"You said we're visiting a friend of yours?" Tatsuya remarked, puzzled as they entered the back door of what seemed like an abandoned building. Saeko led them down a narrow hallway.
"We are…" she replied, still looking around cautiously.
"What kind of friends do you have, who are found in places like this?" Kaito asked sceptically.
"Well, this is her laboratory…" she explained.
"Your friend has a laboratory?" Tatsuya asked, incredulous.
"Wow, she must be very clev…" Yasushi started.
"…Boring," Kaito finished, rolling his eye.
"She's an optical engineer, and she enjoys experimenting with UV lights, laser effects, and creating unique light displays in her free time," Saeko answered as they stepped into the lab.
The moment they entered, the lights flickered on, reacting to their movements. In fact, two or three spotlights immediately followed them.
"Saeko! I can't believe you finally visit me," Aya greeted her with a warm hug. "Gosh, I've missed you so much!" she cheered.
Despite Kaito's earlier grumbling, he suddenly became the most enthusiastic of the group when he realised that so-called "boring friend" was, in fact, a surprisingly attractive woman. Curvy, cute, and overflowing with quirkiness. Exactly the type Kaito liked best.
"You have friends like her and you keep hiding them from us?" Kaito complained, making no effort to hide his instant fascination.
Aya glanced over the group with curious eyes, her gaze eventually settling on Kaito with an intrigued smile. "And is this the band you were telling me about?" she asked.
Seizing the moment, Saeko quickly introduced everyone one by one to Aya-chan.
Even though she greeted the others enthusiastically as soon as she heard the name, Sota Yamada, her expression shifted.
"Are you really that brat?" she said flatly, staring at Sota with obvious disapproval.
"What did you do to her?" Kaito whispered to Sota, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Sota stood there awkwardly, narrowing his eyes. "I have no clue…" Sota muttered, looking genuinely baffled. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at Aya like she might be a ticking time bomb. "You might be mistaking me for someone else…"
"Oh, I'd never forget you," she said, her tone dripping with threat.
"If you had ever broken her heart, I swear, I'll castrate you myself," Kaito muttered, pulling Sota closer with a firm arm around his shoulders.
Stepping in, Saeko raised her voice just enough to cut through the chaos. "Look, Sota might seem a little… uh, frivolous, but he's actually a really decent guy once you get to know him…" she tried defending him, earning mocking laughs from some.
Aya took a deep breath, crossing her arms. Her next words came out cold. "I got into Tokyo University because of you."
"Is that… a bad thing?" Tatsuya asked, puzzled.
She let out a bitter laugh. "Bad? Based on my points, I was this close to missing out. But then I got a notification saying that one of the applicants, Sota Yamada, turned down the offer, and a spot opened up."
"Oh," Sota said, scratching his head. "That's cool."
"Yeah, it worked out for both of you, then," Yasushi added with a relieved smile.
"Cool?" Her voice cracked, and her fists clenched at her sides. "Do you have any idea how humiliating that was? Everyone knew! I had to hear things like, 'Guess you should thank Sota Yamada for handing you a free ride.'"
Kaito winced. "Ouch. That's rough."
"Well, I'm…. sorry?" he mumbled, not even knowing what to say.
Aya wasn't done. Her glare deepened. "I've always wanted to know. Why did you even turn it down? Did you get a better offer abroad or something? Or were you just too smug to care?"
Sota's face darkened slightly, and he finally spoke, his tone quieter. "I didn't reject it because I thought it was beneath me or something."
"Then why?" Aya demanded. Her voice wavered, revealing the years of frustration bubbling under her anger.
He hesitated for a moment before shrugging. "Because I didn't want to spend my life doing something I didn't love."
Aya blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"I only applied because I was pressured into it. But once I broke free from… well, certain obstacles," he chose the words carefully, as if trying to avoid something. "Then there was nothing holding me back from my dreams. I could finally be a stuntman."
"And the lead singer of our extraordinary rock band, The Jigsaw," Kaito added like a boasting child.
"Yeah," Sota laughed.
Aya stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "So… let me get this straight. You got into one of the most prestigious universities in the country, only to throw it away so you could, what, jump around like a crazy monkey?"
The guys burst into laughter, Sota included, not even a bit offended.
"Sing and Jump around like a crazy monkey," Sota corrected, his grin widening. "What can I say? Those are the things that make me happy. And the things I'm really good at."
His tone turned serious as he looked Aya straight in the eyes.
"Yeah, maybe Tokyo U was a big deal, but what's the point of getting in if it's not what you want?"
The room fell silent again.
Saeko stared at him, disbelief written all over her face. She had always assumed he didn't go to university because he wasn't capable enough and he didn't work hard enough…
„Wow…" She whispered, drawing the everyone's attention.
"Come on, Granny," Kaito nudged her with his elbow. "Aren't you going to lecture him about how irresponsible and reckless he was?" Kaito teased, grinning.
It was something I would normally say, wasn't it? Yet, the words wouldn't come. Instead, she felt… Admiration. This man was brave enough to reject the expected path and chase what truly mattered to him. She realized it was something to be proud of.
"Well," she said, turning toward Aya instead. "I think it's clear these guys take their music seriously. Do you think they're worth your consideration."
Aya studied the group for a moment before breaking into a sly grin. "Alright, you've passed the test. I'll help you guys with the lights."
"Test?" Kaito repeated, his brow furrowing. „What? Was this some kind of audition?"
"Kind of," Aya grinned. "I wouldn't just lend my name to anyone's concert. But you guys… you might just be crazy enough to pull this off." she huffed.
"I thought we were here to help you…" Sota added, confused, looking at Saeko.
"Well… surprise!" Saeko said with an awkward smile. "I've been thinking about how to bring your new album's debut concert to life. With Aya's help and some creative lighting techniques, we could pull off flashy stunts, like a flaming drum act…" She pulled out a stack of papers filled with plans and sketches. Her excitement unmistakable.
"You had it all planned already?" Yasushi laughed, glancing at the carefully detailed pages.
"I bet she did," Sota answered, his voice filled with admiration. Honestly, who'd be foolish enough to call this woman boring?
The group exchanged excited grins. Whatever Saeko had in mind, it was bound to be anything but ordinary.
Soon, everyone was excitedly brainstorming ideas for the video, each of them contributing their own thoughts. It was thrilling to see the guys so empowered.