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As time went by...
It was finally the day of the guerrilla live 'Own The Night'.
(The thought of being in front of so many people still makes me nervous.)
While helping to set up the stage, I looked around the empty venue.
(I wonder how many people will be watching...)
Members of the Own The Night invitation club would receive invitations by random, and there was no telling how many would actually attend.
(This is the first time HOUNDS and SilverVine are performing live outdoors...)
I was staring blankly at the empty venue while lost in thought, then I noticed someone standing next to me.
(Oh...)
I looked up and saw his gorgeous face glowing under the sunlight.
MC: Kanade.
When I called his name, Kanade shifted his gaze from the audience stand to me.
Kanade: What's on your mind?
MC: ... Erm.
After giving it some thought, I replied with a wry smile.
MC: I don't know how to put it into words.
Kanade: Hm...
Kanade narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the audience stand again.
Kanade: Just believe in me.
Kanade: The labor we delight in cures pain.*
*Kanade says this in english.
("Having a good time while working hard is the cure to all suffering.")
(That line is part of the lyrics I wrote...)
His words moved my heart.
I bit my lip and took a deep breath.
(I can feel Kanade's unwavering determination.)
I feel energised just by looking at Kanade.
MC: Alright.
At the same time, Henri came over while caling out to us.
Henri: Kanade. MC.
Henri: Koki said he wants to have a meeting over there.
Kanade: Got it.
We immediately went to meet up with Koki...
MC: ...!?
I was so surprised that I stopped in my tracks.
Not only were the residents of the Sakuragi gathered, Makoto was there too with Meguru, Director of Rindou.
There was also Ginnami Yuzuru, Ritsu's older brother whom I saw at my first Own The Night live show.
Meguru: Didn't think I'd see you people here.
In the tense atmosphere, Meguru stood in front of the residents of the Sakuragi, and looked at the faces of the members of 'F' one by one.
Meguru: Having side jobs aren't a breach of your contracts. However, it's different if you're doing things that will potentially harm society.
Meguru: Even if this is an authorised show.
Meguru: Guerrilla-style activities with no prior notice given and no one to surveillance you are ridiculous.
Once Meguru was done talking, Koki spoke up from the sides.
Koki: I already told you that I'll pay the fine.
Meguru: You keep your mouth shut.
(Harsh words... this is the Director of Rindou we're talking to.)
Next to Meguru, Yuzuru had been standing there with a smile for a while. He narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
Yuzuru: Looks like I'll have to retrain you.
He said that with a smile on his face, sending a chill down my spine.
(Ritsu's older brother... he has a beautiful smile, and yet...)
(It feels so cold.)
Eisuke, with his signature princely smile, responded to Yuzuru with a few words of his own.
Eisuke: Please forgive me for mistaking that as some dog barking away.
Eisuke: Could it be that you think our live show is going to blow a hole in the government's pockets?
Meguru: ...
Eisuke: Haha... just kidding.
Eisuke gave Meguru one last sarcastic smile before pursing his lips.
Then he lowered his voice and continued.
Eisuke: Mr Fujishiro.
Eisuke: That is exactly what we're trying to do.
Eisuke: I know it's inappropriate for the only government-approved band, 'F', to be performing here.
Eisuke: I'm more than ready to get fired.
Meguru sighed deeply and looked at Eisuke, who spoke without hesitation.
Meguru: 'F' is well-known locally and internationally.
Meguru: They were successful in showing the world that even with the Music Control Act, we can still have great music.
Meguru: That's why the authorities are supportive of the band's existence.
As Meguru spoke, his frown deepened...
Meguru: Even as the Director of Rindou, I'm not able disband 'F' immediately.
Meguru: Whatever it takes, I will settle this issue.
Meguru said with a frown on his face, and Koki scratched his head somewhat deliberately.
Koki: Heh. Must be tough on the government side too, huh?
Meguru: ...
Meguru shot a glare at Koki for his casual remark.
I was just standing there, trying to stay out of it, but they caught me...
Meguru: You...
MC: Erm...
Meguru's sharp gaze and his tone made my shoulders stiffen.
Meguru: My intel says that you have a government job.
(Intel?)
As I remained silent and wary of my situation, Yuzuru stepped forward and spoke to me.
Yuzuru: MC. You're a music teacher, right?
