Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Epilogue
The livehouse shook with cheers of joy.
The mid-sized livehouse in Susukino had become a familiar sight. The floor was packed to the brim with guests clamouring for Gyroaxia’s encore. Nayuta raised his fist in the air in response to their cries.
“This is the last song…” he announced coldly, the crowd erupting with excitement nonetheless.
Kenta began the encore song with a guitar solo. Reon’s pick glided over his guitar as Nayuta let his voice loose. Like fire and ice, Kenta and Reon’s guitars intertwined in a show of delicacy and power. Dripping with sweat and strumming his guitar strings, Reon lost himself in the shouts of joy.
The live was ending the way it always did—performing with all the power he had left in him as his heart pounded from strain and fatigue. However, that didn’t stop Reon from moving his fingers as fiercely as ever in pursuit of that ‘greatest sound’.
He loved this moment.
Miyuki and Ryo beating out sounds that made his heart race, Kenta playing an impossibly accurate melody, Nayuta singing like an emperor, and with Reon backing them they were flawless.
Today’s audience was one of the most enthusiastic that they had ever seen. Rehearsals alone weren’t enough for him. Joining with the entangled excitement of the stage and crowd, Reon broke out into a powerful adlib. It was an arpeggio demanding of attention.
For a moment, the mingling discord collided with Nayuta’s voice, elevating each other’s sounds like a shower of sparks before exploding. The voltage of the audience reached its peak and Reon continued to play, lost in the great wave of feeling.
As he played the final phrase, the vibrating strum of his pick circulated from his fingers to his elbows in a passionate, electrifying shock. Reon cast his head towards the ceiling as he dwelled in that lingering feeling. It was another incredible live.
Gyroaxia was in perfect form.
♛
“Ahh, I’m on fire–!”
Upon returning to their green room, Reon carelessly dried off his sweat with a towel and downed one of the sports drinks prepared for them. August had arrived and the weather in Sapporo was as hot as anticipated. Having just finished a performance did nothing to help, only inflicting him with a burning body and parched throat. The sports drink had lost its initial chill but still seeped throughout his body nonetheless.
In this state, all Reon wanted was to fall over and sleep but unfortunately, they had packing up to do.
“I’ll get to work after a quick break,” Reon thought to himself as he slumped down in a folding chair, body still coursing with excitement. Likewise, the other members returned to their green room and rested in their own respective ways. Kenta handed Nayuta an opened water bottle.
“Good work out there.”
“Mhm.”
Without thanking him, Nayuta took the bottle from Kenta and downed its contents. It irritated Reon how Nayuta seemed to take Kenta’s help for granted. He had always held the belief that Kenta spoiled Nayuta far too much. Even if Nayuta was a vocalist unlike any other, he should still treat his bandmates equally, but that sentiment would only fall on deaf ears if he brought it up to Kenta.
Nayuta angrily threw the plastic bottle into the trash and shot a pointed glare at Reon.
“Don’t tell me he’s going to complain again,” Reon thought to himself and prepared for the incoming criticism.
“W-What is it? Have you got a problem with how I performed?”
“...Play like that again next time. I won’t tolerate it if you slack off.”
“...!”
Coming from Nayuta, that was practically the world’s greatest compliment. Reon felt like he might even break into a smile but instead he averted his gaze, refusing to let a few words from Nayuta put him in such high spirits.
“O-Of course! And you can just give me a proper compliment, y’know! Just you watch, you’ll be blown away by how incredible I’ll play next time!”
“Hmph, go ahead then.”
“I will!”
Despite his antagonistic tone, Reon couldn’t help the way his heart swelled. Nayuta was an asshole, a tyrant, and he had a lot of infuriating qualities but even so, that didn’t change the fact that to Reon, he was the most incredible guy there was. Nayuta was someone he never wanted to lose to.
During every practice session, Nayuta would cut him down endlessly with his remarks, often leading to a fist fight threatening to break out due to their differences as musicians. He knew that Nayuta couldn’t care less about him and that they only had a one-sided rivalry, but that was exactly why small approvals like the one from earlier gave him a delightful sense that his hard work had paid off. Out of bitterness, he would never outright admit that and he didn’t plan on putting a smile on his face either.
“Just you watch. Next time I’ll play so flawlessly that you’ll be the bitter one!”
Reon clenched his fists as his fighting spirit flared up. Someday, he’d win against Nayuta and cast himself into his gaze. When he thought about the reaction at today’s live, it didn’t seem like such a far away goal.
Right now, both Gyroaxia and Reon were taking everything in their stride.
♛
Consequently, Reon wasn’t all too surprised by the news Kenta shared.
“So the time has finally come, huh?” he thought to himself.
“You wanted to meet with us?”
After their practice session came to a close, Kenta had announced that there was something he wanted to discuss and called the members to a café. Kenta took a seat on a sofa deep into the café that would offer them some privacy and broke the solemn atmosphere.
“We’ve received an offer from a record agency.”
Kenta explained everything in an indifferent manner, never losing his usual calm demeanour. The agency in question was a well-known and influential name. If taken up on their offer to join them, they planned to take care of Gyroaxia until their debut and even wanted to be responsible for producing them after the fact.
“I think it would be beneficial to at least meet with them. It doesn’t seem like a bad offer to me”
“No, no, no, that’s an understatement. This is incredible!” Reon unthinkingly retorted in response to Kenta’s overly calm behaviour. Even if he wasn’t surprised, he was still excited.
Gyroaxia was fairly popular in Sapporo and Reon was confident that their strength was greater than even that of the bigshot bands that appeared on TV. However, in terms of nationwide fame, they were practically unknown. Undoubtedly, an offer from a major record label was an opportunity they should jump at.
“...What do you think, Nayuta?”
Disappointed that Kenta ignored his comment, Reon instead turned his attention to Nayuta and grabbed him by the shoulders.
“There’s no reason to refuse, right? We should go for it,” he tried to persuade.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Nayuta said in a cold voice, pushing off Reon’s hands. Like a bird of prey, Nayuta looked towards Kenta. “Satozuka, when and where?”
“They’re leaving that for us to decide. How about two o’clock on Saturday at that café in front of Sapporo Station…do you have any issues with that?”
“No. I’ll let you figure out the details.”
“Understood.”
Reon hit the table, unable to stand the show of mutual understanding between the two.
“If you’re not turning it down then what was with your attitude before!? You too, Kenta-san. Instead of only listening to Nayuta’s opinion, you should hear out Miyuki-san and Ryo-san too!”
