Chapter 37: Where is the Sunshine?

Ai is sitting on the living room sofa as he reads the document that his wife has given him.

"Kaori, are you sure about this? This isn't a simple task and you will be against two big industry players. Will you be able to manage?"

Kaori nods. "I'm sure of my decision; I'm determined to do this because I think it'll be healthy for many people and for the industry to have another player in the field. I've been interested in this for some time now too so of course I've planned for its execution and all."

Ai puts down the papers on the living room's center table and looks at her seriously. "If you file this, there's no going back. You'll have to see this thru until the end."

"I will give it my all."

Ai sighs a little. "If this is what you wish, then I'll support you. Just don't go over the top just yet, okay? Be a bit on the safe side since you'll just be starting off anew." He then smiles at her.

"I promise! Thank you for your continuous support as always, Ai! I love you!" Kaori hugs him tightly with a big grin on her face.

"Kaori, if you want me to join you then I don't mind resigning from Shining Agency. I really am willing to if—"

She puts her finger against his mouth, stopping him from talking further. "No, I don't want that. I wouldn't ask you to quit from your agency just for me; I think that's unfair and selfish. Besides, wouldn't it be more interesting if you stayed with Shining Agency?"

Ai chuckles. "That is certainly true. Things would be much more interesting if I stayed in Shining Agency."

"I definitely don't mind at all. You stay in Shining Agency—stay with Quartet Night."

"Alright. I don't think I have the heart to leave Quartet Night, to be honest."

"I'm a hundred percent sure about that! I don't think you could leave or give up Quartet Night that easily and I won't let you do such a thing anyway—I won't let you give up something important like that."

"Thank you." He says sweetly with a smile. "You take care and have fun along the way in your new endeavour. If you need help I'm always here for you."

"I know and I never forget. I will also be there for you as much as you are there for me so if you have something in your mind or if you have any sort of trouble, don't hesitate to ask help or to talk to me okay?"

"Yes, my dear."

Kaori kisses Ai before heading out.

"I'll message you when I'm done. If I'm not answering your messages or calls, I am most likely still discussing with Saotome."

"Take care on your way and come back home soon."

Kaori chuckles. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone for a while on your day off; I'll come back as soon as I can."

Ai sulks a little. "Yes, please." He pouts even more. "I want to hug my wife all day long."

"You're so cute when you sulk, Ai."

"Come home soon, please." Ai acts a little cutesy as he flashes his puppy eyes at me from the sofa.

"I will, I will. Be a good boy while I'm gone hehe." Kaori laughs and kisses his forehead before leaving.

With one document in her hands, she leaves their home and heads straight for Shining Agency.

Saotome is reading thru the document that Kaori gave him without a single hint of a smile.

"Mrs. Kisaragi, are you sure about this? Quitting Shining Agency?"

"Yes, I am sure."

Saotome puts the papers down and looks at Kaori straight into her eyes. "Are you really sure?"

"I am definitely sure. I'm very grateful for the opportunities and for my time here in Shining Agency but I think that it's time for me to find a new nest to grow in."

"Is that so? It would be unfortunate for us to lose a great talent such as you. Won't you reconsider your decision?"

"I have already thought about this for a good amount of time, Saotome-sensei. I really have." Kaori says firmly.

"Hmmm. Your eyes do not lie, Mrs. Kisaragi. I believe there is nothing that I could say to change your mind at this point."

"You are definitely right about that, sensei. My mind is set on a new goal."

"Very well." Saotome takes out a pen and starts to sign the papers given to him. "If I may ask, is your hubby aware of this?"

"Ah yes, Ai knows about this. I've told him about it long before and have recently told him about my final thoughts and decisions."

"I see, I see. May I know what do you plan to do in the future? I'm quite curious as to what you have in mind."

"Well as I've said before, I'll be looking for a new nest to grown in. A new environment will give new opportunities and experiences after all."

Saotome looks up at Kaori "Have you found a new nest then?"

"N-Not really."

