Author Note: There's some stuff going on with RAS in this chapter, which I might considering expanding on more with a spin off at some point.

It was a hot, stifling summer afternoon. When Ako and her friends reached their destination, it was a relief to escape the heat.

The mall was cool, but it was unpleasantly warm again inside the arcade. Ako, Rokka, and Asuka had come straight after school, taking the train before walking the final stretch.

Ako was super excited to go; she'd even made sure to bring all of the pocket change she'd been saving. When she found a coin under her desk at school today, that was just an extra bonus.

She led the way inside, looking around with wide eyes at all the flashing games. A wave of noise washed over her, as each game competed for her attention. She hadn't been here in a while, so there were definitely some new ones.

"Where should we start?" Ako asked, spinning to see more of the arcade. There was a cool new light gun game, oh and a taiko drum game that looked super awesome. She couldn't ignore the claw machines either. Those large plush animals were too fluffy to resist.

"Why don't we make a loop?" Asuka suggested, gesturing to the right side of the arcade. The light gun games were over that way, which Ako absolutely wanted to try.

"Let's go!" Ako pumped one fist in the air, turning to follow the suggested path.

The three teens only made it about ten feet before they stopped at one of the games. It was a large machine with two huge screens, with a large table in front it. A light gun was hooked up on each side, painted in bright neon colors. An indent near the bottom of each side housed a pedal, likely for taking cover in the game.

Rokka stepped up to one of the guns, picking it up confidently. Ako took to other, pointing it at the screen with both hands.

"Have you played this before?" Asuka asked as she stepped up between them.

"Nope." Ako leaned down to insert a hundred yen coin. Then she took position, ready to fire at the game.

Rokka did the same on her side. "Just once before, when I came with Masuki-san."

"Oh?" Asuka arched one eyebrow. "How's it been going with her?"

"T-the same as before." Rokka almost dropped her light gun as she stumbled over her words. Ako glanced over at her, confused by her reaction. She already knew that Rokka was spending more time with Masking this year, but that was the stutter of someone with secrets to spill.

Ako would've asked what she meant by that if Rokka hadn't fired her light gun at the screen, starting the game before Ako could ask.

A tutorial started to play on both screens, pulling Ako's attention to it. She learned how to make her character duck behind cover, how to reload her gun, and how to shoot at enemies. It was all easy; though this was a new game, she'd played this type many times before. Her skill level was definitely an A+!

Then it threw her and Rokka into the fray, with waves of enemies spawning around them. Ako fought as hard as she could, shooting every enemy in sight. That didn't stop them from shooting back at her. It was hard to remember to duck into cover until it was too late.

Before long, her hp had hit zero. The screen flashed with 'continue?' as a timer counted down. Ako set her light gun down, perhaps some other time she'd try again.

Rokka, on the other hand, was still going strong. She had about half her health and looked dead serious as she expertly dodged the enemies.

"Gettem!" Ako cheered her on as she made a kill. Asuka had moved to Rokka's other side and was rooting for her as well, though much more quietly than Ako.

When Rokka made it to the next boss, her fortunes started to change. The boss kept destroying her cover, forcing her to fire out in the open. It hit her a few times, which marked the end of her run. The same 'continue?' message appeared, taunting the player to add just one more coin.

Rokka placed the light gun in its holster with a smile. "This one is pretty good." She said, before asking Asuka if she wanted to try it, but the other teen said she'd pass for now.

The three walked away from the machine, continuing their circle around the arcade. They next approached the crane games, all full of large prizes.

They stopped at one full of medium sized figures, where Asuka tried to bump one from its stand. Rokka and Ako watched with wide eyes as she nudged it, but unfortunately it remained right in exactly the same spot.

As Asuka put in another coin to try again, Rokka reached in her pocked to pull out her phone. She had been smiling before, yet she grimaced as she looked down at the screen. She tapped on the bottom of her phone with both thumbs, probably texting someone, before putting it back in her pocket.

Rokka pulled out a folded piece of paper from that same pocket, looking up at Ako. Ako wasn't paying any mind to her, as she was engrossed with Asuka's second failure at getting the figure.

