When Silence Breaks

The holiday was over.

In those quiet days before the new term began, my life had become stagnant once more.

My messages with Lyra had increased again—but still... it wasn't the same.

It couldn't be.

The regret I felt toward myself

Was waging a war with the love I felt for her.

When I saw her message, my heart would race wildly,

And I would reply instantly.

Talking to her on the phone had become one of the most delightful things in the world.

Any conversation,

Any sharing of thoughts,

Was enough to make me happy.

Indeed, that's how it is when you're in love.

Her being far away now felt like torture.

Even when she was out of town for just two weeks,

I didn't know what to do at home.

That's precisely why...

I was trying to keep myself extra busy.

And today,

I was going to a concert.

Alone.

Just like that...

Just to lose myself in the music.

Just... to distance myself from myself.

The Lyola concert had returned to our city. I wasn't even considered sick anymore.

I just had no one to go with.

Everyone seemed busy.

At first, I was reluctant to go alone. But when I thought about my recent times...

I had to distract myself.

On the morning of the concert day, I got ready. I didn't have school today anyway. I hadn't spoken to Lyra since last night either. She had said she was a bit busy and would message later.

And I had arrived at the concert venue.

It was as crowded as ever.

My ticket...

Was in the same section again.

As I slowly entered, I noticed that I was the only one who had come alone.

Everyone had come with someone. Either with their family, friends, or lovers.

I wondered what it would be like to come to a concert with Lyra?

We'd chat about the music as we listened,

Have fun together.

Afterward, we'd sit somewhere,

And talk about everything.

Perhaps I was starting to overstep my bounds.

But I couldn't stop my thoughts anymore.

My mind wouldn't stop, wouldn't be silent anymore.

That's why I had come here.

Since I was one of the first to enter the area, it wasn't even fully filled yet.

I moved to the very front. Since I had come alone, I wanted to listen in the best way possible.

After about an hour had passed, the entire concert area was finally filled. The voices of people could be heard everywhere.

The singer I admired,

Was now behind the black light curtain on stage, where her face couldn't be seen.

The crowd had gone wild.

I was part of that crowd.

There was a short opening speech.

Then the concert began.

It continued in the usual Lyola arrangement. She sang in the same order as the last time I came. She didn't even have the old mistakes anymore. She had completely mastered it.

Here was one of the country's biggest and fastest-growing singers. It was normal for her to be that good.

As lights of every color roamed the stage, with smoke, small spark effects, and incredible stage effects, the place was literally being torn down.

At that moment, there was truly nothing left in my mind.

All the voices in my head had gone silent.

We continued like this for a long time. Time flowed like water.

We had reached a short intermission. I took a deep breath and looked at the incoming messages. There was a message from Lyra.

"Are you at the concert?" she had written.

I was surprised. I was surprised that she wrote this directly after two days of not talking.

"Yes, you?" I said.

"Me too," she said.

I looked around curiously. Had she seen me?

But I couldn't see anyone. Then another message came:

"What do you think?" she meant the concert.

"Just like always. Beyond perfect," I wrote.

She didn't reply.

The concert was about to start again. The lights were slowly dancing again.

Lyola hadn't returned yet.

But something interesting happened.

"Your sister is calling."

The voice was a woman's. Apparently, Lyola's microphone had been left on.

But what happened next would make me freeze.

"Really? I'm about to go on stage, if it's not urgent, let Noa talk, I'll get back later."

The voice came out plainly.

Voices were coming from the crowd.

"Was her microphone left on?"

"Who is Noa?"

At that moment, it must have been noticed, and they immediately turned off the microphone.

The world had stopped for a moment for me.

Noa?

Sister?

Also, how different Lyola's voice was offstage.

At that moment, Lyola returned to the stage. The crowd greeted her with great enthusiasm as if nothing had happened.

Her voice was just like...

The blood in my hands and feet had drained,

I had turned to ice.

I was just standing there.

Breathing in short gasps.

"What is happening?" I was thinking.

So...

All this time...

The singer I had always admired...

The singer who corrected her mistakes the moment I pointed them out...

The singer who wrote similar to the poem I wrote and said she came out of the poem...

The singer who played the piano...

