Play that Song (Given x Reader) REPUBLISHED AND DISCONTINUED!!!

Chapter 12

'If you wash a vacuum cleaner, aren't you the vacuum cleaner?'

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"So, I'll see you in about a week?" I ask Hiroshi, as I reach for the door handle, leaving for school.

"Probably," he answers as he puts on his work shoes. Today, he is wearing a brown sweater vest over a long-sleeved, collared white shirt and a pair of black jeans. Around his neck, he wears a sky blue tie, and on his face, he wears a pair of thinly framed black glasses. This is typically what he wears to work, which is why his outfit yesterday really surprised me. In either outfit, he looks good, but he looks more like a professor now and not a high-class member of the Japanese mafia.

"Ok, I'll see you then. Try not to miss me too much. And if anyone ever doubts you or makes you feel boring, just tell them you're a criminal in 73 countries and they should get off your back," I say jokingly. Not about the 73 countries, but about telling them, since I know he probably doesn't want to tell a random stranger.

'Homosexual things,' I think, feeling glad I live in the country I do. Even though we technically can't get married here and have to get partnership certificates if we want to "marry", I'm glad I can hold hands with anyone I love and not fear getting arrested. That doesn't mean I can't get hurt by prejudiced people, but it's here better than in other countries. At least, I assume, I don't hear much news on it.

"Yeah, no," he says, as I leave the apartment, looking at me like I'm crazy.

'What's the point of being homophobic or transphobic? It literally affects no one, other than the gay or trans people. Wasn't there a fact that stated that if you were homophobic, you are either homosexual yourself or an idiot? That sound about right!' I rant in my head as I go to school, trying to get ready for the day.

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'Well, he's avoiding me,' I think as I walk into the stairwell, assuming Mafuyu would be there. 'Maybe not me, but any interaction with me.'

It had only started since this morning, but it was still confusing. For the past classes, Uenoyama had been avoiding my gaze and whenever the teacher asked us to talk about the topic with the person next to us, he was only looking out the window. I would say he's distracted, but he paid attention in class for once. And now he was playing basketball instead of napping.

"Did he suddenly change personalities?" I ask myself as I walk up the stairs, expecting the boy I was looking for would be laying at the top of them. As I expected, he was, but he had a sad look on his face. He looked at me, then looked back down, as if I wasn't the person he was expecting.

'Ouch, I know I'm ugly, but that just hurts,' I jokingly think. 'He was probably expecting Uenoyama, wasn't he? What happened after I left yesterday?'

"What happened after I left yesterday?" I ask him, saying exactly what I was thinking.

"He told me he can't teach me when I asked him and that I should join the light music club," he quietly says, sounding quite dejected.

'Ohhh...that's why he's avoiding me. He thinks I might report back to Mafuyu like a messenger. He's probably avoiding Mafuyu too now that I think about it.'

"So what are you gonna do?" I ask him, hoping he will figure the answer out for himself and not wanting to get involved in this little dispute.

'I guess I'm already involved, but nonetheless.'

Mafuyu looks me directly in the eyes, making me flinch. You can see the determination and motivation to learn how to play. The way he looks at me almost makes me want to teach him, even though I know nothing about playing guitar.