Arc 2, Chapter 3: Naps, Nightmares, and Guitars

The crowd was still buzzing from the duel when Mizuki’s bandmates forced their way through the sea of people.

Eillia: “Mizuki! There you are!”

Before the audience could bombard them with questions, Eillia grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away. Frida kept looking over her shoulder as though she thought reporters would suddenly appear, while Lyric followed, hood up and fidgeting nervously.

Mizuki: “Hey, hey, easy! Don’t treat me like stolen merchandise!”

Frida: “You basically picked a fight with a goddess in the middle of the busiest street in Resonara! What were you thinking!?”

With her broken pick still between her fingers, Mizuki grinned.

Mizuki: “That I’ll crush her on stage later. Isn’t it obvious?”

Lyric: “Y…You looked like you were enjoying it way too much…”

The noise of the streets was finally muffled by the door of the inn where they were staying. The four of them let out a sigh of relief at the sudden silence.

Eillia crossed her arms.

Eillia: “Alright. You’re officially banned from exploring Resonara alone. Consider this a timeout.”

Mizuki: “Wha…? Timeout? I’m not five years old!”

Frida: “Could’ve fooled me.”

Lyric: “Um… maybe… a break is good? After all that, I…I mean.”

Mizuki's body betrayed her when she tried to protest. Her arms felt like lead all of a sudden, and the adrenaline was wearing off. She fell onto the nearest chair like a deflated balloon.

Mizuki: “...Okay, maybe just a tiny nap. But only because you guys begged me.”

Eillia let out a sigh, but her lips curled into the tiniest smile.

Eillia: “Rest, Mizuki. You’ll need your strength for what’s coming. After you are done, head to the first level of the inn... I rented a music room there for us to practice later.”

The others quietly closed the door behind them and left her in her room.

Mizuki lay on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling. Remembering the beat of Erica's flawless solo, her fingers twitched.

Mizuki: “…Damn it. I hate losing.”

Her eyelids became heavy. The pain in her chest, the warmth of the pillow, and the soft hum of Resonara outside the window all drew her to sleep.

The world of Resonara vanished as she fell asleep, to be replaced by the strum of a golden-haired girl's guitar and the sound of a familiar school hallway…

***

After I met her, I joined her and started picking up playing the guitar and singing as a hobby.

After school ended and everyone headed back home, we would both play the guitar and laugh together. I really love those times, especially since I can express myself fully without any fear or acting.

I hope these days never end. But good things don’t last forever.

It started to end after one morning, when my homeroom teacher handed out a form to everyone in the class.

???: “Alright, class… This is your career form. Fill in what you want to do after high school and submit it to me.”

And as usual, a bunch of students will crowd around me, asking me a barrage of questions that makes me feel nauseous.

???: “Mizuki! What do you want to do after you graduate? You haven’t told us yet!”

???: “Of course she is going to university, duh! Unless she’s gonna become a really successful businesswoman or a CEO!”

But, no.

I neither want to go to university nor become a businesswoman or a CEO.

I feel like I want to do something… Something I love, something that can make me feel colourful and excited. Something more interesting than those generic and boring stuff.

***

???: “Why not become a musician?”

Mizuki: “...Huh?”

Mizuki was surprised by the golden-haired girl’s response.

???: “Well, you said that you want to do something interesting and fun, right? Isn’t that playing music? You look really happy when you are playing the guitar and singing.”

Mizuki: “B…But… My parents will most likely not approve it… People around me won’t expect or respect that choice…”

???: “Mizuki.”

She grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eye.

???: “Stop caring about what other people want you to do. Be yourself! You are the main character of your own life, you know? Not those people!”

At that moment, I felt like my eyes sparkled, like something lit up inside of my heart.

It’s not only hot, but warm.

I nodded in response and smiled, not for appearances, but genuinely.

Mizuki: “Yeah… You’re right!”

However, what I didn’t know was that this was our last conversation.

After that day, she suddenly disappeared. Without any trace.

The one and only person whom I can call my best friend, and yet, I didn’t even know her name.

On that same day, my parents happened to discuss my career and future during dinner, and I was left with a lot of expectations, which made me uneasy. That’s when I placed my chopsticks down and confidently declared:

Mizuki: “I want to become a musician; I want to form my own band and play music.”

My parents’ jaws dropped, with nothing but disappointment in their eyes.

Dad set his chopsticks down with a sharp clack.

Dad: “…Don’t joke around at the dinner table.”

Mom: “Mizuki, enough. You’ve always been at the top of your class. Do you really want to throw all that away to… play songs?”

Their voices were sharper than I imagined, and they stung.

It was the same at school the next day. Word had spread.

???: “Wait… You actually wrote musician on your career form?”

???: “Seriously? Mizuki, that’s… wow. Guess even prodigies can be stupid sometimes.”

???: “Don’t tell me you think you’ll actually make it? Get real.”

Louder than any amp, their laughter echoed in my ears. I felt my ideal little "image" breaking for the first time.

Nevertheless, I convinced myself that everything was okay. Everything is alright. She's still with me.

But then—

She disappeared. No text. No explanations. No farewell. Just... gone.

I asked everyone and looked everywhere, but nobody seemed to care because they didn't know her well enough. As if she had been spirited away. The one person who told me to live honestly, the one person who lit up my heart, vanished without a trace.

By the time graduation came, I’d already given up expecting anything from anyone.

I got my graduation certificate that day, walked across the stage, and gave the cameras my best but empty smile. When I got home, my parents were waiting.

Dad: “You’re not serious about this music nonsense, are you?”

Mom: “…If you really are, then maybe you don’t belong in this house.”

As simple as that. They didn't argue. They didn't hesitate. They decided their “perfect daughter” didn’t exist anymore.

And for the first time in my life… I had nowhere to go. Until... 

***

Mizuki immediately opened her eyes wide, rolled off the bed, and hit her head.

Mizuki: “Ow…”

She starts rubbing the back of her head repeatedly.

Mizuki: “Shit… After that match with that goddess… I can’t help but remember her… And my past… What’s even her deal!?”