. Even at karaoke she was too shy to sing at first, clutching her notebook to her chest with her cheeks dusted pink at the mere thought of picking a song to sing. As Taki walked her through the steps to search, she did slowly settle on choosing a tune.

When Tomori sang into the microphone, still seated next to Taki on the couch, her voice was so quiet it could hardly be heard through the speakers. She stared down towards her knees as she sang, at the cover of the notebook she’d been writing in earlier.

A loud rattling noise came from Taki’s other side, the sound of the maracas, as Sakiko leapt to her feet and cheered. “You can do it Tomori-san!”

Tomori’s voice caught in her throat and she looked up, turning her head so that her pale gold eyes locked directly on Sakiko. From where she was sitting, Taki felt as if Tomori was staring straight past her.

The next words of the song came stronger through the mic, louder and more coherent. Taki could hear Sakiko shaking the maracas again as the slightest hint of a smile graced Tomori’s lips.

Taki merely watched her sing and listened to the sound of her growing confidence. There was something about her, something that drew Taki in. She wasn’t sure what it was, couldn’t break down why, but she wanted to know more.

From that point forward their rehearsals ran more smoothly. They wrote a song with the new lyrics Tomori created, called Haru Hikage. Sakiko wrote the music to go along with the words and sent everyone their parts before the next rehearsal. Taki practiced reading the drum part in advance so she wouldn’t be sight reading it at rehearsal. Even though she’d been playing the drum for years, she knew better than to go to rehearsal blind. She could hear the guitar, bass, and keyboard in her mind as she went through the motions of the piece. She wondered how the vocals would sound, how Tomori would blend with the rest.

When their next studio date came, Taki was ready to play the song.

The band set up in their new usual positions, facing the studio mirror as always. To Taki’s right, Saki stood at her keyboard with her hands tense and ready against the keys. Mutsumi stood in front of her, silently prepared to begin. On the other side of the band, Soyo leaned back slightly with her fingers ready to pluck the first note.

Directly in front of Taki, stood Tomori. Though she had her back to Taki, she could still see her face in the mirror. For once, there was not a hint of nerves in her eyes. Both of her hands were wrapped tightly around the wireless microphone, holding it close to her face.

Taki lifted her drumsticks up and counted them in.

The song began with the piano, and then the guitar easing them in. Throughout the piece the drums played a more subtle role, which Taki kept in mind with light hits against them and the cymbals.

Tomori’s vocals joined in after the opening phrase and the music swelled to meet her. Though Taki had seen the lyrics before, this was her first time hearing them out loud. She listened as Tomori sang about being lonely, about writing words down and failing to reach others.

Even as she hit the drums in perfect time, Taki heard the meaning clearly. She absorbed the lyrics as Tomori sang about finding friends whose fates were tied together. Her voice carried more emotion than Taki had ever heard from her before, laced with something intangible.

Taki’s own heart trembled in her chest as the song went on, resonating with the emotion and message within it. She knew all too well what it was like not to be understood, to long for connection and only be seen as someone you weren’t.

“In the world revealed by that light were people dear to me, in full bloom.”

Taki’s hands stuttered in their next hit, stunned by the passion of the line as it struck her. The band members were the people Tomori had been waiting for, the ones she had been searching for to understand her. She had finally found them and could convey her feelings clearly. Wasn’t that what Taki wanted too?

Even though this song wasn’t written about Taki, it echoed her thoughts as if somehow spoken from her lips.

“I've learned that spring is warm.” Tomori continued to sing strongly. “And so I shed tears for me and for you.”

This was Tomori’s song; these were the words that radiated from her soul. Though her appearance hadn’t changed in the last 60 seconds, Taki could’ve sworn she glowed like the sun peeking through on a cloudy day. After weeks, she finally understood who Tomori was. Taki swore she could fall in love with her like this, in just a moment she already had.

Falling in love? No, Taki didn’t think of it that way. This was more like tripping on the overpass stairs and smashing her face straight into the cement, a sudden feeling that engulfed her instantly in the immense longing for another person. The words of this song, the truest words from Tomori’s soul, struck straight through her like the echoing of a drum pounding in her chest in perfect time with the rapid beat of her heart. The drum that, oh no she was supposed to be playing.

Sakiko had waved the band to a halt mid song. Four sets of eyes were locked on Taki, each carrying varying degrees of annoyance. Taki’s cheeks burned as she melted under their stares.

“I’m so sorry!” Taki exclaimed, resetting her hands into their proper positions and trying to ignore the heat creeping up her neck. “Let’s try it again.”

