Eclair Despair (Amaya/Misha)

Finishing eclairs was never something that Amaya would be remotely into.  If she hated cooking most anything in a kitchen, then she had a special kind of hatred in her heart for French pastries.  With her grim and determined face returning she threw herself fully into the task so that it would be done properly.  Now that she had help it was going to be much easier to tolerate after all.  Beyond that this was the last time she was going to have to deal with these horrid baked goods!  Each extremely careful step she brought herself closer to a very uncertain and simultaneously exciting and incredibly risky.  One where she would be able to pursue the art of singing that she love so much and yet hid from the world for so long.  Speaking of songs, she heard a very familiar one and wondered if she was just imagining it. 

There was no way that someone else was close enough for their singing to be audible in this kitchen.  All in all it was pretty clear that the two of them were alone in this area of the building, since no one had come to check on the crash of the bowl earlier.  So that meant that someone within the room had to be singing that song.  A song which Amaya knew by heart since she'd performed it in karaoke so often.  Given that she wasn't saying anything let alone singing, that left only one explanation.  Her companion was the one singing - and rather pleasantly.  As the eclairs went into the oven, Amaya suddenly couldn't get that song out of her head.  That being the case, she grabbed a wooden spoon and held it up like a mic as she began singing the song herself.

"I've taken off running! Off to strengthen my feelings
When I'm worried I'll grip your hand tight

I've always betrayed my most important feelings
But yesterday, I said bye-bye
To the risks and regrets
That I've searched for over and over as excuses
I'll stop letting them control me

My feet are moving, it might be scary at first
But a heart that wants to keep going is all I need!

I've taken off running! Off to strengthen my feelings
When I'm worried I'll grip your hand tight
You don't have to wait to be who you want to be
My dream will one day shine forth!

I won't fight this fight with half-baked feelings
There's not a single regret left on the stage
Because when I compare my ideals and my reality
Though I've yet to reach it
I can feel the goal at the end of the road

We need hard work and persistence, there will be sleepless nights
But it's your "I want to see your smile!". Yes, as long everyone's here!

I'm springing off! My feelings aren't a lie
The hope born from my tears
Connects me to a strength my eyes can't see
My dream will one day shine forth!

I only need to close my eyes to see it again
My heart beating, I'll entrust the future I believe in here
The moment the world takes on colors and shines
I want to see it with you, my heart answers

I've taken off running! Off to strengthen my feelings
When I'm worried I'll grip your hand tight
You don't have to wait to be who you want to be
My dream will one day shine forth!

I'm springing off! My feelings aren't a lie
The hope born from my tears
Connects me to a strength my eyes can't see
My dream will one day shine forth! "

As she reached the first chorus she was fully into the performance, including the dance that she'd learned from watching performances online a number of times.  Though it was a simple kitchen where she was in the company of the student council's vice president Amaya put all of her energy into it.  It might as well have been a stage before an audience of thousands!  For a few moments Amaya could hear that imagined crowd singing with her.  She could see the bright glow of light sticks being waved by her fans!  Once she finished Amaya looked over to Misha and remembered where she actually was. Rather than being embarrassed by the realization, Amaya just embraced the moment and bowed for her audience of one.  There was a very genuine smile on the girl's face that was quite an improvement over her gloomy cooking expression.

"Well I guess you just got to be my first audience," Amaya remarked as she set the spoon down on the counter, "I hope that was entertaining for you.. it's one of my favorite songs.  How do you know it?  No offense, but I didn't think you would be the type to listen to that kind of music."

❝

Misha never put much thought into the song that she was singing - to her it was merely habit bubbling through memories of the family bakery. When she stopped to slide the eclairs into the oven, she beleived that it would be the end of the song.

But it wasn't.

Beside her, she could hear Amaya's voice pick up the song as well. Quietly, Misha watched, an eyebrow rising in amusement initial as she noticed the wooden spoon used as a stand-in for a microphone. Though the blonde girl smiled, her mind shifted into something a bit more analytical. The lyrics and the melody seemed more or less right when compared to the source, but it was the motions that Amaya made and how...practiced both the singing and the routine was. The baker leaned back against the wall, her eyes narrowing even through her smile remained. There was something familiar, in the sense that she watched something like this over the shoulder of her her sister and cousin. Perhaps this was the 'idol' type that they fawned over?

