空白のAnswer

The song finally cut off, leaving the eerie silence of the station around them. The usual chatter was gone, the only sounds that could be heard were the whisperings of some, the occasional camera snap of a phone that was forgotten to be put on silent, and the usual train operations. All eyes were on the two idols, and even those that didn’t know who they were craned their necks to get a better view of what was going on.

“Shin, we should go practice our lines elsewhere. It seems that we’re making les princesses worry,” Keigo said loudly, even directing a wink towards the nearest girl. Hopefully this was enough to make their fans less worried and make the crowd disperse. Although confused expressions remained on some people’s faces, it seemed to do the trick. Still, Keigo wouldn’t be surprised if he saw some pictures of this in a magazine in a few days time.

Closer to Shin this time, he whispered in his former coworker’s ear, “I don’t live too far from here. We can find some more privacy in one of the common rooms.” The staff at the hotel knew him well. After all, he had been living there for a while now, ordering for room service to bring him food often, along with constantly renting out dance rooms for private rehearsals along with the weight room. They were all really friendly and understanding, although Keigo never let them get past small talk.

He headed towards the stairs that led above ground, only glancing back momentarily to see if Shin was following. He had no idea what he was going to say to Shin once they got their, much less during the small walk to the hotel that promised to be awkward. Although Keigo had always been the more outgoing one, he hoped that Shin would start the conversation.

Shin nodded at Keigo's words. In all of his own personal excitement at seeing the other, he had forgotten all about propriety. Scandals weren't as impactful over here as they were in Japan, but it was still better to keep your head down and avoid them.

Shin followed Keigo to his hotel in a daze. A proper reconciliation between the two of them could lead lots of nice things: collaborations, meetups and deep conversations into the night. He stopped himself there. Despite the fact that he wanted all of those things, there was no guarantee that Keigo wanted the same. However, he wanted to take the fact that Keigo had invited him over to his hotel to talk as a good sign.

Shin followed Keigo up the stairs. As they exited the subway station, the fresh air blew Shin's hair away from his face, inspiring him. Maybe they could start talking before they even reached the hotel.

Ah, screw it.

Red was already on his way, backpack in tow. He approached the doors and paid for his entry, now being surrounded by giant panes of fish and other marine creatures. His heart skipped almost instantly by the astounding scenery. This really was an adventure.

As he entered, he glanced around at the large tanks holding dozens of species of sea life. Shin was a bit surprised; he didn’t expect Bellevue to have such a high quality aquarium.

Shin swung his schoolbag onto his shoulder. Studies were always an important part of his life, whether it was schoolwork, a script or even poetry for inspiration. However, as his schoolwork became more and more challenging, the more Shin realized that he couldn’t balance all this work. Although he enjoyed the challenge, learning English and doing all his schoolwork in it caused him to take a lot longer than usual. Despite having enjoyed watching foreign dramas, they hadn’t given him the English vocabulary necessary to properly express himself.

Taking out his poetry notebook, he wrote a few words before closing it again. Writing an English song seemed like too hard of a goal to reach now, but Shin knew that he would be able to achieve it someday. Almost as though reaffirming his goal, he could hear “2032″ in the distance. Shin slowly mouthed the words he had written down what now felt like a long time ago before realizing that someone was actually singing the song. He stopped walking, too shocked to register the other person colliding into him.

The male he had run into apologized, but Shin was too distracted by the fact that the other had been singing “2032″. Despite the transition into the world of professional idols, he still didn’t expect to hear his songs sung out loud in public. It was that shock that caused him to continue singing the song where the other left off.

“You are different from the other people You may not hear me say that But I look behind your heart That alone…“

His wistful tone was evident as he sang; the true meaning of this easily misunderstood song always on his mind.

Hajime was worried that he might’ve made the stranger angry when he did not responded to his apology, so the teal-haired male just stood there in tense silence.

But when the other started to sing the next part of the song, it made Hajime’s slowly grow wide, and he gasped in mild surprise.

“Wow!~ You know the song?” He asked while applauding to the man’s performance with twinkling lavender eyes. There are alot more Japanese people here in Bellevue that he has expected. Heck he even got to be with some of his fellow Yumenosaki alumni again too. Guess it’s a small world after all.

The male’s reaction intrigued Shin. It was perhaps the most interesting he had ever seen, moving from surprise to applause. He had never been applauded for doing anything other than his job, so the other’s actions amazed him, giving him a warm feeling.

