Chapter Text
The night air was cool on the rooftop.
Ichihoshi stood still, letting the breeze tug gently at his hair. His eyes were closed as he breathed deeply.
For once. He felt... calm.
After everything, it still felt strange.. being forgiven. Being accepted. They knew the truth now… about what he did, who he was, and what he used to be.
And they still stayed.
Even when I betrayed them. he thought.
Even when I didn’t deserve it... they helped me back up.
Maybe, just maybe. The universe was finally letting him breathe.
And wherever Mitsuru was now… his brother would still be with him. Always.
On his way out of the building, Ichihoshi nearly walked right past Inamori and Endou standing near the gates.
“Ah! Ichihoshi!” Inamori waved him over. “Perfect timing! We’re all heading to karaoke. You in?”
“Oh—uhm...” Ichihoshi hesitated, caught completely off guard.
Before he could respond, Kirina walked by, hands in his pockets.
“Don’t pressure him, Asuto. He said before he’s tone-deaf, remember?”
Inamori’s eyes widened. “Oh yeah! Sorry, Ichihoshi!”
"I... did?" Ichihoshi blinked, visibly confused.
Kirina raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Back when you were still a Seal. We asked you once, and you said you couldn’t sing.”
The memory hit him suddenly.
Ah. Right. He did say that.
That wasn’t because he was a spy, or too busy, or incapable.
It was because he didn’t want to.
Because singing in front of others had always felt... vulnerable.
And vulnerability hadn’t been an option back then.
“Yeah.” he said quickly. “Guess I did say that.”
Nice going, idiot. So much for the universe going easy on me. Even the small lies are coming back to bite me in the—
Before he could spiral further, Endou gave him that signature grin.
“Well, even if you don’t sing, you should still come with us! Just for fun.”
Gouenji nodded with a small smile. “It’ll be good for you.”
Nosaka clapped him on the shoulder as he walked by. “Let’s go.”
Ichihoshi followed behind as the group walked ahead, chatting like it was any other day.
Damn it… I completely forgot about that lie.
Whatever. It’s not a big deal, right? I mean—I literally tried to hurt Endou and the others and they still forgave me.
A dumb little thing like pretending to be tone-deaf isn’t that serious… right?
Right?
I promised I’d be more honest now. Start fresh. Clean slate. Ughhh…
Inamori: "Ichihoshi?”
He blinked out of his thoughts.
“Sorry—coming!”
Later that night
The karaoke room was chaos.
Neon lights danced across the walls. The mic was being passed around like candy. The room pulsed with multicolored lights and the sound of truly tragic singing.
“GOUJIN!” Kirina groaned “you’ve sung the same song three times!”
"At least he’s having fun.” Inamori shrugged, shoving another fry in his mouth.
Kira groaned. “Why am I even here...?”
Tatsuya laughed. “Because somewhere deep down, you like being with us.”
“That’s how you master it.” Goujin said proudly after finishing.
“You’re murdering it.” Haizaki snapped, throwing a plush pillow at him. “Go sit down before the mic files a lawsuit.”
The room erupted in laughter.
Ichihoshi sat off to the side, quietly sipping a can of melon soda. Watching.
He was happy they were having fun. Really, he was.
But some small part of him still felt like a shadow on the wall. Present but not part of the light.
He tried not to let it show.
But then he remembered the lie about being tone-deaf.
His shoulders tensed.
That’s just one of the tons of lies I’ve told. Doesn’t matter if they’re big or small.
And honestly… I even forgot about some of them until now.
Nosaka glanced over. Ichihoshi immediately looked away and took another sip, thinking maybe the soda could save him. Or make him disappear. Or, you know, just choke so he could get out of this whole thing without having to say anything.
“Hey, Ichihoshi!” Inamori called out, smiling. “Why’re you way over there? Come hang out!”
“I’m good here." Ichihoshi replied too fast.
Great. Flawless delivery. Very convincing.
Inamori tilted his head. “You sure?”
Endou looked concerned. “You can talk to us, you know.”
Goujin threw up his arms. “Want me to sing again to cheer you up?”
“No!” everyone in the room shouted, almost in sync.
Ichihoshi managed a weak laugh. “It’s nothing. Really. I just… I don’t want to bother anyone.”
Kidou looked up from his drink. “Ichihoshi. You’re not a bother.”
Endou nodded. “We’re teammates. You can lean on us.”
Nosaka added, “Even if it’s something small. Especially then.”
Ichihoshi hesitated, fingers tightening around the can.
“It’s just…” he began slowly, “when I was still a Seal, I lied about a lot of things. Big lies, sure. But also dumb, small ones. Ones I forgot about. And when those come back, I feel like… like I’m still that guy. The fake one.”
There was silence for a moment.
Then Inamori smiled again... so simple. So genuine.
“Then just start being honest now. Tell us the real stuff. That’s how we get to know you.”
Ichihoshi looked up.
Nosaka nodded. Tatsuya gave a small smile. Even Haizaki didn’t argue.
And in that moment, something cracked open in his chest. Not in a bad way.
He laughed once under his breath.
“Alright. Starting now. I’m not tone-deaf.”
Everyone blinked.
Nosaka raised a brow. “You’re not?”
“No. I lied. Back then, I just didn’t want to sing. I get… embarrassed. I don’t think I’m very good.”
Haizaki scoffed. “That’s it? You really are dramatic.”
Ichihoshi sighed. “At the time, lying was easier.”
Nosaka tilted his head. “You don’t have to sing if you don’t want to. We’re not forcing you.”
“I know,” Ichihoshi said quietly.
Because unlike Orion…
They weren’t using him.
They weren’t giving him orders.
They were giving him space.
Inamori grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s okay! When you feel up for it, you can join in. We’ll wait as long as it takes.”
Endou gave him a thumbs up. “Yeah! No rush. Just go at your own pace.”
Kidou, arms crossed but voice calm, added, “You don’t need to prove anything. Not here.”
Gouenji gave him a small, understanding smile. “Things like this don’t get fixed overnight.”
They weren’t pressuring him.
They weren’t expecting anything from him.
And maybe that’s why…
He wanted to.
Not because he had to.
But because they let him choose.
So he stood.
Walked over.
And picked up the mic.
Why he chose a quiet, slow clap... nothing loud or showy. Just something simple.
Something that left nowhere to hide.
He closed his eyes.
And he sang.
His voice was soft and low. Not weak... just quiet. The kind of quiet that didn’t need to be loud to be heard.
He didn’t try to impress anyone. He just sang.
It was a little shaky, a little unsure. But it was honest.
No one said anything. No one laughed.
They just listened.
And when he looked up at the end, they were still watching.
No judgment. No awkward looks.
Just... understanding.
He handed the mic back, shoulders stiff. His hands were sweating. His ears burned.
Then he caught sight of Nosaka, phone in hand.
Recording.
Ichihoshi’s face went red. “You—!”
He reached for Nosaka’s phone in a panic, clearly horrified.
Nosaka grinned. “Too late. Already backed up to the cloud.”
“Delete it.”
“Never.”
Ichihoshi scowled. “You’re insufferable.”
“Incredible, you mean.”
Inamori clapped loudly. “You sounded great! Like a soft, nervous lullaby!”
Haizaki shrugged. “Still better than Goujin. That guy sings like a dying cat.”
Laughter bubbled around the room.
And Ichihoshi, in the middle of it all, smiled.
Just a little.
Because this was different. This was real.
He couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in a long time… this felt like home.
Nosaka leaned in and bumped his shoulder. “Next time, duet?”
Ichihoshi paused.
Then softly, quietly
“...Maybe.”