Harucchi the Rock (2)

Haru eyed the clock in the studio. 9:22 PM. It was no wonder that he fell asleep on his feet.

“Sorry, my friend has the soul of an old-timer. Bed compels him by 9 PM most nights.”

The other members of BUST laughed at Koichi’s jab. They had warmed up to Haru enough to finally introduce themselves. Perhaps, Haru had made himself worthy in their eyes.

“Ren.”

“Kazuo.”

“Mephisto.”

The drummer, keyboardist, and singer spoke in turn.

Haru eyed the last one strangely until Koichi jumped in.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just a bit chuuni.” Koichi went over and scratched the tattoo right off the guy’s arm. Apparently, they had been stick-ons.

“Dammit, way to burst my bubble in front of the new guy!”

Haru laughed at his expense. Appearances weren’t all that they seemed. Somehow, the day had taught him that. Koichi put an arm around Haru after he packed up his guitar.

“I’m gonna walk this guy home and make sure he doesn’t pass out in a ditch. Later!” he called out to the crew. They gave a hearty “OSU!” and waved them both good night.

Outside, Haru’s eyes adjusted to the darkness. It had been quite some time since he had gone outside so late. It was a refreshing end to an eventful day. After a few steps, Koichi piped up.

“So how about it, wanna join up? You know, even introverts can play in a band.”

“Trying to convince me with a stolen line from an anime? You’re really laying it on thick.”

“Of course. Didn’t you have fun? Trying out something unfamiliar isn’t all that bad, you know.”

Haru chuckled. Not long ago, his lazy butt wouldn’t have left his room for anything, especially so late at night. But that had changed. Somehow, reality had some fun to look forward to.

“I’ll sleep on it.”

“Of course.”

“But I guess it wouldn’t be so bad once in a while.”

“Oh shit! Such progress! I could kiss you!”

Haru deftly dodged Koichi’s advance. The two of them spun around and synced up a fist bump. They were open books to each other. Friends working toward the same goal was something to be proud of.

They parted ways as Haru approached his house. He couldn’t wait to share his experiences with Grace.

#####

Haru found himself upon an empty stage with his guitar. The silence around him was unsettling. He had looked around for a while, strumming some anime tunes, but Grace had yet to appear.

Used to seeing her night after night, an undeniable feeling of worry grew in his heart.

It couldn’t be. It couldn’t be.

After being around all this time, she couldn’t have just disappeared.

His pacing grew impatient. The grating of fumbled notes fell on deaf ears as his worry grew rampant. Had he done something wrong? Not once had he considered what would happen if it were all to end.

It may have seemed strange to worry so much about an imaginary friend, but Haru didn’t care. His heart didn’t sting any less when he was told that Santa Claus didn’t exist. Nor when he found out that friendly monsters didn’t live in balls. If growing up meant that truths overwrote dreams, then he wanted to remain a child. He wanted Grace to continue existing.

“Wait… what if I…”

Haru strummed the song he learned from Grace, at least what he could recall of it.

The melody echoed around him, visible notes lighting the sky as they shot out from the stage and into the distance. He prayed that they would form a beacon, spread across his dreamscape to wherever Grace was hiding.

“Please… please… I just want to see you again…”

He played harder. The notes grew larger, becoming fireworks launched into the sky. He would keep telling her that he was here. That he still needed her. No matter how his life changed, there was no need for this one dream to disappear.

Grace was the reality of his nighttime. She was more than a mere illusion.

“H-Haru…”

Haru whipped around, scanning the area for that voice. After a while, he found Grace stumbling onto the stage, her face looking a bit worse for wear. Haru’s eyes grew wide. He had never seen Grace not looking jubilant.

“What happened?”

“Just mulling over some things. That’s all,” Grace giggled sheepishly. It made Haru wonder if he was seeing things.

She walked right by him and toward the center of the stage. A swirl of magic encircled her, and she emerged in formal wear. Her white blouse and black dress were fit for an extravagant party. Her pink hair was tied up and garnished with flowers. With a wave of the hand, a piano materialized on the stage, a chair next to it. Grace sat down before looking back at Haru.

“Please, continue.”

Haru nodded blankly, mesmerized by her beauty before starting up the song again. Grace’s hands glided across the piano keys. Notes flew out from both their instruments. Haru stared in awe as some of his notes fought with hers. They bumped into each other, the impact causing Haru’s misheard note to fizzle out. Taking heed, Haru tried again as the verse circled back, until their melodies grew in sync.

The foggy song that he had conjured from his memory was slowly corrected by Grace, until his mind would never forget it again. After the last of their notes drifted into the skies, he was met with a round of applause from Grace.

Haru turned to her, a question on his mind.

“Hey, Grace. Where does this song come from? I don’t think I remember ever hearing it anywhere.”

“Hmmm…. Who knows? I don’t recall.”

Haru’s eyes narrowed. It was strange for him to recall a melody when it came from an instrument that he had never invested in. A sinking feeling grew in his gut as he realized how off that felt.

“How did you learn to play the piano?”

“Umm, magic?”

“Hey, Grace…”

“Yes?”

“Do you only exist in my dream?”

Haru stared at her face, waiting anxiously for the answer. He realized that he was essentially asking himself whether it was all real. A rhetorical question, or was it? He knew almost nothing about Grace, assuming that she had been ‘made-up’. But she was no stereotype, no cardboard imitation that was solely set up to please him.

And after his recent experiences, the lines of her existence blurred. What exactly was she? Could his mind really create such a complex hallucination, one with skills unfathomable to him? Haru wanted an answer.

“I-”

A tear rolled down Grace’s face. Perhaps, she couldn’t say. Maybe, she didn’t know herself. It was that moment when her joyous mask fell that struck Haru like lightning.

Suddenly, the surroundings started losing its shape like dry sand. Haru made a dash for Grace, hoping to hear her next words. His outstretched fingertips crumbled, and soon, the rest of his body.

He woke up in his room, eyes wide open. The clock in his room read 3:43 am. He threw his pillow across the room in frustration.

Why did I have to wake up now?!

He clenched his fist, feeling anger wash over him. But why? Disappointment came with the calm. And then, he fell back into bed. He didn’t see Grace again that night. He couldn’t even dream. He spent that night wondering why it was that he was so upset.

When the alarm chimed for him to wake, he bolted right up. One final thought made him clutch his head.

Haru’s life had become entangled with Grace. To the point where her existence felt essential. He had learned the previous night that ‘appearances weren’t all that they seemed’. Even in a different context, Grace wasn’t who Haru thought she was. Despite not being real, Haru had fallen for her. Completely. Utterly.

And now, he had no idea what to do with those feelings.