August and I are switching up so i gotta drive the rest of the way home
ok, be safe. I need to go practise anyway
Thank you for telling me your thoughts <3
CHAPTER SIX
Luka
Thank you for telling me your fear <3
“Hikaru, stop texting,”Arnaud snapped at him, his dark eyes glaring like he really would take away Reno’s phone like he’d been threatening.
“Don’t you start,Arata.” Reno wagged a finger then avoided Arnaud as he lunged at him, cursing in French for using his birth name. He ducked out of the way, laughing, to grab his guitar and almost knocked a few dishes off the kitchenette counter in the process. He had to push by Jaewon on his way to the back of the bus and then jump over his foot to avoid tripping on the way back when he stuck it out. “You’re all out to get me.”
“They’re just jealous.” Sebastian hopped up from the front passenger seat and joined them on the long couch, squeezing himself between Arnaud and Reno. “Not often one of us leaves a show with scratches down their back.”
“At least I can trustyounot to give me grief. I got a real earful from Kandi earlier.” Reno set his head on Sebastian’s broad shoulder, burying his face in his curly hair, and let his eyes close before Arnaud snapped his fingers in front of them.
“No naps. We need to stay on schedule.”
“What crawled up your asshole today?” Jaewon asked, taking the seat opposite from the couch, flipping open a notepad. It was filled with their songs, lyrics, and annotations, mostly scribbled in Reno’s hurried writing. “Did you miss Reno that much?”
“You know I don’t sleep well alone.” Arnaud frowned.
“Gomen ne?1, " Reno muttered and pulled his guitar onto his lap. “I didn’t sleep much either if that’s any consolation.”
“Ce n’est pas?2. I despise you,” Arnaud hissed and Reno figured he really was cranky. Maybe a nap was the right idea. “Where’d we leave off?”
Sebastian idly tuned his bass while Jaewon flipped through the notepad. Jaewon tapped the paper and said, “Keys.”
Reno groaned. “I don’t wanna.”
“Sorry, babe; only you play piano,” Sebastian said, then unclipped the tuner and tossed it into his open case.
“Poorly,” Reno retorted. “I hate playing it live.”
“We can pre-record and set your pedal to play.”
Reno gasped, hand to his chest. "No, no. Fine. Hand me the book." Jaewon handed it over and Reno took a pencil from him next. He quickly annotated a few ideas, then plucked them out on guitar.
"Make the second F sharp a three-quarter," suggested Sebastian, and Reno tried it out. They went back and forth, mapping out potential melodies to transpose onto the keys later. Arnaud, his attitude dropping away as they worked, took over inscribing the final pieces before moving them forward to the drop after the piano bridge.
Reno checked out for a bit, letting himself relax into the couch as Jaewon tapped out patterns on his practice pad and Sebastian played along on bass, the travel amp turned to a low hum. Reno wrapped his arms around his guitar, hugged it to hischest, and let his eyes fall closed. He trusted Arnaud would yell at him to pay attention when it was time for him to pitch back in.
But when he woke up, it was to Jaewon gently grabbing his shoulder. Sebastian had left the couch and was back at the front of the bus, chatting with Kandi, and when Reno turned his head to see what was pressed against him, he found Arnaud passed out, drooling against his shoulder.
“Kandi says she's gotta brief us.” Jaewon gave him a small, knowing smile before pulling away. “Do you have a hair tie? I lost mine.”
“Yeah, hold this.” Reno unwrapped himself from his guitar and gave it to Jaewon who put it on the seat behind him. He shuffled around, digging in his pockets for one of his hair ties and found one in the front left pocket. By this point, Arnaud had started to slip down, his face squished against Reno’s arm. He handed the tie to Jaewon who busied himself with wrapping his very long, black hair into a knot at his nape.
Kandi joined them as the driver, Jonathan pulled off the highway. She had her yellow clipboard as always, her feet in a pair of equally yellow fuzzy socks that clashed terribly with her typical business formal. Reno had only seen her in comfortable clothes a few times, and only ever when he visited her flat to have drinks and dinner. She tucked a few strands of her mousy blond hair behind her ear and took a moment to detangle her earrings— all Vivienne Westwood, the only brand she wore. Due to her influence, Reno had grown fond of the designer and he often wore a bracelet Kandi had gifted him. When she moved Reno’s guitar from the seat and got comfortable, Reno took it back and set it between his knees before turning to wake Arnaud.
“Well, I hope you’re rested,” Kandi started, sounding a touch clipped and Reno wondered if she was still mad at him. She adjusted her frameless glasses higher onto her nose and peered down at Arnaud, who was stretching. He reached over andrubbed his drool off Reno’s arm as an apology for sleeping on it as she continued, “We’re almost in Columbus. Arnaud, repeat after me—Hello, Columbus, Ohio.”
“Hello, Columbus, Ohio.” Arnaud sounded so sleepy, Reno had to poke him in the side for it.
“Don’t say Columbia by accident.”
