Macross Fan Fiction ❯ Watashi no Kare wa Pilot (My Boyfriend is a Pilot) ❯ Triangular ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Watashi no Kare wa Pilot (My Boyfriend is a Pilot)
Anime: Macross Frontier
Couple: Alto/Ranka
Summary: Ranka's life was as normal as could be on Frontier, until she met Saotome Alto.  Time passes and she falls in love, but will this be a blessing or the end of Frontier altogether?  AU.
Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure/Horror/Drama
Rating: R (does NOT apply to ALL chapters)
Warnings: sexual situations, violence, blood, gore, and language.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Macross Frontier, it belongs to Shôji Kawamori. This is purely fanmade for entertainment purposes only.

Music: All songs inserted with the exception of Aimo, the Nyan-Nyan commercial, and Sheryl's songs are written by me.

~...~ = singing

Chapter Seven: Triangular
(Special “Blu-Ray” release!)
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Two weeks passed by after his promise had been made.  And it had been two long weeks of them being separated.  Once he’d been accepted into the S.M.S., his training ceased and his studies became more important.  He had so much schoolwork to catch up on.  Meanwhile, Ranka had been fully discovered, not only by Elmo anymore.  She had become famous.  But even though she could be obsessed with her fame, she still chose to message him and write songs about their experiences together.  She still included him in everything she did.  He enjoyed that.

One evening, he was finally able to call his girlfriend with some good news.  When the click warned him of her attention, he immediately jumped to the point.  “Ranka,” he grabbed her attention with his voice, though he only heard a sleepy grunt as a reply, “would you go out with me tomorrow?”  He heard her squeal with excitement and wake immediately.  “I have the day off tomorrow so I want to spend it with you.”  A small blush coated his cheeks at the admission.  “Let’s go to Griffith Park.”

{But that sounds like we’re just gonna hang out like friends,} she argued with a pout.

He chuckled, “no, trust me; it won’t be.  I have a surprise in store.”  He smiled sweetly as he heard her squeal in excitement once more.  “It’s something for you only.”  Immediately, her voice halted, though he couldn’t understand why.  He dismissed it and turned over to look at his calendar out of curiosity.  A frown came to his lips as he noticed what month was approaching.  “July 27th.”  He spoke the date with sorrow.

{Does that date have meaning to you?} she asked, concerned at his low voice and the tone used.  He usually only mentioned dates on the calendar he could get off.  “Or is that when we’ll have our next official date?”  She cheered up, hoping to get answers from the silent boy, “I’d love to see you then too, Alto-kun.”

He quickly snapped out of his trance at her words and shook his head swiftly, “no, that’s not it.”  He frowned deeply.  ‘Should I tell her now or wait till later?’  Then again, they were dating and were practically a couple, so she was bound to find out soon.  If this would develop into something with a true future, he had to tell her everything about himself.  This was a start.  “I’m not asking you out on a date or anything.  It’s not like that at all.”

Ranka’s concern still spoke out, {is it something to do with your family?}

As usual, she read him like a book without him even speaking.  A warm smile hit his lips at the reminder of that.  He loved that about her.  “Kind of.”  He slumped slightly, “it’s my birthday.”

{Really!?} she exclaimed with shock.  She hadn’t realized it was that close.  Then again, she had avoided speaking of his past.  She allowed him to express himself when he desired.  She had learned that speaking of such things caused him to feel sorrow or pain and he would slip into a lifeless shell momentarily.  He often broke off in the middle of an important piece and insisted she didn’t get involved, which – most of the time – he had already said too much and stopped in the middle.  She got the cliff notes – as one would say – but mostly let him go at his own pace.  It wasn’t as if she could understand his pain, for she had no memories of her own past.  There were no horrible moments in her life other than when she first came to this ship eleven years ago.  And, mentally now, she noted his birthday.  “Mine is April 29th.”

He immediately tensed at the date again.  He could recall a certain day in April when he turned to find her in Griffith Park.  He had failed to ask about her birthday after they got together.  He had figured she’d forgotten that information along with everything else in her past.  “How are you sure?” he asked nervously.

{117 sent a copy of all health information files and whatnot to Frontier and Galaxy long before it was destroyed.  I guess it was regulation?}  This explanation solved all of his possible questions.  A smile came to her face at the reminder.  “I got to see my mother’s face too.  She had green hair just like me, except longer.  I only saw a picture though.”

He absorbed the information with shock.  “Frontier and Galaxy had involvement with 117,” he spoke with confusion.  It left him wondering if the Vajra had been aware of this and that was why they sought out these two fleets so badly.  But as she mentioned her mother, he was immediately shocked.  “They had pictures?”

She nodded, {yes, but they’re about eleven years old now.}

“Then that means you’re sixteen,” he regressed with a smile.  He hadn’t noticed the age difference between them before now.  They were around the same age.  A flash came before his eyes of a small girl that looked to be the same age as him only younger.  “Then it couldn’t have been Ranka.”

She caught his low words with confusion, {huh?}

He blinked and then realized he’d spoken the words out loud into the speaker.  He covered his mouth with shock.  Quickly, he laughed nervously and defended his words, “I met someone when I was little who cheered me up at a rough time.”  He frowned slightly at the reminder.  If it wasn’t Ranka, then that meant someone else was still waiting on this ship for him to find her.  And that also meant the feelings he held for Ranka were idealistic and aimed at the true girl he’d met years ago.  ‘But I want it to be Ranka.’

{Was it a girl?} Ranka immediately asked.  She heard him tense and her eyes lowered.  “It was, wasn’t it?”  He sighed, erasing any denial.  She immediately realized that not only Sheryl was her rival in love but also someone she’d never met.  “Was she cute?”

He frowned, “I don’t remember those details.  I just remember her voice.”  He sighed heavily at the reminder.  “When I met you, I felt as if we’d met before, and I thought perhaps you are her.  You sang Aimo and your voice was familiar but I don’t have proof that it is or isn’t you.  So don’t let it bring you down, Ranka.”

{Even though you say that…} she trailed off sadly.

“Ranka,” he stopped her words right then, “if I could remember who she was, don’t you think I would’ve gone to date her?”  But that just seemed to make her even more upset.  “After we met, Ranka, I remembered a piece of that day.  You hold a connection to her.  And, honestly, I hope you are her.”  At this, her attitude seemed to brighten a little at the possibility he’d spread.  “If I didn’t like you, do you think I would’ve asked you out in the first place?”

A smile touched her lips at the words.  He sounded truly sincere.  “No.”  She laughed nervously, “you probably would’ve asked out Sheryl-san.”

{Ugh,} he expressed his agitation with that name, “I pray to God that girl I met years ago isn’t her!”

Ranka giggled at that, {you really dislike her, huh?}

“I wouldn’t go as far as that,” he frowned deeply, “but she’s a pain in the ass.”  He calmed down as he realized he’d just answered her confession for the first time since they started dating.  A blush lit his cheeks.  ‘I just metaphorically stated that I love her too.’  He gripped his calendar and circled her birthday for next year.  He would remember it now.  “April 29th.  I’ll never forget it.”

{So,} she drew the conversation back to its point, “when do we meet at Griffith Park?”