“I know the song very well, considering I wrote it.” Shin smiled softly at the male. Despite the sad incident that caused him to write the song, it made him happy to see how much people enjoyed it. Without this song, he wouldn’t have been able to emotionally overcome the work centered mindset and start enjoying working in a unit and with other idols. 

“Want to take a walk with me?” 

“Do you need a hug?” 

“Dude, I’m taking you out shopping. No buts.” 

“This couch is big enough for the both of us.” 

“I stole your __ I hope you don’t mind.” 

“Can I hold your hand?” 

“There’s nothing wrong with friends holding hands!” 

“You look like you could use a hug.” 

“My socks look good on you. I wondered where they went.” 

“Come here! Cuddle session!” 

“Think I can squeeze in there with you?” 

“Why did you put that all the way up there?” 

“Can you open this for me?” 

“Do you need help opening that?” 

“Not gonna lie, your clothes look good on me.” 

“You look comfy.”

“You look good today!” 

“Can I brush your hair?” 

“Can you brush my hair?” 

“Can you get that for me?” 

“I’m wearing your name tag obviously I’m you.” 

“This couch is all mine I will push you off if you try sitting on it.” 

“Budge up you’re hogging all the room.” 

“I know that look- you’re up to no good.” 

“Do you know where __ went?” 

Shin still couldn’t believe it. Keigo was standing right in front of him, not ignoring him for once. He still remembered vividly seeing Keigo for the first time in years at D-Four Productions; Keigo’s rejection had been like a slap to the face. No matter how many times he had repeatedly reached out his hand, Keigo had always ignored it. The fact that Keigo was standing still in front of him, ready to listen, made his emotions soar - even if the other wasn’t exactly looking directly at him.

As 2032 continued blasting from his phone, Shin only felt his emotions about the event amplify. “This is a song for someone I thought I’d be on a team with forever.” His own words from that performance echoed in his head; the performance where he had finally let go - or so he had thought - the burden of the past. No one would replace Keigo in his heart, but he could certainly make space for Kanade and the rest of DearDream.

His eyes followed Keigo’s every move, watching as the other bent down to pick up his phone. The conversation that had occurred on the bridge with Kanade before that performance replayed in his head. “The feelings I’d never get an answer to could only take shape in a song.” His feelings, all that he had ever wanted to tell Keigo was in the lyrics of 2032. He could still remember the concern written plainly on Kanade’s face when they had talked about the meaning of the song lyrics. “The truth is, you want to express those feelings to Keigo, don’t you?” Now that he had that opportunity, he wouldn’t waste it.

Shin took his phone from Keigo’s hands and began to examine it, leaving the song playing as he did so. His fingers quickly felt the small crack in the corner of the screen and he mentally berated himself for the mistake. At least it was a small crack, so he didn’t have to replace the phone’s screen.

“Kurikaeshi kurikaeshi, toikakete wa. Kuuhaku no Answer.”

“Keigo,” choked out Shin, his voice full of emotion as they made eye contact. For a moment, he couldn’t find the right words to say. But 2032 kept on playing, reminding Shin that even if he couldn’t find the right words, the ones that expressed his feelings were more than enough. “I- I thought I’d never see you again.” He started. There was so much more that he wanted to say, but this would be a good place to start.

Butterflies danced in his stomach, and Keigo knew he had made the wrong decision. He should have just turned around when he had the chance. Nothing good could come out of actually speaking to Shin for once, and the way he was looking at Keigo only confirmed it. They may have been friends before, back when they were both children, but now it just felt awkward. Even though running from the past wasn’t the best option, it sure seemed like the easiest one.

Why was the stupid song still playing? Why hadn’t Shin turned off his phone yet? Some people around them were already glaring, clearly annoyed by the music. Others recognized them (Shin, mainly, since Keigo was still just a rookie), and started taking pictures with their phones. The whole atmosphere felt way too tense, and the blond knew that this would not look good in the media.

He heaved out a small sigh, “If you want to talk, I think we should go someplace else. After all…” Green eyes wandered over the people at the station, who had effectively created a circle around the two. If the audience thought something dramatic was going to happen between the two boys, they were out of luck.

