She was here. She was finally here at Astrea. As much as Shumi wanted to slink away into the shadows and exist quietly, the little child in her had dragged her trudging feet into an expedition adventure. Astrea was beautiful! More so was its beauty on the rippling reflections of the lake. Wait...a lake?!

Shumi stopped just short of the water's edge. She rose up to the tips of her toes dramatically, holding the arm that was attached to the hand clutching her Euphonium case high above her bobbed head. A dramatic, childish reflection gapped up at her from the water, honey-gold eyes wide in shock. Her body swayed precariously, but she was able to rock back on to her heels just in time to avoid from plunging into the water. That was close!

'I really have to start paying attention to where I am going. Ah, clumsy Shumi!'

Pushing a childish sigh from her chest, she shuffled backwards onto the grass and set her euphonium case in front of her feet. It was a pain lugging the heavy thing around with her all the time, but it couldn't be helped in the end. Shumi hummed to herself and looked out across the glistening lake. The waves crested and fell in a steady tempo just like the flow of music. It brought a reminiscent smile to the young musician's face. She was still really nervous about coming to Astrea. Especially after her encounter with her once childhood friend Sakemoto. She just wanted to be friends again yet the stubborn trumpet player's pride was too ruined to see that... Or something like that... Shumi sighed and went to take a step towards the lake, just wanting to forget everything and just enjoy the environment. But her foot contacted something - her euphonium case - and the next moment she was launched forward slightly straight into the shallow shoreline of the lake face-first, uniform and all.

"Ah!" A squeak escaped her throat, the sound quickly being muffled by the clatter of the case and a light splash. That's what you got for day-dreaming too much.

Splash!

It was distance but Sakemoto had heard it. A distance splashing of water and a shriek. She had been trying to find a quiet, isolated place to practice and thought the lake might have been a good idea. She had been practicing every moment she could nowadays even with school in session. She had to improve. She had to get better. If not for the crowd, then definitely for herself. She couldn't fail again. Lilac eyes peered from the autumn underbrush out at the sparkling lake. Leaves fluttered around her and a breeze made her ebony hair wave in the air. She instinctively took a step forward but froze when she noticed the euphonium case on the shore. Nakaseko... Her grip tightened against the metal of her bared trumpet.

Something drove her feet to take a step. Then another. And another. Her blood boiled and her heart thundered angrily in her chest, following each footstep. The urge to protect her childhood friend still nagged in the back of her mind. She could have just backed away and left her. Maybe it was a different girl who had fallen into the lake. But her own actions were holding her captive. She set her trumpet aside and kicked off her shoes and socks quick before gliding into the water. It chilled her legs but she didn't quite notice it because of her blood coursing hot in her veins. It wasn't proper, but she was wearing her old school uniform form junior high, which was a little tight around the chest now, but still fit regardless. She reached into the sparkling water and hooked her arms around the submerged figure, pulling up with all her strengthen. The water rippled as she pulled the girl out.

An angel....?

That was the first thought that crossed Shumi's mind as she was lifted from the water. Vision blurred by the water clinging to her fragile lashes, she blinked up at her hazy rescuer. Flowing faded hair soon became ebony ribbons of silk black. Smears of lavender became two narrowed lilac orbs that stared back rather distastfully. Wait a moment...

"Sa- ah! -kemoto?!" She fumbled with her words loudly.

Shumi wriggled from her once friend's grasp, only to fall back into the water again in a shallower section. She sat up and rubbed her soaked back. "Wha- ah, h-hey!"

What...was that? Sakemoto, her once dear friend, just pulled her out of the lake, and all she could say was, hey? Nice one, Shumi. The Euphonium player tried to calm down. "Ah, I mean- Thank you Sakemoto!" She scrambled to say, bowing at the waist as best she could while fallen in the leaned back position she was in. She kept her head down and furtively watched Sakemoto's reflection on the rippling water for her expression and course of action.