[ ensemble stars : vol. 3 novel short story lionheart ]

[takenaka]

Lionheart
Is an Izumi point of view short story written by Ensemble Stars' main writer Akira as a bonus short story for the third volume of the novel. It covers Izumi and Leo's relationship before the start of the main story
Originally uploaded on the main blog!


Why do you hate Mozart, I asked that idiot.

It's not like I'm that interested in it.

He might say mean things not thinking of others' feelings but, I had never seen him cursed at someone out of ill-will. Even to a sourpuss like me, "I love you" "You are the best" -- he affirmed me with such cheap words.

Surely... He wouldn't say 'hate' unless it's someone he really dislike no, detest. No matter how stupid or foolish, no matter how extraordinary awful someone is, he is the kind of guy to find something that shines in them.

That, is also a misfortune of that idiot that's hard to be saved from.

"If you ask me why~..."

After school, in Yumenosaki Academy.

In an empty classroom that we just anyhow use for practise, desks and chairs pushed aside to the corners.

"Mm~ I just hate what I hate"

While saying something so illogical, the aforementioned idiot --- Tsukinaga Leo pouted his lips. Maybe it was because of his action, but he seems so child-like.

To someone, he may appear like a girl at first. His whole body had a small form, and he had a charming look. He's short and delicate, but yet mysteriously there is nothing that appeared weak about him. Well, I suppose there are carnivores among small animals too.

Dyed with the sunset that slipped in through the window, hair the colour of twilight. It was fastened roughly, while pinching it with his hand, for some reason this idiot was rolling around on the floor.

He is a new species of beast that hasn't been discovered by anyone, the tuft of that tail-like hair bounces unpleasantly. He can relax like this anywhere, like it was his own home. The complete opposite of me, who feels uncomfortable anywhere.

That idiot, while changing out of our unit 'Knights' outfit, was seemingly hit by some sort of inspiration... While he's half-naked just like that, he ran with his notepad and pen.

The empty classroom was seldom cleaned, so it was full of dust but --- without caring he rolled around... Such an irritating guy who makes me want to step on him.

In a way, I do respect this, but I can't take this. I want to see the faces of the parents of this guy who seemingly became a high schooler while still an infant. Since 'Knights' outfit has a white keynote, it's really obvious when it's dirty.

"Mozart, you see--"

Without worrying about me stepping on him, the idiot moaned unpleasantly.

"It seems like he fundamentally wrote songs for money. That's why I hate him, yeah --- probably"

"Isn't that just a common theory, a bad rumor spread by rivals in his trade. Though that being said, in that time it's hard for all song writers to eat... In that way, didn't everyone write songs for money? They can't be like how it is now, how you are, writing songs just as a hobby"

As I ruminated on what he learnt in class as I answered, I gave a bitter smile. I wonder why am I protecting this composer from a distant past I don't even know much about... Ridiculous.

"Well, whatever you know?"

"Sena, I forbid you from saying 'whatever'"

As he said my name with a strange tone, the idiot looked up on me with a seemingly lonely face.

"Being whatever isn't good, no matter what"

"Eh~? That's just your values, I'm not complied by it?"

"No, it's a back facing word which makes one run away. If you use a dirty word, you'll be dirty too, don't underestimate the power of words. Say things you want properly, this an absolute order from your 'King'~ ♪"

As he said those words jokingly, the idiot went back to a serious face and struggled.

"Kuaaaah, who's 'King'...!?"

"Even though you said it yourself. Also, you just totally changed the topic, it's such a bad habit... Mammonism is good too no, is a business composer that bad? I prefer them to hypocrites who say it's for love or for the world or for god?"

"That's just Sena's values, I'm not complied by it~ or something... ~♪"

Mimicking my words, he grinned as if he just slayed a demon. In this he's a brat... Anyway, since I'm annoyed I stepped on his head.

----------

"Nn~ Something is off. I slipped, I didn't mean to say that. This is so hard --- Aah, that's it, words are so inconvenient! It broke off the tower of Babel...! In the end words can't explain it, this kind of thing is trash! As long as there's music it's fine!"

Without really caring for this abstract behaviour, the idiot made a sullen face.

To begin with -- you, do you believe in the power of words or not?

Thinking before you speak... Somehow it makes me feel stupid for listening to you so attentively.

"Do you know, Sena? Mozart, who fundamentally wrote for money, has one song that is an exception to that. That is, the song whose name in history goes down as "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (A Single Small Serenade)"

"Yeah, we learnt that in class. If you don't attend once in a while you'll get held back you know?"

"I don't like classes. I decline any requests for me to be taught by someone else. Are there humans taught maths by monkeys? There might be! I don't know but, but school lessons are just brainwashing! It comes to put things into shapes, when the universe is this wide!"