"Oh? That is strange, Mrs. Kisaragi. You did mention that you have thought about this for quite a while; I thought that perhaps you had a place in mind to transfer to or to join. You are not the type to jump into something without at least a plan or so."

Kaori starts to feel a little nervous from within. "Ah. Well, I can't say for sure this time." She lets out a short nervous laugh.

Saotome becomes suspicious and tries to pry, "Maybe the agency you are going to hasn't formally accepted you yet?"

"T-That's not the case."

"Oh so you have approached another agency after all! I see, I see. Which agency did you decide on?"

"U-Um, actually—I haven't approached any agency yet."

"Then perhaps you have been scouted by another agency then? That's not a far-fetched scenario; you are quite desired as a talent for other agencies! Your talents and fame has snatched the hearts of many!"

"I-I guess?"

"There's a saying that an old friend of mine used to say, 'If you can't find a new nest, make a new one.' Perhaps that is an option hanging in your mind?"

"That sounds quite interesting. I can keep that in mind." Kaori lets out another nervous laugh.

"…" Saotome pauses for a moment before putting his pen away. "Putting that aside, here you go." He gives the papers back to Kaori. "I have signed every single one and this means that we will unfortunately have to say goodbye to you soon."

Kaori nods. "Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to venture out. I really am grateful for all the experiences and opportunities that I received from the academy, the agency, and from you. I will never forget." She gives Saotome a humble bow with a nice smile.

"I'm grateful to you too, Mrs. Kisaragi. You certainly gave a refreshing experience to all of us. Truly, you are one of those 'once in a lifetime' experiences. I wish you well."

"Thank you."

"Your resignation from Shining Agency will be official once your on-going projects have finished along with the projects you have already signed and accepted."

"Yes, sir! That's okay with me. Don't worry, I will still deliver my best as always; I won't slack off." Kaori smiles.

"Of course, you always deliver with utmost quality."

"Ah, I will also continue to teach at the academy with Ai since you're short on staff because of Tsukimiya-sensei and Hyuuga-sensei's on-going tours. I'm pretty sure that my projects won't be finished yet by the time their tours are over so I'll still be in your care."

"Maaaagniiiiificent! I really am grateful for your helping hand in these hard times; please relay my thanks as well to Mrrrr. Kisaragi."

"I'll let him know hehe."

"How is your health, by the way? I hope you are staying healthy? You were not in good shape recently."

"I'm doing well at the moment. I definitely was not in good shape for a number of days but my health has improved. I'm sorry to worry you or cause any problems."

Saotome stands up from his desk and walks over to one of the windows in his office. "The day is still young; I'm sure Mr. Kisaragi is waiting for you at home since it's his day off."

"He is definitely waiting." Kaori chuckles. "He even sent me a message before I entered your office; he said he made pancakes because he craved for them and that he wanted to eat them together so I had to hurry home. He's so cute."

Saotome smiles. "He certainly loves you very much. He is lucky to have someone like you and you are lucky to have someone like him."

"I agree with you." Kaori smiles with a faint color of red spreading across her cheeks. "I am happy to be with him and knowing that he's happy being with me makes me very elated."

"As long as you are both happy then I am happy too."

"Can I ask you a personal question, Saotome-sensei?"

"And what would that be?"

"I was just wondering if you ever had someone you loved. Did you?"

"…" Saotome was quiet for a moment. "…I did. There was a woman that I loved dearly. Alas, she has left this world long ago."

Kaori's smile immediately turned into a frown. "I'm sorry for asking, Saotome-sensei. I didn't mean to bring up such a sad memory…"

"It's alright, I have come into terms with it."

An airplane passes above the sky over the agency. Saotome watches the airplane as it glides slowly away. "She was on an airplane but that said airplane had crashed and despite not finding her body, everyone assumed that she had died as the state of the airplane was truly terrible and that there were many casualties."

"…That is very unfortunate. You have my condolences, sensei."

"She was a wonderful composer such as yourself and Ms. Nanami; my debut song was composed by her. I truly mourned her death and how I wish that her fate could have been different."

