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It was a Sunday morning.
A ray of sunlight peered through the crack between the curtains and into the bedroom, shining onto the closed eyelids of a young woman under her covers. She winced, slowly raising a hand and blocking the blinding light away from her eyes to read the time on the clock resting on the nightstand. It took a moment for the numbers to register in her half-functioning brain before she lifted her arms up, groaning as she stretched. She sat up, moving to get out of bed, but another young woman who laid beside her tightened her arms around her waist.
“Nooooo–” She whined, pulling her partner back as if she were some stuffed animal.
“Kumiko, it’s already–H-hey, that tickles!” Reina giggled as Kumiko nuzzled her nose into her shirt.
“Fibe more minutessss.” Kumiko groaned into Reina’s clothes. Though the words were muffled, Reina has heard the phrase more than enough times to know what they were.
“Kumiko, you big baby.”
“But it’s so warm under the sheets!” Kumiko countered, looking up at Reina and pouting. “Besides, it’s the weekend, isn’t it? Stay in bed with me a bit longer.” Kumiko gave Reina some puppy dog eyes, to which Reina smiled and rolled her eyes at instinctively.
“Alright, alright,” She sighed. “5 more minutes it is.” Reina rolled the other way to face Kumiko, resting herself on her elbow as Kumiko smiled with glee, hugging Reina around the waist like a teddy bear.
Reina picked up her phone and opened Vinstagram, keeping up to date on old friends as she ran her hands through Kumiko’s poofy head of hair. It was puffier than usual from her bed head. As Reina absentmindedly scrolled, she took note of posts from their former seniors, as well as fellow classmates, juniors, and college buddies.
“Seems like everyone’s doing well.” She thought aloud to Kumiko. “Yuuko and Natsuki even got a cat and dog together. Good for them.”
Kumiko gave a half hearted hum of acknowledgement. Reina knew she didn’t hear a word she had said, but she continued speaking as Kumiko continued her pretend notes of attention.
Reina’s eyes flicked up to the top of her screen to check the time on her phone. “Hey, time’s up lazy head. It’s time to get up.” She said as she tousled Kumiko’s hair.
“Just a couple more minu-“
“I think my calendar says we have date today?” Reina countered, having already seen that line coming from a mile away.
“....Ah–“
“Ready to get up now?”
Kumiko paused for a beat before she released her hold on Reina’s waist, rolling over and stretching as a silent answer. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes, willing her body to shake off the remnants of sleep. Reina, finally free from Kumiko’s grasp, gently tossed the covers aside and swinged her legs to the side of the bed. She grabbed her glasses off the nightstand and made her way to the mirror while Kumiko eventually got out of bed.
Kumiko heaved a large yawn, scratching her stomach under her oversized sweatshirt as she wobbled across the room. The floor was scattered with crumpled and crinkled pieces of paper with some semblance of handwritten sheet music scrawled on its faces. Kumiko leaned down and picked them up to toss into the wastebasket across the room as if it were a basketball.
“Hup!”
She closed one eye as she took aim and threw the paper ball.
“Damn.”
She missed.
“Score 0 for Team Oumae~” Reina narrated as Kumiko sauntered over to the basket. She picked up the paper ball, along with the other scraps of paper lying around, and threw them in herself. Reina finished combing her long black hair and tied it up in a ponytail. She’d grown it out a bit ever since she graduated.
“You managed to finish that piece, didn’t you? You stayed up until 3 in the morning working on it.” Reina asked.
“Wellll,” Kumiko dragged. “It’s done, to say the least.” She ran a hand through her hair and ruffled it even more as she scratched her head. “I’ll definitely need to iron out some of the parts here and there later this week…” Her eyes grew lifeless for a minute as she glanced towards the headset wired to her computer at her desk.
“Alright, but don’t go staying up past midnight too much. Your health comes first so you can practice the music well later, right?” Reina walked over and reached up, squishing Kumiko’s cheeks together with the palms of her hand.
“Yesh ma’am,” Kumiko managed to mumble.
