Act 2, Chapter 10.5: Calm Before The Storm

The late-afternoon summer sun baked the sidewalk as Hiroki walked between Liam Feng Tsui-sensei and Misato Kitamura-sensei, both lugging guitar cases and pedalboards like soldiers heading to war.

Hiroki carried nothing but his school bags, the concert ticket burning a hole in his pocket. The haunting memory of Kaito Yamada's melodic voice resonating in his chest.

Shinagawa live house. The same stage where Izakaya No Mani had torn the roof off years ago, right before the fiery crash turned celebration into nightmare. His thoughts tangled like a knot of headphone wires, chaotic and hard to unravel.

Liam suddenly poked his shoulder, teacher mode completely off. "You know what? Misaki-chan filled in on bass for Harmoniac last year while Benio Suzukaze had to recover from her throat surgery."

Hiroki’s jaw dropped, eyes wide open in disbelief. "Wait, seriously?"

Misato rolled her eyes in exasperation, a deep sigh escaping her lips. "It sucked. Hinata kept yelling that I overplayed every fill."

They rounded the corner and stopped dead.

A queue snaked around 500 m from the entrance. The sidewalk resembled the chaotic prelude of a music festival riot, with ripped band tees, dyed hair, and glowing light sticks adding to the frenzy.

"Holy… crap…" Hiroki held his breath. The LMC audition crowd two months ago was child’s play compared to this.

Liam clapped his back. "You wait in line, kid. We’re heading to the dressing room." Misato gave a two-finger salute, and they vanished through the staff door.

Left alone for the first time at a real live house, Hiroki felt a pang of emptiness without Aoi by his side. Feels weird without Aoi, but fine...

Tonight he just wanted to be a regular kid—no chuunibyou theatrics, Dark Lord, nor Priestess. Just feeling the youth to the maximum.

***

Fifteen minutes later he finally crossed the threshold.

The venue had undergone a lavish renovation, boasting a polished wood floor that gleamed under the lights, enveloping the air with the familiar scent of beer and sweat. The murmur of hundreds of voices reverberated like a symphony tuning up.

"Thank you very much."

Familiar voices cut through the crowd. At the drink counter stood Takane and Sara in staff aprons. Though they were part-time high schoolers, they juggled iced teas like pros.

Hiroki jogged over the counter before Takane greeted her. "Ah, Hiroki-kun!" Her eyes went wide in surprise.

"T-Takane?! And Sara too?!" Hiroki pointed at Takane and Sara with a smile.

Sara flashed a lazy gyaru grin, sliding cups across the counter. "Yo, dude. First time going here?"

He laughed, handing over his free-drink coupon. "Nah… it’s been years since I watched my brother here." Their smile faltered for half a second, a fleeting sympathy crossing their faces.

"Anyway, here." Sara pushed an iced tea toward him. "Enjoy the show, my prince~" Takane added with her trademark bubbly wink.

Hiroki took the cup, and the girl bowed slightly. "Thank you very much."

He glanced at the running order printed on the back of his ticket:

1. Notto Maigo – 5:00-5:20
2. Travis On The Way – 5:30-5:50
3. Sparklin’Star – 6:00-6:20
4. Cafe Fighter – 6:30-6:50
5. Poltergeist – 7:00-7:20
6. Sea Ixiom – 7:30-7:50

"That’s… a lot…" he muttered, eyes wide. Six bands with twenty-minute sets each. Just imagining stage-managing this lineup felt like mental suicide. Hiroki took a long sip of iced tea; the sweet cold soothed his throat, and he pushed into the crowd.

A calm before the storm.