WARNINGS: minimal coarse language
In between songs Ruki walked over to grab his water bottle from the foot of Kai's platform and he took a decent mouthful. He tipped his head back and fans were expecting for him to spit it out over himself, but he only swallowed it in one go. When he heard a loud 'aww' coming from the direction of the crowd, he turned around and laughed as he realised why they'd protested as he then wiped his mouth on the sweatband. Kai was subconsciously trying to role-up sleeves that weren't even there, as he slid his hands up his arms one at a time while waiting for Ruki to cue the next song. Aoi now removed the long, black, lace-like scarf from around his neck and while fans closest to him waved and reached out in hopes that they might get it, he only draped it around his mic stand, earning disappointed cries from the floor.
Ai smiled when she noticed Aoi had tied it into an odd looking bow around the top of the stand – she wished she could jump up there and grab it without being caught. Uruha was adjusting the white, satin sleeves he wore because they'd twisted around his arm a little after the last song – he was starting to think the 'Regret' costume was a bad idea to perform in … it was sweatier than usual and the feathers on his shoulders were starting to irritate. Last but not least Reita just stood quietly, swaying slowly from side-to-side again and gripping the fingerboard of his bass so no sound would come from it, the other hand placed casually on his hip. Kira loved how much of a 'guy' he was compared to the others. Kikyo sighed happily.
"It's been great so far, I love 'Regret'! What songs do you think they'll play next, Mika? I really hope they play 'BathRoom' or 'Linda' again, I love those songs!"
"Hmm I don't know … Maybe 'Cassis' or 'D.L.N'. Something a little less hyper and more romantic".
Kikyo poked Mika's side knowingly and Mika stuck her tongue back in response. Ai, Megumi and Kira laughed at the pare – for the first time since they arrived, they were distracted from watching the guys still right there in front of them … that wasn't normal.
"What, I'd just like to hear something romantic, geez! If they play too many hyped songs, we'll pass out before the concert is even half way!"
Suddenly the beginning of 'Worthless War' could be heard over the loud speakers, and Mika and Kikyo quickly looked back at the stage – they'd been so focused on their short chat that it was already time for the next song. Ai, Megumi and Kira also put their attention back to the stage, all of them leaning against the railing in anticipation. Well, 'Worthless War' wasn't exactly a romantic song like Mika wanted, or a lighter song like Kikyo wanted, but this one was still among their favourites. And this time, much to Kira and Mika's delight, instead of Aoi and Uruha being close to the edge of the stage, it was Reita and Ruki's turn to tease the fans. Although Reita was up the opposite end to the girls, Kira knew he'd come towards her eventually, but currently it was Mika who got to swoon over Ruki for a little while.
At the start of the song when it alternated from Ruki and the other guys singing, Kai was really having fun up the back with his drums. Aoi and Uruha now found it easier to dance around the stage while Reita and Ruki were off wandering along the edge – they could really get into head-banging too, much to Ai and Kikyo's amusement. Kira however was on the verge of sulking because Reita was so far away, but she loved watching him play to the fans just before him. Mika's mouth was agape while she watched Ruki jumping around only feet away from her – those dreadlocks were hypnotising her again. Megumi laughed and clapped to herself when she caught a glimpse of Kai twirling the drumsticks around his fingers every chance he got – she really wanted to know how they could do that.
It was after the first 'Worthless War continues' chorus that Ruki stopped dancing and pointed out over the crowd, attracting hyperactive cheers from the fan closest to him, which also included the girls, Mika especially. Then just as he was going to turn and head towards the far side of the stage, he just happened to look down and he saw … that girl from the side entrance. She was dancing with what looked like four other friends, two either side of her. It felt like only moments ago that he'd seen her outside, and now her she was again in the front row of all places … and the flower he'd given her was now weaved into her hair. Ruki caught her eye, and with a little smile, he pointed to the top of his head, hoping that she realised he'd noticed the purple lily. He then turned and ran back to join Reita on the middle platform. Mika's friends all turned to her.