Yuzuru: And you currently work at one of the government-approved music schools.
(... I have been thoroughly investigated.)
Indeed, working as a piano teacher would be impossible without Rindou's approval.
Meguru: You're someone working under the government.
Meguru: Don't be influenced by the people around you to commit crimes. It's not too late to turn back.
Meguru's words brought out all the fear and anxiety I was bottling up.
(If I don't back out now, my career and everything I've accomplished so far...)
(I'll lose everything.)
I clenched my shaking hands tightly and looked up to meet Kanade's eyes.
Kanade: ...
I took a deep breath and turned to face Meguru. I looked him straight in the eyes and declared.
MC: I'm not backing out.
MC: The reason why I decided to do it in the first place, was because I want to live without regrets.
Meguru: ...
MC: ...
We stared at each other for a moment before Meguru looked away first.
Meguru: What a pity.
Yuzuru: Ah... you poor thing.
Ritsu, who had been hiding behind the other members of HOUNDS, came out to respond to their comments.
Ritsu: Hey... Yuzuru, stop that.
At the sound of Ritsu's voice, Yuzuru slowly turned his head.
Yuzuru: Why?
Yuzuru: You're still trapped in the dreadful world of songs and music.
Yuzuru: I feel sorry for you, Ritsu. That's why I'm trying to help you.
Ritsu: You're pathetic...
Ritsu's face contorted in a mix of anger and pain.
(The two of them... they're brothers, but they're total polar opposites.)
I sensed that there was a big feud between Ritsu and Yuzuru...
Kanade, as usual, was watching everyone's conversations from afar.
After a series of squabbles, Meguru eventually lost his patience.
Meguru: Cancel the live show.
Meguru: It'll become a big problem, especially when it's a guerrilla live.
Meguru: That's all I'm asking for.
His tone was intimidating because he was too used to ordering others around. The atmosphere turned tense almost immediately.
Meguru: Otherwise, in accordance to the Music Control Act, the Music Control Bureau will have no choice but to ban your music.
Everyone remained silent after hearing Meguru's words.
(Rindou is trying to use force to stop us from violating the Music Control Act.)
(But... they don't want to make things worse, so that 'F' can continue their band activities without problems.)
(I guess this means... he's waiting for us to decide that the live show will be cancelled.)
My heart was hammering hard against my ribcage due to the difficult situation we were in.
Koki: You see, I don't know what kind of situation you're in, but...
Before Koki could finish, I couldn't stand still any longer, so I stepped forward and spoke up.
MC: We will not cancel the live show...!
Everyone was shocked when I almost yelled at the guys from Rindou.
Meguru turned his head towards me.
Meguru: ... What did you just say?
MC: ... We will proceed with the live show because there are tons of people out there waiting for us to sing.
I pointed towards the audience as I spoke.
Meguru's gaze followed my finger and what he saw surprised him.
Meguru: ...!
The audience didn't only consist of those from the invitation club. Members of the general public who heard rumours about a live show were also gathered around the outdoor stage.
MC: Music indeed has the power to heavily influence people.
MC: We are aware that it has caused numerous serious incidents in the past.
MC: But we believe that our songs can make miracles happen.
Everyone was looking at me with surprise.
After a brief moment of silence...
Koki: That's right.
Koki smiled and placed a hand on Gaku's head as he stood next to me.
Koki: Do you agree too?
Gaku: ... Yeah.
Gaku gave me a small smile and Kanade, who had been watching in silence from the sidelines, came to my side...
Or I could also call it “Men (minus that blonde kid) who looks super dashing in black suits and gloves”. A well-tailored suit really makes a man, doesn’t it?
I do not own any of the content being uploaded on this blog, everything belongs to CYBIRD. Please support them by downloading and playing their games.
read this before interacting with my posts
(Is Makoto referring to Kanade and the other guys?)
The moment I was about to ask him about it, Makoto looked away from us as if he saw something.
Makoto: That's...
A man was standing in Makoto's line of vision.
The man looked at the stage with a smile on his face.
He was such a handsome young man with well-defined facial features that he attracted the gazes of the ladies around him.
(Wow... his androgynous appearance makes him look really pretty.)
I watched the young man whose beauty was so outstanding that he looked out of place.
Shuji raised an eyebrow and asked Makoto about the young man.
