"Water…"
At the silence of the early morning, Haku heard a yawn that sounded upon the opening of the door from Nagi's office and silently followed the feet walking down the stairs, only to get distracted by the strip of sunlight on the floor and laid down on it.
Meanwhile, even before anything else, Shiro, who Haku followed, alternated on pouring lukewarm and hot water as she crouched and examined the contents of the house's refrigerator.
"This is why I told Nagi to always have at least a pitcher of water ready in his room."
"…!"
Hearing the voice and jolting made it feel like the shivering from the cold has returned in Shiro's body anew as she collected herself, seeing Gin peeking from the lower steps of the stairs.
"G-Gin…?! How long have you been there?!"
"Since you left Nagi's room? It's nice that I still had it in me. Somehow being invisible, that is. I feel like it hadn't happened in a bit so it's nice to see that kind of reaction again."
"Are you a sadist…"
"No, so can you please pass me the tofu on the middle shelf of the fridge?"
And so Shiro walked around the kitchen aisle and handed over the ingredient.
"Thankies.
I didn't know you stayed the night."
"H-Huh…?
Wait, Nagi didn't tell you?"
"I don't think I received a message from him."
Then, her face darkened realizing a possible mistake that had happened.
"Oh, goodness, I'm sorry about that…! I'm actually planning on staying here for a week and we didn't even tell you about it!"
"Nah, it's cool. My place has been awfully empty these days anyway and I haven't really been popping by here a lot.
More than anything, I'm surprised Uncle Junpei let you stay here… or did you not tell him?"
"I did, I did…"
"Hmm. Sounds like he has mellowed down a bit?" Gin asked as he made his way to the living room while Shiro washed his face in the bathroom next to the kitchen.
"I think he still feels bad about things and seemed like it came up again when I told them Ringo was ill," Shiro's voice echoed from the open bathroom until she left with a towel and tied an apron on her waist as she leaned on the counter.
"Of course I didn't tell them about the BEF, but I did say that Ringo then was at death's door and you know that I've been visiting her a lot that time."
"Way more than me, that's a given," Gin inflicted self-burn.
"I was really depressed that I didn't really talk to anyone otherwise I'd lash out. Dad imagined that I'd be on a worse mental space if we were to move away and learn that one of my most important friends was dying… and that he probably noticed there was another thing as heavy as that in my mind."
Immediately getting through the vagueness that Shiro intentionally gave, Gin remained silent.
"Maybe it took him a few years to realize how really significant your guys' pleas to not make me move away.
He might look like a lion or something, but he's very soft when it counts."
"Still, has his relationship with Nagi got any better?"
"I think? There's one time when Nagi had to stay the night in our house because he went home with my dad… and that was probably the drunkest I've seen the two of them. But that doesn't really tell anything, does it?"
"Either they didn't remember what happened or they probably just refuse to talk about it. We wouldn't know anyways. Maybe they duked it out and settled their differences, or not."
"I think it would be a spectacle to see them shouting at each other."
"Then… how are the two of you?"
"I wouldn't be here if we're not on good terms?"
"I guess good for you. He's been busy with streaming so I thought he's been neglecting the important things."
"He's actually the one that invited me. I never asked but maybe he's feeling lonely so I hurried here."
"All is well, I guess. Now if you two lovebirds will excuse my intrusion, I'll go back next door now and please give Nagi a bit of scolding.
Oh, and alsOOOOOOOOOO-"
Upon jumping off the couch and heading to the stairs, he remembered something and stopped at an awkward position and was not able to stop himself from hitting his toe from the stairs and fell on the floor.
"That was brutal…
But what I was trying to say is that be careful. I heard that Taiyou and most of their viewers don't really care if their vtubers has someone or not, but try to tread with caution because there will always be bad actors online.
I don't mind if you visit or even live here for a bit, but the only favor I ask is not to have anything personal leaked from you two, and by extension mine too. This house is and will always be my responsibility and I don't want us getting doxxed so just keep that in mind.
Well… I'm saying that to myself because I will probably be on YouCube videos for a bit so I've also been thinking about my privacy and security risks."
"I understand that, but what about you being on YouCube videos?"
"Long story short, it's a small world and I met the person behind the Boneless Pizza channel apparently discovering me through a the video from Kyoto and they invited me as an anonymous persona."
"That's interesting, but is that really fine for you to say?"
"He doesn't mind as much since I've known him for a bit now."
Slowly, Shiro has proceeded to start making breakfast in the middle of conversing.
