Act 2, Chapter 4: One-Day Ticket

Hiroki Yamada stood center stage, his dignity shredded in a frilly pink magical girl cosplay outfit. The ensemble included a sequined dress, a heart pendant, and a pink twintail wig, all forced upon him as "punishment" for flunking the "four horsemen of the apocalypse" (math, physics, chemistry, and biology).

With their mischievous smirks gleaming, Aoi and Takane clapped as they re-entered, praising his "bravery" for facing their justice.

"Now, repeat before me for thy repentance! 'Everyone! Wish along with me! Magical Splash Flare!'" Aoi began, her priestess persona surging as she urged Hiroki into a cheesy anime-style transformation sequence, twirling an imaginary wand with her pencil in the air.

Takane joined, her empress-like flair adding a seductive chant. "Transform, O Dark Lord, into the Maiden of Light~~~!"

Before Hiroki could protest, the music room door slammed open, freezing the trio. Junichi Enoshima, the drummer for Shiguri and Hiroki’s closest buddy, stood in the doorway, his eyes wide with confusion.

The sight of Hiroki in a pink magical girl outfit, flanked by Aoi and Takane’s dramatic poses, halted him mid-step. Silence gripped the room, the three bracing for a noise complaint or something even worse to come.

Junichi’s confusion morphed into a wry smirk. He whipped out his phone, aiming the camera at Hiroki. "Oh, a gold—"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Hiroki screamed, lunging forward and snatching Junichi’s phone. In a panic, he hurled it at the soundproof wall. The phone bounced harmlessly, saved by its protective case, but Junichi’s jaw dropped.

"WHY’D YOU THROW IT, DUMBASS?!" Junichi grabbed Hiroki’s collar, his confusion laced with frustration.

"THEN WHY’D YOU TRY TO TAKE A PHOTO OF ME, YOU PERVERT?!" Hiroki shot back, his face burning with embarrassed rage, the pink wig bouncing with his outburst.

The tension fizzled as Junichi’s anger cracked into a mischievous, blushing smirk. "Well… for memories?"

"MEMORIES MY ASS!" Hiroki roared, his voice echoing in the room.

Aoi stepped forward, her chuunibyou flair dialed up. "Meet our mastermind, the one who topples the blackening reign of the Dark Lord himself!" she declared, gesturing to Junichi like he was a summoned hero.

Takane nodded, her empress persona purring. "A sage of alchemy, aiding our quest~~~."

Junichi chuckled, scratching his head with a weirded-out grin. "Enough with that, will you?"

Hiroki squinted, baffled by their words. "What are you talking about?"

Junichi’s sheepish smile widened. "I’m helping them with the midterm test stuff."

Aoi dropped her dramatic tone, though her priestess vibe lingered. "I summoned him because he solves the alchemy my Divine Eye cannot—those wretched equations!" Her words drew a cringed frown from Hiroki, who muttered, "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Junichi laughed softly. "My uncle was an engineer before becoming a shrine keeper. Taught me a thing or two about math and science. Not a big deal."

Hiroki nodded, still puzzled, scratching his head. "But… why?"

Junichi’s smile turned warm, his eyes earnest. "If you need me, don’t be a stranger, okay? We’re friends, right?" He winked at Aoi and Takane, who nodded in unison, their earlier teasing softened by the warmth of camaraderie.

Hiroki’s frustration eased, a reluctant smile breaking through. "Yeah… you might be right." He couldn’t walk alone—not with his academic struggles, not with Kaito’s loss still heavy.

The four settled onto the music room’s small stage, the pink cosplay outfit still clinging to Hiroki, the twintail wig itching his neck uncomfortably. They swapped stories, laughter filling the room and blending with the faint hum of their shared passion.

***

The Sakuragawa’s LMC room buzzed with the lingering laughter of Hiroki, Aoi, Takane, and Junichi. The small stage in the Sakuragawa’s LMC room hosted Hiroki, Aoi, Takane, and Junichi, their banter blending chuunibyou flair with heartfelt camaraderie, offering a temporary escape from the summer heat and academic stresses.

"Hey, guys! Guess what?" Takane teased, her eyes sparkling as she raised an eyebrow.

Hiroki, Aoi, and Junichi leaned in, curiosity piqued. Takane flashed her phone, displaying a QR code for a Summer Sonic Osaka Fest ticket for one day, the 17th of August, with her name and a price tag of 17,000 yen—steep for a high schooler. "Got it for tomorrow!" she chirped.

