Act 1, Chapter 27: We're In This Together

Friday, 5:00 PM. The battle of the Sakuragawa Light Music Club’s second showcase had ended. Hiroki, Junichi, Takane, Mei, Yuna, and Sara sought respite at a bustling mall restaurant.

Feasting delicious Yakitori, unagi rice bowls, and refreshing iced teas.

They’re all pricey but softened by a student discount—giving them chances to feast on the subtle luxury. The six Sakuragawa LMC first-years filled the air with laughter, swapping cringeworthy middle school memories.

Takane recounted Jiraitei’s hardcore middle school festival performance, her primal scream during their cover of Ging Nang Boyz’ I Don’t Wanna Die, and her leap over Sara’s drum kit at the outro sparking embarrassed giggles. Sara was constantly banging her head on the floor, yelling in embarrassment. “THE CRINGE IS KILLING ME!!!”

Junichi shared his own middle school tale, his bluesy drumming so precise it rivaled a touring pro, earning applause from the latter. “Dude! You were a pro years ago!” Yuna gazed at his drumming skill with curiosity. And Junichi's eyes sparkled with pride, a wide grin spreading across his face.

As the group laughed, a girl in a slightly messy school uniform and with slightly messy light blue hair approached with a confident smile. “It’s been a long time, Takane Yuzuriha.”

The table fell silent, all eyes on her. “Eruna-senpai?” Takane gasped, recognizing her.

Eruna waved enthusiastically, her hand moving to catch everyone's attention. “Yo!” Suddenly, Takane, Mei, Yuna, and Sara leapt up, enveloping Eruna in a tearful group hug, startling Hiroki and Junichi.

“I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!” Mei sobbed, squeezing her face against Eruna’s chest.

“Calm down, girls, I’m still alive!” Eruna chuckled, returning the embrace as the restaurant’s patrons glanced at the ruckus.

“Please come back to Jiraitei…” Yuna sniffled, poking Eruna.

“That’s it! Enough!” Eruna snapped playfully, pushing the girls back to their seats to avoid disturbing the restaurant further. “May I join?” she asked, grabbing a vacant chair.

The group nodded, and Eruna sat, her energy infectious. “How’s your new school going?”

Takane pointed to Hiroki and Junichi with a warm smile. “We’re doing great! Meet Hiroki Yamada and Junichi Enoshima. They’re our LMC mates, but in a different band.”

Hiroki and Junichi waved. “What’s up?” Eruna nodded, raising an eyebrow.

Takane added, “This is Eruna Nakasuga-senpai, our middle school band Jiraitei’s keyboardist.”

Eruna grinned. “Yo, what’s up?” Hiroki remembered the video that Takane showed to him weeks ago. Unlike her malnourished middle school self, she now sported a lean, athletic build, rivaling Sara’s muscular frame.

“You’re Hiroki Yamada, right?” Eruna pointed at him. Hiroki nodded in confusion, and she teased, “At first, I thought, Kazuki Maeda? You’re still alive?”

“Hell nah!” Hiroki shot back, annoyed, sparking laughter. But a pang of sympathy hit him for the girl’s shared loss of Kazuki Maeda, Jiraitei’s apparent inspiration.

“What high school are you at, Nakasuga-senpai?” Mei asked, teasing.

“Minerva High in Yokohama,” Eruna replied proudly, flashing her uniform’s logo.

“Minerva?” Yuna’s jaw dropped, suspicion flickering.

Hiroki’s mind jolted. Sakuragawa was the child of Demiurge Academy… and Minerva’s their rival! The two academies' bitter history—vying for educational dominance—meant even small encounters like this could spark tension, with past debates over competition results and cultural events fueling the animosity.

Eruna stood, her gaze sharpening. “So, you Demiurge twats are nothing to us! Get ready to be trampled!” Her yell and middle finger stunned the restaurant.

“OH YEAH? You Minerva scums are arrogant losers! Imagine getting crushed in every accreditation and match!” Sara roared back, flipping Eruna off, their foreheads nearly colliding.