"You're slipping in your talks again. This was on composers who write music for pay... Suddenly changing the topic, I can't stomach this you okay? Is it not thorough, not sincere?"

"I don't know! But I can't stomach it! I don't really know what kind of guy Mozart is, if I meet and talk to him I might love him but! The Mozart who can write for money, has a curse of values being put on mammonism! Aah, maybe that's why I can't take it?"

"I don't really hear this. Speaking to you just make me more confused... I really don't get what you're trying to say, so let's just end this here?"

Remembering the feeling of fruitlessness, I cast away my talk with this idiot and head to the door of the classroom.

"I have work after this so... I'll bye-bye around here. You don't just stay here too and go home. Your family is worried about you aren't they?"

"Thinking of my family... It's probably better for them if I'm not around."

Mumbling something through the back of his teeth, much unlike how he usually he is, he skillfully spun around on the floor and got up. And then, he threw something in my direction.

In the spur of the moment, I caught it. Sucked in, right into the palm of my hand. It's a recordable cassette tape that seemed to be in the wrong era.

"What's this?"

"New song. The name is, mmm~ 'A Single Small Sena Izumi'~ ♪"

"Eeh, isn't that just a rip off of 'A Single Small Serenade'. You really have the worst word sense... What's this, since it's a song I have to take it. Do I practise for the next live or?"

"Do whatever! I made it cause I felt like it, wahaha ☆"

"Mm~ Well, I'll be receiving it then... Anyway, bye bye?"

"Sena, I don't hate Mozart"

Rare as it was, the idiot looked straight on at me --- saying this with a troubled smile.

"It could be, that I might be jealous of him"

I don't know the meaning of those words, missing the chance to ask.

And then, a few months from then.

A of of things happened, and that idiot became a hikikomori. We haven't seen him at all, to the point that I can't remember his face. Although he's still the leader of our unit 'Knights'... So we still need his seal for the documents for our appearance on DreamFes.

Soon, the boisterous 'DDD' would begin.

We too, are planning to appear then.

Therefore, I head towards his house.

It's a normal free-standing house that one wouldn't think house and raise a guy with a straight out wild personality like his. It wasn't a rented home, and it was a reasonable well off dwelling. It wasn't so large like it came out of a manga, like others who are enrolled to Yumenosaki that came from a proud, rich pedigree.

It was quite normal, a middle class home.

It may not be so now, but there had been times I came often to this house... Without getting lost, I got there without a problem. Even so, I hesitated just a little bit before the door, angry for having to waste my time on that idiot -- I quickly rang the bell.

Just as I was brushing away annoying petals that stuck on my uniform as I walked here, the door opened slowly. I can peek at the fluffy tail-like hair through the opening door.

It's that idiot's, little sister. Perhaps she just came home from school, as she wore her middle school uniform. A rather introverted child, she asked for my circumstances hesitantly.

Though that being said, she knows me, as I have been here several times. Though she acted guarded for a bit, her expression soon opened up -- and I received from her a lovely smile.

"G-Good afternoon, uhm, Izumi-san"

"Yes, good afternoon. Is your brother home?"

"Aah, my brother is--"

He's here but, the little sister spoke with her voice disappearing.

I see, I answered. I walked over calmly, to not scare the little sister.

"Then, I'm sorry but... Please pass this to that idiot. He doesn't have to read it, he just has to put his seal on it. I'll come back for it tomorrow."

I handed the envelope to her, and finishing my role, I turned my heels.

"Uhm"

That little sister looked like she was holding back something -- she held on to the cuffs of my uniform.

Knitting her eyebrows together in worry, she worked hard to raise up her voice to me.

"Can I perhaps, get you to talk to my brother in his room, Izumi-san... I think if it's you Izumi-san, my brother would listen"

As his little sister spilled out her trembling voice, tears spilled from her large eyes.

"A-At least eat... I've said that to him, but he doesn't listen. If this continues, his body will break. P-please, please help"

Even if I say something, I ended up rejecting as usual. No matter what I say now, I don't think it would get to that idiot. He had closed up his ears at will, throwing everything away and ran. I'm angry too, and I had been disillusioned, I have no more expectation of him.

Making his cute little sister worry like this, was a deplorable older brother --- You have no meaning to live. Isn't it better for you to just die?

Get rid of him, from your heart.

Although I thought of saying that. The weeping little sister in front of my eyes with tears overflowing... She's really a lot like him, of a long time ago.

I can only stand still in silence.

Why did it turn out this way?

"Oi"

Suddenly, a nostalgic voice pierced my ears.

Looking surprised, the little sister turned back -- The door of his room that was near the entrance opened just a little bit.

Being siblings, they moved the same.