“If there’s a problem with the part, let me know so I can make changes.” Sakiko replied calmly before turning back to her keyboard.

Tomori blinked a few times slowly at Taki, an unreadable question contained in her eyes that Taki yearned to understand, before facing the front without a word.

As they began to play the song again, Taki reigned in her pounding heart to play the drums. She had to pick herself up off the metaphorical pavement and fulfil her role in this group, after all. Even so, as they rehearsed she couldn’t keep her eyes off Tomori, not anymore.

She would never forget that first playthrough of the song or the feelings it sparked within her.

After the rehearsal, the band split up to all walk home as they usually did. The sun was already mostly set in the sky, leaving long shadows and dark corners on the streets. Taki found herself on the same train as Tomori and Sakiko, which had happened after previous rehearsals as well. The two of them were talking quietly nearby when they were only one stop away from their usual exit.

“Are you going to be alright walking home alone?” Sakiko was asking in a hushed voice, a worried frown plastered on her lips. “I deeply regret that I will not be able to join you.”

“I’ll be ok.” Came Tomori’s quiet reply, the words slow but with an underlying confidence.

“Hmm…” Sakiko didn’t sound convinced as she glanced out the window.

Taki’s ear perked up at this, she only went one stop further than Tomori and didn’t have to be anywhere for a while. Her sister certainly wasn’t counting the minutes until she arrived home. There was another feeling growing in Taki, the desire to protect her vocalist from harm. Besides, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to get to know Tomori better?

“I can walk you home.” Taki interjected into the conversation, drawing a surprised gasp from Tomori.

“Really?” Tomori asked as she turned to meet Taki’s eyes, a smile adorning her expression.

Taki’s cheeks felt warm again, this time for a different reason. “Of course. It’s no big deal.”

“Thank you so much!” Now Tomori was beaming, an expression that was probably powerful enough to stop Taki’s heart if she was exposed to it for too long. She broke eye contact to prevent that from happening. Sakiko was smirking, just the slightest hint of one, and if Taki had more time she would’ve said something about it. They had known each other from before the band formed, Taki knew that, but something about their relationship gave her pause.

There was no time to ask though, as the train was arriving at the station. Taki rose to her feet while the train slid to a halt, and then followed Tomori out onto the platform as Sakiko watched from within. After that Tomori led the way out of the station and down the street.

Now that it was just the two of them, Taki was able to ask her some questions. She asked about school, they went to different schools, and about other hobbies, she liked to collect things, and about her family. Tomori gave short answers, but they were sincere. Taki learned a few things, though not nearly as much as she had in the initial performance of Haru Hikage earlier that day. She didn’t ask about Sakiko, even though now she had plenty of time.

Instead, Taki shared about herself, about how she learned to play the drums and why she wanted to join the band. She thought about talking about the practice earlier and how she had connected with the song, but the embarrassment over freezing in the middle prevented her from doing so. She wanted Tomori to think well of her; some stories didn’t need to be repeated.

When the pair reached an overpass, they climbed up the stairs together. When they were halfway across Tomori pointed to a building on the other side. “I can go the rest of the way.” The sun had fully descended beneath the horizon by now.

Taki’s feet came to a halt at the top of the next set of stairs, watching as Tomori began to descend them. “Alright, see you at practice.”

“Thank you again.” Tomori looked back up the steps, only half visible in the streetlamp light. “Bye bye.”

As Tomori turned and vanished down those stairs, Taki thought she should’ve been thanking her instead. She wanted to thank her for her Haru Hikage, for the band that finally might see her. Taki remained silent as she watched Tomori go.

Once she had vanished, Taki turned back towards the other side of the overpass. She descended the other steps slowly, lost in her own thoughts.

If Tomori needed someone to walk her home, Taki would keep doing it. If she needed someone to help her with music or set up a mic stand, Taki would do that too. Or, if she wanted help with a different relationship, if she already had feelings for someone else, Taki didn’t want to think about that, but she was prepared for it. As long as Tomori was happy, and could keep singing her songs, then Taki would be happy too.

But, there was a chance she could return Taki’s feelings.

One of her feet slipped against the step at the last thought, causing Taki to stumble forward. She grabbed the railing to her right to steady herself. She would handle that when, if, it actually happened.

For now, she was content to be at Tomori’s side.

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Translated lyrics to Haru Hikage can be found on the wiki: https://bandori.fandom.com/wiki/Haruhikage.

#mygo #mygo fanfic #takamatsu tomori #shiina taki #takixtomori #ship name?#idk haha #flip writes #bandori mygo #takimori #or so I've been told

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