"'Zenzenzense.'"
Seika stared at the sheet music for a few seconds, completely stunned.
"This rhythm… this melody…"
The room went silent.
All three of them understood music.
Even from just looking at the sheets, they could already tell how high the quality was.
Every single song was a masterpiece.
Seika slowly looked up at Ryo Yamada.
Her voice trembled a little. "These songs… are they all like this?"
Ryo nodded. "All of them."
A sharp inhale escaped the three girls at once.
Miss PA muttered in disbelief, "With songs of this level… all you'd need is the right vocalist and…"
"Even a rookie team could go viral online," Seika cut in, eyes shining. "Exposure wouldn't even be a problem!"
Nijika looked at Ryo, full of curiosity. "Ryo, how does your company have so many amazing songs?"
Ryo smiled faintly. "Seiji wrote them all."
"Huh?"
All three froze.
"Fujiwara-sensei… wrote them?" Nijika asked, almost in disbelief.
Ryo nodded. "Mm. All one hundred forty-two of them were written by Seiji."
Seika's eyes went wide.
She suddenly remembered the songs she'd just looked at and flipped back.
"'Lemon' ... Lyrics & Composition: Seiji."
"'Fireworks' ... Lyrics & Composition: Seiji."
"'Zenzenzense' ... Lyrics & Composition: Seiji."
"These…" Seika whispered. "They really all have his name on them."
She looked up at Ryo, utterly speechless. "But… all one hundred forty-two? All by him?"
"Yeah," Ryo said calmly. "Every single one."
Miss PA was dumbfounded. "That's impossible! Isn't he a novelist? Since when does he write music?!"
Nijika was just as shocked. "Fujiwara-sensei can write songs too?!"
"Because Seiji's a genius," Ryo replied matter-of-factly.
Seika and Miss PA exchanged glances... each seeing the disbelief in the other's eyes.
A genius?
Seika bit her lip. "Even geniuses can't just casually... "
"Big sis."
Nijika suddenly interrupted her.
"Hm?" Seika turned.
Nijika's expression was serious. "I believe it."
"Nijika?"
"Because…" Nijika took a deep breath. "I've seen Fujiwara-sensei play before."
"What?" both Seika and Miss PA exclaimed.
"It was not long ago," Nijika recalled. "I went to Ryo's house, and Fujiwara-sensei happened to be playing…"
She closed her eyes, the memory flashing vividly in her mind...
That breathtaking performance of "Unravel."
"That song…" Nijika opened her eyes, her gaze glowing. "It was 'Unravel,' the same one Ryo sang before."
"When Fujiwara-sensei played it live, the emotion, the atmosphere... it was overwhelming."
She looked at Seika and Miss PA.
"I've never seen anyone play with that much…."
"With that much soul," Ryo quietly echoed.
"Yeah!" Nijika nodded hard. "That's it!"
"It didn't feel like he was playing the music. It felt like it was flowing straight from his heart."
Seika and Miss PA were left speechless.
Even Nijika was saying this…
Seika stayed quiet for a long moment before finally exhaling.
"Alright…" she said softly. "I believe it."
She turned to Ryo.
"If all one hundred forty-two songs are really of this quality, then…"
She paused.
"…Nijika signing with that label is actually a great idea."
Nijika jumped with excitement. "Big sis!"
Seika ruffled her little sister's hair with a gentle smile. "Anyway, Ryo… Nijika's in your care."
"I'll take good care of her," Ryo said seriously.
Miss PA grinned. "Congratulations, you two. Nijika, your dream's finally coming true."
"Yeah!" Nijika nodded eagerly, then turned to Ryo, bowing playfully. "Ryo... no, Vice President Yamada! Please take care of me!"
Ryo looked at her, a knowing smile in her eyes.
"Yeah…" she said softly. "Looks like we really will be working closely together."
"Eh?" Nijika blinked.
There was something in Ryo's tone she couldn't quite place, but it made her uneasy.
"What do you mean, Ryo?" she asked, scratching her head.
Ryo just smiled without answering.
She thought of Seiji's interest in Nijika...
and figured Nijika really would need to "work closely" with her soon.
At that moment, Seika suddenly remembered something.