The blatant neglect of the other members made the blood rush to Reon’s face. It irritated him that Kenta seemed to believe that Nayuta’s opinion was the only one that mattered when it concerned an issue as important as their debut. Miyuki attempted to calm down Reon who had squared his shoulders in anger.
“Well, I for one had no complaints from the beginning. It can’t hurt to let those guys explain their offer, right? But y’know, I would've appreciated it if you listened to Reon-kun and I’s opinions too.”
Even if Miyuki was attempting to keep the peace, he didn’t forget to throw in a dig at Kenta. Kenta lightly shrugged his shoulders, behaving as if he hadn’t been paying attention.
“...If Kenken is okay with it then I am too,” Ryo said while pecking away at a cream soda ice cream. “It’s the guidance of a new star…”
Ryo, leisurely eating away at his ice cream, stunned Reon and made him back down. As much as Kenta’s lack of understanding annoyed him, getting any angrier was pointless. He didn’t want to cause any trouble for Miyuki either. Reon pulled himself together and took a sip of his cola.
“I’ll keep my schedule open then. Let me know if any more news comes in.”
“Of course. Nayuta, you’ll come to greet them at the meeting.”
“Fine.”
♛
“Damn it, they’re such a pain!”
Reon threw an empty can into the bin next to a vending machine in a fit of anger. It fell into the bin with a crash, breaking the quiet, night-time serenity of Odori Park.
After parting ways with Nayuta and Kenta, he opted to take a detour in hopes of calming down but his anger hadn’t simmered out in the slightest. If anything, his rage only grew worse with every second that ticked by.
Accompanying him on his detour with a coffee cup held in one hand, Miyuki let out a strained laugh. Next to him, Ryo drank a cold red bean soup. Rather than tagging along, it was more so that he had just walked in the same direction as the other two, going with the flow as usual.
“You don’t have to be so upset.”
“You’re not angry, Miyuki-san?”
“I mean, I am pretty ticked off, but…”
“But…?”
“Nayuta is aiming to go pro. He has no reason to refuse an offer as good as that. Kenta is aware of that but he still brought it up regardless. Rather than making the situation worse, we should just try and be happy about it.”
“...Wow, you’re pretty mature.”
Miyuki laughed as he lightly kicked the bin.
“Well, more mature than you and Nayuta. Anyway, aren’t you happy?”
“Yeah! Obviously I’m happy!”
This was a record company with numerous big name artists and bands under their label that they were talking about. If they could debut with this company, it would be as good as having a fastpass to stardom. Annoyed by Kenta and Nayuta’s attitude, he never had the chance to properly express his joy but after hearing what Miyuki had to say, he felt the happiness begin to well up little by little.
“Gyroaxia is finally gaining recognition.”
“It feels like this all happened so quickly.”
“Everything has been going smoothly ever since Miyuki-san joined. Before then, our members would leave just as quickly as they arrived.”
Reon was grateful to Miyuki. In part it was thanks to him joining the band that they now had the chance to debut. It was a relief that he no longer had to watch Nayuta complain about not having enough members despite being the very one who kicked them out.
“It can’t be helped. People that fail to meet the standard would struggle way too much in Gyro,” Ryo said indifferently, tapping the bottom of his soup tin to get the last of the red beans out.
“I know, but…”
“The stars have come out. Even from the ground I could spot them…we’re moving forward.”
Reon’s eyes widened as the words left Ryo’s mouth.
“Ryo-san…are you saying you’re happy about this?”
“Yes…with this, I can feel the day I return to the stars getting closer.”
As usual, he struggled to understand him but Ryo’s firm nod of agreement made Reon feel a rare moment of affinity with him.
“Geez, if that’s the case, it’d be nice if you made it easier to understand. With Nayuta and Ryo-san, we’ve got way too many weird members!”
“C’mon, I was being straight up about my joy, wasn’t I?”
“That’s because you’re normal, Miyuki-san!”
Reon smiled as they joked around. Would he have the chance to perform in front of a huge crowd someday? It was an exciting thought.
His irritation with Kenta and Nayuta hadn’t disappeared but he decided to ignore it for the time being and threw his arms over Miyuki and Ryo’s shoulders. Miyuki was right. He should be honest about his happiness.
“Anyway, let’s go out for some pre-celebration food before we head home! I seriously doubt Nayuta or Kenta-san would’ve been in the mood for that!”
“Oh, that sounds good. What do guys feel like eating? Genghis Khan? What are you craving, Ryo-chin?” Miyuki asked, smiling at Ryo.
After forming a friendship during their time in Gyroaxia, Miyuki had begun to call Ryo by a nickname. Seeing how close the two had become, a smile found its way onto Reon’s face too.
“Reon, you’re heavy…” Ryo frowned a little but made no move to shake off Reon’s arm. The three of them continued on like that, making light-hearted conversation as they made their way to Tanukikoji Arcade.
The stars shone beautifully in the deep blue summer night sky, as if offering glimpses into Gyroaxia’s future.
♛
He was a suspicious man.
That was the initial impression he received from the man who introduced himself as a producer from a major record label.
The coffeehouse in front of Sapporo Station that the other party had agreed on was a relaxed and luxurious place, perfect for having meetings and face to face discussions. The sofa Reon sat on was wildly more comfortable than the seats at the family restaurants and cafés that he was more familiar with. It made him a little nervous. He cast a fleeting glance at Nayuta, catching sight of his usual unwavering arrogant demeanour. Feeling a little defeated, he straightened out his posture with a sense of rivalry.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Gyroaxia’s leader, Satozuka Kenta. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to meet with us,” Kenta greeted him in a natural manner, showing no signs of nerves. It was encouraging for Reon to see that even someone from a huge record label wasn’t enough to make Kenta cower away. If his rivalry was instead with Kenta, he’d honestly be able to respect him due to his maturity.
Prompted by Kenta, the other members took their turns introducing themselves. With the face of a fox, the producer listened to each of them with a bewitching grin on his face and narrowed eyes.
“Ah, how incredible! It’s fantastic to see that your wonderful looks remain even off the stage!”
Though he wore an expensive looking suit, he gave off a rather facetious attitude, possibly because of his skinny necktie and lapels. Both his voice and his expressions highlighted his glibness.
“I’m not sure about this…” Reon thought to himself.