“Good.” Reina gave a satisfactory grin before she released Kumiko from her hold and made her way out into the hallway, Kumiko tailing closely behind her.
“Anyway, what do you want for breakfast?” Kumiko said, rubbing at her warm cheeks.
“Hmm, nothing too fancy, I suppose.”
“Rice with some fish and egg, then?”
“Sure.”
“Alright. You can make the miso soup without me, right?” Kumiko leaned forward with grin creeping on her lips.
“Of course I can. I’m not as helpless as I was at cooking before, you know.” Reina huffed. Kumiko smirked as she put a hand to her mouth.
“Still not forgetting the time you screwed up trying to cook an eg— oof ! Ehehe...” Kumiko winced at a sudden pain in her foot, not even bothering to look down to know Reina’s heel was on top of it. She had seen it coming right when she opened her mouth and simply laughed as Reina continued walking ahead.
Kumiko grabbed a remote off the coffee table and turned on the TV to a random news channel for some background noise, then made her way to the fridge to pop it open. Thankfully, it was fully restocked due to Reina’s diligence (and insistence, due to Kumiko’s laziness) in getting the groceries together every Saturday.
She pulled out the egg carton with the salmon and kicked the door close. As Kumiko set them down on the counter, Reina called out to their smart speaker to play some music—upbeat jazz, to be specific—while she boiled some water for the soup.
“‘Scuse me,” Kumiko said as she reached up and over Reina to grab some seasonings in the upper cabinet.
“You’re excused,” Reina chuckled, tiptoeing to give a peck on Kumiko’s cheek. Kumiko hit some sort of growth spurt as they grew up, giving her an even greater height difference to Reina, much to her chagrin. But Reina eventually came to accept it as one of the many things she loves about Oumae Kumiko.
As Kumiko waited for her pan to heat up, she glanced over to Reina’s side to catch her bobbing her head to the music. The corners of her eyes crinkled together at the sight as she smiled before she turned back to crack an egg over the pan.
They carried on comfortably without words, before Reina finished up her task and went to set the table. Kumiko finished cooking not long afterwards and brought their meal over. They took their seats across from each other.
“Thanks for the food!” Kumiko dramatically clapped her hands together and bowed her head to Reina.
“What’s with that? You did most of the work.” Reina giggled in response.
“A meal is nothing without miso soup!” Kumiko countered as she raised up her soup spoon.
“Sure.” Reina playfully rolled her eyes before picking up her chopsticks and digging in. As they ate, a band performing on the TV caught Kumiko’s eye.
“Oh yeah, Reina, your gig is coming up next week, isn’t it?”
“Yep. On Thursday. Don’t be late, alright?” Reina poked Kumiko’s shin with her foot under the table.
“Yes ma’am.” Kumiko meeped.
“Anyway, where were you thinking of going first today?” Reina asked after swallowing a piece of egg.
“Oh, that new arcade opened up in the city a while back, didn’t it? I’ve been wanting to check it out together since then, but never got the chance. So how about it?” Kumiko suggested as she leaned forward with a sparkle in her eye.
“The arcade, huh? Sounds good. But, you were thinking about playing together later today, weren’t you?” Reina tilts her head to the side in question.
“Yeah, that’s right. We haven’t been able to play anything together in a while, so I just thought it might be nice.” Kumiko chuckled as she scratched the back of her head, a pink tint gracing her cheeks.
“Mm, you’re right. So we’ll be coming back after lunch?”
“Yep. Carrying our instruments while we’re there would be a hassle. Besides, the place isn’t far from us anyway.” Kumiko explained. Reina hummed in response and went back to her meal.
Once the two finished eating, Reina took the dishes to the sink as Kumiko went to turn off the TV before they headed back to get ready for the day.
Reina put on a floral lavender skirt that matched her eyes, along with a cardigan and leggings. She turned in the mirror a few times before getting a second opinion.
“How’s this, Kumiko?” She asked before giving a twirl.
