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“One coffee, please.”
Everyone starts their day as per usual. The wind is breezing cold as it is in the morning. People walk around the streets, some of them are buying groceries, some of them are in a hurry to work in the office. For Sawamura Daichi, his shift is at night as he works as a guitarist in a local lounge. He works with his longtime friends, Ikejiri Hayato and Michimiya Yui. The trios are in a band called “Fly”. Today, they will be having practice like always in a studio that Hayato’s parents own.
The doorbell rings as a new customer comes into the café. Daichi turns his head around and sees a familiar face. It is Yui, with her girlfriend, Aihara Mao, who waves to Daichi from afar. He waves back with a smile on his face. They approach him, “Are we on time?”
“Oh yes, you come at the right time,” Daichi grabs his coffee from the counter and thanks the barista. “Ikejiri texted me that he is on his way.”
Yui’s face enlightens, “Great! For our last show tonight, I would like to make an announcement.”
As time ticks per second, they are still waiting for Hayato. He could have been stuck in a traffic jam. He could have been into an emergency situation. They hope he comes safely at least. People in the café come in and out, it is a busy day for the baristas. Daichi looks at his phone, it has been 10 minutes since his last message. Where could he be?
The café door swings open, the group turns their head in unison. It is Hayato with his guitar slings over his back, “Sorry, I woke up late this morning.”
“It’s okay, Ikejiri,” Yui exclaims, “Here, have some coffee, you really REALLY need it.”.
Hayato laughs as he takes the cup of coffee from his friend’s hand, “Thank you so much, you have no idea how much I need coffee right now.” He blows and sips the hot coffee, enjoying the aroma of the drink.
Mao raises her eyebrows, “Did you lose track of time again with your private session?” Yui continues her girlfriend’s sentences, “Or did you play games until late night?”
“What? No, no, I was practicing for tonight’s performances.” Everyone is still doubting his answer. “Yeah um, I might have played a little bit last night?”
Daichi, who is sitting next to his friend, pats Hayato’s shoulder, “It’s okay, Hayato, besides, you’ll be landing on a new job, right?” The girls nod with a smile, sharing their happiness towards him. “You might have time to focus on your career, which it’s great.”
Hayato feels nothing but being delighted over his accomplishment and the people around him. Everyone is supporting him from the start until the end of his guitarist era. How has time flown so fast? He could not recall when he met Daichi and Yui in middle school. They have been friends since they went to the same classroom, sharing the same interest in volleyball and music and growing up together even though they went apart for three years in high school.
“Thank you, everyone,” Hayato holds his tears and smiles, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s practice!”
As they reach into the studio, Hayato turns on the lights and checks the sound equipment. Daichi takes his acoustic guitar out from the bag. Yui helps out with the microphones while Mao prepares the checklist on her tablet. Everyone is making sure that their performance will not only be perfect, but the best night they experience in one's life.
“Are the guitars in good condition, Sawamura?” Mao asks Daichi as he checks the strings.
Daichi gives her a thumbs up, which means that the guitars are good to go. Mao reviews the list again, wondering if her girlfriend is ready to go. Of course, she will be ready for the gig. Gulp! Well, sort of. They need to go to the lounge in the evening and Yui is starting to have panic in her gut. Will she sing well? Will everyone accept their announcement soon? Her head feels like there are rocks hitting her one by one on the brain.
“Michimiya, are you okay?” Daichi checks her from afar. Hayato hears the question even if it is not meant for him. However, the voice is too concerning to hear it. “You can lay down if you need some time, you might feel nervous and panic right now.”
Yui grabs the water bottle on the table across the room, “It’s fine, don’t worry, I’ll be good.”
“It’s okay, sunshine, you got this,” Mao strokes her girlfriend’s hair for comfort. “Besides, everyone will root for you, everyone likes you. After all, they will accept your decision”
Yui looks at the eye, “You think so?”
Mao nods as she knows deep down, Yui has been performing since she was a child. She always sings for the community around her area. People love her sweet voice and often give souvenirs as a thank-you gift. Her cheering bright eyes stun the entire audience. She could nail it, trust the process.