Despite his internal doubts, the business card that laid on the table before him undoubtedly belonged to that of a major record label. If this truly was a fraud, Kenta would never have brought it up with Nayuta in the first place. Despite their past problem with switching out band members, they had never run into any issues with external forces. Kenta had creditable capabilities when it came to areas such as that.
“Wild, cool, rogue…you guys have such an impressive range!”
“Thank you…now then, could we proceed with what we discussed over the phone?” Kenta politely interrupted the producer, who had only sung his praises for their looks rather than their music.
“Oh, yes yes, of course. To put it simply, I can tell that you guys are going to be an absolute hit so I want to take you under our wing before anyone else swoops in to steal you. There’s that Desfes coming up soon, right? Announcing your CD debut there would be awesome, huh?”
“Wait, you’re saying we get to perform at Desfes!?” Reon exclaimed, unconsciously leaning his body forward.
“Reon, settle down,” Kenta chided.
“S-Sorry…I can’t help it when Desfes is mentioned.”
Desfes was a music festival that any and all band members looked at with starry eyes. Whether they be indie or backed by a label, talented bands from all over Japan come to participate. To hear that they could make their major debut there was like a dream turned reality.
“Ahaha, I know how you feel! I really do!” the producer said in support of Reon’s unabashed excitement, “It’s something all rookie bands chase after! It was a dream of mine when I was younger too. Though nowadays, I’m on the producing side of things.”
The producer went on to share his past as a guitar player and brought attention to the faded scar on his finger from where a string had cut his skin. After realising that he might be a better guy than he expected, Reon began to feel guilt for his initial suspicions.
“As our trainees, we’ll arrange a rehearsal studio for you and even pay you a small fee for your performances. We’d also like for you to relocate to Tokyo so naturally, housing will be provided too.”
The producer spread documents out before them as if performing a magic trick as he further described the specifics of their schedule and pay. Reon didn’t understand market pricing but judging from the look on Kenta’s face, it was a good deal.
“I see. You’ve brought us quite the tempting offer. We also share the sentiment that Nayuta has outgrown Sapporo so if you can promise us a large enough stage, I’ll gladly accept.”
The producer met Kenta’s equally suspect smile with a cheerful nod of agreement.
“Wonderful. In that case, I’ll send over a formal contract…Oh, but before that—”
“Yes?”
The producer retrieved a photograph from his bag. The picture in question featured a live performance by a former rock band who were hailed as legends.
The moment Nayuta laid eyes on the photo, a harsh crease formed between his brows.
“What do they have to do with this?”
The sound of his restrained yet evidently angered voice made Reon break out into a sweat.
“Hey, hey, quit it. I don’t know what you’re mad about but please just behave for one day!”
Perhaps in an answer to Reon’s prayers, Nayuta refrained from breaking out into a series of angry yells, instead only moving his finger in an irritated manner. The producer paid no mind to Nayuta’s displeasure and laid out several of the legendary band’s CDs on the table.
“You know them, yes?”
“Of course. They’re a band that were celebrated like legends…but how does this relate to our debut?” Kenta answered in place of Nayuta. He bore a puzzled expression, as if even he couldn’t read the producer’s intentions.
“It’s simple, really. I want you to be the successors to their legend.”
“!?”
“What do you mean by that?”
The producer’s eyes narrowed even further, until they resembled mere pieces of thread.
“Countless producers have tried to catch lighting in a bottle twice, but recreating them is an impossible task. However, the moment I heard Nayuta-kun’s singing I thought, ‘With his looks and voice, it could be possible!’.”
The depths of those narrowed eyes gleamed hideously.
Reon was at a loss for words.
“It sounds like…they’re asking us—Gyroaxia—to copy a legendary band.”
“We want your songs post-debut to use them as a reference. The same goes for your performances too. Oh, and feel free to rely on us if that’s something that you guys aren’t able to manage. We have some staff that used to work with them, you see. If you don’t mind, we’d also like you to try covering a few of their songs at your debut live—”
“Shut up. I don’t want to hear another word.”
The producer was forced to stop his eloquent monologue as Nayuta stood from his seat with a face burning red with anger.
“Hey, wait, Nayuta—” Reon was moments too late from holding him back. With only the sound of dull thuds against the floor, Nayuta approached the producer and faced him with a look that seemed like it was trying to tear him to pieces.
“Ah…….”
“If you don’t like my music, then we’re done here,” Nayuta spat out in a voice that seemed to echo with the depths of hell before turning his back on the producer and making his way out of the coffee shop.
“Hey, Nayuta, hang on a sec! Hey!”
As Reon stood up to run after him, Kenta stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and silently shook his head.
“But Kenta-san! No matter how you look at it, this is—”
“I know. Forget this ever happened.” Kenta continued to smile as he turned his back on the producer and followed after Nayuta.
—It went without saying that the contract had been called off.
♛
“So now what!?” Reon lashed out at Nayuta the moment he entered the studio. Though Reon had been irritated by the producer’s idea, he’d also grown fed up with Nayuta’s way of running things.
“I’m not going to sing anyone else’s songs but my own.”
Shaking Reon’s hand off, Nayuta shut down any further conversation and turned his attention to his music sheets.
“If you have the time to think about stupid garbage then you have time to practise. All it takes is a single day off to become second-rate.”
“Stupid garbage…?” The blood rushed to his head. “Quit your bullshit!!!”
Reon snatched the music sheets from Nayuta’s hands and was met with the glower of a frenzied bird of prey. But that wasn't enough to make Reon back down anymore.
“Is throwing our debut in the trash stupid to you!?”
“It is stupid, so that’s what I called it.”
“Don’t say that!”
“Hey, Reon! Chill out a little!”
Miyuki grabbed the fists that Reon had raised and pinned them behind his back.
“Let go of me, Miyuki-san!!”
“I know how you feel but you can’t hit him! Your fingers are important”
“Agh…” Reon bit his lip and lowered his fists, though his emotions continued to rage on as he scowled at Nayuta.
“It also pissed me off when they told us to copy that legendary band! But we didn’t have any other options!”
The offer was one too enticing to throw away in a fit of anger.
Working under a major record label. A spot at Desfes. A major CD debut. They would all be necessary components if Gyroaxia had any hopes of reaching the top. He had faith that Nayuta knew that too.
“There’s no point if I can’t perform my own music.”
“Huh…? Can’t you make any compromises at all!? It’s always, ‘My music, my music,’ with you…who do you think you are!?”
“If you have anything else to say on this, then get out right now. You’re only getting in the way,” came Nayuta’s curt response.