“Beautiful, as always.” Kumiko giggled and planted a kiss on Reina’s forehead. Kumiko threw on some jeans after fixing her mess of hair into a ponytail, and decided to wear a matching floral patterned shirt with a flannel coat tied around her waist, in case it got windy.
Reina slinged a red messenger bag across her shoulders with a small euphonium shaped charm attached to the zipper, while Kumiko’s knapsack wore a matching trumpet shaped charm.
They quickly made their way to the door and slipped on their shoes. Reina wore a pair of comfortable ankle boots, while Kumiko puts on some high top trainers.
“Wait, your collar’s messed up.” Reina pointed out as she reached up to Kumiko’s neck and fiddled with her shirt. “There.”
“Oh! Thanks, Reina.” Kumiko smiled with a light laugh. She then reached over, opening the door to let Reina step out first.
The train screeched to a halt. Kumiko and Reina stood at the doors, waiting patiently for them to open.
The doors hissed open and the two stepped inside. They take a seat together on the not quite crowded, nor quite empty train car, and the train doors slide close. While Kumiko’s attention was on the game at her phone, Reina lightly tapped her shoulder. Kumiko looked up to see her offering an earbud, to which she smiled and gladly accepted. It would have been easier if they shared the earbuds in between themselves, but it had seemed that Reina deliberately gave Kumiko the one for her other ear. As the train lurched forward in motion, Kumiko pushed the small bud into her right ear. She watched as Reina scrolled through some music selections on her phone to choose an orchestral arrangement of one of their favorite video game soundtracks.
When the music began, Reina closed her eyes and leaned her body against Kumiko as they twined their hands together between themselves. They sat in silence, with only the music and clatter of the trains wheels to fill it. Rays of warm sunlight splayed across their laps through the windows as Kumiko quietly watched the scenery rush by, occasionally glancing to Reina’s resting face in the reflection of the glass.
They made their way into city for the the arcade after they got off at their stop, but Kumiko had suddenly paused on the way, staring off at one of the other nearby arcades.
“Hm? Kumiko? What’s wrong?” Reina asked with a tilt of her head.
“Eupho-kun.” She simply replied.
“What?”
Kumiko pointed in the direction she was staring, and Reina followed. Her eyes immediately catch what had gotten her attention, and she laughed.
“Oh my god. For real?”
Kumiko didn’t respond, and instead quickly dragged Reina by the hand over to the UFO catcher containing a large Eupho-kun plush sitting at the bottom. The UFO catchers beside it contained similar plushies of the instrument mascot series.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for my entire life.” Kumiko declared, already pulling out her wallet. Reina all but sighed with a grin as she watched her insert her coins into the machine and making it whir to life with an upbeat jingle.
Kumiko stared concentratedly through the glass, attempting to position the catcher just right to grab the strange looking mascot by its body. The arms of the catcher latched onto the plush, carrying it upwards as it rose. Both Kumiko and Reina held their breath as the arm moved, but it had lost its grip as it carried it over to the slot and dropped Eupho-kun on his face.
“Noooo!!!” Kumiko cried out, slumping her shoulders in defeat, but she huffed and quickly pulled out another few coins from her wallet. “I’m not giving up just yet!”
“You’ve got this, Kumiko!” Reina cheered. Kumiko inserted the coins into the machine again with a clatter.
She was even more careful this time, and Reina could almost see the calculations spinning around Kumiko’s head. After giving precise inputs into the machine, Kumiko hit the button to lower the arm one more time. She all but had her forehead pressed into the glass as it fogged up from her breathing.
The arm grabbed Eupho-kun by his head this time. Just when it looked like it was about to drop him into the slot, his head slipped through the arm and back on his legs.
Kumiko groaned in agony.
“Argh! I was so close!” She growled, holding her head in her hands.
“Here, let me try.” Reina said as she gently ushered Kumiko to the side. Kumiko dropped another round of coins into the palm of her hand, which she slid into the coin slot with a rattle that booted the machine up one more time. She inhaled, taking a deep breath, and placed her hands on the joystick. Reina’s brows furrowed together, sticking her tongue out a bit in concentration as Kumiko watched to the side, staring intently at the movement of the machine’s arm.
