The studio was dimly lit, the walls pulsing slightly with the bass of a beat Tao had been messing with earlier in the day. Mitsunari stood in the recording booth, fists clenched, brows furrowed in focus and fury. Tao sat on the other side of the glass, eyebrows raised as he noticed the tension radiating from him. "You ready?" Tao asked through the intercom. Mitsunari didn't answer as he just nodded, eyes burning with intent.
The track began and Mitsunari immediately launched into it with no warm up, no hesitation. His voice tore through the beat like lightning. Every bar, every line was sharp, laced with anger, truth, and pride. This wasn't just a song. This was a statement. "Talk behind backs, then you laugh in the halls / But when I step up, I'm exposin' it all." His voice cracked with emotion, but he never lost rhythm.
Tao watched in astonishment as Mitsunari spit the entire freestyle in one flawless take. There were no breaks, no stutters it was just pure, raw passion. "Gossip queens, fake friends, I see through ya lies / Try to tear her down, but she's the real prize." The last word echoed as Mitsunari yelled out the final line with fire: "She's mine!
The room went quiet for a moment. Tao leaned back in his chair, letting out a breath. "Damn," he muttered. He clicked the talk button. "That was insane. You channeled that anger man. You hit every bar like it owed you something."
Mitsunari stepped out of the booth, sweat clinging to his forehead. "I want to perform this tonight," he said, chest rising and falling. "At the school talent show." Tao blinked, caught off-guard. "Tonight?" Mitsunari nodded. "I want everyone who said something about Mizuha to hear this from me."
Tao stared at him for a moment, then broke into a grin. "Say less." He grabbed his phone and immediately started dialing. "I'm calling everyone at Stax. This needs to be heard." As the phone rang, he turned to Mitsunari. "We're rush-releasing this track. 'Gossip Diss Freestyle.' It's going out tonight. Right after the show."
The whole Stax team mobilized. Tao made calls, sent out texts, and within the hour, Chang, Kin Yoo, Urata, Natsuo, and Shuta; all members of the popular group VIRE were pulling up in a van outside Mizuha's place. Rui, Tao's assistant producer and the group's supporter, was with them too. "We're here to take you to the school assembly," Urata said with a smirk.
Mizuha blinked at the crowd on her doorstep. "What's going on?" Kin Yoo smiled, pulling open the door for her. "Just trust us. Mitsunari's about to change everything." Shuta nodded. "You need to be there."
Back at school the talent show was in full swing. Students performed, clapped, and laughed completely unaware of the storm brewing backstage. Then the lights dimmed unexpectedly. Tao walked out first, holding a mic. "Before we close out tonight, we have a special surprise. Mitsunari wrote a song… and he asked to perform it here, in front of all of you."
The crowd murmured in confusion and anticipation. Mitsunari walked onto the stage, head high, expression unreadable. He took the mic and stood still for a moment. "This song is called Gossip Diss Freestyle," he said. "I wrote it because I'm tired of the lies, the bullying, and the way people treat others like they're nothing. This one's for her."
The beat dropped and the crowd went silent.
Bar after bar, Mitsunari delivered fire. He exposed the rumors, clapped back at the bullies, and reclaimed Mizuha's name. Students stared, slack-jawed. Even Hana, sitting near the front, looked like she'd been slapped. His final verse silenced the room completely: "Y'all spread lies, tried to shame and divide / But now I stand here, she's right by my side… She's mine." He shouted Mizuha's name into the mic.
Heads turned as Tao motioned for Mizuha to come up. She froze, overwhelmed but VIRE flanked her on either side, smiling. Rui gently touched her shoulder. "You're not alone. Go." Heart pounding, face flushed, Mizuha slowly walked up to the stage.
Hana's face twisted in disbelief. Around her, the crowd was completely still, all eyes on Mizuha as she stood next to Mitsunari. He slipped his arm around her and turned to the crowd again. "What she said was true. We are together. And if anyone has a problem with that you can talk to me. Because I'm done with the whispers."
The crowd erupted in gasps, then applause. Mizuha's face turned bright pink, but she couldn't stop smiling. Tao, Rui, and VIRE were grinning ear to ear in the wings. Mitsunari had never looked more confident or more bold.
Without another word, Mitsunari picked Mizuha up bridal style, causing a wave of shocked laughter and cheers to echo through the auditorium. He looked down at her and said softly, "Let's get out of here." She nodded, stunned but beaming.