But nothing was going to make Reon give up and back down this time.
“They wouldn’t let just anyone cover that band’s songs. That must mean that they approved of you, Nayuta. I mean, your voice is definitely suited for it. Why don’t you try singing one, just once…agh!?”
Suddenly, it became hard to breathe.
It was then that he realised that Nayuta had grabbed him by the collar and was face to face with an expression ignited in fury. No, fury was too simple of a word for what this was.
The eyes stabbing into Reon were ones bleeding with hatred.
“Who knew you had such shit taste?”
“Uhg…ah…”
Reon was violently pushed in the direction of the door, with his bag thrown at him for good measure.
“What’re you doing!?”
“Get out right this second. You’re not needed. Don’t ever come back.”
Nayuta’s words sent chills down Reon’s spine. His bad moods were an awfully familiar sight, but that cold and calculated voice was one he hadn’t heard since they left Yuto.
He had walked right onto a landmine, huh?
Miyuki—once again playing the peacemaker—tried to intervene. “Oi, Nayuta. You don’t have to go that f—”
“If he won’t leave, then I will.”
As Miyuki watched Nayuta begin to gather up his music sheets, any further objections died on his tongue upon realising just how serious he was. Ryo quietly walked up to Reon and handed him his guitar.
“You should head home for today.”
Searching for a saviour, Reon turned to Kenta who only looked away in silence. He wasn’t going to help him. With his guitar clutched in his hands, Reon bit down on his lip and hung his head, just as Yuto had that day.
“Fine then.”
Turning his back on his band mates, Reon opened the door and left the studio behind.
Nobody followed.
♛
After his eviction, Reon idly strolled down Tanukikouji Arcade. If this were any other day, Miyuki and Ryo would be by his side. Today, there wasn’t a trace of Miyuki’s seemingly lighthearted yet gentle and soft voice, nor Ryo’s relaxed murmurs. The bustle of the shopping arcade was all that roared in his ears.
Quitting had crossed his mind many times before. He imagined that there were plenty of better bands out there—ones where he wouldn’t have to put up with Nayuta’s tyranny, but those thoughts were always quickly thrown aside whenever he listened in entrancement to Nayuta’s singing. This was the first time Nayuta had told him something as extreme as to never come back.
“Is this where it ends…?”
Suddenly, his mind was flooded with memories of their recent live show. Nayuta, always one to find something to complain about, hadn’t said anything that day. He’d acknowledged him for the first time, telling him to play ‘like that’ again.
That moment.
That moment—when Nayuta’s voice, the other member’s music, the audience’s excitement, all created a perfect harmony with their performance.
That moment—when all the blood in his body felt like it had reached boiling point.
He’d never feel that again.
The realisation made him freeze. He considered momentarily racing back to the studio and apologising profusely to Nayuta. After all, to Reon, there was nothing that could replace Nayuta’s singing. The only thing that could fire Reon up in such a way was Nayuta’s sound. The only thing that could make him crave victory so dearly was Nayuta’s sound.
That’s why no matter how many times he was insulted, no matter how ridiculously hard he had to work, no matter how much practice he was appointed, he had always stuck by Gyroaxia.
All so that someday, he could beat Nayuta.
But that’s an impossible feat. He couldn’t imagine that Nayuta would listen to him while in such an infuriated state. Going back now would only add fuel to the fire.
“...I can at least get some practice in.”
He couldn’t return to the studio but as Nayuta said, even skipping a single day is enough to become second-rate. More than anything, he couldn’t shake the need to touch his guitar.
A karaoke club caught his attention and he wandered in. Initially, he tried out different songs but with his guitar in hand, he couldn’t help but begin to play Gyroaxia’s own music. Be it songs from their recent live, or ones they were saving for their next stage, with the karaoke room as his rehearsal space, he played again, again and again. Even if he was told to never return, the only songs that Reon’s fingers chose were Nayuta’s and Nayuta’s alone.
Inside his vacant heart, all that shook was Nayuta’s music.
♛
“It’s gotten late…”
The sky had turned dark by the time Reon left the karaoke club. A blanket of stars twinkled above him. The night sky was a sight usually shared by the company of Miyuki and Ryo but today, he was alone.
“I wonder if they’re still practising?” he thought to himself with an accidental glance in the studio’s direction. He shook his head, flushing away what remained of Nayuta’s songs from his ears.
No. He couldn’t go back yet.
Reon made his way to Sapporo Station and caught the bus. He got off at his usual stop but wasn’t quite ready to go straight home, so he shoved his hands into his pockets and started leisurely down a detour.
“...I’m kinda hungry,” he thought, though he wasn’t in the mood to stop for a bite on his way home either. Reon decided to make do and popped into a nearby Seicomart. He picked out a few onigiri, not giving too much regard to the flavours he chose.
“I should get something to drink too…” he thought, looking over the shelves before his eyes landed on a bottle of Napolin.
Napolin—Ribbon Napolin, to be specific—is a Hokkaido-exclusive soda in a vivid orange colour with a sweet and refreshing flavour. While not an absolute favourite of his, he did get a craving for it on occasion. Filled with a curious sense of nostalgia, Reon reached for the Napolin.
This was Yuto’s favourite.
Reon recalled him drinking it whenever he saw him. When asked if he ever grew tired of it, he responded with, “How could I get tired of something I love?” His mouth twitched into a bitter smile at the thought of that typical Yuto.
Yuto shared the same sentiment with his guitar. He loved it, so he never grew tired of it. With an unfading air of enjoyment, he’d play endlessly without ever growing bored. He’d never had a lack of skill, he just didn’t mesh well with Nayuta. With the way things were, it would’ve been a burden on Yuto if he had carried on working with Nayuta.
But…what about Reon?
That day, he’d left Yuto behind and followed Nayuta, even though he could have chosen to stay by his side. If he’d remained with Yuto, he’d probably have more ‘fun’ playing music instead.
He’d never be yelled at. He’d never angrily grind his teeth at the frustration of being unable to compete with Nayuta. He’d never have his opinions disregarded. In a band led by Yuto, he could have continued down a peaceful path.
Yet in spite of all that, he chose Nayuta. With Yuto, he knew he wouldn’t be able to achieve the music he was searching for. At his core, he was the same as Nayuta. In order to create the world’s greatest music, he was willing to sacrifice anything. It was for that reason that on that day, he had betrayed Yuto’s expectations and chased after Nayuta.
