"If it's karaoke, it's gotta be anime openings."
"No! Ballads! Think about the romance! The love!"
"I think about that enough already," Tomoe spoke a little quieter. The sentiment was lost as Himari blushed. It was even further thrown out the window as Tsugumi chuckled and Moca wolf whistled. Ran buried their head in the songbook.
Tomoe's face grew warm at the silence. "No, wait. Come on. Why are we making this embarrassing? Himariii, why aren't you saying anything?"
Her girlfriend stuck her tongue out. "Because that just proves we should sing a ballad together, doesn't it? Tooo-moe, please!"
It was the annual Afterglow reunion—since Himari had moved away for university, since Ran and Moca had moved out on their own, since Tomoe and Tsugumi stayed local but found that life had become busier since high school, having all five of them together quickly became a rare occasion.
When university started, they would see each other near monthly. Himari conjured up the silliest of reasons to see each other. She needed someone to bring food for her. It would be a crime if she saw this movie by herself. Ran wasn't messaging back and Moca didn't give straight answers, which obviously meant knocking down their door at near 11 at night, takeout and gossip on hand. At best, it was Himari holding onto something while she adjusted to her life at uni.
During her worse days, she called Tomoe, asking if being homesick was the same as missing her friends. Tomoe always said the same thing to Himari on those days, bandaging her bleeding heart and holding onto her outstretched arms.
Eventually, her heart bled a little less, and home didn't feel several miles away.
So, they didn't meet as often anymore. Love and distance had a way of working that way, but they still found their ways into each other's lives, nestled in deep as childhood memories. Though they had separate lives now, there was something, something inexplicably theirs as they wandered back together as a group.
Even now, as Himari tapped in a Kana Nishino song and Tomoe hastily deleted the entry, returning to their group's habits felt a lot like coming back home.
"How are we supposed to beat Ran singing that?" Tomoe picked up a spare songbook, flicking through the pages.
"You're not supposed to beat me," Ran interjected. They dropped the songbook onto the table, crossing their arms as they leaned back. The karaoke room was compact, narrow with a table squished between two couches, and the karaoke machine and TV at the end of the room. "I was the lead singer. Isn't singing kind of my thing?"
"Let them have this," Moca raised her glass. She was on her third round of alcohol, sipping it nonchalantly to the side. "They don't have a spiiicy romance like we do. They're so sweet I might have to go to the dentist after this."
"I'm glad they're happy, though," Tsugumi whispered. Himari and Tomoe weren't paying attention to the three of them at all. Even so, Ran and Moca smiled along with Tsugumi.
"Sentimental as always, Tsugu," Moca grabbed Tsugumi's cup and handed it to her.
"I think we could get a pretty high score! Through the power of our undying love?" Himari pouted, sinking her head and silently begging her. Tomoe didn't know where the girl had learned that. Who had taught it to her? Her parents? Her older sister? Himari didn't even know when she did it, wearing her heart on her sleeve because she already had so much love inside her.
Oh man. She really was off the deep end for Himari. Undying love didn't even begin to cut it.
"I, uh. I can't hit notes high enough for that," Tomoe scratched the back of her head, eyes still scanning the book.
"Uwah... You love me that much?" Himari closed the distance between the two of them, pulling Tomoe down into a hug. Yup. Hugs were what they both needed right then. The arm holding the songbook went limp as Tomoe leaned into their embrace.
"'Course I do."
Was it okay if she kissed Himari? Sometimes it wasn't enough—the hugs, the words—and Tomoe wanted to express her love for the girl beyond that. She pulled back slightly so that she could look her girlfriend in the eyes.
Himari was already on her tiptoes, leaning her head in for the kiss.
"Since you're having trouble picking," Ran had stood up, stealing the microphone from Himari. They punched in some numbers, and the song preview started playing on the TV. Distinct guitars erupted in the room. Tomoe recognized this song; it was something she'd drum along to when she wanted to get out of a slump. "Moca and I picked the song for you."