On the other side, Daichi is wondering about his next plan after the special announcement. What would he do after that? How would he perform after this? Will he attract others to see his performance? The question can be answered after they perform tonight after all. It is time to have his own time to spend other than being a guitarist of the band.
On the evening of the day, the group goes to the lounge where they are working, full of people who come and see them performing. Their fans receive a notification about the special announcement. What could it be the announcement that everyone is questioning about? Are they disbanding? Are they going on a big tour? At the backstage, Yui takes a deep breath a few times. She could not remember how many times she was taking deep breaths. Five? Ten? Twenty? Whatever. Daichi and Hayato are testing out their guitar if they need any adjustment on the strings. Daichi is good to go while Hayato is still adjusting the out of tune guitar.
“The manager tells us that we have five more minutes before going on stage.” Mao announces it to the band members. “Yui, you got this.”
Yui takes a deeper breath, shaking her nerves off, and she is ready. She looks in a mirror, putting a smile on her face. She feels more comfortable and confident at the same time. She never felt something like this before. Before this, she never felt calmer on this level. She would be calm as if she has the nerves on her nervous system. At this moment, she feels peaceful after that deep breath was released from her mouth.
Hayato feels the beat on his finger. For once, he wants to perform as if it is not perfect, but the most satisfying performance that he will ever make. He wants the best memory with his two friends and cherishes the moment before their departure. Although he will meet them anytime on the weekends, the schedule could be different from before.
Daichi’s holding his guitar as he watches his friends feel the air breeze to their face. His mind is still wondering about his own future. He does not want to leave his job as a guitarist, but it will be hard to find a new jamming buddy. He wishes that he will find someone who wills to perform with him like his friend does.
When the queue comes, Mao instructs the band members that they are ready to go up on the stage. Mao, as their manager, sitting on the chair provided by the lounge, she prays that everything will go according to plan.
“Good evening, everyone!” Yui greets the crowd as people cheer on her and the members. “As everyone knows, today is our last night as a band. Hayato will start with his new job soon but no worries, Daichi will stay.”
One audience member asks from the back, “How about you, Yui?”
“Well, I have an announcement to make after the performance.” Yui gives the signal to Daichi and Hayato. “Without any further ado, we will start our performance tonight!”
Everyone claps and applauds, Daichi starts strumming his guitar, so does Hayato. Yui taps her feet to find the beat of the song. Everyone goes silent and enjoys their night with food and drinks.
“Thank you so much for attending today’s show!” Dachi holds Yui and Hayato’s hand, bowing to the audience. Everyone, once again, claps with their enjoyment and satisfaction. “Now, I would like to pass the microphone to Yui for her special announcement.”
“Thank you, Dachi,” Yui takes the microphone from Daichi’s hand. “I would like to express my gratitude to everyone with my engagement announcement with my manager and long-time girlfriend, Aihara Mao.”
Everyone is cheering, those reactions are the important part inside Yui’s head. They support her, she never expected these reactions from her fans. Her tears go down on her eyes, expressing her happiness towards everyone. Mao goes on stage and hugs her new fiancée. Everything goes to plan.
On the backstage, they are chilling with dinner provided by the lounge. There is something on Daichi’s mind right now. What should he do if the guitarist does not have his singer? Well, he could sing, but he is not as good as Yui.
“We should celebrate this!” Yui exclaims with joy in her eyes, “I have tickets for us to go to a concert tomorrow night.”
“Ah, sorry, Michimiya, I can't go.”
Everyone looks at Hayato as he is packing his instruments. Yui frowns, “Aw, why not?”
“Well, I have to prepare myself for the first day. I can't be late.” He lifts his guitar bag, “We can hang out tomorrow morning if you want to.”
Yui takes out her tickets from her purse, all of them are four. “Are you sure?”
“We can go to another concert next time.”