He looked at the clock.  He’d get off patrol tomorrow at ten, so it would probably be easy to get there within an half an hour.  “How about eleven?”  A squeaky ‘yes’ was his reply.  He smiled, “then I’ll see you in the morning.”  She was the first to hang up this time.  He figured she’d begin to pick an outfit to wear for tomorrow.  His list of outfits to view her in was getting quite long.  Some of those outfits began to visit him in his dreams.  “I wonder if we could role-play.”  He chuckled lightly.

–“Will you listen to my song?”–

His eyes snapped open wide and he shot up, looking at the date he’d just circled with shock.  “I went to Galaxy on that day eleven years ago!”  His eyes went slightly wide.  “Could it be you after all, Ranka?”  But that made him chuckle, dropping that hand with loss.  “No, it can’t be.  I refuse to believe in destiny.”  He put his phone on the charger and laid down to sleep.  He closed his eyes and tried to picture his mystery girl from years ago.  Perhaps, tomorrow at Griffith Park, that fated question would be answered.

That girl from eleven years ago…

‘…who was she?’

It was eleven in the morning and Saotome Alto was waiting at their favorite meeting spot for Ranka to arrive.  She’d called earlier that morning to warn him that she’d be a few minutes late due to work.  At first, she’d tried to apologize but he’d disregarded it.  He refused to get upset.  She was taking her job seriously.  He did too.  And so, he supported her tardiness.  It was only a few minutes and then he’d have the whole day with her, so he didn’t see any harm in it.  Her fans could have her during their little ‘time’ but he had the uncensored Ranka for himself.  A blush had lit his cheeks at the very thought.  Then, at eleven-thirty, she climbed the stairs to Griffith Park and waved to him before bending over in exhaust.  He stood and walked over, joking lightly, “you’re late.”

Ranka Lee lifted her head and burst out, “you were late before, so consider this payback!”

He hadn’t expected her to retaliate.  But as he met her eyes finally, he saw the lines under them.  “Have you slept lately?”  He received a shake of the head.  A sigh came from his lips.  He gripped her hand and dragged her over to the statue, where he sat them down.  “Honestly, Sheryl told you that health is an important part of this job, right?”

She nodded, “I know, but work keeps piling up.”

“Then you should choose to sleep at home instead of forcing yourself to spend time with me,” he mentioned, moving his shoulder for her to lean on.  He wasn’t normally comfortable with people touching him but for some reason, since he’d met her, it didn’t feel uncomfortable.  It was support.  And as her head slumped on his chest to rest and gain his support, he saw a flash of himself with a girl hovering over him, singing a sweet lullaby as he slept his worries and sorrows away.  The flash ended when she sat up.  “Ranka, don’t push yourself for my sake.”

She stood and defied his words with a shake of the head.  “This is the first day I’ve been able to see you in a long time.  We’ve known each other for three months and have only been on two dates.”  She slapped her cheeks to wake herself, which caused him to grip her hands and reprimand her for the act of violence towards herself.  “I refuse to sleep.  You’re too important.  I’m not gonna be one of those selfish, stuck-up idols who chooses to put her fans above her own personal life.”

He stood and shook his head, “if it’s sleep, I don’t mind.  Your health is important too, Ranka.”

“You’re my boyfriend,” she mentioned with a sad tone.  “If I don’t push myself then I’ll never see you.  Can you really say that you’d prefer to never see me again?”

He paled at that question.  He hadn’t thought about that before, nor her feelings towards such a scenario.  A small frown touched his lips.  She was constantly pushing herself just to see him.  Her career had to exceed his importance.  Should something happen to him, she would need it to support her.  She had to see that.  “Please go home and sleep.  I’ll reschedule with you later.”

Her eyes held small tears as they met his, “you don’t want to be with me?”

That frown became large.  “Don’t make me feel bad about this.”  He gripped her hands and forced her to stare into his golden orbs.  He wanted her to see how serious he was.  “I know you care about my feelings but your career and health must come first.  If something happens to me, I don’t want to die thinking that you’re going to suffer whilst trying to survive.”  At the mere mention of death, her eyes lowered sadly.  “Please understand that I say this because I care for you.”

She let go of one of his hands and wiped her eyes.  “I understand that.”  She didn’t need to hear words to know that.  “But,” she looked at him with sad eyes, “if I don’t see you, the only people I can see are fans or producers.  I rarely go to school anymore.  So if I don’t see you, then I’m surrounded by work.”  She smiled sadly, “you’re not just the person I love anymore but my escape from work too – my one point of relaxation.”

His eyes went wide at her confession.  A blush lit his cheeks.  He envied how she could state her feelings so easily.  But this time, she admitted her inner feelings too.  He extended one hand out and looked away slightly, blushing, “I guess a little time together wouldn’t hurt.”  Her eyes seemed to become lively again at his words.  She gripped his hand and smiled warmly.  “This might not be romantic, but how about a walk?”

A nod was his simple answer.

They walked through the park together.  Her arms were wrapped around his left one.  He allowed this, just in case she grew dizzy.  They looked around at the scenery with interest, at times regarding the bright colors that they’d failed to notice the day they’d met.  It was hard to believe that three months had passed since they’d met.  And as he gazed upon the rest of the park, he began to realize just how vibrant this small world traveling through space was.  Two small birds fluttered past without regarding them.  He recognized them as a group of lovers probably trying to have children.  His eyes landed upon Ranka, whom was smiling at the two birds without truly realizing their presence there, and a smile touched his lips.

He stopped by a single tree near the middle of the park.  His eyes looked upon the oak tree with warmth.  “Do you remember this spot?”  He received a shake of the head.  He smiled warmly, “this is where we met for the first time.”  He watched as she looked upon the area with a thick blush, hair slightly rising.  He nearly blushed as well, as that day had been not only endearing but also shocking.  He had been quite shocked that she was wearing white panties instead of kid’s underwear.  That was, until he came to learn more about her.  Now, he felt silly just thinking those certain things.

“We should make this a physical memory,” Ranka suggested.

At her words, his head exploded into a deep shade of red, “w—wh—what—wha—what!?”

She revealed a marker from her purse and pulled off the cap.  “Let’s write our names on the tree.”  Once he understood her meaning, he laughed a bit before he took a blue marker and followed her around to the other side of the trunk.  She drew a small pink heart on the trunk and then wrote her name in green.  Underneath it, he wrote his in blue.  Finally, he took a black marker and drew an arrow through the heart.  She smiled warmly, “now it’s a physical memory.”

He smiled and nodded.  The day he’d met her, he had just gotten pissed off from Sheryl’s words and failed to notice her.  Then, as if he’d called out to her, she’d appeared.  He had been shocked that day.  As he looked upon her now, it was hard to believe she was that same naïve girl who talked up a storm with him that very same day.  Then again, he had changed too.

“I meant to ask,” she turned with curiosity, putting the markers away, “how have you been fairing at the S.M.S.?”

He blushed slightly at the reminder.  He had failed to inform her lately of his training or patrol.  Most of it was considered top secret and Ozma had demanded he not tell Ranka.  Still, he felt there were some things he could tell her.  “I’ve been getting better.  My skills are improving faster than the commander had expected.”  He chuckled a bit, “it still knocks me out every once in a while when I go into the simulation but I press on.”  He smiled brightly at her upon that, “because you’re by my side.”

A blush lit her cheeks.  “Alto-kun.”

