A/N: And yet again, another late update… Sorry for the wait! (^_^)
My writer's block is worsening as I get older and it's not good. I hope you don't mind my very slow updates. (T_T)
Also, I want to take back about what I mentioned in my notes last chapter – about not following the plot of 'Free! Eternal Summer' in this story. Well, I decided to include some plot from the second season (probably episode 1 to 8), so that Sousuke and Kisumi can join the story and then, I'm going to alter the remaining second season plot since Haruka and the gang will tackle the challenges of the idol world rather than the swimming world. Plus, I did write that Haruka and his friends studied at Saotome Academy in the middle of the second term… I can't ignore the plot hole there.
As always, thanks for following this story, and writing your reviews, guys! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! ^^
Disclaimer: I don't own UtaPri and Free! Also, I don't own the song and the English-translated lyrics of Bad Romance – Lady ~ GIGA Edition ft. nqrse, vacon. I put the link of the song in my profile so you can listen to it on YouTube and also the link of the translated lyrics to credit the translator. I'll do this, too, to other songs and translated lyrics from the last chapter and to the other upcoming chapters. I want you guys to understand the songs and hear what kind of song they're singing, after all. ^^
Chapter 4: Bad Romance
…
"Haruka…"
"Hm…"
"Haruka… Wake up."
"Huh…?"
Opening his eyes slowly, Nanase Haruka saw green fireflies flying above him in the middle of the night.
"Fireflies…? But it isn't summer yet and I'm in an urban city. I wonder where they come from…"
Groggily, he sat up on his bed and checked the window beside him if it was open.
"Ah."
The window was indeed open, but he saw something more disturbing… Why were there ruins and a sea outside?
"Am I still dreaming?" he wondered in confusion until he heard someone speaking next to him.
"Haruka, you're finally awake."
Quickly, he turned his head on the opposite side and found a smiling tanned guy, with dark brown hair and glowing green eyes, sitting on the edge of his bed.
He moved slightly away from the mysterious man and asked warily, "Who are you…? And, how did you know my name?"
"Oh. How rude of me for not introducing myself first! I'm deeply sorry," the stranger replied apologetically before he stood up and bowed in front of the black-haired composer. "I'm Aijima Cecil, the crown prince of Agnapolis and loyal servant of the Muses. The reason why I know you and why I'm here is because you're chosen by the Muses."
"Chosen by the Muses…?"
"Yes. Also…," the prince went closer to Haruka and held his right hand before kissing it tenderly. "…you're my betrothed, according to my father. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, the last heir to the throne of Tear Palace[1], Prince Haruka."
Haruka was utterly speechless after hearing it. He was definitely dreaming. There was no way that there were ruins and a sea outside; that he was chosen by some Muses and that he was a fiancé of some foreign-looking prince, who was a complete stranger to him and called him a prince, too.
He pulled his hand away from Cecil's hold. "This is just a dream, right?"
Cecil looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, we're indeed inside a dream, but what I just said to you is all true, Haruka."
"No, this is just a dream... This is not real," he insisted seriously.
"Then would you like me to prove to you that what I said is true with this ring?"
Magically, a silver ring with intricate carvings of vines appeared on Cecil's palm. Haruka's eyes widened up in awe after witnessing it.
"Huh? How did that happen…?"
Gently, the prince held Haruka's right hand again and slid the ring into his ring finger before he could react and slap Cecil's hand away from him.
"Hey! I didn't agree to this…!"
"I'm sorry, but I want you to believe me, Haruka," said Cecil sadly as he watched Haruka trying to take off the ring from his finger. No matter how hard he tried, the black-haired composer couldn't remove it.
"How can I remove this?!"
"No, you can't remove it now. This is your destiny…, no, our destiny."
Haruka showed a confused look. "Huh…? Destiny? What are you talking about…?"
"I couldn't believe it, too, but…," the prince murmured while cupping Haruka's cheeks, "… you are her other half…, her soul twin."
Abruptly, the black-haired composer's heart skipped a beat after hearing his statement. He felt like crying in relief for no reason… It was like he found a clue in finding the person whom he longed to meet for centuries.
"My soul twin…?"
Cecil nodded and smiled. "Yes. There are two of you in this world, but both of you share the same soul inside. I can see it clearly in your eyes…" He gazed at Haruka's moist ocean blue eyes with intense nostalgia before continuing, "You hold the same passion and warmth that she possessed. I can also tell that you two managed to synchronize your souls yesterday. Did you hear her properly?"
Then, all of a sudden, he recalled the feminine voice which he had heard back then. Was she his soul twin?
Slowly, he nodded and smiled. "Yes… Because of her, I saved someone."
Also, because of her, he met STARISH… They proved to him that there were still people he could trust. He was really grateful to meet them.
"I'm glad," the prince replied happily while inching his face closer to Haruka's. Lost in his thoughts and emotions, Haruka didn't react fast enough to push him away. Before he knew it, Cecil's lips caressed his forehead, causing him to blush due to the unexpected warm contact. Suddenly, the room became bright as green fireflies began to swirl around the tanned prince.
With gentle green eyes, he said, "We'll meet again soon, Haruka. Take care and may the Muses guide you to your destined path…"
Haruka panicked when he realized that he still hadn't asked the name of his soul twin. Outstretching his hand towards the levitating prince who was being led by the fireflies to the boundless starry sky, he shouted, "W-Wait! Tell me the name of my-!"
…
"Today you cry, but if you smile tomorrow…"
In a split second, Haruka woke up for real with tears on the corners of his eyes and with an outstretched hand. A few rays of sunlight were already penetrating through the closed window beside him. The light snoring of Makoto from the nearby bed and the soothing 'Moonlight' ring tone of his light blue smartphone filled his ears. Strangely, those sounds calmed him down a bit. When the short ring tone ended, he sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes before glancing at the window. He saw the tall buildings and trees outside the apartment complex just like where they were supposed to be.
"It really was just a dream…," he thought. However, when his hands brushed against each other on his lap, he touched something hard and smooth. Looking down curiously, his eyes widened as he saw a familiar ring around his ring finger. Immediately, he tried to remove it. However, after many attempts, it was still around his finger stubbornly as though it was already a part of his hand.
