A few days had passed since the intense challenge with CHU², and life had returned to its usual rhythm. However, as I idly scrolled through my phone one day, my curiosity was piqued by the mention of "Raise a Suilen."
As I delved deeper into my research on Raise a Suilen, I uncovered a wealth of achievements and interesting tidbits about the band.
One notable discovery was their collaboration with the anime studio "Assault Lily." Their song "Sacred World" had been chosen as the opening theme for the anime, which began airing on October 2nd. It was fascinating to see their music reaching audiences through such a prominent platform.
But what truly astonished me was their performance at the Future World Festival. The fact that they had graced such a prestigious stage spoke volumes about their talent and popularity.
Eager to experience their music firsthand, I clicked on one of their songs titled "UNSTOPPABLE." From the moment the beat started, I found myself nodding along involuntarily. LAYER's vocals were captivating, drawing me further into the song's intricate melodies.
As the song progressed, I was struck by the seamless blend of genres, including what seemed to be elements of CHU²'s vocals. Though not an expert in rap myself, I couldn't deny the appeal of its integration into the music, adding depth and intensity to the overall composition.
"Uwah... This music is absolutely amazing," I murmured to myself, lost in the beats.
As I lost myself in the captivating melodies of Raise a Suilen's music, I couldn't help but wonder about the possibility of a showdown between them and Roselia.
The thought of these two powerhouse bands battling it out on stage sent shivers down my spine.
But before I could entertain the idea any further, Marina's voice broke through my reverie, pulling me back to reality.
"Haha~ Unfortunately, that's not likely to happen," Marina remarked, her tone laced with amusement.
"Eh?! Marina-san?!" I exclaimed, caught off guard by her sudden interruption.
"What's wrong? You were muttering to yourself pretty loudly there," Marina teased, flashing me a mischievous smile.
"Sorry."
"No worries~ It's easy to get carried away when thinking about those two amazing bands."
"Really?"
"That's right. There was even a time when they had a Battle of the Bands, but the judges couldn't come to a decision."
"That's a shame..."
"Haha~ Right? I heard CHU²-chan was pretty upset with the judges and threw quite the tantrum," Marina added, chuckling at the mental image.
Wow... I could imagine that happening.
Just then two figures entered the CirCLE
"Huh? Tae-chan and LAYER-chan~ Welcome~" Marina welcomed the familiar figures into CirCLE, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise.
O-Tae and LAYER? What were they doing here?
"Hello, Marina-san," O-Tae greeted, her voice soft and polite. Then, she turned to me, offering a friendly smile. "Hello there, Nakasone-san."
"Hello," I replied, returning her greeting. But my curiosity got the better of me as I turned to LAYER. "You two knew each other?"
Tae and LAYER exchanged a brief glance before nodding in unison.
"Yeah, we're childhood friends."
"Mhm," Tae added her expression mirroring LAYER's sentiment.
"I-I see..." I murmured, surprised by this unexpected revelation.
Without further ado, Tae turned to Marina, "Marina-san, can we borrow a studio room for a bit?"
"O-Of course!"
"Thank you," LAYER chimed in, her tone gracious as the two of them headed towards their designated room.
"Hm? I wonder if there's a collab going on with Poppin'Party and Raise a Suilen?" Marina speculated, her curiosity piqued by the possibility.
"Say, Marina-san, should we watch the two of them?" I suggested, eager to witness the potential collaboration.
Marina's eyes widened with excitement before she adopted a serious expression. "Yes."
Feeling a surge of anticipation, I mirrored Marina's seriousness and nodded in agreement.
Honestly, this is just really dumb of us since we can just watch them but hey it's better to have comedy in it.
Together, we stealthily made our way to the studio door, our footsteps barely making a sound on the floor.
"Is this where they are?" I whispered to Marina.
"Yeah, they should be here," Marina replied in a hushed tone.
With a shared nod of understanding, the two of us cautiously pushed the door open, eager to catch a glimpse.
As we caught a glimpse of them, I noticed that Hanazono was strumming away on her guitar, her fingers dancing effortlessly across the strings while LAYER was holding her bass guitar, her fingers moving in sync with Hanazono's rhythm as she provided a solid foundation for the melody.
"Oh~ They're attempting to play 'R.I.O.T'," Marina whispered excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Eh? Really? How can you tell?" I whispered back, surprised by her insight.
"Of course~ I'm a guitarist too, you know?" she replied with a playful wink. "I can tell by the notes they're playing."
"Ah, right! I forgot about that."
Well, let's stay and see how they perform
A few seconds later, Marina's eyes widened. "Oh~ Here comes the chorus~" she whispered eagerly, her attention fixed on the performance unfolding before us.
As I listened to the song, the fusion of bass and guitar resonated with a powerful energy, reminiscent of Roselia's style but with a more pronounced beat. The incorporation of dubstep and glitch-hop elements added an electrifying dimension to the music.
"Marina-san," I whispered.
"Yes?" she replied, turning to me with curiosity.
"Who composed this song?"
"Hm? It's CHU², you know?"
After the song ended, Tae and LAYER exchanged satisfied smiles, clearly pleased with their performance. However, their smiles quickly turned mischievous as they caught Marina and me peeking through the door.
"So, are we just going to ignore the two peeping toms at the door?" Tae's voice rang out, her gaze fixed on us.
Marina and I exchanged sheepish glances, caught red-handed.
"Ahahaha~ You caught us," Marina chuckled nervously, attempting to diffuse the situation.
Tae smirked, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, you two were mumbling really loud."
"Eh? That's not true! I actually just saw Marina-san peeking at the door," I interjected, trying to deflect the blame.
"Oi! Don't lie! It was your idea!" Marina protested, playfully nudging my shoulder.
"Haha~ I was just joking," I laughed, waving off the accusation with a playful grin.
"So? Nakasone-san, what are your thoughts on today's session?" LAYER's question pulled me out of my reverie, prompting me to gather my thoughts.
"It was truly amazing," I began, addressing both Tae and LAYER. "Your performance was nothing short of mesmerizing. The way you seamlessly blended different genres and showcased your talents was incredibly impressive. LAYER-san, your bass playing was particularly outstanding. It's evident that you have a wealth of experience and skill."
LAYER's modest smile in response warmed my heart. "Thank you," she said graciously.
"But what about you? Do you play any instruments?" LAYER's curiosity prompted her question.
I hesitated for a moment, memories of my past flooding back. "I used to play guitar, but circumstances forced me to set it aside for a while."
Understanding flickered in Tae and LAYER's eyes as they exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging my unspoken words.
Before I could respond, LAYER suddenly proposed something. "How about we talk about it with some ramen? MASKING's restaurant is just around the corner, and I promised to visit her today!"
"Then... I'll be joining you two."
"Oh... You two?" Tae questioned, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "No, no. I'm waiting for Kasumi and the others here since we have to practice."
"Ah, right... I forgot," LAYER admitted, scratching her head sheepishly. She then proceeded to pack her bass guitar into its case and sling it over her shoulder. "Shall we go now?"
"Yeah."
With that settled, Marina, LAYER, and I exchanged a glance, bidding farewell to Tae and Marina as we headed out of the studio.