Chapter 74: Mirei's Second Chance

Mirei leaned back against the car seat, her phone in hand. The gentle hum of the vehicle should have been soothing, but her thoughts were far from calm. Today was supposed to be a light day. The group was traveling to another city to film a TV show promoting Celestial's third album—a major milestone. Yet Mirei's mind was elsewhere, wrapped around a single name: Kaede.

Kaede hadn't replied to her texts since last night. Mirei knew Kaede had her livestream today, but still… it gnawed at her. "Why hasn't she answered? Is she mad? Or… is she hurting?" Mirei thought.

Mirei's thumb hovered over her messages with Kaede, rereading the last exchange, searching for anything she might have said wrong. Her chest tightened. Before she could spiral further, she noticed the livestream had started.

Opening the stream quickly, Mirei's lips curled into a small smile when Kaede's face appeared on the screen. Her heart swelled with a mix of admiration and longing. "I miss you so much, Kaede…"

But that warmth quickly shifted into worry as Mirei leaned closer, narrowing her eyes. Even under the makeup, she could see it—Kaede's puffy eyes, the subtle redness around them. Her heart sank. "She's been crying."

The guilt hit her like a wave. Is it because of me? Mirei thought, her fingers tightening around her phone.

"Hey, what are you watching so seriously, Mirei?" Ayumi's voice broke through her thoughts, and Mirei jolted slightly.

Turning to face her younger bandmate, Mirei tried to mask her emotions. "Just… Chasing Stardust's livestream," she replied softly.

Ayumi leaned over the seat, peering at the screen with interest. "Oh, it's them again? You really like them, huh?" she teased, grinning.

Mirei's cheeks warmed, but she nodded. "Yeah, I love their music."

Before Ayumi could pry further, the first notes of Second Chance began to play, and Mirei quickly shushed her. "This is their new song. Let me listen!"

Ayumi pouted but backed off, muttering something about Mirei being boring.

As the song played, Mirei's focus was unshakable. Kaede's voice poured through her phone, raw and filled with emotion. The lyrics struck a chord deep within her:

"The world stood still, a quiet ache,

The weight of loss, too much to take.

A name I whispered, lost to the wind,

A story ended before it could begin.

But somewhere deeper, a spark remained,

A voice that called through all the pain.

A fragile thread I couldn't ignore,

I'd been here before, I'd lost before.

When the sky falls down, and shadows stay,

A second chance can light the way."

Mirei's chest tightened. The pain in those words was palpable, and as the melody soared, she felt herself getting lost in it. Her fingers trembled slightly, gripping her phone harder.

"I'd rewrite every line of your fate.

Hold you close, never let you fade,

This time I'll keep the promise I made.

Through the storms, through the pain,

I'll fight to save you.

A second chance, it's all I need,

To protect the dream we dared to believe."

The chorus hit, and Mirei closed her eyes, letting the music envelop her. She could almost see it—the desperate longing, the fragile hope Kaede poured into every word.

"I see the cracks, but I won't let go,

This time I'll hold on through the undertow.

I wasn't there before, but now I'll stay,

A second chance won't slip away.

The echoes haunt, but they remind,

The reason I crossed the line.

I'd rewrite every line of your fate.

Hold you close, never let you fade,

This time I'll keep the promise I made.

Through the storms, through the pain,

I'll fight to save you.

A second chance, it's all I need,

To protect the dream we dared to believe."

But then, as the song neared its end, something shifted. A dull ache began to form at the back of Mirei's head. The lyrics seemed to tug at something buried deep within her, something she couldn't quite grasp.

"So here I am, against the tide,

With all my fears pushed aside.

A second chance, it's more than fate,

It's the life we saved, I hope it's not too late..."

A sharp flash of images streaked through her mind—scenes she didn't recognize yet felt eerily familiar. Mirei saw her face, tears in her eyes. The sound of rain. A whispered voice, suddenly she felt breathless.

Her breathing quickened, and a sharp pain bloomed in her chest. "What… what is this?" Mirei whispered, clutching her shirt.

"Mirei!" Hikari's voice snapped her out of it as her manager lightly shook her shoulder. Mirei's eyes flew open, and she gasped for air, realizing her hands were trembling.

The other members of Celestial turned toward her, concern etched on their faces. "Are you okay?" Hikari asked, her voice tight with worry.

"I… I'm fine," Mirei lied, forcing a shaky smile. "It's nothing. Just… a little tired."

Her bandmates didn't look convinced, but they didn't press further. As the others turned back to their conversations, Mirei leaned her head against the window, her breathing slowly evening out.

"What was that?" she thought, still shaken. Those images, that pain—it felt too real to ignore. And yet, it didn't make sense. She had no memories that matched what she'd seen.

Desperate to distract herself, Mirei returned to the livestream. Kaede was speaking now, explaining the meaning behind Second Chance.

"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."

Mirei's breath caught in her throat. As questions swirled in her mind, she noticed the comment section buzzing with activity. On impulse, she quickly typed out a question.

A few moments later, Yukina read a comment aloud, "Oh, here's a nice one: 'What did you try to fix, Kaede? What did you lose?'"

Her heart raced as she watched Kaede's reaction. The guitarist hesitated, her cheeks flushing slightly before she finally answered. "I… lost someone. Someone very important to me. But I got another chance to meet her again in this life. 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."

Mirei's chest tightened at Kaede's words. They were vague, yet they carried so much weight. "What is she talking about?" Mirei wondered, her emotions a mix of hope and confusion.

She didn't have time to dwell on it. Ayumi, sitting beside her, leaned over, her curiosity piqued. "What's got into you, leader?"

Before Mirei could hide her phone, Ayumi caught a glimpse of her username. "Kaepyon#1fan? What even is a Kaepyon?"

Mirei's face turned beet red, and she quickly locked her phone. "It's nothing! Just… a silly username."

Ayumi raised an eyebrow but didn't press further, though the smirk on her face told Mirei she wasn't going to let it go easily.

As the livestream ended, Mirei's thoughts remained jumbled. The song, the flashes of memories, Kaede's cryptic words—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle she couldn't quite fit together.

But one thing was certain: whatever Kaede was going through, whatever she was trying to say through her music… Mirei wanted to understand. She needed to understand.

Leaning back against the seat, Mirei closed her eyes, her heart heavy yet hopeful.