"It's… not a dream?" he whispered to himself nervously as his hands began to shake. Should he tell Makoto about it? No, he shouldn't always make Makoto worry. Makoto was such a big worrywart, after all. What should he do-?
"We'll meet again soon, Haruka," the prince's voice echoed in his head abruptly.
Remembering his talk with Cecil, he decided to keep it a secret and wait for the prince to come back. He heard clearly that Cecil would definitely meet him again soon.
Coming up with a decision, he got up from his bed and went towards the bathroom to take his daily morning bathtub-soaking session before making breakfast. The ignored smartphone that rang several minutes ago on the bedside table had its screen lit on, showing a message icon that was still unread.
And, the sender of that message was unknown.
Ryuugazaki Rei loved beautiful things – creative arts, passionate sports, realistic drama, and of course, soulful music. He always dreamed and thrived to be someone who could contribute something beautiful to the world after he decided to study performing arts with his friends in Saotome Academy (even if he was placed in D-Class[2] after taking the entrance exam). Despite how confident he was of himself, he was well aware of his great weakness in the field of arts. Still, he persevered for the sake of beauty, and after two years of relentless studying for written exams and hellish practicing for actual exams, he managed to graduate and was finally close to his dream…, however…
"Why don't I have a single offer or reply from any talent agency?! Why?!" the bespectacled guy screamed madly in the small balcony of the apartment while doing his usual exaggerating pose of frustration – head raised upward, eyes shut tight, mouth hung open, arms spread wide, fingers curled like talons and back arched agonizingly as if there was no tomorrow. Just like what he had cried out a moment ago, he wasn't scouted yet, unlike his other two friends, Haruka and Makoto, who would start working in Shining Agency next week.
He sighed helplessly while adjusting the eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose. His future looked bleak already. And, he didn't want that to continue any longer. He must think of a solution now! Quick!
"Rei-chan, look! Look! TempterS is going to sing Lady Gaga's song, Bad Romance!" shouted Hazuki Nagisa, Rei's blonde-haired roommate, friend and fellow graduate from Saotome Academy, as he grabbed Rei's wrist and dragged him inside the room where there was a long black sofa enough for three people to sit on and an open flat TV, resting on a small wooden cupboard.
"Nagisa-kun, can't you see that I'm –?!"
Rei's complaint got cut off when he glanced at the screen of the TV and saw the faces of his two former schoolmates, wearing black and white pricey clothes with too much chains, gem-studded buttons and zippers. After seeing the title of the program show in the upper left corner of the screen, his whole body went numb suddenly and his eyes just continued to watch the program that would surely make any aspiring idol like him into a hopeless dreamer.
Shindou Saeki and Tanemura Taira, also known as 'TempterS' of Raging Entertainment, were about to perform as special guests in a popular music program called MuSiX. It was no joke that anyone whether a newbie or a pro, which got featured in MuSiX, could be swarmed with one million fans in a few days. To make matters even worse, TempterS was already famous because of Saeki's sexy voice and Taira's exciting music arrangement, combined with their flashy visual kei[3] getups and handsome features when they were still new talents of Shining Agency back then. The duo had a million of devoted fans around the globe ever since they stepped out from Saotome Academy with the Graduation Audition award in their hands and sold nine hundred thousand copies of their debut album, 'HYBRID', last year. But unfortunately, they didn't finish the Master Course and left Shining Agency nine months ago. There were many speculations why it happened but according to his schoolmates, the duo had a fight with their seniors. When their fans were about to forget them for good, the pair showed up again as new talents of Raging Entertainment and performed their new debut song, 'Masked bitcH', as secret guests in HEAVENS Concert at Tokyo's largest concert stadium, Tokyo Super Arena, last week. Despite the bad rumors about the two and their long absence, they became instantly the most promising candidates for the legendary UtaPri Brand New Award.
If only they didn't study with them in the same year back then, maybe Haruka and Makoto had a chance to win the audition and would've started working early in the entertainment industry. However no matter how many times Rei tried to convince himself that it was just a bad coincidence that they had studied together, he couldn't deny the fact that Taira and Saeki were far more talented and more suitable to be idols than them. The two tempters were trained to be great idols at an early age, after all.
The performance began when Taira, the sleepy-looking idol with styled spiky black hair (which had silver highlights), feline-like dark red violet eyes and alabaster skin, played the keyboard with long agile fingers in the center of the stage. The familiar tone of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance from the TV filled the entire room in a matter of milliseconds, but the arrangement was different…
"Whoa…! It sounds cool! As expected of Tai-chan's keyboard skills," commented Nagisa with awestruck eyes and clenched fists while listening to the intro excitedly.
"He made his own arrangement of Bad Romance…?!" thought Rei in astonishment. He couldn't believe how much Taira had improved so far as a composer. When he heard the rumors about Taira being a child star back then, he thought that Taira chose the idol course in order to go back to the idol industry, but he was surprised when he discovered that Taira took the music composition course. He could still recall Taira's reply when he asked why he chose to be a composer out of curiosity. He said, "I just wanted to broaden my knowledge in music. That's all."
That was one of the coolest answers that Rei had ever heard. If he had met Taira earlier in his life, maybe they would be best friends or he could be the spiky-haired guy's hardcore fan who was ready to follow him anywhere. He didn't have enough time to collect his breath from Taira's amazing arrangement as Saeki, the proud idol with chocolate hair (which had golden highlights) and long side-swept fringe (covering the left part of his face), slightly tanned skin and a pair of blue green eyes, began to rap some lines that wasn't in the original song and danced in the gaudy stage floor, together with some backup dancers.
"If it's "good for nothing" then till the bitter end it'll just end as playing around
「because I'm anxious」 I gotta listen to what you say
'Cuz my (tel)phone is ring ringing with a 'WAZZUP?' message
I fall deeper and deeper into this pit of despair
(What's this?) That's someone's romance
(STOP) throwing it away just like that, bogus the awkwardness each time."
His rapping was too fast that Rei couldn't even understand what the blue green-eyed idol was saying, but even so, it sounded so cool and admittedly, kind of sexy.
