Volume 1, Chapter 6: Through The Gates

Hiroki’s apartment was quiet at 7 PM, the only sounds the clink of dishes as he helped his mother clean up after dinner. His father was stuck in Yokohama, swamped with export-import issues, leaving the house feeling emptier than usual. Since the fiery motorcycle accident that consumed Kaito, the spark of their chuunibyou battles, where Hiroki was the 'Dark Lord of Tartarus' and Kaito was the 'Celestial Overlord,' had faded, leaving a hollow ache in Hiroki’s chest. These battles, with Hiroki as the 'Dark Lord of Tartarus' and Kaito as the 'Celestial Overlord,' were a significant part of their relationship. His bedroom, illuminated solely by a dim night light and the glow of his smartphone, resembled a cave of solitude, enveloping him in a cocoon of isolation.

He scrolled through Instagram reels, the endless loop of recycled trends grating on his nerves. Same old mindless shit, he thought, craving something real, something that could reignite the fire Kaito had nurtured in him through music. Then, his phone buzzed—a DM from coltranegiantsteps1960.

coltranegiantsteps1960: Yo, Suede guy! Are you awake?

Hiroki blinked, surprised. Who the hell DM’ed me at this hour?!

saturdaynightwrist2006: Wait, is this Junichi Enoshima?

coltranegiantsteps1960: Yep! Got ideas for our festival song?

That was quick! Hiroki thought. Confusion crept onto his face as he shot back with a groan.

saturdaynightwrist2006: Hell, how do I know? You tell me!

coltranegiantsteps1960: Btw, check this out!

Junichi sent a YouTube link titled Gate—Live at Minerva Academy Summer Fest 2019.

coltranegiantsteps1960: You have to watch this banger, dude! This is what got me into rock!

Curiosity piqued, Hiroki clicked the link. The video loaded, and suddenly, he was transported to the Minerva Academy gymnasium.

Six years ago, this was the most prestigious summer high school festival, replicating the chaos of a rock festival. A three-piece teenage band called Gate is ready to tear the stage apart.

The crowd’s chatter exploded into cheers as Gate stormed the stage. An intense 15-year-old silver-white-haired boy with a black Squier Telecaster Deluxe—Tsuyuki Tsumaki—stood atop the amp cabinet, his eyes blazing. Nolan Webber Girling, a broad-shouldered bassist with a jock’s swagger, grasped the mic. “WE ARE GATE, LET’S ROCK THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!” The gym erupted, students surging forward, their festival wristbands glowing under the vibrant lights.

Muse’s Dead Star kicked off with Tsuyuki’s jagged, distortion-soaked riffs, his fingers a blur as he screamed in a distorted microphone, “Shame on you for thinking you’re an exception…” The crowd roared, feeding off his feral energy. Tsuyuki wailed on his Telecaster, downpicked with such aggression, standing above the amp cabinet like a warrior who stomped on the tyrant's throne.

Right as the song had reached the final chorus, he leaped to the stage, landing with a thud that shook the stage floor.

Nolan’s black Sterling Bass growled with a beefy, fuzzy tone, and he banged his head as he belted backing vocals with guttural screams. Scott Ardennes Villeneuve, behind the black Tama kit, was a whirlwind, his double kicks like artillery fire.

As Dead Star transitioned into Micro Cuts’ outro, Tsuyuki’s falsetto riffs mimicked Matthew Bellamy’s 2001 Paris Zenith performance. The crowd resembled a sea of flailing arms, with a mosh pit forming up front. He ran from one side of the stage to the other, jumping and spinning, the crowd screaming louder with every move.

It sent chills down Hiroki’s spine; he dropped his jaw. This guy’s a beast! And yet he was a freshman at that time!

“MINERVA ACADEMY SUMMER FEST HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY!!!” Tsuyuki yelled at the distorted mic and pointed to the crowd, and they responded with a deafening cheer, almost tearing down Minerva’s gym hall.

Hiroki was further amazed that someone his age commanded the stage like a seasoned touring musician. Curiosity peaked in his mind until Tsuyuki announced on the mic, right after he re-tuned his black Telecaster Deluxe into standard tuning, the next song they would perform.

"The next song is Combat by Deftones. Feel free to mosh the fuck out.” Tsuyuki then strummed an open string on his Telecaster. Like thunder before the rainstorm.

