Ukyo gave a reassuring smile to the short blue-haired girl she was working with. “You’ve just about got it! Add just a little sugar, and the yeast’ll eat it up and the okonomiyaki comes out so much fluffier.”

With a blush, Mei reached the burnt-orange plastic scoop back into the sugar bag, pulling out a heaping amount of fine white crystals. “Like this?”

The okonomiyaki chef laughed. “Oh, gods, maybe a quarter of that, unless you want to make a sheet of candy instead.”

Mei shook her head and complied before dumping the aluminum bowl’s contents into her stand mixer. “I thought you were supposed to use baking powder instead of yeast.”

Ukyo nodded approvingly as Mei jotted down a note, not wanting to miss any detail of her lesson. “Baking powder’s easier to work with, sure. When you master the technique, though, you can get the same effect with yeast, and it comes out so much lighter!”

She reached out quickly, catching Mei’s hand just before she turned the mixer on. “Here, let me show you something.” With a wink, Ukyo pulled one of the two beaters off of the industrial mixer, replacing it with a dough hook. “This helps the dough get a really great consistency, because it doesn’t get a chance to set fully in the flour while it’s mixing.”

The blue-haired girl blinked in surprise. “I’ve never seen anyone do that before!”

Crash’s girlfriend giggled. “I sure hope not! That’s the Ucchan’s secret technique!” And I hope your mixer can do it, because I broke three trying to find one that did…

“Whatcha doin’?” Ranko peeked back into the kitchen, emerging from the staircase leading down from the upstairs apartment that had once been her home but now served mostly as her stage dressing room. She wore her mint-green party dress, her hair tied back in a wide matching ribbon, and a pair of white ankle boots with a minimal heel.

Mei beamed, brushing flour from her black apron. “Ukyo’s teaching me how to make okonomiyaki!”

“What?! She’s sharing her secret recipe?! I wanna see!” Ranko started to bound closer, but Akane grabbed her by the ponytail as she entered the back room from the bar. “Nuh-uh, missy. You’re still banned from the pizza oven, remember?”

The redhead whirled. “Akane, you blockhead! You don’t even make okonomiyaki in a pizza oven!”

Scoffing, the brunette in the navy blue vest tossed her white-beribboned ponytail over her shoulder. “Ranko, honey, when you’ve been doing it as long as I have, you can make perfect okonomiyaki in a freakin’ coffeepot.”

The Phoenix’ resident songstress wrapped her arms around Akane’s shoulders with a coy smile. “And anyway, at least I’m allowed in the food prep area at all, Akane! I can work that damn thing! It was just the one time, and I haven’t been anywhere near that worn out in a while. I’m fine!” She looked up at Akane, batting her mascaraed eyelashes cutely. “And don’t you want your wife to know how to make you amazing food, Akane? Consider it bridal training.”

I cannot believe I just said those words, and I’m not looking for something to be sick in. What have you done to me, Akane? And why do I love it so damned much?!

Chuckling, Akane shook her head as she returned Ranko’s hug. “Silly girl. Alright, alright. But no lessons until after your set. Can’t keep the paying customers waiting!”

“Always trying to keep me on track.” Ranko giggled, burying her cheek in Akane’s shoulder. “What would I ever do without you?”

The singer’s betrothed rocked her gently in her arms. “You’re never gonna have to find out, Ranko. Never. And besides, you’re everything I need, too.”

Mei giggled, having just finished sliding a raw shrimp okonomiyaki into the brick pizza oven with a wooden pizza peel. “Okay, okay, you two are makin’ me gag over here with all the mushy stuff.”

Ignoring her sister, Ranko kissed her lover’s cheek. “I know, but you make me want to be more. You just…” She blushed, the spark of an idea brightening her eyes. “You know what? C’mere. Ukyo, you should come too!” Ranko stepped out of the hug, taking Akane by the hand. “Mom! Akane’s taking her break!”

“Sounds good, honey,” came Hana’s response from the back office as Ranko led her fiancee out into the main bar room.

“Babe, if I’m on break, why are you taking me into the literal room where I work, goofball?” Akane giggled as she was dragged between Yui and Izumi at their respective stations and into the packed Saturday night crowd.

“Because,” Ranko said, dragging her toward the stage. “You’ve been so amazing to me, even when… especially when everything’s hard, and I just… I wanna say thank you. I know lately I’ve been kind of hard to love, and you’ve fought so hard for me, and…” She sighed with an affectionate smicker, pulling out a chair at the VIP table facing the stage. “Just shut up and sit down? It’s a lot easier to tell you stuff like this from up there.” She flashed a quick grin to Ukyo, who slid into the chair to Akane’s left to watch her boyfriend - and the girl who was once the boy she’d tried to marry - play.

Ranko bounded up the steps to the stage, poking Shinji on the shoulder as he connected his bass guitar to the amplifier system. “Hey, Shin. I wanna do the new one.”

