Here come chapter 7 rolling in. Somewhat of another timeskip, closer to the two year mark since the concert tragedy. I wanted to explore just a little bit about how Hibiki and Miku chose to enroll in Lydian so this chapter does that slightly. It's a bit shorter than my other chapters but that's mainly due to the reason that the story is nearing the end. Either way, still hope it's enjoyable!

Unison is the simultaneous sounding of the same note by two or more singers or players. Unison songs are not in different parts: all singers sing the tune together.


Hibiki tapped her pencil against the paper, bobbing her head up and down to the beat. Homework, homework, it's something she needed to do. But how could she force herself to find any interest in it? Her lips moved, matching the lyrics of the song. It was the very same one Zwei Wing sung first at the concert. Back then, she didn't know a single word but ever since, she knew practically all of them. The melody, how the words fit with the rhythm, and the meaning of the words.

Something about Zwei Wing, something about music, made her happy. It was such an exhilarating feeling whenever the beat pumped against her ears and the words came flying out of her mouth. It warmed her heart and vibrated her body with life. Perhaps, just because of that, it was the main reason why she couldn't focus on this homework. But Hibiki couldn't stop herself.

Her mind wandered off to think about Tsubasa. It's been almost two years since the concert and not a single mention about the pop star yet. News outlets still spoke about the incident like it was yesterday but luckily it wasn't in much detail. Regardless, Hibiki was concerned about Tsubasa. Ever since Kanade passed, would she still choose to sing? Would anyone hear her music again? Hibiki longed to hear her sing, even if it was her solo.

Without a second thought, Hibiki grabbed her phone, dialing in Miku's number. Since Miku knew more about them, she could know something. Hopefully it wasn't too late. After a few more rings, Hibiki was greeted by her friend's voice.

"Hello?"
"Hey, Miku! Sorry if this is late but I wanted to ask you something. Are you busy?"

Hibiki heard slight shuffling on Miku's end. It sounded like papers. Was she practicing?

"No," she finally spoke, "…I'm not busy. What's up?"
"Do you know anything about Tsubasa? As in, heard anything about her?"

If Hibiki couldn't find anything, who's to say that Miku would too? Then again, Hibiki still wished to avoid the media as much as possible. A few seconds ticked by before she heard Miku speak up again.

"Actually, yes. I believe she'll be releasing an album soon. No exact details yet but it's coming."
"Really?! That's awesome! I can't wait to hear it! It's been so long since she's performed."
"I agree. It'll be nice to hear her sing again."

It was easy to imagine Miku's smile due to her tone. Hibiki chuckled as a silent response back.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Miku spoke as Hibiki could hear even more papers moving in the background.

"Have you ever heard of Lydian Academy? It's a music school. Tsubasa has actually been attending there for the past year or so. It's really nice I hear. It's located in Tokyo."
"Eh!? She's been that close!?"

Well, not as if they lived super close to the capital city but it obviously wasn't that far if they could travel to the concert alone. Then again, what did it matter if she was close? It's not as if Hibiki could simply waltz there just to see Tsubasa. Besides, it was a school located in Tokyo, it had to be pretty pricy.

"I actually plan to go there. I've been interested in their music programs, specifically the piano classes. It seems like a nice way to get good criticism."
"O-Oh, that sounds nice!"

Why did she stutter? Was it because she wasn't expecting Miku to be interested in another school? Or was it some underlying reason? Hibiki held the phone closer to her ear, not even sure what to say as a response until Miku's voice piped in again.

"You should come with me!"
"Wh-What? How come? I don't play any instruments…"
"It's not only about playing instruments. There's all sorts of classes, including singing. I think you'd be perfect for it."
"Ahaha, well, I can think about it!"
"Well, how about this," Miku said with a chuckle, "…I plan on taking a tour around the school. How about you come with me and my dad? That way we can both see what it looks like and learn more about it."

Despite how unsure she felt, Hibiki quickly spoke her answer.
"Okay, yeah! Sounds like fun!"
"Great! I'll have to hang up now but I'll let you know the date and everything! Talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay! Sleep well!"

As Hibiki hung up the phone, she realized the conversation went far beyond her expectations. So Miku planned to go to a music school called Lydian. If Hibiki chose not to go, what other reason was there for her to stay here? For her grandmother and mother of course, but as much she continued to think her presence didn't harm them anymore, the harassment was still there. Besides, her mother began to overwork in order to make ends meet.

"No time to think about that." Hibiki ignored the thoughts creeping in and went back to her work. Time would only tell if she'd end up going to Lydian with her best friend. Would be wise to take it one step at a time.

It would end up working out in the end. No worries.


This school was huge. Hibiki expected as much but nothing quite like this. It felt somewhat intimidating. Miku's father gave Hibiki a light pat on the shoulder.