"What!" Himari bounded away from Tomoe in an instant, and Tomoe stood there, still adjusting to the warmth that was now missing. She should've gone for the kiss when she had the chance. "That's not fair! How are we supposed to beat you?"
Ran smirked. "I'm sure your undying love can cover that."
"You doubt that now, Ran, but you'll need some of that love when we pick your song next," Himari wagged an accusing finger at her friend.
Tsugumi raised her glass. She'd always been a lightweight, and in a voice louder than was necessary, she cheered them on with, "We're here for you two, you know! You'll do great!"
"When Tsugu cheers for us like that, we have no choice, huh?" Tomoe laughed, throwing an arm over Himari's shoulders and tossing the songbook onto the table. This was fine. She'd have later and the rest of the weekend to have Himari for herself. Ran pressed the 'start' button, before handing Tomoe the mic. She held it up for both Himari and herself.
Himari was still throwing hand gestures at Moca as Tomoe squeezed her. "We have to win," Himari declared. "Put your entire heart into this song, Tomoe, we're going for 100!"
"Right! Let's do this!"
They turned towards the screen as the countdown to the lyrics ticked down. It was a fast, upbeat song. The syllables were pronounced and bouncy, and perfect for karaoke, meaning that so long as they compensated for actual singing with volume, they had a chance at a decent score. That was how karaoke usually worked, didn't it?
Tomoe threw all sense of embarrassment away, swaying her hips and encouraging Himari to move along with her as they started singing.
At least, that was how it was supposed to go.
Himari's voice was shaky as she kept up, but for a fast, loud song like this, that wouldn't be enough.
As they hit the first chorus, Tomoe dropped her arm around Himari's waist, tightening her hold as she forced Himari off her feet. Himari choked out a surprised laugh, but Tomoe wasn't finished, twirling her in a loose circle. Tomoe buried her face in her pink hair, smelling strawberry and feeling giddy and light. Being so close to her, Tomoe felt drunk on happiness. That could've been the alcohol talking, but even sober, Tomoe knew she'd think the same.
"Singing with the one person I can't leave alone," Tomoe sung her heart out, making sure that Himari knew she was the one she was singing to. "Even if I don't become number one, you laughed."
"Wonder, tender, only one will open the door," Himari laughed, finishing the chorus along with her. There. Himari finally sounded a lot less self-conscious.
Now they had the rest of the song to win karaoke.
Himari grasped Tomoe's hand on her waist and let herself unravel away. They danced in place at the instrumental break, breaking out the finger guns as Himari jumped closer again for the upcoming verse.
Moca and Tsugumi cheered as Himari raised her air bass guitar, plucking at it as if she were the one performing onstage. Tomoe pulled Ran onto their feet, and despite their initial resistance, they were dancing along with Tomoe and Himari by the next chorus. Tsugumi clumsily came forward as well, causing Himari to yell into the mic as she stumbled on the corner of the couch.
The thought that Tomoe was singing too loudly crossed her mind, but it left just as quickly as the four of them slurred the lyrics into the mic. They hadn't been in a proper band in years. Even Ran, self-proclaimed lead singer, was struggling to keep up with the song's fast pace.
And Moca had her phone out, recording the mess, though she was swaying right along with them.
They clapped along to the song's beat. They fell back into familiar positions. Without explaining anything, Tomoe handed Ran the mic, lingering towards the back with Tsugumi as their lead singer took center stage. Himari twirled to the side. It wasn't as if they were a band anymore; Afterglow had graduated along with their high school careers. They could've chosen any hobby in middle school, but they chose music, and the music that they created stuck with them.
The end of the song came with frantic guitars, a goodbye that rushed in just as quickly as its entrance. Without prompt, Tomoe, Himari, and Tsugumi let Ran have the moment, stealing everyone's attention when they held onto the last note.
No longer teens and no longer a formal band, the heart of Afterglow was found somewhere between the echo of the cheap karaoke machine and the wild look in all their eyes.