Next was Deftones’ Combat, its sludgy weight hitting like a punch. Tsuyuki’s vocals shifted from screams to a raw, melodic snarl of Chino Moreno with the theatricality of Matthew Bellamy, constantly churning his Telecaster churning with harmonic chords. “THIS TIME, I THINK YOU POINTED RIGHT AT YOU! WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?! WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?!”

Nolan’s fuzz-drenched bass locked with Scott’s precise drums, creating a wall of sound. The crowd swayed, some shoving in a small mosh pit, their laughter mixing with the music’s intensity. He witnessed Tsuyuki's insanity of running backstage during the song's outro and jumping above the backstage chair.

There are only three, but they sound like thousands! Feels like watching a literal Muse concert. Hiroki couldn’t comprehend Gate’s energy any further, feeling inferior in their legacy. Wishing that Suede would replicate the insanity of Gate in tomorrow's Sakuragawa Halloween Festival.

Right after Tsuyuki returned to the stage, he equipped a capo on his Telecaster's 2nd fret and then spoke to the mic with a fiery enthusiasm.

“Thank you so much, Minerva Academy Summer Fest! You guys are fucking great tonight!” Hiroki couldn't contain his laughter, witnessing Tsuyuki's audacity to swear in the school festival like a rock concert.

The crowds then deafened the gym hall with their deafening cheers. Right after Tsuyuki exchanged a brief glance with Nolan and Scott with a grin, he then spoke to the mic again.

“This is our last song; it’s Crush by Pendulum. But first, I want all men, women, boys, girls, cats, and dogs to mosh the fuck out for the last time! I repeat—"

Oh my God! Bruh! Hiroki chuckled at Tsuyuki's announcement.

“COME ON GUYS!!! LEMME SEE YOUR MOSHPITS FOR THE LAST TIME!!!” Nolan yelled on the mic with guttural screams. In contrast to Tsuyuki’s composed demeanor.

The final song, Pendulum’s Crush, was chaos. Tsuyuki layered phaser guitar effects over Scott’s breakneck drum-and-bass beats. Nolan bounced across the stage, hyping the crowd with a power stance as he stomped his boot against the PA speaker on the stage.

He screamed on the mic with distorted effects, “I was running out in the cold light, wondering where to go, to run away, without you!” Even constantly jumping left-to-right on the stage to channel the song’s fury.

Right after the song’s final chorus, Gate closed with a medley, skillfully weaving Rage Against the Machine’s Microphone Fiend and Deftones' Headup with groovy fury. With Tsuyuki relentlessly jumping on the stage, Nolan banged his head, and Scott’s drum groove hit hard.

And then came Nirvana’s Endless Nameless. Both Tsuyuki and Nolan downtuned their instruments, constantly strumming their strings, and Scott did a halftime drum groove with constant cymbal hits, creating a chaos of sound. Likened to the sound of the apocalypse.

The song had ended; Tsuyuki propped his Telecaster against the amp cabinet, letting it feedback with a howling wail as Scott’s cymbals crashed like thunder. The three then roared on the mic, “WE ARE GATE! WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME!” The crowd then threw up their devil horns.

The gym erupted in a cacophony of applause, cheers, and whistles. The video ended with 32k views, uploaded 6 years ago, as the number 1 most popular video in the Minerva Academy Summer Festival. Even topping the guest star performances of Liliane (in 27,375 views) and Poltergeist (in 27,121 views). But Hiroki’s heart pounded with exhilarating excitement. No talking, straight to the bang, and end with a bigger bang. This is fantastic!

Gate’s performance wasn’t just a school show—it was a rock concert, raw and electrifying, far beyond the monotonous school festival. A fire ignited within Hiroki, reminiscent of the spark Kaito had kindled through their late-night guitar lessons. He yearned to meet Gate and unravel the mystery of how they had transformed a simple gym hall into a fierce battleground. If they’re disbanded, maybe someone at school knows them…

He then typed back to Junichi.

saturdaynightwrist2006: Dude, that was insane! Who’s this Tsuyuki guy? We need to channel that for Suede!

coltranegiantsteps1960: Right?! Tsuyuki Tsumaki is now making music as Kyrolis. I heard he was Gate’s mastermind. We have to aim that high for the festival!

