It's his birthday. That's why Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper are getting together for an all-out concert. It seems like the love triangle between the two singers and the novelist hasn't affected his obsession with the legendary band. Well, that's good. At least he isn't as corrupted as Hiro thought, because going to Sakuma-san's house, where no one would think to find him shows a level of corruption. Not going to Hiro's house, well, either Shuichi's mad at Hiro or Shuichi didn't want to be found, but there's got to be a reason why Shuichi didn't want to be found. The guy would be jumping for joy if Yuki-san went to Hiro's house for him. Shuichi would know that Yuki-san cares, a lot, more than he lets on. So what the hell happened that Yuki-san would call him? It's not like Hiro and Yuki-san are friends--best pals joined at the hip like he is with Shuichi. Even though Shuichi didn't go to his house, Hiro knows that Yuki-san wouldn't be calling if he wasn't worried. So what go Yuki-san so worried?
Hiro shakes his head, swaying to the music as his fingers work their magic on his guitar. He shakes his head even more as he watches Shuichi try to . . . look normal while Sakuma-san slowly and deftly finds the insides of Shuichi's shirt. Hiro was gonna act like this whole fight . . . thing was normal, a thing that would happen in any regular world. But Hiro knows that in any regular world . . . this thing would never be happening. Shuichi wouldn't be trying to act normal while Sakuma-san tries to feel him up in front of dozens of people. Shuichi wouldn't even know what Sakuma-san is doing. And Shuichi wouldn't have been sitting on the couch in the dressing room, with Riku batting his hand, saying, "Pain, go away. Pain, go away." And Shuichi wouldn't have been telling Sakano-san, "Stop making tea. You're not helping, at all." Shuichi's not that cold. In a normal world, Shuichi--
Shit.
Hiro makes a wrong riff, causing Suguru to press the wrong beat, causing Shuichi and Sakuma-san to sing a beat ahead, then realize that their voices aren't incorporating, and the whole stadium goes quiet as they stare at Hiro, jaw-slacked, staring . . .
At Yuki-san . . . getting misty-eyed?
Hiro sees Sakuma-san follow his eyes . . . and then slowly grin. And Hiro knows why. And Hiro curses himself for being five feet away, not having enough time to get between them--Shuichi and Sakuma-san. And he curses Suguru for not starting up the music as he does himself. And he curses Yuki-san for giving another opportunity for media to go wild . . . and for Shuichi to break.
So as Hiro finally succumbs to some reality, in an attempt to divert the crowd's attention, he starts playing Super Drive, their new hit, again. Suguru, Noriko, and Tohma start playing along, K starts shooting all cameras, only after shooting Sakuma-san and Shuichi just as their lips touch. . . .