Yui thinks for a while, there will be other concerts held in the future. It might take time for Hayato to adjust himself in a new environment at work. Daichi, on the other hand, believes that Hayato will keep his promise. They have known each other for a long time, he is sure that he will hang out with them in the future.
“Sorry, Hayato.” Mao shakes her head, “Yui and I have something to do tomorrow morning.”
The girls look at each other while Yui is trying to remember the thing that she has to do with Mao. “Wait… what is it?”
“Uh, we have to do groceries, cleaning up the house…? Remember?”
Yui slaps her forehead, “Right, I forgot, my parents will arrive on Monday.” She gets anxious, “But, can we still go to the concert?”
“Of course we will, silly.” Mao strokes her fiancé’s short hair. Daichi and Hayato could not resist laughing at their friends.
“Well then, I’ll see you when we have free time then, good night!”
The remaining three waves, “Goodbye!”
On the other side of the lounge, a man is amazed with the performance of the band tonight. He could not stop looking at one of the guitarists. He looks… cute. Likewise, he wishes he can offer to be his guitarist, but he is not to be seen anywhere after the show. He sighs before he gets up and leaves the area.
“Sir, do you need to find him?”
He lifts his hand, “No need. Someday, we will find him.”
He is sure, he will meet him again someday.
After packing his guitar, Daichi decides to leave the lounge. Yui and Mao have left him alone for a while. He wants to go without them to give the two lovebirds some time together. He is fine to be alone, maybe. For a while, he has not found his true love. It is not in his mind constantly, he just needs to be focused on his career first.
As he comes out from the back of the lounge, he sees a man with some kind of disguise. He is accompanied by what he assumes are his bodyguards. They go inside to the car and drive away from his sight.
“He must be a famous person, he wasn't getting attention from other people.” Daichi walks towards his car, unlocking it before starting up the engine. He takes a deep breath while waiting for the engine to heat up enough. A few minutes later, he takes a reverse turn before driving out from the parking lot.
“And now, let’s listen to our next song, Lover by SUGA.”
Daichi turns the volume up, it's his favorite song. “Can I go, where you go~” The wheels of the car spin, the city lights shine in the darkness of the night, people are walking on the street. “You’re my, my, my, my~ lover.” Tomorrow will be better for Daichi, he will see the singer on the radio, face to face. He used to watch Suga singing in livestream. Everytime Suga performs with his guitarist, Daichi wonders if he could, one day, be on the stage. That is when he dreams higher, he will make his own name on stage.
“That is from Lover by Suga,” the radio announcer takes over the radio, “Tomorrow is your chance to meet him face to face after his long hiatus from touring.”
“Touring…”
On the next day, the road is busy with cars roaming around the city. Sunday is full of people going out and spending their time, either when they are alone or with their loved one. Daichi has no plan for the morning except his running routine. He barely skips his morning run, especially during the weekends. The temperature of the day is colder than yesterday. In his mind, he wonders what he should do today before going to the concert tonight. The sky is blue and brighter, it could be a better day. With his eyes gazing at the sky, he does not notice the person in front of him, making collide with each other. The person falls down because of the small impact, luckily, he does not hold anything in his hand.
“I’m so sorry,” Daichi lends his hand to the fallen person, “Are you okay?”
“It’s fine, thank goodness I don't have my coffee right now.” The person laughs as he gets up and clears all the dust around him. Daichi does not know why but he feels flustered when he hears the voice. It sounds… familiar. Where did he hear this voice before?
But before Daichi can see his face, covered by the stranger’s hat, someone calls him for the distance. “Sir, we better get moving.”
“Sigh, I wish I could stay longer at the park,” he fixes his cap and starts walking faster with bigger steps.
Daichi tries to stop the guy for a proper apology, but the guy and the person with him have gone too far from his sighting. “Strange… where have I heard that voice before?” He searches his memory as if he could remember the guy he just hit, but his mind could not recollect it at all.
The night has come, the concert is about to get started and the crowds are bursting with fans. Daichi, Yui and Mao are excited to see Suga on stage. Everyone is taking their seat before the concert starts. Some of them are standing in front of the stage as they have the front stage perks. Daichi and the girls are lucky enough to get the perk before it went sold out hours after the selling ticket was open.