"But to think… Isn't this the busiest you've been? Like, since I met you."
"How so? It just feels like so-so to me these days. I've been much stressed when I was teaching."
"I guess you really are built for creativity, huh…" Shiro uttered with a hint of astonishment and jest at the same time. "You've gotten active in TAC again, you have your Capy account as a side job and even getting big jobs from that, you have Giotto's as your full-time work, and now you're filming with a YouCuber?
You have a lot on your plate, don't you think?"
Only after an enumeration of the current things he is doing made him agree with Shiro. Still, Gin has the tendency to think and not think at the same time which tricks himself to feel that everything has felt casual nowadays and that perception would not simply just change overnight just because of a bit of a reality check.
If anything, the casualness felt more factual than mere tricks of the mind. That is in a sense that he is gauging things from how much time he has for himself and others.
"I'll give this a think next door. They're probably waiting for the tofu."
"Oh, I shouldn't have held you back.
But one last thing; I hope you don't get to a point where you'll have to choose and be torn on what you really want to do most unlike what you have now.
From an outsider's view, I feel like I'm seeing the best version of you."
"Really…? Man, I'm happy to hear that.
I'm going back then. Just enjoy your stay here and ask me if there's anything you need in the house."
More than Shiro could probably realize, Gin took her words deeply to his heart. The thought stayed in him as he returned from Rin's room down to the kitchen, and until he's been holding a knife, the thought did not disappear.
It made him feel like while he did not have a conventional youth, it was still possible to do something more even after years of joining the workforce. He's trying out a lot more things than he had ever done, and it all seems to have started when things finally began getting better in the year.
Perhaps there was a silver lining from the half a year he has been away from the Giotto's kitchen. In truth, the most of his previous five years has been put to working, especially once he had opted to not pursue further education. But within the past six months, he had experienced different things, places, and people.
It felt like, in the span of 24 years, Gin's life has finally began going forward.
~ ~ ~
Sundown.
"I'm hoooome.
Uwah- Gin?!"
With the car parked securely within the house next door, Rin arrived home from work only to be suddenly lifted from her legs by Gin which left her all the more surprised as she exchanged looks with his blank expression.
"I just got home, can you please put me down?
What wrong with this guy, Mom?"
"I honestly don't know. I'm just as shocked as you."
After being slowly and carefully put down, she took off her jacket and watched Gin go in the kotatsu with a satisfied look as she made her way to the kitchen sink.
After changing to an easier to move clothes, she scooted inside the comfort and warmth of the kotatsu shoulder to shoulder with Gin… yet he has not uttered a word with his unchanging expression upon Rin's return home.
While it did not seem like there was something bothering Gin, it also did not appear as though it was just the usual thing of him being a space cadet. She inferred—there was definitely something in his mind—but couldn't tell what it is, thus gauging what he is feeling by leaning her head onto her significant other's chest.
"…!"
After finding out something, Rin planted her ear closer as she could feel a drum beat from his heart.
"I weirdly felt extremely happy when I carried you earlier," Gin finally spoke.
"Uh-huh," she then pulled away finding the answer she did not really seek to know, but feeling a tightness on her chest that is perhaps similar to how her partner is feeling now.
She then added, "Did something happen?"
"I… talked to Shiro earlier, and I realized some things."
"So that's why you took your time this morning. Don't tell me you realized your feelings for her and now you're dumping me?"
"I implore you not to make such joking remarks, milady."
"Sorry."
"But well, I weighed the things I've been doing in these past months. My work in Giotto's is a given, but now that I look back, I feel much happier with my work as a independent illustrator rather than in TAC."
"Are you leaving, then?"
"Absolutely no way. The only time I'll probably leave TAC is if we all vote to disband it.
It's just that now, I feel like I would want Giotto's and Capy_nina to be my priority. Without realizing it, I think I've gotten to a place where I used to want to be—that being an illustrator where people would recognize who I am through my works.
That and the thought that I'm probably at my best position in life now since I was born."
From the kitchen, Sumi quietly listened as she heard the deep conversation from the open plan format of the house. Amidst all her and her husband's regrets, the child they faulted to almost die more than 15 years ago is now declaring a having a life he could be proud of. It felt as though the past can finally be left behind with a smile curving from her lips.
"But Shiro also gave me a thought. What if the time comes when I have to choose between being a cook and being an artist, or what if I lose one of them? At this point, I equally like them, so although my roots first came from drawing, I would still have a hell of a difficult time letting go of any of them.
What do you think, Rin?"
