Chapter 34

"No,"

"What do you mean no? The pitch was perfect!"

"Sure the pitch was, but the emotion wasn't… I still can't believe I am helping you with this. I should just leave you to figure it out for yourself, yet still… damn it why the hell am I even doing this!"

He began to wonder that too. It wasn't like Garou to help him like this if at all. Yet, here they were in Amai's room working on the song that Garou sung as him, and yet Sweet Mask can't bring himself to match the tone. They were at it for the past three days, and made no progress. "What did you use as inspiration?"

"Who else?" questioned Garou. "Are you not using her for that inspiration too? Look, you can! I mean, it's how I managed. I thought if we couldn't change back, if she couldn't see that you became me, and I became you. I would NEVER have Melee back in my life again. We are using the same woman to help bring out the emotion of this song. Aren't we? Or are you just singing it for the pure hell of it all?"

Amai froze. "You were thinking of her throughout the whole song…"

"I have no doubt you could too. Have you tried?" Garou asked. "You obviously have felt this heart ache before, I don't think you need me to tell you that."

Amai gave a small laugh. "I didn't think you put that kind of emotion into it…"

"Well I did, so try it again."

With that, Amai played the music once more, this time. He found the emotion. There was a few times where Garou stopped him, explaining that he needed to go deeper than that. Amai tried, but couldn't find it. "What really got to you when it came to Melee, the moment you know there was no going back, she wasn't going to be yours?" he questioned. "You don't have to tell me either, because I ain't interested."

Sweet Mask thought it over, it was the moment he heard from Child Emperor about the scales that grew on her arms. He then overheard at the meeting with Zombieman that it was a sign of Garou marking her as his mate. He knew then and there, Melee was gone to him. She was turned into a monster from that moment on and there was nothing to reverse it. "I got it now," he muttered.

Once more, he sang the song, this time, he hit the notes, and he hit the emotion needed to project the heartache of it all. When it was done, Garou nodded. "Yeah, you got it,"

"I need to test it… I need to sing this before a small audience to know for sure…"

Garou rolled his eyes. "Fine!" he sighed. "I'll be right back." He got up and out of the room begrudgingly, Amai was thrilled that he finally got the tone perfect, and yet, in doing so… he has to remember everything he lost, and the woman he can never obtain for himself. It was twenty minutes when Garou knocked on his door. "Can you move on your own?" he asked.

It was only a few days since the feast, and yet Amai could move himself a little, but not too much. "Uh… not really…"

Garou gave a disgruntled sigh. "Can someone help Amai please! Bring him to the dojo, and make sure you go around back, he just ate!"

"Dojo? He's going to have me sing before Bang?!"

His bedroom door opened. Pac stood there and levitate Amai up. "Wait, I am going to the dojo to sing this? But, is no one there?" he asked.

"Shut up and just wait and see!" protested Garou. "Pac, let's go."

Amai couldn't really say much more as he was take to the dojo, around the back and then into the main sparring room. At first he thought it was going to be just Silverfang and perhaps Garou's children. Yet he was stunned. The dojo was full of students who sat rather nervously before him!

"You wanted an audience, this is Bang's afternoon class. So, have at it," said Garou.

Amai stood himself up rather proudly. "Thank you for your assistance… I have been trying to prefect this song live and I would like some feedback…" He paused as he noticed Melee and the family slip in through the front. Garou brought the speaker so he could have his music and started to play.

The whole time Amai kept staring at Melee, as he sung. Deep down, he felt she was the only one in the room. Yet, as the song came to the end, he took notice of everyone else… they were rendered silent. The few women who took Bang's class were in tears and applauded him. The guys were rendered silent. "Holy… shit…" Charanko muttered.

"Was that okay?" Amai asked.

Many people could only nod their heads to him. Even Bang was rendered silent. "Same reaction I got when I did it. I think you nailed it." Said Garou. "Now… never speak of this again. I ain't helping you with your music career!"