Finally, his eyes held sorrow.  Last night had made him realize that if there would be a future between them, he had to express himself.  He turned to the oak tree with sorrow.  “I know this park very well.  I have been coming here for eleven years.”  He failed to see her eyes widen.  “It all started one afternoon.  I got into a fight with my father.  He had told me that I was being idealistic about my dreams to fly.  He told me I would always remain an actor due to my cursed blood.  But I believed I could do it.  So we fought.”  He clenched a fist, tempted to hit the trunk out of frustration at the memories of said day.  “Then he disowned me.  When I left that house, I swore to never return.”

“Family is something you should cherish,” she spoke with eyes lowered.  “Even the sad or painful times, you should cherish them.  Once they’re gone, you can never bring them back.  If you push them away, you end up all by yourself.”  Her hands clenched over her heart with sorrow.  “I would know.”

Those wild eyes faded to understanding orbs.  But then they became upset.  A part of him wanted to be her only family, the one and only person she would rely on ever, but he knew that was impossible.  “I’m sorry.”

She turned to him with confusion, “why are you apologizing?”

“I always keep reminding you of things you don’t remember and feel pain from.”  His eyes lowered with shame at that.  “Perhaps I should keep my past to myself.”

“It doesn’t hurt me.”  Her eyes were bright and lively.  “It just makes me want to know more about myself.  It teaches me to take my past seriously.”  At that admission, his eyes went wide.  She let a smile come to her lips.  Despite all he’d said about his past, she wanted to know more about her own.  “Even if it’s painful, I want to remember it all.  I want to remember those I loved and who I was.”

“Then I’ll do whatever I can to help.”  He gripped her one hand and held it with reassurance.  “That’s a promise.”

The moment seemed to last forever until Ranka’s eyes were captured by a familiar building in the distance.  Her mind flew back to the other reason she’d accepted his invite.  “Alto-kun,” she captured his attention, “do you remember where Sheryl-san’s first concert took place?”  A frown came to his lips at the name but he nodded.  “My debut concert will be taking place there.”

He was truly blown away.  “You’ll be performing at the Frontier Dome!?”  The very place where he’d been pissed off so badly by one stuck-up idol was now the place he’d watch his girlfriend take-off for the very first time.  “So you’ll be sending me tickets.”

She shook her head.  “I had another thought in mind.”  She cupped her hands together with hope.  “Will you be the stunt?”

At this, his face turned red.  He had assumed she’d ask him to perform with her.  But, as usual, her request was simple and something he could carry out without an issue.  “Sure.”  After that response, she began to wobble.  He shot forward and grabbed her before she could fall.  “I knew it.  This pushes you too hard.”  But she still shook her head.  He frowned.  He felt like the one responsible for her illness yet she still persisted upon staying with him.  It left him speechless.  And a part of him enjoyed it.  She was drowning him in his selfish desire to be with her.  But even walking seemed to drain her.  “Fine.”  He held hard eyes as he looked around.  “But we’re gonna sit down, okay?”  He received a nod.  Dipping down, he presented his back to her, “climb on.”

“But,” she looked around cautiously, embarrassed, “won’t that hinder you?”

He smiled slightly, “it’s fine.”  As she climbed onto his back, he picked her up, holding her thighs strongly.  Despite how heavy she should be, he found her easy to move.  He walked without an issue.  ‘Light as a feather.’  As they exited the park, he carried her to a nearby McDonald’s just off the park’s trail.  He helped her down and demanded she find a table whilst he ordered.  Once he’d ordered their lunch, he sat down across from her.  Her eyes were staring out the window.  That worry left him at last.  She had pushed herself so hard just to be with him, a person who calmed her.  All along, he’d felt the same way.  But now he felt selfish.  “Ranka,” he attracted her attention, “next month, I’ll have a whole week off near the end.”

She looked at him with shock, “then that means…”

“It means that we’ll be able to spend time together,” he nodded with a bright smile.  This seemed to awaken her life.  He watched her cup her hands and twirl around a few times before sitting back down and looking at him with those dreamy orbs.  “But I have a proposition, since this might be my only time off for a while.”  Her eyes held concern now.  His orbs turned serious.  “I’m thinking of planning a weekend getaway for the two of us.”

At this, her mouth dropped open with shock, “what?”

He understood her immediate thought upon that and waved his hands with a thick blush, “it’s not perverted, I swear!  It’s completely innocent!”  But that just left her more confused.  He blinked at that.  He had assumed her thoughts landed on a sexual nature but her blank face mirrored her naiveté.  A blush lit his cheeks.  “It’s like a three-day date.”

“A three-day date.”  It sounded fun.  It would be a vacation just for the two of them.  “Where?”

He blinked in shock.  He’d expected her to freak out about being alone with him but she remained calm.  Perhaps he’d underestimated how serious she took their time together.  “As you know, Island 6 is a resort island.  It’s a place for couples to escape from their daily lives and spend time together.  I figured it would be the perfect place for us to go.”

A blush lit her cheeks at what he’d referred to them as.  Yes, perhaps they were a couple.  “What about Onii-chan?” she asked finally.

He cringed at the reminder of her older brother, a man who disapproved of him already.  Now he would have to tell the man that he would be taking her to an island all alone for three whole days, just the two of them.  He could just imagine the man’s face now.  He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head with a hand, “don’t worry, I’ll talk with him about it.”

She calmed and smiled, “well, if you can find one that both of us can afford, that’d be nice.”

“Both of us?” he repeated with loss.  He looked down as the food finally arrived and was handed to them via a machine.  He failed to see her eyes hold confusion.  “I had planned on paying for it myself.  It was meant to be a treat.”

“You spoil me though,” she mentioned with a fake pout.

He blushed at the mention of his.  “I do.”  Then he realized he had been showering her with gifts for months without letting her take part of the payment.  He disregarded anything she wanted to give him except her time until today.  He wanted them to be equal partners in this relationship and yet he kept paying for her, never letting her take a piece of the bill.  He understood now.  “I’ve offended you.”  At that, she held concern.  “When I said it was something for you,” he reminded her, “I offended you because I always pay for you and never let you take part of the bill.”  He slammed his head on the table after moving his food subconsciously.  “I’m a horrible boyfriend.  I’m sorry.”

“If it means so much to you, then go ahead.”  As his eyes lifted to her with shock, she smiled.  “I don’t mind it if you enjoy doing it.  I want you to do what you want.”

He blushed at her words.  She wanted him to do as he pleased.  And he couldn’t help but spoil her.  Now he wanted to even more.  She made him feel so happy and relaxed with just a small smile.  He wanted to spoil her rotten until she didn’t know anything else but him.  ‘I’ll buy you a great present to make up for that birthday I missed, Ranka; just you watch.’  He gripped his sandwich and opened the wrapper.  “Dig in.”  He bit into his sandwich as she followed his instructions.

As a pink-haired girl entered the room and placed a cup of coffee in front of him, Saotome Alto ran through how he had ended up here.  Currently, he was sitting in Sheryl Nome’s expensive apartment.  She had invited him over for coffee so they could chat.  He had decided that there was no harm in them just hanging out.  Ranka had too much work for him to spend time with her outside of the rehearsals for the stunt.  But even though he felt he should be upset about that, he found himself happy for her.  She was living her dream.  And, in her free time, she did all she could to help him obtain his dream too.  It was endearing.