"What happened to karaoke being a competition?" Ran asked, breathless. They placed the microphone on the table, and again they were all reminded of how small the karaoke room truly was. It was far from the packed live shows they'd put on, but they had decided on their own accord that their lives were going in different directions.
"I guess we'll just have to sing every song together," Tomoe dared suggest. Now wasn't the time for that, though. Coming together today was a way to reconnect to these memories, not to regret over past decisions.
Though their paths were different now, they weren't worse off, or filled with remorse. It was just who they were.
In fact, Tomoe would even risk saying she was happy.
"No way! No way!" Himari surprised everyone, gasping as her hand reached out to jab Tomoe. Her eyes were glued to the television, mouth agape. Everyone followed her attention. With a drumroll and grainy special effects, the score of their performance jumped onto the screen.
A whopping 97.
"Wow," Tomoe whistled. "Yeah, you're right, Himari. We can't share that score."
"Traitor!" Ran yanked the microphone up once again. They already had a song in mind as the TV started playing its preview. "Your love better be undying when I'm done with you."
Moca broke out into hysterics; the alcohol had finally hit her. "Oh nooo, karaoke is tearing this family apart."
Tsugumi sniffled. She then tumbled onto the couch on the verge of tears. Face warm and knees weak from drinking, she looked each person in the eye as if they'd said something revolutionary. "W-We're family? Even after all this time?"
Tomoe's heart resounded with a pang.
Tsugumi was the kind of girl to carry the world on her shoulders, and Tomoe wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in a giant hug. If it were possible, she would gladly roll the unseen weight off her shoulders and promise her hyperboles like always being there for Tsugumi. Instead, Tomoe knelt beside her, a hand on her knee. "Don't ever doubt it, Tsugu. We're family because of all this time."
At that, the rest of them spurred into action.
"Look, you made her cry, Moca," Himari chided behind Tomoe, patting Tsugumi on the head.
Tsugu choked. "Sorry for crying."
"I never ever mean it… you all know that," she replied in a quiet voice, surprisingly honest for once. And if Moca was telling the truth, then perhaps times really had changed.
Of the people in the room, Tomoe hadn't expected Ran to be the one to speak up. "Tsugu, come up here with me," they instructed. Their voice was petulant. They had that look on their face, when they weren't sure if they were a second away from bursting out in anger or breaking out into tears. When Tsugumi stared in surprise, Ran gestured to the space beside them.
"Sure?" Tsugumi said, wobbly on her feet but making her way over.
Ran pressed the mic into her hands. "Do you remember what we used to say? Whenever we'd perform, or a day passed like nothing."
Tsugumi hiccupped, wiping her tears from her face before looking at Ran directly. "Yeah, it was the same as always."
"It's the same now. We're still the same people from back then," Ran said. They were resolute. They were sure. Tomoe knew that, even now, Ran was still working through things on their own, but hearing them assert this so confidently—this was the Ran that Tomoe admired. "and we have the rest of our lives to be together, you know. That won't ever change."
"Yeah," Tsugumi gripped the microphone like a lifeline. "yeah, you're right."
"We're going to sing together, okay?" Ran reached out to wrap a hand over Tsugumi's on the mic. "It'll be like we've always done."
"As expected of Ran-chan," Moca snickered. Her smile eased as she watched over Ran with kind eyes. Tomoe didn't know where time had gone, when Moca Aoba could look at someone with so much love. "it wouldn't be Ran if they weren't so emotional, of course."
"You," Ran pointed at Moca as Tsugumi chose a song. "be quiet."
Himari clapped her hands together, bending down to rest her head atop of Tomoe's. She settled onto the floor, legs outstretched, and sat front row to the best performance of the night. And Himari stayed close.
The karaoke room was cramped. It was barely enough for an audience of five.
But close together like this, Tomoe couldn't imagine being anywhere else.
Thanks for reading! Part of TomoHima Week 2018 on Twitter.