"Are we ready for the second round, folks!?" Lyola was responding to the crowd with enthusiasm.

I took a deep breath.

Was it Lyra?

C-could such a thing be possible?

My heart was tightening. Breathing had never been this difficult.

The lights rapidly passing over my head seemed to gather around her.

So...

The girl I was in love with...

Was actually the singer I admired?

Noa, sister, and this same voice...

It kept repeating in my head. I was in shock. My head was spinning, I felt like I was going to faint.

How had I not noticed all this time?

Someone like me who liked to do voice analysis...

How had I not noticed this?

What kind of fool was I not to have noticed this?

Her going out of town.

Not being able to come to the concert.

She was the singer who did all that!

Lyra was actually Lyola.

The moment I realized this, my body electrified. I couldn't breathe. I felt like a fool.

"Alright then—" Lyola was calling out enthusiastically in front of the stage,

Then something happened.

A large iron carrying a spotlight from the ceiling fell rapidly and violently to the place where Lyola was.

The surroundings echoed with the sound of this fall. It had fallen so violently that even I, who was at the very front, felt its wind.

As all the pieces scattered around, I reflexively ducked and took cover right in front of the stage.

But after this piece fell, more creaking sounds came from above.

There was a loud scream on the stage.

People, scared by the falling piece, reflexively ran backward.

The enchanting atmosphere had suddenly turned into fear.

As people fled in terror, I, unable to overcome the previous shock at the very front, had my feet rooted to the spot like stone.

Shouting voices were coming from Lyola's microphone.

"Come this way!"

"Are you okay?" they were calling out to her from behind.

The stage crew had taken steps to rescue Lyola. But just as they were about to get on stage...

Another piece fell.

This time it fell right in front of them.

The stage was literally falling apart.

Suddenly, the surroundings turned into an apocalypse scenario.

Lyola could barely be seen through the dust and debris.

They hadn't been able to save her, and they were probably injured too.

Lyola was left alone in the middle of the stage.

As another piece fell, spotlights and debris began to fall into the audience areas as well.

The shock of both astonishment and horror I experienced had left me just standing there.

Everyone around me had already gone to leave the stage in chaos.

Then something happened to me.

For a moment, Lyra's face came to my mind.

I wondered how she would look if she were scared?

At that moment, I realized again.

Any expression other than a smile on Lyra's face disturbed me.

At that very moment, I found my feet moving on their own.

I rushed toward the stage. I pulled myself up with all my strength and got on stage. Someone shouted at me from behind.

"What are you doing! It's about to fall right on you!" I ignored this shout coming from behind me.

I quickly rushed to where Lyola was. There was no one around because pieces were still falling everywhere.

Suddenly, the surroundings went completely dark.

Electric sparks were scattering around. The smell of smoke and dust had filled the air.

I couldn't breathe and didn't know what to think.

All I knew was my desire to save the person I was in love with.

I went behind the black light system.

In the darkness, I saw Lyola crouched on the ground.

"Lyra!" I shouted with all my might. I had now reached her.

In the darkness, I could make out her body. Just as another piece fell behind us, I felt a cold iron pierce my left leg.

I heard Lyola's frightened scream.

But it didn't matter.

"W-what?" Lyola's frightened and tearful voice suddenly turned to me.

"It's okay," I said, panting.

Since she was sitting on the ground, I immediately grabbed her legs and back. And lifted her up.

As soon as I stood up, I started running with all my might.

I didn't know what I was doing either.

While my body trembled in fear and was frozen,

Only one thing kept repeating in my mind.

"Lyra must be saved."

My foot was in pain, but this pain meant nothing right now.

As another large piece fell behind us, I stepped off the stage at the last moment.

Outside, there was no one except one person waiting anxiously.

Before my feet could carry me any further, I collapsed onto my knees.

Lyola was still in my arms.

Her face was illuminated by the light.

She was indeed Lyra.

Lyra was looking at my illuminated face.

"Y-Yuta?!?"

Lyra was looking at me in astonishment, surprised to see me. Her face, soaked with tears, was frozen as she looked at me.

Yet, despite everything, I smiled. 

I had saved her and now knew who she was.

"Hello, Lyra."