"If you're happy with both of them now, then I'll support it, of course. It's up for you to decide anyway. I can't speak for you on that hypothetical situation, but it's not like I would disagree in any of them.
You've been through a lot so all I want is for you to be happy moving forward."
"Hahh… you're too good for me, Rin…"
"Besides, I'm not one to have substance in my words, since coming back to CCI and working in Claude has made me step back from art."
"I don't think it's bad to make it a hobby, though."
"I guess that's one way to look at it.
But I agree that you've been in a very good spot now. I feel it started after I recovered, and you've been generally happier, I think."
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"Who wouldn't be overjoyed when the love of your life who fell ill got better and became as strong as ever?"
"And it's thanks to you."
"Man… don't make me cry…"
"Will you?"
"No. Not today."
After embracing and shuffling Gin's hair, Rin stood up and let out a stretch.
"Hnnnnghhh…! Let's just try our best from now on, yeah? But let's help Mom on making the table."
"Let me cook the meals for the rest of my break, Auntie."
"That would be a lot of help, as always."
"Oh, or maybe I could treat you to a meal. Maybe together with my mom too."
"Aw, you don't have to."
"Working at Giotto's gave me connections so I can set something up."
The moment Gin got even a tiny bit of enthusiasm about it, he sensed a glare coming from Rin as she briefly turned to him.
"Kinda annoying that you'll be doing these plans while I'm out at work…"
"We've gone out a lot already, Rin-san."
"I was just joking."
"I know.
Now let's drop it before your dad comes back hearing us like this. He'll definitely make a fuss this late for the heck of it."
▪ ▪ ▪
"Have you returned to Giotto's, Sir Gin?"
"A few days ago, yeah. Your classes are going back soon, right?"
"It will…"
In just a few and infrequent visits of Gin to Dino's studio, the normalcy has now made it that the podcasts that Dino listens to has been lowered down as he now has the company of his former teacher with idle chats coming out here and there.
It just so happened that a recording session is mostly a dead time without nothing else happening aside from working in front of the camera, hence why the studio has speakers to be regularly used to satisfy the loneliness that Dino admitted to. Gin had however related himself to Dino's position as in some ways he had felt the same when he is in front of a computer screen with a stylus on his hand, and a pair of earphones plugged on his ears.
In this case, the two of them are now recording what would be Gin's debut of hosting a video which is why he would be pondered by the multiple lenses the most in this instance.
"How much do you know about Japanese media exactly, Sir Gin?" Dino asked out of curiosity as he sat on a stool watching the live display of the main recording camera.
"Not much really. But I know a lot about anime, manga, music, and I guess virtual avatars. Aside from that I'm not really interested on anything outside that. Although I've been visiting Japan a bit so I know a little of the culture."
"You're part-Japanese, right?"
"So you remember that. But yeah, I'm a 'half'."
"I haven't really watched a lot of anime, so is there anything you can recommend, Sir Gin?"
"That would depend on whether you like mainstream shows or some fairly old ones. The way I recommend is to not start with the really good ones in terms of visuals because they would be disappointed immediately if most of the shows do not have the same production value.
But I'm one to show people modern classics any time of the day. I don't really watch older shows, though. I want to watch G*ndam in its order but that's quite an undertaking.
I might as well just show you my online list. It's not much but I've finished around 300 titles now."
"I don't know what your scale is, but that seems a lot already…
Aside from that, though, I keep hearing for my friends the word uta… utau…"
"Utaite?"
"I think that was it! There was a time I put a playlist of a singer to listen to when I was recording and they were really good."
"Yep, some have already debuted under a label or even sang for an anime because they're that good. But there are a lot that make song covers. Do you know what vocaloid is, Dino?"
"I do, but it's not really my cup of tea."
"That's fine. But most producers become famous because of them, so the musicians and singers go hand and hand. There's even a duo that formed a unit and is now widely successful.
And I think we can cut the filming for now."
"I think with that we'll be almost done…
Oh, while we're on the topic…"
After stopping recording in the cameras, Dino immediately rushed to his bag and pulled out what seems to be a strip of paper.
"I got this from a friend from the BM department, but I'm not sure if I should go there as I don't know much about them."
"A ticket?"
It was a ticket for a live show to be performed by a singer under the alias "Zero—to" (ゼロート) held in an underground concert stage just shy of a kilometer from the southern border between Cotona and Capital at the second week of December.
As there were links printed going towards the performer's Witter and YouCube, Gin opted to open the latter on his phone and immediately searched the name which revealed results of cover songs and a channel of the same name with 176 thousand subscribers.