After meticulously placing the arm, Reina pushed the button and sent it downwards. The two girls tensed as it grabbed Eupho-kun square around his waist and hoisted him up into the air. Time almost seemed to slow as the arm creaked above the slot and dropped him into it. Once Reina and Kumiko heard to decisive thud of victory, they shot up their hands in a cheer and gave each other a high ten.
“Yay!!”
Reina bent down to grab the plush out from the prize door and put it into Kumiko’s hands.
“Eupho-kun plush…!!” Kumiko awed, holding up the odd plush with a sparkle in her eye. Seeing her get so happy over a toy brought a smile to Reina’s lips.
“Don’t go replacing me with him, now.” She playfully chided, poking her with an elbow.
“Of course!” Kumiko pouted, holding Eupho-kun closer to her body. “The only thing I love more than the Eupho is you, after all.” She grinned and leaned down to press her lips against the top of Reina’s head. “Thank you, Reina.”
“You’re welcome.” Reina replied, casually flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. “Now let’s get going. It might get busier if we dawdle any longer.”
Kumiko checked her watch.
“Oh man, you’re right! Let’s go.” She said, clasping Reina’s hand.
Reina and Kumiko moved on as they weaved their way through a thickening crowd.
The two tried out a lot of the new games available at the arcade, mainly the rhythm games they’ve never tried before. Though they were unfamiliar with most, they caught on pretty well.
“You wanna try out that new VR game?” Reina suggested, pointing her head over to the booths.
“Oooh, it’s that lightsaber one isn’t it?”
“Yep. I’ve seen Mizore getting really into it lately, it seems. Nozomi has been posting videos of her playing left and right.” Reina pulled out her phone and showed the wall of video posts on Nozomi’s account of Mizore going hard at the game, not missing a single beat.
“Damn, she’s good!!” Kumiko awed. “Mizore’s always been good at rhythm games though, so I’m not surprised, honestly.”
“So how ‘bout it? Wanna go 1v1?” Reina smirked.
“Oh, you’re on.”
Reina and Kumiko grabbed two booths and slid on their headsets.
“Woah. This is kinda trippy.” Kumiko commented offhandedly as she looked around the neon lighted environment.
They took some time getting used to it, but they got a good hang of it shortly after.
Their wins and losses were almost even as they continued playing harder and more complicated songs before they got tired and stop.
When they took off their headsets, they realized they gathered a bit of a crowd.
“Hey, those two girls are pretty good!”
“I wanna try that next!”
“Wait, the girl with black hair looks kind of familiar, don’t you think?”
“I think it’s about time we go, Kumiko.” Reina said as she gathered her things.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Kumiko nodded. “I worked up an appetite from that too.”
“Heh, lunch it is, then.” Reina hooked her arm into the crook of Kumiko’s, leading them outside the arcade.
After they grabbed a quick lunch, they dropped by the nearby mall for some shopping. They stopped by a swimsuit store, considering summer was just around the corner, and the two had already made plans with Hazuki and Midori for an outing at the water park.
“Kumiko, which one do you think looks best?” Reina asked, holding up two different swimsuits to her body. One was a purple two piece with frills on the hems, and the other was black with purple bows.
“Hmm…” Kumiko hummed, putting a hand to her chin. “The purple one looks cute, but the black one looks more…” She paused, looking up in search for the right word. “Sexy?” Her eyes lit up as she pointed a finger towards the ceiling. “Ow.”
Kumiko laughed and rubbed her shoulder in false pain from the slap she got from Reina. The trumpetist simply puffed her cheeks out, but returned the purple swimsuit to its rack.
As the time flew by, the two returned to the train station, gift bags and such in tow.
“Oh, looks like Asuka-senpai’s at Diznee Land.” Kumiko commented, scrolling through her friends’ social stories. She brushed her shoulder against Reina’s to show her the video clips and photos. “Kaori and Haruka’s with her too.”
