"Namida wa mō kareta sore demo mada kiseki wa okoru to shinjiteru!"

Chihiro gasped, eyes sparkling as they reflected the light of the computer screen. There stood a beautiful, gothic third-year with long, black hair and wise gray eyes as captivating as her voice. It was Tsubaki Aoyagi, Ultimate Vocalist, and lead singer for the rock band, RONDO, which performed at a local nightclub not too far away from Hope's Peak.

Even though Tsubaki was still a Hope's Peak student herself, and thusly underage, she and her bandmates were able to use their combined Talents and talents to get into the good graces of the club owner, Masaki, and now they performed at ALTER-EGO on a semiregular basis. The other bandmates were: Aoi Miyake, DJ and Ultimate Jam-Maker (both in the sense of food and music); Hiiro Yano, VJ and Ultimate Diviner; and Nagisa Tsukimiyama, Ultimate Electric Guitarist. Her Talent gave away her role in the band.

Chihiro, like the rest of his class, was completely spellbound, hands clasped as they watched the RONDO concert together.

"She's so hawt!" Leon wolf-whistled as Hiiro appeared on screen, and Hiro agreed with a hearty chuckle of his own.

"If this was an idol anime, it would be my Ultimate Dream!" Hifumi gave a slightly unhinged chuckled as he, too, clasped his hands together.

"She's as beautiful as her voice," Makoto nodded, sighing dreamily as Tsubaki came back on screen. Even Byakuya managed a brief glance.

Sayaka's face, meanwhile—once filled with the same awe as Makoto—was now marred by irritation. "Personally, I think Aoi is the most handsome!" she insisted thoughtlessly, and Hina was the first to agree.

"I was thinking the same thing! I just didn't know if it would be egotistical to say," she chuckled sheepishly, referring to their shared first name. "Heh! Guess I've always had it out for manly women," she added with another chuckle, referring to Sakura. Sakura gave a quiet laugh of her own, nodding once as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes approvingly.

"Hmph," Toko muttered under her breath. "Sh-sh-she l-l-l-looks like… an- an- an-… adorable little man! Wh-wh-which is w-w-w-w-weird! … But s-s-so, so, so, so… hot!" She giggled madly to herself as she touched her pointer fingers together.

"The band does possess an attractive, gothic quality," Celeste allowed with a slight nod. It was the highest praise one could receive from her. Seated between her and Makoto—with Sayaka on his other side—Kyoko also gave a slight nod, equally high praise.

"Pretty badass, right?" Mondo beamed proudly. It was thanks to him that any of them were getting such an inside look at ALTER-EGO.

"Wait. That's illegal." Taka's grim expression darkened as realization settled in. Mondo, though, only grinned cockily.

Me 'n the guitarist chick are tight! he thought, bragging. She was a fellow motorcycle enthusiasts with that other third-year chick, Rika Seto. Now SHE is one smokin' gun, a true bombshell beauty! So what if all of them were technically underage? When did laws ever stop anyone? You're only in trouble if you get caught! Mondo thought gleefully while Taka continued to stew. But he didn't stop watching the show either, Mondo noticed.

Chihiro noticed too. What's more, he also noticed that while most of the boys simped for Tsubaki or drooled over Hiiro, the girls swooned over Aoi. In a mix of sympathy and empathy, the Ultimate Programmer found himself drawn to the Ultimate Electric Guitarist.

I wonder, what is she like in person…? She looked so cool and energetic on the stage, under the flashing lights, dancing with her guitar as she rocked out with her bandmates. Was she that hyper in real life? Or was it all a façade—an act—concealing a meek, demure personality? And… there was something else drawing him to her, though he couldn't quite bring himself to admit it yet, even to himself.

ooo

As if fate was watching out for him, only a few days later, Chihiro had a chance encounter with the famed, fabled RONDO guitarist at the mall. He'd taken a brief detour through the video game store and found Nagisa also idling in the aisles, looking at first-person shooter games. The Ultimate Programmer froze in place.

Oh… no! Oh, wait! Then he wanted to slap his forehead. Come on, Chihiro, stop staring! It's rude! You're being weird, and probably creepy! And you probably look like a dork! Well, more so than usual… Even as the boy berated himself, though, he remained rooted in place, staring at the Ultimate Electric Guitarist in silent horror, not directed at her, but himself. It was as if two versions of himself were duking it out inside of him.