After watching him perform during one of their mixed class unit projects at the academy back then, Rei realized that Shindou Saeki had the innate talent to draw people in, not only with his looks but also with his mesmerizing voice. The word 'tempter' really suited him. Saeki could tempt anyone with his song in a matter of seconds…, well, except Haruka. Rei could still remember clearly how much attention Saeki was giving to the black-haired composer (who was the only one avoiding Saeki coldly) when they were still students. Because of Saeki's shameless flirting with Haruka, the female students were so mean to their friend. Nagisa and he managed to counter the bad pranks that the girls planned to humiliate Haruka by exposing them first (using his awesome detective skills, of course) before they befell Haruka. Even though they protected their friend secretly, Haruka was still affected by the harsh words of their schoolmates. For him, it was frustrating that he couldn't do a thing to those students who attacked Haruka verbally.
If Rei admired Taira, it was the exact opposite to what he felt about Saeki – Rei despised him.
Then, Taira sang when his partner stopped rapping. And, that totally knocked Rei's mind out.
"Hey, Sugar,the ants form a line the same as always
freely scatteringcheap(y)love,with suggestive eyes
I'm thankful for even that, this is hopeless, wake up…
I confess that I was there…I was (one) once too, ha-ha
A gaze y'know issignificant, whoops I got fascinated,magnificent
an eternalgameright, burning upladies and gents
the show's only just begunbad love romance"
"Tai-chan can sing?! I didn't expect that!" screamed Nagisa in surprise.
"I didn't expect it, too. I guess that rumor about Tanemura-kun being able to sing really well when he was still a child star is true, after all," the bespectacled guy said while listening and watching the performance with a mix of admiration and anxiety. "Also, this song isn't Lady Gaga's anymore… They made it theirs."
"She's like a doodlebug's pit thisstorywith a bad aftertaste, yeah, I love it
a lot of thrill, letting it overflow,let the good times roll
you know that I want you and you know that I need you
I want it bad, your bad romance"
"I want your love and I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh!)
I want your love and all your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance"
"Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh! Oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance"
"Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh! Oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance"
"Though it's not perfect,sing about the love
let's beautify it,just sing about the love
the fog clears up to a futile extent, an exceptional lonely night
I don't even know your name anymore"
"I don't even know your name anymore"
Leaving the backup dancers in front of the stage, Saeki put his back against Taira's and moved his body like a wave while rapping:
"Come on, you're howling, you, too, on the inside wanna be like we were before
I can't bare it, I can't get used to it… to hate
Aah, "LOVE" again seriously?
(You) say patients are cool, (your) 'expression' is seriouslypoor"
When Saeki finished his part, Taira sang slowly.
"I want your psycho. Your vertigo shtick
Want you in my rear window. Baby, you're sick
I want your love"
And then, Saeki joined him, rapping:
"Go to hell" swearing up a storm
Batty Boyis the bad one, he's really terrible, don't ya think?
You don't wanna believe it do you? Whatever, away into a dream once more"
After that, Taira sang the chorus alone while swaying his hips to the beat.
"I want your love and I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh!)
I want your love and all your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance"
"Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh! Oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance"
"Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh! Oh-oh-ooh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance"
As Rei and Nagisa continued to witness the cool performance, Taira left his keyboard suddenly when the song was already in the bridge part, but someone in dark clothes filled his position in playing the keyboard. Taira joined Saeki in dancing at the front of the stage while singing slowly in a sexy manner.
"I want your love
And I want your revenge
I want your love
I don't wanna be friends"
"J'veux ton amour et je veux ta revanche j'veux ton amour
I don't wanna be friends, I don't wanna be friends
I don't wanna be friends, I don't wanna be friends
Want your bad romance (caught in a bad romance) want your bad romance"
Then, their dance became more energetic (and more suggestive) when Taira and Saeki began to sing the last chorus.
"I want your love and I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh!)
I want your love and all your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance"
"Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh! Want your bad romance
Caught in a bad romance
Want your bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh! Want your bad romance
Caught in a bad romance, yeah"
After their perfect performance, the loud applause and cheers from fans in the television almost deafened Rei and Nagisa. Realizing that he had been holding his breath the whole time, Rei inhaled deeply and heard Nagisa swallowing in disbelief beside him.
"Rei-chan…, do you think we have a chance against them…?" his roommate asked worriedly as he watched TempterS receiving bouquets of flowers and warm words from the hosts.
Rei sighed and tried to cheer him up. "Nagisa-kun, this isn't like you. Of course, we have a chance against them! We studied almost for two years at Saotome Academy. There's no way that we're going to lose to them-"
"But we aren't scouted yet and they have more experience now."
He couldn't counter that. Yes, their only problem was finding a good agency that was willing to take them as idols. But the real problem now was: where? Almost all of the talent agencies that they went to hadn't accepted them, so where should they go next?
Abruptly, Nagisa slapped his cheeks twice before shouting determinedly and pumping his fist into the air, "Okay! Let's try Shining Agency again, Rei-chan!"
"Eh?! But Saotome-san only accepts the winners of the graduation auditions and those with exceptional talents!"
"Of course, I know that…, but I want to be with Haru-chan and Mako-chan! We came this far because of them, right?!"
"Yes, but…"
Nagisa pouted. "But what?"
Rei's eyeglasses gleamed. "We need something to convince Saotome-san that we're worthy enough to be in his agency…"
"… And, may I ask why the heck are we standing in front of Shining Agency right now?!" he asked loudly in bewilderment.
Wearing casual clothes and holding a paper bag full of chick-shaped yellow breads with vanilla cream, strawberry jam and chocolate inside, Nagisa and he were standing in front of Shining Agency after a 30-minute walk.
"Well, you said that we need something to convince Sao-chan, right?" explained Nagisa as he glanced at his bespectacled friend, who looked like he was already having a terrible headache.
"And, do you expect that giving some of these overly sweet breads to Saotome-san will make him convinced that we're worthy?!"
"Maybe?" replied Nagisa and winked cutely with his tongue sticking out sideway.
"Don't 'maybe?' me! Bribing isn't beautiful! And, it won't definitely help us at all!"
"Why? These are special Piyo-chan Choco Strawberry Cream Breads! They're super delicious, you know!" Nagisa took a bite of his current favorite bread (which tasted like Iwatobi Cream Bread) before releasing a delightful sigh. "Yum~!"
"'Why?' you ask?" Rei's pair of glasses gleamed as he adjusted its position on the bridge of his nose. "Obviously, it's an illegal act, Nagisa-kun! It'll also harm our reputation as rookie idols!"
