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Walking through a crowd, the village is aglow
Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats
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Koushi’s never been to Tokyo before.
He’s been to Sendai, and other cities, but nothing is like this, like the hustle and bustle of the heart of the city. His eyes are wide, and anyone looking at him probably thinks he’s a tourist.
Technically, he’s still in high school. All he has are the clothes on his back and a duffle bag full of the few things he owns. Thank god that Karasuno Records is paying for a (furnished) apartment for him for the next year. He’d be stuck in a shoebox otherwise, he’s sure.
The plan is to finish up high school online. He’s going to be recording the songs that his record label decided that they like. Within the next year, he’ll be graduated and his first ever album will be released.
His phone rings, and he picks it up.
“Koushi? Did you make it safely?”
Koushi giggles when he hears his boyfriend’s concerned voice on the other end of the line. “I did, I did! Sorry, I arrived five minutes ago! I was going to call you, but I got a little distracted. I mean, it’s so beautiful! Oh, you’ve gotta come visit in a few days– it’s the summer holiday, I know that you can!”
There’s a warm laugh through his speaker. “I’ll do my best. I just have to ask my parents.”
“Ha-ha, that’s right! You’re still seventeen, babyface!”
“You know that I have anything but a babyface.”
“You’re a baby, therefore you have a babyface!”
“What’s it like?”
Koushi looks around, the brightest smile on his face. “Oh, it’s beautiful, Asahi. You’re going to love it.”
Everybody here wanted something more
Searching for a sound we hadn’t heard before
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“That’s the last box, Sa’amura,” Kuroo declares, dropping the final box on the counter. “So, now what?”
Daichi looks up from where he’s washing his dishes to put away. “Well, unpacking. The kitchen and bathroom are priorities.”
“Of course, makes sense,” Kuroo agrees. He leans against the wall and yawns. “Consider that first, nap.”
“Kuroo, if we don’t do it now–”
“We never will, alright, got it,” Kuroo groans. He picks his box back up. “Remind me why we agreed to live together after high school?”
“Because we share life goals, we can’t afford our own places, Kenma is still in school so you can’t live with your real best friend yet…” Daichi gives him a playful grin.
“Hey! I can have two best friends, Daichi! You wound me!”
“I’m sure you can, Tetsu; you just like Kenma more.”
“I love you both equally, my heart is a fountain of platonic affection.”
“If you love me so much, you’ll help me unpack.” Daichi smiles and dries his hands on the freshly set out hand towel.
“Oh, you’re clever and cruel, Sa’amura,” Kuroo sighs, following after him.
It’s a new soundtrack,
I could dance to this beat forevermore
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Yui waits in the café, a nice and public place for the roommate interview she agreed to. If she wasn’t desperate for a place to stay, she wouldn’t have bothered, but she really needed an apartment. Sharing rent was the only real option.
It doesn’t take long before a beautiful woman with black hair and glasses walks in. She looks like she’s stepped out of a magazine or something, and Yui feels her face heat up as she looks away. But then, she sits in front of Yui, and oh. So this is who put out an ad.
“Michimiya Yui?” the woman asks shyly.
Yui nods and extends a hand to shake. “Uh, yes! That’s me! So, you must be Shimizu-san?”
“Shimizu Kiyoko,” she confirms, “and thank you for meeting me.”
“Of course! I was a little nervous, because I mean, you could’ve been some scary old man trying to kidnap innocent young women! Or just a creep! Or murderer… but I’m really glad that you seem basically normal because I really need a place to stay and– oh, oh, I’m sorry, I’m not usually this talkative! I’m just a little nervous!”
Shimizu hides a laugh behind her hand. “Ah, don’t worry about it. I’m pretty desperate myself. I was supposed to be moving in with my friend, but she decided last minute to move in with this other girl. She still paid her half in rent this month, but after this, I have no clue what I’m doing.”
Yui nods sympathetically. She was hoping to move in with a friend too, but said friend was still in high school for another year, which meant until then, she’s on her own.