"Mika, I think Ruki must have seen the flower in your hair and recognised you! He looked right at you!"
Megumi almost squealed, copying Ruki's gesture before grabbing her arm and shaking her excitedly.
"He did that and smiled at you, did you see it?!"
Even though Megumi was shaking her, Mika had gone into a state of shock – she was still staring at the place Ruki had just been standing, a strange dazed expression on her face, almost like she was dreaming. Yes, she had seen it … she could remember every single detail of what just happened – did he really remember her, or was he just communicating with random fans? Kira pulled on Megumi's arms to get her off Mika.
"I think she saw, Megumi. She was watching Ruki the whole time. Didn't you notice? She was almost drooling on the railing! If he got any closer to the stage edge, she would have fallen over it just to reach him".
Kira teased, which brought Mika out of her dreamy state to look at Kira and stick her tongue out before the five of them smiled back at the stage. The girls couldn't believe Mika's luck that night; two encounters with Ruki in the space of two hours was not going to wipe that big smile off her face with days now. The others were happy for her, but of course they couldn't help feeling just a little jealous – now the only thing left to really make her day would be to meet him in person. Just a few minutes with him would make her happy for the rest of her life … in fact, if all five of the girls got to meet the guys for just a few minutes, that would be even better. But they knew the band never actually had 'meet-and-greets' with fans so they knew it would never happen. As long as the band still performed, the concerts were enough.
--
Back to the stage, the guys were really feeling the energy from the audience – it was really rumbling through the whole hall. Not only the screaming and cheering, but also the vibrations in the floor from every single fan jumping and dancing; it was coming up through the stage and they could feel every pulse at their feet. For a slightly smaller venue than Budoukan, it sure felt a lot bigger. Ruki now placed one foot up on his platform and waved a hand over the screaming crowd. He put the mic to his mouth but paused for a moment. The fans went quiet as they expected him to speak but from the long pause he was making, some of them started calling out to him. Reita, who was standing just behind him, stepped forward and pushed Ruki's butt softly. The whole hall echoed with laughter as the singer sharply spun around to say something inaudible to the bassist – lucky it wasn't heard from the loud speakers because he'd just cursed at Reita.
"Hey, you can't rush speeches. Especially when you get a foot up your ass when you're trying to speak".
Ruki said to his mic while he was still looking at Reita. The audience laughed when the bassist shrugged his shoulders and looked like he hadn't done anything wrong. The girls, especially Kira, giggled at Reita's attitude – even on stage the whole group could act silly. Ruki shook his head and looked back to the crowd.
"Seems someone here just can't sit still. Anyway … it's been a little while since we've had a good live like this … we've only played four songs and it already feels like we've been going for hours".
The audience started clapping. Aoi grinned and clapped his hands over his head before directing the clapping to the audience. Uruha placed both hands on his left hip and swayed from side-to-side, a little satisfied smile on his face as he looked from the fans to Ruki. He felt like he'd been playing for hours too … it was just that over-whelming. Reita nodded and clapped a couple of times before crossing them tightly over his chest. Kai was leaning with his arms crossed over the drum between his knees again; drumsticks in his right hand were softly tapping the edge of it. He was smiling warmly when the fans clapped. But because Ruki was taking such a long pause again with the mic still to his lips, the guys laughed when some fans closest to the stage called out to him. Ruki lowered the mic, quickly wiped his mouth on the sweatband and then continued.
"It's really amazing … how it was just a Fan-Club only live tonight, yet it feels like every single one of our fans are here. Across the whole of Japan …"
He started to slowly wonder around the stage now while he talked. Mika was watching him like a hawk.
