White drones darted in the sky for the evening delivery. Hologram signboards flashed by, showcasing 3D products and promotions. Aiden drove to a stop at a red light. He then pressed the button on the dashboard, transferring the car control to the inbuilt AI. His eyes briefly turned toward his passenger, who was quietly observing the signboards and crossing cars, scooping yogurt from the cup with a small plastic spoon.

"Lily, do you have a place you want to go next?" Aiden asked with gentle curiosity.

Her gaze flickered toward him; her voice subdued. "RiNG. I want to go there."

"RiNG?" Aiden repeated, attempting to keep pace with her thoughts.

"It's a live house near my school," Lily responded. Her gaze quickly drifted back to the outside scenery.

Aiden had heard of the term; Live house. Home to indie bands. A familiar term for music lovers.

"Take us to RiNG." Aiden directed the car.

The car beeped in response. The instant the light turned green, the car merged with the traffic and moved towards their destination.

Usually, live house can get rowdy especially when alcohol is served. Wanting to make conversation, he asked, "Which bands will be performing there?"

"Poppin' Party, Morfonica and MyGo." Lily listed.

A glance on his contact lenses displayed that they are all-girls band formed in the neighbouring school to Lily's. It brought some comfort.

"When will the performance starts?" Aiden asked again.

"At 6 p.m."

His contact lenses indicated they had half an hour, while the GPS projected a 15-minute travel time. Time aplenty.

Aiden grabbed hold of the steering, feeling the AI moving it just for the sake of doing something. "Can you tell me about the bands?"

"It's better if you watch their live performance." Lily replied without looking, allowing an awkward silence to envelop them. Aiden hid a pained smile.

As they approached RiNG, Aiden noticed that the venue's walls were glass and steel, and he hoped they were sturdy in case of emergencies. The parking lot was almost full. Luckily, they managed to snag a parking spot.

After locking the car, Lily headed to RiNG, Aiden trailing behind. Inside, the lobby buzzed with mostly female attendees—high school, university students, a few kids, and dads. The all-girl bands explained it, yet he expected a more diverse crowd. Curious glances didn't escape his notice; among regulars, he was a newcomer.

At the counter, Lily requested, "Ticket for two."

The staff glanced at Aiden, asking warmly, "Will he be joining you?"

"Yes." Lily answered.

"That will be 2,000 yen."

Lily took out her wallet from her purse. Aiden held out his hand, "I'll pay." he insisted, pulling out his wallet and swiping the card on the card reader.

"Thank you for your patronage! Please enjoy the performance! Oh, and if you have time after the show, please consider writing on this notebook." The staff pointed towards a flowery spiral notebook with a pen attached on the counter.

"Write about what?" Aiden asked.

"Your thoughts about the show. The girls will appreciate it!"

"The girls…? Oh, the performing bands." Aiden smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

Aiden considered getting drinks as they still had time before the show. But Lily insisted on entering the venue early. Respecting her wish, he followed her down the stair into the venue. There already was a crowd of audience with more pouring in. Lily took his hand and guided him to the front row amidst the crowd.

As the room darkened, a cheer erupted from the backstage.

"Po-pi-PA! Pi-po-PA! Po pi pa pa pi po PA!"

A cheer erupted from the backstage, reverberating through the venue. The audience erupted into excited cheers of their own. Five girls emerged from the backstage and took their place on the stage before introducing themselves.

"Everybody out there that's new to us, it's nice to meet you all! I am Kasumi Toyama on guitar and vocals."

"I am Tae Hanazono on lead guitar."

"I'm Rimin Ushigome. I play bass."

"I'm Arisa Ichigaya on keyboard."

"Together, we are…" Toyama paused.

"Poppin' Party!" The girls declared in unison that resonated through the room.

"I want everyone to sparkle and feel your heart pounding like never before!" Toyama proclaimed. Her excitement bubbling. "Let's make this night shine! Our first song, Kizuna Music!"

The first chord was struck. The stage sprang to life. Then came the vocal with the lyrics;

There's a rowdy voice from outside the classroom's window

The bright sunbeams pierce through the leaves

The special place where we gather everyday

Let's meet up there again

The reason why we were connected

It probably wasn't coincidence

Because when we connect our sound――

Kizuna Music

A beloved song, a song of promise, a song of eternity

Let it reach! We've always been…

With our all! Forever for dreaming!