“Ima dokoka tooku atarashii kyou de… ano egao wo torimodoseta kana.” Wow, the lyrics were really hitting close to home now. It felt a bit like they were describing how he felt all those years ago, but especially after he had first met Yuto. For most of his life, Keigo had felt apathetic to most things. He thought that life would take away everything he cared about, so there was no point in caring in the first place. Still, Yuto opened his eyes and it made Keigo wonder whether he could really enjoy show business again one day… with Shin…

The memories of being a child actor flooded his mind: memorizing lines, hanging out with Keigo after filming, posing for promotional photo shoots and the stress of filming. Being a child among adults had inspired him to mature and work hard. However, Keigo had always reminded him to relax and enjoy his childhood. If Keigo hadn't been there, the stress of filming would have gotten to him.

Once again dragged back to the present, Shin stared beyond Keigo into the crowd. Although it was filled with more curious faces rather than those filled with recognition, he knew that Keigo was right. Moving to another place would be best. That way their conversation could be unfiltered and kept out of the media.

“Kitto sou yatte nando datte ore wa kienai itami no bun mo. Imasara ni negatte shimau kedo.” His finger hovering over the pause button, Shin couldn't help but hesitate. Since it was what Keigo wanted, he should stop the currently playing song. However, the strong feelings that he had put into the song held him back. The song's original purpose had been to properly express his feelings to Keigo, but now that Keigo was here, it seemed like he didn't want to hear it. Shin clicked the pause button, the sudden silence cutting deep like a knife into his feelings.

“Wow~ Such a heartfelt song~” Hajime had just discovered a new song at work today, and to his surprise it was Japanese! One of his coworkers recommended it to him due to his ethnicity.

The ex-idol was making his back to the dorm with earphones on. The mp3 playing the recently downloaded song “2032”. Hajime found himself so absorbed in it that he gradually started to sing along.

“Our feelings were interrupted by the faraway future leaving behind an illusion of your summer clothes~”

The lyrics were rather sad despite the upbeat music, giving the teal-haired a bittersweet feeling. He finds himself thinking back on his idol day. Back when he was still together with his beloved Ra*bits. He’s starting to miss them again…

“This platform steals the you I saw with my own eyes I stand there that day as you never retur–Oof!!”

His passionate singing was suddenly interrupted when he felt himself run into something. Or rather somone now that he got a good look of what’s infront of him. Finally remembering that he’s still in the middle of walking

Taking out his poetry notebook, he wrote a few words before closing it again. Writing an English song seemed like too hard of a goal to reach now, but Shin knew that he would be able to achieve it someday. Almost as though reaffirming his goal, he could hear “2032″ in the distance. Shin slowly mouthed the words he had written down what now felt like a long time ago before realizing that someone was actually singing the song. He stopped walking, too shocked to register the other person colliding into him.

The male he had run into apologized, but Shin was too distracted by the fact that the other had been singing “2032″. Despite the transition into the world of professional idols, he still didn’t expect to hear his songs sung out loud in public. It was that shock that caused him to continue singing the song where the other left off.

“You are different from the other people You may not hear me say that But I look behind your heart That alone...“ 

Shin looked at the red string on his pinky, his eyes following it to the other end where it was tied to Keigo’s pinky. He wasn’t quite sure how they had ended up as partners in a Valentine’s themed race, much less why they had to be tied together by a symbolic ‘red thread of fate’. He was surprised that Keigo hadn’t left the moment he had found out they were paired up together.

Whoever had tied them up must have thought it would be funny to add extra knots around the pinkies, even though they were already tied together at the wrist. Shin was his partner for the race, and it felt weird. In truth, the two haven’t done anything together since they were children, unless you could count competing against each other in the Battle Live and in Dream Fesitval. In both singing competitions, they had been rivals. Now, they were teammates.

There was nothing he could do about it now. It would look terrible if he was disqualified only because he still felt awkward around Shin. Plus, he had looked forward to this bit of fun for so long that it would be a shame. All that Keigo could do was race, and preferably win.

Looking over the challenge list, there were certainly a few that caught his eye. Most of the activities seemed similar to those from variety show games, reminding Shin of his experiences on those sorts of shows. He gave a brief shiver. At least these challenges didn't involve haunted houses or skydiving.

Most of them seemed fairly simple, in fact. Unless there was some sort of twist at each station, the events seemed fairly easy, which reassured Shin. The only problem would be efficiency and coordination between him and Keigo. Maybe they should start with an easier one to warm up, mused Shin.