But…
“Was that really the right choice…?”
He didn't know. He really didn’t.
What had he gained by hurting and abandoning his friend?
Now that Nayuta had told Reon to never return, he had nothing left. That moment he thought he had clutched onto—when Nayuta’s, and everyone else's sounds crashed together during their encore—slipped away.
Reon gazed up at the sky as if to make a wish. However, with the smothering dark clouds above him, there wasn’t a single star to send his prayers to.
♛
The next day—
Reon woke up early that morning—reasoning that he should at least try and talk to Nayuta—and waited in front of the studio. With his earphones in and hands shoved into his pockets, the man in question walked by.
“Nayuta!” Reon called out, but he ignored him and neared the studio as if he hadn’t heard him at all. “Wait! Could you just listen to me!?”
“Don’t touch me!” The hand that grabbed his shoulder was instantly shaken off. “I thought I told you not to come back.”
Nayuta hurried off into the studio, looking irritated that he even had to spare him a glance.
Reon went to follow him but halted upon hearing Kenta say, “Stop, Reon.”
“Kenta-san…” He turned around and looked at the man standing before him.
“Save it for another day. Nayuta is in a rather…awful mood this morning.”
“But…I…”
“If you want to talk, you can come to me later….I’ll let you know when practice is over and meet you at the usual café. Does that work?”
“...Yes.”
Reon took a step back and Kenta nodded in satisfaction.
“Good boy.”
“Please don’t treat me like a child,” Reon complained with an annoyed scowl, earning a wry smile from Kenta.
“Sorry, sorry. I’ll see you later then.”
“...Yeah.”
As Reon turned to leave the building, he shouted at Kenta’s back as his hand laid on the door to the studio.
“I don’t plan on quitting Gyroaxia!”
“I know,” came Kenta’s flat reply as the door closed behind him.
He had no idea how his conversation with Kenta would play out. If Nayuta was truly furious with him, then his chances of returning to Gyroaxia were pretty slim.
But still, he had to do whatever he could.
Unable to aimlessly wait around, Reon headed over to the same karaoke club from yesterday to kill some time.
♛
A few hours later—
After receiving a message from Kenta, Reon made his way to the agreed upon café. He found Kenta already seated far back in the café at a table that had practically become reserved for Gyroaxia at that point. To his surprise, Ryo was there too.
“Wait, why’s Ryo-san here?”
“I just wanted to see.”
Maybe that was his way of admitting he was worried. Ryo was rarely one to show different expressions so it was hard to read what his true feelings were. He felt awkward whenever it was just him and Kenta, so if anything, he was grateful that Ryo had joined them. He took a seat across from Kenta after he gestured for him to sit down and ordered a café au lait.
“Like I said earlier, I’m not going to quit Gyroaxia,” Reon broke the ice and got straight to the point once the waiter had brought him his drink. Kenta took a sip of his hot coffee and nodded.
“You know, you’re a good guitarist, Reon. It would be difficult to find a replacement if you were to quit. Unfortunately, it seems like you really hit a nerve with Nayuta this time, so I’m afraid that there’s not much that I can do.”
“Not even apologising could help?”
Ryo, who had been eating an ice cream float, leaving only the cherry on top, raised his head.
“Telling Nayuta you’re sorry is pointless.” Ryo swallowed the ice cream with a gulp. “An apology won’t erase what you said to him.”
“...”
“And Nayuta doesn’t like pointless things.”
Reon had no rebuttal to the unabashed truth that Ryo had laid out.
“Besides, you don’t think you did anything wrong either, do you? Why would you apologise?”
“I…”
“I have no idea why you went so crazy…but even if it would’ve made Nayuta mad, you were still going to say what you wanted to, right?”
Reon was taken aback by how casually he spoke.
“You don’t know why I was acting like that…? Ryo-san, are you saying you don’t want to debut?”
“I do want to.”
“Then why are you saying this!?”
“Because we aren’t a planetarium.”
“...Huh?”
Kenta laughed in amusement and cut into their conversation.
“What he’s trying to say is that we don’t need to trouble ourselves with becoming mere imitations.”
“...”
Ryo stared at Reon with unreadable eyes.
“Don’t you believe in yourself, Reon? Don’t you think you can debut with a sound of your own?”
The attempt to provoke him made Reon’s anger flare up.
“Of course I believe in myself! I’m not going to lose to anyone! Not even Nayuta!”
“Then you don’t need to debut as an imitation of anyone else. There, now you and Nayuta are on the same page. No apologies necessary.”
“Ah…”
He felt like he had walked right into the bait Ryo had laid out. Even if he didn’t intend to, Ryo had a troubling habit of sharing all of his unfiltered thoughts. He wasn’t very pleased with Kenta’s nonchalant and stifled laughter either. It seemed he had played right into their hands. With what little defiance he could muster, he shot an unwavering glare at Kenta.
“But if I don’t need to apologise, what else am I supposed to do? It doesn’t seem like Nayuta wants to listen to me.”
“Then use music to make him listen,” Kenta boldly retorted.
“What?”
“If you have a ‘gift’ that Nayuta doesn’t want to let go of, then even he may be willing to offer forgiveness.”
“A gift…? Like what?”
“Perhaps something like a new melody or an arrangement that Nayuta would find agreeable?”
“You say that as if it’s easy…”
If he could do that, he wouldn’t be in this mess. Since the day they met, Nayuta had rejected Reon’s ideas, so much so that you’d think knocking him down was a hobby of his. Kenta smiled malevolently at the unease on Reon’s face.
“You’re capable, aren’t you? It’d be a problem if you were to remain Gyroaxia’s guitarist without being able to achieve something like that….or, are you going to run away instead?”
“I’ll never run away!”
Even if he knew he was being toyed with, he couldn't help but yell. He would never run away. He couldn’t let it end with Nayuta making a fool of him. Between the two of them, Reon would be the one to come out on top.
“Just you watch. I’ll be sure to bring Nayuta a gift that’ll have him bowing down and begging me to come back!”
♛
At that moment, Reon’s battle began.
From morning until night, he devoted himself to intense practice. Presenting Nayuta with a superficial idea wouldn’t be enough to win his approval. What he needed to back him up was nothing but undeniable skill and the ‘something new’ that Kenta spoke of. A sound that he had grown bored of wouldn’t even reach Nayuta’s ears.