"Hey, Ako." Rokka called her name quietly, barely loud enough to be heard over the noise of the arcade.

Ako still heard her, though she wasn't sure exactly what she said. "What is it?"

"Is Roselia busy two Sundays from now?" Rokka's hand, the one holding the folded paper, fidgeted with the corner of it.

"Hmm, lemme check." Ako took her phone out and opened the master calendar, clicking to the asked about date. "Just rehearsal, why?" Sunday was usually the best day for the whole band to practice together.

Now Rokka lifted the paper, holding it out to Ako. "RAS is playing at a summer festival. One of the bands dropped out, do you think Roselia would want to perform?"

Ako accepted the paper, unfolding it. It was a colorful flyer, advertising a summer music festival featuring local bands. "I have to ask, but that would be awesome!" Ako snapped a photo of the flyer and sent it to the Roselia group chat.

"RAS wants us to play with them!" Ako typed after sending the photo.

"Looks interesting. If we cancel practice we could do it." Sayo replied quickly, as usual. It seemed like she was on board.

Rinko was next. "It looks like fun."

"We haven't performed in a while." Lisa chimed in. "What do you think Yukina?"

Yukina could be seen typing for a few moments, slower than the others. "This will be the next step on our path." After all these years, Ako knew that was a yes.

"Yay!" Ako added a smiling emoji.

"Ako, can you get the organizer's contact information?" Lisa asked an important question; they would need that to get everything ready.

"For sure."

Ako grinned as she looked back up at Rokka, who was waiting for her to finish texting. "Roselia is in!"

Rokka nodded once, still with a hint of unease in her expression. "Chuchu will be happy."

"I'm so excited to play on the same stage as RAS again!" They hadn't performed at the same venue since early last year. The contest had been stressful, but Ako had loved every minute of it. Oh, right Ako was supposed to ask something. "Do you have the contact info for the event organizer?"

"Yes, one moment." Rokka took her phone back out, clicked a few times, then showed the screen to Ako. It had a name and phone number on it, which Ako texted directly to Lisa.

After sending it, Ako glanced back up at Rokka. She was looking at her phone, a frown again in place on her lips. Ako wondered what was bothering her, was it something to do with RAS? She never got to ask about Masking earlier too.

Ako opened her mouth to ask, but was once again interrupted by a loud voice.

"Yes!" Asuka exclaimed, startling Ako. Rokka flinched and gave a small 'eep' of surprise at the noise. They both turned back to Asuka and saw that she finally succeeded at knocking the figure off the platform.

"Great job!" Rokka recovered quickly and stepped closer to Asuka as she leaned down to retrieve her prize. She seemed to have snapped out of whatever funk she was in.

Ako joined them, stowing her questions for now.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, which was Lisa thanking her for the info. Roselia's group chat soon blew up with discussion about a set list.

There was an excitement running through Ako as she read the discussion, a rush of energy. They had a little over two weeks to prepare for the live; she was going to make it great!

Today was the big day, the day of the summer festival. Ako had been practicing super hard for the last two weeks to get ready, refining her technique and making sure to play perfectly in time. The band had even squeezed in extra practices to get ready, though they were mostly with only part of the band.

They decided to wear their original stage outfits for today, since it was the band's classic look. Ako made sure to try it on ahead of time and worked with Rinko to adjust it for her new height.

On the day of the event, Ako left the house with plenty of time to spare. Tomoe was planning to go as well with the rest of Afterglow, but Ako had too much energy to wait.

She carried her costume and drumsticks carefully as she took the train to the venue. It was being held on an outdoor stage at a park, with 6 different band performing over the course of the day. The weather was cooler today, though still moderately hot. Raise A Suilen would perform second, while Roselia was scheduled fifth.

Ako wanted to go early so she wouldn't be late, so she didn't have to wait around the house, but there was more to it than that. She also wanted to watch RAS perform; their music was always a lot of fun to listen to. The way they worked the crowd was inspirational.