Shuji: Who is that?
Makoto: Huh? That's Ginnami Yuzuru.
Makoto: He's Ritsu's older brother.
Makoto's words made me and Shuji's eyes widen at the same time.
MC: What!?
Shuji: Ritsu!?
Makoto has mentioned Ritsu's older brother before.
Of course, it was my first time seeing him in person. I turned my head towards Shuji, who was just as surprised as I was.
MC: Shuji, you said you were a childhood friend of Ritsu's, but you've never heard of him having an older brother?
Makoto, who had been listening to our conversation, smiled and asked
Makoto: Hey, MC.
Makoto: Were you just admiring Yuzuru?
MC: Yeah, I didn't expect...
I gave him an honest answer, feeling a little awkward, and Makoto's smile widened.
Makoto: Between him and Kanade, who do you find more attractive —?
MC: ...!
Makoto: Ahaha I'm just kidding.
Makoto cleared his throat and looked in Yuzuru's direction again.
Makoto: Is he here to see Ritsu? Or...
Before Makoto could finish his sentence, I turned away from him.
Makoto: I'll see you around.
MC: Um, sure.
He waved goodbye.
MC: ... Makoto said that Yuzuru might be here to see Ritsu.
MC: I wonder if 'F' will perform here.
Shuji: I don't know either. I haven't heard anything about it.
Shuji handed me a plastic cup of Oolong tea and leaned his head towards me.
Shuji: But we'll find out when...
The moment Shuji was about to say something...
MC: Oh!
The lights were dimmed.
When the stage was lit up, the audience started cheering.
I'm buzzing with excitement because the performance is about to start.
As the cheers grew even louder, the first performers to go on stage were...
(Haruto!)
Haru, Gaku, Ritsu, and Eisuke. The four of them...—— were all members of 'F'.
MC: Oh...! Is 'F' really going to perform here?
When I unintentionally raised my voice in excitement, Shuji's eyes widened and he mumbled.
Shuji: Ritsu...
Up on stage, Haruto couldn't hide his excitement as he looked at the audience with a bright smile on his face.
He stood at the center and placed his hand on the standing microphone.
Haruto: It's been a while. This is HOUNDS.
(Huh? HOUNDS?)
(Isn't their band name 'F'?)
My mind was starting to get confused about the situation when suddenly,I remembered the day Haruto sang my song for the first time, and Koki's words back then.
== Flashback Start ==
Koki: This is completely different from 'F', isn't it?
Koki: That's because they're not the government's lapdogs right now.
== Flashback End ==
(HOUNDS... is the other side of the band 'F'...)
When I began to feel a little nervous about that realisation, Haruto spoke.
Haruto: It's been a while since we last performed, I'm so excited.
Haruto: So... now.
The drums and strings started playing together at once.
The smooth flowing melody of the keyboard followed after.
The live performance, which got everyone's adrenaline rushing, was complete with Haruto's passionate voice.
(...! This is...)
Haruto's voice, combined with this carefree melody and lyrics...
These proved that this song was unauthorised by the government.
MC: ...!
(This is my first time hearing such a carefree song...)
The song Haruto and the others unleashed upon the audience was like the ones my father used to secretly play to me as a child.
It reminded me of those carefree songs before the Music Control Act, and I got nostalgic.
Shuji: They're so cool.
My eyes were so glued to the stage that I didn't even give Shuji a nod in response.
(They're so happy up on stage.)
My heart trembled even more as I recalled the first time I heard my song in Haruto's voice.
(This is the song Haruto and the other guys wanted to sing.)
Every word they sang came from the hearts of Haruto and the others on stage.
It deeply ingrained itself into my heart.
A few more songs later, HOUNDS ended their performance...
Haruto: Thank you.
The lights went down again once Haruto thanked the audience.
Shuji patted me on the shoulder while I remained stunned.
Shuji: Let's take a break.
MC: Ah, okay.
From the pitch-black stage came the sound of musical instruments being moved around and replaced in preparation for the next performance.
Guest 1: HOUNDS are the best!
Guest 2: I liked it so much more than when they're 'F'. Ahh how I wish I could share this with everyone...
Guest 1: Hey, that's illegal.
I brought my cup of Oolong tea to my mouth and drank it.
My heart was still beating incredibly fast.
(That was... everyone's secret.)