Sheryl reentered the room a moment later with sugar and milk in hand, placing them down so he could add his preferred fill.  She stirred in her own amount and took a sip to taste it.  A small moan left her lips.  “That’s some good coffee.”

“You didn’t even know how to use it until I instructed you,” he retorted with a frown.  He dropped two sugar cubes into his and poured in some milk before stirring it and taking a sip, all the while ignoring her angered remarks.  He frowned at the taste.  “Bitter.”  He failed to see her eyes widen.  He placed the cup down and laid back against the couch.  “So, what did Sheryl Nome, the great and immortal Galactic Fairy call a so-called slave like me for?” he finally asked.

She stared at him, blinking a few times to get her bearings.  He wasn’t relaxed at all.  His stature was prepared for any attacks on his ego or physical being.  With a small smile, she looked away, “I figured that you’d be upset with Ranka-chan spending all that time on set.”

“It doesn’t bother me,” he retorted with a scoff.

“Really?” she dared to challenge him with powerful blue eyes.  Those golden orbs widened at her remark.  “You really don’t mind that she doesn’t have time for you, her boyfriend?”  A frown formed on her lips as she looked away.  He seemed obsessed with that green-haired girl yet he didn’t tie said girl to him.  But part of her was upset with this.  If they were so close, why so much distance?  He should close the space between them.  “Do you love Ranka-chan?” she asked with concerned orbs staring into his own.

He was shocked at the questions.  Upon the last one, his eyes widened.  There came that question of love again.  It had only been three months since they’d met.  How did people expect him to have such an answer so fast?  He turned away sadly, “I don’t know that yet.”

It stirred hope within Sheryl.  Her eyes were hopeful as she stared upon his form.  “Would you listen to my life story?” she asked with a small smile.  Her guard had dropped quite a bit.  At those curious orbs, she felt that his guard had dropped too.  “I was born on Galaxy.”  At this, his form stiffened.  “To tell you the truth: I hated it.”  She pulled her knees to her chest as she went into a fetal position.  “It was the worst place for an orphan like me to live on.  I only spent two weeks on the streets after my parents’ death but it still felt like years.  Then Grace noticed me and picked me up.”

“You’re lucky,” Alto put in his two cents.  He frowned deeply and took another sip of coffee.  “From what I heard about Galaxy, a ton of kids are orphaned every day.  With implants accessible and androids programmed constantly, why would they need biological kids?”

She was shocked, “have you been to Galaxy before?”

“When I was five, I performed my debut there.  It was my first live performance outside of home.”  As he looked to her, he saw a flash of a small girl standing there holding a bouquet of cherry blossom branches, most likely for him.  It then faded.  He blinked with confusion.  “Is this your first time off Galaxy?”

She frowned sadly.  It had been quite a while ago but it still felt like yesterday she’d been mocked by those with implants.  “I made my debut around a year ago.  My galaxy tour started soon after.  I lived on that ship my whole life until now.”  Her eyes lifted to his with a smile.  “I like this ship.”  Upon that remark, his face paled, as if thinking she meant because of him.  “Galaxy is a chemical plant so there are no trees, grass, or animals on it except those for experiments.  It’s nice to come to Frontier and witness a true atmosphere with live animals.”

He understood her reasoning now.  Upon the mention of Galaxy’s mission, he blinked in shock.  “It’s a chemical plant, you said.  Might I ask what for?”

Her lashes fluttered curiously, “why?”

He blushed thickly at her seductive expression and turned away angrily.  She was still acting like this.  “I’m just curious.”  That was a cold lie.  Since Ranka had mentioned that Frontier and Galaxy had connections with 117 before its destruction, he was concerned not only about Frontier but her past.  “What is the plant for?  What are they out to accomplish?” he asked, eyes serious now.

Finally, she understood his reasons.  “This is about Ranka-chan.”  Upon this, his eyes widened slightly.  She frowned and sat back, looking up at the ceiling.  “It mostly focuses on finalizing the Ghost prototypes.  You’ve heard the rumor about the Ghost V-9 series, have you not?”

“I’m familiar with it,” he responded with a nod.  “So they’re experimenting with them.  But why in a chemical plant?”  It just didn’t add up.  “A chemical plant used to test prototype unmanned ships doesn’t fit right.”

Her eyes narrowed at the ceiling until they lowered in deep thought.  Then she turned to him with serious blue eyes.  “I’ve lived on Galaxy my whole life.  But when I first was orphaned, I heard rumors of a Vajra being tested on in Galaxy’s main ship.”  At this, he paled.  She could now tell that perhaps that rumor held water.  “Still, I traveled aboard Frontier hoping to gain a new experience and then head home.”

He nodded with understanding.  It wasn’t him that kept her here but the fact she couldn’t leave.  Frontier had gone into total lockdown after the arrival of the Vajra.  No ships were allowed entrance or leave.  Only military ships were allowed to leave to scout only.  “You miss your home?” he questioned, slightly sympathizing with her.

A warm smile came to her face.  “Not really.”  She watched him take a sip of his coffee.  “I don’t want to go home yet.”  She pounced on him now, crawling over his form, watching him blush thickly.  ‘He looks so familiar: those eyes… that face… and his smile, why…?’

He dropped his coffee cup and heard it shatter against the floor.  He stared at her determined eyes with confusion.  “S—Sheryl, what are you d—do—doing?”  She was once again crossing those boundaries.

The shatter of glass alerted her to her position over him.  Those eyes melted into seduction.  A smirk touched her lips at the reaction she’d managed to pull out of him.  Despite how he fought, he was still sexually attracted to her.  “This kind of service is rare, you know.”  She giggled lightly and ground her hips against his.

He immediately tensed.  “Stop.”

“Just who do you think I am?” she asked with a devious glint in her eyes.  “I am Sheryl.  Sheryl Nome.”  With that, she leant down and slammed her lips onto his.  Up until that point, he hadn’t pushed her away at all.  But this time, he pushed her harshly onto the floor.  Slowly, she got up and looked at him with shock.  “Would you stop doing that?” she sneered with anger.

He seethed at her attitude, “that goes for you too!”  He wiped his mouth and stood with a frown.  “Damn it.  I tried to be your friend just now.  Why the hell do you have to go and be a bitch?”  He turned away with irritation.  She wouldn’t change.  “If you can’t stop this, then I think we’ll have to stop being friends.”

Upon his words, her face held sorrow.  “Alto,” she spoke his name softly.  Her lungs felt constricted now.  “You won’t leave me all alone, will you?” she spoke with hope.

Despite her actions, he couldn’t deny that her sorrowful voice now seemed genuine.  Perhaps his threat had lowered her guard a bit.  “I just…” he frowned deeply, looking away to avoid her pleading eyes, “…want you to act like a friend with me.”  Upon this, he neared the door.  “Your actions make me uncomfortable.  Even if I don’t love Ranka yet, I want to be with her.  Until I can solve who I am and help her understand herself as well, how can I betray these emotions I’ve built up?”  He looked at her with a small smile.  “I’m sorry, Sheryl.  You are someone that can truly be loved, but I’m not that person.  Don’t get your hopes up on a possibility this small.”  With that, he exited her apartment, not caring towards the mess left behind.