“Is that one even ready?” Shinji craned his neck around the stage, receiving thumbs up gestures from Crash, Jacob and Ken. “Alright. If you’re sure, Ran-chan.” He removed his bass guitar from his shoulder, unplugging it and replacing it with his red electric guitar.

The redhead nodded as she slipped her wireless headset on over her ponytail, careful not to disturb the verdant ribbon in it. She sidled over to her guitarist and best friend with a playful grin. “You ready, buddy?”

Crash grinned nervously, pulling off his black leather jacket and tossing it to the corner behind Ken and his drum set. It seemed warmer in the bar than usual for some reason. “As I’m gonna be. And hey, thanks for this, Ranko.”

With a nod of acknowledgement, Ranko walked to the front of the stage, waving to the audience that began roaring the second she made eye contact with them. “What’s up, everybody? You wanna hear something brand-new? Come on, whaddya say? Where my Firebirds at?!”

The full bar roared, both in excitement for a new song debut, and in acknowledgement of Ranko having called them by name. She’d taken to using the term Firebirds to describe the band’s admirers; it felt less weird to her somehow than saying my fans. The whole idea of fans was still a concept she was struggling to accept, despite how frequent their intrusions into her daily life were becoming. Fred called it impostor syndrome, whatever the hell that meant.

Coaxed to life in Crash’s practiced hands, his electric guitar began emanating a power ballad that would have been right at home on a Foreigner album. It had a slightly dated vibe, the sort of thing that had been popular a few years back, and it only sounded more so when Jacob’s synthesizer joined the party.

The lead vocalist looked over in the direction of the VIP table, rubbing the back of her left fist in a circle with a soft smile and adoring eyes.

“Why does she always do that,” Ukyo asked. “Is there something wrong with her hand?”

Akane beamed as she returned the gesture, her eyes focused up at her bride. “It means I love you.”

Ranko closed her eyes and began to sing with a bright smile filled with wonder and love, largely standing still and eschewing any grand choreography.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

“When I met you, I was a mess, and it made total sense to me that you’d be unimpressed. And ever since, I’ve tried to grow, hoping I could find a way to be someone you’d wanna know. You took my hand. I don’t know why. Don’t think I’ll ever understand it, but I’m damn sure gonna try.”

Ukyo swayed happily in her chair in time with the music. “Oh, this one’s pretty.”

Ranko’s eyes took on a concerned expression. “I don’t know what you think you see, but I’m terrified that one day, you’ll find out it’s not in me.”

Akane lowered her head a bit. Oh, honey, not this again, she thought with a quiet sigh. It broke Akane’s heart that Ranko still struggled so much to accept that she was actually deserving of love, whether from her future wife, her family, or from the screaming multitudes that just wanted to hear her sing.

Ranko’s voice rose from the quiet defeat she had portrayed the verse with, into something more confident and powerful. “So, I’m gonna climb every mountain. I’m gonna walk on the moon. When I come back, maybe I’ll feel like I deserve to be in this room. I’ll become a superhero. I’m gonna take to the skies. Then, maybe I won’t feel so weak when I see myself in your eyes.”

Ukyo looked behind her at the array of lighters that were beginning to wave in the air behind her with a chuckle. “She really has ‘em eating out of her hand, huh?”

Akane did not respond, transfixed as she was.

“And when it all is through, and I’ve done all that I can do…” Ranko folded her hands over her heart. “I’m gonna be a little closer to believing that I’m worthy of you.”

Crash stepped forward until he was next to Ranko, eliciting a few whoops from the crowd as he joined her in singing the new song’s title into a headset microphone of his own. He then poured himself into a soaring guitar solo lasting a full thirty seconds. Ukyo raised both of her arms, whooping loudly for her boyfriend as Akane looked on, beaming with happiness for her friend. Ranko gestured toward her guitarist with an awed expression and open palms, encouraging the crowd to adulate her best friend during his performance. They happily granted her unspoken request.

Ukyo blinked in confusion tinged with concern as Ranko smiled up at her boyfriend, a look of calming reassurance on her face. Wait. His face… I’ve never seen Crash look nervous on stage before. What’s going on here?

Crash and Ranko leaned into each other, both of them making eye contact with the women they loved at the VIP table. Crash put his arm around Ranko’s shoulder, and to the shock of everyone in the bar - not the least of which the two young women seated at stage left - Crash began to sing alone.

“I don’t think that you expect it, don’t think it would do much good, but I’d arm-wrestle a dragon if you asked, just to prove I would.”

The crowd roared in approval, almost drowning Ranko out as she took back the lead. “When you’re with me, I feel strong, like I could challenge the gods. I had luck enough to find you, so I think I like my odds!”

Crash smiled down at his friend, hoping the crowd didn’t see how badly his hands were shaking as he finished the shared verse. “I’ll take any reckless gamble. I’ll do any daring deed! There is nothing I won’t risk to know I’m everything you need!”

