Arc 2, Chapter 4: A Melody That Faded

After her nap, Mizuki heads to the music room that Eillia rented.

It was a tiny space, cushioned by gray, lifeless foam that muffled all sounds but theirs. Cables slithered across the floor like vines, empty water bottles were tipped over near the amps, and the air smelled like the subtle, metallic tang of electricity and sweat.

Sharp, quick, and dazzling, Mizuki's guitar blazed through the room with riffs. With her fingers flying and her head tilted back, as if she was back on stage rather than in a tiny music room with her bandmates.

Bang!

Frida slammed her sticks into the snare, the crack so loud it startled Mizuki’s rhythm.

Frida: “Oi! We’re trying to practice, not sit through a damn solo act!”

Mizuki blinked while maintaining her grin.

Mizuki: “What? Can’t handle a little heat?”

With her guitar still dangling at her side, Eillia groaned as she leaned against the wall.

Eillia: “Tch. She’s been like this since that goddess fight. Playing like she’s trying to outshine the sun.”

Lyric shifted uncomfortably, hugging her bass and curling her tail around her chair.

Lyric: “M…Mizuki… are you okay? You keep… drifting. Like you’re not really here with us.”

The last note Mizuki struck hung awkwardly in the air, feeding into the silence.

Mizuki scratches the back of her head and laughs awkwardly.

Mizuki: “I… I am totally fine! What, worried that I’ll foreshadow y’all?”

Her bandmates stare at her in silence, instead of shrugging it off and continuing with the practice.

Mizuki’s grin fades slightly.

Mizuki: “What’s wrong? Everyone…?”

Eillia sighs.

Eillia: “Look… We all know that you are frustrated after that match with the goddess… But after I observed you for a bit… I feel like things might be more than they seem…”

Mizuki forced out a confident but frail smile.

Mizuki: “It’s alright, really! I’ll destroy her on stage eventually! I’m the prodigy, remember?”

Mizuki let out another awkward laugh, trying to brush it off. However, it only adds to the awkwardness of the tension.

Frida: “Please let us know what’s bothering you… We are bandmates, right?”

Lyric: “Y… Yeah… You’ve listened and helped us… Let us help you too… Y…You don’t have to… Carry it all alone…”

Mizuki sighs.

Mizuki: “Well… That goddess… Also reminded me of my past… And my past is… Kinda long though…”

The 3 of them settled down their instruments and looked at Mizuki attentively.

Eillia: “We are willing to hear you out, no matter how long or difficult it seems.”

Mizuki: “Alright…”

I told them about the girl who had brightened my life and then suddenly disappeared. About the silence at home when my parents decided their "perfect daughter" was no longer there, the betrayal, and the laughter. I was dragged back to that night by memories that came flooding in more vividly than I wanted.

There is something else that is bothering me, though. And it was what happened after. As my story… Doesn’t just end there.

And that is what happened a few days later, after I got kicked out…

***

After getting disowned, I started living at manga cafés.

The kind where the air smells of cold sweat and instant noodles, and the rooms are no bigger than a closet. I made enough money playing music on the streets to buy cheap meals at convenience stores.

Every time I played music, I felt a sense of joy.

But, living this way? Not at all.

I was starting to think that maybe mum and dad were right.

Maybe all of this was stupid. Maybe I really was chasing some impossible dream. Until one day…

???: “Yo!”

Someone called out to me as I was packing up my guitar, ready to head back to the manga cafe.

I turned back, and I saw a girl.

The girl has long, cotton candy-pink hair that is as bright as the sunset. Her jacket was covered with band pins, her jeans were torn, and she had a smile that made her look like she owned the world. Giving off the gyaru vibe.

???: “You’re seriously amazing! That solo was fire! You in a band or something?”

Mizuki: “Huh? Oh, uh… No.”

She clapped her hands together and leaned in.

???: “We happen to need a new guitarist and singer. Wanna join? Our lead quit last week ‘cause her boyfriend said she was ‘too loud.’”

I blinked.

Mizuki: “That’s… really sudden.”

???: “So? You in?”

She held out her hand, eyes sparkling.

Maybe it was because I was hungry. Maybe because I was lonely.

But I took it.

Mizuki: “…Alright.”

???: “Sweet! I’m Rina. Welcome to Starlit Riot!”

I arrived at their practice spot the next day, which was a small garage behind a ramen restaurant.

At the start, I wasn’t expecting much. But somehow, it felt alive.

I can’t even remember the rest of their names. The drummer was a loud guy who cracked terrible jokes every ten minutes. The bassist was a shy girl who smiled every time we locked into the same rhythm. The rhythm guitarist of the band was Rina, the pink-haired gyaru who was ruthless, intelligent, and really fun to be around.

We played for the whole day. No pressure. No rules. Just sounds and laughter.

For the first time since high school, I felt… warm.

Rina: “You’re seriously nuts on guitar, Mizuki! We’re so keeping you!”

Drummer: “Dude, we might actually not suck now!”

Bassist: “Ah… I think we sound… nice.”

We all laughed. That was the day I learned what “family” was supposed to feel like.

Weeks passed.

We started small. We played in tiny bars, cafés, and even at a wedding once. The pay sucked, but people clapped, and that was enough.

Then things started changing.

Clips of our performances began spreading online. We got invited to bigger venues. The crowd got louder. Cameras appeared.

And for some reason…

They all kept shouting my name.

???: “Mizuki! Mizuki!”

Every interview. Every post. Every headline.

Rina still smiled, but it wasn’t the same kind of smile anymore.

The guy drummer started skipping practice sometimes.

The girl bassist stopped meeting my eyes when I talked.

I didn’t think much about it. I just thought that everyone was tired.

But during one practice, a producer came to visit.

???: “Your vocalist’s amazing. The rest of you just need to keep up.”

The producer just said casually.

The air froze.

No one said a word.

A week later, Rina called a “meeting.”

The garage was quiet when I arrived. No amps, no laughter, just three people standing there with uneasy faces.

Rina looked down at the floor.

Rina: “Mizuki… You’re incredible. You know that, right?”

Mizuki: “…You’re making me nervous.”

The boy scratched his neck.

Drummer: “It’s not that we don’t appreciate you, but… the label wants you, not us.”

Bassist: “Everyone says it’s your band now…”

The girl whispered while trembling.

Finally, Rina forced a smile and looked up.

Rina: “We can’t… do this anymore. It doesn’t feel like Starlit Riot; it feels like Mizuki and the rest of us. And honestly… all 3 of us can’t stand it.”

I wanted to say something. I want to tell them they were wrong, that I needed them, and that the stage didn’t shine unless we were all standing on it.

But… No words came out of my mouth when I opened it.

I let out a weak laugh.

Mizuki: “I… I’m sorry.”

No one replied.

I packed my guitar, my hands trembling, and walked out.

The night air felt heavy. Too quiet.

As I’m walking further away, I realized that…

...They never called me a “friend” before.

Something inside me faded.

Maybe that’s why I started smiling and showing off my confidence in everything. If not, I might've... broken completely. 

After all this, I began debuting as a solo artist and became quite successful.

My ex-band continued, but lost popularity and eventually disbanded.

Although I was successful, I felt lonely and empty inside. In everyone’s eyes, I was the prodigy and invincible Mizuki Yamada.

But inside, I was just a girl who gave up on everything.

And everything started to change after the goddess Erica appeared right in front of me…