"…"

The airplane that Saotome was watching leaves the range of his sight. He turns around and faces Kaori. "One never knows when will someone's time run out in this world so it's best to make most of it—live in the direction or way that you want, waste it away in your own terms, find your own happiness whatever form it may take, spend as much time and make as many memories as you can with those you care and love. In the end, we will all die one day and all that will be left of us in this world will be whatever creations we had given birth to and the memories inside the people we spent our time with; nothing more, nothing less."

The windows in Saotome's office suddenly open with a strong gush of wind. "Pardon me Mrs. Kisaragi but we will have to end our meeting here!" A rope ladder then suddenly appears by one of the windows near Saotome. "I have another meeting to attend today and so I must bid you adieu! Until our next encounter!"

Saotome strikes some of his eccentric poses before backflipping onto the rope ladder. His laughfter echoes in the air as he is taken away by his helicopter.

"Until next time, Saotome-sensei!" Kaori shouts out the window before he disappears into the sky.

The strong wind dies down and the office becomes quiet.

Kaori looks at the papers in her hands with a satisfied smile. "This is the first step, isn't it?" She then hugs the papers.

*Brrrzzz brrrzz brrrzzz*

"Hm?" Kaori takes out her phone from her pocket; it was in vibration mode to not disturb the meeting. She opens a message that says, "Hello Kaori, I don't know if your meeting with Saotome is finished so sorry for messaging you if I'm disturbing but I just wanted you to know that the pancakes have gotten cold." A picture attachment shows the pancakes that Ai made earlier. "I haven't eaten one yet since I wanted to eat them with you. I've been a good and patient boy so please come home soon. I'm lonely. From Ai."

Kaori chuckles in amusement. "Ai!" She hugs her phone for a moment. "He's too adorable and silly sometimes! Why do I have such an adorable husband; my heart will give in too early! I better get home or else he really won't touch those pancakes!"

*ringgg ringgg ringgg*

"…And what has come over you to call me out of the blue, Saotome?"

"Ho ho ho! A cold greeting from you as always, Otori!"

"Well?"

"I just wanted to know if you've had any talent approach your agency lately."

"Of course we have! Raging Entertainment receives applications all the time from aspiring talents! Are you belittling my agency?!"

"No, no, no, that's not what I mean. Hmmmm. Has any established talent approached your agency?"

"Hm? A transferee? No, we haven't had anyone like that. What made you ask? Is there a big name that has become free? Drop the name, Saotome."

"No, there isn't. I just wanted to know if there is a free talent looking for an agency at the moment. Hahahaha."

"Idiot! If there was, I wouldn't tell you of all people!"

"My, my, how cold of you."

"Hmph. Enough! You're wasting my time! I have a meeting with my talents! Goodbye!"

"See you around, Otori! Hahahaha!"

"Your laugh is annoying as ever! Bye!"

Otori ends the call right away and Saotome starts to wonder—if Kaori didn't approach Raging Entertainment, then which agency did she approach or talk to? He puts his thoughts aside for the time being.

"Now to move on to the next agenda." Raging Otori flips to the next page of the papers that he was holding. "Eiichi."

"Yes, father?"

"HEAVENS has been performing well over the months; I'm impressed. I congratulate your group."

Eiichi and the other members of HEAVENS smile in relief.

"That's some great news to the ears!" Van says happily.

Shion sits quietly with a glowing smile on his face.

"Our efforts are paying off!" Yamato says happily as he pats Nagi's back with some force.

"Hey! Watch your strength!" Nagi says angrily at Yamato.

"Please don't start fighting at a time like this." Eiji says worriedly with a wry smile.

"We'll continue to do better, father." Eiichi says.

"We won't become complacent because of this, president." Kira says.

"I know. I look forward to see how far your group can go in this industry. For now, your schedules will be more relaxed since your big projects have just ended; use this time to improve yourselves." He then discusses the projects that HEAVENS has on their hands at the moment. He was clear and precise on several aspects such as his suggestions for the group in order to improve in their skills, suggestions for the concepts of their projects and how they could give a new fresh way to tackle them, and so on. "So, do you have any questions?"