"Then what should we do now, Rei-chan?" questioned Nagisa as he took another bite of his food.
Rei looked at him with a perplexed expression on his face. "Eh?"
"Do you have a better idea so we can work in Shining Agency?"
"…O-of course, I have! There's no way I-I'm not prepared!" he stuttered while protecting his pride as someone who was always prepared for anything, even if he wasn't really prepared right at this moment. Well, he began to think of a solution now as he closed his eyes, rubbed his chin thoughtfully and racked his brain for any useful information that might help them. "Hmm…"
After a minute of silence, Nagisa finished his food and said with suspicious eyes, "Rei-chan, don't tell me… You don't have any idea how we can convince Sao-chan, do you?"
Rei sweated but he didn't speak to his partner and just continued to think. "Hmmmm…"
Another minute passed by. Nagisa stared intensely at him, causing Rei to sweat more and to bite his lips in desperation. "Hmmmmmm!"
Nagisa stared more closely and intensely at him and then, all of a sudden, an idea popped into his head.
"Ah! I know!"
"Oh~! What is it?! Tell me!" asked Nagisa in excitement.
Clenching his fist triumphantly, Rei told his idea. "Let's talk to the head of the idol section of Shining Agency! If we ask the head about how they choose their future talents, then maybe we have a chance-"
"I apologize, but the head of our idol section, Sagara-san, has just left the premises due to our president's request," the pretty receptionist at the front desk of Shining Agency informed them apologetically.
"Eh?! He has just left?!" the two surprised guys cried out in unison as they steadied themselves against the desk.
"Yes, we're deeply sorry for the inconvenience. Do you want to leave a message before you go?"
Without other options, they hung their heads in disappointment. "Yes, please…"
Waking up from his deep sleep, Makoto let out a long yawn and stretched out his arms and legs before getting out of bed. He smelled the aroma of fried mackerel coming from the kitchen and smiled. There was always a sense of relief within him whenever he smelled it… Maybe it was because fried mackerels in the morning were a definite sign that Haruka was here… with him.
He already lost count of how many mackerels he had eaten ever since he went to Saotome Academy with his best friend. There was a time when he almost puked at the sight of mackerel in front of him since that was the only thing that Haruka always cooked… However, he still managed to eat it when he saw some anticipation from Haruka's eyes, asking him if the food tasted good or not. Of course, he would always say that it was delicious just to see Haruka blushing slightly and averting his eyes from him. At first, he was perplexed why he could still eat mackerels even though he was queasy whenever his mouth discerned its salty taste and rough texture, but as time went by, he finally realized it.
He had feelings for Haruka… but the feelings he felt for his friend weren't pure and innocent at all like what he had thought if he ever fell in love.
Walking towards the dining table for four people, he spotted Haruka's bare back. Wearing only a blue apron over his favorite pair of swimming trunks, his partner was setting their breakfast on the table carefully… and didn't notice that he was already awake. Silently, he swallowed as he observed how slimmer Haruka had become after not swimming competitively for almost two years… and how fair and moist Haruka's skin was after taking his daily soak in the bathtub and sweating a bit in the kitchen… He wondered if Haruka's skin was soft and smooth like what he had imagined if he put his hands all over him and lick the sensitive-
"Oh. Makoto, you're awake."
He almost jumped in surprise when Haruka turned around suddenly, disrupting his naughty thoughts. There was no way he would show his dark desires to his best friend. He would just wait patiently for the time when Haruka had finally found his parents before he could confess. Quickly, he straightened his posture and showed his nicest smile.
"Yeah. Good morning, Haru."
"Good morning, too. Since you're awake now, let's eat breakfast."
"Okay, but you need to dress up first, Haru," he reminded, grabbing a clean towel from a nearby shelf. Gently, he was drying Haruka's hair with it. "Are you not feeling cold, wearing only an apron and swimming trunks again?"
"No-"
Abruptly, the black-haired composer sneezed.
"Ah, you sneezed again! You were sneezing non-stop last night, too, so take some medicine after eating, okay?"
Haruka answered with a pout. "What are you, my mom…?"
However he stopped speaking when he recalled his missing mother, Nanase Izumi. Sadly, he and his mother weren't that close since she didn't talk to him much, but at least he knew where he inherited his personality from. The only thing that connected him to his mother was their love for water. When he was still a little kid, he would always join her in the bathroom, soaking in the bathtub for hours until his paternal grandmother would scold them for staying too long there. Also, when they went to the beach together for the first time, she was the one who taught him how to swim, which had led him to his reliable friends and to the world of swimming…
However, right now…, he didn't know where he was heading exactly. He felt like he was being pulled again into the darkest depths of the ocean. If only his mother didn't care about him at all, maybe he could just ignore her disappearance and go on with his life. But she shared her love to him! She was the reason why he loved the water so much!
Suddenly, Makoto embraced him tightly as if he could read his mind like an open book… no, Makoto could indeed read his mind.
"I'm sorry…," his best friend whispered apologetically.
"For what?"
"For making you remember your mom."
"Of all people, you should be the one who knows well that my mother isn't motherly at all. My grandma was the motherly one."
"But she's still your mom, right?"
Without uttering a word, Haruka tried to remove himself from Makoto's embrace, however Makoto wouldn't let him get away.
"She's also the reason why you're here…, why you learned how to swim, which in turn, had led you to us… to me," said Makoto, his embrace becoming tighter. "You know, I'm really grateful to your mom. If she isn't your mom, then maybe I wouldn't be able to meet you until now."
"Makoto…"
Haruka bit his lips as he tried to stop himself from crying. Makoto could really read his mind so easily and he hated it. He felt how helpless he was in his childhood friend's arms, but at the same time, he felt so at ease, knowing that someone understood him well.
"I promise that we'll eventually find her… and your dad. Have faith, Haru."
After hearing those words, he wrapped his arms around Makoto and clutched his friend's back while resting his head on his broad chest and absorbing his words, turning them into emotional strength. "Okay…"
Staying like that for a minute with Makoto, he calmed down a lot and released a long contented sigh. When he lifted his head up to view Makoto's face, his eyes widened up in confusion. Makoto eyes… Those caring green eyes of his looked kind of dim… Also, his cheeks were flushed. Why? Was he feeling ill…?
