A/N: I thought I wanted to add an extra fluff chapter to this piece. But dang, who am I kidding this is Geats.

Before, he never really bothered checking out Ace's other persona as the Star of the Stars of the Stars—because one, Ace was so annoying and two, he didn't want that guy to know that he was somewhat interested in them in any way. But now since the two of them were kinda both rival DGP players as well as colleagues in the same company, he might as well learn more about Ace.

Then he was reminded when he was given a song for him to perform for the final round of the idol competition that just ended recently, that one of the staff had mentioned that Ace had recently released a new single to the public. Which was really wild... Keiwa came to realise, once he recovered his full memories of the DGP.

He was already aware that Ace was really good at almost practically everything, but he never thought that THAT included singing. So he might as well check the song out. Not that he didn't already plan to do it before.

.

Keiwa put on the headphones over his head as he started playing the song track. As soon as the first verse started playing, Keiwa let out a surprised gasp...

Grief that came somewhat overdue, despair that seemed would never end,

If there's really such a world, I might as well go and break it down.

As you try to heal through your loneliness, drifting continously in soothing dreams,

In this salvation that you designed, a fleeting loveless world's just what you will get

He ended up barging into the set where Ace was having some promotional photoshoot for a magazine—which by chance had just wrapped up when Keiwa arrived—as he rushed to talk to Ace.

"Ace," Keiwa asked softly, "—are you free right now? There's something I wanted to ask you about."

Ace gave him an amused look before smiling at Keiwa. "Ah, sure," Ace exclaimed right away.

"I was getting hungry now anyway—!"

.

The two of them ended up going to a private room where they could eat together without any disturbance before the star idol ordered some food and drinks for the two of them. Personally, Keiwa thought that Ace was really overdoing this—it's just a simple lunch anyway—but then he recalled the time the four of them, Ace, Neon, Sara and himself had dinner together and there was quite a bit of uproar from the other customers back then so maybe this arrangement wasn't really too bad.

He was about to open his mouth to ask Ace something before the waiter arrived and brought over the food. Keiwa stared long at the bowl of soba in front of him without a word.

Noticing that Keiwa haven't started eating, Ace glanced up from his bowl and cocked his head at the man.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it? Since you don't want steaks, I opted to order your favourite menu instead... tanuki soba!"

Keiwa raised his head towards Ace before glaring at him. "Who on earth eats steaks at this time of the day? And what do you mean that this is Tanuki Soba? This is actually Kitsune soba!"

Ace grinned cheekily at him. "But this IS what people call Tanuki soba... in Osaka. Just try it a bit at least, it's good!"

"But we're not in Osaka right now, stupid Ace!" exclaimed Keiwa before pouting. Still, Keiwa picked up his chopsticks and picked up a piece of the aburaage to have a taste. His face immediately brightened up the moment he took a bite from the small piece of aburaage.

"Ah! This is so good!"

Ace immediately grinned as he also started eating his soba. "I know, right? Though to be honest... I'd prefer to have kitsune udon instead, rather than soba."

"Then why don't you?" Keiwa asked back between mouthfuls of soba.

Ace just started batting his eyes at Keiwa.

"It's because I wanted both of us to match in everything, down to the food we eat—" the fox answered slyly as Keiwa felt his cheeks growing warm and his chest fluttering wildly.

"Isn't that what couples should be?" said Ace again as Keiwa hastily turned his face away from the other man.

"Sh-shut up!"

xxx

The two of them sat down on a nearby couch together after they were finally done with their lunch.

Aah, just how many times it's been? Aah, no, I've seen that,

That Grand Prix, where some Desires just cannot be obtained!

Keiwa glanced up towards Ace. "Ne... Ace."

Ace immediately cocked his head towards Keiwa. "Hmm? What is it?" asked the man as Ace slung his arm around Keiwa's shoulders and started fiddling with their hair. Keiwa just shrugged at him.

"I happened to listen to a song that you sang earlier. Star of the Stars of the Stars," Keiwa started to say as Ace gave him an amused look.

"So? What did you think about it? Did you like it?"

Keiwa's face immediately started to flush red as Ace suddenly got very excited hearing that he had listened to the song. As if Ace was expecting him to take notice of something special inside the song—no, the lyrics, especially.

A cruel and ambitious Playing game

Struggle till the end Life Gauge

Either Top or Loser, Ace End

'Course I'd know for sure

Perhaps you could say it's fate, or maybe it's just destiny

But the winner can only be one, that gets all the applause.

"Ace... won't you—I mean—don't you get any trouble for releasing that song?" Keiwa carefully asked him as Ace suddenly squealed at him and hugged him affectionately out of the blue.

"Why? Are you worried that something would happen to me because of some of the details inside the lyrics of that song?"

Keiwa started to feel his ears burning hot before looking away from Ace. "N-No! Who said that I'm worried about you—Get off me, you silly fox!" exclaimed Keiwa again as Ace started nuzzling his face against Keiwa's neck.

Once Ace had calmed down, Keiwa gave the fox a brief glance before shrugging at him.

"It's just... last time I used to get scolded so often by Tsumuri when I recorded some video journal on my phone during the last DesiGra game, even when I had no reason to release the videos anywhere. And then your song... had some mention of the Desire Grand Prix and other stuff—" Keiwa bit his lips. "Tsumuri told me about the DGP rules."

Ace grinned at him again before pulling Keiwa's body close.

"So... because my dear little tanuki had listened to my song, you ended up rushing over to see me at work... even when you're not worried about me?"

