Throughout the week, Shun attended counseling sessions during his third period classes. His parents noticed that he wasn't having as many nightmares, and so they concluded that he was making an improvement. The incident had fallen out of the news because everyone had taken guilty pleas, and everyone at Shun's school had agreed not to bring up the matter again. Little by little, he could put it behind him.
On a Wednesday he came with Kouya to rehearse with the band at Rob's place.
As everyone took their positions, Shun asked, "How big is the place going to be?"
"A few hundred. It's kinda big," J said.
"Really!" Shun said. It would be impressive, but he had a low face and looked away.
"What's wrong?" Kouya asked. Shun blinked.
"P-people aren't going to bring it up, are they?" he asked. "I don't want people to say anything."
"Say anything about what?" Rob asked. While everyone else was confused, Kouya's sixth sense told him what he needed to know.
As he reassuringly put his arm around Shun's back, Kouya promised, "Nobody's going to be yelling about that, okay?" Shun nodded, but something in Kouya's eye seemed to sense that there was still apprehension in the wolf-boy. "You're going to be wearing a mask too. They may not recognize you at first, but… I do want you to say your name that night. And when yoou do, people are going to see you not as a victim, but as a person. When you do this, you'll be known as someone else." Shun's mouth was forming a smile. Kouya's hand slapped Shun's back. "Are you going to do your all?"
"Yeah," Shun cried.
The Kodori family, except for Shun, was traveling in a Pearl White Nissan Maxima along the Walter P. Reuther Freeway on a Saturday evening. The dark night sky clashed with the dull lights along the freeway. Ryo Kodori was behind the wheel while Yukie sat in the front seat. Ten and Gaku were in the side passenger seats and Iwao was sandwiched in the middle.
"Are you telling me you like men too?" Iwao cried.
Gaku nodded and said, "I was dating Amaki-san behind everyone's backs, but circumstances made me reveal that I was dating him. I wanted to be low key but fate dealt its hand."
"Why did you bother hiding it?" Iwao asked in a low voice.
"I didn't want more gossip or drama in the office. But I'm actually surprised on how it's not a big deal," Gaku said in his usual monotone voice. "By the way, he's coming in a separate car."
An illuminated sign labeled "Exit 16 Woodward Ave Main Street Detroit Zoo" appeared and Ryo Kodori swiftly put on the turn signal. The sedan exited the freeway onto 10 Mile Road. At first the Kodori family saw the typical suburban businesses, but that transitioned into a traditional American-style downtown. As they took a left onto 9 Mile Road, one storefront seized Iwao's imagination.
"That's very colorful," he muttered. The marker above the class was in the color of the rainbow. The name was "Just 4 Us," with the 4 in a purple triangle. "What does the triangle mean?" the elderly wolf-man asked.
"Oh that's a gay bookstore," Gaku remarked, acting like he was reading from a script. "I went there with Amaki to get some books."
"T-there's a bookstore for people who like those of the same sex?" Iwao gasped.
The wolf-man in the late twenties nodded and said, "This area is the center of gay culture around here, and hipsters too. Naturally this place has clubs, and Shun-kun is part of the performance tonight." Iwao looked away with an expression of shock. His sullen face represented a discomfort he had with the idea of two people of the same sex being in a relationship, and yet he felt resigned to this being a reality around him.
At the backstage area of the nightclub, Shun Kodori stood in his Robin costume with an eager grin.
"You learned your lines really quickly!" Rob, now in his Superman costume, said.
"I tell you, you must have a good memory," J, in his Aquaman costume, said.
"Then that's good. I'm sure you know what the plan is, right?" Kouya asked. His Bat-cape was dragging on the ground. His fingers were on the fake utility belt, adjusting it so the Batman logo was perfectly lined up. The mask seemed stifling, but Kouya Aotsuki was prepared.
Shun Kodori, with a telling grin on his face, nodded.
The audience clapped as four beastmen made it to the microphones. The club was decorated in a sophisticated hipster manner. The Kodori family and Amaki stood out like a sore thumb because everyone was in formal dresses and ties. Everyone around them wore Halloween costumes, business casual wear, and hipster wear. Unfortunately was 18 and up, so Shun's high school friends were unable to make it. Fortunately the age restriction didn't apply to the performers. Chandeliers hovered over the audience, making the venue more imposing and special. It felt like one of the final levels of a video game.
"Good evening, Detroit, and Happy Halloween!" The decibels from the audience rose, credited to the band's increased reputation. "We're going to do something different at the Adam and Eve, here," J announced, dropping the name of the club. The stage lights were trained on him and the audience gave a cheer upon seeing the costumed musician. Two other members of the band appeared. One was a cat-woman in a Wonder Woman costume holding a bass, with her black hair peppered with orange streaks freely down to her shoulders. The other was a husky dog-man dressed as Batman.
"As some of you know, this is June and this is Kouya!" J announced, and the audience roared and clapped. "And don't forget Rob here!" he laughed as the Superman-dressed horse man leaped onto the stage and flexed his muscles. The bravado worked and none of the other members of Torque sighed. "He'll be doing the drums tonight," J announced as Rob sat at the drum set, However he let out a surprise. "But… I also have a guest here." Slowly a small figure emerged from the right of the stage curtain. It was a wolf-boy dressed in a Robin costume, without leggings, with his face hidden behind a domino mask.