Let's go to the direction of our dreams!

"Are we having a great time?" Toyama asked. The crowd roared back in agreement.

"We're so glad to hear that!" Toyama beamed. "Now, we've got a song that means the world to us and you! Are you ready for a heart-thumping finale?"

The crowd cheer grew louder.

"This one's for each and every one of you! 'Tokimeki Experience'! Here we go!"

With a nod to her bandmates, Toyama sang;

In the sky I prayed to, a lone shooting star――

Carrying happiness and miracles,

It announced a new beginning

The performance was exciting. The chorus was infectious, drawing him to sing along. The vocalist shot a smile in his direction that further reinforced the excitement and giving him the realization that he was smiling the whole time.

As the song came to an end, the room erupted into cheers.

Toyama was breathless from the performance. "Thank you all for being here and sharing this wonderful moment with us!" The bands bowed.

The stage turned dark. Poppin' Party exited making way for the next band, Morfonica, based on the schedule.

"Poppin' Party is awesome…" Aiden overheard Lily's quiet remark.

"I know, right?!" exclaimed a girl with blue hair tied in a ponytail that suddenly chimed in. "Poppin' Party always brings a smile to your face!"

Lily instinctively moved closer to him, sensing the stranger's presence. She squinted trying to recognize the blue haired girl in the dark. Her eyes widened with recognition, "You are LOCK from Raise A-Sullen!"

'LOCK' was surprised. "Y-yeah, I'm actually Poppin' Party Number 1 fan!"

Aiden allowed the situation to play out. It might help Lily to make new friend. However, instead of engaging. Lily withdrew further to him.

Was LOCK that popular of a person to overwhelm Lily? His contact lenses confirmed that RAISE A-SULLEN was a big name in Japan and in some places overseas.

Before the situation grew awkward, the spotlights illuminated the stage again.

Aiden didn't expect a violinist to be playing with a rock band. It was rare. The costume and stage demeanour make them appear like princesses of fantasy kingdoms. They introduced themselves.

Kurata Mashiro, vocalist. She was a bit shy during her introduction but her anxiety slowly dissipates as her voice becoming more confident through her introduction.

Hiromachi Nanami, bassist. Her introduction was a bit weird; her speech was slurred. Aiden shrugged it off that it was just how she talks.

Next, Kirigaya Touko, guitarist. Aiden could tell from her energetic introduction that she's a social butterfly, unless that's her stage persona.

Yashio Rui, violinist. Her introduction was direct and short, only introducing her name and the instrument she plays. Her tone was level, lacking emotions. Too robotic.

The last member of Morfonica introduced herself. Futaba Tsukushi, drummer. Very energetic, full of confidence until she accidentally bit her tongue, causing her to blush and the crowd to chuckle. It was endearing.

Then, they break into a song titled, 'Circle of Butterfly'. The intro highlights the melody of the violinists while seamlessly blending with the rest of the instrument.

The vocalist's voice was unique —it was soft and soothing. And that uniqueness made her singing absolutely adorable yet commanding. The song speaks about breaking free from one's cocoon through morphosis.

Aiden started to analyse lyrics out of habit.

Metamorphosis, morphosis… morpho…Violins are typically found in orchestras, especially symphony ones… Morfoni-ca? Morfonica? He'll have to ask the counter staff to confirm his guess.

After the band break into the second song titled Daylight, he had to admit that songwriter has a way with words.

'A show of reality and disparity

Hope drenched wet in rain

Flowers passing the blurry days gone withered'

It was poetic.

After customary bows to the audience and the usual 'thank you' speeches, the stage went dark again. Next, MyGo took the stage.

The introduction seemed typical at first with the rhythm guitarist bantering with the vocalist. However, the bassist — Nagasaki Soyo — had a distant gaze, avoiding direct eye contact with her bandmates despite her smile.

Regardless, they kicked off with "Noroshi", a dual melody of high and low notes sung by lead guitarist and vocalist, creating a harmony. The absence of a keyboardist naturally leads to a guitar-driven and rhythm-focused sound. It was catchy

The second song, "Utakotoba" took an unexpected route, beginning with poetic recitals accompanied by slow, calming instruments before escalating into a powerful instrumental climax and the chorus. It was a bold and unexpected choice for a song composition. If they wrote the song themselves, Aiden was impressed.

