"How did Roselia form?"
Lisa smiled, with her hands held together in her lap. This was a question she expected, though there probably wasn't enough time to give all the details.
"It's kind of a long story. Yukina always dreamed of playing at Future World Fes. The rest of us joined to follow her. We reached for the same goal, together."
Yukina stood in front of Circle, gazing up at the sign. She carried a costume bag, which was slung over one arm. Each time she exhaled, her breath left a dissipating puff of silver in the air.
Next to her, barely half a foot to her right, was the most important person in her world. Their hand was held by Yukina's, fingers unable to intertwine through winter gloves. That was fine, as long as she was there.
Lisa carried a costume bag as well, along with her bass guitar case. Her head was tilted up, at the building they'd been practicing at for the last three years. A small smile graced her lips, as it had their entire walk there.
Yukina thought about the plan for today, about what would happen when they stepped through those doors. The new peak, the goal they set for the band, was within reach.
As Yukina and Lisa stood there, together side by side, she wondered if she could hang on to this moment forever. That was a silly thought, Yukina told herself; nothing could stop the flow of time. Hadn't she learned that this year, along with so many other things.
Yukina felt a gentle squeeze on her hand. She turned and found Lisa's gaze, marveling at how the light green of her eyes contrasted the brightness of the snow around them. It was hard to tear herself away, to not want to lean closer. Her eyes flicked to Lisa's lips, just for a moment.
Sayo hadn't banned them from kissing outside the studio.
No, Yukina snapped herself away from that thought, now wasn't the time. She took a step forward, tugging Lisa's hand along with her. It was time to go inside.
The automatic door opened to invite them in.
Unsurprisingly, Sayo was already in the lobby. She stood near one of the tables, examining something on a clipboard. A few other people were scattered around the lobby, men and women who Yukina didn't know. Marina hovered nearby, carrying a long wound cable. One of the strangers was next to Sayo and seemed to be discussing something with her.
As Yukina and Lisa entered the lobby, Yukina allowed their hands to fall apart.
Sayo looked up at the sound of the doors closing. "Minato-san, come take a look at this." She gestured for Yukina to come over.
Yukina complied, going to Sayo's unoccupied side. Lisa walked past, presumably to go to the studio.
The clipboard contained a picture of a rectangle, with a number of X's drawn within it. Sayo pointed at a few of them, explaining that the band members would stand there, then showed where the cameras would be.
"Do we want to move them closer on the side?" Yukina asked, pointing to the X in question.
"Hmm." Sayo turned to the other individual. "That could help capture the back row."
The man, who had short black hair and appeared to be in his thirties or forties, reached over to take the clipboard. "I'll discuss it with the camera crew."
"Thank you." Sayo replied, nodding once.
Taking that as the end of her contribution to the conversation, Yukina turned away to continue walking. She headed back to the studio, to the first room. They rented this studio especially for today, for the recording session. They would start in the studio, rehearsing for the cameras, then move to the live house stage.
"How do you compose your music?"
Rinko was nervous, undeniably so. She'd struggled with most of the questions so far and with looking at the camera, but this was one she could answer.
"We each do part. Yukina-san writes the lyrics… while Hikawa-san and I work on composition. Lisa-san and Ako-chan provide feedback. Every Roselia member contributes… to our songs."
When Yukina reached the studio, she found Lisa and Ako already inside. Ako was warming up at her drums, playing drum exercises. Lisa was in the process of setting up her space, including the pedals for the bass.
Yukina joined them in preparing. She located the approximate spot for her mic stand, setting one up there. She took her costume bag, along with Lisa's, to the dressing room near the stage. She passed by Rinko on her way there. The crew wanted them to stay in their casual clothes for the first part, likely to easily distinguish between practice and performance footage.
Yukina returned to the studio and started warming up. Sayo had also reached the studio while she was gone. Yukina followed her routine of scales and exercises, stretching her voice for the upcoming performance. She was accompanied by the sounds of guitar tuning, drumrolls, and piano scales. The whole band was here and ready to get started.
While they warmed up, the camera crew started to come in. They brought huge cameras with them, set up on giant tripods. They placed them around the room, with a different person operating each one. There were five in total.
Once they were all set up, it was time to start.
"Go ahead and practice, like you would on an ordinary day." The same man as before, the one who had been showing Sayo and Yukina the clipboard, gave the direction.
Yukina turned to her bandmates. They each looked back at her, waiting for her to take the lead.
"We'll start with Song I Am." Yukina declared, rotating back to her mic. It had been a while since they practiced it, after their two new songs took over rehearsal. "Focus on the balance."
Behind her, Ako counted them off. They began to play, with the guitar strong at the start of the song. A couple of the cameras moved in the front; Yukina ignored them.
They stopped after the first verse, resetting to do it again. Rinko looked a little pale, but her eyes shined with determination. Lisa went back to talk with her when they paused, exchanging a few hushed words. She nodded at Yukina after stepping away; signaling that things were alright.
The band continued to rehearse, moving through the rest of the song. They worked on blending the piano in, while still emphasizing the guitar. This song, like many that Roselia performed, filled Yukina with pride.
When they reached the end, where they would typically move to work on another song, Yukina looked back to the lead camera person. "Do you want us to keep practicing?"
He had his head behind one of the cameras and had to pop up to reply. "No, that was perfect! We have all the footage we need." He signaled to the other camera operators, who started adjusting their devices. "We'll do the interviews next, then the performance."
Oh, right, Yukina had almost forgotten the interviews. They wanted to ask each member a few questions to air as part of the program.
They ended up conducting them in the studio, while the other members and the crew moved things over to the stage. Yukina went first, sitting in a chair across from one of the cameras. She held her typical cool expression, exuding confidence.
