It was an early morning as I began posting and printing posters of Afterglow. Even though it was just 9 am, I wanted to ensure everything was ready for Marina-san's return, with hopes of impressing her and attracting a large audience.
As I was working, Himari's cheerful voice greeted me, "Oh? You're early and hard-working today!"
I looked up and smiled, "Good morning, Uehara-san."
Himari returned the greeting, "Good morning, Nakasone-kun! Why are you so early today? Rehearsing the song?"
I nodded, "Hmm, kinda... but mostly, I wanted to see you."
"See me?" I asked with curiosity. "Is there something you need from me?"
Himari explained, "Yeah! I want to do a livestream with you! My fans seem quite interested in you."
Interested in me? I paused, grabbed my phone, and checked Himari's social media posts. Suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine as I noticed the comments.
- "Himari-chan! Who's that guy? Tell us!"
- "Is he your boyfriend, Himari-chan!? Spill the beans!"
- "What's his address? Just kidding... unless?"
The comments were on a post where I appeared in a picture with Himari.
A sudden chill passed over me, and I muttered to myself, "Oh God, I feel like I'm about to be hounded soon."
Himari grew concerned, "Eh? Nakasone-kun!? What's wrong!? Why did you turn pale all of a sudden?"
I chuckled nervously, trying to hide my anxiety, "Uehara-san... Please don't let your fans hunt me down."
Himari exclaimed, "I won't let that happen!"
...
"Ahh... well, Is that all? If that's all, then I'll print out some posters," I said, my focus back on my task.
Himari eagerly asked, "Can I help you?"
I nodded, "Sure."
"Really!?"
I replied with a smile, "Yeah."
Himari couldn't hide her excitement, "Hehe! Alright!"
Just then, a couple more familiar faces entered the CirCLE, surprising Himari.
"Don't forget about us too!"
She exclaimed, "Tomoe-chan and Tsugu!?" Himari walked over to them. "I can't wait for later! I'm so excited!"
Tsugumi smiled, "Me too... Actually, I couldn't sleep much last night ehehehe."
I chimed in, concerned, "That's a problem, Hazawa-san. You need rest, you know?"
With the posters in my arms, I continued with the task at hand whistling.
"So? What are we going to do?" Tomoe asked, turning to me as I put the posters on the wall.
I leaned back, considering, "Hmm, Rehearsal."
Tomoe scratched her head, slightly perplexed, "That's it?"
I nodded, explaining, "Yeah. If possible, I want you guys to prepare for later. I don't want you all to waste your time on me since I can handle it." I even flexed my muscles, although they weren't particularly impressive.
"Are you sure about this?" Tsugumi inquired.
I assured them, "Yeah." Makasete
Just then, Ran and Moca entered the CirCLE. Ran looked at four of us, "Oh, you three... It looks like we all have the same idea."
Moca added with a playful tone, "Are we actually 5 brain cells formed in one brain?!"
"N-no, Moca..." Tomoe stammered.
With a chuckle, Moca said, "Hehehe~" It was actually a cute hehe.
"Y-Yeah, Nakasone-kun said that we should rehearse instead of helping him," Tomoe explained to them.
I chimed in, "Well, yeah. Like I said, I'm fine, and I'd prefer you guys to be ready."
"Alright then, everyone, let's rehearse," Ran announced, leading the way to the studio.
"Yeah!" They all responded in unison as they eagerly followed her into the studio.
With Afterglow now deep into their rehearsal, I shifted my focus back to my tasks.
I knew I had to work on getting more customers, uh, an audience for their performance.
It was like hitting two birds with one stone, and Marina-san would be so proud of my efforts.
As they practiced their songs and fine-tuned their performance, I started spreading the word online about Afterglow's impromptu concert.
To my surprise, the news spread like wildfire, and within 20 minutes, there were already 3,000 responses.
Social Media can be scary sometimes...
It was astonishing how quickly people expressed their interest and began purchasing tickets. I felt a sense of accomplishment as I saw the overwhelming response.