“So, let’s get started! I just need to ask you a few questions, and then we can head up so you can take a look,” Shimizu says. She holds up a clipboard.
“Okay! Sounds good!”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a writer! I kinda have cryptid hours, but I promise I’m quiet and very neat.”
“Will you be able to pay half of the bills every month?”
“Yes, I already got an advance on a publishing contract, so I’m covered with that!”
“Are you homophobic?”
Yui blinks. Not exactly what she was expecting to hear on an application. “Uh, no, I’m bi.”
Shimizu nods and sets the clipboard on her lap. “Okay. Final question, how soon can you move in?”
When we first dropped our bags on apartment floors
Took our broken hearts, put them in a drawer
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Yuuji carries Hana on his back, and she giggles as he runs up to their apartment door.
“We made it, Hana-san, are you ready?”
“So ready; carry me over the threshold!” Hana laughs.
Yuuji struggles with the lock for a second, but he finally gets the door open and reveals their dingy little studio apartment.
“It’s perfect,” Hana breathes.
Yuuji sets her down, and she drops her bags to look around.
“We’ll put the futons here! And we can put the table over there! And the desk will go right there! And it’ll be perfect!” Hana beams at him. “What do you think?”
“I think we’d better work on those modeling gigs,” Yuuji snorts, “but I like it. It’s a good first place to live.”
“Just think! It’s only a six-month lease, who knows what might happen by then!”
Yuuji pulls her into a side hug. “Alright. I’ll grab the boxes. You start setting up before I mess with your perfect vision.”
“Sounds like an excuse not to help unpack!”
Yuuji winks. “Of course it is.”
Once he’s outside, the smile melts off of Hana’s face. She takes a deep breath and rubs her hands over her eyes, trying to pull it together. It’s not like she has to put on a show for Yuuji– he knows what she’s been through. But this is supposed to be exciting, and Hana doesn’t want to ruin it for either of them.
She opens her bag, pretty empty, save what she managed to pack beforehand.
Her parents weren’t thrilled to hear any of the news she had for them yesterday. Maybe it was the fact she was dropping out of uni to become a model. Maybe it was that she was moving into a dingy studio apartment with a man outside of marriage.
Or maybe, it was the fact she’s a lesbian.
Anyone’s guess, really.
They were mad, so she left. She doesn’t know if it’s forever, doesn’t know if she’ll be welcome back for holidays. But that’s not her focus right now.
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Everybody here was someone else before
And you can want who you want
Boys and boys and girls and girls
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“This place is huge, Takeda-san!” Koushi gasps, spinning in a circle. “Whoa! The studio is really letting me stay here!?”
“It’s really not that big,” Takeda laughs warmly, “but I’m glad that you like it. Are you sure that bag is all you’re bringing?”
Koushi nods. “Yeah! I wanted to start fresh! Wow, this is great! Thank you so much for this opportunity!”
“Don’t thank me, you’re the one with the talent and management is the one who approved your EP,” Takeda reminds him. “You’re not too stressed about deadlines for a full album, are you?”
“Are you kidding? Besides school, all I’ve been doing is writing songs! I already have some things in the works that I can play for management tomorrow.”
“They’re going to be happy to hear that,” Takeda says. “Just…don’t take their critique too personally. Their only goal is to sell as many records as possible.”
“Of course! I’m totally ready! I just– they’re okay with it?”
Takeda tilts his head questioningly.
“With my music, it’s– it’s very explicitly, well–”
“They’re okay with you being gay,” Takeda assures him. “Bigger labels can afford to be a little controversial, and I think no matter who you love, people will love your music.”
Like any great love, it keeps you guessing
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“How’d the audition go?” Kuroo calls when Daichi gets home.
Daichi groans and face-plants on their worn-out couch. “It went awfully. I don’t think I’m cut out for this, Tetsu. I should just stick to being a barista.”
“It’s only been four months,” Kuroo laughs, patting his back reassuringly. “You can give up when you’ve had a full year of rejection, alright?”