"An utaite doing a live show in Orio?"
After going to the channel page, what welcomed him immediately was a cover song that has hit 8 million total views which appeared to be the most popular video out of the other 36 that has significantly lower views, although ranging from 1.2 million to 200 thousand views.
"Do you mind if I connect my phone to your speakers, Dino?"
"Go ahead."
Upon his phone getting wirelessly connected to the network of stereo speakers around the house, Gin chose to play the most viewed cover song in the library, as he was also curious with what the original song was about having not heard it until now…
And the first line of the song convinced Gin why it had exploded in viewership.
The singer immediately displayed proficiency in a range most comfortably in tenor and borderline baritone couple with a husky voice that is not very common and hardly achievable in terms of the male voice.
By the time the chorus had started, Gin had already become absorbed to the song. But right as the second verse started, a jolt in his mind widened his eyes and made his hair stand up.
"No way…"
What Gin felt was more than a sense of deja vu, but a reality that he is trying to put his finger on.
"Sir Gin?"
"Sorry, give me a moment."
With a few minutes of scouring through the archive of his memories, he has finally reached a conclusion that he had already heard the same singing voice that only leads him to a memory of hearing a mysterious harmony back in a performance from the Open Event, and that perhaps it was too much of a coincidence to believe that the voices he is comparing were just extremely identical.
"Thanks for the ticket, Dino. I'll make sure to watch the live show."
"That's great. I don't really know if I'll enjoy it if I was the one to go. But still, that was a really good song."
"Yeah… the vocals are really amazing."
▪ ▪ ▪
"Hey…! Stop right there!"
Four hours before midnight at a certain, usual day in November, Rin pointed a hair dryer like a gun at Gin who was just entering through the window of Rin's bedroom with Haku following him.
"You just wanted to do that, didn't you…" obediently, Gin sat on the floor just before the bed and the dryer started whirring over his still damp hair.
To Rin's surprise, Gin started humming audible enough that it comes through even with the loudness of the hair dryer.
Just like her friends, Rin had always thought that her significant other has a pleasant singing voice even just from a hum, and it was made clear to her once more that Gin could naturally do a vibrato without even being conscious of it.
But as the dryer turned off, it bummed her out that the humming also stopped. And after setting it aside, she lied down on the bed with her arms gently wrapping over Gin's shoulders.
"Why did you take a bath in your house?"
"Seems like your dad is having an explosive one."
"Ah, that was fast. The curry you made was great, though. But maybe you made it a little too spicy."
"I'll take note of your family's preference."
"…
I've noticed you've been humming a lot recently."
"Ah… I think I'm on that phase of listening to music again."
"That does happen to you sometimes, yeah. When that happens, it could only mean that you found a new artist?"
"Haha, you know it so well. Do you know Zero—to?"
"Ooohh, the utaite? I've listened to his covers before. His voice is powerful."
"Right, right? And you know what, I feel like he's visited this year's Open Event."
"Huh, why did you think so?"
"I recently found his channel, then I faintly heard a very similar voice singing along in one of the concerts in the gymnasium that time.
And then Dino gave me a ticket to his live show next month so I'm going."
"Are tickets still on sale?"
"It's already sold out, sorry. If there's a concert you want to go to then tell me."
"Let me guess, you're going to next year's Yololive expo, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I'll ask Nagi if he wants to go too."
"It's around March, right? I have a lot saved up from a few months of my salary so I'll book a flight with you."
"Got it."
Gin had thought that it would be the end of the conversation, making him wonder why Rin hasn't yet let go of him. As he turned to confirm if Rin had fallen asleep, the embrace slightly tightened as her head crept closer to Gin's.
"…
You're really coming back to your house next year?"
The voice had a hint of sadness and loneliness to it which gave Gin a tightness on his chest, although from the sadness reciprocated rather than happiness this time.
"I can't forever impose in your family even though I'm very happy living here. I still own that house so I need to take care of it."
"I know."
"Ahaha… I'll still be here for more than a month, you know? Or what, you also don't want the kotatsu to go?"
"That too…"
"We'll be just fine. I guess we've gotten used to the distance we have now, but I'm literally next door."
Rin then released her clutches on Gin as she pulled herself back up and carried Haku towards her legs as he purred at the rubs on his back.
"You hear that, Haku? Your Aruji is coming back."
"Meow… (Just live in this house forever so I can have the house all to myself.)"
"Pfft… He's already kicking you out, Potato."