“Damn it, they seriously made this sound easy…”
No matter what he tried, everything came out feeling like a rehash of Nayuta’s songs. After all, every piece of Gyroaxia’s music was done by Nayuta’s hand. They were Nayuta’s one-man band.
Reon took on the part of the rhythm guitar. Along with the bass and the drums, his role fell under the rhythm section. Unlike the lead guitar that played in the melody section, the rhythm guitar focused on supporting and harmonising.
Gyroaxia’s lead guitarist was Kenta. He took the songs that Nayuta created and used his flawless skills to put on an impeccable performance. At times, Reon found his unwavering loyalty to Nayuta to be dreary…but as long as Nayuta had a fixation on his ‘own sound’, Kenta’s views would not budge. When discussing their initial formation, there had been talk of Reon taking on the part of lead guitarist but the idea had been promptly cast aside at Nayuta’s opposition.
“If you want to play your own way, then go somewhere else,” Nayuta had said with an unforgettable icy glare.
Regardless, he loved the role of rhythm guitarist. With a change in the backing, he could drastically alter the feeling of a song. Depending on the arrangement, the performance could come out better or even worse. It may not stand out as much as an attention-grabbing guitar solo, but it was a role where skill was a must. Unlike the drums and bass that were tirelessly swapped out, Reon had pridefully protected his place as the rhythm guitarist since the very beginning.
“I’m not gonna lose this time…I’ll make sure Nayuta is sorry!”
He’d never talk badly about Reon’s eye for music again.
With that mindset, he went through the entirety of Gyroaxia’s discography and began a process of trial and error. It was an agonisingly enjoyable experience.
♛
As the days went by, Reon’s restlessness only grew stronger. Although he had come up with a few ideas, he wasn’t confident that they’d be enough to please Nayuta.
“If I could just improve my skill level…” he thought, yet it would be impossible for him to master a technique perfect enough to make Nayuta yield to him in just a few days.
Ultimately, all he could do was continue to practise. The more he played Nayuta’s songs, the more it was hammered into him just how flawless the songs that he created were.
“Am I even capable of making a sound that’ll shock Nayuta?”
Questions he shouldn’t be worrying about drifted in and out of his mind, tormenting him. His chest burned with a searing pain when he thought about how Nayuta had probably recruited a new guitarist whilst Reon was here subjecting himself to this.
Though Kenta had been the one to suggest this to him, he knew that he’d ultimately comply with whatever decision Nayuta reached. In Kenta’s eyes, both he and Yuto were disposable chess pieces. He’d known that from the beginning.
Today marked the first day of the new school term, but Reon had chosen to skip in favour of staying in his room and devoting himself to playing the guitar. His guitar was more important than any boring speech from his principal. Besides, his attendance was already good enough.
The nauseating thought that he may not make it in time made his fingers fumble.
“Ah!”
The string had snapped.
His fingers were spared from any injuries, yet they throbbed with heat.
Reon collapsed onto his bed with a thud. It felt like his feelings had snapped with that string too.
“Shit, this isn’t working…”
He had to move. He knew he had to, yet everything he did felt useless.
Nayuta’s cold eyes full of hatred haunted him. He was never going to get his approval again, was he? He thought that he’d won his favour during that encore. He thought that he had been praised. Even if he couldn’t claim it as a victory, he had thought he’d reached him just a little.
But…he feared that even that had been just a figment of his imagination. He’d been the only one to interpret it that way, and to Nayuta he was nothing worth paying any mind to. Even the other members of the band hadn’t said anything.
He’d believed that no one but himself could be Gyroaxia’s guitarist but neither Kenta, Ryo or Miyuki made any attempt to hold onto him. With just a slip of his tongue, he had been discarded.
Had that been the extent of his worth as a guitarist? Was he…even needed in Gyroaxia?
“...Why am I acting like such a wimp?” He sighed.
Wallowing in his self-deprecation, Reon buried his face in his pillow.
The doorbell rang out with a chime.
“Who could that be?”
Maybe Kenta had come by to give him his final words of goodbye? With that horrific expectation in mind, Reon opened the door.
“How have you been?”
“Ryo-san…”
Carrying a Seicomart-branded bag in one hand, Ryo stood before him.
♛
“We tried out a new guitarist.”
Ryo helped himself to a seat on Reon’s bed and broke the news.
Reon’s heart froze instantly.
“...O-Oh.”
“Nayuta immediately kicked him out though.”
“...He did?”
His condolences to the new guitarist but oh was he relieved. The spot was still open.
“You came all the way here just to tell me that?”
“No. I brought food too,” Ryo said as he took out an egg sandwich and took a bite. He reached into the bag again, pulling out a ham sandwich and calmly holding it out to Reon.
“Eat.”
“Oh…okay, thank you.”
He really wasn’t sure how to deal with this guy. Reon knew he wasn't a bad person but his peculiarity was something he couldn’t grow accustomed to no matter how hard he tried.
The duo chewed away at their sandwiches for a while. The saltiness of the ham seeped into his exhausted body. He hadn’t realised how hungry he had become until he started eating. As soon as he got some food in his body, his negative thoughts from earlier gradually simmered away.
“You hadn’t come by, so I was wondering what you were up to.”
“...If I could pull this off that easily, I wouldn’t even be in this mess.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve come up with a bunch of ideas but something always feels off about them…”
“Hmm.”
After finishing his sandwich, Ryo opened a bottle of Napolin. Reon picked up the music sheets—the evidence of his trial and error—and looked them over.
“You and Miyuki-kun are similar, y’know?”
“We are?”
“Yes. It’s like…you're both always running frantically down the longer path.”
“...”
Reon’s chest tightened at Ryo’s bluntness. He held his knees like he was sulking.
“It’s not like I have any other option. If I don’t put in everything I have, I can’t beat him. Or rather, if I have to fight that hard, do I even have a chance at beating him to begin with…?”
For someone like him, reaching a genius like Nayuta felt impossible.
“One time…you called him a first magnitude star, Ryo-san.”
“I did…”
“I’m not like that. I can’t shine like he does,” his complaint quietly slipped out.
It was no use. He couldn’t dispel the voice that Nayuta had seared into the depths of his ears and heart. The image of those eyes that had looked at him with such absolute rejection had been etched into his mind.
He could try as many times as he wanted, but it wouldn’t make getting through to Nayuta feel anymore feasible.
…Beating him felt unthinkable.
“Are you giving up then?”
“I…”
He wanted to say no but his voice wouldn’t come out, as if his throat had been sealed shut. In his current state, he didn’t know whether that was something he could truthfully say.