"You nervous? There's no need to be, y'know."
"Ahaaa, I'm okay, I swear! I mean, it's an academy after all."

He chuckled, nodding his head as well.
"Alright then. Let's get started, shall we?"

Miku looked equally excited and Hibiki chose to feed off it. There's nothing wrong with touring a school, even if she chose not to attend. Besides, there were quite a lot of other kids that looked nervous and excited to be here. Thank goodness it was free.

As they moved about the school, Hibiki learned that the classes were completely separate from the teacher's building, where she assumed they slept and did other important work. The dorms were also separate from both of those buildings, and they were just as fancy. The building was at least. It was weird to consider living on campus when this school was practically for younger kids. She continued to think that people only stayed away from home when they were in college and obviously much older.

It was overwhelming at first but now that they had a full glimpse of the school, Hibiki felt better about her chances. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to come here. At least Miku would be with her. And besides, Tsubasa was apparently attending here!

As they were wandering about near the classrooms, Hibiki pressed her fingers against the window, glancing out to the huge track field below. Who would even run that whole entire thing? Oh right, Miku would. Then again, she quit about a year ago. Hibiki never understood the reason why but Miku reassured her it was simply her focusing her time on her piano skills. But was that really it?

"You seem fascinated by that track!" An unfamiliar voice yelled. Hibiki looked in their direction, feeling as if her heart would burst out of her chest. It was a girl with pigtails. Since no one else was pressed up against the window like herself, it was obvious the girl was speaking in her direction.

"Uhm, yeah! It's huge! My high school doesn't have a track this big."
"Oh really? No wonder it's such a magical thing to stare at. Have you been to Tokyo before?"
"Once, but it's been a while." No need to tell her about the concert. She didn't want any harassment here.

"Then you'll love being here! Trust me, with all the nearby places to travel to, it almost makes you want to skip class! But of course, we can't do that. There's a karaoke place, plenty of restaurants, and even a very good place to get some okonomiyaki. It's called 'Flower'."

Hibiki merely stared at her. Did she live in Tokyo all her life? Did she attend school here already? Maybe she did some exploring before the tour. Regardless, the okonomiyaki sounded delicious.

"Itaba!" Another young girl yelled out a name, presumably to the girl talking to Hibiki since she turned around at the call. A blonde haired girl stood beside her with a smile.
"I've been looking for you. There's so many people here that I'm losing track. I haven't been able to see Andou either."

That statement made Hibiki begin to wonder where Miku and her father went off too. Maybe the restroom.

"Don't worry," the pigtails girl responded back, "…I'm only talking to this girl here! You know, telling her all about the nice places in Tokyo to visit."
"That sounds nice. There's plenty of things to see and explore around here."

Hibiki offered an awkward laugh. Well, they seemed nice and energetic.
"Are you two planning on coming here as well?"

"Yep!" The blonde answered. "We're going later this year as soon as classes start. Already enrolled and everything. What about you?"

"Ah, well, I wasn't too sure at first since my friend suggested I come along, but I think I might. It's really nice here, and I heard Tsubasa was a student!"

"Oh yeah, she's been attracting all sorts of attention to the school. Having a celebrity in our classes? Isn't it weird?"

"Hardly!" The pigtailed girl spoke. "I bet no one can even get near her though. But it would be nice to just glance her way. This sort of stuff only happens in an anime!"

All of them laughed. She had a point; how could something like this even happen in real life? Characters on a TV show were always given this opportunity, never anyone in person. Guess this meant she needed to take this once in a lifetime chance.

"Hey, what's your name? Mine is Itaba Yumi. And this here is Shiori."
The blonde bowed.
"Terashima Shiori. Nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure! I'm Tachibana Hibiki. And my friend is Kohinata Miku, even though she's not here right now."

Shiori shook her head with a smile.
"Oh don't worry, one of our friends isn't here either. Suppose that means we should go look for her while you go do the same. I think the tour is moving on anyway. So be careful, okay?"

"Same to you! It was nice meeting you both. And thanks for the tips!"

Yumi gave her a thumbs up.
"No problem! And if you and your friend ever want to hang out with us, feel free! We'll take you both to get some okonomiyaki down at Flower!"

Hibiki gave them a wave as they disappeared down the hall before turning her attention back towards the track field. Technically she had already made friends without even being here for very long. No idea how she achieved that but it made her feel much better about her choice.

Maybe this would end up working out just fine.

Her worries had been for nothing.


Thought having some small interaction with Yumi and Shiori would be nice. It's unknown how Miku and Hibiki met their Lydian classmates but I'd like to imagine it was before they attended. Very brief but enough for them to remember each other. Either way, the next chapter will be the final one!