As Tsuzuki Shifune stepped into the dimly lit performance hall, Haru was already fully immersed in the moments before the performance began.
Holding his guitar calmly, he stood on stage with a composed expression, head slightly lowered as he waited, fully focused, for the moment the beat would drop behind him.
"A guitar?"
Tsuzuki Shifune spoke in a low, surprised tone, her gaze naturally shifting to Raana beside her.
"He plays guitar too?"
"Hmph-hmph."
The silver-haired Noraneko lifted her little head proudly, clearly in a good mood. Like a child eager to show off something precious that had just been praised by a loved one, Raana let out a pleased purring sound, her curled lips giving away her smug delight.
Tsuzuki Shifune's eyes narrowed slightly as she examined the black-haired boy on stage.
As a keyboardist, his stage performance was certainly impressive, but for someone his age, could he really be managing both keyboard and guitar practice?
He was still so young. To master two completely different instruments simultaneously was almost unthinkable.
If Haru was only halfway competent with the guitar and had still dared step onto the stage as a supporting guitarist, someone like Tsuzuki Shifune would absolutely tear into him. In her eyes, treating a live show like a joke was utterly unforgivable.
Buzz~
At that moment, a delicate pick brushed across the steel strings, producing a clean, resonant tone, steady and smooth, not a single note out of place, like blooming flowers from the strings.
"…Hah."
Haru exhaled deeply, the cry of the guitar sending shivers down his spine.
This was the lifetime-honed, world-class guitar technique of Hitori Gotoh, the so-called "Guitar Hero." It was something beyond words. The moment the sound rang out, it was as if his blood began to boil, his soul and even his bones trembling with the vibrating steel.
Yahata Umiri, beside him, instinctively lifted her deep green eyes to meet his. After so many exchanges like this, their on-stage chemistry had become second nature.
As the thundering beat of the drums slammed into the air behind him, Haru's fingers moved reflexively, unleashing a fierce roar from his guitar.
Clutched in his hands was the guitar of Chihaya Anon, the one that symbolized unfiltered "love." And the technique he poured into it was that of Hitori Gotoh, the Guitar Hero's ultimate song, born of unwavering focus, clarity of heart, and the courage to overcome fear.
His ferocious guitarwork crashed outward like a tidal wave, shaking the air, while the bass line that followed, deep and seamless, served as the hidden soul beneath the surface, stacking layer upon layer of rhythm atop the already powerful storm of sound.
Until, finally, it became an explosive force that pierced the hearts of every listener, scattering their drifting thoughts like dust.
…
Raana, standing beside Tsuzuki Shifune, beamed with delight as she peeked up at the stage. Every so often, she stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over the crowd, her delicate face slowly turning a shade of flushed pink. The flutter in her heart bloomed into a radiant smile she couldn't hold back.
But Tsuzuki Shifune didn't notice her granddaughter's expression at all.
Her eyes were fixed entirely on the boy on stage.
More precisely, on Haru.
His fingers tore up and down the fretboard like crashing waves, his previously calm and composed demeanor, so steady when they had spoken earlier was now completely gone, replaced by a pair of eyes shining with pure passion and immersion in the music.
Beads of sweat gathered at his temples, and the corners of his mouth curved upward in an unguarded smile that shimmered with light.
As his fingers danced ceaselessly across the strings, the final notes of the performance rang out, slowly fading to silence under the roaring applause of the audience.
...
Crap. I might've gotten a little too into it.
Holding the guitar, Haru stepped down from the stage with a slightly awkward expression.
As a support member, his job had simply been to back up Yahata Umiri and help hold the floor for this live show. But using Anon's guitar and Bocchi's technique for the first time in a formal setting, he'd completely lost himself in the performance.
Guess that's what you'd expect from a "Guitar Hero" driven by pure belief. Even when the performance ended, he still hadn't snapped out of the immersion.
Thinking that, Haru let out a long, headache-laced sigh and quickly turned to the girls he'd helped support, apologizing sincerely, "Sorry about that. I might've ended up stealing the spotlight."
"Eh?! No, no, it's totally fine! Thanks to you, the audience was so fired up, this was the first time I've ever felt a performance that exhilarating!"
"Exactly! Our band actually got a big popularity boost from this, totally worth it!"
The girls in the support band didn't seem to mind at all. With carefree waves, they filed out of the prep room, clearly still riding the high of the live.
Rather than being annoyed that Haru had drawn too much attention, their flushed faces showed how thrilled they were. Far from upset, they were already chattering excitedly about how fired up the crowd had been.