While managing the online buzz, I could still hear Afterglow rehearsing in the background. "Looks like they're getting ready to rock the stage," I muttered to myself, glancing at the clock.
"I'm ready."
As the morning turned into noon, my stomach rumbled, reminding me that it was already time for lunch. I placed an order for some food, and a thought crossed my mind.
"I should order for them as well."
I ordered two extra sets, realizing that my wallet might feel the burn this time.
After a few minutes, the delivery arrived, and I collected the food. Walking back to the studio, I found Afterglow rehearsing, their faces flushed with exertion and sweat glistening on their brows.
"Everyone, I brought some lunch!"
Moca's eyes sparkled as she responded, "A god!"
"Thank you, Nakasone-kun!" Tomoe beamed.
I began distributing the food, calling out their names one by one. "Mitake-san, Uehara-san, Hazawa-san, Tomoe-san, and... for Aoba-san, an extra-large meal." I presented the largest meal to Moca.
"You're a god, Nakasone-san," Moca said, bowing in appreciation.
"Alright, cut it out and eat before it gets cold."
"Right~" Moca enthusiastically began eating, followed by the others.
Ran, however, remained quiet.
I moved closer to her and stood by her side. "What's wrong, Mitake-san?"
Ran hesitated for a moment before replying, "No, nothing... It's just that I don't like receiving this much help."
My eyes widened, and I couldn't help but chuckle. "That's true... You always denied my help whenever I tried, which is why I kept insisting in the first place."
"Sorry."
"No need for apologies; I understand you," I assured her and began walking towards the door but paused, turning my eyes back to them. "Good luck, everyone."
They all nodded in gratitude, and I left the studio.
The night arrived, and it was finally time for the concert. To my surprise, I was met with a scene that exceeded all my expectations.
"Why are there so many customers!?" I couldn't help but think to myself in shock as the crowd piled up inside the venue.
"F-Fall in line, please!" I called out, trying to maintain some order amidst the chaos. The enthusiastic turnout was beyond my wildest dreams.
After a chaotic 30 minutes, we finally managed to organize the crowd, and I was left sweating and feeling rather stressed.
"Now I know what Marina-san feels like when she's alone here," I thought to myself.
This experience gave me a new level of appreciation for all the hard work she had put into running the CirCLE alone.
Don't worry Marina-san, You'll never be alone anymore!
And then after the chaotic scenario, I made my way to the studio where everyone was gathered.
"Everyone! Thank you for coming!" Ran addressed the audience before turning to Moca, Tomoe, Tsugumi, and Himari. "Here we go! Childhood Summer!"
The song began with the keyboardist and guitarist leading the intro, setting the stage for the vocals to join in. The keyboardist took the lead, her fingers dancing across the keys with passion and precision.
As the song progressed to the first verse, the chorus arrived, and everything seemed to pause as Tsugumi's moment approached.
With the commencement of the chorus, Tsugumi's keyboard took the spotlight, its gentle yet strong notes adding a unique depth to the music.
Ran's powerful voice effortlessly carried the high notes, infusing the performance with an extra layer of intensity.
The drums, bass, and guitar seamlessly intertwined with the melody, creating a rich symphony that enveloped the room. The energy was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride in that moment.
As the chorus reached its peak, I could hear whispers around me praising Tsugumi's performance.
[
"That keyboardist is so cool!"
"Right? She's also cute!"
]
"How come we didn't know about her?"
"Dude, It's because we're too ignorant that.
]
"The chorus with the keyboardist is so gentle yet strong."
"This is why I love keyboardists!
]
Tsugumi was making a profound impact on the audience. so I decided to leave the studio with a smile, confident that this would end with a resounding success.
I had forgotten to mention that I was also live-streaming the concert on my phone through CirCLE's social media page. I knew some people had missed out on the live performance.
Don't worry; I was using my secondary account, which I reserve for moments of extroversion. Let's just say that the live stream ended up with an actual view count of 15,312 and even received 21 dono.
I really didn't need the money, but it was clear that Afterglow was well on its way to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Roselia once again.
Geez... I can finally rest.