One wanted to run and hide, forget any of this ever happened, bury his head in the sand at the awkward embarrassment of noticing a classmate out in public, never mind that she hadn't even noticed him. The other side of him, though, wanted to take the golden opportunity to talk to her, for though they were peers at Hope's Peak, their ages and Talents kept them apart.

Now was his chance! … Did he dare…? … After a moment, Nagisa set the game she was looking at back on the shelf and turned away, resuming her walk down the aisle. Something in Chihiro kickstarted into gear and he went speedwalking after her without thinking.

"W-wait!"

"Hmm?" Nagisa turned around.

Ohhhh man, I am SO dead… "I- I- I- uhh… hi…?" he waved his fingers weakly, floundering for words.

"Well hi!" Nagisa grinned back and waved. "Didja need something?"

Oh, she's so kind…! Chihiro clasped his hands and felt his knees knock together. She had every right to be mad at him for bothering her, a stranger, but instead, she was friendly. And even more, she was perceptive, already aware that he wanted something from her. Ah, but how selfish that made him sound! His stomach churned again, but what else was he to do? He was the one to initiate the conversation, after all.

"Are you, uhhhh, Nagisa Tsukimiyama?" he asked stupidly, wringing his hands, even though he already knew. "I- I'm… Chihiro Fujisaki!"

"Uh-huh! Yep!" Nagisa's head bobbed. "Lemme guess… you're a fan?" she teased, winking. It was a bold guess, and Nagisa was never so conceited as to assume people were actually fans of hers, but given that this stranger had said her full name with such awe…

"Uh-huh! Yes!" Now Chihiro's head bobbed. "You're my favorite member of RONDO!" he blurted out before his courage could fail him, though the moment he finished speaking, he felt his stomach collapse in on itself. Nagisa only gave a hearty laugh.

"I was kiddin, kiddo!" she said. "I don't actually expect you—or anyone—to be my fan! But hey, it's cool if that's true!" She flashed Chihiro a dazzling smile and Chihiro blurted out again.

"I- It's the truth! The entire truth! I swear! I would never lie to you!" He even held up one hand solemnly, though desperation was in his eyes. "You really ARE my favorite RONDO member! I know my classmates may like the other three more, but YOU are MY favorite!" Then he looked like he wanted to clap his hand over his mouth after word-vomiting all over the Ultimate Electric Guitarist like that. His eyes widened in horror and apology. Nagisa, meanwhile, contemplated his words, her own eyes widening in surprise.

"Well, I'm not used to hearing that!" she chuckled after a while, and she was embarrassed by the pang in her chest as she spoke.

I mean, I'm not the DJ, or the lead singer. Heh… Fourgettable fourth… It was something she'd come to accept as simple truth, so for someone to say SHE was their favorite… "Awww, man, well that's really cool of you… Thanks," she grinned awkwardly as she gave Chihiro a thumbs up. "Guess you could I say I was you… fav-four-ite? Hehe, favorite, get it?"

"Your guitar solos deserve to be just as appreciated as the singing!" Chihiro continued to insist passionately, resting his hands over his heart. "I… I… I also love your aesthetic!" he added shyly a moment later.

"Well, gee, thank you!" Nagisa repeated heartily. "Did you want, like, an autograph, or selfie, or something?" she asked, then she gave an embarrassed chuckle. "I mean, as a thank you, not like… a vanity thing…" To cover for her little blunder, she began to ramble to Chihiro about some of RONDO's aesthetics and fashion. In fact, that was why she was at the video game store. Moments before, she was with the rest of RONDO at a clothing store just across the way. "But I promised my lil cousin, Shinobu, the Ultimate FPS Gamer, that I'd check this store to see if there was anything good while I was here," she explained to Chihiro. Ah, Chihiro recognized that name, even though she was a second-year rather than first.

Wow! His eyes went starry again. She's so kind! Little did he know, Nagisa was planning on buying a game she knew Shinobu would hate just because it amused her to think about how much Shinobu would hate it. Maybe some would say it was a waste of money, but Nagisa knew that Shinobu wouldn't even touch a game she considered unworthy of her, let alone open it to play it, so Nagisa would just get a refund on it.