"And even though a lot of our fans couldn't be here tonight, a month from now will be our next Tour … we hope from the very depths within us that every one of you can see it … because then it would mean that we've reached the edge, and we'll be ready to go even further …"
The fans now clapped and cheered louder – the speech really moved them. Though most of the fans wished they could keep the band to themselves, they knew it would never happen … the bigger a band became, the further they had to go in the world. Soon, the GazettE would be too big for just Japan alone … next it would be Europe and beyond. But as long as they could still hear the GazettE's music, they would be fans forever. Ruki shouted 'Ikirukai' into the mic a few times, urging the fans to scream louder and louder each time before gestured for Reita to jump forward. As soon as he was up on Ruki's platform, Kai and Reita started the band off with the beginning to 'Shadow VI II I' and they were in full swing again. The girls cheers were drowned out by the eruption behind them – it was clear they'd been waiting to hear this song.
With Shadow VI II I, apart from waving their arms in time to the beat, the fans really didn't have any set hand gestures for the song this time. It was the perfect opportunity for the crowd to just dance, like one big party with a Live Band. The girls were having a lot of fun. Ruki's speech had left them all in a really good mood and they just danced while again holding each others hands, occasionally having them in the air. This was one of a few songs when Reita really got to show off on his solos, which Kira liked because he walked around the stage during the song and came to visit their side of the stage. Like partners in crime, each time Reita walked around, Ruki was right there dancing in circles as well, so of course Mika got to see him close-up again. Even Aoi and Uruha danced around each other, jumping here and there, and almost colliding once or twice much to the crowd's amusement.
Kai was getting more attention this time, as every so often Aoi and Uruha would pounce up onto Kai's platform to play their guitars for him. Kai's grinning and laughing couldn't be masked as he doubled his effort in playing; the attention he was getting from the others seemed to increase his enthusiasm. His face could barely be seen half the time because he was so into playing; thick, damp, strands of his hair were flying around his face so often that it was almost drowning him. After the final verse to the song, the hall turned into one big disco of sorts, the fans forgot about waving hands and danced along with the band. They were enjoying the up-beat tempo after the previous heavy songs, and knew that a slower song had to be coming up next. As the song was now finishing, Aoi and Uruha made one last shuddering screech with their guitar strings while every single fan around the hall tried to cheer over it.
--
Shadow VI II I … the perfect song to round off just shy of half an hour of a hyped up concert, and the fans agreed, seeing they could barely talk from screaming so much. The bands Live's were not always this full-on from the first second but Kai had obviously gotten the fans riled enough to keep them going for the rest of the night – he'd chosen the set-list well … especially from the next lot of songs they were about to perform. The girls had begun to suspect some kind of pattern too – the band would play a few up-beat tracks, and then calm the audience down with a few softer, non-dancey ones. Then just as the fans were starting to relax, the band would shock everyone out of their quiet stupor and back into madness. The girls always agreed that every set-list affected the audience in some way, especially during the 'Nameless Liberty' final.
It was agreed since then – the girls thought that concert had been the best and had the most energy out of all the final concerts they'd performed so far, but the band hadn't been able to break that record … not yet anyway. Maybe this nights live would surpass it, or perhaps the final for their next Tour? Whatever happened the guys always made a flashy entrance and a dynamic exit, so the fans were never denied anything from their favourite band. Suddenly the stage went dark and the fans made an 'ooooh' sound, like something had fascinated them – it had caught them by surprise that it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the unexpected darkness. No one could see even a few inches in front, except a few tiny spots of light at random places on the stage – and even then, those tiny spots weren't giving off much light, so none of the band could be seen.