The lyrics were more direct compared to Morfonica's and Poppin' Party wordsmithing. However, the vocalist, whom was shy to meet the crowd's gaze during the introduction was able to sing it with raw, honest emotion, conveying the feeling lost, a sense of confusion, to search for answers, and a desire to connect with someone.

Hence…it may be the origin for the band's name; MyGo. A wordplay of the Japanese word, 'Maigo' which translate to lost child.

Maybe he should confirm his guesses with Lily, an opportunity to flex his linguistic degree.

'With the song of moving to the future!' Kizuna Music lyric by Poppin' Party envisions a future filled with hope and unity.

'Towards the uncertain future, clenching tight only on premonition.' Daylight lyric by Morfonica grapple with an uncertain future, guided by intuition.

'I'll sing and let's begin here one more time.' UtaKotoba lyric by MyGo was call to start afresh.

Three different genres, three different themes and three different wordings, yet they allhave something in common; a journey toward the need more of these types of lyrics to help them through these dark times.

A staff member at RiNG took the mic, thanking the audience and performers, expressing hope for their return. Conversations buzzed as the audience dispersed.

Aiden felt relieved that the performance lacked mosh pit or risky activities for Lily's safety. The fact that they were all-girl helped too. Less risk of aggressive fan-performers interaction leading to injury. Heaven forbids if 200-pound performers did a crowd surfing or a stage dive.

'LOCK' asked Lily, "Is this your first time here?"

Lily, a mix of adoration and shyness on her face, struggled to reply. So, he gently took the rein, "Yeah, it's her first time here." The blue-haired girl tensed when it was him replying instead of Lily.

"L-LOCK is my stage name. I'm Asahi. Asahi Rokka." The blue-blue haired girl introduced himself.

"A pleasure to meet, Asahi. I'm Aiden Alder." Aiden nudged gently with his elbows, silently encouraging her to join in.

"Lily…Lily Adler." Lily timidly replied.

"Asahi-san, we're actually about to head out." Aiden mentioned.

"A-Ah, okay. I hope you had a good first time, Alder." Aiden responded, slightly flustered.

Aiden placed a reassuring hand on Lily's shoulder and guided her towards the stair. He asked, "Lily, are you thirsty?"

"A little bit."

"Let's grab some drinks." Aiden led the way upstairs with his sister following close behind.

After walking to the lobby, Aiden chose a secluded table for two tucked in a corner by the transparent windows. Aiden asked, "Wait here. Colas, right, or…?"

"Colas." Lily affirmed

Aiden headed towards drink bars No alcohol was on display, signalling strict rules for the underaged staff. It was reassuring. Drunks don't make good patrons when minors are involved.

Aiden swiped his cards, buying two tall glasses of colas, which he balanced carefully on a tray and brought back to their table. Once settled, found a common topic for conversation, "Do you go to Live Houses often?"

"Yeah."

"With your friends?"

"Sometimes." Lily answered succintly.

Sipping their sodas in silence, Lily suddenly asked, "What do you think?"

"Hm?" Aiden looked up, slightly caught off guard by her reinitiating the conversation.

"The live performance, do you like it?" Lily repeated.

After a brief pause, he responded, "I like it."

Lily smiled. The change in Lily's mood caught him off-guard but he was glad.

"Which band do you like the most?" Lily asked.

"I appreciate all of them but I think MyGo's melancholic song in major keys and modal mixture make them sound unique."

"Did you also catch the time signature change from 4/4 to 6/8 in UtaKotoba?" Lily asked, her enthusiasm rising. Aiden couldn't help a smile.

"Yeah. It was impressive." Aiden responded.

"I heard from friends that 'UtaKotoba' was a song they created on the spot during a live show." Lily added.

Aiden was stunned "They improvised it?! That's incredible!" It takes immense skills and courage to pull off an improvised song live stage in front of an audience especially for high schoolers.

"I actually have a video of that performance." Lily offered.

"Really? I'd love to see it!" Aiden asked eagerly.

Lily nodded and handed him her phone.

Watching the video, Aiden was taken aback, "Are they…crying while playing?" How in the world they managed to maintain the fast tempo while crying?

"It's a touching story. Takamatsu-san-" Lily paused, unsure if he remembers the name.