I looked down at the plastic cup I held in my sweaty hands.
Suddenly, there was a soundcheck for a guitar and bass.
The surface of my Oolong tea rippled.
Shuji: I think the next performance is starting.
As soon as I looked up, the stage lit up again...
(Kanade...!)
I gasped as I watched Kanade, Henri, and Kyoichiro go up on stage.
Shuji: So they're a band of their own too.
Shuji blinked repeatedly in surprise as he watched the three of them on stage.
MC: I didn't know... but it looks like they are.
I answered in a low voice and suddenly remembered something.
== Flashback Start ==
Ritsu: I don't mind singing. But both of the soundproof music rooms are currently occupied.
Eisuke: The King is hogging one of the rooms.
== Flashback End ==
(Now that I think of it, Henri and Kyoichiro used the music room together.)
(Eisuke was referring to this band.)
I was having flashbacks while staring at the stage.
Kanade quietly placed his hand on the standing microphone.
(I'm about to hear Kanade sing again.)
Just thinking about it was enough to make me feel like I was about to explode from excitement.
Soon, Kanade's faint breathing could be heard through the microphone...
Kanade: Tonight, let yourselves get drunk on the stage that we rule.
MC: Wow...
Kanade's every move took my breath away and I was completely captivated by him.
Suddenly, our eyes met.
MC: ...!
I was surprised but didn't break eye contact.
Kanade said with a charming smile,
Kanade: I'll make you feel it.
Kanade: Our song.
Kanade: SilverVine.
MC: Nn...
(SilverVine.)
(I repeatedly said their band name in my heart.)
At Kanade's verbal cue, the powerful drums started playing.
The bass which followed after was precise, profound, and flawless.
Then came Kanade on the guitar and his impressive singing.
The audience was screaming and cheering.
(This is Kanade, Kyoichiro, and Henri's world.)
(This is SilverVine's song.)
Kanade's stunning appearance, shining in the stage light...
Both my eyes and ears were captivated.
(This feels different from HOUNDS.)
SilverVine, led by Kanade, was overflowing with charisma.
(I know it now.)
(Why didn't anyone tell me about Kanade?)
(Words weren't necessary to describe this song, everything could be felt in my heart.)
I could feel the fog in my heart disappear like a puff of smoke.
I gripped my hands tightly as I stared at Kanade.
(This is who Kanade truly is.)
I realised that I had been so stunned that I forgot to breathe.
The first song has just ended.
(I want to hear more.)
(The three of them played really well together, and Kanade's singing was the cherry on top.)
As I stared at the stage, hoping for them to perform more songs, the prelude to another song came on...
I wish Ikemen Revolution Japan ver has this system (>_<) In IkeLive, you can set at least 5 cards with your favorite guys as Background on My Page and you can put the same guys set as Background. Example mine set 2 Yuzuru cards as Background on My Page because I love him so much ♡ ~('▽^人). On IkeRev side, just set 1 card of your favorite guys as Background but the ways too boring (μ_μ) Just hope that CYBIRD has this in IkeRev Japan ver someday⊂( ´ ▽ ` )⊃
EISUKEEEE! Wait, I'm in Kanade's route, so... KANADEEEE! I love both of them seriously...
(cough) Ahem! Kanade's day job is still a mystery because I don't want to use my tickets yet lol. It's 3 hours until the ticket refreshes anyway, so let's just wait.
Henry is an office worker tho... And look at him, looking neat and proper 😂
Kyoichiro is a doctor... Well... You know, he almost reminds me to Han Wenqing from QZGS, but the kinder version. So... I just hope no kid is scared to death when they go to him...
Ritsu, obviously, is a famous pianist. The MC is a hardcore fan, I suppose, since she's a piano teacher, and their first meeting is basically she said she's his fan, right into his face lol Ritsu is so cute!
Gaku, is a former NEET and current freelance programmer... Tho I'm guessing it doesn't change his life style much 😂
And Eisuke... Eisukeeeee! Is a law student, studying to be a lawyer. Gosh, I don't know why I found him to be this hot, but I do. I like his gap, from a prince-like smile and attitude to basically a delinquent and rough speech... Even clicking his tongue in the prologue because Silver Vine using both of the studio longer than an hour... And he threatened to sue them over the 5-10 minutes extra time 😂