Then suddenly shades of green light rippled across the stage, like the image of water had been projected onto it; each of the guys could only be seen as dark shadows in the dim green light, standing frozen still in their places. The Dome was eerily quiet and not a single sound came from the floor or the stage … until the sound of faint female voices echoed from the speakers. They sang distantly for a few seconds before the sound of dripping taps could be heard. Mika and Kikyo gasped softly, but they quickly covered their mouths … even though they were soft gasps, it still sounded loud in the unnatural silence, half expecting to be told to shut-up. Even as the soft singing and dripping taps continued a little longer, it was obvious what song was about to be played, but not one person moved or spoke from being hypnotized by the sounds …
Soon an echo of violins and percussion could be heard mixing in with the dripping tap. Suddenly the stage lit up with bright light as the opening of 'BathRoom' began to play, Aoi and Uruha swaying to the music while Reita and Kai maintained the beat. Ruki was standing behind his platform, mic in hand, eyes closed, tapping his foot and bopping his head in time, taking a moment to pull himself together for a moving performance. Some fans were startled by the abrupt burst of light that they couldn't help shielding their eyes instinctively, though others weren't affected by it and just focused on the concert, not wanting to miss even one second. Ai, Kikyo and Mika couldn't avoid covering their eyes for a moment before looking determinedly back at the stage – Megumi and Kira weren't so much affected, just by simply squinting so they could adjust.
No sooner had the first verse starting, but Ruki was already slowly wandering towards the far edge of the stage away from the girls, where he stood and sang to fans just below him. Reita came to perch one foot on Ruki's platform, seeing the singer was currently not using it, and Aoi and Uruha swapped places just as the first chorus was about to be sung. Kai threw his head back, raised the drumsticks into the air above his head and brought them down hard on his drums, in time for Ruki to sing the chorus. The fans closest to Ruki reached out and waved to him frantically while he sang to them, and Mika – because she was always watching him – could have sworn that she saw one or two fans crying as they watched Ruki singing. It brought on that pang of jealousy again but she also couldn't help feeling emotional from seeing fans crying – either the song had some affect on them, or he had some affect on them.
After he was done singing to the fans near him, Ruki left them and started to head towards the right side of the stage, continuing to sing the next verse. Mika swallowed hard and gripped the railing tightly – he was getting closer! Some fans behind the girls could be heard making anxious noises, like they couldn't believe he was coming over to sing to them now. Ai, Kikyo, Megumi and Kira all happened to turn and look at Mika – and sure enough she was only looking at him. They could have all been watching Aoi, Reita, Kai and Uruha but with Ruki standing mere feet in front of them, it was hard not to watch him standing there singing from his heart. And then just as he was going to sing the chorus again, he dropped down to his knees, dripping the mic tightly in both hands – minus Mika, the girls were starting to wonder it this was deliberate.
But Mika was oblivious … she could only hear and see Ruki singing … and was he looking directly at her or past her to another fan? Mika snapped out of her daze long enough to look left and right at her friends, who were sneaking glances from her to Ruki, clearly just as confused as she. When Mika once again looked straight at Ruki, his head seemed to tilt to one side ever so slightly, and gave her the tiniest hint of a wink … Mika's jaw dropped a little – he was communicating with her after all! That was the second time during the concert – what was going on? Why would someone famous like him be trying to communicate with me when he only gave me this flower? she thought, again slowly reaching up to touch the flower. Ruki angled his head a little more to acknowledging what she was doing, and Mika quickly lowered her hand, feeling her face growing hot.
Ruki didn't move for the rest of the song as he continued to sing to his Mystery Girl – though he did try to make it look like it was directed at all the fans in front of him, he couldn't help but look back at that girl a few more times. Every time he saw her, he struggled to look away. Finally realising the song had to finish some time, on the last chorus, he slowly got to his feet and began to walk back to his platform, putting all of his energy into finishing the song with passion. On the last words, he turned and slouched onto the platform, while Reita left to return to his place. Then once again the stage was plunged into total darkness just as the music ceased … no after notes played by Aoi or Uruha, no beat sounds from Kai or Reita … just silence. It took the audience a moment to realise it was over before they broke into clapping and cheering.