Eiichi looks at his fellow HEAVENS members. "None, sir."

"Okay. Next is…" He turns to the next page of his papers. "Nakahara Koemi."

Eiichi, who was sitting beside Emi, gently wakes her up. "Emi, Emi, wake up! The president is going to discuss your activities next."

"Hnn…Huh?" She lifts her head and stretches her neck. "I-I'm listening."

Raging Otori lifts an eyebrow. "Ms. Nakahara, didn't sleep well—"

"I had to pull an all nighter, okay? My schedule has been busy so of course I wouldn't be able to sleep properly or at all sometimes; cut me some slack, old man." Koemi says with a deadpan tone. "Gods I'm hungry too."

"Just hold on for a little longer, Emi." Eiichi says to her quietly. "Just a little longer."

Emi takes a deep breath and sits upright. "Alright, I'm up and running. Lay it on me, old man."

"Nice of you to come back to your senses." He clears his throat for a moment. "Your performance has exceeded all expectations and your latest album has conquered the charts once more; you are excellent as always."

A small smile momentarily appears on Emi's face but eventually disappears into a tired face. She continues listening to Raging Otori but one can see just how tired she was from merely looking into her eyes that were missing her usual shine.

"You've finished a big portion of your major projects which is good. You're still on track for your lined up projects so I hope you'll be able to continue on."

"I hope so too." Koemi mumbles to herself.

"You currently have little to almost no minor projects so you'll have to carry on with the major projects as is however you have some new projects, major and minor, coming in on my table. The contracts are still under negotiation but most likely they'll be approved by next month."

"Um, father? Isn't she being loaded with too much projects? With that kind of load, I don't think she'll be able to take care of herself. Look at her now, she hasn't slept and her complexion is quite pale. Shouldn't she be given some rest—"

"Silence, Eiichi. She's been able to perform just fine with her current load so I believe that she can handle her load just fine and even if we add a little more, she should be able to handle it. Besides, we can't let her streak slow down at this point; she's at her peak and I believe she can go beyond it! She needs to push herself even harder to become much more than she is now."

"You've got to be kidding me…" Eiichi was in disbelief; even the other members of HEAVENS were feeling the same—they couldn't understand why won't Raging Otori give Emi some time to rest or some decent time off.

"It's alright, Eiichi." Emi puts her hand on his shoulder. "I'll manage."

Eiichi also reacts in disbelief on Emi's remark. "Are you kidding me? You're going to go along with this? Do you want to end up sick again?"

Emi just gives him a tired smile and puts her finger against her mouth. "Shhh." She then points at Raging Otori. "It's not good to disrupt a meeting, yeah?"

Raging Otori continues to speak, laying out the projects under Emi's belt. The other talents and staff in the meeting room are overwhelmed by the amount of various projects and their deadlines. Emi on the other hand just sits quietly on her spot with an air of indifference. Emi was just quiet all throughout the meeting.

The meeting continues on until the afternoon. The moment Raging Otori ends the meeting and left the room, everyone started getting up and one by one they gradually left the room—except Emi; she just sat there without moving an inch.

Eiichi gently places his hand on Emi's shoulder. "Emi, the meeting is over. We can go now."

Emi slowly turns her head to him. "Oh, okay."

"You seem under the weather, Emi-chan. Is something wrong?" Van asks worriedly.

"Please don't be sad." Shion meekly goes over to her and puts his arms around her neck; he's hugging her gently in worry. "Please don't be sad, onee-san."

"Shion, you're warm. Like a scarf." Emi says as she just stays still.

"That's not fair! I want to hug Emi-chan too!" Nagi moves over to Emi's side and hugs her too, wrapping his arms around her shoulders from her side.

"I feel like I'm wrapped by two big scarves. It's too warm." Emi says, unable to move.

"Shion, Nagi, you're going to suffocate her that way." Eiji says. "You have to let go of her and give her some space."