“I hope my legs aren’t getting hurt because this is worth the price,” Yui exclaims with excitement.
Daichi puts his eyes on the stage, it does look like an idol’s concert. He wishes he is on the stage, performing like a rockstar. Being in a small stage sometimes is not enough for a life achievement. The opening song has started as the smokes are coming out from the stage. Everyone is cheering, jumping, and even chanting his name. They scream from their lungs that they love him from the bottom to their heart.
"I promise that you'll never find another like me!"
The hands, the smile, the charm. Sugawara Koushi, the male idol, danced to the beat of the song he sang. Everyone waves their hands up to the air as the music goes on the stage. They sing along with joy and laughter. Yui and Mao stand up and hold each other’s back, waving their bodies as they dance in their place. Daichi could not help but giggle, the girls are having fun for the night. Daichi could not stop gazing at Koushi. His heart cannot stop pounding faster as he could see him from a few meters away.
"And I promise that nobody's gonna love you like me-e-e!!"
Everyone claps and shouts, “WE LOVE YOU, SUGA!” The crowds are still standing up as the next song will be performed soon. Once everything is prepared, people continue having fun despite the busy crowd around them. Concert essentials were given before they entered the venue so people do not get heated up easily. Water bottles and fans are included in their concert kit.
It has been an hour since the concert started, and nature is calling for Daichi. He could not take it for another hour. Then, he remembers that the next song would be the surprise song. He does not want to miss it, but mother nature says no. He must go to the toilet right now. He looks around and sees people coming out from what he assumes they went to the toilet.
Daichi taps Yui’s shoulder, “Hey, I need to go for a while.”
“The surprise song is about to get started…”
“I know, but– “
Before he can continue his words, there is an announcement made from the stage, “Attention, everyone. The surprise song will be delayed for a while due to technical issues. Please be patient as we will fix the problem as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Daichi runs out from his place and tries to ask the crowds around him to make his way. He finally sees it, the toilet sign. He walks to the sign, only to find out that the sign is only for backstage crews. The toilets for attendees are at the other side of the venue but due to the number of people, Daichi could not see the other toilet sign for attendees. When he is looking for the toilet, he gets confused for a while. Props, technical sound machine, dancers from the previous songs. Does he end up on the back stage? Yes, he does. He can not go back and look for the attendee’s toilet. He has no choice. They would not mind, would they?
“What should we do, Suga?” One of Suga’s crew members, Hitoka, is panicking while holding her file holder. “Ryo said he would come on time but he’s still stuck in a traffic jam.”
Tetsurou, Suga’s agent, is thinking of another solution, “Everyone is on break now. We should get a replacement as soon as possible.”
“But, can anyone play the song?”
As Daichi is still looking for the backstage toilet, Koushi’s eyes lie on his presence. He recalls the guitarist from the lounge, “He could be the replacement.”
“Kuroo, how about him?” Koushi pointed at Daichi, “Remember him in the lounge?”
Tetsurou sighs, putting his hand on his waist, “Okay, why is he at the back stage?”
“I think he got lost on his way to the toilet?” Hitoka points out as Daichi looks confused from afar. Without thinking longer, she goes after him and shows him the way to the nearest toilet. Daichi is glad someone helps when they see him struggling on finding it. She comes back to Koushi and Tetsurou, informing them about her opinion, “He looks like he can be the perfect replacement.”
“Suga-chan, are you sure that guy can take Ryo’s place?”
Koushi gives his thoughts, “I have seen him performing for a while. I am a big fan of his, but due to my popularity, I could not reach out to him and offer him to be part of our lineups.”
Tetsurou gets confused, “But you can ask me to offer him the job.”
“I think I'd rather say it myself,” Koushi smiles at him. Tetsurou knows that Koushi could have a crush on Daichi from afar. They could be the power couple on stage, if only people would not notice it or whatsoever. Public relationships with non-celebrity should be in private because that is how the industry works.