"Makoto, are you fine?"
He observed his friend's eyes turning wide.
"I… I'm fine. Just a bit hungry… I think we should eat now."
Nervously, Makoto let go of him and sat on a chair. After paying his respect to the offered food, he began to eat the rice in a green bowl rapidly without a pause. It seemed like he forgot completely that there were rolled eggs, fried mackerel and miso soup nearby. Haruka stared at his partner with a worried look, but his ringing smartphone caught his attention.
Wiping his hands with his apron, the blue-eyed composer went towards the bedside table to check his smartphone for an unread message…, no, there were two messages apparently. Abruptly, he recalled that his smartphone rang awhile ago, but he didn't read it yet. He read the first message from the latest sender.
Date & Time: 20XX/03/30, 10:21 AM
From: Matsuoka Gou
Sub: Let's Have a Reunion Trip!
Good morning, guys! I've finally found a nice apartment near my college campus a few days ago and managed to finish arranging my things yesterday! ^w^
Since it is still spring break, let's have a reunion trip – just for us, the Iwatobi swimming club members and also a few from Samezuka's~! It's been so long since I've last saw you guys, so it'll be nice if we can chat together like old times for awhile before our break ends.
About our venue, I met an upperclassman named Shigino Kisumi, who lives next door, and since he knows my brother and the others and has ten trip tickets to Atami's famous hot spring resort for 2 days and 3 nights after winning the lottery, we'll go to Atami~! Yay~! ^^
I'll tell the other details to you guys later if you have time to join the reunion trip tomorrow. :D
After reading it, Haruka informed Makoto about it. "Makoto, Gou is inviting us to a reunion trip to Atami."
Makoto choked upon hearing the destination. "A-A-Atami?! That's where…!"
He gave him a confused look. "That's where…, what?"
"That's where newlyweds go usually for their honeymoon trip…," his friend explained embarrassingly while scratching his cheek with a finger.
"So, what?"
Makoto gaped in surprise. "Eh? You're not embarrassed…?"
"No. Ours is a reunion trip. It's not our business what others do there."
When he listened to Haruka's reasoning, Makoto chuckled.
"What's funny?" asked Haruka.
Makoto shook his head and smiled warmly. "No. I just thought that it's very like you to say those words."
Haruka averted his eyes from him. "Stop saying things like that… So, are we going? Gou also mentioned that she met Kisumi, who has the tickets to Atami…"
"Really?! Kisumi?!" his best friend cried out in disbelief.
He nodded impassively, remembering again the annoying yet keen Kisumi. He didn't want to go tomorrow definitely.
"Wow! The world sure is small! Of course, we're going! Gou-chan will be sad if we don't go, right?"
Haruka gave him an uninterested look.
"And Atami is really famous for their big hot springs. I heard that tourists swim there even though it's not advisable," his friend added intentionally, making Haruka's eyes twinkle.
"Okay, we're going."
"Then I'll let Gou-chan know later-"
Haruka sneezed again.
"And put some clothes on, Haru. We'll not go if you got sick."
After clothing himself reluctantly, he read the other message that he ignored earlier. It bothered him that the sender was unknown. Still, he continued to read the remaining contents. And then he froze.
Date & Time: 20XX/03/30, 07:55 AM
From:
Sub: Hi
Haru, this is Rin. I just came back from Australia. Can we meet privately today? I want to talk about something really important to you alone.
"Rin…!" he mumbled the name of his dear friend and rival, who remained silent about his activities in Australia for a year after graduating from Samezuka Academy. Before leaving Iwatobi, he was invited by Rin to go with him to Australia, but he declined since finding his missing parents was more important to him. To be honest, if his parents weren't missing at all back then, maybe he would have accepted Rin's invitation in going to an unfamiliar country and view the different sceneries that he'd never seen before… Also, maybe he could have found a dream that he would truly be serious about… with Rin by his side. Although he would never admit it to his rival, or even to himself, Haruka had a slight crush on him when they were still grade school students.
Matsuoka Rin was the total opposite of him – talkative, friendly, passionate, hasty yet decisive… a romantic dreamer, a persistent leader and admirably, a tough challenger who would cry easily in every sentimental occasion. Rin was the type of person that he couldn't comprehend and must avoid at any costs to prevent himself from getting into troublesome situations that he wasn't used to, yet he was drawn to Rin and his world had turned really different… like it became more colorful ever since he got to know him better. Rin showed him many possibilities and made him ponder about various things that were foreign to him and most importantly, about himself. It felt like the spring season had never ended at all whenever he ran side-by-side with Rin, who was laughing genuinely under the imaginary full-bloomed cherry blossom trees around them. 'Opposites do attract', he thought. However, in the end, his feelings for Rin got shattered into pieces after he won and made Rin cry and quit swimming when they had an unofficial swimming match during middle school. Even though Rin already explained that he wasn't the reason why he quitted swimming back then, those pure feelings he had for Rin never came back…
But, the never-seen-before sight that Rin showed to him back then was still etched into his mind and heart… still vivid and breath-taking as if it only happened yesterday… If that burgundy-haired boy never showed up in his life, maybe the only sight he would always see under the water was just different shades of blue and white.
With resolute eyes, he sent a reply to Rin with his smartphone and made an excuse to Makoto so he could meet up with his rival alone after eating breakfast and drinking some medicine. Upon exiting the apartment with a folded umbrella (since the sky was cloudy and dark), Haruka could feel his heart throbbing too fast and his palms sweating a bit as his mind was still trying to register that he would finally see Rin again. Feeling giddy yet anxious at the same time, he started to think that maybe… just maybe… there was a small part of him that still liked Rin all these years.
"WHY?! I don't understand why we're always one step short to the finish line!" screamed Rei angrily as Nagisa and he walked in the street full of people under the grey skies after visiting Shining Agency. They were already close to their apartment complex.
"Now, now… I think we manage to accomplish something productive, Rei-chan. After all, we left a message there and we just need to come back tomorrow, right?"
"I guess so…"
Suddenly, their smartphones rang at the same time. Picking up their smartphones from their pockets, they read a matching message from Gou about the reunion trip.