"…I hugged onee-san first. Nagi has to let go." Shion says with a pout.

"No way! You always get to hug her so it's my turn this time!" Nagi says.

Emi falls silent all of a sudden. HEAVENS takes a look at her and discovers that she has fallen asleep.

"She's really tired." Kira says. "We should bring her to her room. She mentioned that she hasn't eaten yet; I can go and buy her some food to eat for when she wakes up."

"That's a good idea. Do you have money with you, Kira?" Eiji asks.

"Yes, I'll pay for her meal for the meantime."

"Please and thank you."

"She's out like a blown candle." Van says.

"Yeah." Eiichi says sadly. "Come on you two, release her and let's get her to her room to rest properly."

"…Okay." Shion and Nagi say sadly as they let go of Emi.

"Here, you can put this on her to keep her comfy and warm." Van says as he takes off his jacket and hands it over to Eiichi to wrap on Emi.

"I can carry her. It's the least I can do." Yamato says as he gets up from his seat. "I'll carry her on my back."

"Alright. Be careful." Eiichi says as he lifts Emi out of her seat. "…Huh?"

He puts Emi on Yamato's back and expresses the same surprised face as Eiichi.

"Yamato, I'm not mistaken right?"

"You ain't wrong. I feel it too." Yamato stands up and fixes the way he holds Emi on her back.

"What are you two talking about?" Eiji asks.

"Emi has become lighter than before; she's lost some weight." Eiichi says sadly.

"Not just a little weight. Like a lot of weight! I felt the difference right away when Eiichi placed her on my back. It's much easier to carry her now compared to before; she's gotten so light."

"That's not good…" Shion says sadly. "She needs…to eat more."

"She needs to sleep more too or else her complexion and eyebags won't get any better." Nagi says as he examines Emi's face.

"As time goes by, this becomes a normal occurrence doesn't it brother?" Eiji says. "We've been having her like this more often than before; it's a worrying sign."

Eiichi nods. "This really isn't good. If she ends up having a doctor to examine her again, I doubt that her health is in good state. I've been doing my best to convince father to give her more time to rest in between her projects but to no avail; I've even tried begging but it didn't change his mind at all. I don't get him at all."

"Well the old man wasn't really known to be a softie." Yamato says. "Anyway, let's get her up and in bed."

*ringgg ringgg ringgg*

"Hello? Eiichi? Whatcha callin' for?"

"Ranmaru, just reporting to you as usual." Eiichi lets out a sad laugh.

"Did something happen with Emi?"

"Not really. We had a long meeting today at the agency with the president and she wasn't in good shape again. According to what she said earlier today, she hasn't really slept yet and she hasn't eaten."

"What?" Ranmaru sighs deeply. "How is she now?"

"She fell asleep after the meeting so we brought her to her room here in the agency dorm. Kira went out to buy her some food to eat for when she wakes up."

"Okay, thanks for helping her out. Tell the others I said thanks."

"I have some more news for you though. The agency meeting discussed our projects and—"

"Don't tell me she's got more projects?!"

"Not yet. Father said that there are contracts being discussed for new projects for her but they may be approved by next month."

"Damn it. Can I just punch the daylight outta your pops for once?"

"Believe me, I'd let you just this once if I could."

"She's not even done with her current projects and he's gonna toss more on her? What the hell is he thinkin'?!"

"I really don't know. I don't know what's going thru that head of my father's. I've tried everything to have him give her more time to rest but he hasn't eased up her schedule at all. I don't know what else I could do, Ranmaru. It's not like Emi will lose favor from taking a break."

"It's okay. You tried your best and I thank ya for that. I'll be counting on you again."

"Okay."

"Please watch over her since I can't be there for her. I'm relieved that she has you guys over there. If she was alone, things wouldn't be good at all."

"We'll always do our best to look after her; she's like a sister to us."

"That's nice to hear. I'd like to continue talkin' but I gotta go."

"Sorry for disturbing you while you're at work."