At his words, she understood.  “I’m a friend but not a lover.  I’m cared for but not loved.”  A warm smile touched her lips as her hands cupped her heart.  “I can accept that for now, Alto.”  It was an answer at least and no denial given.

When he entered rehearsal for the first day, he was tired.  He had barely slept in two days due to excitement.  He would be performing with his girlfriend.  This was nothing like when he’d performed by himself.  This was a bonding experience for them both.  Unfortunately, he became a bit depressed when he saw that Ranka hadn’t picked out a new outfit yet.  Instead, she was wearing a sports bra and a pair of denim shorts.  He was more dressed than her in his jumpsuit.  But maybe she didn’t want to ruin her official outfit before the concert.  He approached her right away after she signed for a box and lifted a hand with a smile, “yo.”

As soon as her eyes landed on him, she pounced on him.  It was just a hug but he blushed as her breasts hit his chest.  “I was waiting for you to come!”  She pulled away and picked up the clipboard.  “I wanted to discuss your stunts with you.”

He lost his excitement at this.  His favorite stunts had been cut before by Sheryl too.  But he had done them anyway, which had resulted in Ranka becoming impressed by his actions, if not attracted to him, but it had also brought trouble from his manager.  “Is there a problem?” he questioned with worry.  “I bet my five-turn corkscrew was removed.”

She shook her head furiously.  “No.”  She handed him a script, which impressed him, as each stunt was given a time pertaining to the music she would play.  “I looked through what your manager gave me.  Small stunts seem fine for high performance pieces whilst big stunts work best while I’m on-stage.”  She smiled sweetly.  “I want you and your team to be comfortable, so I wanted to run it past you first.”

He nodded with understanding.  She really gave a lot of care to her own performance but she also included everyone else somehow.  It was so selfless.  “My five-turn corkscrew comes when you perform on-stage.”

“Yes.”  She flushed, hair risen a bit.  “Is that to your liking?”

He shook his head with a warm smile, lowering the script from his line of view, “it’s perfect.”  He pet her head with his free hand and looked at her ruby orbs.  “I just think you should set the limits.  This is your concert after all.  Don’t worry about me so much.”

Her cheeks were rosy but her eyes were longing.  It left him breathless.  “But it is because of you that I have gotten this far.  I want to give you something.”  At that, his hand was removed and that smile was replaced by a frown.  She looked down sadly.  “I don’t have anything to give you of myself.  I’m an open book but there’s nothing to read.  I have to write something first.  For now, all I can give you is what’s written so far.”  She smiled brightly, “I hope that makes sense.”

He understood.  This was all she had written in her book so far: a performance and a concert.  They were the only things that were hers alone.  He nodded with a smile.  “Then I accept.”

She smiled widely.  Then, upon remembrance of something, she whacked him on the head with a rolled up paper.  As he winced, she glared at him angrily.  “I know you’ve been avoiding school.  Nana-chan told me so.”  Her roll dropped slightly.  A frown came to her face.  “Why?” she asked with concern.

“I’ve been avoiding Sheryl,” he explained without any trace of a lie.  That was the truth.  He looked away with an upset face.  “I didn’t want to mention anything to you, but I went to Sheryl’s house for coffee three days ago.  She put the moves on me again.  I was only trying to be a friend and talk with her.  But since then, I’ve decided to avoid her.  I figure that if I give her space, she’ll come to realize I’m uncomfortable around her like that.”

She nodded with understanding, “but school is still important.”

He understood that a lot.  His schooling – at one point – had been the one thing that could get him further in life.  But his piloting skills and training – as well as the scouting trips – were more important than mere school.  He shook his head at her words.  “I’m not worried about my studies right now.”  He met her concerned rubies.  “My life revolves around being a pilot… protecting you and Frontier from the Vajra.  That is all my life is.”

She was shocked at his words.  But she felt more attached to him than ever.  She was his top priority.  A warm smile touched her lips.  “If that’s the case,” she spoke with happiness, “then let me be selfish just a bit longer and keep you by my side.”

He nodded in agreement.

As the rehearsals began, he found himself stumbling on the script.  It seemed easy whilst reading it but to pull off the stunts in the time limit given was hard.  He often screwed up right at his corkscrew.  But even when he fell down, Ranka encouraged him that he could do it.  He would get back up and try again.  Eventually, he managed to pull it off in the time limit given after six constant hours of working at it.  Her encouragements and challenges had begun to rekindle his desire for performing.  He had forgotten these desires to be seen by someone who really felt moved by his performances.  But watching Ranka’s face when he did his stunts changed this.

Afterward, he constantly watched Ranka work on the set.  He was shocked by how easily she handled everyone, even those who got angry with her.  She was working to create a truly lovely stage.  She often times avoided him to work with others, thus showing how equal she treated all of her performers.

However, his favorite parts of the rehearsals took place in the backrooms when they were all alone.  They spent lengthy amounts of time in closets or the dressing rooms alone.  In these times, they’d talk about the lost time.  In the last half-year, they’d spent a total of four dates together and barely spent time otherwise.  But both agreed that they were emotionally attached to one another.  He showed her just how well he knew her by preparing her makeup for the performance.  Outside of discussions, they made out.  He literally jumped their relationship to a more intimate level by making out with her.  At this point in their relationship, they were becoming comfortable with kissing.  Even small touches were allowed on both sides.

Time passed by so quickly during the days of the rehearsals.

It was only two days before the debut concert that he invited Sheryl with him to Island 3.  This time, it was meant as a friendly outing.  He wasn’t good at thinking like a female, especially when it came to gifts, so he had no idea what to buy Ranka for her birthday which he’d missed.  However, Sheryl took this time to speak all about her career and interests instead of focusing on the reason they were there.  He wanted to buy his girlfriend the perfect gift.  It would make up for everything he’d failed to do so far.  In a matter of moments, he lost Sheryl whilst searching the multiple stores.  He walked into a music shop in due time and noticed a microphone of pure silver, an orange ribbon tied to the loop at the end with beautiful green diamonds trailing halfway down both sides.  His eyes were sparkling at the sight of it.  That mike would blend well with Ranka’s orange dress from the Miss Macross competition or that new green one she’d talked about from the catalogue.  “That’s it.”  With that, he picked it up and paid for it.

Meanwhile, Sheryl Nome kept looking for him in the crowds once she noticed he’d vanished.  “How could I lose that princess?” she asked herself with agitation.  Then again, she had a habit of losing track of him.  Whether it be physically or romantically, she always lost him.  And, today, his mind seemed on a one-track process of finding the so-called ‘perfect’ gift for Ranka.  “I can’t believe I agreed to help him find a gift for my rival in love.”  As she passed by a restaurant, she found him sitting outside one, eating a salad nonchalantly.  Her jaw dropped as she approached him, “are you eating a salad?”

He looked up with shock at her arrival but looked uninterested in her presence, “you found me.”

That reply reminded her of the efforts to find him.  She immediately burst into anger, “how dare you just take off like that and leave me, Sheryl Nome, looking all over for you like some kind of dog!?”  She puffed and crossed her arms, looking away with agitation.  She cared less about causing a scene with this boy.  It irritated her.  “What an irresponsible brat.”

He frowned at her remark.  “I told you what I was here for but you decided to keep rambling and got lost.”  He took a bite out of the salad and swallowed.  “Stop thinking that I’m asking you out on a date.  It’s nothing like that.”

