Chapter 73: Kaede's Second Chance

The morning of March 28th arrived, but Kaede felt far from rested. Her mind had been restless all night, replaying the events with Mirei, her emotions a tangled mess of joy and fear. Despite the excitement of the band's new single Second Chance releasing today, she couldn't shake the heavy feeling in her chest. Still, she forced herself out of bed, moving sluggishly to prepare for the day ahead.

By the time Kaede arrived at the DreamWave's studio, Risa and Yukina were already there, busy setting up their equipment. Risa sat behind the drum kit, adjusting the height of her cymbals, while Yukina tuned her bass with meticulous focus. Kaede yawned softly and greeted them.

"Good morning, guys."

Risa glanced up briefly. "Morning, Kaede."

Yukina replied without looking away from her bass. "Good morning."

Kaede dropped her guitar case on the floor and stretched, another yawn escaping her lips. She hadn't even managed to pick up her guitar when Risa suddenly turned toward her and let out a high-pitched scream.

"AAAHHH!"

The sound startled Yukina, who fumbled with her bass, nearly dropping it. "What?! What happened, Risa?!"

Risa's hand shot up, trembling as she pointed directly at Kaede. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish, words failing her.

Kaede froze in place, wide-eyed. "What? What is it, guys? What's wrong?"

Yukina followed Risa's gaze, her own expression morphing into a mix of horror and amusement. "Oh my god."

"WHAT?!" Kaede demanded, feeling increasingly self-conscious as the two of them stared at her like she had grown a second head.

Risa covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "Kaede… your face!"

"My face?!" Kaede's hand instinctively went to her cheeks. "What's wrong with my face?!"

Risa didn't answer; instead, she grabbed Yukina's arm. "We need to fix this. Immediately."

Yukina nodded solemnly. "Agreed. This is an emergency."

"Hey, what's wrong with my face?!" Kaede repeated, but before she could get any answers, the two of them flanked her and began dragging her toward the dressing area.

"We don't have time for explanations!" Risa declared.

"But my guitar—" Kaede protested, only to be silenced by Yukina's stern voice.

"Shut up, Kaede. We'll handle it. You're the emergency right now."

Risa added, "If you go on the livestream looking like that, we're all doomed."

Still completely baffled, Kaede allowed herself to be seated while the duo pulled out their makeup kits. Risa inspected her closely, squinting. "It's the eye bags. They're massive. And her face looks… beaten?!"

"Yeah, and those puffy eyes," Yukina chimed in, grabbing a concealer. "Kaede, did you even sleep last night?"

Kaede averted her eyes, mumbling, "Not really…"

"Geez," Risa groaned, attacking Kaede's face with a makeup sponge. "What were you doing? Fighting ghosts?"

Kaede flinched. "I wasn't fighting ghosts! I just… had a lot on my mind."

"Whatever it was, your face needs urgent intervention," Yukina said, expertly dabbing at Kaede's skin. "You're lucky we're here to save you."

Kaede sighed, resigned to her fate. "Thanks, I guess. Sorry for the trouble…"

"Don't thank us yet," Risa said, her tone mock-serious. "You still look like a zombie, but we're magicians."

A few chaotic minutes later, Risa stepped back, examining their work. "Done! What do you think, Yukina?"

Yukina tilted her head, giving Kaede a final once-over. "Not bad. She looks human again."

"Good enough for livestreaming," Risa declared, giving Kaede a thumbs-up.

Kaede frowned, still feeling unsure. "I didn't even see what you did. Is it really okay?"

Risa grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward the exit. "Trust us. Now go! We've only got ten minutes before the livestream starts!"

Kaede stumbled back to her spot, hurriedly setting up her guitar. Despite the morning chaos, the band managed to get into position just as the clock struck the hour.

---

The livestream began with Risa taking the lead as usual. "Good morning, Dreamers! It's your favorite trio, Chasing Stardust, live and ready to celebrate the release of our new single Second Chance!"