"Whoa~! A reunion trip to Atami!? Count me in~!" shouted Nagisa in excitement as he tapped his reply on his pink smartphone rapidly. When he was about to click the 'send' button, Rei managed to stop him by grabbing his wrist.
"Hey, wait a second, Nagisa-kun! What will we do about our appointment with the head of the idol section at Shining Agency tomorrow?!"
"Oh, that's right…," replied Nagisa drearily, remembering their appointment. "But I want to join the reunion trip, too~!"
Nagisa rubbed his head against Rei's shoulder childishly, hoping that his friend would reconsider or change their plan. However Rei didn't budge at all and remained opposed.
"No, you're asking for the impossible!"
"Rei-chan, you cold-hearted friend~!"
The bespectacled guy felt a bit offended. "Hey, I also want to go to the reunion trip for your information!"
"Let's join the reunion trip then!"
"But we still need to finish what we've started, Nagisa-kun. I thought you wanted to work with Haruka-san and Makoto-san!"
"I know…" Nagisa pouted sadly as they continued to move towards their apartment… until they saw a serious bespectacled man in grey suit, knocking on their apartment door.
Seeing that kind of scene, Rei and Nagisa walked backwards quickly. Then they turned around and knelt beside each other to discuss their peculiar situation. Nagisa was the first one to speak out his mind.
"Rei-chan, can be that a special agent that is trying to collect information from us… or a hired kidnapper?!"
Rei sighed. "That's too much of a speculation, Nagisa-kun. Did you already forget that a good speculation always starts with a good observation?"
"Oh… Then let's observe him!"
"And always remember to keep your voice down if you're discussing your plan please."
Noticing that someone had already joined the conversation, they glanced upwards and saw the same man in grey suit looking at them with a frown.
"Oops…" whispered Nagisa with a sheepish expression on his face while Rei was totally pale when they got discovered.
"Are you two, by chance, Hazuki Nagisa and Ryuugazaki Rei?"
"Yes…," the two answered in unison, causing the man to stare at them in disbelief.
"But the written first names are… feminine."
The two laughed awkwardly. "That's definitely us…"
"Okay…," the man eyed them suspiciously for a half minute before he finally relented. Clearing his throat, he introduced himself. "I'm Sagara Hiro, the head of the idol section of Shining Agency and…"
Pulling out two white envelopes that were stamped with the emblem of Shining Agency from his coat, he continued while giving the letters to them, "…the President, Shining Saotome, requested me to formally bring you these letters of acceptance to Master Course. It seems like there was a problem in distributing the letters from our office a few weeks ago, so I also like to sincerely apologize for that. Anyway, congratulations for being accepted in the Master Course program, both of you."
Suddenly, the world moved slowly around Nagisa and Rei after hearing every word that came out from the man's mouth. It was too sudden for them to accept what they had just heard. Yet, the tears flowed out naturally from their eyes.
"We got accepted…?" mumbled Rei in a trance.
"Yes," replied Hiro with an affirmative tone.
"Really…?" asked Nagisa, sniffing.
"Yes."
When their minds finally registered what was exactly going on, the two guys hugged each other, jumped in joy and screamed at the top of their lungs, "WE DID IT!"
Hurriedly, Haruka went inside the popular Sea Dolphin Café where he would meet up with Rin. He was lucky that the rain only came after he entered the shop. After removing his dark blue coat, he began to look around the spacious café with an 'under-the-sea' theme for any sign of Rin while catching his breath. Upon seeing burgundy-colored hair in the farthest table at the left corner of the café, he couldn't hide his smile. He really missed him.
"Rin, welcome back," he greeted as he walked towards his friend, who was sitting at the right side of the table (which was enough for four people) beside the shop window.
Glancing up, Rin flashed his shark-like teeth while bringing down a coral-like cup of espresso on its saucer near a full cup of cappuccino with a dolphin image floating on the top. Upon seeing the latter cup, Haruka felt touched and a bit shy since he was supposed to be treating his friend, considering that he was the one who suggested that they would meet in this cafe.
"I'm home," the burgundy-haired guy answered back happily.
When Haruka was about to sit across him, Rin patted on the remaining space of the couch at his left side, gesturing the composer to come and sit beside him. Obligingly, Haruka sat beside him with a slight blush and then all of a sudden, Rin put his left arm around the composer's shoulders comfortably and tugged him close, causing Haruka to blush more because their faces were almost touching each other. He knew that Rin never cared much about personal spaces…, but his heart wouldn't calm down at all.
"Long time no see, Haru! How are you and the others? Did you manage to get into a talent agency?" his friend asked excitedly.
"Yeah, we're doing fine. Since Makoto and I won the Graduation Audition, we will start working next week at Shining Agency. But I'm worried about Nagisa and Rei since they haven't got any offers or replies from any talent agencies they've applied yet…," he answered, managing to remove himself from Rin's arm.
And, he was planning later to call Saotome in order to remind the president again about their secret deal when the president was mad that he used the indoor pool many times without permission back then. His condition was to accept Nagisa and Rei to their Master Course program if he and Makoto won the Graduation Audition. If they didn't win, then he would be prohibited from swimming for a year. As if that could stop him from doing his passion… But still, he was glad that they won.
"Nah, they'll be all right," said Rin, bringing him back to their conversation. "Both of them always manage to surprise me with their optimism and persistence. Sooner or later, they'll get a great offer. I believe in them."
"Yeah, me too," agreed Haruka with a gentle smile and thought fondly, "You're just like them. Always optimistic and persistent, too…"
As a comfortable silence prevailed between them, Rin pushed the cup of cappuccino in front of his rival before sipping his espresso. "That's yours. My treat."
"Thanks for the treat," said Haruka gratefully while staring at his most frequently ordered coffee. Of course, Rin didn't know that. He really never ceased to surprise him… even now.
"There's no need to thank me," replied Rin with a slight chuckle. "I'm the one who wanted to meet up with you, so it's the least thing I could do. Plus, I just figured that you'll like it since it has a dolphin image on the top. You have always liked dolphins, right?"
Haruka nodded as he took a sip of his drink, feeling a bit light-headed as Rin continued to be so thoughtful. "Yeah…"
"So, how's your search...?"
Abruptly, his good mood had turned heavy when Rin brought it up. His question was kind of vague, but Haruka knew what he was talking about.