--
Even in the dark, Ai, Kikyo, Megumi and Kira were looking in Mika's direction though they could barely see her … and poor Mika was still staring up at the spot that Ruki had been kneeling despite the blackness. It was hard to explain or even understand, but she felt like he had in fact been singing to her – selfish thought, yes, but that's what she felt. But the lyrics of 'BathRoom' weren't exactly that of any kind of love song … more like a heart-breaking story of falling in love with someone in a dream. It actually made a lump rise in her throat … until she felt someone touch her shoulder. With her eyes adjusted to the dark, Mika turned to her left and noticed it was Ai touching her shoulder – she could tell her friends were worried about her. Mika patted Ai's hand softly to show she was all right, and Ai responded by briefly gripping her shoulder firmly.
But the last song was still playing on her mind, and the other's minds too. 'BathRoom' wouldn't be the kind of song a guy would sing to a girl to sweep her off her feet – and despite giving his jacket flower to her, Ruki didn't even know who Mika was … just the girl he noticed outside the Dome. Ai, Kikyo, Megumi and Kira wondered if he simply recognised the flower in her hair, therefore he picked her to sing to, so it could just be nothing. But it was bothering Mika that much, she was getting frustrated with thinking 'why me?' that she just suddenly growled to herself in the pitch-black hall, pulling at her teased pigtails. Mika had the feeling the fans surrounding her group were staring at them again. Her friends laughed at her, realising by the annoyed sounds that she was thinking too much. Kira reached over and gave her a little shove.
"Hey, you there with the over-flowing thinker! Don't let it get to you, ne? It's only a song … it was only an act. Personally I'd be thrilled he sang to me … though I'd prefer Rei-"
Megumi promptly clapped a hand to Kira's mouth to shut her up – Mika wasn't feeling any better by the look on her face, so Megumi tried to cheer her up instead.
"What Kira means to say is Ruki never sings for anyone, let alone one person. I mean, yes, he did use a sad song, but you should feel lucky he sang to you. 'BathRoom' isn't a bad song … to me it just sounds like falling in love with a dream or … something …"
Mika giggled when Megumi trailed off and looked thoughtful, like she was contemplating if what she said was right. Ai and Kikyo both gripped her shoulder and shook her gently, making Mika smile for the first time since the 'BathRoom' was performed. She loved how understanding and helpful her friends were – even with her constantly worrying over a sing song, that probably wasn't supposed to affect her that much anyway. Suddenly the girls were distracted by something on stage … a single spotlight over Ruki's mic-stand, and there he was standing behind it with his 'baby'. For any fan that'd seen the bonus footage from the bands Nameless Liberty DVD, they would remember Ruki giving his 'Cassis' guitar a nickname. A wave of hushed voices began to sweep through the crowd, some excitedly whispering that they were about to play 'Cassis'. Ruki adjusted the strap on his guitar and took one glance behind him at Kai, who counted Aoi into the opening.
It was decided, from the moment the single was released, that Cassis is a beautiful song – it was heart-felt but not in the sappy way. The girls loved Ruki's lyrics the most, because he was telling the story like it is. Even without the over-flowing sentiment, he could still sing a love song and mean it. The audience just stood and listened to the music; some groups of fans had their arms linked, while other girls who'd dragged their boyfriends along were cuddling. Ai, Kikyo, Mika, Megumi and Kira all had their arms linked too as they sang along with Ruki. It was a nice change to hear a calm song and simply watch the band playing … it gave them a chance to cool down. Mika's worries about BathRoom washed away now and she smiled warmly as she noticed Ruki start playing his part on the guitar in the chorus.
As the song was progressing, Kikyo smiled to herself when Uruha changed from acoustic guitar to his electric solo – she loved hearing it and it was her most favourite solo by him. Kira loved watching Reita – he looked so calm while playing but she figured he was the type to have more fun jumping around than to stand still all the time. Ai was marvelling at Aoi on his acoustic guitar – she always thought he was the best acoustic player and it really did suit him. Megumi also smiled when watching Kai – she was so used to him jamming and bashing away during heavy songs that during Cassis he was so quiet and had a relaxed expression on his face. Mika felt butterflies in her stomach when Ruki started playing his guitar – she loved this song the most because it was the only one that he played guitar Live, and his solo near the end always moved her.
