"Wow, did you guys see how high the view count on the video was?" Kaito cheered.
"Incredible," Yasushi marvelled.
"And did you see how many views we got from foreign countries?" Sota asked.
"Ugh, not this again..." Tatsuya sighed.
"Why... Did you read the comments? They're full of stuff like: 'I don't understand a word, but I love it. Lots of kisses from England.' Don't you get it? Why aren't we singing in English too? It could be such a stepping stone for us!" Sota pushed.
"These songs were born in Japanese. This is how we can express our deepest emotions. Why should we give up who we are just to please the Western market?" Yasushi disagreed.
"That would be just painfully too much extra effort. Travelling abroad, pleasing foreign fans... why would we go so many extra miles when we have enough people who get what we're doing right here?" Tatsuya joined in.
„You wouldn't even need to put that extra effort. I would be the one to sing in English and translate the lyrics."
Sota turned to Kaito, hoping he would back him up.
"I mean, having a foreign fanbase would be cool... and concerts abroad? Even cooler. But why English though? It's so... overused. If we're gonna stand out, let's do something unexpected. How about a whole album in Italian? That would actually be badass."
They all sighed.
„The problem is, you're the only one who speaks Italian. Because you thought it would be funny to learn it…"
It was actually kind of impressive. When Kaito got into something, he really stuck with it. His Italian was even better than his English.
"And here we are, talking about opening up to the West, all because this European girl showed up and brainwashed you with her ideas," Tatsuya remarked.
"That's not it." Sota shook his head. „You're all seriously just ignoring the opportunity. If we stay stuck here, we'll never grow beyond this circle," Sota said.
"I'm sorry, but I won't compromise our identity just to chase a trend. We built this with our sound, in our language," Yasushi argued.
"I'm not saying we change our identity. But we can evolve. Just a little push. That's all I'm asking."
Sota looked at his friends, all shut off and closed off. He felt a gap between them, one so vast he had never felt before. They were all somewhere else. They all wanted to be somewhere else. Was there even a future for them? "I just hope you won't regret this."
The guys stared at each other, exhausted. Everyone was lost in their own gloomy thoughts. Struggling with feelings they didn't know how to share.
Tatsuya was still torn up over the argument he had with Saori that night.
After the party, she had insisted that he not walk her home. It turned out she had been lying to her parents about him. Every time they were together, she made up excuses, pretending to be with another friend, someone her parents actually approved of.
The realization stung.
Saori had countered with unwavering certainty. " I don't need my parents' approval anymore to be with the man I choose. In about month, I'll be going to university. I'll move out from home. After that, I can meet you whenever I want without their permission."
„So, why complicate things now?" she had argued. „If they found out we were dating, my father would only insist on meaningless restrictions, like setting a ridiculous curfew for our dates or worse. Do you really want that unnecessary hardship?"
There was something undeniably enticing about the way she fought to be with him, even if it meant keeping their relationship a secret. But deep down, Tatsuya knew that hiding wouldn't solve anything. It was nothing more than a temporary escape. One that would only make things hurt more in the long run.
He tried to push the thought aside. After all, they were together, and that was what mattered… right?
But the more he thought about it, the heavier it weighed on him.
Still, it was a problem he would keep to himself. He was sick of being teased about their age gap and the fact that they still hadn't gotten intimate. The last thing he needed was to give anyone more reasons to talk ill about Saori.
Yasushi's mood had been off since the party, the whole night kept replaying in his mind.
After the party, he had taken care of the drunken Yumeko. Her feet ached from the high heels, and without a word, he knelt down, carefully removing them, his hands gentle as he massaged her feet. She sighed in contentment, clearly enjoying the care. When he offered his own shoes for her to wear, she leaned in closer, her breath warm against his ear. "Don't," she whispered, "you'll get cold."
"The other option is carrying you home in my arms," Yasushi replied, his voice calm, but his heart racing at the idea.
In response, Yumeko stretched toward him, her intoxicated gaze soft and dreamy. He lifted her effortlessly, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him, her face burying into his neck. Her body relaxed instantly, and she fell asleep against him. He liked how comfortable she seemed around him, but that excessive comfort made him uneasy. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was a bad sign.
Once they reached her place, she asked him to help with her dress, unable to manage the zipper in her dizzy state. His fear quickly grew into a solid conviction: She didn't see him as a man, not even enough to feel the slightest embarrassment undressing in front of him.
It wouldn't be fair to bring it up with the boys. They each seemed to be struggling with their own issues, probably much more serious than his. He wouldn't want to burden them with his concerns.
Even Kaito seemed uncharacteristically down that day, which was surprising given his usual upbeat nature. He couldn't really understand why it bothered him so much. After all, he got what he wanted. After the party, Kaito ended up at a love hotel with Aya, spending the whole night together, lost in each other. But as the hours passed, something didn't feel right. It was fun, sure, but there was an underlying emptiness. He felt like a toy, used for a temporary thrill. As he seemed to be.
Since that night, Aya hadn't answered his calls, and she didn't try to reach out to him either. It wasn't something he'd discuss with the guys. Clearly, they'd say he should have expected it. Aya had made her intentions clear from the start. It's my fault for hoping for more. Gosh, how uncool I am.
As for Sota, Saeko's behaviour was completely unpredictable. Sometimes she seemed to care, but just as quickly, she would pull away, almost as if she were avoiding him. He still had no idea what decision she had made, but he couldn't stop thinking about Aya's reaction after the concert. Aya must have known something. So, he asked her. He had to.
At first, she seemed concerned, as if she thought he wanted to talk about something else. But as soon as he brought up Saeko, she visibly relaxed.
"All I know is that Saeko gave her answer to my brother, and whatever it was, now he's planning to move back to Japan. That's all. But please, let it stay between us," she asked.
That revelation terrified him more than anything. But since he had promised, it was something he had to keep to himself.