To me whose lips are twisted in this slight amusement, he groaned out with a hoarse voice.

"Don't make Ruka cry."

"...It's not me who made her cry"

As he spoke his sister's name, really looking at him, something really died for me. Although there should be so much things I want to say and feeling of wanting to punch him.

I looked at him, his shabby, worn-out room clothes... Hair untied, unkempt... Shadow right under his eyes, shaking like the most helpless being in the world.

Aah, it's all ended, I ended up realising.

Our youth is all cracked up, purity lost -- All smashed up. That beloved brightness, is now only in the past. It was by choice, that he was buried in that.

But, there's still something I have to do.

"...At least, eat something"

Saying that, this time I head home.

I've decided to not turn back.

I have no interest in stroking against a broken dream.

----

From his house to the nearest train station, I walked alongside the coastline.

As it just turned spring, there's no one at the sandy beach. Empty beer cans and remains of firework left behind by people with no manners, rotten seaweed and worn out shells stumbled about. Getting my shoes dirty would definitely be unpleasant but... Without thinking much of it, I took long strides.

The beach, kicked around the ugly accumulation of things left behind by the past.

I put the earphones that extended out of my now somewhat old iPod to my ears. I set it out on random, to divert my consciousness away from the annoying whirlpool in my mind.

My iPod is full of only songs he made. Even though I said I don't need it, he kept putting in his new songs into my iPod continuously without asking. I left it in there thinking that it was economical, as even though I don't buy new songs, it just adds up by itself.

Plus, I don't hate his songs.

In this world full of unpleasant things, it's rare for me to have something 'I don't hate'. Comparatively, it was hard to come by.

But, when did he last put a song inside my iPod?

I can no longer remember.

The sound of the crashing waves grew faint.

I walked with my head hung low as I listened to the familiar songs.

"..."

In the midst of that, without thinking my feet stopped moving.

There's a song with an awful singing voice. It didn't match the melody, and the voice was sometimes strained. It's an amateur's singing voice. But he sang in a loud voice ignoring his own tone-deafness --- well, it's the kind of feeling of someone you don't want to go to karaoke with.

This is my singing voice, from a long time ago.

Even though I can do my modelling job perfectly well, I had no experience singing in front of others... Well, it can't be helped that I was awful. Now, I have had lots of lessons so I've gotten skilled at it.

Just like for a diet, I record the time that isn't good... So it can help indicate how much I've grown. So I think, so I didn't erase it and left it in my iPod.

Although I would always skip it after a few seconds whenever it comes on, without listening to it at all. Today though, despite still being annoyed by it, I let it play.

Cutting out the singing voice abruptly, an excessive voice came in.

An idiotic, cheerful, laughing voice.

--- Wahaha ☆ You have such a pretty face but you're completely off for your song, so interesting!

--- But, your voice is beautiful! If you work on it you'd be good for sure, I love your voice ♪

After that, was the shouting from me, who had became annoyed, heading towards him, I was throwing a chair or something, and him flashily avoiding it to the point it made me angry, a whole lot of boisterous noise echoed...

In the midst of that, the beautiful tune kept on playing. In a bad way, there's no way that they deal something like this in shops. In this large universe, it was a worthless sound listed only in my iPod.

Standing frozen still, I listened to the echoes of my youth until the end, and then I began to walk again. On this gloomy beach which seemed like a wasteland of death.

He, pure like a child played a melody of love with good will and passion. I don't hate the songs someone like him made. No, I quite like it.

I'm not shameless like him, so I love it, although I wouldn't say that. I'm a contrary person, so I can't say out good things.

But still. Though it wasn't for someone far off that we don't know, and of course it wasn't for money... At least, it was for me --- it was for us, that he had made those songs.

I like it.

To be able to sing matching the songs he spun, was my happiness.

However.

His sword had been rusted by sadness, smashed to pieces by ill-will.

He, can no longer fight. The ensemble of us 'Knights' --- will never ring out in its perfect shape again. Fragmented, twisted, broken.

But. What he had left behind, the little that he had left behind. In this iPod, within the ruins of 'Knights', and then, inside of my chest.

I'm holding on to it, even if it's with false pride --- carrying it to the grave.

Even if it's thrown at with stones, and spit on.

I, corrupted disgustingly, hands dyed with wrong doings.

Because there's just one person who likes me, and say that I'm beautiful. He affirmed me, loved me, this youth made me feel glad that I was born... Because even if it was just for a short while, my life existed.

I definitely, don't want to make it so it 'doesn't exist'.

I walk forward. Step by step, without looking down.

In a wasteland dyed with blood, even if I am to be entirely alone.


Because my 'King', can no longer fill his duty ---

Even if it's troublesome, I will duel in his place.