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Honestly, there wasn’t anything striking in particular that could warrant Kuramochi’s undivided attention. Finals have been lurking in the corner, signaling its arrival which gave way to the sudden hustle and bustle of students hanging around the university library or nearby coffee shops, trying to cram the last pieces of information they can before their impending doom gives their verdict. Luckily enough, Kuramochi’s examinations had been long completed a week ago, and so he found himself listening to the ramblings of an overly-excited fair head. He must admit that he hasn’t been particularly focused on their conversation at hand and all he could understand (remembers) is the fact that there’s a party being held at the outskirts of town later in the late of the evening as a celebratory event of some sort for getting through that hellish ride of an academic year.
“Are you up for it then, Youichi?” The taller fair head inquired. Eyes expectantly looking at Kuramochi with such hope that he’ll agree to his invitation.
Kuramochi inadvertently looked away, pretending to ponder over it. “I don’t know, Mei. Seems far.”
Mei shot Kuramochi a look of exasperation, seemingly doubtful of the latter’s reply and quite tired that Kuramochi tried a measly excuse not to accompany him. “You liar! I knew you were zoning out when I was telling you the details.”
Kuramochi chuckled and replied in turn, “To be fair, you were introducing me to a whole bunch of people I’ve never even met. How am I supposed to know who this bespectacled hazelnut haired childhood friend of yours is?”
Mei only smiled in return. If you squint a little, it might have even resembled a grin. “ Oh , so you’re curious about Kazuya?”
Kuramochi’s brows furrowed and looked at Mei incredulously, “Am I suppose to remember names now?”
“Yet you knew his hair color and that he wears glasses out of all the people I rambled to you about.” Mei pointed out.
Kuramochi blinked twice and scrunched up his nose. “You specifically told me that it wouldn’t be difficult to spot him with his glasses on.” He replied in defense.
“Hmm alright, that’s what you said.” Mei narrowed his eyes and smirked. “He’ll be performing later just in case you want to get to know him better.”
“The fuck? Who told you I wanted to mee-”
“Yeah yeah no need to thank me. You can pick me up at my place later. 9 pm sharp.” Mei stood up from his seat and took a few steps to start heading to his next class.
Mochi followed Narumiya’s figure as he saw the former took big strides towards Shirakawa, a classmate of his in World History who was just passing by. “Narumiya, I’m not coming.”
“Nah, not working. See you later mobster!” Mei waved back to Kuramochi as he hurriedly made his way to Shirakawa to greet him with a boisterous laugh.
In the dimly lit confines of Charisma, the vibrant energy of live music pulsed through the air. It was a sanctuary for indie bands, a place where raw talent thrived amidst the greater popularity of record breaking artists under prestigious labels. There, they can freely enjoy music and play to their heart’s content. For this night, quite a number of bands signed up to play for the crowd and the talk of the town, Tempo, is no exception to that.
Tempo is a four man band led by Sanada who happens to own Charisma as well. At first, Sanada only wanted to play for his friends, leisurely jamming to their classic songs; however, Carlos offered to open their bar to reach bigger audiences and expand their reach. It was an idea that characteristically piqued Sanada’s interest, so he decided to form a band with Carlos and Shirasu, an acquaintance of his who plays the electric guitar quite exceptionally. Miyuki got invited through Shirasu who knew he had a knack for playing the drums. Unbeknownst to everyone who only had an idea of Miyuki’s quiet demeanor and rather reserved personality, he harbors an undying passion for music that burns deep within his soul. It was a passion hidden beneath the surface of his unassuming facade and sometimes, curt replies.
Charisma itself was a testament to the love for music all musicians share alike. It was built with a lot of aspirations and driven by devotion to creating life changing concords through resonating euphonies, a vision Sanada together with his co-tempo members have which propelled them to transform an old abandoned garage in their neighborhood into a haven for music lovers. Where the walls reverberated with their soulful melodies and electric energy of live performances.
At present, Kuramochi is battling his conflicting feelings of whether it was right to attend this end of the semester party Mei mentioned or if it still isn’t too late to turn the car around before they can even find a decent parking spot. As a lover of all genres, he had no qualms about attending a live band performance, but this was his first time experiencing the underground scene in such an intimate setting much so in a concealed place away from the main city. Kuramochi even wondered what could also be happening up there aside from playing instruments. With a click of his tongue and Mei’s frantic pointing at a near distance, Kuramochi found a space not too far from the entrance of the garage.
As they arrived at the entrance of Charisma, Mei told Youichi to look for a table in the middle of the pit and dashed off to greet a friend, inadvertently leaving Mochi stranded among the bustling crowd. Great, what did I even expect from Mr. Congeniality, Kuramochi thought. He heaved out a sigh as he stood awkwardly at the table he thinks is good enough to have a clear view of the entire place. He was on his phone trying to get a hold of the fair head when a hurried figure collided with him, sending a few belongings of the perpetrator tumbling to the ground. Kuramochi quickly stooped to retrieve them, his gaze falling upon a pair of drumsticks with the initials "MK" carved into their handles.
"MK?" Mochi asked, holding up the drumsticks to the stranger.
The stranger, none other than Miyuki, offered a sheepish smile as he confirmed their ownership. Mochi couldn't help but be intrigued by the enigmatic drummer standing before him. Hazelnut hues, dark rimmed glasses, unkempt hair that still perfectly fits him despite its odds and a lean build that makes the latter look like they’re playing particular attention to their overall physique.
"Are you playing tonight?" Mochi inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Miyuki smiled as he replied, "Yeah, we’re just about to play and I’m running a bit late now. Sorry for crashing into you a while ago. Hope your shoulders’ alright."