At that, she sat across from him and ordered a small meal for herself.  She was upset at his reply.  A person like him could smile so tenderly just by seeing his girlfriend and yet she couldn’t make him smile at all.  Her eyes dropped to the salad.  “Why such a light meal?” she asked, curious.

“A big meal will weigh you down in the air,” he remarked after taking another bite.  “By eating a salad for the next two days, I will lose a total of five pounds… or so I presume.  That way I’ll be able to perform the stunts correctly without as much trouble as during rehearsal.”

Sheryl nodded at the words, “I see.”  Then her eyes lowered to the bag at his side.  She immediately noticed the music symbol on it.  “You bought her music?” she asked, once again curious.

“No, a microphone,” he retorted without looking up.  He finished his salad and then looked to the bag at his side.  He dipped into it and pulled out said object from the bag and showed her the beautiful silver microphone with a small orange band wrapped around the loop at the end and contained small green diamonds.  “I saw it and thought of her immediately.”

Sheryl watched as he lowered the mike to reveal his soft smile at the object.  Her heart felt clenched by the sight.  Once again, that girl could bring out this side of him.  “You seem to know exactly what she likes,” she commented sadly.  “As far as I know, you’ve only been on four dates.  Yet you both seem like soul mates.”

He put the mike away and looked at her.  “It’s not like we only learn about each other on dates.  We’ve talked over the phone for hours, sharing personal information, opinions, and the like.  When we’re together, we mostly spend that time enjoying each other’s company.  That’s how our relationship has become so deep.  Instead of wasting time talking about our interests and hobbies during dates, we share that over the phone.  We only talk about important things on our dates.  But sometimes, we also catch up and encourage each other at those times.”

She was shocked.  She had no idea dates or relationships got that deep in the future.  She couldn’t see herself being that attached to someone over the phone.  “Yet you know exactly what she’d like.  Which makes me wonder why you invited me along.”

He looked at the bag with shock at her remark.  That was one thing that was true that left him flabbergasted.  He had invited her along to help him pick out the gift and then did so himself.  A smile touched his lips.  “I just knew.”

“How?” she asked, curious.

“I know a lot of things she likes: chocolate, pizza, hot dogs with chili, wind, rabbits, bears, hearts, stars, fluffy dresses, ruffles, salty potato chips, shiny objects, simple electronics, diet soda, female singers, music in general, and more.  But most of all, I know she likes the color orange because she feels like it’s the only color she looks best in.  Either that or green, she’s told me.”  He smiled warmly.  “So I bought that mike because it has an orange band and green diamonds – the best of both colors.”

She finally understood what he’d meant by saying they’d learned a lot about one another over the phone.  He hadn’t meant they’d shared personal stories so much as they’d learned about each other’s favorite things.  He knew this much about her likes that he could easily grasp what gift to buy her.  “How much did it cost?” she asked, hoping to at least help a little.

He blinked at that and looked at the receipt, “thirty-five hundred credits.”  He chuckled slightly.  “I almost overdrew my account.”

“You spent that much on her gift!?” she screeched suddenly with shock.  He didn’t even look upset.

He put the receipt away and nodded.  “I don’t mind.”  He picked up his drink and took a long sip before swallowing it all down.  He winced for a moment at the fact a small piece of ice had gotten past the narrow passage but it passed.  “It’s a man’s job to provide for his woman.  That’s what my father used to say.”

She was shocked at this.  But, looking back, she had never heard anything about his past or present.  She hadn’t bothered to ask the whole day.  So, looking up with determination, she asked, “what is your favorite thing in the whole world?”

He was shocked at the question, then he looked at the wrapping underneath his plate.  He pulled it out and began to fold it.  “I’ll tell you one thing, Sheryl;” he said as he made the shape of a plane with the paper, “Ranka and I share a similar dream: we both want to fly.”  He held up the finished product, a paper airplane.  He stood, pushing his chair away and pretending to soar with the folded object, ignoring as others stared.  “And soon, I’ll watch Ranka soar!”  He stopped suddenly, as if freezing out of sorrow, but he refused to look at her.  “You said you hated Galaxy because it had nothing realistic.”

Sheryl stared but nodded, “yes.”

“I could never like Frontier as much as you do.”  At that, her eyes snapped wide.  He still refused to look at her, his head facing the sky, eyes covered by bangs, right arm still lifted with the paper airplane at the ready for take-off.  “I’ve lived on this ship my whole life.  It’s like a prison cell with bars scarring my soul.  This cage is too small for a bird like me to fly.  And it has no real sky.”  He looked at her with serious gold orbs.  He lowered his arm and fixed the plane with a small smile.  “But thanks to your concert that day, I found something aboard this godforsaken ship that I want to live for more than anything in the world.  I found Ranka.”

Sheryl Nome’s eyes widened at that.

He turned towards the world and threw the plane into the air, “she gives me wind to my wings to help me fly!”

She watched the plane take flight with said love that Ranka Lee gave him.  It was controlled but certainly flew beautifully in the small sky above, reflecting the sun off its wings.  She slowly began to realize how idealistic her feelings for him were.  Looking at his face now, staring up at the sky with those longing eyes, she knew he could never see her the same way.

“I’ll show her the real sky,” he admitted with a bright smile, eyes full of light, as if seeing the future, simply enlightened by it, “which I couldn’t show my mother.”

At that, her eyes lowered sadly.  His love for the sky and his feelings towards his parents were all things Ranka knew about it, not her.  She couldn’t say a word to him right now.

“Thanks for the time.”  He walked over suddenly and grabbed his belongings.  He had already stated exactly how broke he would be come morning, so he didn’t have the money to take her home via train, which he could see she easily understood.  He was still too polite to state how bored he had been most of the friendly outing.  He waved as he turned to leave, “see you later.”

“Wait,” she suddenly spoke out, standing.  As he stopped and turned to her, her eyes held hope.  She didn’t want to part here.  She wanted to know more.  But the locks had been bolted once more by the look in his eyes.  With as much courage as she could muster, she spoke out, “find my earring.”  It had been a while since the missing object had been mentioned.  When he nodded, she held a sad smile and jumped up, mirroring her rival’s movements by kissing his left cheek softly as a sign of affection.  Then she pulled away and grabbed her belongs, “I’ll see you later then.”

A brunette at a nearby table lifted his eyes to the scene and they narrowed.

After she’d left, he lifted a hand to his cheek with shock.  She’d kissed him the same way as Ranka had before, though on a different cheek.  A frown came to his lips.  “I know for a fact that something happened on Galaxy eleven years ago right on April 29th.  But what?” he asked himself with confusion.  “Now there are two girls I must remember: one singing a lullaby and another who gives me a bouquet of cherry blossoms.”  It just kept getting more complicated.  If only memories from childhood weren’t so fuzzy.  “Could it be possible that it’s one or both of them?” he wondered with concern.  If so, this would become a triangle he wasn’t willing to risk his life for.  “Ranka.”

Finally, the fated date of the concert arrived.  Saotome Alto found himself spiraling into the crowd once more, launching into the air and leaving sparkling dust for new fans to catch.  He looked at the stage as Ranka appeared in said mist and smiled at them all, even her stunt crew.  He flew over the crowd once more and dropped more mist for them to catch as planned.  Then he prepared himself for the stunts to come.  He had prepared himself for the last two days for the vigorous stunts and time limit given.  A debut concert was usually this small anyway.  That was no shock.