Watching this, Umiri raised an eyebrow and said with a teasing smile, "I knew you could play guitar, but I wasn't expecting you to be that good."
"You've been with me for so long, yet I still can't seem to see through this secretive 'boyfriend' of mine."
Haru just shrugged and replied with a touch of innocent charm, "What do you mean by 'secretive'? You never asked, that's all. I've never lied to you, Umiri. If you'd asked, I would've told you honestly."
"Is that so~?"
Yahata Umiri nodded gravely, then slowly narrowed her jewel-like emerald eyes as she looked at him.
"In that case, dear boyfriend who 'never lies to Umiri', have things already gone beyond kissing with someone else?"
Haru noticed the faint, mischievous smile forming on the ice queen's face. Faced with a question that was impossible to answer cleanly, his lips twitched.
He did his best to maintain composure and replied smoothly, "Um… for special questions like that, am I allowed to plead the fifth?"
"…Fair enough. Then I'll change the question."
Umiri gave a sympathetic nod.
Then she gently brushed back her hair to reveal a flawless, porcelain ear. Her always-direct green eyes now carried a trace of depth, of something harder to read.
"Was it with Taki?"
Okay, how did she guess that?
Haru was seriously starting to wonder if Umiri had mind-reading powers or maybe Shiina Taki had tipped her off behind his back?
Otherwise, no matter how close they were, how could she have guessed the answer so precisely right out the gate?
Perhaps reading the suspicion in his eyes, Umiri added casually, her lips curving faintly:
"Taki didn't say anything."
"…"
Crap. This world might actually have mind readers.
Knowing full well there was no point hiding anything now, Haru raised his hands in surrender with a complicated expression.
"Well, since I've been caught, guess there's no helping it. I'm actually a Foreign Disciple sent to Earth by U-Olga Marie of the Alien world. I'd recommend not spreading this around."
"I see. So I must be Gudako then."
Yahata Umiri stared at him flatly, seamlessly playing along with the skit Haru had just thrown together.
Feeling the cold air radiating from this expressionless beauty, Haru's face froze immediately.
Two seconds later, he spoke in a cautious, probing tone, "Umiri… could it be that you're… jealous?"
"What do you think, dear boyfriend?"
Yeah, no need to guess. The answer was right there.
It's freezing, and I'm shivering. Forgot the rest.
Just as Haru was about to apologize, Yahata Umiri, face unreadable, suddenly leaned in and placed a light kiss on his lips. Even at this close range, the usually icy girl's cheeks flushed faintly pink, the metallic studs in her pale earlobes catching a soft glint of light.
Only after all that did she allow herself a small, self-satisfied smile.
"Don't worry, I'm not angry."
"But I hope that in moments like these, you'll also come to rely on me."
What a cool woman!
Haru couldn't help but admire her inwardly, though he quickly rolled his eyes and replied with a slightly exasperated tone, "...If this conversation wasn't about that, I might've been genuinely touched."
"Hm? But I think that's part of being in a relationship."
As the two continued their casual back-and-forth, a knock came at the door to the prep room. They exchanged a glance, and Haru went to open it.
The moment he did, a silver-haired cat leapt straight into his arms.
Startled, Haru blinked and asked, "Raana? What are you doing here?"
"Grandma brought me."
The petite Raana could only just manage to wrap her arms around his waist. Tilting her luminous, mismatched eyes upward to gaze at him, her silky-soft hair affectionately brushed against his chest. Her cute little face was squished flat from the pressure of the hug.
Realizing what was happening, Haru quickly looked up, only then did he notice the sharp-eyed elderly woman standing at the door.
"There's still the post-performance handover work. I'll head out first."
Understanding she no longer had a place here right now, Umiri calmly returned to her usual composed demeanor. She gave Tsuzuki Shifune a polite nod, then grabbed her instrument case and strode out.
That left just the three of them in the room.
Tsuzuki Shifune leaned on her cane, sizing Haru up with an appraising gaze before shifting her attention to the guitar behind him.
"What did you think of the Live you just played?"
Haru immediately sobered, standing up straight and answering seriously, "To me, that Live wasn't a great performance."
"As a guitarist, I completely took control of the band's presence and musical flow. I failed to coordinate properly with everyone else."
Just as he had admitted earlier.
His solo had been immersive and powerful, delivering a visceral impact to the audience. But his level was too high. It forced the rest of the band to fall in line behind him.
Even though he deliberately held back, a non-professional band that lacked cohesion couldn't keep pace with his playing.
Tsuzuki Shifune nodded thoughtfully, then continued, "A guitarist's role is to lead the band. Your skill is strong enough to carry everyone forward. It's natural that you've become the band's core."