"Nothing helpful yet…"
Rin showed a sad expression on his face after hearing it and staring at Haruka's miserable look. "Oh… Sorry for asking. I should have not brought it up."
"No… It's fine."
No, it wasn't fine for him. If only he could work now… He was becoming more impatient when there were only a few days left before he could earn a real living. Just a little more time left… before he could finally search his parents…
"Hey, Haru…"
Interrupted from his thoughts, the black-haired composer glanced at his rival curiously. "What?"
"…tell me the truth – are you happy to be a composer?"
"Why are you asking me that?" he asked with a perplexed look.
"I… Just answer my question first. Please," his friend pleaded softly with a helpless look, causing Haruka to take him seriously. He really needed to develop more immunity to all of his friends' pleading looks, especially Rin's.
Still, Haruka didn't know what to say. Honestly, composing was hard and tedious from the start, but for some reason, it felt somewhat natural to do once he learned the basics. When he was feeling down or inspired, he could write a musical composition based on his feelings so easily. He would always get praised by Hyuuga-sensei and Ringo-sensei for his outstanding work and of course, sometimes, he would feel happy to hear their praises. Before he knew it, he was beginning to rely on composing since through composing, he could lessen the anxiety that he was feeling every time he thought about his parents and the sadness he felt when he got ridiculed by his schoolmates for having such a childish goal. But, was he happy being a composer…? No, he shouldn't have thought about that! Composing was just a job! And, jobs must not be involved with personal feelings like 'hate' or 'love'. He was a pro and being a pro meant that he should do his part without complaints.
"Being a composer is just an occupation… I don't need to be happy or sad about it."
Rin frowned. "So, you really don't like it, huh?"
"I didn't say that-!"
He interrupted, "You know, I already met people who would always say that they love their jobs and of course, some would also say that they hated theirs. However, you're the first one who told me that you do your job just because it is your occupation. Don't you feel sad when you said that?"
"I…"
Haruka was at a loss of words. If only Makoto was here with him, maybe he would find a way to stop Rin from asking complicated things concerning his feelings and thoughts.
"Haru, please tell me your real feelings," added Rin, making his brain hurt from thinking too much.
Haruka sighed tiredly with furrowed eyebrows as he stared at Rin's unyielding red eyes. "Why are you cornering me like this, Rin? Why do you like to know what I really feel about my job? It's not your business-"
Angrily, Rin slammed his hand on the table, almost spilling the liquid from their cups. "Isn't it obvious?! I care about you and your future! I don't like to see you wasting your life on something you really don't enjoy!" he shouted emotionally, catching some attention from nearby customers.
"Rin..."
"Why are you still acting tough and not rely a bit on me, you idiot…! We're friends, right?!" he sobbed, tears forming on the corners of his eyes.
Seeing Rin being considerate about his well-being, Haruka felt bad… really bad, to be precise. Although he wanted to be totally honest with Rin, he couldn't still say what he really felt. He couldn't put his genuine feelings into words all the time.
He must work on this. Seriously.
"I'm sorry, Rin… I still can't say what I really feel, but thank you for worrying. I appreciate it," he said, stopping Rin from spilling more tears.
"Haru…!"
Suddenly, Rin hugged him, making Haruka's heart thump faster and louder. He recalled the time when he comforted Tokiya because what he was feeling right now felt the same with his upperclassman back then. His head was spinning with all the emotions he felt inside. Having a slight crush on Rin when they were still kids never helped him either.
"You know, I still can't accept that you left Iwatobi so suddenly without looking back…," said Rin, disrupting Haruka from his emotions. Mentally, he felt relieved when Rin began speaking and released him from his embrace. "Frankly, I'm still shocked. I thought that we'll both enter the same world and become known as the world's best rivals in swimming or something like that… however, it didn't happen."
Haruka's eyes widened up in surprise after hearing it from his rival. He'd never thought that Rin envisioned his future with him in it. It made him a bit embarrassed yet glad.
Taking a deep breath, Rin continued, "I'll be really upfront with you – I've always admired you, Haru, ever since I lost against you for the first time in a real match."
And, that was the most surprising thing that Haruka heard from him today. "Rin…"
"I realized that I always get lost whenever you're not there in front of me… You're the only one who gives me the motivation to improve myself more and to set my goal higher… I thought that if you'll enter the same world with me, I'll not lose myself again and will continue to love swimming more… But it looks to me that you're lost, too, right at this moment. It wouldn't be good if we're both lost on our paths, right? That's why I didn't start my career as a swimmer yet in Australia and came back here to Japan."
The black-haired composer gaped. "Why…?! I thought you'd already accepted your coach's invitation and joined his-!"
"Yeah, I accepted, but I told him that I still have unfinished business here so I came back. I'm planning to bring you back to the swimming world with me within this year… in my own way, of course. That's why I wanted to meet up with you. I wanted to tell you my current goal and it's you," the burgundy-haired guy explained determinedly with a toothy grin.
"Huh? What are you…?"
Abruptly, Rin stood up and stretched out his arms after looking at his wristwatch. "Ahh… I feel more motivated now! I guess it's already time for me to go."
"Where are you going…?" asked Haruka with a confused look while Rin put his payment and tip for their drinks on the table and put on his black waterproof jacket.
"Don't worry. We'll see each other again tomorrow since I'll join the reunion trip. See you later and say 'hi' to Makoto, Nagisa and Rei for me, Haru!" he said with a wave of his hand as his farewell gesture. He left the café in a jiffy.
Haruka just stared at his running back in the midst of raindrops through the shop window in silence. He was contemplating what Rin would probably do to get him back to the swimming world that he readily abandoned just for the sake of finding his parents. Even though it was an absurd goal, he was looking forward to Rin's actions in the near future.
"Ehh… Is that your lover, Haruka? He doesn't look as handsome as me. What did you find in him?"
He froze upon hearing a very familiar voice, which could tempt anyone in a matter of seconds with its deep, poisonous yet alluring tone. Well, except him.
"Hey, don't be rude, Saeki-kun."
He heard another well-known voice, which was too impassive to tell if the person was scolding his companion or not. He heard the latter clearing his throat before greeting politely, "Good afternoon, Nanase-kun. We're sorry for bothering you, but the café is already packed with customers so can we join you there?"