Daichi looks up at him. “Okay, fine. But in eight months, when I become a full-time barista, I get to say I told you so.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” Kuroo says. “But by then, Kenma will be living with us, so I won’t be the one dealing with your sadness.”
“…Kenma sure as hell won’t.”
“Kiyoko-chan will just have to step up to the plate then,” Kuroo decides. “She’s the one who got you the job anyways, isn’t she?”
Daichi nods. “She was already working there for a few months before, so she put in a good word.”
“See, she’ll be more than willing to listen to you mope.”
“You’re such a good friend,” Daichi deadpans.
“I’ve always been this kind.”
Like any real love, it’s ever-changing
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“I understand that, but– yes, ma’am, but you said–” Yui’s patience is beyond frayed right now. Her agent has moved up her deadlines by a full week, a week that she needed. It takes all her strength not to just hang up.
Kiyoko stops on her way to the kitchen and gives Yui a curious look. Yui shakes her head and gives a hopeless look.
“Alright,” she finally agrees, “then I’ll have it to you by the end of the week.”
Her agent hangs up, and Yui feels herself starting to cry. Well, that’s embarrassing.
“Hey, you good?” Kiyoko asks. “I’ll order us dinner, c’mon. What cheap takeout do you want?”
Yui follows her roommate into the kitchen. “Just the ramen place,” she mumbles. “My agent wants this draft in this week instead of next week, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to get it done.”
Kiyoko hums. “That’s stupid.”
“I know! But here we are anyways, and I think I’m going to end up handing in a piece of garbage, and my editor will have a field day with that.”
“I’m sure it won’t be garbage, Yui-chan,” Kiyoko assures her. “You’ve been working on this book for years. In five months, it’s coming out. You’re past the point of garbage– everything now is just touch-ups. Your agent wouldn’t move up your deadline unless she thought you could hand in something decent.”
Yui sighs and leans down against the counter, massaging her temples. “After this, I do get a break.”
“And that break is going to come sooner, which you deserve.”
Yui gives her a hopeless smile. “You’re a good friend, Kiyoko-chan.”
“I just read over your shoulder when you’re in the zone.”
Like any true love, it drives you crazy
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“I got my first gig!” Hana announces. It’s been only a week, so this isn’t too bad a feat, if she does say so herself. Well, having an agent does help.
Yuuji looks up from where he’s scrolling at the desk. “Hey! Congrats! I’ve got an audition in a couple hours. What’s the gig?”
Her face goes warm. It’s…not ideal. Well, it’s fine. It’s just a little bit– embarrassing. For the first official work in her portfolio. It sets an interesting precedent.
“Well… you know those adverts that are directed at women instead of men? So the girls are still beautiful but they’re less sexy and more, cute and smiley and having fun?”
“Sure, yeah. Love those, women are cute when they look comfortable,” Yuuji hums.
“It’s one of those! And the team is great! All women, the photographer and the marketing exec, the owners of the company, all that!”
“I’m sensing a but, Hana,” Yuuji laughs. “Why do you look like you’re going to set on fire?”
“It’s… technically, it’s an underwear model gig?”
Yuuji looks her over and shrugs. “Sure, makes sense. Hey, you’re not worried that this means underwear is all you’ll ever do, right?”
Hana groans. “I don’t know. I mean, we had to– well, we auditioned in the sense that we tried stuff on and posed to show we were comfortable. And it’s a great group of girls, all different shapes and sizes, and it’s really a great advert–”
“Hana.” Yuuji stands up and walks to her. “I don’t think any less of you for taking this as a gig, and neither will anyone else. And if they do?” He punches his fist. “Even if it was sexy and directed at men, trying to get them to buy things for their wives and girlfriends, I wouldn’t think any less of you. You don’t have to justify it.”
“God, my mom is gonna probably see this,” Hana groans, face-planting against his chest.
“She’s going to see her daughter, beautiful and confident in herself,” Yuuji tells her, patting her back reassuringly. “And if she can’t see that that’s a good thing, that’s her loss.”
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But you know you wouldn’t change anything,
Anything,
Anything.