“Looks like they’re having fun.” Reina’s lips turned up upon seeing the last photo. It was the three of them, Asuka wearing a headband with round, mouse shaped ears attached to it, as she draped her arms around Kaori and Haruka–wearing similar headbands–at her sides. They all threw up V signs, wide grins dancing on their faces as mascots did some poses behind them.
As Kumiko pulled away and began typing out a message to Asuka, Reina felt a something tug at her skirt. She looked down to see a small toddler girl, peering up at her with sparkling hazel brown eyes.
“Hm? Hello there, little one.” Reina knelt down to look at the little girl at eye level. Kumiko slipped her phone into her pocket after sending her message to watch Reina speak with the girl, but she couldn’t help but wonder where the girl’s parents were and scanned around the station for any panicking mother or father.
“Um, escuse me?” The girl began. “Are you Kousaka Reina?” Her eyes seemed as if they were shining with innocence and hope.
“I am.” Reina nodded. “And you are?”
“My name is Euphie! And I’m a biiiiig fan of yours!!” Euphie made a huge circling gesture with her small arms to emphasize that she was, in fact, a big fan of Reina.
“Is that so? I’m honored.” Reina giggled. Even without the huge gesture, Reina could already tell from the start that this girl was a fan, judging by how a corner of her CD album was sticking out from her tiny bag.
“Yeah!! One day, I want to become the best trumpet player in the world, just like you!”
“Really? That’s a big goal you have there, Euphie.” Reina tilted her head to the side. “But, as long you practice, and keep on loving music, I’m sure you can get there one day.” She put a hand on Euphie’s head, giving the toddler a pat of encouragement.
The girl took in a deep breath of awe upon seeing the gentle curve of her idol’s lips, her eyes dancing with twinkling stars.
“Thank you!! Um!!” Euphie quickly popped open her little purse and presented Reina with the CD album. “Will you please sign my copy of your album??”
Reina let out a short burst of laughter.
“Of course, Euphie-chan. I’d be honored to sign it for the next best trumpet player in the world.”
Reina gave a wink and reached into her bag to pull out a permanent marker. Kumiko can’t help but smile as she watched Reina autograph the plastic CD case. She always carried a marker handy with her for situations like these.
“Euphie!! There you are, Euphie! I was searching all over for you!”
As Reina finished signing her signature on the case, they heard an older woman’s voice calling out Euphie’s name. Kumiko looked up to see a pale faced woman with her hair tied into a low ponytail jogging up to them. Reina handed the CD back to Euphie–who positively beamed upon holding the newly signed album in her hands–and stood back up. As the woman slowed to a halt behind the young girl, panting and putting a hand to her chest to catch her breath, the two politely bowed. After taking one last deep breath, the woman leaned down to pick up her child.
“I’m so sorry, you two. I hope she wasn’t being a bother.” She said with a bow.
“Not at all. It was a pleasure to speak with her, actually.” Reina laughed. The woman paused for a moment, looking curiously at Reina’s face as the gears turned inside her head.
“Oh!” She suddenly gasped. “I thought I was imagining things, but you’re Kousaka Reina, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” Reina nodded.
“I see! No wonder!” She laughed. “My daughter loves your music so much, she’s always asking me to put it on at home. I myself used to play trombone in high school band, way back when. It’s always good to see other girls pursue their passion in the professional industry, you know.” The mother’s gaze wandered over to Kumiko, who had remained fairly observant throughout the conversation. “Ah, my apologies. You must be Miss Kousaka’s acquaintance…?”
“Actually, I’m-”
“This is-”
Reina looked up at Kumiko, who was looking back at her, upon their overlapping words. They shared a small laugh as Reina’s thumb brushed over a finger to feel the cool, smooth metal that adorned it. She smiled, knowing Kumiko had just done the same to feel her own ring.
A sign that their love was real, not just in this moment, but forever.
“This is my wife, Oumae Kumiko.” Reina finished. The woman’s eyes widened, but a pleasant curve graced her lips at the same time.
“Oh, my! I’m so sorry, I had no idea!” The woman quickly gave a polite bow.
