Without

Thinking back about the team activity the other day, Masaki surely had a lot of fun. But even though he got to know Akane and the other girls a lot better, they still didn’t make any progress on the song’s lyrics. So in the end, the meeting only had medium levels of success.

Masaki sighed.

How are we going to get the song done?

He could write the lyrics himself or find someone that could write the texts for them. His dad probably knew someone who could. The thought of that just didn’t feel good.

She just has to write it, otherwise, it wouldn’t feel authentic.

An indie band like Maid in Melodies had to convey its own story, not something written by a producer or some kind of songwriter. The best way for Ishihara-san to convey her emotions with her singing was to sing about something she actually cared about.

But with her stoic facade, it seemed rather difficult for her to get out her true feelings.

It must be scary for her to empty her heart into the song's lyrics.

The more Masaki thought about it, this approach seemed more and more inevitable.

But how in the world would he get her to open up, get her to pour her heart on the piece of paper that would become the song's lyrics?

Masaki reached for his phone with his hand. Hesitatingly, he scrolled through his contacts searching for Ishihara-san’s name. His finger touched the glass and he moved the phone next to his ear.

“What can I help you with, Masaki-kun?”

Masaki inhaled some air and started talking.

“There is something I’d like to share with you - something I’ve been keeping from you all this time”

“Do you remember the first time I visited your concert?”

“Sure, what about it”

She respond, sounding a bit indifferent.

“I was supposed to give you the business card then and there”

“After all, your talent was clear from the very first note you played.”

“I am not going to lie, but your performance hooked me in from the first second.”

“Mmm, okay”

Ishihara-san sounded confused, it was clear she had no idea why Masaki was calling her.

“But I was too much of a coward to go up to you and give you the card.”

“After all, I didn’t expect the singer to be such an attractive, popular girl from my school.”

“So instead of giving you the card, I lied to my dad and tried to forget about Maid in Melodies”

She went quiet for a couple of seconds.

“So what made you go back and give us the card?”

Masaki swallowed, he knew he had to go all out.

“It was you Ishihara-san - you have the talent, passion, drive, and energy I need for someone to work with. After seeing you perform on stage, I couldn’t fathom working with another band.”

“It just had to be you and Maid in Melodies, I had to go back and confront my fear of going up to you and offering my service”

“Just my drive and energy, nothing else…?”

Akane mumbled, followed by.

“Well, it mustn’t have been easy to get up to a band and face the chance of rejection by a band you love so much”

“I know it isn’t comparable with going on stage and performing for…”

Ishihara-san interrupted him.

“Please don’t put yourself down like that, Masaki”

“It is good of you to share your bottled-up feelings like this”

“But please promise me one thing - don’t call me a popular girl ever again. We are partners, remember?”

“I am sorry for that.”

An awkward silence fell.

“So anything else you want to tell me?”

“No, that was everything.”

Masaki said with a confident voice.

“But, I want you to do the same - there must be something thing you’ve been bottling up in your head, right?”

Ishihara-san went silent for a bit.

“I could think of some things yes…”

“But I am not going to share that with you over the phone - I’d be ashamed”

“Good, please don’t. Instead, write it down and use it as a basis for the songs lyrics”

Ishihara-san sighed.

“Ahh, so that was where this was all about…”

“You know… you’re right… the best lyrics are written by throwing your mind on paper”

She said with an unusually soft voice.

“It… it will be hard for me though”

“I’ll try my best.. but promise to not laugh at what I create.”

“Of course, I won’t, we are partners remember?”

X

The next day, Masaki was woken up by his phone ringing. Half-asleep he accepted the call and moved the phone to his ear.

“Hello, your speaking to Mas-ki-aahhh”

He couldn’t help but yawn.

“It’s done”

A confident voice said from the other side of the line.

“I finished writing the songs lyrics, I’d like to invite you to band practice tonight”

Masaki’s call the other day seemed to have worked.

She finished those lyrics remarkably fast.

“Great to hear Ishihara-san, I make sure to be there”

Akane told Masaki the location and made him promise one more time.

“Please don’t laugh at my lyrics - I do something to you”

After which she hung up the phone.

Masaki couldn’t help but be excited.

Finally, the song is coming together.

Let’s hope she has any talent for this.

If the lyrics were anything like the acoustic song, Masaki had nothing to worry about.

Wait a second… she wrote these lyrics as well…

So if the only way for her to write lyrics was to pour out her heart - then that song must be…

Masaki’s suspicion of those lyrics being about him grew stronger and stronger. But how unlike would it be for such a wallflower as himself to be on her mind?

Masaki shook his head.

All of this is just wishful thinking.

He couldn’t deny that he found her quite attractive, but even if she thought the same of him, it wouldn’t be right to risk the band’s chance of success on something so shallow…

We are partners - business partners.

Let’s hope her lyrics aren’t too personal or anything…