"Hey. You're still more of a cat than anything else so that will make my house dec-
…!"
All of a sudden, Gin turned towards Rin with a look of utter shock on his face as he grasped Rin's shoulders.
"…?"
"Y-You just… Haku…"
"Pfft…" came with the cheerful chuckle was a small brush on Gin's lips at such a random time and pulled away with a smile.
"It started at summer last year.
I've already forgotten completely why I kept it a secret. Haku knows it already."
Truly, Rin has the ability to make Gin of all people stupefied and stopped on his tracks.
"Hahh…" Gin sighed as he took Haku from over Rin's legs and put him on the back of his neck like a scarf. And as he stood up, he brushed aside Rin's bangs and gave her a kiss on her forehead.
"We'll just be fine," he repeated, and left the room.
▪ ▪ ▪
December 9.
At around seven in the evening, Gin bundled up before having a leisurely stroll towards the station to catch the train going to the southernmost station of in Cotona.
What accompanied his lonely walk on the slightly cloudy night was the music playing on a wireless earphone on his left ear. It was the same singing voice that has been looping in his mind and his playlists for weeks leading to this day of the live show.
One thing of normalcy that Gin has is his attraction to remarkable voices that resonated with his feelings despite not being one to listen to music as a hobby or at the regular. However, there was a hint excitement within him as this would most likely be the first time he would be the closest to one of the singers he admires. And even he has never gone to a concert before, he knew that there is a difference between hearing a song through an earphone and hearing it in person.
Eventually, he got off the station and walked even closer to the border between the province and the capital city. Not long after, he found the bar where the live show will be held from the obvious line forming at the entrance of the establishment.
After having confirmed his ticket, he was greeted with a crowd inside a fairly large hall that could fit 250 people with a bar on the side.
While it was evident that instruments are being set up at the stage, there was always a discussion about Zero—to everywhere he stood. From there, he found out that this was not the first time the singer has held a show in Orio, but were on a smaller venue. There were speculations going around whether Zero—to is either Japanese or Orion as he had always covered Japanese song, but has only ever performed in this country's stages.
With the instruments testing and tuning going on the stage, Gin then sat on the bar stool and asked for a cocktail and a snack to accompany the drink.
"It's not everyday we get a crowd this big," the barman engaged in small talk. "Young people are going places these days."
"Have you seen the singer?"
"I saw him briefly at the back. I just guessed but it looks like he's around the age of his audience."
A seat on the bar gave him a better view of a sample size of what could be the demographic of this singer—being mostly at their early twenties and perhaps mostly university students with an equal ratio of male to female.
"Were you expecting to get this much people from someone that sings in Japanese?"
"Not really. We've had live shows that flopped, but this really exceeded our expectations."
"He has quite a following in YouCube with a voice to back it up."
"I heard. He's probably one of the best singers we've had here."
"I'd like to have another glass before things get wild, please."
"One moment."
At last, the person himself, Zero—to, has gone up the stage with a bass on his shoulder as the lights of the bar dimmed. Aside from the other members of the band, he is the only one standing in the dark, cleverly concealing himself at the back of the band.
"I guess that's to avoid getting beamed by a flashlight, huh."
There was at least a distance of three meters between the stage and the permitted area where the audience could be.
With a few audible taps on his microphone, the singer then greeted the crowd in English.
"*Thank you everyone for coming this evening, this is Zero—to.
*I usually do not talk in front of a lot of people and I don't stream at all or something similar, so even if this has been my second live performance, the nerves are still getting to me. But I appreciate that all of you took the time to come to this live, so I would like to give you all a performance you would like and remember.
*Anyway… my setlist is going to be covers. Some I have already done in YouCube, and some that I'm covering for the first time. I would like to remind everyone that filming this live would be prohibited as this is being recorded by our staff and parts of the live will also be uploaded in the coming weeks, that is if I will do well. Haha.
*But most importantly, I have a special announcement at the end of today's live, so I hope you look forward to it. And please give me a moment to translate what I just said in Japanese."
To Gin's surprise, Zero—to spoke with fluent Japanese that could be mistaken as native.
"*Well then…"
The leaning of Gin's elbows on the bar counter lifted together with his listlessness as he was overcome with goosebumps upon immediately recognizing the melody being played on the keyboard.
He had a vivid memory of watching the first episode of an animated series that aired in the summer season set in Japan's Taisho era about a girl who was abused in her own household and was married off to a figure that seemed to have driven off potential marriage partners, only to find that she would find a special place beside her husband that finally led to a long-awaited blissful life.