Reon hung his head and bit his lip. His nose burned.
“...Let’s go.”
Ryo suddenly rose to his feet.
“Huh?”
“There’s something I want to show you…let’s go.”
“Huh? Wait, Ryo-san!?”
Ryo left the room, leaving Reon befuddled. As confused as he was, he couldn’t pass up seeing what Ryo wanted to show him. He hurried to grab his bag and followed after Ryo.
Ryo took him to the rooftop of a building. It stood between Sapporo Station and Odori Park, offering an unbroken view of the city below them. Although it was the middle of summer, the sun had long since set to make way for the frigid night winds.
“Geez, this is high! Wait, are we even allowed up here? Don’t tell me we’re trespassing…”
“Don’t worry, I know the owner.”
“You do!?”
Despite his surprise, it didn’t feel so ridiculous to imagine that Ryo knew all kinds of people. He was a self-proclaimed alien, after all.
Reon looked up at Ryo with a puzzled look.
“So what did you want to show me?”
Ryo walked up to the railing at the edge of the rooftop and gazed down at the nightscape.
“Doesn't it look like outer space from up here?”
“Huh?”
“I come here when I miss my hometown.”
“Uh…I’m not sure I follow?”
Accompanied by the unwelcomed cold, Reon glared at Ryo with a hint of irritation. Seemingly unbothered, he beckoned Reon over and with a small sigh, he joined Ryo at his side.
Then—
The view of the illuminated city and the twinkling sky was enough to take his breath away.
“Woah…”
“Amazing, isn’t it?”
Like Ryo said, the countless glimmers of light contrasted with the darkness truly did feel like looking at outer space. He couldn’t tell where the city ended and the sky began. It was enough to give him the illusion that he was floating amongst the stars.
“Nayuta’s songs…Gyroaxia’s music…they can reach the galaxy.”
“That’s a pretty big aspiration.”
“It’ll be bad for me if they don’t. I won’t be able to go home.”
“...Is that so?”
Reon had no idea what point he was trying to make. Ryo’s words were too abstract for him to understand.
“Nayuta is big enough to do it.”
“Are you saying I’m small then!? Wait, have you been making fun of me this whole time!?”
At his wit’s end, his shouts of anger came out without restraint. Honestly speaking, he’d rather go home and practice than be doing this. Without even knowing what laid ahead, he wanted to keep his fingers moving. Ryo smiled softly as the mask on Reon’s frustration slipped away.
“That live the other day was amazing, wasn’t it?”
“Huh…?”
“That encore song… it shone just like the sight in front of us.”
Reon’s mind became flooded with memories at just the mention of the performance. His body burned with a sudden heat, as if it were about to erupt into flames. That day, he had undeniably grabbed hold onto ‘something’.
That moment when he collided with Nayuta’s voice in a crescendo of sound. The gratification, the excitement, the bliss. A moment where, for just a moment, Reon was sure he had reached Nayuta.
He hadn’t been the only one to feel that way after all…?
“On the detour that you and Miyuki-kun take, I’m sure you see things that I don’t. Maybe that’s why your star has always shone with a different colour. It’s fascinating. No matter how long I stare, I never grow tired of it. It’s just like the colourful sea of lights we can see from here.”
Ryo looked right at Reon.
“I like Nayuta’s star, but I like yours too, Reon.”
Ryo’s honest words went straight to Reon's heart.
That was what he had been longing to hear—an acknowledgment of his sound. Miyuki already had enough on his plate, Kenta would never say something along those lines and to even entertain the idea of hearing it from Nayuta would be ridiculous.
So…he never imagined Ryo of all people would be the one to say it.
“Come on…you’re embarrassing me…”
Disoriented with joy and shyness, Reon tore his eyes away from Ryo’s.
“Put on a performance like that again, so that I can return to the stars,” Ryo said as he looked to the sky once more.
“You’re saying you want me to play for your sake?”
“I do. But you’ll still play, even if it’s not for me, won’t you? Giving up isn’t possible for you, after all.”
“...I guess you’re right.”
Reon gazed up at the sky, mirroring Ryo. Countless stars twinkled above them with a shine that rivalled the illumination of the city below. Though he felt as if he’d been wheedled once again by Ryo, the feeling wasn’t a bad one. In fact, he could sense a weight being lifted from his shoulders and a sensation of relief flooding through him.
“I’m going to beat Nayuta.”
The words that had been caught in his throat now came out with ease.
Reon continued to stagger deeper into the dark unknown. He couldn’t see what laid ahead, nor could he tell how far he had already travelled. Was the path he walked upon leading him towards his destination, or had he been going in the entirely wrong direction? Unable to express his hopes of victory, it felt like his dreams had been snuffed out along the way. Inside his heart that had been blotted with anxiety, Ryo’s words shed a light.
Someone else had appreciated his sound. Even if the acknowledgement hadn't come from Nayuta, it still filled Reon with confidence and even a whisper of hope. He had faith now that there was no reason to doubt his capabilities. He would get back on his feet again. Within the dark, the goal that he had lost sight of began to shine with a glimmering ray of hope.
He was going to beat Nayuta.
That dream had never been lost during his journey. No, it had always been grasped tightly in the palm of his hand. No matter what it took, he would turn that aspiration into a reality.
“No, I won’t put on another performance like that encore. Instead, I’m going to show everyone something that exceeds it. Not because you want me to, but because I want to…but I suppose I’d be doing it for you too in the end anyway,” Reon added on shyly. Ryo faced him with a pleased nod.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Ryo replied before pointing up at the sky with a look of surprise, “There’s a shooting star.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
A single bright trail of light raced across the night sky.
“Perfect timing. You should make a wish.”
“No, I’ll pass.”
He watched the shooting star disappear from the sky. His dream of beating Nayuta wasn’t something he would beg the stars to help with.
“But…I did make a promise to that star just now. I swore to it that I’d overcome Nayuta one day.”
What felt right to him wasn’t a wish, but a promise. As if in answer to Reon’s vow, another shooting star danced across the sky.
♛
During their next rehearsal—
At Reon’s request, Ryo let him into the studio ahead of time where he waited with his guitar ready for Nayuta’s arrival. The door opened fifteen minutes before their scheduled start time and in walked Nayuta wearing his usual look of gloom. The moment his eyes fell on Reon, his face scrunched up into a scowl.
“...Get out.”
“No.”