Yukina waved, adding, "Thanks for joining us so early, everyone."

Kaede managed a small smile, her fingers lightly strumming her guitar. "Hi, everyone. Thanks for being here."

After brief introductions, the band launched into their first song, the titular track Second Chance. The calm melody filled the studio, their chemistry as a band shining through every note.

When the song ended, Risa clapped her hands and leaned toward the camera. "How was that, Dreamers? Let us know in the comments! Isn't it amazing?"

Yukina nodded. "We've been working hard on this one. We hope you love it."

Risa nudged Kaede. "Speaking of which, Kaede wrote and produced this song. Kaede, tell everyone about it!"

Kaede froze for a moment, feeling the weight of the viewers' eyes on her. She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly as she began. "Second Chance is… very personal to me."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "It's about when things go wrong in your life or losing it. Sometimes, you get another opportunity to fix what's broken, to make things right, to chase it again. And when you do… you want to hold onto it tightly. You want to protect it with everything you have."

Her voice softened, her emotions leaking into her words. "This song is about the hope and determination that come with that second chance… and the fear of losing it again. It's a reminder to cherish what's important while you can."

The room fell quiet for a moment, the weight of Kaede's words hanging in the air.

Risa broke the silence, her voice warm. "That's such a beautiful meaning, Kaede. Everyone, please listen to it a lot. It's a special one."

Kaede smiled shyly, but before she could relax, Yukina pointed to the screen. "Oh, this is a good comment! Someone wants to know: 'What did you try to fix, Kaede? What did you lose?'"

Kaede's cheeks flushed, her heart racing. She hesitated before answering, her voice soft but resolute. "I… lost someone. Someone very important to me. But I got another chance to meet her again in this life."

She paused, her gaze distant. "I don't know what the future holds… I might lose her again. But for now, I want to protect this second chance. I want to fix the fate that once separated us."

Risa and Yukina exchanged a look before clapping loudly, breaking the tension.

"Well said!" Risa declared, grinning.

"Yeah, that was deep," Yukina added. "Good job, Kaede."

Kaede gave a small laugh, feeling a little less nervous. "Thanks, guys."

Risa leaned closer to the camera, squinting at the screen as she tried to read the name of the person who had asked the question. "Oh, thank you to… uh…" She tilted her head, struggling to pronounce it. "Kaepyon… number one fan?"

Yukina burst out laughing, slapping her knee. "Kaepyon?! Seriously? That's adorable!"

Kaede immediately turned bright red, her hands fumbling with her guitar strap. "W-What?! Why would someone use that name?! That's so embarrassing!"

Risa grinned mischievously, leaning over to poke Kaede's arm. "Aw, come on, Kaepyon! Don't be shy about your fans! They clearly love you."

"Yeah, Kaepyon," Yukina chimed in, smirking. "You've got a number one fan! That's a big deal. Shouldn't you be thanking them?"

Kaede groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Please stop calling me that!"

Risa leaned into the camera again, ignoring Kaede's protests. "Kaepyon's number one fan, thank you so much for your lovely comment! You've made our day—and clearly Kaede's too!"

Kaede peeked out from behind her hands, her face still flushed. "I'm going to die of embarrassment…"

Yukina patted her on the back, grinning. "Relax, Kaepyon. We're just having fun."

"Yeah," Risa added, winking at the camera. "Don't worry, Dreamers. Kaepyon loves her fans—even if she's too shy to admit it."

Kaede sighed heavily, muttering, "I'm never living this down…"

The band quickly transitioned to their next song, but Kaede couldn't shake the lingering embarrassment—or the warmth in her chest from knowing how much their fans cared. Despite everything, she found herself smiling as she strummed the first chords, her earlier nerves fading away into the music.

And as the livestream continued, so did the teasing, with Kaede resigned to her new, unofficial nickname: Kaepyon.