livehouse·Starry Sky.
This is an underground rock venue located in Shimokitazawa, relatively small in space, a medium-sized livehouse.
This is where Karen's band, Red Pepper Band, will perform today, with a set lasting half an hour.
This also happens to be their first attempt at playing continuously for such a lengthy period.
Ruzaki Mami and the other band members had arrived early, nervously tuning their instruments in the green room.
Onstage, the performance of the previous band was nearing its end, yet the lead singer of Red Pepper Band had not yet arrived.
"Karen is so slow, where is she now?" Hoshimi Nana, the lead guitarist of Red Pepper Band, paced back and forth in the room, constantly checking her watch.
"Eight minutes ago, she was still on the train," Ruzaki Mami said, checking her phone. "I'll ask her again."
Everyone waited in silence.
But before they could get a reply, the door to the green room burst open, and Ai Cheng Karen and Kagura Hikaru walked in.