Running and Not Slowing Down

The Cat's Three

A band made up of three siblings. Two handsome brothers and their adorable little sister. Who would've known that these three would rise to the ranks of adult music bands? No one did, of course!

Jun Aoyama, Kazuma Aoyama, and Kokomi Aoyama worked their hardest to reach the top, despite being novices at the time. Their father was a brilliant singer and still is if you count him singing during the holidays. Either way, he was their producer. While their father was their producer, their mother acted as their manager. 

A quaint little musical family they all were. Music was their center, their passion, their feeling of being alive. Through that, they make every fan of theirs feel alive, a reason to keep living. However, that all changed when Mr. Aoyama sadly contracted an illness, making him weak and unable to create new songs. His wife was stricken with grief, poor poor Mrs. Aoyama had decided to stay by her husband's side as he tried to recover. The three Aoyama siblings felt saddened by the news but decided to continue their music performances through commissions. They were teenagers by then, so they could somewhat navigate on their own. Their parents didn't discourage them from continuing without them as well. 

That was when The Cat's Three began covering other songs to buy some time until they had figured out their next original composition. But that was proven to be a little challenging since they had to balance their school and social life as well. Soon, the three siblings, especially the two brothers were swamped with work. Jun Aoyama was the first to put off practice to work with his 'girlfriend' in another state. Kokomi felt betrayed at first but soon understood that her brother was in love.

"Then when that happened.....oh?" Kokomi heard a little snore coming from her right.

Carter had his head leaned back against the couch, his mouth slightly opened with a little drool falling at the side of his mouth. Kokomi gently smiled at the sight, she softly sighed and got up from the couch. 

"Who would have guessed my story is that lame? Well, it is late at night," Kokomi quietly said to herself. 

She tapped Carter on the shoulder, while also calling out to him. 

"Carter, wake up," Kokomi called out three times.

Carter jolted awake with a start, he looked around frantically, of course, he couldn't see much. He got up from the couch and saw a figure standing in front of him, getting closer and closer. He realized that it was Kokomi waving her hand in front of his face. 

"Oh, I thought you left," Carter asked, with a surprised expression on his face.

Kokomi chuckled and said, "How could I? You left your front door still unlocked".

"Oh...." Carter looks down in embarrassment. "She looked after me, how nice", he thought.

Kokomi then walked towards the door, Carter could hear the jingle of some keys bouncing towards the front door.

"I'm going to go now, don't want to disturb your beauty sleep," Kokomi said with her soft voice.

"Yeah, drive safe!" Carter waved at her.

Kokomi giggled and opened the door. Before she stepped out, Joey was already at the door, taking out his keys. His eyebrows lifted at the sight of the two in the house.

"Wow, I didn't expect company. What are you kids doing at this late and soothing night?" Joey questions teasingly.

Carter started, "It's not what it looks like-

"Just telling the cutie a bedtime story? Is that wrong?," Kokomi ended, crossing her arms.

Joey shrugged and grimaced, he placed his keys back in his pants pocket.

"No, no, it's nothing wrong," Joey reassured.

Kokomi walked passed him and onto the porch, illuminated by a single dim light. She looks back at the boys with a grin. 

"Good, don't forget to lock your doors now. See you boys tomorrow!," Kokomi said, singing the words in a little tune. 

Joey watched the black-haired girl place her helmet on. Then she turned the keys to her motorcycle making it roar to life. She waved at Joey and he waved back. She then rode off along the road. Joey then turned off the porch light and shut the front door. He locks the door and turns to look at Carter. But, to his dismay, Carter had already retreated to his room. 

Joey sighed took his car keys and placed them on the shelf by the couch. He then plopped down onto the plush cushions, leaning his head against the couch head. He had so many thoughts running through his head. Mary is one of them, but he feels more concern for his baby brother. He does realize that Carter is not a baby anymore though, but because Carter's last two relationships with girls had been a disaster. 

Those girls dated him and used him to their advantage, something that Joey cannot turn a blind eye to any more. He raised his forearm and placed it against his forehead.

"She seems kind, she spends time with him. Taking care of him. Unlike the others, just doing it for praise," Joey muttered to himself. 

He then gets up with a groan and stretches while scratching his back. He switched off the living room lights and retired to his room for the night. Before that, he passed by Carter's room, trying to hear anything activity going on. There was only silence, Joey went off to bed after locking the back door and windows. 

Carter listened closely to Joey's footsteps. After the footsteps were no more, he put on his headphones and softly requested Siri to play him a song. He then placed his phone beside him. He then closes his eyelids, resting them from doing their unrewarded work of getting rid of dust from his eyes. On the screen of his black-themed phone had the words "Running and Not Slowing Down by The Cat's Three".

Carter smiled to himself, thinking of his conversation with Kokomi. He likes her company, it's somehow different from the other companies he had before. He felt a genuine connection after spending a few months with the band. He finally had something he was passionate about. Singing! He wants to project his voice onto his favorite songs. Carter hoped that The Clock Dolls could stay forever.

Carter then took off his headphones and placed them on his nightstand along with his phone. He snuggled into the covers and slumbered through the night, awaiting the next conversation he'll have with Kokomi.