Koushi and Tetsurou approach Daichi as he just finished using the toilet. His heart is beating fast. No way, is this real? He is standing right in front of him. How pretty he is, standing there. Tetsurou hands over his business card, “I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, the agent for Sugawara Koushi.” Daichi takes the card from the agent’s hand. “We would like you to be our replacement for our guitarist of the night.”
Daichi blinks once, twice, thrice, he could not stop blinking, he lost count of the number of times he blinked. Performing? With THE Sugawara Koushi? Did the Gods just hear his prayers for the past months? TONIGHT? Daichi tries to stay calm, but inside of his mind, he is flabbergasted with those words coming out from the agent’s mouth.
Suga nudges Kuroo’s arm, “Kuroo, I told you I have to do it by myself.” He comes towards Daichi and holds his hands. What in the shojou manga is Daichi into right now? “Listen, I need your help, our guitarist has a personal issue and we are running out of time. Some of our guitarists are on their break and – “
“What song is it?” Daichi accepts the offer without hesitation. Koushi finds someone who can help him out.
“Lover, that’s the song I need to perform soon.”
“Alright, give me the guitar and I’ll help you out.”
The crowd gets worried as it has been ten minutes since the technical issue announcement was made. What happened on the back stage? Did someone get injured? Did the lights for the next act malfunction? But, the lights look fine. What can go wrong? Mao and Yui question each other, where is Daichi going? The toilet is not too far, or could there be many people going to the toilet for a while?
Suddenly, the lights go off. The sudden shift makes people confused, some of them are excited because it means the surprise song is about to get started. Koushi goes to the stage alone with his new outfit. Daichi, who is waiting from the back stage, feels like he is on the edge. He used to perform in front of 20 people, and tonight, he will play for thousands of audience. He wants to make the best first impression possible.
“Sorry for the delay, everyone.” Koushi waves his hands with a smile on his face as everyone is shouting his name. “For tonight’s show, we have a special guest, he’s from the local lounge that I always go, really recommended. Please welcome… DAICHI!”
The audience claps and cheers, welcoming him as if the stage is his home. In Koushi’s fan community, they support all artists, small or big ones. Daichi gives a smile, waving his hand up. At the bottom, he can see Yui and Mao from the crowd. They both are cheering for him, “SAWAMURA, GOOD LUCK!!”
The light dimmers, everyone goes silent. Koushi adjusts his microphone before he gives a hand signal to Daichi. He lifts his guitar and starts strumming, a low calming beats echoes the crowd. Everyone takes out their lightsticks and waves them up.
“We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January,” Koushi puts his emotions into the song, “And this is our place, we make the rules.” He steps forward to the crowds, “And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear, have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?…”
He spins gracefully, walking towards Daichi, “Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close forever and ever?” They lock their eyes, glazing on their brown and hazel eyes, “Take me out and take me home, you’re my, my, my, my… lover.”
Daichi feels Koushi was expressing his feelings towards him. It feels a bit parasocial because he does not know him personally, why would he think something like that? He is just a fan, the lucky one. He coincidentally met him backstage. Is Koushi trying to seduce him on stage or is he just being delusional like other people do?
Before the bridge starts, Koushi gives the stop signal to Daichi, which makes everyone including Daichi confused. Another guitarist comes on stage and continues the song, while Koushi holds Daichi’s hands and proceeds to dance in front of thousands of audience, “Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? With every guitar string scar on my hand, I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover.” The electric touch is real to them at this moment, Koushi and Daichi are bonding together on stage. Hands to hands, eyes to eyes, both of them feel the connection between them.
When the song ends, thousands of claps can be heard surrounding the venue. Yui and Mao could not help it but crying with tears of joy. Both of them are proud of Daichi with his outstanding performance. Koushi, Daichi and the guitarist stand in a row and hold hands, bowing to their audience. Koushi feels satisfied and happy because everyone enjoys his show. Daichi could not believe that everyone loved his performance. He used to be praised by a small group of people, but now he is given an overwhelming standing ovation. When they get off the stage, the crew members are cheering on them.