She stood in the center of the stage in her beautiful orange outfit that she’d used once during Miss Macross and lifted a hand to the crowd, welcoming them in.  As they cheered for her arrival, she felt alive, “everyone, embrace each other till the ends of the galaxy!”  She twirled her new mike around until she gripped the handle strongly.  Her birthday present from Alto glittered in the rays of light, giving off shades of orange mixed with green. ~My pure-hearted feelings orbit the star that is your heart rapidly.~  Her one hand lifted into the air and twirled once, making a small visual of space, then she brought that hand down, dismissing the stars into the crowd which dissipated into mist. ~That door you guard with a useless key, it’s that embarrassing, huh?~

Above, Alto realized this was his first signal on the script.  He twirled down and rounded her form a few times, pretending to be a Valkyrie, which worked with the computer generator.  The crowd cheered loudly as his form became a Valkyrie through the computer animation.  He smiled at her.  As usual, she was at one hundred percent.  She always gave her all.  He couldn’t afford to disappoint that either.

~We’re always praying for retribution.~

At that, the crowd went silent in confusion.

She smiled at the silence.  She had decided to change her routine around for the sake of the crowd being impressed but also to give them more of the song in the short time they had.  She didn’t have enough songs for a full concert yet, which was why the debut was important for this purpose, to gain fans.  Suddenly, the music slowed down and Alto landed on the platform above, waiting for his next cue. ~I want to survive.~  Her eyes lowered sadly at that admission. ~This scar I carry hates the light.  I have always rebelled against the vicious light.~  Her head rose with each lyric that left her lips. ~I no longer want to be shy.  I want to be with you now.~  Her eyes lifted to Alto momentarily, which made him blush.  Finally, the last two verses left her lips, ~until I’ve bared my true soul to you, I will not sleep.~

The music ended immediately.

Alto took this as his next cue.  He took off into the crowd and performed his best stunt, the one and only that Ranka only had noticed that day: his five-turn corkscrew.  But, this time, the crowd was impressed, as their attention was on him due to Ranka being off-stage.  For a moment, he felt happy with his accomplishment.

Ranka came back out in a blue strapless dress with feathers poking out of the hem that cut at the upper thighs, the ribbon around her mike now a pale shade of blue.  However, the diamonds still reflected green.  Her heart-shaped necklace glittered in the light.  It awoke Alto to noticing her.  She held up the mike one more and smiled, “here we go, everyone!”  At a cheer, she began her song, changing her routine once more. ~Darling, no more games now please.~

He understood that his next cue was coming soon.  However, he was quite taken with her new outfit.  Out of the back sprung wings as she sang the first verse.  He was impressed with her performance so far.

~No you, no life; I’m dead serious!~ she nearly yelled that out to the crowd, as if sending the message directly to them.  But she held back that urge. ~(I) need your heart and need your love.  Once again, share it with a sweet kiss!~  As her boyfriend passed by, she blew a kiss to him.  She failed to see his blush as he rose into the air again.  Her attention remained on the crowd.  “With me now!” she yelled. ~3. Hey, I’m counting.~

The crowd clapped along with her foot motions on the stage.  The entire stunt crew flew overhead and dropped mist upon the crowd.

~2. Are you ready?~ she asked them. ~1. I can’t wait.~  Here it was: the moment she had longed all week for.  In an instant, she raced towards the edge of the stage.  Pushing off of one foot, she flew through the air towards the crowd, ~0. Let my love be heard!~

At the movement, Alto panicked.  Luckily, he’d been requested to stay near her through the whole concert.  He moved swiftly and caught her in the nick of time.  He skidded to a halt over the gasping crowd.  He panted from the exertion.  Twice in the same building.  This wasn’t part of the script.  “What are you doing?”  He looked at her with wild eyes from the movement she’d just made.  “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he asked lowly, though obviously enraged by her actions.

She looked up at him, “take me flying, please?” and her eyes held plead at the request.

It baffled him.  Even faced with death, she still wanted to push on.  But, more importantly, she wanted to fly with him, to share in his dream.  It touched his heart.  “Okay.”  He nodded in agreement and took her into the air, pushing them above the crowd with his jetpack.

Her one hand reached out to the air.  The wind flowed through her green locks and made her feel alive.  At last, she could understand his desires.  It felt so free. ~This romantic date can’t end here!~  She turned and cupped his cheek with that one hand and kissed his lips quickly.  For a moment, his flight faltered slightly due to shock, then it became steady again. ~This will not be our last kiss!~  Her eyes met his with hope, ~let’s meet up again tomorrow!~

For a moment, he blushed, then he instinctively nodded, “su—sure.”

A small blush coated her cheeks at his reply.  But her attention returned to the crowd, for that was necessary. ~Tell me what you desire, it’s all yours!~  Finally, they neared the stage after rounding the dome one last time. ~It’s so fantastic to be with you, my love!~

He watched her carefully now.  He was amazed as she interacted with the crowd.  The last three months, he’d convinced himself that she was working too hard to become like Sheryl.  But now that he looked at the big picture, she was singing her own songs and communicating with the crowd effortlessly, she even included all of the help in her production.  She had become a strong, confident woman… all because of him.  This wasn’t just about Sheryl anymore.  She was singing for herself.  A small smile touched his lips.  “You’re amazing.”  But she failed to hear this praise.

They reached the stage, where he dropped her off, then he saluted like a proper gentleman and took off for the landing above when she gave him a farewell.

A piano rose up from the floor until it latched onto the stage firmly.  Ranka walked over to it whilst the dress faded into a green ruffled long dress.  Her one hand reached out and touched a key, revealing a set of beautiful gold rings on her index and pinky finger.  She sat down and pulled off the rose band from atop her head.  She placed the microphone in the hold by her lips.  “This next song… I composed it one evening for the most precious person in my life.”  She placed the rose band around the microphone stand.  “Please enjoy it.”

Alto looked at her from his place atop the dome.  He was standing beside Michael and Luca, whom were watching the show as well.  “’Most precious person in her life?’” he repeated with wonder.  It hit him that he had talked to her just a week ago about her spending time with him.  She had admitted that he was her important person.  Now he was curious, “is it possible?”

The stage lights centered on her totally and dimmed slightly.  She began to play the large instrument all by herself just like a professional.  Her notes were beautiful and smooth.  Nobody from the crew was helping her perform this time.  It was just her.  Now he knew what she was so tired that day for: those lessons. ~You always listen whilst speaking your mind.~  She closed her eyes with a warm smile. ~Thank you, my dearest, for giving me confidence.~

At that lyric, he blushed, realizing his assumption was correct.  This song was for him.  It was her feelings to him.  He gripped a hand over his heart as a strange pain ran through him.

~It’s true to see that I love you from the bottom of my heart.~  Her eyes opened and she looked to her boyfriend in the darkness.  As their eyes met, she saw his concern.  A smile touched her lips. ~You’ve noticed me from day one.~  At this; she received a nod, as if confessing his love to her was valid.  Her keystrokes began to speed up. ~We met on this ship and we’ll touch a dream together.~

That one lyric caused his eyes to widen in shock.