And to Megumi and Mika's extra delight, they heard both Ruki and Kai singing together in some parts as usual. Fans from far and wide were always in awe with how talented and 'multi-tasking' Kai was – not only being able to play the drums with so much strength and stamina, but also to be able to sing at the same time was not something every drummer could or would do. It brought a smile to every fan when they got to see Kai sing, especially when he could only see the drums side-on so they gave him recognition for that. At the songs end, with Aoi and Uruha again being the ones to make a flashy finish on their guitars, the crowd applauded respectfully – it was all they needed to do to show they loved the performance. Even the guys felt that's all they needed to hear for such a song as each of them bowed gratefully to them.
--
The lights dimmed a little after Cassis but stayed on enough so that the audience could just see the guys moving around. Ruki carried the mic-stand back to set it next to Kai's platform and it was now one of the staff on side-stage near Uruha came running on to retrieve Ruki's guitar. After the man had run back off stage, Ruki yanked the mic from its stand and again wiped his mouth with the sweatband – those stage lights were starting to really heat the place up. Aoi and Reita quickly dabbed their faces with a small towel while they had the chance, Kai had a large mouthful of water and enjoyed the cool breeze on his back from his electric fan. Uruha was now in the middle of changing guitars for the next song – it saved him from retuning the strings when he really didn't have time to do it, so having the new guitar meant it was all ready to go.
Meanwhile the girls had no idea what song the band would play next – they just did Bathroom and Cassis but what would come after that? Of course it was always hard to presume even though they'd been to numerous concerts before – the guys were very good at keeping the fans guessing. The girls watched them eagerly as they noticed Ruki taking another mouthful from his water bottle and then he stepped up Kai's platform to speak with the drummer. Kai, who was in the middle of absentmindedly twirling a drumstick between his fingers, almost dropped it when he suddenly noticed Ruki standing over him. The singer had noticeably just said something to him because Kai nodded and could also be seen saying 'Hai', before Ruki jumped down again and went to stand behind his platform. The girls were looking at each other curiously – what was he doing?
"Ah … sumimasen … I want to just pause for a minute again. I had to ask our Grand-Leader for his permission to talk a moment".
Ruki joked and he glanced behind him to gesture an out-stretched arm to Kai, who seemed to laugh at Ruki, keeping an amused little grin on his face as the singer continued. Aoi, Reita and Uruha at the same time had no idea what Ruki was doing so they just let him go – there was no harm in him speaking again because it gave them a another chance to rest.
"I'm sorry to keep stopping; I'm sure your waiting for us to more on with it but I just thought I'd take a moment here. You see … it never occurred to me until right now … how significant it was having 'BathRoom' and 'Cassis' put together. And I'm sure my band mates had no idea either".
Ruki smirked and glanced around at his even more confused band mates. Uruha was standing with his hands on his hips and looking as if to say 'what the hell are you doing?' Kai just watched and listened because he was curious to what Ruki was talking about. Aoi was gripping the fingerboard of his guitar in both hands, holding it firmly to his chest. Reita just stared at Ruki, arms crossed and apparently waiting for Ruki to get on with it.
"See, it just occurred to me tonight … I've just told a story. Of dreaming so deeply about someone you've never met … someone who may only exist in your dream even … yet you can't help but fall in love … even if you never see that person again".
Ruki looked down at his feet and then back to the audience. An unsettling atmosphere seemed to fall over the crowd as they listened to such a deep and meaningful speech – this was so because even though he always made meaningful speeches, they were never quite as deep as this was now. Ruki continued.
"Then … 'Cassis' was like the happy ending … that you will see that person again … whether it's in a dream or in reality. Now I admit I don't know where all this is coming from suddenly, but I hope it will hold some special meaning for all of you … it does for me, even if I am talking rubbish".