Hiroki panicked, fearing the staff would kick them out. “H-HEY! NO FIGHTING!”

“Nah, JK dude,” Sara shrugged, her tone shifting to playful.

The rivalry was a jest, but Hiroki remained uneasy, worried their noise might get them kicked out. Still, the group resumed their chatter, swapping Jiraitei nostalgia and LMC experiences. This reunion and their playful rivalries added a new layer to their journey, testing their bonds and pushing them to confront their past selves for a brighter future.

***

Friday, 6:00 PM. The mall’s arcade buzzed with energy as the six Sakuragawa Light Music Club members joined with Eruna Nakasuga, the former Jiraitei keyboardist. Hiroki and Junichi engaged in a fierce car racing game, while the girls tried their luck at the claw machine with varying degrees of success. Whilst Eruna effortlessly collected prizes with a confident grin.

Laughter and chatter filled the air as they moved to a nearby café, savoring flavors like creamy vanilla and rich chocolate ice cream, while swapping stories about their LMC experiences, comparing Sakuragawa’s vibrant club to Minerva’s.

“I’m kind of envious of your LMC,” Eruna admitted, her glance softening.

Junichi raised an eyebrow, curious, and asked, “What do you mean?”

“You guys don’t just show up for fun—you push creativity with original songs and maintain 100% attendance discipline,” Eruna said. The group nodded, agreeing with her assessment of Sakuragawa’s LMC.

“It’s tough, but we enjoy it nonetheless,” Takane replied, her bubbly enthusiasm shining as she finished her ice cream.

“What about Minerva’s LMC? We’re curious,” Yuna prodded, poking Eruna.

Eruna’s expression darkened, her tone turning grave and somber. “It was… decent. But I quit.”

Sara stood and clapped the café’s table in confusion. “Eh? Why?”

Eruna sighed, frustration spilling out. “Too many dumbasses quitting for bullshit reasons, like breakups. If they want to be lovey-dovey, do it outside the LMC, you dipshits!” Her bitter rant silenced the group, who nodded in shared disdain for Minerva LMC’s lack of commitment.

Hiroki felt a flicker of pride in Sakuragawa’s discipline, yet he couldn't shake the sense of warning in Eruna’s words.

“Sorry if I snapped,” Eruna said, softening, worried she’d scared them.

Sara chuckled, patted her shoulder, and asked, “It’s fine. What are you doing now?”

Eruna’s pride returned as she showed them a year-old YouTube video on her phone. Titled “Saraba Dimensia” under the alias Ganache Drive, it featured her keytar solo—precise, powerful, and theatrical, blending guitarist showmanship with keyboard finesse.

The song, an anime-opening-style track with synths, crisp distorted guitars, groovy bass, hard-hitting drums, and gentle yet commanding female vocals, told a bittersweet tale of farewell and reunion, mirroring her reunion with Jiraitei’s girls.

With 73,000 views as the most popular Ganache Drive video and glowing comments. It even outshone her keytar video’s 32,000.

The group showered her with praise, awestruck. “Girl, that music was unreal! You did this alone?” Junichi exclaimed passionately.

Eruna nodded proudly, but Hiroki’s awe soured into jealousy. His Death Homesick, crafted on BandLab, felt unpolished compared to Eruna’s professional sound, no matter how he tweaked it. Worse, he still hadn’t settled on a new band name to replace Suede.

As Toriteba’s girls gushed over “Saraba Dimensia," Eruna poked them. “I was thinking of replacing Hasumi with you.”

Hiroki’s heart sank, Hasumi’s tearful breakdowns flashing in his mind—last Saturday’s confession, Aoi’s violent rescue. “Please don’t!” he blurted with a low, worried frustration.

Eruna softened, her tone sympathetic. “Speaking of Hasumi, I feel for her. Feels like I want to give her a warm hug. Reminded me of my issue with family about my passion.”

