[39] Fabrications and Foundations

I slipped on the white wig and blue contacts from my Gojo cosplay, topping it off with the bucket hat Marin had given me. Catching my reflection in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. Perfect for blending in.

"Ready to go?" Marin called from the entryway.

"Yeah, just a sec." I grabbed my phone, pulling up the shopping list I'd made. We needed quite a bit to furnish our new place.

Marin peered over my shoulder as we waited for the elevator. "Ooh, can I add some stuff?"

I handed her the phone. "Go for it. You've got better taste than me anyway."

She tapped away, her face scrunching up in concentration. "There! I added some throw pillows, curtains, and a few plants. This place is gonna look amazing when we're done."

The elevator dinged, and we stepped inside. As we descended, Marin's eyes lit up. "Oh! We should get one of those big mirrors for the living room. You know, the ones that lean against the wall?"

I nodded, adding it to the list. "Good call. Anything else?"

She thought for a moment. "Maybe some art for the walls? Nothing too fancy, just to add some color."

We exited the building, and I flagged down a taxi. Once inside, I pulled up the list again. "Alright, so we've got: couch, TV, recording studio equipment, fabric for your cosplay, throw pillows, curtains, plants, mirror, and art. That about cover it?"

Marin hummed. "I think so. We can always come back if we forget anything."

Our first stop was a furniture store. Marin immediately gravitated towards a plush, L-shaped sectional. "Akira, look! Isn't it perfect?"

I ran my hand over the soft fabric. "It is nice. But are you sure you want white? Might be hard to keep clean."

She waved off my concern. "That's what slipcovers are for. Plus, it'll make the room feel bigger and brighter."

We spent the next hour picking out a TV stand, coffee table, and a few lamps. Marin insisted on testing every couch in the store before circling back to her first choice.

"You were right," I admitted. "This one is the best."

She beamed. "I told you! Oh, and look at this throw blanket. Wouldn't it look great draped over the arm?"

I checked the price tag and winced. But seeing Marin's excitement, I couldn't say no. "Add it to the cart."

After arranging delivery for our furniture, we headed to an electronics store for the TV and my recording equipment. Marin's eyes widened at the array of gadgets.

"I had no idea you needed so much stuff for a home studio," she said, watching as I loaded our cart with monitors, a mixer, and various cables.

I shrugged. "It adds up. But it'll be worth it to have a proper setup at home."

Our next stop was a fabric store. Marin flitted from bolt to bolt, her fingers trailing over silks, cottons, and synthetics.

"Ooh, feel this one," she said, holding out a length of shimmery blue material. "Wouldn't it be perfect for that magical girl costume I've been planning?"

I ran my hand over the fabric. "It's nice. Grab whatever you need."

As Marin continued browsing, my eyes landed on a familiar shade of lavender. Memories of my old life flickered through my mind - the stage lights, the roar of the crowd, Hana's smile. I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away.

"You okay?" Marin asked, her arms full of fabric.

I forced a smile. "Yeah, just thinking about what else we need."

We made our way to a home goods store for the remaining items on our list. Marin took charge, filling our cart with throw pillows, curtains, and a variety of small plants.

"Are you sure we need this many pillows?" I asked as she added yet another to our overflowing cart.

She nodded emphatically. "Trust me, it'll tie the whole room together."

As we neared the checkout, we passed a display of mirrors. Marin's eyes lit up at a large, ornate floor mirror. "That's the one!"

I checked the price and hesitated. It was more than I'd planned to spend, but seeing Marin's excitement, I couldn't resist. "Alright, let's get it."

Our final stop was a music shop. As we browsed, Marin wandered over to a grand piano in the corner. She pressed a few keys experimentally, the discordant notes echoing through the store. Suddenly, I wasn't in the music shop anymore.

I was back in that dimly lit room, my fingers dancing across worn ivory keys. The melody of "Le Festin" filled the air. Hana sat on the floor beside me, her eyes closed as she swayed to the music.

"That's beautiful, Tenko," she murmured. "Where did you learn to play like that?"

I kept playing. "I picked it up here and there. It's not a big deal."

Hana opened her eyes, fixing me with an intense gaze. "Don't do that. Don't downplay your talent."

My fingers faltered for a moment. "Force of habit, I guess."

"Well, break it," Hana said firmly. "You're amazing, Tenko. You should be proud of what you can do."

I finished the piece, letting the final notes linger in the air. Hana stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Promise me something?"

I looked up at her, curious. "What?"

"Promise me you'll never stop playing. No matter what happens, don't let anyone take this away from you."

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. "I promise."

The memory faded, and I found myself back in the music shop, Marin looking at me with concern. "Akira? Are you okay?"

I blinked, shaking off the remnants of the flashback. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... remembering something."

Without thinking, I sat down at the piano next to Marin. My fingers found the keys, and I began to play "Le Festin." The familiar melody flowed from my hands, filling the shop with its bittersweet tune.

Marin watched, transfixed. "I didn't know you could play like that," she whispered when I finished.