"Ryo," she asked, glancing at the phone in Ryo's hand, "you said 'Unravel' was written by Fujiwara-sensei too?"
"Yeah," Ryo nodded. "He wrote it especially for me."
"Then…" Seika hesitated. "Is the arrangement finished?"
Ryo's lips curved into a faint, confident smile.
"It's done," she said calmly. "If you're interested, we can play it together right now."
"Seriously?!" Nijika's eyes lit up. "Ryo, I wanna try!"
Miss PA nodded. "I'd love to hear the full version too."
Seika opened her mouth... then closed it again.
Truthfully, she wanted to as well.
When Nijika had told her about "Unravel" before, she'd been curious ever since.
But… her pride wouldn't let her say it outright.
"Big sis?" Nijika looked over. "Come on, join us! You can be lead vocals!"
"I…" Seika hesitated.
"Big sis" Nijika tugged her arm, pouting. "Big sis is the best Big sis's voice is the best~"
"F-Fine!" Seika's face reddened. "Stop shaking me, I'll do it already!"
"Yay!" Nijika jumped in delight.
Miss PA chuckled. "Then I'll handle the keyboard."
Ryo nodded. "Okay then... Nijika on drums, Miss PA on keyboard, Seika-san on guitar and vocals, and I'll take bass."
She paused. "I'll send you the arrangement now."
Ryo quickly pulled up her phone and sent the full "Unravel" score to their group chat.
The other three's phones chimed at once.
They opened the files.
On the screens were complete sheets... guitar, bass, drums, keyboard... all meticulously marked.
Seika stared at the guitar sheet, her eyes widening as she scanned the notes.
"This arrangement…" she murmured. "It's complicated... but incredibly clever."
Miss PA studied her part. "This chord progression's fascinating."
Nijika's eyes sparkled. "The rhythm feels so explosive!"
"Familiarize yourselves with it first," Ryo said. "We'll try it in ten minutes."
"Got it!"
The three immediately began studying their parts.
…
Ten minutes later.
"Ready?" Ryo asked.
"OK!" Nijika grinned from behind the drum set, sticks in hand.
"Whenever you are," Miss PA said, fingers poised on the keys.
Seika took a deep breath, gripping her guitar. "Let's do this."
Ryo nodded, picking up her bass.
"Alright then."
She looked around, counting them in.
"One, two, three, four... "
The keyboard started first... low, eerie chords filling the room.
Then came the bass.
Ryo's fingers danced across the strings, the deep notes shaking the entire practice room.
Next...
Boom, boom, boom...
Nijika's drums crashed in, fierce and powerful.
Finally, Seika's guitar ripped through, its sharp tone cutting perfectly into the mix.
The intro ended.
Seika took a breath and began to sing:
"Oh, won't you tell me... won't you tell me... this thing I've come to be?"
"The monster that you see... is it a part of me?"
Her voice was husky, full of emotion.
Nijika's drumming grew even more intense.
Miss PA's keyboard layered in complexity.
Ryo's bass pulsed like a heartbeat... steady and alive.
Seika sang on:
"I'm breaking down and shaking 'round in this world so helplessly..."
"But you just laugh and grin, completely blind within."
The chorus hit.
Seika's voice erupted...
"I'm standing on the edge and staring down in a bottomless abyss..."
"I'm sinking down so low not even searchlights find me..."
"And that hell has finally found a place where no one blames me."
"So, tell me God, I'm standing here alone and freezing..."
The four of them fused together perfectly.
Drums, bass, keyboard, guitar... each part exactly where it belonged.
And Seika's voice... raw, powerful... poured every ounce of pain and struggle into the song.
By the time the ending came...
"In this frozen moment in time…"
"…you were the only one smiling."
The sound faded away.
Only the echo of the keyboard lingered before silence returned.
The practice room was still as glass.
No one moved.
After several seconds...
"AAAAAHHHH!" Nijika screamed, bursting with excitement. "That was amazing! So amazing!"
Miss PA smiled, adjusting her glasses. "Our synchronization was… surprisingly good."
Seika set her guitar down and slumped into her chair.
Sweat beaded her forehead, but her lips curved into a satisfied smile.
"This song…" she murmured. "It's incredible…"
Miss PA chuckled. "Seika, you found your old spark again, huh?"
