Sakuramine Academy, Music Room – 4:02 PM
The desks had been pushed against the walls, leaving the music room wide open. Ten backup dancers were loosely gathered in formation, Kazuki and Aoi standing at center.
Naomi stood at the front with her clipboard, flipping to a fresh page.
"Alright," she began, her voice calm but with that unshakable authority, "I've picked the song we're using for the performance."
Kenji leaned forward from his seat near the window. "Ooo, is it 'Kenji's Greatest Hits'?"
"No," Naomi said without even looking at him. "It's Still Echoing — the duet version."
The room stirred instantly.
"That old chart-topper?"
"Didn't that have two vocalists?"
"Man, that's a hard one…"
Kazuki froze for just half a beat.
Still Echoing.
Not just an "old chart-topper."
It was his song.
One of the biggest releases of his career as KAZ, recorded with another artist back in the States.
Naomi's eyes flicked to him for just a moment before she continued.
"Perfect for a duet. Kazuki and Aoi will take the leads. Everyone else will support with choreography."
She didn't smile, but there was a weight behind her words — like she knew exactly what she was doing.
Kazuki didn't react outwardly. He just adjusted his headphones and gave a single nod, keeping his thoughts to himself.
Sakuramine Academy, Music Room – 4:15 PM
The curtains were pulled halfway shut. Naomi kept the door closed.
"No singing yet," she reminded them. "Positions only. We don't need other classes stealing our arrangement."
She began placing them like a conductor moving pieces on a stage.
"Kazuki, center right. Aoi, center left. Backup dancers in two lines — Hana, stage right. Shun, stage left. We rotate for the chorus."
Hana smirked. "Stage right's the best view anyway."
Shun rolled his eyes but didn't comment.
The rest of the backup shuffled into place. Some moved with confidence, others looked like they were trying to remember which foot was left.
As they moved through the first set of steps, Aoi leaned toward Kazuki.
"You've sung this before, haven't you?" she said softly.
Kazuki's eyes flicked to hers for a fraction of a second before he looked away. "…Something like that."
Her lips curved slightly, but she didn't press further.
Sakuramine Academy, Music Room – 4:26 PM
They had been running the steps in silence, only Naomi's voice breaking through to count the beats.
"One, two, three, turn—Aoi, stay sharp—four, five—Kazuki, lift your head—six, seven—"
Aoi suddenly stopped mid-step and turned toward Naomi.
"We should have him sing it," she said. "Just so we can sync the steps to the phrasing. It'll be off otherwise."
Kazuki's head turned slowly toward her. "…No."
"It'll make the timing better," she pressed.
"It's fine," Kazuki said, shaking his head. "We don't need it."
Before Naomi could respond, Hana stepped forward. "Yeah, we don't need it."
It came out sharper than she intended, her eyes narrowing just slightly at Aoi.
Aoi didn't flinch. She kept her gaze on Kazuki. "Just one line," she said, her voice soft but deliberate. "Just for me."
Kazuki blinked at her, a small pulse of surprise under the usual calm.
She's like Hana… only ten times worse.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Hana watching intently now, her arms folded and her expression unreadable.
Naomi stepped in. "It's not happening."
But before she could turn away, Kazuki's voice cut across the room.
"…Play it."
Everyone froze.
Naomi's brows lifted slightly, and for the first time all afternoon, a small smile touched her lips.
Hana's eyes widened.
Kazuki stood there, looking down at the floor, hands in his pockets — the image of quiet defiance.
Naomi crossed to the speaker and cued the track.
The first few chords of Still Echoing filled the room.
Kazuki lifted his head just enough to focus.
And then, without hesitation, he began to sing.
Two lines.
Perfect pitch.
Effortless control.
The moment he stopped, the silence in the room was deafening.
Hana stared at him, stunned.
Aoi's lips curved into a slow smile. "Thank you, Kaz."
He frowned. "Don't—"
"You sound exactly like him," she said, tilting her head. "It's kind of scary." She giggled.
Naomi, stepping in smoothly, added, "Yeah, Kazuki's always been talented… just not KAZ talented."
The weight in the air shifted instantly, the tension breaking into a few scattered laughs.
Kazuki said nothing.
Hana was still processing, but her voice came out even. "Can we… have a debrief after practice?"
Kazuki met her gaze for a beat and gave a small nod.
Sakuramine Academy, Second Floor Hallway – Same Time
Two students from Class 2-C slowed their walk as they passed the music room.
They were halfway past the door when the muffled sound of a voice reached them.
It wasn't loud, but it was clear enough to make them stop.
"…Was that… singing?"
The taller one tilted his head toward the door. "Shh. Listen."
The second voice — younger, more eager — leaned closer. "Holy crap… that's really good."
A few seconds later, the short burst of song ended, replaced by silence.
"Who was that?" the eager one asked.
The taller one smirked. "Pretty sure that's Class 2-B's mystery pick. The one who didn't audition."
"No way. That can't be the same guy. I thought he was just… moody."
"Moody or not, if he sings like that…" The taller one trailed off, glancing up and down the hall. "We need to tell the others."
The eager one hesitated. "You sure we should? I mean… feels a little like cheating."
"It's not cheating," the taller one said with a shrug. "It's strategy. If 2-B's got a weapon like that, we need to be ready."
A passing group of first-years forced them to step away from the door.
The taller one smirked again, lowering his voice. "Come on. The rest of the class is gonna want to hear about this."
The eager one glanced back at the closed music room door before following. "This is gonna stir things up…"
They quickened their pace, disappearing around the corner.
Sakuramine Academy Rooftop – 4:54 PM
Rehearsal had wrapped early. The backup dancers had scattered in groups, their chatter fading down the stairwell. Naomi stayed behind in the music room, flipping through her notes and tapping a pen against the clipboard.