Hiroki relaxed, realizing he’d misjudged her. Relieved she shared her concern for Hasumi.

“Thankfully, she’s opening up more now,” Takane said, and the group nodded, sharing sympathy for Hasumi’s pain.

Eruna smiled, sighing with gratitude. “Thank goodness. Protect her until the end, okay? We’re in this together.” She pointed with a warm smile, and they nodded, smiling.

Eruna stood, grabbing her bag. “Sorry, I have to go. See you soon if I have time.”

“Pwease, stay a minute~~~." Yuna playfully whimpered, clinging to Eruna’s waist.

“Let go, dumbass! I need to get home quickly!” Eruna snapped playfully, sparking laughter.

With a farewell wave, Eruna left. The six Sakuragawa LMC members gathered their bags and exited the mall, their chatter fading into the evening.

Hiroki’s envy lingered, compounded by the looming challenge of renaming Suede for the Sakuragawa Halloween Festival, creating a sense of anticipation.

***

Friday, 6:30 PM. Hiroki, Junichi, Takane, Mei, Yuna, and Sara had parted ways after their lively mall reunion with Eruna Nakasuga. The evening air was crisp as Hiroki strolled along the sidewalk toward the train station, his mind buzzing with the day’s events.

Suede’s triumphant Death Homesick showcase, Eruna’s polished Saraba Dimensia, and the lingering sting of Reina Kuroda’s critique about their band name. He pulled out his phone and DM’ed Aoi Mizuno to check on Hasumi Sakakibara, now staying at Aoi’s apartment.

saturdaynightwrist2006: Mizuno-san. How’s Hasumi doing?

Aoi replied with a photo of Hasumi’s back, her scars cleaned and healing. Hiroki’s jaw dropped—a clumsy chuunibyou like Aoi tending wounds with such skill was shocking.

Before he could respond, Aoi messaged again.

darkpriestess145: Just taken care of her scars. She’s calmer now.

Hiroki, still walking, typed back, baffled.

saturdaynightwrist2006: How’d you even do that? Did your sister teach you?

darkpriestess145: Yes. Fitness boot camp years ago. That’s why.

Hiroki nodded to himself, realizing that Aoi’s survival instincts were deeply ingrained, developed long before she adopted her priestess persona. Before he could reply, Hasumi messaged him.

murasakinohana029: She’s not just kind—she’s given me warm meals and unmatched hospitality.

murasakinohana029: God! If Aoi were a boy, I’d marry him.

Hiroki chuckled, typing back.

saturdaynightwrist2006: Don’t think weird stuff!

saturdaynightwrist2006: Has she done anything weird?

murasakinohana029: No! All’s fine, right, Mizuno-san?

darkpriestess145: The cold autumn rain hath washed over all doubts like a mother’s cradle, healing the broken souls.

Hiroki burst into laughter, cringing at Aoi’s chuunibyou flair. Memories of his own middle school chuunibyou phase—his Deftones’ Elite vocal cover—flooded back, haunting him. Yet, he was grateful for Aoi’s reliability; Hasumi’s recovery proved her priestess persona was more than theatrics. But it also troubled him, fearing that she might retaliate if he made even the slightest mistake.

saturdaynightwrist2006: I’m heading home. Be careful.

As he slipped his phone into his pocket, Aoi’s words about “the cold autumn rain” lingered in his mind. Shigure. The single word reverberated, drawing him to open his phone's memo app.

Scrolling through his cringeworthy middle school chuunibyou notes, he found a file: “Crimson Shigure.” Opening it unveiled a melodramatic, Shakespearean-esque poem depicting crimson rain in a cold autumn, saturated with over-the-top flair. He cringed, much like he did recalling his Deftones' Elite cover, but Shigure lingered.

Did it hold a deeper meaning? Could 'Shigure' potentially supplant Suede, encapsulating their powerful yet graceful musical style? Hiroki stepped onto the train, with 'Shigure' igniting a spark in the tranquility of his mind.