Turning his head to the left slowly, he frowned when he recognized the faces of his former S-Class classmates even if they were wearing perfect disguises.
Shindou Saeki and Tanemura Taira of the new idol group, 'TempterS'.
Afternoon rain poured heavily down on the roof of Shining Agency. While Shining Saotome was observing the raindrops hitting against the other side of the window glass, two knocks on his door resounded inside his office.
"Come in," he ordered.
After hearing his reply, Ichinose Tokiya entered quietly before bowing respectfully to the president and closing the door behind him.
Turning around, he faced Tokiya and asked seriously with his usual drawling voice. "Mr. Ichinose, how is your therapy going?"
Straightforwardly, Tokiya shook his head with a sad face.
"I see…"
As Saotome sat on his desk chair, he pulled out a sheet form from his drawer and put it on his desk.
It was a resignation form. Ever since Tokiya lost his voice, he knew that this day would come sooner or later.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ichinose… I gave you two years of break and support to bring back your voice, but it looks like your time is up. I was hoping that you'll be a part of STARISH's revival…" the president sighed sadly while shaking his head in disappointment. "Even though it's a big shame, I still want to thank you for all your hard work these past years. I have already prepared a worthy replacement for you so you can rest easy now."
With a flick of his fingers, the door opened behind Tokiya and a burgundy-haired guy in black and white suit entered the room coolly.
"And here he is, Mr. Ichinose. Meet Mister Matsuoka Rin, the son of the retired Divine Diva, Fujiyama Kiyoko[4]."
"Yo," greeted Rin casually, tipping his white bowler hat with a black lace around its brim upward.
Tokiya's eyes widened up in shock after hearing the name 'Fujiyama Kiyoko'. Everyone in the urban cities of Japan knew the name of the famous international female idol, who almost surpassed Raging Ootori's and Shining Saotome's sales records after selling 18 million copies of her last single, 'Home Sweet Home' before she retired. Her sweet, angelic voice, her irresistible, goddess-like beauty, and her caring, brave heart that wouldn't want to lose to any obstacles that she would face back then were enough to call her 'Divine Diva'. He could still remember his mom singing all of her songs when he was still a kid. Also, he saw her once when his mother brought him to her last concert. He couldn't forget the long silky burgundy hair that framed the idol's perfect face and the fiery red orbs that shone brightly in passion as she performed with all of her might on stage. It was a big disappointment that she retired early. But right now, he was staring at her son, who inherited her silky burgundy hair and fiery red eyes.
With a small smile, Tokiya walked towards Rin and shook hands with him. He felt grateful that someone amazing was replacing him… but why couldn't he stop the tears falling from his eyes?
Oh, he knew why…
It was the end of his dream.
A/N: And that's the end of chapter 4! I finally introduced the rival male OCs and the other characters from Free! I enjoyed writing Nagisa and Rei~! They're such a cute duo! Also, I feel sorry for Tokiya after writing the last part..., but it's for the best. I have other plans for Tokiya, after all~! I'm sorry if the story is taking too long (and my mom even told me that I'm overdoing it). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this and please review! I don't know if you're still interested with this fanfic, so let me know anything about your thoughts, even if it's negative or positive, or even about the pairings (I'm actually considering a 3P or a big harem if that's what you want since this is M-rated and all)! I'm able to continue writing this because of your support, guys! ^^
Thank you for reading this! See you next time~! (^_^)v
Some Additional Info:
[1] Tear Palace is something I just invented. If Agna Palace is in the dessert and Silk Palace is in the tundra, then Tear Palace is in the sea. I guess I wanted to add another magical kingdom since they're in the UtaPri world. I don't want to give any more details about this place because it will spoil the fun of reading future chapters.
[2] F-Class is the lowest class section in Saotome Academy (in my story since I don't know how many class sections there are in UtaPri). Even though Rei's weak subjects are Music and Arts, I think he has great knowledge about those and just lacks the skills and senses. So, instead of placing him in F-Class (for humor), I placed him in D-Class for his knowledge and enthusiasm to anything he considers beautiful.
[3] Visual Kei is a type of Japanese street fashion, influenced by a movement of Japanese musicians. It's a mix of Western glam rock and glam metal styles, consisting of striking makeup, unusual hair styles and flamboyant clothes. Famous bands with visual kei getups are The GazettE, L'Arc~en~Ciel and Versailles. (This info is taken from Wikipedia)
[4] Fujiyama Kiyoko is the maiden name of Rin's mother. Of course, I just made it up since Rin's mom never showed up in the anime. I created her as a retired idol since I remembered someone asking back then about how Rin could study overseas like it was nothing. Plus, in the anime, they mentioned that Rin's father was just a fisherman, so where the hell did Rin get the money to pursue his dream? So, I made Kiyoko and her successful career as an international idol before she got married to Rin's father, but after her husband died, she retired early and moved with her kids to Iwatobi, her husband's quiet hometown where no one knows her. Her first name is inspired from the female protagonist of Skip Beat (since I can totally imagine her being Rin's mom)!
OC Info:
Name: Shindou Saeki
Occupation: Idol
Group/Unit: TempterS
Agency: Raging Entertainment
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Birthday: December 1
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Blood Type: O
Favorite Color: Black
Height: 180cm
Weight: 68kg
Appearance: Chocolate hair with golden highlights (and has long side-swept fringe that covers the left part of his face), blue green eyes, slightly tanned, average build
Fashion style: Visual Kei
Dere type: Kamidere
Likes: Traveling, cars, attention
Hates: Staying at home, being ignored
Specialty: Car racing, rapping
Dream CV: Kamiya Hiroshi (and Shoose when singing)
Name: Tanemura Taira
Occupation: Idol, composer and pro keyboard player
Group/Unit: TempterS
Agency: Raging Entertainment
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Birthday: February 9
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Blood Type: AB
Favorite Color: White
Height: 182cm
Weight: 62kg
Appearance: Styled spiky black hair with silver highlights, grey eyes but he wears dark red violet contact lens with a vertical oblong pupil (and wears purple-tinted shades when he's outside), light skin, lean build
Fashion style: Visual Kei
Dere type: Kuudere
Likes: Napping, ear piercings, surfing the net, ice cream
Hates: Black coffee
Specialty: Remixing songs
Dream CV: KENN (and Giga-P when singing)