A series of questions were asked, which Yukina answered as well as she could. She gave a few longer responses, talking about how the band formed and their performance at Future World Fes. She talked about the origin of the band name and how it had changed over time.
Before she knew it, she'd answered all the questions. They sent her to get ready for the performance, bringing Sayo in to interview next.
"What does Roselia mean to you?"
This was the first question that made Sayo pause to think.
"Roselia is where I've honed my skills for the last three years. The members have become like a second family to me. I can't imagine being in any other band."
Yukina walked over to the dressing room, wondering how much footage of her talking they would use. It would feel strange, seeing herself speaking on a video like that.
She met the others in the dressing room, where they were chatting about the experience so far.
"Those cameras are super cool." Ako commented, sitting in front of one of the mirrors. She couldn't get changed into her costume until after the interview, so she was just waiting. "Imagine the music video we could make with them."
"It would be high quality for sure." Lisa replied. She had her bass out and had been practicing, likely for the upcoming performance. "Want to get one, Yukina?" She grinned, that coy catlike grin that made Yukina's heart skitter in her chest.
Rinko occupied the seat next to Ako. "W-we'd have to learn… how to use it."
"I'm sure we can figure it out!" Ako replied confidently. She posed, bringing one hand up to cover half her face. "Dark magic will bring it in line."
"Aren't they expensive?" Yukina asked, unable to recall seeing a camera like that in a store before.
The conversation continued, shifting from the cameras to the setup for the performance. Sayo arrived from her interview, with Rinko going next. They started setting up the stage while they waited, getting the piano and drums in place.
Ako interviewed next, looking extremely excited about the prospect. She wasn't gone for long, before it was Lisa's turn. She took a few minutes longer.
Soon though, they were ready to move to the performance. The band changed into the costumes they brought, which were their very first stage outfits. Though they were performing new songs, these outfits were a core part of the band. It felt fitting, to combine both new and old elements.
When they made it on stage, instruments in hand, the cameras were ready. They started to record, beginning the final portion of their performance.
Yukina spoke into the mic. "We are Roselia." She introduced the band, as she always did. "Our first song will be Zeal of Proud."
The lights dimmed overhead, cueing the start of the song. Everything they had done over the last couple months had led to this moment. The training camp, the new compositions, all of the time spent practicing. Now it was finally time.
The opening came strong, with each instrument exactly on point. The sound swelled around Yukina, building and growing.
Yukina came in strong, hitting each note precisely. She blended with the others, performing the song immaculately. Each of the members sang their part, counting off their place in the band.
When the chorus hit, it grew through the room. Yukina lifted it higher.
This sound, this was Roselia. The band that she built, that she loved and cherished. This was who they were.
They played through the rest of the song, matching and raising the energy. When it ended, there was a tangible buzz in the air. Yukina didn't need to look back at the others to feel it.
"What message do you have for your fans?"
Ako practically bounced in her seat; she had so much energy today it couldn't be contained.
"Thank you so much for watching us! Roselia will go on to even bigger stages!"
Yukina spoke into the mic. "Next is Blessing Chord."
Within a few seconds, they started. The sound of chimes rang out, bringing a very different atmosphere than the previous song.
The other instruments joined in, blending together, leading to the start of Yukina's part.
She came in gently, remembering why she wrote these lyrics. She thought about Lisa, merely a few feet away. The road ahead was bright, their future together promising.
Again, each member sang their part of the verse. Since these were longer solos, Yukina turned to watch. She lifted her hand in each of their directions as they sang. Despite her earlier nerves, Rinko sang smoothly and strongly.
Sayo was next, leaning into the mic as she sang. Her voice was clear, carrying her portion of the song.
Then Lisa, wonderful beautiful amazing Lisa, sang as well. Yukina's hand was held slightly higher towards her, as she absorbed the sweet sound of her voice.
Ako was last, rounding out the verse. She sang with confidence, maintaining the tempo as she did.
Yukina spun back to the mic, ready for the chorus.
She gave it everything she had, attacking each note. She hit them with precision, matching the ferocity of the band behind her. They played together, united in this song.
Blessing Chord, like Zeal of Proud, would lift Roselia to new heights. Yukina firmly believed that, as she poured her heart and soul into performing it.
She could feel the strength of the band behind her, the pure will of Roselia.
They continued through the next verse, softening again and passing around the vocals. The piano carried the music break, followed by the bridge.
The final chorus came even stronger than the first. Yukina relished in the sound, in the feeling of performing in unison with her band. Despite all of the hurdles of this year, they had made it here. Through disunity and fighting and relationship drama, Roselia had endured. Not only endured, but they also excelled. They stood on the stage together.
As the last notes faded away, the mood of the room still ran high. The camera operator, the one running this recording, stood from his camera. "That's a wrap." He called out, signaling to the other operators. He stepped around his camera, approaching the stage. "That was great, truly." He reached into his pocket and pulling out a small card. "Next time you're looking for a venue, call me up." He reached up towards the stage, offering the card.
Yukina stepped forward to accept it. It was a business card, with his business and contact information. "Thank you."
With that, he turned back to his crew. As they started packing up, Roselia left the stage. Yukina led the way back to the dressing room. Lisa stepped forward to grasp her hand, and the two walked side by side.
As they got changed back into their regular clothes, discussing the performance, Lisa asked a very important question.
"Want to go to the family restaurant?"
The answer was a resounding yes.
"What's next for Roselia?"
Yukina blinked as she considered the question.
"Roselia will continue to reach for the peak. Keep your eyes on us, because we are the best."
End Note: That's it, that's the end. If you enjoyed, consider leaving a review!