"Robin?" a woman in the audience softly asked.
"That's probably Batman's lover, right?" the woman's boyfriend asked.
"Oh you," the woman sighed.
J announced, "This young fellow is Shun Kodori. He is a close, close friend of Kouya." Then he asked, "Introduce yourself, Shun."
With his lessened but still present Japanese accent, Shun announced through his microphone, "Yes, my name is Shun and I come from Japan. I go to high school in America and while I have had some challenges I have grown to enjoy being here." A few people in the audience whispered among each other. They didn't recognize him from the costume, but from the name. They realized he was the person Kouya had mentioned in that video, but they chose not to speak up. What happened to him last Saturday wasn't his fault. "I really want to give Kouya my thanks for being a big help with things, and we have something special to say at the end." The cheer and clapping from the audience warmed Shun's heart. His heart pounded with excitement, anticipating a wonderful performance, doing something wonderful with his beloved Kouya.
It was clear this performance was going to be very different as soon as Rob started the drums. The drumming was wilder and edgier, and the special vocal patterns gave this concert a unique character. Kouya played the guitar and commanded the lower pitches, singing the opening lines. Then June played the bass and sang her opening lines, commanding the bass. The audience cheer grew louder and louder. Then came J's vocals paired with June's bass, and a few "WHOAs" came from the mosh pit and the seats. Then… it was Shun's turn, his high pitched singing voice paired with Kouya's guitar licks. The audience roared with approval, appreciating the curveball the band threw at the audience. The remainder of the first song and the other songs involved sequences of harmonies of each pitch, and then a harmony of both pitches together. The audience was entranced, and Shun's spirits soared to new heights. At the end of each song Kouya's face sported mellow smile, level eyebrows, soft cheeks.
He thought that, this way, Shun will no longer be the boy who was victimized. He will be the boy who overcame his circumstances and found something positive.
And the end of the concert…
"This is a song I would like to sing in Japanese," Kouya announced. "Ready for the title?" The audience cried out as a way of saying "Yes". As he took a big breath, the Husky dog-man observed the Kodoris on the audience stand. Ryo and Yukie were elated. A tear of happiness dripped down Yukie's cheek. Ten looked satisfied, having forgiven Kouya for interfering with Iwao the other night. Gaku, in the arms of Amaki, was actually cracking a smile. And… Iwao. His exterior was melting. Even he was moved by how happy and enthusiastic Shun was on the stage. "This is my song. Kodori Shun no Uta. That means the Song of Shun Kodori. As you know J is a songwriter but awhile ago I had started a song of my own as I had become good friends with Shun. And after some recent events, I thought I would finish it and … perform it here." At this time a Lois Lane entered the stage and began embracing Rob, who was taking a well-deserved break. This song had only two performers.
As he started the guitar, Kouya sang the opening lyrics, all in Japanese. The start alluded to how he felt down and miserable, before finding an joy when he least expected it. Then in his first sequence Shun came with his lyrics, expressing how he was confused and disoriented and how he found his bedrock. Then they launched into the rest of the song together, a softer and slower tune, but something whimsical, something poetic, something catchy, something that melted the hearts of the audience. And at the end of the song, despite not knowing the lyrics, the audience cheered. The dog-man and wolf-boy bowed in response. In the middle of the cheer, Shun hopped into the winged, caped embrace of his boyfriend. A few heads turned, but most of the audience was still oblivious.
Kouya announced, "And right here, at the Adam and Steve, I mean… Eve… I shall reveal my boo." Many of the audience members got it, but for the few who didn't, Kouya finished, "My boyfriend." And then Shun's heartbeat quickened and his breath began to feel labored as he contemplated making his move. He gave a soft, tender kiss on the lips to his lover. The contact lasted for a few seconds, but Kouya's kissing back confirmed to Shun that his boyfriend was sincere, that he wanted him, that he loved him. The kiss ended and the two gave their elated grins to the roaring audience. As the claps went on, Lois Lane grabbed Batman's hand and marched him backstage. Wonder Woman and Aquaman followed, and then, last but not least, Batman carried his Boy Wonder away from the burning stage lights and the ecstatic, pleasantly surprised crowd.
"Well done!" Rob cheered, with a fist in the air. "Why don't we all head over to the bars?"
"Shun's not old enough," Kouya said.
"That's right!" Rob cried. "But isn't he going back with his parents?"
"I don't wanna go all the way to Canada tonight, Rob." Kouya and J could legally drink in the bars down in Windsor, where the age to drink is 19. "I'm kinda tired," Kouya muttered. He let out a soft yawn and his right hand covered his mouth. His eyelids looked like they were drooping. "Sorry, I don't wanna go all the way out there."
"We could stop by the apartment and do something we can all have fun doing," J said.
"House party?" Rob asked.
"That sounds like a cool idea. We've got drinks and stuff there, don't we?" Kouya asked.
"Sure!" Rob cried. Suddenly a pair appeared backstage.
"I'm so proud of you!" cried Yukie as she held her arms out. "You were really good up there, Shun!"
"Thanks, Mommy!" Shun cried in Japanese as he accepted her tender hug.
"Shun, are you coming back with us?" Ryo asked.
"Is it okay if I go with Kouya-san and the others to J's house? They're having a party there."
"Alright, Shun. We'll leave you be. If it gets too late you can stay overnight with them, okay?" Ryo asked.