"But that's just as an ordinary guitarist, right, Tsuzuki-senpai?"
Haru gave a faint, calm smile and spoke openly, "As I said before, I don't think this performance was impressive, because I was only on stage as a support guitarist."
"I took the lead without adjusting my pace for the others..."
He trailed off there. Tsuzuki Shifune gave a small nod in response.
"In that case, next time, show me what you can do as a real guitarist. A brilliant performance, together with Raana."
Her words carried an unspoken implication as she glanced at Raana, making Haru stiffen slightly with unease.
Sitting beside him, the cat's eyes sparkled at the mention of a live. It had been so long since she'd been on stage with Haru. The idea of performing together again made her visibly light up with joy.
Realizing what Tsuzuki Shifune truly meant, Haru hesitated for a couple of seconds, then replied, "...As much as I'd love to say yes right away, I'm actually a keyboardist."
That answer made a strange look flicker across Shifune's face.
As a former touring pro guitarist herself, she had no trouble recognizing Haru's level from his performance.
She'd already thought his keyboard and composition skills were impressive, but his command of the guitar far exceeded anything she'd expected. And that, she now understood, was him holding back for the sake of others.
Which could only mean that even this performance hadn't shown his full potential.
Even someone as authoritative in the industry as Tsuzuki Shifune couldn't begin to guess just how far this boy might go.
"Shifune-senpai, you actually want to tell me about Raana, right?"
Haru's voice was calm and steady. He raised his clear, dark eyes and met hers without fear.
Such an honest and composed question made the sharp-eyed elder pause. After a moment of silence, she looked into his eyes and finally spoke in her usual stern yet level tone:
"Originally, I was just planning to stop by RiNG for a bit. Maybe check in on some of the juniors… but then I happened to run into you. And I decided to observe for a while."
"Raana came to me not long ago. She said that she's finally found her place to belong."
At the sudden mention of her name, Raana slowly lifted her head. The little cat who was usually so free-spirited and clingy was now sitting quietly and obediently beside Haru.
When the word "home" was spoken, her eyes began to sparkle softly, and her gaze naturally drifted toward the black-haired boy not far away.
"It seems then, that the band you've formed… or rather, the people around you, that's what Raana calls her home."
Tsuzuki Shifune spoke calmly as she sat on the sofa, carefully observing Haru's expression.
Seeing the growing solemnity on his face, she nodded to herself in silence.
"What do you think about that?"
From start to finish, the woman known by others as strict and severe maintained a light, almost casual air, like an elder gently asking a younger person what career they planned to pursue in the future.
But the question she had just thrown at Haru made his chest tighten. A faint but unmistakable pressure settled in. He raised his dark eyes, furrowing his brow as he seriously considered the meaning behind her words.
Tsuzuki Shifune seemed satisfied with Mygo. But this question… was definitely not just about the band.
If he wanted to answer her honestly, he had to ask himself something first.
How did he really feel about Raana?
…
Raana blinked, aware that her grandmother's gaze was firmly locked on Haru.
With instincts as sharp as a cat's, she could feel the tension in the air. But instead of fleeing from the "boring" atmosphere as she might have before, she simply looked up at the boy beside her with her beautiful, mismatched eyes.
Her heart was full of anticipation, yet she didn't know what to do.
She was too simple to know how to help him in a moment like this.
But normally, Haru would smile and reach out to pet her head, maybe scratch her chin with that affectionate look that always soothed her, telling her to wait patiently.
So now, she instinctively chose to sit still and do just that.
"…Home, huh?"
Haru didn't immediately answer Tsuzuki Shifune. Instead, he seriously pondered the meaning behind that word.
He had once viewed the Noraneko beside him as nothing more than a mascot, someone simple and clingy whose affection was easy to accept. But the more purely and openly she showed her emotions, the harder it became for him to ignore her feelings.
She was innocent, but not ignorant.
Maybe she sought kisses out of curiosity, or snuggled up to sleep beside him just to be spoiled. But she was also the one who said, in her own words, that she wanted to marry him, that she liked him.
That kind of feeling wasn't just affection anymore. It was something far more sincere.
"…I don't think I can give you a clear answer just yet, senpai."
Haru let out a long, conflicted sigh, recalling the moment Raana surprised him during the training camp.
From then on, he could no longer see her as just a mascot. He had to view her as a real girl. As someone of the opposite sex.
And because of that, he now had to seriously consider his feelings for her. He couldn't yet define exactly how he felt about Raana.
If she had asked whether Mygo was a lifelong band, he could've confidently said yes. That it could be Raana's home forever.