"Takamatsu Tomori, she's MyGo's vocalist, right?" Aiden confirmed.

Lily continued, "Yeah. Tomori shared her feelings through poems recital by herself at this Live House. She was alone until her band members, who were a conflict, joining her one by one until eventually, all of them reunited for that improvised performance"

"Wow., Aiden was at a loss for words, in awe. "What caused them to fight?" Aiden asked.

Lily nodded, "Rumours said it was about their old bad that was disbanded."

"So that's where the name for their band, 'Maigo'. It makes sense." Aiden remarked.

"…. Yes."

Aiden gave himself an internal pat on the back.

Lily asked, "Did you also figured out the origin of the other bands names?"

Her brother tapped the table with his finger for a moment before replying, "Morfonica happens to be a combination of the words morphosis and symphony, wasn't it?"

Lily nodded.

Another mental celebration.

"For Poppin' Party, I'm not sure, but I think it have something to do with happiness?" Aiden continued.

Lily nodded again. Poppin' Party name self-explanatory.

He made a mental note to check on the internet later if the bands had released any albums. He's definitely going to buy all of them.

"Lily, do you mind if we take a stroll at the park next? I need some fresh air to process the performance before we head home." Aiden proposed. The peaceful atmosphere of the park might make Lily more inclined to share her troubles.

"Sure."

As they walked through the park. Lily's enthusiasm from the after-concert before was gone. Concern gripped him.

Aiden gently probed, "So, how's your school?"

Lily was fixated on the softly lit pathways. "School's okay," she replied, barely audible. the ambient

"Did you make any new friends?" Aiden asked, trying to draw her out more.

"Yes," came the terse reply.

Sensing her unease, Aiden took the opportunity to steer them towards the first bench he saw. "Let's take a seat." he suggested.

As they settled on the bench, Lily's eyes were glued to her lap. The quiet rustle of leaves and distant city sounds filled the air. "Lily, you've been quiet today. Is something bothering you?" Aiden inquired, leaning closer. Aiden hovered his hand close to her head. When she didn't flinch, he caressed her head, her gaze remained fixed on her lap.

Unexpectedly, she murmured, "When are you going back to work?"

Aiden smiled wistfully. "I don't know. Maybe next month, maybe next week." he responded.

Lily tightly clenched her fists.

"I... don't want you to go away," Lily's voice wavered, barely above a whisper.

Aiden's heart ached. Her coldness towards him finally made sense.

"I'll come back. I promise." Aiden assured.

"It's not just that..." Lily's teary eyes met his, shimmering with emotion.

"I worry…about you. That something might happen to you when you're on mission." Tears flowed down Lily's cheeks. Her breath hitched, "I-I don't want to lose you too! I don't want to be alone." She sobbed.

Aiden pulled her into a tight embrace, allowing her to release her anguish against his chest, feeling the warmth of her tears seep through his shirt. Lily tightly gripped his shirt.

Guilt surged within him for not being there more for Lily, knowing she struggled to connect. He was such a bad brother. But he had to join InOps, to protect Lily, to protect humanity. Aiden tightened his hug and fought to compose himself, biting his lip to supress his emotions arising from this turmoil.

Luckily, the park was deserted at this hour, and the secluded bench offered a quiet spot. They stayed that way for a few minutes, wrapped in an embrace.

Until, unexpectedly, the leaves crunched. He turned towards the noise, surprised to find Morfonica's vocalist standing there with her cheeks flushed with visible blush. She quickly averted her gaze, stammering, "P-Pardon for my intrusion," before quickly retreating.

Aiden gently guided Lily to break from the embrace, giving her a reassuring smile. "Let's head back, okay?" Lily nodded, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

A/N:

You might think girls' band and idols in Tiberium-infested world don't mix well. However, I've yet to see a fictional story about a government trying to maintain normalcy when humanity is on the brink of the extinction or recovering from one. If there's such story about it, I'd love to know the title.

I also write this for several other reasons:

1. Exploring GDI civilian sector.

2. Writing practice focusing on slice of life stories and dramas.

3. Creating new OCs for future stories.

4. 'Tiberium' Spinoff to focus on Juno's Everest backstory.

5. Introduce Tiberium to Bang Dream fans and vice versa.

So, reviews are greatly appreciated! Also, FYI, I uploaded the revised 'Tiberium' revised version on WattPad.