“It was a wonderful performance,” Tetsurou comments and hands over his phone to Koushi, “You have gained attraction from the live streaming video.”
Hitoka adds her side of the comment, “You’re also trending all over social media, and paparazzis might come after you again.”
Koushi shakes his head, “It does not matter,” he holds Daichi’s hands, “In fact, I’m really happy to be on this show with you, Daichi. I’m a huge fan of yours.”
“I’m flattered to hear that, thank you!” Daichi bows with a smile to Koushi. It is an honour to be on stage with the biggest superstar for the decade. “Maybe next time, you can perform at the lounge with me.” Oh, that is a shameless joke you got, Daichi.
“HELL YEA SURE “ Koushi exclaims with his starry eyes. “Kuroo, check my free time in my schedule, we could hold a secret session.”
While Daichi goes speechless with his ‘joke’, Kuroo checks the schedule that Koushi asked him, “Well, it turns out you will be… next month.”
“Next month, huh…..” Koushi is given some time to think on his schedule. He will be out of the city with his concert tour, have bonding time with his family and a dinner occasion with investors. “Okay, deal is a deal. Yachi, can you write an email to the secret session fans? I’ll give you three weeks to make it and I need it a week before the deadline.”
Hitoka nods excitedly and clutches her hands, “Understood, boss!” She writes her next task on her notebook for reminder.
Maybe that is not the lamest joke.
Days become weeks, the day is finally about to come nearer for Daichi. He is going to perform with Koushi tonight. He does not know if he is nervous or excited. He goes out for an early morning jog, listening to his playlist. He reminisces about the day when he bumped into a guy who is similar to Koushi. When he thinks about it, maybe it was Koushi. The wind breezes like the other days, the sun shines like his future and people still recognise him as the local guitarist on stage. He became a sensation since he was on stage with Koushi. People questioned, how does Koushi get a guy like him after the small damage control backstage? The answer is a bit cringe but it is a simple word, invisible string.
Koushi goes out for a walk once again, but this time, he is alone. His hat is his only companion, it is not the best disguise but it does not get attention from others. He gave Tetsurou some rest after those touring weeks, it was a satisfying hell for all of them. He remembers when he met Daichi face to face, his heart beat faster than during his dance routine. His mind went to another universe like he was still at the restaurant at the corner he waited. Other than that, after the surprise song ended that night, before Daichi left backstage, Koushi gave his phone number just in case they have another business together. Daichi did not hesitate to exchange numbers with him, which made them excited to make another collaboration in the future. He imagines how cute they will be on stage tonight. In the call, they were discussing how they will perform on the next night. Daichi told him that he could do anything and make the lounge like his own stage. Koushi asked if he could sit on Daichi’s lap, which he agreed to. For obvious reasons, it is for the act, and people might like it. Or is it only for something else? While walking under the rising sun, From afar, he sees a familiar figure in front of him. Is he blushing? Maybe it is just the cold morning…
“Good morning, Suga!”
“Daichi, good morning.” They both cannot believe that they are meeting each other coincidentally again. “How have you been? I mean we did talk in the call last night, I just wonder how are you right now?”
Daichi chuckles and gives himself a stretch, “I’m just working out as usual, it’s part of my routine since high school.”
“Speaking of high school, what kind of sports did you play before?” Koushi suddenly opens the question, which just came out from his brain and mouth. “I mean that’s good to hear that!” He did not mean to open a random conversation right now, he could have chose another question like grab a coffee or-
“Oh, I used to play volleyball at school, we once went to the nationals.”
“Wait, really? I used to play volleyball too, except it’s just a recreational club.”
Daichi comes out with a quick idea, “How about we play volleyball together? Well, if you’re not busy, of course.”
Koushi nudges Daichi’s arm with a grin on his face, “Oh jeez, no problem! I’ll find the way.” And he will find his way out from fame. Wherever they go, they hope they will be this close forever. The magnetic force made them become lovers.