The fans laughed on that last word, which made Ruki smile too as he lowered the mic – even though the fans felt uneasy at first, the speech had suddenly turned into a good thing and again it brought them a sense of good feeling. Even the girls had no idea what he was on about, but in the end his speech did seem right – both songs did seem to meld together nicely to form a kind of story. It was also nice of him to say that he hoped it meant something to the fans; it brought a smile to their faces, and even the other guys had smiled too. But what confused them the most was when he said it has meaning for him too – immediately after Mika felt that pang again … did he have someone after all? Well, there was really nothing she could do even if she was jealous, so Mika put on a smile and clapped along with the rest of the crowd's applause. Up on the stage, the lights dimmed a little more and Ruki raised his arm. Kai began the slow beat of 'Baretta' before Aoi joined him.
Within the first few seconds of Kai and Aoi's playing, the fans screamed excitedly but just as quickly they quieted down so as not to interrupt the song. They were excited because they knew that halfway through the song they would see Reita's bass solo, Kai's drum solo, and Aoi and Uruha's duet together. Anyone who remembered the 'Nameless Liberty' tour knew what it was like to watch – no matter how many times Aoi and Uruha performed their 'Baretta' duet, fans never failed to be impressed by how well it was done. The first verse was a quiet start to the song but once he got into the second verse, and the song had lifted a bit, Ruki felt his voice growing stronger. The girls thought that 'Baretta' was the best song for him, because it complimented his voice, especially during the chorus because it demanded the strength. But all too soon, it was time for solos.
Ruki moved out of the way and Reita jumped forward to stand on Ruki's platform in the spotlight, effortlessly blowing everyone away with his solo. Not a lot of people would think that you can get much sound from a bass except to be just the background music … but Reita could make more sounds come out of a bass than anyone might think possible. Then Reita went back to his place and it was Kai's turn to show up a little bit with his solo, as the spotlight moved from Reita to him – he never failed to leave fans staring in awe at his versatility of the drums. Considered by many to be one of the best drummers, Kai was always able to come up with something new and exciting in his playing. Then it was Aoi's turn to do his short solo piece first, the spotlight on him for that time, as he walked slowly towards the edge of the stage and positioned himself there.
But no sooner had he finished, but the spotlight faded out and once again reappeared over Ruki's platform to reveal Uruha, glowing like an angel in his white costume. Uruha began his short solo there, but within moments Aoi was right there beside him to start their duet, earning excited cheers from fans below them. Of course Aoi and Uruha could have used the whole front of the stage just to be different from last time, but they still preferred the centre stage that was Ruki's platform. Ai and Kikyo looked at each other excitedly as they gripped hands and watched their favourite guys perform only a few feet away. With Ai seated next to the aisle and Kikyo right next to her, they were pretty close to dead centre, so they both had a good view. But sadly it had to end some time, and after they were finished, Aoi and Uruha parted from the platform to an eruption of cheers.
It still overwhelmed them how much their fans still loved to watch that duet. As the song was now coming to it's finish, Aoi and Uruha were the only two to be playing the final chords. Ruki repeated the last line 'Hakanai yume da to' softer and softer like he'd done before, just as the music was fading too. When the music had finally stopped completely, the stage went black again and all that could be heard was the rumbling applause of the audience. The band had once again performed that song perfectly with such equal passion from each member – thanks to Aoi and Uruha for their dual performance, and Reita and Kai for putting that extra bit of kick to the music, and last but not least, Ruki for the strength in his singing. After hearing 'Baretta' the fans felt uplifted and ready for more – they couldn't wait to hear what song was played next.
NOTES:
1) Ruki saying 'Ikirukai': Listen carefully to one of their Lives, and I think this is what he says to the audience sometimes. Basically means 'Lets Go', 'Lets Live', 'Lets party', etc.
2) BathRoom and Cassis: Putting these songs together was actually an accident, I hadn't intended for them to hold any kind of symbolism. But it turned out alright
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