"Yeah…" Seika nodded, nostalgia in her eyes. "It's been a long time since I sang like that."
Then her expression softened with regret. "It's a shame though... my voice doesn't quite fit this song."
"Huh?" Nijika blinked. "What are you talking about? It sounded amazing!"
"It's not about good or bad," Seika said, shaking her head. "It's about fit."
She turned to Ryo. "This song was written for a male vocalist, wasn't it?"
Ryo nodded. "Yeah. Seiji composed it with a male voice in mind."
"Exactly." Seika sighed. "My voice is low for a girl, but still… it's a female tone. It's missing that edge."
She paused. "If we found the right male singer, this song would shine even more."
Ryo spoke up, "There are plenty of songs in the catalog. I'm sure there's one that fits you perfectly, Seika-san."
Seika blinked.
"Seiji wrote in all kinds of styles," Ryo continued. "For both male and female singers."
She looked straight at Seika. "If you're willing, you could join Genesis Music too. I promise we'd find the song made for you."
Seika's breath caught.
Nijika jumped in immediately. "Yeah! Big sis, you should join! Then we can make music together!"
Miss PA laughed. "That actually sounds great, Seika."
But Seika shook her head after a moment's thought.
"Thanks, Ryo," she said with a warm smile. "But… I'll pass."
"Eh? Why?" Nijika asked, confused.
Seika looked at her sister gently. "My band days are over, Nijika."
Nijika's face fell. "Big sis…"
"That's all in the past," Seika said softly. "Right now, my focus is on STARRY Live House."
She looked around the familiar room, her expression full of fondness.
"But…" Nijika started.
"Playing for fun like today is enough," Seika cut in with a calm smile.
Nijika looked a little down but didn't argue.
Ryo added, "Even if you don't want to join the label officially, maybe you could participate as a guest vocalist sometimes?"
Miss PA's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea, Seika!"
Seika hesitated.
Who wouldn't want to sing songs like these?
Still, her pride kept her from agreeing too quickly.
"Well…" she said awkwardly. "We'll see when the time comes."
"Ehh... " Miss PA drawled teasingly. "You totally want to, don't you?"
"I-I do not!" Seika's face went red again.
Nijika laughed. "You totally do! You were so into it just now!"
"I... I just felt like singing, that's all!"
"Ahahaha!" Miss PA doubled over laughing. "Seika, you're such a tsundere!"
"Who's a tsundere?!" Seika snapped, half embarrassed, half flustered.
Nijika grinned. "You are, Big sis! You've always been like that... wanting to do something but pretending you don't!"
"Nijika... !" Seika chased after her, mock angry.
Nijika laughed as she ran. "You can't catch me, Big sis~!"
Miss PA joined in the teasing. "Just admit it, Seika! You wanna sing!"
"You guys... ugh, you're the worst!" Seika huffed, laughing despite herself.
Ryo watched quietly from the side, a faint smile on her face.
…
After a while, Seika finally gave up the chase and dropped back into her chair, panting.
She glared playfully at Nijika and Miss PA. "You two… are so dead later."
"Hehe." Nijika stuck out her tongue.
"Alright, alright," Miss PA said with a grin. "We'll stop teasing."
She checked the time. "Oh wow, it's getting late. We should prep for tonight's show."
"Oh, right." Nijika looked at the clock. "It's almost six already."
Seika stood and dusted herself off. "Then let's get ready."
The four of them left the practice room together.
In the hallway, the sounds of customers could already be heard from the bar area.
…
Inside STARRY.
Seika had changed into her work uniform and was checking tickets.
Miss PA was on stage, tuning the keyboard.
Nijika was behind the bar, handling drinks.
Each of them had gone back to their usual roles.
STARRY Live House, 8 p.m.
The place was packed.
On stage, an indie band was performing... a flurry of drums and guitar shaking the air.
In the crowd, people raised their hands, swaying to the beat.
Behind the counter, Seika glanced across the room.
When she saw Nijika working with such enthusiasm, a small smile appeared on her lips.
But it only lasted a few seconds.
Soon, that smile faded... replaced by a quiet frown.
…
Her mind, despite everything, was elsewhere.
And all of it… came back to Seiji.