"Nah, it's okay. I don't mind especially if it concerns Emi. Anyway, bye."

"Bye."

Eiichi puts away his phone into his pocket.

"Were you talking to Ranmaru over the phone?" Shion asks him.

"Yeah, I was just reporting to him about Emi."

"I see. Won't it be better for Emi-neesan to go back and live in her apartment with Ranmaru?"

"I think that would be better since that will make sure that she can't stay late in the rehearsal rooms to practice and having Ranmaru by her side will ensure that she'll sleep and eat well; her stress levels might even go down by staying there rather than here. Father will not be able to call her for meetings and additional purposes either."

"That seems to be a good scenario."

"Yes but Emi herself will have to make that choice on her own. We can't request it for her."

Shion nods. "That is true. When she wakes up, I will try talking to her about it."

"Oh! Taking initiative and action on your own? You're growing all of a sudden, Shion. I'm proud hehe." Eiichi pats his head.

"I…do good job." Shion says with determination as he meekly goes back to Emi's side.

Eiichi chuckles as he thinks Shion looks like a little kid with the determined expression on his face. He then approaches his brother and asks in a soft voice, "What if Emi decides to live in her apartment but father rejects her request?"

"…I'm worried about that, to be honest."

Kira then enters the room with two plastic bags. "I'm back; I went to the nearest supermarket so that the selection wouldn't be limited."

"That's a lot of food." Yamato remarks.

"I remembered that Emi has a medium sized fridge here in her room so I thought of buying some food she could keep in her fridge for future consumption; I also bought some food for us to eat since it's lunch time."

"Yay! Food! Savior Kira has arrived!" Nagi says as he waits for Kira to put down the plastic bags. "I'll help arrange the groceries, Mama Kira!"

"Who are you calling mama?" Kira then flicks Nagi's forehead with his fingers.

"Whaaa why did you hurt me, mama? Help me, Oniichannnn!" Nagi then playfully runs over to Van and hugs him like a little kid.

"Wha—Get off me, Nagi."

"No." Nagi grins at him as he hugs him tighter.

"Gyaaahhh! That's too tight! You're hugging me too tight!"

"Playful as always haha." Eiji says as he helps Kira unload the food from his grocery run. "We have the rest of the day off so what do you guys plan to do?"

"I'm going to stay here in Emi's room and play games on my phone while I lay on the floor." Nagi says proudly.

"I…I will stay here too…" Shion says meekly. "I'll wait for Emi-neesan to wake up. I can stay and sleep on this chair over here." He wraps himself snugly with Van's jacket.

"If you guys are stayin' here, I'm staying too. Got nothing else to do anyway." Yamato says.

"Blehhh. You just don't want to be left out. Hihihi." Nagi teases him.

"Oi! Do you wanna get smacked, you lil' brat?!"

"Keep your voices down, you two! You're going to disturb Emi's slumber!" Eiji scolds them.

"Hanging out here doesn't seem like a bad idea. We could play some games too with Emi-chan after she wakes up!" Van says as he takes a seat on the floor.

"It would be a good opportunity to bond and to have a meal together; it's been a while." Kira says. "I could use the dormitory kitchen to cook some food for everyone."

"I could help you with the cooking, Kira." Eiichi says. "It's going to be hard to carry all the food back up here too if you're going alone."

"Oh, that's true. Carrying food for eight people all by myself is going to be difficult."

"If you need an additional helping hand, I can help out too." Eiji says.

Everyone from HEAVENS make themselves at home in Emi's dormitory room. A bit cramped with all of them there but they enjoyed each other's company. Five good hours pass with HEAVENS just playing around without waking Emi. Kira had cooked some food to which they ate peacefully; he stores inside the fridge the food that Emi has yet to eat since she's still in slumber. Their lunch is quite late and can even be considered as dinner but they don't mind.

"Kira, you really will be a great mom one day. The food you made is so delicious." Nagi says happily.

"What the—Oi! Stop stealing from my plate, would ya?!" Yamato pulls his plate away from Nagi and faces the opposition direction.