“Oh, no! Don’t worry about it.” Kumiko tried to give an assuring smile as she waved her arms around in front of her. “I’m not much of a front end person in the industry like Reina is, so I don’t mind at all.”
“Ah, so you’re a musician too, Miss Oumae?”
“Yeah. I’m a composer for contemporary orchestral music, so it’s rare that someone would recognize my face in public, actually.” Kumiko added, scratching the back of her neck with a chuckle.
“Really? That’s amazing!”
“Wow! Girls can marry other girls!?” The little girl piped up.
“Yes, that’s right.” Reina replied with a grin.
“Woah!! Mama, I wanna marry a girl like Miss Reina when I grow up too!!”
For some reason, Kumiko couldn’t hold in her burst of laughter upon hearing this. Reina had half a mind to jab her with an elbow, but instead settled just for giving her a side glance.
“Well, there’s a long way to go until then, but it’s definitely a possibility.” Kumiko said with a bright smile.
“It would be nice if I’d known that earlier in life.” She thought, stealing a glance at Reina’s profile.
Just as this crossed her mind, the screech of metal against metal filled the air.
“Oh, this must be your train.” The mother pointed out. “We’d better not hold you two up any longer. Thank you again!”
“Thankyuu!!” The girl excitedly waved from her mother’s arms as she’d given them one last bow. Reina and Kumiko returned it, thanking them for the pleasant exchange, before stepping on the train.
It was a bit more crowded this time. They squeezed together near the middle of the car, Kumiko raising a hand to grip onto the train handles while Reina hooked her arm into the crook of Kumiko’s elbow to steady herself as the train shook.
“I wanna marry a girl like Miss Reina when I grow up too~!” Kumiko imitated quietly to Reina.
“Oh, shut it, you.” Reina spat back, a flush growing on her cheeks.
“Well. I’m lucky that I’m married to the one and only Reina.” Kumiko giggled.
“You’re such a sap. But...I’m glad I’m married to you too, Kumiko.” Reina replied.
Though her voice was soft, it was enough for only Kumiko’s ears to hear over the clattering noises of the train.
When they arrived home, they quickly dropped off their things to grab their instruments and headed back out. It was nearing the evening already, and they didn’t want to miss the best part.
They made their way to the nearby park, going up the stairs to a resting area. It wasn’t their mountain top from back in their high school days. But rather, a new place, for their new beginnings.
The two took a seat, Reina pulling out her trumpet out of its case first as Kumiko set down her euphonium case to pop open the cover. As she slid in the mouthpiece, Reina played a small warm up tune.
Kumiko adjusted the euphonium in her lap and took a moment for herself to tune.
“Alright, I’m good.” She announced.
“Okay. What piece do you want to play first?” Reina asked.
“Hm…” Kumiko hummed in thought. She peered into the horizon, watching sparse clouds float across the garnet stained sky as the sinking sun’s rays reflected upon the golden faces of the two young women’s brass instruments.
“How about we start with that one?” Kumiko suggested.
“I knew you were gonna say that.” Reina chuckled. “But I’m not against it. It’s a good piece you made.” She brushed her tongue across her lips, wetting them before lifting her trumpet to her mouth. The corners of Kumiko’s eyes crinkled together as she smiled, letting herself enjoy the praise before doing the same with her euphonium.
And with a few taps of Kumiko’s foot to set the tempo, they began.
It was a gentle song that made its way close to their hearts. One that Kumiko wrote a few years ago, now, and played for Reina one fateful day.
Though there were no lyrics, each phrase and swelling crescendo served more than enough for them to feel the message that Kumiko poured her heart into.
There is a folklore of their culture that says soulmates are bound together by an invisible red string tied upon their pinkies. Though this string may tangle and stretch through life, it shall never break, no matter how far apart the two may be.
But…
Even if that string flowing between us were to snap in two,
Even if some trick of fate were to cause this thread to tear apart,
I feel that we would still remain connected to each other forever.
So let’s turn this red thread into gold,
And let me call you the place where I found home.