After the room assignments were done and all the room keys were handed out, Hiratsuka-sensei clapped her hands to get everyone's attention and instructed the students to head to their rooms to drop off their luggage.
Most of Aoki Kei's classmates went upstairs in pairs or groups, but since he had a room to himself, he made his way up to the third floor alone, carrying his bag.
He swiped his keycard, entered the room, and began unpacking.
Once everything he needed was set up, he picked up his phone to check it—no private messages, but the Kessoku Band group chat had exploded with new notifications.
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[Nijika]: What a coincidence—we ran into Aoki-senpai during our school trip!
[Nijika]: [Sneaky photo of Aoki Kei.jpg]
[CoolCat_Ryo]: This angle makes Suki-san look like he's spacing out...
[KitaKita]: Probably is spacing out, right?
[KitaKita]: Wait, hold up—that's not the point! Nijika-senpai, for real? What are the odds? Like 10% at best and you still bumped into him!
[KitaKita]: I'm so jealous you get to hang out on a trip... (teacup dog crying.jpg)
[KitaKita]: Wait, where is your school trip destination again?
[Bocchi-chan]: I think it was Kyoto...?
[CoolCat_Ryo]: Yeah, it's Kyoto.
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The conversation drifted briefly toward school trips, but soon Ryo brought the topic back to [Aoki Kei]:
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[CoolCat_Ryo]: By the way, do you guys know what happens if someone yells out Suki-san's name or nickname in public? You'll instantly get swarmed—people ask for autographs, selfies, even weird questions...
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That message had been sent just seconds earlier. Aoki read it, and his eyebrow twitched slightly.
Without saying anything, he quickly typed a message to steer the conversation elsewhere:
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[Aoki Kei]: We're in Kyoto. Kita, Bocchi—want me to bring back any souvenirs? The matcha from Uji is really good.
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The chat fell silent for a moment.
Possibly because the last incident was still fresh in their minds, there was a short pause... then Ryo quietly deleted her earlier message.
A moment later, Bocchi chimed in:
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[Bocchi-chan]: No no no, it's fine, Aoki-senpai! I don't want to trouble you...
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She politely declined his offer.
But Kita wasn't about to pass up the chance:
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[KitaKita]: Eh? Really? If it's okay, then... could you visit Kiyomizu-dera and get me an omamori (lucky charm)? I heard the Jishu Shrine there is super powerful!
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Kiyomizu-dera's Jishu Shrine...
Aoki stared at the message for a second, thoughtful.
He didn't know much about Kiyomizu-dera, but he did recall one thing—Jishu Shrine is said to be the only shrine in Japan dedicated solely to love and matchmaking.
That's gotta be superstition, he thought.
He'd always been skeptical about things like gods and blessings.
He didn't dwell on it too much and just replied with a short: "Sure."
They kept chatting for a while—until his phone suddenly rang.
Aoki Kei didn't have many people who'd call him, especially at this time of day.
There was an 80% chance it'd be spam.
But this time, it fell in the lucky 20%.
The caller ID showed: Niijima Yusuke, the director he'd worked with previously.
Aoki Kei hesitated for a moment, then swiped to answer.
"Good evening, Niijima-san," he greeted.
"Ah—good evening, Aoki-san!" Niijima replied, pausing briefly before continuing.
"I was just wondering—have you heard about KL Corporation's upcoming submission project?"
"I have. I'm planning to enter," Aoki Kei answered.
Still, he couldn't help but feel slightly confused. Niijima was an industry insider.
He should've known about the project long ago.
Sensing Kei's doubt, Niijima continued, quickly addressing the unspoken question.
"I figured you'd be entering—so I only 'just heard' about it recently, if you know what I mean. Do you know which round you're aiming for? I heard... Takashi Imai is planning to enter one of them."
"Imai Takashi? Who's that?"
"You don't know Takashi Imai?" Niijima sounded genuinely shocked, but only for a moment. He quickly calmed and continued.
"Takashi Imai—he was once hailed as a musical genius of Japan. Sure, some of it was industry hype, but his raw talent? That was the real deal."
Golden Disc Awards, Song of the Year, Japan's Best Male Vocalist—he'd won them all.
He was the undisputed king of Japan's pop scene at the end of the 20th century.
"You know Uesugi Nanaki, right, Aoki-san? Even he couldn't hold a candle to Imai at his peak."
"I see..." Aoki Kei nodded. He understood—but he wasn't quite sure where Niijima was going with this.
"So… are you telling me I should back out of this competition?"
There was a pause.
Then Niijima let out a bitter chuckle. "To be honest... yeah, I was thinking it might be safer not to enter this time.
"If you, a rising star labeled a 'next-gen genius,' go head-to-head with someone like Imai and lose, people will jump at the chance to tear you and Kessoku Band down.
"But that's if I'm speaking practically."
He paused again.
Then his tone shifted—more direct now, matching Aoki Kei's own straightforwardness.
"But if I'm not speaking practically? Then I want you to enter.
"I want you to prove your skill—even if you're up against a legend like Imai.
Even if it's nearly hopeless, I want you to show what you're made of. I want KL Corporation to recognize your talent.
"But... the odds are slim. So, really, protecting yourself might be the better move."
"...I see." Aoki Kei nodded, thoughtful.
He fell silent for a moment, weighing his options.
Then he asked, "In that case... could I ask you a favor, Niijima-san? Let me know which round Imai plans to enter?"
"Got it," Niijima agreed. "If you really want to go through with this, timing your submission to avoid direct competition is a smart play.
It'll give you at least a little more breathing room."
Whether they'd end up submitting at the same time or not didn't matter much—unless Kei had already decided what song he'd submit.
In that case, the timing could make or break everything.
The top of the late 20th century music scene, a living legend...
"Yeah... we'll see," Aoki Kei replied.