The park was already bustling when Ako arrived, with many people milling around. Ako weaved through them to reach the backstage area, where she stored her costume and drumsticks in Roselia's tent. Sayo's costume was already back there.

Then, Ako headed back out into the crowd. If Sayo's costume was here she must've been too, so she looked for a splash of light blue hair. As expected, she was able to find that distinct color in the crowd.

Surprisingly, there were two individuals there with it. Sayo and Hina were both near the back of the venue, standing together and talking. Ako weaved past a few people to reach them.

"Good morning, Udagawa-san." Sayo greeted her as she approached. Hina waved as well. "You're awfully early."

"Hi!" Ako stopped in front of them. "I was so excited; I couldn't just stay at home!"

"Me too!" Hina beamed, her smile practically stretching from ear to ear. "I can't wait to hear Onee-chan play!"

Sayo flushed slightly. "Hina, please remember there are people around." Indeed, a few of the audience members had turned to stare.

"Oh, sorry." Hina clamped one hand over her mouth, giggling as she did.

The conversation shifted to the other bands playing today. Besides Roselia and RAS, there were four others. One was from Sayo's school and often performed there. Ako hadn't heard of the others, but she was still excited to hear them play.

Rinko arrived next, appearing in the group without a word. Afterglow came over to say hi when they got there, but they only stayed for a minute. They were determined to get a good spot near the stage.

Lisa and Yukina walked up ten minutes before the first group was set to perform. The band decided they would stay to watch through RAS, then they'd head backstage. They stood in the corner, where it would be easier to slip away.

The crowed had completely filled up, with at least a thousand people packed into the park. They cheered as the first band came on stage, waving multi-colored penlights in the air.

Ako cheered too, waving her arms to the music. This band was great! Their music almost seemed to fly by, as they rolled through one song after another. Their drummer was particularly good, hitting some impressive patterns.

Before Ako knew it, it was time for RAS. They came on stage to a flurry of cheers.

The audience had grown even more since the start of the concert. Chuchu called out to the audience to introduce them. She named each member as they played a solo, with Pareo introducing her last.

Ako had seen them do this many times, but it still impressed her to this day. She probably had stars in her eyes as she cheered at the start of their first song.

They opened with Hell or Hell, which was one of Ako's favorites, before hyping up the crowd through Unstoppable and A Declaration of XXX.

Ako tried to ask Rokka how things were with the band at school last week, after they didn't get to talk about it at the arcade, but Rokka insisted that everything was fine. Based on the strength of this performance, Ako could only believe that to be true.

Despite any trouble the band might've been having, their music came together perfectly. Ako mostly watched the drums, noting Masking's excellent technique.

When RAS finished, it was time for Roselia to head backstage. Hina wished them luck as they walked away.

Immediately upon reaching the back, the band found themselves face to face with RAS. They had just come off the stage and must've been heading to their tent.

"Minato Yukina." Chuchu was covered in sweat from having just performed in the heat, yet she still had the energy to point directly at Yukina. "There's no way your stage outshines ours!"

Yukina's expression was impassive as always. "We will see." She replied simply, before brushing past the band.

"You were amazing!" Lisa called as the rest of the band followed her. Ako looked back to shoot them a thumbs up and a grin.

As Roselia reached their tent, they could hear the next band starting to play. They quickly changed into their outfits for the show and prepared their instruments. Ako only needed her drumsticks, since she would use the drum set on stage.

The tent was soon full of the sounds of the band, of Yukina warming up, Sayo tuning her guitar, and Lisa practicing one last song. Rinko would use the keyboard on stage as well, so she was taking the time to stretch her fingers.

Once they were ready, they circled up. Ako leaned in between Rinko and Lisa in the circle, with one arm around each of them.

"This is our first performance of the new year." Yukina took the lead in the huddle. "Let's show them our devotion."

Ako nodded, prepared to do just that. She looked around at her band members, who each wore expressions of determination.

The band broke the circle and left the tent, heading to where they were supposed to wait. The fourth band had just started, so soon it would be their turn.