Reon ignored Nayuta's raised brow and without missing a beat, he dove straight into playing an impeccable guitar solo—the very same one from the encore that day. Originally, the song began with a solo from Kenta but today Reon would play the part that was never intended for him. Though it bore a similarity to Kenta’s style, the sound that flooded from him had a contrast of its own.
As the crease between Nayuta’s brows deepened, Reon dove into the part that the sheet music declared as his. He played with more aggression than he ever had before, defying Nayuta’s initial direction in a way that mimicked the final phrase from the encore that day. It was a performance that tore apart the sound Nayuta created and fearlessly picked a fight.
Nayuta clenched his teeth, not shying away from the challenging gaze Reon faced him with in the slightest. The resolution Reon had reached was to express his current unaltered self. Conjuring up cheap tricks would never be enough to get through to Nayuta, so he took the epitome of his current self and that moment when he did reach him and polished, refined, sharpened and aggressively laid them out. He would not flee, or step down.
Just as Nayuta didn’t want to debut as an imitation of the legendary band, Reon too had no desire to pander to Nayuta. What he wanted was to beat him, and for that he would boldly stand against him. Reon violently strummed the strings of his rhythm guitar, believing that it would make the sound that he envisioned—Gyroaxia’s sound—shine brighter than any other.
Nayuta ran ahead of him far off in the distance but if only for a moment, he hoped he could stop him. If he failed to meet Nayuta’s standards, he’d shift his focus to his next move. The thought of giving up without ever rebelling against Nayuta after all the disparaging criticism he had endured repulsed him.
But just as he always had, no matter how many times he was told he was no good, he would never cease trying. With that, like a shooting star falling from the sky, he’d attain a moment where he’d reach Nayuta, just as he did during that encore.
But—
“Stop,” Nayuta coldly ordered, bringing Reon’s hands to a halt.
“This isn’t good enough either, huh?”
Regardless of the pang of bitterness that spread across his chest, he had no intention of letting this be where he gave up. With a look of disappointment, Reon raised his head to meet Nayuta’s gaze.
“Fine, but next time I swear I’ll show you a performance that competes with your own,” as Reon declared his promise, he went to put his guitar down but—
“What’re you doing? Don’t move.”
“Huh?”
After giving his command to Reon, Nayuta wasted no time in making his way to the mic stand.
“Hurry up and get ready,” Nayuta called out to Kenta, Ryo and Miyuki who had been watching the scene unfold from the doorway.
“...What?”
As Reon stood frozen with astonishment, the others looked at him with a smile and moved into their respective positions.
“Quit wasting time and do it again,” Nayuta clarified with a glare at Reon. As soon as Reon came to the realisation that ‘it’ referred to the piece he had just played, he was overcome with a sense of joy.
“You need to be more clear with your words! If you were impressed by my performance then you can just say that!” Reon spat out, too annoyed to openly express the happiness he felt.
“If you don’t want to play then leave.”
“Obviously I want to play!”
Reon slumped his shoulders as Kenta looked at him with a pitying smile and a pleading gesture. Nayuta’s tyrannical nature truly never changed but if said tyrant wanted to hear him play again, then he’d do just that.
As Miyuki counted, Reon locked eyes with Kenta and played his guitar with grandeur. The intro was a solo originally belonging to Kenta alone but as the two contrasting timbres overlapped one another, an accelerated harmony emerged. Accompanied by Miyuki’s drums and Ryo’s bass, the intensity climbed even higher. As Nayuta began to sing, each and every sound intertwined and elevated one another to create a melody of the most extaordinary quality.
His body was on fire. He was itching to get back on stage and share this sound with the sea of people in the audience. Just as Ryo did, he too wanted to make their music echo into the depths of outer space.
The last phrase arrived and for just a moment, Nayuta met Reon's eyes. As if ignited by that gaze, his soul was set alight. For even an instant, Reon had been reflected in Nayuta’s gaze. Nothing could have made him happier.
Reon would throw his entire being into the song and ensure he wasn’t bested by Nayuta. His raw arpeggio forged itself into a blade that slashed apart their tenor and struck back against Nayuta’s incisive voice. Reon and Nayuta’s swords glistered as they clashed against each other, creating a sound that echoed a shooting star.
♛
“...How was that?” Reon challenged with heavy breaths, worn out after two more rounds of playing at full power. Nayuta responded with a listless huff.
“...The beginning of the song will be altered accordingly. I’ll update the sheet music immediately.”
“Got it.”
Reon shrugged his shoulders at Nayuta's disregard of having ordered him to never return. Though he wasn’t at all a fan of that aspect of him, it didn’t hinder the pure excellence of his music.
“...Man, does that guy get on my nerves.”
Yet, in spite of his anger…there was no changing the fact that Nayuta was the source of the music Reon strived for. Once again, he reaffirmed his vow to someday beat Nayuta.
Reon secretly raised his middle finger to Nayuta’s turned back when he felt Miyuki tap his shoulder.
“Welcome back. Sorry for not following you at all.”
“It’s fine, Miyuki-san. Besides, I’m sure it was a pain not having me here, huh?”
“...Haha, seriously, I’m glad you’re back, Reon.”
Despite his laughter, Reon noticed the way Miyuki’s cheeks twitched ever so slightly. It seemed like he must have been through a lot while Reon was away. Maybe he’d hear him vent out his grievances some other time. Reon lifted his head to find Ryo looking at him with a gentle smile.
“Ryo-san, thanks for everything.”
“What’re you thanking me for again?”
“For when you came to check on me, obviously.”
“ …Ohh. It was no biggie.”
“Huh? Did I miss something? What’re you two talking about?” Miyuki cut in, plagued with curiosity. With a clap, Nayuta slapped his music sheets.
“You've wasted enough time talking. We’re playing another song.”
“Got it.”
The group turned to the fired up tyrant and followed his orders. They could continue the conversation later.
Finally having the chance to practise with the rest of the band again, Reon felt a flame of his own start to burn. Wholly elated, he readied his guitar.
“Well done,” Kenta said to Reon, “We’ll be able to go ahead with our preparations now.”
“Preparations? You mean for our next live?”
Kenta smirked at the puzzled tilt of Reon’s head.
“No, for our revenge.”
From his pocket, Kenta pulled out a business card belonging to that infamous producer and crushed it in his hand. Behind his glasses, his eyes glowed with danger.
“We’ll make him regret ever making a fool out of Nayuta and Gyroaxia.”
“Naturally.”
Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Epilogue
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