Mochi thought of how he resembles the same person Mei was babbling about. Kazuya was it? "It's fine, don't sweat it. So, drummer, which band are you with?” He questioned.
Miyuki looked at Kuramochi as if studying him before he replied, "Hmm, we’re just a small band and I doubt you’ve ever heard of us."
“Well, not anymore if you tell me.” Kuramochi urged.
Miyuki’s lips curled into a grin with a playful glint in his eyes. “I think it's best that you watch me play to see how I fare.”
Kuramochi quirked an eyebrow, “Oh you’re that confident with your skills?”
“If it means having more people that I can move through my beats then, yes, I am.” Miyuki replied proudly.
There was silence that followed after Miyuki’s statement. It wasn’t awkward nor stifling but bordering the lingering want to stay longer in each other’s company. Taking each other’s time to know their likes and dislikes, what makes the other tick from what makes them swoon. That desire to get closer to the other despite them merely meeting due to
mishaps and unforeseen circumstances. It got both Kuramochi and Miyuki wondering who this enigmatic individual they’re conversing with. A sudden call from the back stage got Miyuki’s attention. It was a call to report as the production crew are fixing the band line ups for the night. He glanced back at Kuramochi one last time, mouthing ‘See you’ just before he disappeared into the depths of Charisma, leaving Kuramochi to ponder their encounter.
Shortly after a couple performances, the lights dimmed and an announcer took the stage to hype up the crowd, anticipation hung thick in the air. A few people were giggling and squealing as they eagerly waited for the name of the band to be called and the curtain to be lifted. Kuramochi scanned the crowd to look for signs of familiar faces and saw Mei maneuvering his way through the flood of bodies. The fair head saw Kuramochi and his face instantly beamed. With much hurry, he reached Kuramochi’s spot safely and unscathed.
“Wow, you suddenly remembered that you had a friend waiting for you.” Kuramochi mocked.
Mei sheepishly grinned and gave Kuramochi a side hug as an apology. “Hey, at least you found yourself a safe spot here. Are you enjoying charisma so far?”
“Yeah, the place isn’t half bad. Thought they hosted some shady stuff but so far things have been rather electric .” Kuramochi briefly remembered his short encounter with ‘MK’ and how he, as much as he doesn’t want to admit, is looking forward to seeing him perform on stage.
Mei was about to tease him when the announcer’s voice boomed across the sound system and called for Tempo. The crowd roared and the garage suddenly came to life. Four silhouettes walked to their designated spots and adjusted their own keys. Kuramochi squinted at a familiar figure at the back which revealed none other than Miyuki himself. As the latter took his place behind the drum kit, Kuramochi found himself being especially drawn to thim and all of his attention was solely fixated on Tempo’s brunette drummer. From the moment Miyuki's drumsticks signaled the beat and met the skins, Kuramochi was captivated by the sheer power and precision of his playing. Each beat resonated with a raw intensity, weaving together to create a mesmerizing tapestry of sound.
Throughout the performance, Kuramochi couldn't tear his eyes away from Miyuki, even as their performance reached its conclusion. There was something undeniably magnetic about the way Miyuki commanded the stage, pouring his heart and soul into every rhythm. When Tempo's set came to an end, Kuramochi found himself applauding alongside the rest of the crowd, his admiration for Miyuki's talent soaring to new heights while also being reminded of the fact that Miyuki tried to cover up their popularity. Cheeky, Kuramochi thought. As the band descended from the stage to greet their friends and fans, Mei seized the opportunity to ‘introduce’ Kuramochi to Miyuki.
"So, Youichi, did you enjoy the music?" Miyuki asked, a playful glint in his eyes accompanied by a teasing smile. He was twirling the drum sticks in between his fingers, playing with them before he kept them in his back pocket.
Mochi watched every little move of Miyuki’s and contemplated on the fact that he does find Miyuki amusing. "Yeah, it wasn't too boring. But I do think you need to work on a few things with your timing and all." He replied, a hint of mischief in his tone.
Miyuki chuckled, unfazed by Mochi's critique. "More than just a music enthusiast, aren't we?"
Mochi shrugged, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Just know a thing or two."
Miyuki arched an eyebrow, mirth and curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Maybe you just haven't seen us play often enough."
"Maybe you're right," Mochi conceded. "I needed to be convinced that you aren't tone-deaf or something."
Miyuki's smile widened. "Come to our next show. We'll be playing one of the classics."
Mochi hesitated, unsure of whether to accept the invitation. "Oh, I don't know about that. I only came here because Narumiya practically begged me to."
Mei chimed in, teasingly. "Just say you wanted to know who Tempo’s hazelnut drummer is. I’ll accept you regardless if you start dating Kazuya."
Kuramochi shot Mei a pointed look. “I just met the guy a few hours ago and you’re already thinking that far?!”
Miyuki chuckled, his gaze lingering on Mochi. "I’m not opposed to that.” Kuramochi whipped his head so fast that he didn’t realize the blush slowly creeping to his cheeks.
“You can get a free pass to all our gigs too. What do you say?” Miyuki offered. If only one knows how he had his fingers crossed, praying and hoping Kuramochi would say yes to his proposition.
Kuramochi relented, a smirk playing at his lips. "Just for the change of pace, and I expect a better performance from you next time."
Miyuki's chuckle echoed through the air. "Of course, just for you."
As the night wore on, Kuramochi couldn't shake the feeling of excitement that coursed through him. Perhaps Charisma held more than just a change of pace—it held the promise of new connections and undiscovered passions, all waiting to be explored beneath the surface of the music. More so, a budding new relationship with his oh so enigmatic ‘MK’.