~You are closer to me than anyone else.~

He felt her heart reaching out to him.  It was as if he was standing right next to her during this performance.  He could feel her lyrics moving his heart.  And, for a moment, he wondered if that was what she’d desired all along: for her song to move someone’s heart like this.  No matter what her desire was, he was moved.  Her feelings were reaching him now.  “Ranka.”

Her fingers moved over the keys swiftly as she sped up the tempo of the song. ~Going to your side step by step, I look at you and kiss you.~  She was amazed that she hadn’t blushed at this admission. ~Leaving you step by step, I grow confused and hesitate.~  Her eyes rose to the sky, as if longing to fly through it once more in his arms.  The pain written in her eyes was enough to reveal her longing for his presence. ~Now I’ll go to your side.  I will look at you.  I will kiss you.  I am with the one I love.~

Sheryl Nome entered the concert hall with Grace in tow.  She wandered through the crowd to find her seat.  She had received a ticket from Alto, who had said at the time that he was invited as well, but as she found the seat, she noticed it was taken by someone else.  Her eyes turned to the stage.  They widened at the sight of her rival playing a piano all by herself.  Ranka Lee was performing a solo act with a piano so gracefully.  It left her speechless.  She had only, so far, learned how to perform with a guitar.

~I’m in a tough love where someone will get hurt.~  At this lyric, her eyes turned to find his sorrowful.  They had become so close that he could read her mind. ~I’ll write the truth down on a tablet.~  She hit the last few keys before she took a breath and finished, ~tears are staining the pages, tablet.~

Finally, the curtain dropped at the end of the performance.

Michael turned to Alto at the end with a small smirk.  “Hime, that song was for you.”

He blushed at the admission but frowned.  He knew that.  But it was the lyrics and emotions that had him upset.  That song had been happy in the beginning but then turned towards loneliness, suffering, and pain; as if her heart was broken.  ‘Could Ranka be jealous of that girl from my past?’  But there was no reason to be.  He had clarified that to her.  Yet… ‘her lyrics say otherwise.’  He turned and raced backstage without another word to Michael.

The curtain rose again, making all movement halt.

He gawked as he saw her in a strapless red dress that ran to the floor, breasts nearly exposed for others to fully see them.  Her hair was braided and held small bobby pins the color of her eyes.  “Ranka.”

Her eyes lifted to the crowd with a smile.  “Thank you all for coming here today.  This debut has been a huge success thanks to all of you.”  She listened as they all cheered happily for her words.  Suddenly, she felt tears come to her eyes and run down her cheeks.  For a moment, she bounced her head in shock, then lifted a hand to wipe them away but it merely trembled over her mouth in shock.  “Why am I crying?” she asked herself.  Dropping her mike low, she turned away and tried to stop the waterworks.

Alto watched with shock.  She just couldn’t seem to do it: part with her fans so soon.  It broke her heart to not see their smiling faces.  She valued their happiness as if it were her own.

Sheryl stepped forward at the sight of those tears.  They weren’t fake.  She truly felt sorrow towards parting from this stage, from her loyal fans.  Her earring glittered in the darkness.  “Ranka-chan!” she called out to the emotional idol over Alto’s voice.

However, even as Sheryl stood up to speak, instead, Alto did.  “Ranka!” he called out to her, reminding her of his presence and support.

Ranka heard the two voices overlap and turned swiftly.  In the crowd, she found Sheryl standing there.  Up above, she found Alto standing there.  Both held concern over her.  Both were there to support her.  She smiled warmly at them.  Despite their differences, they were still friends.  “Everyone,” she spoke as she lifted her mike once more, “would you all visit me again at my next concert?”

They all agreed with her loudly in the forms of cheers and yells.

Those tears became warm as her heart was fulfilled.  “Then please, listen to my songs again next time.  And remember to love each other through any hardship you face.”  She lifted one hand and waved to them as she lowered from the stage, the lights dimming.

Sheryl watched her attitude with shock.  She had looked at her with happiness, as if they hadn’t been rivals this whole time.  It left her confused.  “I don’t understand.”

Alto stared from above with shock.  He had heard Sheryl’s voice cry out alongside his.  And, that was the first person Ranka had looked to.  Her desires to sing apparently were not for herself as he had originally hoped.  Perhaps she had become selfish after all.  But when her eyes had met his, it was as if she was asking whether she truly had to part, truly had to leave behind those who needed her.  That kind of desperation… “she cares about them.”

At his low words, Michael looked over.

After the concert hall had been cleared out, Saotome Alto rushed down the stairs backstage with his stunt gear still on.  He used it to make his movements faster with the jetpack.  He wanted to catch his girlfriend before she would possibly disappear into the crowds.  “Ranka!” he called out as he saw her passing by to head towards the dressing rooms.  He immediately stopped short.  The force made her dress flutter and fall a bit, a nipple becoming exposed, which made him blush thickly.  He could easily find those small round orbs now.  He shook his head and found his clear mind again.  “I wanted to talk to you.”

Her eyes held concern at this, “is something wrong?”

He avoided looking at her for she’d failed to notice the dress had moved.  “Ranka… your dress.”  As the issue with said cloth was noted, she squealed and fixed it before anyone else noticed, then her eyes met his.  However, his became hard.  “There might be an issue.”  He watched her own eyes harden, as if understanding this was the moment he’d break up with her, as most couples did when the phrase ‘we need to talk’ came into the conversation.  He clenched his fists.  “What you did on-stage… that was reckless and foolhardy.”  He looked up with angered eyes, “you nearly got yourself killed… and for what: to make them happy!?”

“No,” she shook her head with a smile, “I had decided a week ago to pull off that stunt.”

His eyes widened at her words, “what?”

“We’ve been dating for three months,” she confessed shamelessly, “but even though we’re that close, I’ve never experienced the one thing you love most: your sky.  Nor had you experienced mine: singing.”  As his eyes lifted to her face at this, truly shocked, if not touched, by her words, she frowned sadly.  “I wanted to experience a part of it even for just one moment.  I wanted to understand your dreams and desires too.  I don’t want to be selfish and make you support only me.”  Her eyes closed and she let the memory of being carried through the crowd in his arms wander through her mind.  “And I understand now.  That’s why… I needed to fly with you.”

He blushed thickly at her confession.  That anger died.  “You could’ve just asked me though instead of taking such a risk.”

Her eyes became serious upon the recalling the rest of his earlier words.  She reached out and gripped his one metal hand with reassurance.  “Don’t think that I would risk my life just to make my fans cheer.  That’s not true.”  She shook her head with a small smile.  “Instead, I would risk my life to see them happy with one another.  I don’t want them to love me or my songs but rather each other.  I only want them to hear my feelings and expressions and understand that love so they can love each other the same way.”  Her hands cupped over her heart with symbolism.  “My heart will reach out to them and send this message… then they will love one another.  I am merely a messenger.”

Those golden orbs were molten at her words.  At last, he understood.  A warm smile touched his lips.  “You are incredible.”

At his words, she blushed, “t—thank you.”

He stared at her flushed face and kept that smile.  ‘Stay like this, Ranka.’  He removed his hand from one of those metal holders and cupped her cheek gently, admiring her beauty before kissing her lips softly.  ‘Don’t let anything tarnish that desire, not even me.  It’s too pure.’

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