Chapter F5
It's happening.
At the present moment, Aki and the band are backstage, doing sound checks.
Despite the fact that Aki feels nervous and has this urge to quit, he makes up his mind. He will do it for the band Three Crows. Aki mind brightened up when he realized that the scenarios he wanted to happen would come true.
"Aki! We're starting!!" Nova called out.
He sat behind the drum kit and took a deep breath.
The air was thick with anticipation as the curtains began to draw back. Aki felt the energy in the area rising as the sound of a piano started to play.
The rest of the band joined in, one by one, and soon, they were playing our hearts out.
As soon they started to play, the skund of clapping, cheering, and whistling was heard from the audience.
The music was almost deafening as the band poured everything they had into the music.
Aki was behind the drum kit, fingers danced across the drumsticks, effortlessly striking the drums with perfect rhythm. His concentration was unwaveringly focused, his attention fixed on the beat he was creating.
The sound of the drums echoed through the stage, filling the space with a steady, pulsing rhythm. The rest of the band played their own parts, with Aki acting as the backbone, providing the foundation for the music they were creating.
With each strike of the drums, Aki felt a sense of euphoria, as if the music was a physical force, moving through his body and out into the world. The feeling was indescribable, a combination of power and grace, a perfect harmony between man and machine.
He lost himself in the music, lost track of time, and lost in the moment. The only thing that mattered was the beat, and he reveled in it, reveled in the feeling of being part of something greater than himself. He was a catalyst for something greater, a part of something bigger than he could ever imagine.
Aki could feel the sweat forming on his forehead as he played, lost in the moment, completely lost in the music.
The crowd went wild as they finished the first song, screaming and cheering for more, and he took a second deep breath before starting another song.
As they played, Aki could feel my worries slipping away, replaced with the pure joy of playing music with his bandmates. It was a feeling that he would never forget, and one that would stay with him forever for sure.
As Aki was drumming the easy part of the song, he swiftly glanced at the "8.C" seating row, hoping to find Nikkita, Matyas, and Raven.
But, there was no sign of the three boys.
As they continued to play song after song, Aki's initial excitement started to give way to a growing sense of worry and unease. He still hadn't spotted the three boys in the 8.C seating row, and as the time ticked by, his concern grew.
Aki couldn't focus on the music, and his mind kept wandering back to the fact that they weren't here. The tension in the air was palpable. Hartez tried to keep his cool and play the concert as best he could, but he just couldn't shake off the feeling that the boywereren't coming.
After they played the last song, they all stood up and bowed. The crowd was cheering and clapping. Some people even threw roses at them. After bowing two more times, the curtains closed. They all gave high-fives to each other.
"Good job, guys!! You guys did great out there." Mr. Machal complimented them.
The rest of the band was thrilled up. They were all smiling and laughing because the concert was successful. Except Aki. He felt sadden and upset.
All this practicing and hard work just to realize that the band didn't come at all. But why? Aki had to know, that's why he will ask Natasha, since she goes to the same class as them. He patted her shoulder, making her startled.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Nat, can I ask you something?" Aki questioned.
Nick looked at Aki with a playful smirk on his face. "Are you finally going to confess your feelings, my boy?" He asked, softly unaware of the fact that Nat likes girls.
The joke felt harmless at first, but as seconds passed, Nick started to realize that the situation was more dedicated than he thought. Aki and Nat both gave him a sidelong glance. He didn't want to make their friends uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, that was a lame joke." Nick apologized.
"Whatever." Natasha turned her attention to Aki. "What is it?"
"It might sound weird, but do you know the reason why Nikkita, Matyas, and Raven weren't at the concert?" Aki asked, staring at his hoodie while fidgeting his fingers.
Nat looked away, and then she looked at him again. "I'm not sure, but they sent a video to the class group chat a while ago. Maybe the video has something to do with it. I didn't see it either. Let's look at it together."
Natasha quickly snatched her phone from her pocket. She opened the video, and Aki was watching it from behind.
His eyes widened when he saw that the boys were playing a gig, having the best time of their lives. And what even worse, they had drummer. He felt anguished.
Without any warning, he left the backstage as fast as he could.
"Wai- Aki, where are you going?!" Nick questioned when he saw Aki rushing towards the exit door.
Aki was sitting in the corner of the school football field, freezing with cold. He bent both of his legs, with knees pressed toward the chest, his arms hugging the legs. What was I thinking?
Did I really think that someone like me could really be in this kind of band?
In their eyes, they only see him as a junior, after all. He expected too much that in the end, he felt disappointed. His dream to be in that band crushed into pieces.
All the hard work he had put into practicing and perfecting his skills had been for nothing.
He looked up to the sky. He noticed that the sky was gray and clouds were low. It might snow within a few days.
The feeling of emptiness, also known as the feeling Aki hates the most, was back again.
Nat walked up to Aki and tapped his shoulder. She was clearly concerned for him, her eyes filled with an expression of sadness and empathy.
"Even though I'm not sure what is happening, I'm really sorry," She said. Aki's face grew pale at the sound of her words, his own expression mirroring hers. At that moment, it was clear that she really felt sorry for him.
"It's fine. I've shouldn't known that I'm no match for them anyway."
"Let's get back inside, It's cold in here." She suggested.
Aki got up and followed Nat inside the school. He could feel his bandmates' concerned eyes on him, and he pretended not to notice.
"Is everything alright, my boy?" Nick asked with genuine concern.
"Yeah, it's fine, I just needed some fresh air." Aki answered, knowing that he shouldn't lie, but he just couldn't help himself.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice calling him. It was Suzuki.
"Aki, Nat, hello!" Suzuki greeted them warmly in Japanese. "I'm going to the new cafe restaurant, wanna tag along?"
Aki translated that to Nat, and she agreed, so did Aki.
So they were headed to a new cafe restaurant next to school.
The cozy cafe had a warm and inviting atmosphere, a perfect place to relax and unwind. It was decorated with cozy furniture, such as soft chairs and sofas, creating a comfortable and inviting environment.
The walls were painted a light and airycolorr, adding to the sense of peace and tranquility. Windows lining the walls let in plenty of natural light, making the space feel airy and bright.
The floor was covered with a warm, soft carpet, providing a cozy, underfoot feel.
The three of them took a seat at a snug table inside the cafe.
They sat across from each other with mugs of hot chocolate in front of them, their breath creating a little fog in the cool air.
"So will you tell me what happened?" Nat inquired.
"It's just that I-" "Do you have a crush on Raven?" She interrupted.
"What? Where did you get that from?..."
"I saw you two in the library last weekend."
"Oh. We just- never mind."
Nat laid her eyes at Aki suspiciously.
"Whatever you say, then."
As these two were having a nice conversation, Suzuki just sat there and drank her hot chocolate.
And by surprise, the door burst open.
Four Crows, the band, walked in. Raven, their guitarist, locked eyes with Aki and smiled excitedly in his direction. But Aki didn't even bother to turn his head. He sat there, ignoring the Raven's presence.
Nikkita, Matyas, and their fourth member, Mirey Hernandez, watched the scene with a mix of curiosity and amusement. Suzuki and Natasha, Aki's friends merely raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Aki is going to ignore that band no matter what.
The band sat at the table next to Aki and his friends. After the waiter gave them a menu, they started whispering and secretly kept glaring at Aki.
Yet Aki didn't care at all.
"You're acting weird, like really weird." Nat said.
Aki shrugged his shoulders. He quickly drank his hot chocolate.
"Thank you for inviting me, but I have to go." He said to Suzuki in Japanese and then left the cafe.