They had to wait a little, but their turn did come. After the previous band finished and left the stage, Roselia went up the steps to take their place.

The crowd cheered loudly, with purple penlights on full display. Ako waved broadly at the audience, before sitting down at the drums. She adjusted the seat quickly and checked that the drum set was in the right spots. On the other side of the stage, Rinko had finished doing something similar.

After moving one of the snares, Ako looked over at Yukina. The vocalist was waiting for that cue.

"We are Roselia." Yukina introduced the band to the audience. "Our first song is Black Shout." With that, Ako counted off and the band started to play.

They chose Black Shout as the opener since it was one of their most well known songs. Ako played it confidently, hitting her parts exactly right. She even used the new technique she'd been refining. This was great, she was playing perfectly.

There was a problem though, as Ako turned her ears towards her bandmates something felt off. The audience was still roaring, but something sounded wrong. Ako kept her smile pasted on her face as she glanced over towards Rinko. She wondered if Rinko could feel it too.

Rinko was still smiling as well, but it looked strained. She met Ako's gaze for a moment, so Ako cued the next down beat with a larger motion.

For a moment, that made the feeling go away. But it didn't stay gone.

The piano felt off. It wasn't just the piano, the guitar, the bass, and the vocals too. It felt like the band was bursting out in every direction, pulling the music their way. Ako stayed in the center of that, keeping the beat. Their sound was completely different than before, something new and scary.

Sayo had turned back towards her, lips drawn in a tight line. Ako cued her as well, hoping that would help.

It didn't.

The band felt unstable, like it was on the verge of tearing. Ako knew that wouldn't happen, that every member of her band was capable of staying together no matter how strange they sounded. No matter how they clashed in this moment, they could still play Black Shout together.

They continued on to the next song. The crowd cheered even louder. They had especially enjoyed the guitar solo.

Ako wondered if the crowd couldn't hear it, or perhaps it was in her imagination. No, as Lisa as well looked for a cue she normally would've hit without help, Ako knew the problem was real. The rest of the band could feel it too.

The second song ended and they continued on to the next. Some songs felt better than others, while some felt far worse. Ako fought to keep her smile up the entire live, which became even harder with the heat of summer.

The crowd was still cheering loudly when they finished their final song, still enthusiastically waving their penlights in the air.

Roselia bowed and thanked them, before leaving the stage. Ako wasn't sure what to think about their performance, or how to feel. They walked back to their tent in silence.

Once inside, Ako stopped by the entrance. She couldn't just hold in her words. "What happened out there?" She asked, looking between her bandmates.

Sayo and Lisa were both putting their instruments away. Rinko had her hands held together, while Yukina stood with her arms crossed.

"I-I'm not sure…" Rinko muttered.

"We were out of sync." Sayo cut in, glaring up from her guitar case.

Yukina's eyes narrowed. "We shouldn't have been." Her stare was heavy.

Lisa finished zipping her bass case, then turned towards the rest of the band. "We need to talk about it." She said, eyes landing on Yukina. Even she was not smiling. "Let's meet next Sunday, instead of band practice. We'll figure this out." That was probably the next time they would all be free again.

"Alright." Yukina acquiesced without a fight. "I'm going to watch the last band." With that she turned and exited the tent, leaving the other band members behind. Lisa sighed as she watched her go.

Ako stepped over to Rinko, who was now wringing her hands together. "We should do that too." At least it could take their minds off of their performance.

Rinko nodded and followed Ako as she started to walk away. Sayo and Lisa remained in the tent.

They didn't go back out to the audience, since they were still in costume, but they watched the last band from backstage. Yukina was nowhere to be found. Hina came past as they watched, likely looking for Sayo. The sixth band was excellent, as expected.

It didn't succeed at distracting Ako from her thoughts. She could only remember how Black Shout had sounded, how it had felt as the band pulled in different directions.

Next week they would debrief it. She couldn't wait.

End Note: Chapters are going to be a little less frequent now, probably just once a week. I've been feeling a bit burnt out from this fic so I'm taking it a little slower. Thanks for continuing to read!