Hiroki’s eyes widened. Kyrolis? He’d heard whispers in the LMC about a guy who’d ruled Minerva’s stage.

saturdaynightwrist2006: Know how to find him?

coltranegiantsteps1960: Dunno, but I bet our sport coach, Mr. Girling, or even our math teacher, Mr. Villeneuve, knows something.

Hiroki nodded to himself, glancing at a photo of Kaito on his desk, guitar in hand. This is it, big bro. I’m going to make you proud! Suede had the opportunity to resoundingly echo Gate’s frenetic legacy.

***

Hiroki’s heart still raced from the YouTube video of Gate’s frenetic 2019 performance at Minerva Academy Summer Festival, their raw energy seared into his mind. Tsuyuki Tsumaki’s blistering Telecaster riffs, Nolan Webber Girling’s thunderous Sterling bass, and Scott Ardennes Villeneuve’s relentless drums felt like a call to action. He glanced at the black gig bag leaning against his wardrobe—Kaito’s black-gold Les Paul, a silent reminder of his brother’s legacy.

Hiroki crossed the darkened room, the glow of his night light casting long shadows. He unzipped the gig bag with a smooth zip, revealing the custom-made Les Paul. Its black finish gleamed, the gold-plated humbucker, Floyd Rose, and locking tuners catching the light.

He smiled, recalling Kaito’s excitement when he’d commissioned it from a local guitar shop—lighter materials, a belly cut, gold hardware, and a Floyd Rose, which took inspiration from Alex Lifeson’s Les Paul. All on a part-time studio staff’s budget.

Just a month ago, Hiroki had taken it for maintenance, and it looked pristine, ready to rock.

He strummed the unplugged strings, the tactile response and lightweight feel instantly comforting. Unlike the clunky Les Paul he’d tried in music stores, this one was Kaito’s gift to him. “Smart move, big bro. "Avoid overspending and head to the alternative,” he said, caressing his late brother’s Les Paul, a pang of grief mixing with warmth.

Memories flooded back: Kaito’s part-time gig as a studio staff member, recording local bands and teaching Hiroki the basics of music production on BandLab. “It’s not just playing, Hiroki-kun. "It's crafting a world," Kaito said, showing him how to layer tracks on his phone. Hiroki’s eyes drifted to the desk, where Kaito’s Zoom AMS-22 interface and Zoom G1X Four multi-effect pedal sat, passed down to him before the accident.

He couldn’t resist. Grabbing a cable, he plugged his brother's Les Paul into the multi-effects and into the interface, connected it to his smartphone, and slipped on his trusted IEMs for monitoring. Opening BandLab, he spent minutes tweaking settings and retuning the guitar. When he strummed, the sound came alive—a perfect blend of vintage Les Paul warmth and modern high-output humbucker bite, ideal for everything he wanted.

Lost in his world, Hiroki riffed through chords, his fingers dancing over the fretboard. He threw in a harmonic strum, shaking the Floyd Rose to coax out a wild, wailing noise, imagining it grabbing a festival crowd’s attention. Gate’s 2019 performance flashed in his mind—Tsuyuki’s amp-climbing, the mosh pit's roar. Hiroki transitioned into Muse’s Knights of Cydonia outro riff, abusing the Floyd Rose to mimic Matthew Bellamy’s frenzied whammy bar dives. His room became a stage, the audience in his head screaming.

He glanced at the clock—11:30 PM. Realizing the late hour, he knew his mom would be furious if she caught him up. But the music pulled him back. He layered a simple drum loop in BandLab, tweaking the multi-effect for a gritty distortion, and recorded a rough riff inspired by Gate’s medley chaos. It wasn't flawless, but it resonated with life, a glimpse of what Suede could evolve into.

As midnight loomed, Hiroki unplugged, his fingers buzzing. He stored the Les Paul back into the gig bag, Kaito’s voice echoing: “Feel the music, Hiroki. Let it scream.” Gate’s legacy, Kaito’s lessons, and Suede’s potential swirled in his mind.

Through the gate, he was determined to meet Tsuyuki Tsumaki, to learn how to make Suede’s performance at the Sakuragawa Halloween Festival shake the stage like Gate did. Maybe Mr. Girling or Mr. Villeneuve knows something…