"Nooo, I can't get from your plate if you face away from me Yamato! Face back to meee."

Shion, who was also seated next to Yamato, sees his plate face his side and takes one spoonful scoop from it.

"S..Shion?! Really?! Just—Really?!"

"I'm showry, Yumato. Food ish taishty." Shion chews the food happily as he spoke.

"This ain't fair, man! Kiraaaaa, I should have more portions to replace the ones these two stole from me."

"I'm afraid we've ran out of extra portions." Kira says calmly.

"What?! How?!"

Eiji smiles wryly. "Sorry, Yamato. I kind of got carried away and before I knew it, I ate more than I intended. Hehe?"

"This ain't fairrrrrrrrrrr."

"Life ain't fair sometimes, Yamato."

"Huh?"

A pair of hands suddenly take his plate from behind him. He immediately looks behind him and sees Emi eating his food on her bed.

"Hmmph! Gudmorningm, Emi-neeshan." Shion says happily with sparkling eyes.

"Mornin' to ya guys." She gives them a little smile.

"My food!" Yamato has been defeated.

"This is delicious. Where did you guys get this?"

"I cooked it for everyone." Kira says.

"Ohhh! You did such a great job! It's really delicious!"

"We actually have your portion in the fridge but I guess you can eat it later since you've got Yamato's portion."

"I guess my breakfast for tomorrow is secured then. Thanks!"

"W-What about me?!" Yamato asks.

"You can always buy something from the conbini. Hihihi." Nagi tells him.

"That's it. Give me yours, Nagi. Give it over here."

Yamato tries to get Nagi's plate and of course Nagi successfully evades Yamato's attempts. Everyone laughs at how the two look; very reminiscent of two little children.

"Are you feeling alright, Emi?" Eiichi asks.

"Yeah. I'm feeling okay; I just needed some rest…and food."

"What would you like to drink? We have tea, milk, soda, juice, water—take your pick." Kira asks her as he stands up and checks the fridge.

"Eh? How did my fridge suddenly get filled up?"

"Kira…went on a grocery run." Shion says.

"Kira is becoming a great, mama yeah?" Nagi says playfully.

"How much do I owe? I ain't getting those for free; I refuse."

"It's alright. I'll charge it to the agency as a food expense for HEAVENS. Kira will be able to get a reimbursement and you won't have to pay for anything." Eiichi says.

"Oh. That's a smart idea; I didn't think of doing that." Kira says to him.

"A free meal from the agency? Now that's more like it haha. Thanks, guys." Emi thinks for a moment. "I'll have some tea,Kira."

"Hot or cold?"

"I'll go with hot."

"Alright, I'll heat some water."

"Thanks."

"Emi-neesan."

"What is it, Shion?"

"Have you considered staying at your apartment with Ranmaru rather than here at the company dorm?"

"…I've considered it but my apartment is quite a distance from the agency. I won't be able to come back and forth when needed especially for practice or rehearsals and meetings. I'd rather just stay here at the dorm instead of facing the hassle."

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable at your place instead of here though?" Van asks. "You'll be with Ranmaru and your previous manager that you're close with; your cute cat will be with you too."

"You also won't be subjected to extra meetings with father since he won't be able to call you back and forth to his office." Eiji says. "You'll have more time to rest and work at a better pace."

"What do you think?" Eiichi asks.

"I…" Emi pauses for a moment while looking at her plate of food that rests on her lap. "It sounds great, really but I don't think I should slack off on my current pace. The old man is right; I'm at a peak of my career right now and if I let it slide from my hands then…I'll just lose this second chance given to me by the industry."

"Whoa there, those are some heavy words." Yamato says. "Look, it ain't your fault for getting ousted from Shining Agency. I'm pretty sure you had a really good or important reason to bounce outta your own concert; you're not the type that would just bounce for no good reason."

"Yamato is right. Whatever happened then, it must have held a significant value for you to go and leave your concert so don't beat yourself too hard. Surely, in your current career run, you will still be at a good momentum even if you rest or take a break for a moment or even take things a bit slower." Kira says. "Please, do consider your own well-being."