But as Nagisa rambled about RONDO's fashion, Chihiro realized that Nagisa misunderstood him. "I didn't mean that aesthetic." He broke off nervously, but after a moment of silence, he was forced to clarify as Nagisa looked at him, puzzled. "I mean… your… gender… neutrality?" Every word was like torture, and Chihiro looked mortified at being so bold as to ask Nagisa about something so personal and intrusive, but he was dying to know. More than anything else, he didn't want a selfie or an autograph, he just wanted Nagisa to know that she was an inspiration to him.

"Nagisa, I—" He swallowed. "I'm not sure if you know, but… I'm a boy…"

Nagisa's eyes widened. No, she hadn't known. And come to think of it, she'd assumed Chihiro was a girl!

I mean, come on! The dress, the soft voice? But of course, Nagisa knew better than most that gender was fluid (even if one was not genderfluid), and then it finally clicked. Oh… OH! THAT'S what Chihiro meant by "my aesthetic". He hadn't meant RONDO's aesthetic, but Nagisa's. Nagisa's heart fluttered, and she felt touched. Maybe Chihiro was more serious than he seemed about Nagisa being his favorite member of RONDO.

"B-but… what about Aoi…?" the Ultimate Electric Guitarist asked.

"Oh, she's cool too," Chihiro chuckled and nodded appreciatively. "But I admit… She's always looked a little… scary." She was just so tall and stoic. Some people liked that dark, handsome build (Chihiro did too) but it could still be a little intimidating…

Nagisa laughed out loud. "Oh, don't let her looks get to you! Aoi's really a giant puppy dog at heart! But still, I'm flattered to think you like my style more," the Ultimate Electric Guitarist admitted. Chihiro laughed nervously, but he smiled and nodded back.

"You're so confident, and you blend genders into androgyny so well!" Aoi had a manly look while Nagisa looked boyish. To Chihiro, that was less threatening, and easier to relate to.

"To be honest, I never really thought about my gender," said Nagisa casually, shrugging. "I mean, I know I was born female, and I'm cool with that, but the thought of being a boy or a man doesn't bother me either, or not having a gender at all, or being a blend, like you said."

And I know Aoi's been exploring identifying as genderfluid! I dunno what brought it on so suddenly, but it's great that she—I mean they—are trusting us more with it! Nagisa thought proudly. That was another reason RONDO was at the clothing store, though since Aoi was only out to RONDO, Nagisa couldn't disclose that part to Chihiro. In fact, there was a level of secrecy even RONDO was still in the dark about.

Maybe to Nagisa and the others, Aoi's experimentation with genderfluidity was out of left field, but in truth, Aoi had DID, and Aoi's alter identified as Aoi's opposite, a feminine man to Aoi's masculine woman. That alter, though, was something Aoi was determined to keep secret, so although Aoi was willing to experiment with genderfluidity, the alter's hand in it was left out of what Aoi told others. By contrast, Nagisa's gender—or at least story with gender—was "simpler". As she told Chihiro, she didn't feel strongly about gender—so perhaps neutrois was a good term—but because of the "lukewarm feelings", Nagisa didn't mind what pronouns people used.

"It's not that I don't care about gender," said Nagisa. "I'd just rather explore my guitar, ha ha!"

Wow! Chihiro was again struck by Nagisa's confidence, a mix of admiration and envy twisting inside of him. He, too, loved to toe that line between masculine and feminine, though he was ashamed to say that his crossdressing wasn't born out of confidence or fun or self-expression the way Nagisa's was. I wish I had as little angst as you about all of this gender stuff! You're lucky, rare among genderqueer people like us…

"Say! Maybe I'll give you a shout-out at our next performance!" said Nagisa suddenly, yanking Chihiro right out of his depressed thoughts.

"Huh?!" he reared back while Nagisa's head bobbed again.

"Yeah, yeah, totally! That's what I'll do! It'll be awesome!" And sure enough, next time Mondo was able to smuggle his classmates some "contraband footage" (even though Taka watched it with them again), Nagisa had given the Ultimate Programmer an "ultimate shout-out".

"This one's for you, Chihiro Fujisaki! I'm honored to be your favfourite! You inspired me to step up my game, so I hope tonight meets your expectations!" Then the guitarist gave a charming, cocky laugh before stepping aside and allowing the vocalist to reclaim the forefront of the stage.

"Boku no koe wa narihibiku kibō no uta ga michi afuru yō ni inori wo!"

But while the crowd roared for the harmony of the DJ and vocalist, at least one pair of ears favored the guitar above all else.

AN: Happy late bday to one of my best friends, Hellis_Just_Aplace (DeviantArt and AO3)