Kazuki stepped out onto the roof, letting the cooler air settle against his skin. The faint hum of the city floated up from beyond the school walls, weaving with the gentle clink of the chain-link fence in the wind.
Aoi was already there, leaning lightly against the railing. The golden light of the late afternoon caught in her hair, framing her in a soft glow.
He stopped a few feet away. "You always hang around up here after?"
"Sometimes," she said, glancing over her shoulder. "It's quiet."
Kazuki gave a small nod, moving to stand beside her. Neither of them said much, but the silence didn't feel heavy. It was just there — easy.
A few steps away, Hana leaned against the fence, phone in hand. The screen was on, but she wasn't scrolling.
Her eyes tracked Aoi, noting the way she faced Kazuki so easily, like they'd been talking for years instead of days.
She's too comfortable already.
Shun walked up beside her, sipping from a juice can. "You're staring."
"I'm observing," Hana said without looking at him.
Shun stood there for a moment, sipping from his juice can. Then, a small smile crept onto his face — rare for him. "You know exactly why you're observing."
Hana's brow twitched. "…No. I don't."
"Sure you do," Shun said evenly. "You've been teasing him for months. You never leave his side. You defend him without thinking. And you blush at even the slightest compliment from him."
Her head snapped toward him. "I—That's not—"
"It's obvious to everyone, Hana," Shun continued, voice calm but sharper than usual. "You've got a crush on him."
Hana went still, her mouth opening but nothing coming out for a second. Then her face turned red. "W-We're just friends! I don't see him like that."
Shun raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. "Sure."
"I could walk over there right now and join their conversation. Easy."
"Then do it."
"I will." She stood, brushing imaginary dust from her blazer. "Watch me."
Hana started walking, her chin lifted in forced confidence.
But with each step, her heart beat faster.
The distance between her and them suddenly felt longer.
She slowed without meaning to, her eyes fixed on Kazuki and Aoi.
They stood by the fence, perfectly aligned against the backdrop of the setting sun. His posture relaxed, her hair catching the light — the scene looked like a still frame from a photo titled Perfect Duo.
Hana stopped.
I can't compete with that.
The thought hit her harder than she expected, a weight settling in her chest. For the first time, she admitted it to herself — she liked him.
And she didn't know what to do about it.
Without another word, she turned on her heel, heading straight for her bag. She slung it over her shoulder.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said quickly.
Shun frowned. "Wait—"
But the rest of his sentence stayed trapped in his throat as she broke into a light run toward the stairwell.
Kazuki noticed immediately, his conversation with Aoi faltering. He turned his head just in time to see her passing.
"Hana?" he called.
She didn't stop.
Didn't look back.
The rooftop door banged shut behind her.
Sakuramine Academy Rooftop – 5:10 PM
Kazuki stood there for a moment after the door shut behind Hana, the wind brushing past his headphones.
The others were still chatting by the fence.
He exhaled quietly. "I'm heading out."
"See you tomorrow," Aoi said, smiling.
Kenji threw him a salute. "Don't be late."
Shun gave a simple nod. Naomi didn't look up from her clipboard, but he caught the faint curve of her lips.
Kazuki stepped away from the group, hands in his pockets.
West Tokyo Streets – 5:27 PM
The sun had dipped lower, the air cooler now. The rhythm of the city — traffic hum, distant chatter, bicycle bells — filled the silence as he walked.
His mind kept circling back to one thing.
Why did she run off like that?
The question clung to him, trailing his steps all the way home.
Kazuki's Apartment – 5:49 PM
He stepped inside, slipping off his shoes.
"Hey, Mum," he said automatically.
"Hey, kiddo," she called back from the kitchen.
But even as he said it, his thoughts hadn't moved.
Why did she leave?
He made his way to his room, dropping his bag onto the floor. The quiet in here was different — thicker somehow.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he pulled out his phone.
Photos.
Some from the last few months.
A handful of Hana in the background, always smiling — or pretending not to be.
He scrolled through their message history, scanning her replies. They weren't long, but they always carried her voice somehow.
Still… nothing explained today.
What happened?
He thought of a dozen possible answers and dismissed them all.
In the end, he typed a simple message:
You good?
He stared at the screen for a moment before hitting send.
No reply came.
Kazuki lay back on his bed, pulling the covers over his shoulder.
She's fine, he told himself.
But the question stayed.
The second his head touched the pillow—
Hana's Room – Same Time
A ping lit up her phone on the desk.
She didn't move to get it right away, still sitting on her bed with her knees drawn up.
Finally, she reached for it.
You good?
Her eyes stayed on the words, unmoving.
Aoi's laugh from earlier echoed in her mind — the way she'd called him "Kaz" like it was nothing, teasing him with that smug little grin.
Too stupid to converse with someone, Aoi had joked.
It hadn't even been serious, but it stuck.
Hana stood and crossed to the mirror on the far wall. Her reflection stared back at her, eyes a little darker in the low light.
"I wish…" she whispered, "…I wish he'd care for me more."
She hesitated. "…And I wish I could hear him sing to me. Just once. Like he did to her."
She sat back down on the bed, her gaze lifting to the wall above her desk.
A single poster hung there.
It was an old promotional shot — bold black lettering across the bottom: KAZ – Only for You.
Kazuki's younger face stared back at her from the glossy print, mic in hand, caught mid-performance.
Her throat tightened.
"I've loved you," she murmured, "…since the day you sang this song."
Her fingers curled slightly, the memory playing in her head — not of meeting him, but of hearing him for the first time through her headphones.
The night she'd fallen for a voice she never thought she'd stand in front of.