But whether he himself could be that home, he couldn't answer that so easily.
"I see. That's something you'll need to think about carefully."
As a once-touring professional guitarist, Tsuzuki Shifune had seen countless bands and all the complicated relationships within them.
She'd watched many young groups form, burn brightly, then fall apart. From full-hearted passion to hesitant, uncertain steps. Sometimes, a small misunderstanding was all it took. Sometimes, it was just the emotional bonds between members breaking down.
But in the end, they always fell apart because their wills weren't strong enough.
"No need to answer me right away. Once you've figured it out, come tell me again."
Tsuzuki Shifune offered a rare, faint smile. Her voice softened as she addressed Haru.
Whether as a senior musician or simply as an elder, she was genuinely pleased with him.
This boy named Haru, and the band he had built around him, were clearly serious about what they were doing. Raana had long since become a part of that group, an irreplaceable piece of it.
The future was unpredictable.
But Tsuzuki Shifune believed one thing that so long as Haru remained, the band would continue moving forward.
"…Haru, boring."
Raana, who had been quietly sitting beside them, puffed out her cheeks in frustration when Haru didn't give a direct answer. Clearly upset, she stood up abruptly and stormed out of the room without a word.
It was the first time since they met that she had ever called Haru "boring."
"…Sorry, Tsuzuki-senpai. I think I accidentally made her mad."
Watching the clingy Noraneko throw a silent tantrum and dash off, Haru rubbed at his aching temple with a complicated expression.
Still, he pushed his own thoughts aside and focused on apologizing sincerely to Tsuzuki Shifune.
"It's alright. She always needs to throw a little tantrum."
Tsuzuki Shifune, of course, knew how her granddaughter felt about Haru, and she could sense that Haru was genuinely trying to figure out how to respond to those feelings. In fact, the very fact that he was taking it so seriously only pleased her more.
Because when it comes to things like this, sometimes, words alone aren't enough.
Tsuzuki Shifune had no intention of forcing Haru. After all, there was still a long road ahead.
With another year or two of being together, those two might naturally reach an answer on their own.
Haru had expected Tsuzuki Shifune to be a rigid and overbearing elder, but she turned out to be nothing like the image he had imagined. Her words just now had clearly been testing whether he was ready to take responsibility for Raana's future.
This kind of understanding, thoughtful elder left Haru slowly breathing a sigh of relief. With that, he couldn't help but rise to his feet, then bowed lightly toward her and said:
"Thank you, Tsuzuki-senpai."
"Please give me some time. I promise I'll give you a proper answer."
Hearing his solemn words, Tsuzuki Shifune nodded with satisfaction, then gently tapped the floor with her cane.
She wasn't about to force Haru to take on the burden of being Raana's future, her lifelong home. But as a grandmother, she still wanted to do what she could to support them, to make sure her granddaughter could smile happily.
"Raana probably hasn't told you, has she? I used to run a LiveHouse called SPACE. One of the biggest reasons she started playing guitar is because of that place."
SPACE?
Haru suddenly remembered that time in the parking lot, when he first ran into Raana. The pick she held had the SPACE logo printed on it. But the worn posters, the shuttered venue. Everything had pointed to that place being closed down.
Tsuzuki Shifune's eyes turned a little wistful as she looked at Haru, then continued in her slow, steady voice:
"Raana fell in love with bands because of that place. She would sit in front of the store and play her guitar… At first, I didn't plan on interfering with her future at all. But one day, she suddenly told me she wanted to play guitar at SPACE for the rest of her life."
"I couldn't let her make such a life decision just because of me. So I shut SPACE down."
"SPACE was just a stop along her journey. Her true home is something she has to find for herself."
Raana's home was something only she could find. Tsuzuki Shifune had never tried to dictate her future.
Having shared everything from the heart, Tsuzuki Shifune now turned a calm gaze on the black-haired boy in front of her, who had sunk into deep thought. Watching his focused expression, she couldn't help but smile faintly.
After a brief pause, she spoke again, her voice gentle but full of meaning:
"Raana chose you. That decision was her own."
"When you've truly thought it through, and you're ready to take responsibility, come find me."
With that, Tsuzuki Shifune slowly rose from her seat.
Haru, realizing her intention, also stood and moved to see her out. But in a flash, the kind expression she had just worn vanished, replaced by the sharp, serious look she had carried earlier.
She simply waved at him without another word, then strode out of the shop with the proud posture of someone who never needed help from anyone.
Watching her go, Haru let out a long breath.
"My heart feels more complicated than I expected."
He let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh, eyes shining darker and more focused than before.
Now, he was truly starting to see the cat as a girl.