The story of being abused in a household the main character was born at together with the spectacular voice acting that captured the emotions or lack thereof pulled at Gin's heart letting out a rare and small stream of tears from him.
And as the episode ended, the ending song started with the piano accompanied by solemn visuals that told of loneliness.
Finally, an image in Gin's mind has become whole as his ears were graced by the voice of the singer becoming the subject of his recent admiration.
It was such a strong start, Gin thought. Even with just the slow build up, the song just kept getting better and better, and with what he has memorized of the song, his expectation was met as an impressive chorus dropped leaving some of the crowd singing along.
Without even knowing since when, Gin has found himself with his eyes closed, and his head and legs bobbing to the rhythm of the drums.
…
As if living between an eternity and accelerated time, the first song has concluded with an audible applause.
The strong start of the concert however did not fall off, but rather maintained the overall vibe throughout the entirety of the live with especially picked songs that are famous and worked well with the singer's voice.
"*And that about does it for today's performance.
*I guess now is the time for my announcement… It will be posted in my SNS within the hour, but I have now been working on my very first original song."
With the announcement came a roar and applause from the audience, needless to say.
"*I have finished writing the song, but there is still a lot to work on. I want my first song to be special, so there is still not a set date when it will be released as the track is still on the way, and I would like to get a music video out for it.
*I hope you will be patient with me, and I hope you look forward to my song, and what comes next after that. Once again, thank you very much for coming today."
The lights once again turned off briefly and slowly lit up with Zero—to and the band having left the stage.
But amidst the sounding round of applause, the bellows of "Encore!" immediately enveloped the entire venue. Moments later, darkness returned along with Zero—to and the band members.
This time, the guitarist started for the last song of the concert.
"Betelguese… Damn, I love this guy's taste in music."
"You really know all the songs he sang tonight, huh," the bartender chuckled as he served another glass to Gin.
"I feel like I have an idea what his original song will sound like from his setlist being mostly pop rock.
Aaaahhhh… I'm glad I came here tonight."
…
"*This has been Zero—to… thank you very much for coming and listening to me today…!"
Gin stepped out of the bar with satisfaction, a full heart, and a little bit of alcohol in his system. It felt as though he would be able to retire for the night with the songs he heard tonight echoing in his mind.
Just as he had done in the past few weeks, he walked the distance from the bar to the station with a hum.
As it has been already quite late in the night, the station has become significantly emptier nearing the last trains. Since Gin rarely took the train, it was a new sight for him to see the somewhat eerie feeling of the emptiness in the night as he was waiting just before the rail line.
"…"
Gin has always been frightened of horror. An undertone of horror would be enough to give him a fright, even in the midst of being completely fine with psychological horror. A mere sight of a man less than ten meters away from him completely hooded up with a rucksack on his back was enough to get his heart racing and halt the joyful humming from him.
But all his superficial fears were swept away as he watched the man's foot tap repeatedly on the floor and faintly heard a singing voice that was still fresh in his mind.
An exhale left Gin's body with a smile arching on his lips thereafter while he continued to listen.
"So you really were the voice I heard in Open Event…"
He knew full well that he must respect what the person behind Zero—to wants, that being his personal life be separated from the identity that performed on the stage not even an hour ago. Thus, he maintained a respectful distance so as to not bother him.
Not long after, however, the faint singing stopped which left Gin a little dejected, but with his attention nevertheless going towards the singer, he saw him pressing on his head while his feet staggered to a sway, losing his balance, and going past the safety line.
"Hey…! HEY…!!!"
With the sight of the person about to fall to the tracks, although without the trains approaching, Gin unconsciously stepped on a flash in an effort to catch and pull the man back.
Having the singer's safety secured, Gin felt a huge relief as he felt the gust of wind he made brush over him.
"*Hahh… I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to approach you but you looked like you weren't feeling well so I had to step in. Are you… okay…"
The same gust of wind appeared to have wiped away the hood from the man, exposing a hairstyle and a face that ought to have been covered by a pulled down face mask striking a lightning in Gin's mind as it was a visage he had seen for almost everyday for the past five months.
But even before Gin could say something, the man covered up with his hood and mask, and sprinted away from the station.
The sudden turn of events had made Gin plunged on a bench with conflicted feelings, most of it being confusion as he processed the astonishment he felt earlier, and the shock he now wonders.
"What in the world…"
Right before his eyes, he saw the paled face of his former student, Gakuon Shizuka, giving him a sorrowful look as the next thing he saw was a blur of him in the dark.