"It's been a while."

"It's beautiful," Marin said, echoing Hana's words from so long ago. "You should play more often."

I stood up. "Maybe. We should probably get going. Still have a lot to buy."

As we left the shop, Marin's hand found mine. She didn't push for an explanation, and I was grateful for that. We continued our shopping trip, but my mind kept drifting back to that memory, to Hana, to the person I used to be.

By the time we returned home, laden with bags and boxes, I felt drained. But seeing Marin's excitement as she started arranging our new purchases, I couldn't help but smile. This was my life now, and despite the ghosts of my past, I was determined to make the most of it.

I wiped sweat from my brow, glaring at the pile of wooden pieces scattered across our living room floor. The instructions mocked me from their crumpled heap nearby.

"Remind me again why we didn't just pay for assembly?" I grumbled, reaching for another oddly-shaped plank.

Marin looked up from her own mess of screws and bolts, her hair tied back in a messy bun. She wore one of my old t-shirts, now stained with dust. "Because we're independent adults who can totally handle putting together a bookshelf." She paused, frowning at the piece in her hand. "Right?"

I snorted. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

On the TV propped against the wall, some period drama played quietly in the background. I'd lost track of the plot hours ago, but the ambient noise helped fill the silence between our frustrated sighs and occasional curses.

"Pass me that Allen wrench, will you?" Marin asked, stretching out her hand without looking up.

I tossed it her way, wincing as it clattered to the floor just out of her reach. "Sorry."

She shot me a playful glare. "Some hot-shot actor you are. Can't even nail a simple throw."

"Hey, I'm method acting right now. I'm playing the role of a guy who's terrible at furniture assembly."

Marin laughed. "Well, you're nailing that part."

I set down the pieces I'd been struggling with and leaned back against the couch we'd managed to put together earlier. "Maybe we should take a break. My brain feels like it's turned to sawdust."

"Quitter," Marin teased, but she put down her own project and stretched. "Actually, that sounds good. I'm starving."

I grabbed my phone. "Pizza?"

"You read my mind."

As I placed the order, Marin crawled over to sit beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. On screen, a woman in an elaborate Victorian dress was having a heated argument with a man in a top hat.

"What's even happening in this show?" I asked.

Marin shrugged. "No idea. But her dress is amazing. I bet I could recreate it for a cosplay..."

I chuckled. "Of course that's what you're focusing on."

She elbowed me gently. "Hey, it's called multitasking. I can fail at furniture assembly and plan future projects at the same time."

We fell into a comfortable silence, half-watching the drama unfold on screen. After a few minutes, Marin spoke up again.

"Hey, Akira?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you ever worry that... this is all too good to be true?"

I turned to look at her, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. "What do you mean?"

She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "I don't know. It's just... sometimes I wake up and I can't believe this is my life, you know? Living in this amazing apartment, being part of an idol group, dating you..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

I took her hand, running my thumb over her knuckles. "I get it. Trust me, I have those moments too."

"You do?"

I nodded. "All the time. But then I remember how hard we've worked to get here. This didn't just fall into our laps, Marin. We earned it."

She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I guess. It's just... what if it all goes away? What if I mess up and lose everything?"

I pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Then we'll figure it out together. But that's not going to happen, okay? You're talented, hardworking, and one of the kindest people I know. You deserve every bit of success coming your way."

Marin snuggled into my side. "Thanks. Sorry for getting all serious on you."

"Don't apologize. I'd rather you talk to me about this stuff than bottle it up."

She nodded against my chest. "Same goes for you, you know. You don't always have to be the strong one."

"I know. I'm working on it."

The doorbell rang, interrupting the moment. I reluctantly disentangled myself from Marin. "That'll be the pizza."

As Marin paid for our food, I cleared a space on the floor, pushing aside furniture parts to make room for our impromptu picnic. We settled back down, this time with steaming slices of pizza between us.

"So," Marin said around a mouthful of cheese, "what's our game plan for tackling the rest of this furniture?"

I groaned dramatically. "Can't we just live with piles of wood and screws everywhere? It could be an artistic statement or something."

"Nice try. Come on, we've got this. Team Akira and Marin against the evil furniture instructions!"

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Alright, alright. But if we haven't made progress in another hour, I'm calling for backup."

"Deal."

We finished our pizza and dove back into the assembly process with renewed energy. As we worked, we fell into a rhythm, passing tools back and forth and double-checking each other's work. It wasn't always smooth sailing - there were still plenty of frustrated sighs and confused head-scratching - but we made progress.

At one point, I looked up to see Marin with her tongue stuck out slightly in concentration as she carefully aligned two pieces. A smudge of dust streaked across her cheek, and her hair had started to escape its bun.

"Hey," I said softly.

She looked up, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

I leaned over and kissed her gently, tasting pizza and the faintest hint of her cherry lip balm. When I pulled back, she blinked at me in surprise.

"What was that for?"

"Just because."

A slow smile spread across her face. "Well, feel free to 'just because' anytime."