"Emi-neesan, I do think you're pushing yourself too hard."

"Getting some rest isn't bad, you know." Nagi says.

"One of these days, your mind and body will breakdown if you continue this way. By doing so, you're sealing the deal for the end of not just your career but the end of your own self." Eiichi says. "I don't want to say this but I think you should hear it. If you're going to go on this way then it's better if you just quit—"

"Don't say that." Emi says in a stern voice.

Everyone falls silent.

"If I were to quit or lose my career now, I won't have much left to hold on to. This isn't just a hobby of mine nor is it simply something I love to do; this career, this music—it's all me. I may grow tired but I'll completely fall apart if I stop. I just know that I'll fall apart if I stop. I need to keep going so that my pain inside won't catch up to me. Just let me be…Just let me continue making music."

"Your music says otherwise, Emi." Eiichi says seriously all of a sudden. "I don't know if you've noticed yet but your music has changed."

"What?"

Eiichi's voice becomes slightly louder and much more stern. "Your music continues to touch people's hearts but not in the same way as it did before. Your music has steadily become a stake that stabs people's hearts with your cries of sorrow and help. You've been using your music to cry."

"Th-That's not true."

"You're either being ignorant or have stopped listening to yourself."

Emi doesn't say anything. The rest of the members of HEAVENS become concerned by the tension in the air.

"B-Brother, how about we go buy some dessert to eat after the meal? I'm sure something sweet would be good after eating Kira's cooking." Eiji says. "What do you think?"

"I totally think that that idea is great! I'll come too to help pick the good stuff!" Nagi says.

"Oi, don't buy too much like last time!" Yamato says quickly.

Eiichi submits and follows behind Eiji and Nagi on their way out.

An awkward silence looms in the room.

Van coughs to break the silence. "…Are you okay?"

"I'm alright." Emi replies with low energy.

Yamato gets up from the floor and turns on the small television in Emi's room. "Here." He throws over to Emi one of the wireless controllers of the game console that Emi has. "You game or what?"

"Eh?"

He then loads up a game wherein players choose a character to use and fight the opposing player. "I'm gonna kick your ass this time!"

Emi smiles sadly for a brief moment before putting her game face on. "In your dreams, Yamato. You're still wayyyy too green to beat me!"

"Hell I'm gonna get my redemption arc this time for sure!"

"No way in hell I'm gonna let that happen! Bring it on!"

"Oh hell I will!"

Van shrugs. "That was a quick change of pace. Don't you think so, Shion?" When he looks at Shion, he notices that he was already holding a controller and choosing his character in the game. "You too?!"

"Oi, Van! What are ya waitin' for?! Grab a controller! We can't start the round if ya don't pick your character!"

Van picks up a controller and hurriedly picks a character. "So what's the set up this time?"

"Free for all; it's every man for himself." Emi says.

"Prepare to witness my power!" Yamato says confidently.

"Victory my ass! Prepare to get beaten to the pulp!" Emi says.

"W-Wait a minute, you two are too intense!" Van says as the first round of their game starts.

Shion nods. "Very intense." He then proceeds to go after Van's character, knowing he has no chance against Yamato and Emi.

"O-Oi, Shion! Why are you goin' after me?!" Van says as he presses several buttons immediately.

"I'm sorry, Van. It's a necessary sacrifice."

"I'm not going to die so early into the round!"

"What about you, Kira? Ain't gonna join?" Yamato asks.

"It's alright. I enjoy watching you guys play. It's very amusing and always intense."

"Suit yourself—Whaaa! My health's already that low?! Damn ya, Emi!"

"You should never look away for even a second when it comes to war, Yamato."

"Graaaarrrgh!"

The four continue to play as Kira watches their playthrough. He takes a short glimpse at Emi and sees a small smile on her face but her eyes didn't shine the sunshine they once had. Her eyes surely show that in her mind, something is bothering her.