Crash grinned, his confidence growing as Ranko ducked out from under his arm and joined him in harmony. “So, I’m gonna jump over a building. I’m gonna run a million miles, if that’s all it takes to feel like I’ve earned just one of your smiles. I’m gonna fly on up to space. I’m gonna capture you a star. Then I’ll wish on it, and hope it makes me half of what you are.” At the last five words, Crash dropped his voice into the lowest register he could manage, though still not quite as deep as Shinji could get. Ranko, however, carried the words into a run high in the fourth octave, highlighting the differences between their two voices rather than continuing to blend them into one.

Ranko fell silent, and Crash continued the refrain alone in his throaty baritone. “And when it all is through, and I’ve done all that I can do, I’m gonna be a little closer to believing that I’m…”

The Dapper Dragons’ lead vocalist rejoined him in belting out the song’s title. “... worthy of you.” Crash’s voice trailed off after about a second, but Ranko carried the last note for another two, transitioning it into another high run.

Ranko nudged her friend and motioned with her head toward the VIP table. Go get her, buddy. You deserve this. Blushing slightly, Crash took a step forward as Ranko took a step back. His eyes locked on Ukyo with a hopeful smile as he began to croon to his girlfriend alone, his voice bolstered by a greater tone of confidence.

“So I’m gonna wander every desert. I’m gonna sail every sea. All I’m searching for’s a reason you’d be proud to be with me! I’ll explore a deep, dark jungle, search the depths of every cave. Sure, I’m scared, but you fill my heart up enough to make me brave! I’m gonna go on an adventure. I’m gonna cast away my fears. Gonna earn my place beside you, if it takes a thousand years!”

Ranko smiled a bit wistfully, watching as her guitarist’s gaze remained focused directly on Ukyo. She generally tried her best not to be too jealous of the fact that he had the luxury of not having to be vague and circumspect about the object of his affection, but just then, it was a little harder for her. Akane had been her rock, especially lately, and Ranko wished she could pull that girl up on stage and marry her right that second, just to show everyone in the room - everyone in the world - how much she appreciated Akane’s love and support.

The crowd cheered loudly for the guitarist getting his moment in the vocal spotlight. Ranko’s smile brightened, looking up at Crash proudly. He doesn’t get anywhere near enough credit for how far the band has come, she thought. It wasn’t just me. I was just the pretty face.

I’m glad they’re both happy, Akane thought to herself as she glanced over at Ukyo. And I’m really glad they’re both happy with someone other than my girl!

As Crash’s fingers picked away at the bridge, Ranko bumped him, motioning to the rapt young okonomiyaki chef at the VIP table, and the ear-to-ear grin she wore. His eyes locked in on Ukyo, becoming so focused on her that Ranko had to give him another gentle tap to remind him that it was his line.

“There is so much I’m reaching for. You always say that I’m enough, but you deserve much more.”

Resting her hand over her heart, Ranko took the next line. “Now this impossible romance makes me desperate not to get complacent, waste my chance.”

The bandmates turned to face each other, and Crash continued, “Don’t ever want to leave your side, but if I screw it all up anyway…”

Ranko loudly belted the last few words of the line together with her friend. “I need to know I tried!” She then continued, “And when it all is through…”

“And I’ve done all that I can do,” Crash contributed in response, his eyes smiling down at Ukyo. “I’m gonna be a little closer to believing that I’m…”

Again, Ranko’s stratospheric alto joined him only for the last three words of the verse, her fawning eyes never far from Akane without locking on her directly as she swayed on the stage. “...worthy of you.”

She bit her lip gently, smiling down in the general direction of her fiancee as all four musical instruments came to rest. “So, I promise you, it’s true…”

Crash rested his hand on his heart as he sang directly to Ukyo, finally having his fingers free of his guitar for long enough to do so. “... the only thing I wanna do…”

Ranko locked her gaze up at her duet partner as the pair sang together, even though she was staring into his left ear. Look at me, at least sometimes, Crash. We gotta get used to selling the idea that we’re singing about each other, dude. That’s how duets work.

“... is be a little closer to believing that I’m worthy of you.”

Crash made fists with both of his hands, clutching them close to his chest over the guitar hanging across his torso as he sang in his baritone timbre. “Of youuuu!”

If Crash’s voice swept the floor, Ranko’s cracked the ceiling, eking halfway through the fifth octave with a high run to complement his singular low note. “Of youuuu-hooo, HOO-oo-ooo-OOOH!”

The friends joined hands, Crash’s left to Ranko’s right. Let’s finish it together, buddy, Ranko mused as she smiled into her friend and bandmate’s eyes. And, gods, please don’t let Akane think this means I’m into him, like she did before.

“Worthy of… you…”

As the crowd cheered, Ranko and Crash gave each other a tight hug before turning and waving to the women for whom they’d co-written the song.

Akane made a limp fist with her left hand, rubbing it in a circle with her right as she smiled up at the stage.

Ukyo did, too.