As Amaya bowed, Misha clapped, standing up properly. If this was the kind of performance Amaya could do impromptu, Misha figured that she would have little issue with the auditions. "It is indeed, noy my usual type of song, but rather one that my younger sister would sing while we worked, and I would sing it with her," Misha replied, walking over to the now-empty but still-in-need-of-cleaning bowls, starting to clean up the kitchen. "She is...not quite cut out for the kitchen, and thankfully I alone will be enough to inherit the family bakery. But, she still wants to help out every now and then. And so, she would sing things like these to boost her confidence."

Carrying a pile of bowls and utencils to the sink, Misha paused to grin at Amaya. "That is, perhaps, a longer way of saying that you remind me of my little sister." She took a moment to set the pile into the sink and start washing. "In another topic, if you maintain that level of performance, I do think you'll leave a good impression during the audition."

tag(s): Amaya Kawahashi ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww

This was sort of Amaya's idol debut, even if it was just for an audience of one.  Fate had seen fit to have Misha singing a song that Amaya knew very well, and the performance had flowed naturally from that.  Rather than being embarrassed by going into the routine she was actually pretty proud of herself for going through with the whole song.  Being told that she was good enough to leave a strong impression on the staff who would decide whether the aspiring idol got to live her dream of being an idol rather than a culinary artist.  She didn't say anything for a bit as she moved the rest of the utensils and bowls to the sink.   She pondered what her new friend's sister was like in person and what allowed her to remain interested in baking even when that wasn't her strength.  Maybe there was a nugget of treasure in her  story that might help Amaya be able to not have her stomach turn at the mere thought of cooking.  For now finishing up the eclairs was god enough.

She pondered what she was even going to tell people once she formally made her move to change tracks.  What would the people in her life think?  It was going to be tough, that was for sure.  Amaya hadn't made many friends in culinary arts so it wasn't going to be disappointing to them at least.  Her family probably wouldn't understand her decision, given the long history of culinary excellence going back several generations.  At least as far as Amaya was aware they'd always been cooks of some kind, so telling them she was not going to become one herself was scary. Would they disown her?  Would they try to pull her back into the kitchen?  It wasn't half as scary as telling I Sora though; they'd promised to become cooks together and maybe open a restaurant together after graduation .  They'd come to Fukui so that they could be together through high school.  Now she was about to make a decision that would kill those plans.. would she lose Sora too?  Amaya's heart ached and she tried to find anything to change the focus of her thoughts.

"So, can I ask you something then?  Even if I get into the music program, I will be disappointing a lot of people.  Family of course, but also.." Amaya finally spoke, and then stared down at the counter, "A classmate who I really care about.  We promised to become chefs together and maybe open a restaurant together.. but if I follow my heart then I might really upset her.."

Amaya exhaled deeply and looked up at Misha, "What should I do?"

❝

Misha reflexively answered "Of course" to Amaya's request, listening ardently while continuing to wash the bowls and utensils. The family bit was something the blonde kept in the back of her mind as something that would be the priority to take care of, and thus was caught off-guard by the mention of a classmate that Amaya cared about.

It was hard not to try and deduce the nature and background of the promise that Amaya-san made. Indeed, it was someone very close, such that they seemingly took priority over family. Misha pondered a little longer as she set the last bowls onto the drying rack before turning around.

"Well. I would think...a true friend would understand the decision that you have made and would still stand by you," Misha said sombrely. "If they did not, I would not think they would be a good friend." With a sigh, she pushed off from the countertop and walked to where she had left her cane, continuing to talk in a more formal tone of voice.

"I should explain further I suppose. I do not know what basis you and your classmate have built your friendship on. But, I will say that in middle school, I had a few... 'friends'". There was a sense of disappointment that dripped through Misha's words as she grabbed her cane and walked towards the oven. "They do not talk to me anymore now that we are not physically near each other. Our connection, for lack of a better word, was one convenience."

She paused to turn on the oven light and glance inside. The eclairs, as far as she could tell, were progressing nicely, and a small smile crossed the Russian's face as she turned around, tapping the floor with her cane as she looked back to Amaya.

"On the other hand, I still have other friends, who, despite going on our separate paths, we still remain in close contact, chatting on the daily." There was a soft chuckle as Misha returned to a much more relaxed tone of voice. She approached Amaya again. "Again...I do not know the full details on what brought you and your classmate together, and what keeps you two together. But, if you have faith in your friend and the bond you share...then I believe all will be well in the end. They are likely to be shocked, even upset, but in the end, I believe they would still support you."

tag(s): Amaya Kawahashi ━ words: 000 ━ notes:

by MIZO.❉ of ww