Yoru Itsuki stood at the door of his new apartment, taking a second to soak it all in. The building looked modest from the outside, but inside? It was spacious and just a step below lavish. It was a nice change from the chaos he was used to.
Raven had been through a lot in his past lives, and this normalcy felt surreal. He was used to fighting for survival, dodging all sorts of craziness. But here? Just quiet.
As he unpacked, his thoughts drifted to his music. He had made a name for himself as an anonymous singer, sharing songs from his first life. None of those classics existed in this world, and he figured he could spread them around. Not for the money—he didn't care about that—but to give these people a taste of real art.
"Phew... there's that," he muttered as he unloaded the final box, surveying the room.
Raven picked up his phone. "Hello?... Yes, this is Yoru. I just sent you my address. When can you set up the studio?"
[Ah, yes sir. We have everything ready and can come over in three hours to install it.]
Raven glanced at the time. 10:05. "So by 1:00, huh?"
"Alright then, I'll be waiting."
[Thank you for using our services. We hope you have a good day.]
"Thanks," Raven replied before ending the call.
He stretched, feeling the fatigue settle in. "Ugh... thank God the apartment was already furnished. At least I don't have much to do," he sighed.
Just as he was about to close the door, a voice echoed from the hallway, making his heart skip a beat.
"Huh? Did someone move in?"
Luna? Raven froze as memories flooded his mind, accompanied by a familiar melody.
Sing me a symphony~~♪ One for the lost and in between~~♪
Raven shook his head, forcing the memories away, and walked over to check it out.
Standing outside was a girl with purple hair and eyes, radiating a mix of innocent curiosity and childlike bubbliness—or at least that's how she came off at first glance.
This girl...
She was petite, with long, glossy dark hair and striking, shimmering eyes that almost seemed too captivating. Her pale, smooth skin complemented her delicate features—a small nose and soft lips—and her slim, graceful figure gave her an ethereal beauty that was hard to ignore.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Raven observed her before responding with a practiced smile.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Yoru Itsuki. I just moved in."
"Ah... Hello! You might already know me, but I'm Ai," she said cheerfully, tilting her head and winking, a gesture that seemed to draw attention even though there were only two of them in the hallway.
"I don't," Raven replied, tilting his head slightly, trying to recall if he had seen her somewhere before.
"Eh!? You don't know me? I'm quite popular, you know?" she said, surprised, her reaction irking him a bit.
"Unfortunately, I'm not up to date on these things."
"Eeeh, there are still people like that?" She put a finger to her lips, looking almost pitiful—but to Raven, it felt like just another act.
That dazzling smile didn't reach her eyes. The charm she exuded seemed rehearsed, every gesture too smooth, too calculated. Beneath the mask, Raven sensed something hollow. She wasn't just performing for the world but for herself, hiding something raw and broken behind that polished facade. Her perfection was so carefully crafted that it made the cracks more visible to him. No warmth, no real connection—just the reflection of the role she played.
"Are you an actor?"
"Nope! I'm an idol~♥"
"Ah… no wonder."
"Hmmm~?"
"Nothing. Anyway, I have some stuff left to do, so I'll catch you later when I'm done setting things up."
It made sense now—being an idol meant she had to fake everything, but the poor girl seemed to have forgotten herself in the lies. Raven felt a twinge of pity, and the buzzing melody in his head grew stronger the longer he spent with her.
"Your reaction is too dull~~! It's unfair!"
Raven rolled his eyes at her antics. "Sorry, I'm just not into that stuff."
"Muu… You sure are dull. Well then, bye~~~!"
She pouted before turning around and skipping back to her apartment.
Raven sighed, watching her go, a small smile appearing on his face. It vanished just as quickly when the melody buzzed again.
'I sure have a troublesome neighbor.'
The music echoed in his head.
City of fallen dreams~~♪ City of angels~~♪
'And now I have to deal with this too. I just hope they set up the studio soon,' he thought, sighing as he looked up at the cloudy sky, searching for familiar faces with a distant look in his golden-red eyes, unaware that another pair of eyes were sneakily glancing at him through the door.