"Aah! Just forget about it!" Keiwa immediately screamed as he tried to get off the couch. Ace pulled him back and Keiwa ended up landing on Ace's lap.

.

Keiwa let out a soft sigh.

"Hey Ace, would you like to talk to me about it?"

"Hmm?"

Keiwa glanced up towards Ace before shrugging. Part of him was slightly miffed that Ace was a bit taller than him—even when the two of them were sitting next to each other—but it's not like he could do anything about it.

"The song..." Keiwa started to say. "When one first started listening to it, it sounded as if it was just like any other jazz song number... which fitted with your classic star image." He sighed. "But then... once you started looking at the song's lyrics a bit more closely—"

Keiwa turned to look at Ace again as the senior star averted their face from him.

.

"It's nothing... really nothing." Ace turned to look at Keiwa before smiling weakly. "Besides, all that doesn't matter anymore. Because I have you by my side now."

Keiwa gave him a surprised look but didn't say anything else. In a way, Ace was glad about that because how could he tell Keiwa about the things he had gone through for the past 2000 years of his life? Would Keiwa be able to still accept who he was and continue staying by his side?

Ace tried to just wave away the concern before noticing that Keiwa still gave him a worried look.

"It's really nothing. Or maybe... when the opportunity came, I did want to just channel my feelings somewhere." Ace let out a shrug. "I mean, back then... it's not like I could tell anyone about the DesiGra. You should understand that... seeing how you say you used to record your journal—"

Keiwa gave him a weak smile. "I guess so. I suppose even you can have some worries of your own..."

.

"So, Ace... are you admitting that you're the one who wrote the lyrics for "Star of the Stars of the Stars'?" Keiwa suddenly asked as Ace cast him a mischievous look.

"Well, at this point... can I even deny it anymore?" said Ace as Keiwa pressed him further.

"Then, how about 'I, Peace'? Last time, you did say that you gave me that hero concept to get me to regain my old self." Keiwa cocked his head at Ace. "So, did you write the lyrics to 'I, Peace' as well?"

Ace rolled his eyes at him. "Well, I wonder... so what do you think?" Ace countered while showing Keiwa a fox sign. But before Keiwa could give him an answer, Ace popped him another question.

"That said, Keiwa... assuming that you didn't have anything scheduled today, how about the two of us go out on a date?"

"Yeah, fine... I guess," Keiwa answered absent-mindedly before turning his head back towards Ace in alarm.

"Eeeh!" Keiwa shrieked, much to Ace's amusement.

Star of the Stars of the Stars

Defeat's not something that'll ever suit me,

Star of the Stars of the Stars

Let's Shine in the Spotlight!

Ace glanced to his side as Keiwa leaned against him, already asleep out of exhaustion. Both of them were now sitting on Keiwa's bed, inside Keiwa's room, at the apartment where the Sakurai siblings had lived together. Initially, Keiwa had adamantly refused to take him to their place but since they ended up going out until too late, Keiwa might as well bring Ace to his home. And it was a good decision too, because by the time they arrived at the apartment, Keiwa was so worn out that Ace ended up needing to carry him to his room.

Perhaps it was his fault for suddenly dragging Keiwa out to play until late, but it had been fun. They have yet to receive any other notices from the DGP since the last Labyrinth Escape round, so it shouldn't hurt to play around for now... while they still have the opportunity to do so.

.

Ace gently laid Keiwa on the bed before sitting on the bedside to continue watching Keiwa sleep.

This felt nice... spending time with a loved one without needing to care about winning a game or looking for his mother, which by now started to feel like a lost cause. He never thought of trying to do something like this before so he never found out until now how precious such experience could be for him.

Earlier, when Keiwa started to ask him about the lyrics to his song... he was almost afraid that Keiwa would find out about the hidden side of himself that he had tried to keep secret from Keiwa. He had feared that maybe, if Keiwa found out how twisted or manipulative he could be the man wouldn't want to continue associating themselves with him.

But instead, since Keiwa was so kind-hearted and so simple-minded... rather than see him being calculative or deceitful, this person could pick up the hidden sorrow inside his heart that he tried so hard to mask from everyone.

Ace's smile wavered as he thought about the song that had caused Keiwa to rush over to see him out of worry. It wasn't actually completely true... the things he told Keiwa about the lyrics. While it's true that half of the lyrics was him venting out his frustration about the DesiGra into a song, half of it was actually his attempt to reach out towards his mother. He thought if his mother could pick up on the hidden message inside the song, maybe she would know that he was there trying to look for her. But there was no response.

Ace turned his attention back towards the sleeping tanuki again. Ah well, until he is finally able to find his mother Ace will persevere. After all, he had some friends now... and a loved one. Even if he still felt grief and loneliness right now as he continued fighting inside the DesiGra, those feelings should be a bit more bearable now... since Ace now had Keiwa with him.

xxx

Not long after, a certain girl in red would suddenly appear mysteriously around the remaining five DesiGra players. As each and every Desire Driver belonging to the players started to vanish without warning, the Game Master announced the start of the new round of a 'Musical Chair' game.

And Ace couldn't have predicted how the new round as well as two more after it, would end up putting his newfound relationship with Keiwa to the test. Well, it's the start of many more obstacles to come...

A/N2: I already thought about this plot prior to Ballad, tbh... which ended up mentioned in passing in the first chapter (I think) so I might as well right it down proper.

But well, there ya go. Not really planning to add more, as if I don't already enough angst written for this couple 😂