Junichi’s jaw dropped. "No way! Summer Sonic Osaka?!" His awe shifted to concern. "Where’d you get that kind of money?"

Takane giggled, unfazed. "Part-time job with Sara-chan at the Shinagawa live house, serving cocktails to customers."

The words "Shinagawa live house" hit Hiroki like a phantom. Kaito Yamada’s fiery motorcycle crash after Izakaya No Mani’s gig there haunted him, a memory of screeching tires and loss. Shinagawa live house. His melancholy flickering.

He shook it off, forcing his focus back. "Uh… anyway… what artists are you seeing?"

Takane’s enthusiasm surged. "Harmoniac, they're headlining the event too! By the way, they’re about to drop their second album in mid-August. Dark Reckoning. And here's their hit single, Heaven’s Cry—you know, the opening for the Heaven's Fall anime two years ago!" She pulled up a YouTube video, hitting play.

Heaven’s Cry began with a sweeping opera orchestra and a female vocalist’s soft, melancholic plea for absolution. A brutal breakdown followed—distorted guitars, punchy bass, dramatic strings, thumping drums, and the frontwoman’s voice soaring with despair.

The band’s layered vocals, a symphonic metal crescendo, evoked an apocalyptic clash of angels and demons. Hiroki’s chuunibyou stirred, the song’s drama fueling his "Dark Lord" persona, inspired by Heaven’s Fall’s main antagonist when he was 13.

Junichi clapped, grinning. "Harmoniac is so goated! The frontwoman herself, Hinata Murasaki, turned them from a kira-kira idol group to gothic hard rock—I actually love it!" Takane nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining with obsession as she shared her excitement with Junichi.

Aoi, however, tilted her head, her priestess persona analytical. "Ethereal, and permeated with beauty. But the priestess craves rawer emotion that shakes the very heart." Hiroki nodded, sharing the critique with Aoi.

Harmoniac’s polished orchestra and vocals overshadowed the guitars and drums, feeling "play-it-safe" compared to the raw chaos he craved, like Shiguri’s shoegaze alt-rock edge.

Takane smirked at Aoi. "Oh, you mean Liliane?"

The name Liliane electrified Hiroki and Aoi, both nodding eagerly. Takane grinned, pulling up another video. "I'll see them after Harmoniac. This is their new banger, Highway of the Lost."

Highway of the Lost hit like a sonic gut punch—Ling Tosite Sigure-inspired hardcore shoegaze riffs, aggressive with modulated strums, paired with Evanescence’s gothic atmosphere. Aria Amatsuka’s vocals blended Toru Kitajima’s melancholy with Adele’s soul, maternal yet commanding.

Seductive backing vocals wove through neck-breaking drums, raw yet polished. The lyrics traced a path through loss, mirroring the LMC’s scars. Aria’s primal scream in the outro, fading to delicate modulated strums, painted hope after a dark tunnel.

The group clapped, Aoi pointing at Takane’s phone, her Priestess flaring. "I dare to declare: this surpasses posers like Harmoniac a hundredfold! And it's worthy of Heaven’s Fall’s second season!"

Takane’s smirk turned sinister. "Oh yeah? You’d think screaming like that would get you a record deal?"

Amidst the laughter, Junichi cut in with curiosity. "But why go alone, though? Are you sure you'll be fine in there?"

Takane shrugged. "Come on! It’s not my first time going solo to several music festivals." Her tone softened, eyes dropping. "You know… after I ran away from my parents…"

Hiroki's brows furrowed in deep concern, his eyes reflecting unease. "Then why don’t you ask Mei, Yuna, Hasumi, or Sara to accompany you?"

"Well... Mei, Yuna, and Sara are swamped with part-time jobs tomorrow, August, per summer holiday," Takane said, then hesitated, her voice tinged with melancholy. "As for Hasumi… she’s not found her rhythm yet."

Junichi nodded in sympathy. "You know, let’s take it slow with her. No need to push."

Before they could continue, the door burst open. Daichi Sato stood there, wide-eyed. "Excuse me! Is there—"

Spotting Hiroki in the magical girl outfit, Daichi froze, then mischievously grinned as he pulled out his phone. "Oh my~. Some hot trap in my area~."

Hiroki, mortified, shoved him back. "GET OOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUT!" He slammed the door, locking it as Daichi pounded, demanding answers.

Hiroki’s face burned under the pink wig as Aoi, Takane, and Junichi collapsed in laughter, their amusement echoing through the room. In the place that roared with their chaos and was a haven where embarrassment and bonds coexisted.