Chapter 26. Unseen Feelings

"Whoa, Ms. Midnight has a boyfriend?!" Takeshi exclaimed with a theatrical gasp as Akihiko appeared, his sharp blue eyes scanning the group.

Ayaka immediately flinched. "H-he's not my boyfriend!" she protested, her face heating up like a flame.

"Sure he isn't." Shota deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.

"Not a chance." Akami added with a knowing smirk.

"I mean it!" Ayaka huffed, crossing her arms and looking anywhere but at Akihiko, who had a subtle, amused smile on his face.

Akihiko, calm and collected as always, turned his attention to Takeshi. "Wait... is that Azrael Emberlight?" he asked, pointing directly at him.

Takeshi's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Ah, so you recognize greatness when you see it!" he said, grinning ear to ear.

"My colleague's a big fan." Akihiko replied casually. "He lent me one of your books, said it was his favorite. You write well."

Ayaka's jaw dropped. "Wait a second—so you recognized him and not me? I'm your favorite author, aren't I?" she demanded, pointing dramatically at herself.

"Yeah, yeah, Ms. Midnight. You're everyone's favorite." Takeshi said with a fake sigh before striking a ridiculous model pose.

Shota groaned. "Here we go again."

"He's so full of himself..." Akami muttered.

"Don't hype him up, Akihiko. His ego's already bigger than this city." Ayaka joked, smirking at Takeshi.

"Hey! I'm standing right here!" Takeshi shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

Akihiko chuckled softly. "Too bad I didn't bring that book with me for a signature." he said, a note of genuine regret in his voice.

"No worries!" Takeshi replied, puffing out his chest. "We've got a book signing event soon!"

"Right, you mentioned that." Akihiko said, glancing at Ayaka.

"Our last stop's Tokyo Medical Center." Ayaka added.

"Oh, you should totally come!" Takeshi teased, slinging an arm around Ayaka's shoulder. "Ms. Midnight might just surprise everyone."

"Takeshi can you just shut up?" Ayaka snapped, shrugging him off, her cheeks burning.

Akihiko's expression shifted, his smile vanishing as his gaze darkened slightly. He took a step closer, his calm demeanor masking something more intense. "I'll be there." he said coolly.

Without another word, he stepped between Takeshi and Ayaka, gently but firmly pulling Ayaka away from the group.

His arm wrapped protectively around her waist, and his voice softened, though his words carried unmistakable weight. "I'll be borrowing her for a bit."

Before anyone could respond, Akihiko led Ayaka outside, his hand clasping hers tightly.

------

Out in the brisk evening air, Akihiko walked to his car parked nearby. Ayaka trailed after him, her thoughts racing.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion as she crossed her arms.

Akihiko opened the car door, pulling out a neatly wrapped paper bag. He turned back to her, his gaze soft but unreadable. "This is for you." he said, handing it over.

Ayaka blinked, her curiosity overriding her confusion. "What's this?"

"Open it." Akihiko said with a small, almost shy smile.

Ayaka pulled the bag open and gasped. Her heart skipped a beat as she pulled out a familiar piece of clothing. "W-wait! Isn't this…?"

She held it up, her eyes widening in disbelief. "My favorite cardigan! But how did you…?"

"I know you were upset when I spilled coffee on it." Akihiko said, looking away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It was sold out everywhere, so I had it custom-made for you."

Ayaka's chest tightened, her breath catching. "You… went through all that trouble? For me?"

Akihiko met her gaze, his voice softening. "It's been seven months since we started the novel, and I wanted to give it to you on the day it was published… but I couldn't wait anymore."

For a moment, time seemed to stop. Ayaka stared at him, her mind a whirlwind of emotions

"I…" Ayaka's voice faltered as her thoughts caught up to her. She could feel her cheeks heating up. 'There's no doubt about it. I'm in love with Akihiko Nakamura...'

Akihiko stepped closer, his lips quirking into a teasing smile. He gently pinched her cheek, breaking the moment. "Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? You made such a fuss about me ruining your old cardigan, and now you're speechless?"

"Ouch! Quit it!" Ayaka swatted his hand away, her voice rising an octave in embarrassment. "I was about to thank you!"

"Then say it." Akihiko teased, his tone playful.

"T-thank you..." Ayaka muttered, looking away, her face burning.

Akihiko chuckled and gestured to the cardigan. "Good girl. Now, try it on."

Ayaka hesitated but slipped it on. "Well? How does it look?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Akihiko's eyes softened, but his reply was blunt. "You look the same."

"What?!" Ayaka's face turned even redder. "What kind of answer is that?!"

She spun around and marched back toward the building, her heart racing.

Akihiko watched her retreat with a small laugh, his hands in his pockets.

------

Three days had passed, and the air in the studio was thick with tension as every group scrambled to perfect their rehearsals and finalize preparations for the tour.

While others fine-tuned choreography and polished setlists, one group seemed stuck in a loop of frustration—over a single, vital decision.

"No! That's way too corny!" Takeshi shouted, his voice echoing through the room as he threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Oh, and your suggestions are pure genius? They sound awful!" Shota snapped back, glaring at him.

Their voices overlapped in heated argument, rising and falling like an uncontrollable tide.

Ayaka leaned closer to Akami, her voice barely above a whisper. "They've been fighting about the band name for days."

Akami, slouched on the couch with a hand on her temple, sighed heavily.

"They're like two overgrown toddlers fighting over a toy. Honestly, it's giving me a migraine." She gestured dramatically, massaging her temples for emphasis.

Ayaka nodded in agreement, watching the two argue like it was a heated debate on national television.

Takeshi, animated and loud, gestured wildly with his hands, while Shota, sharp and indignant, countered with equally fiery determination.

Finally, Ayaka had enough. She stood up, slamming her hands on the table to grab their attention. "Can you two please agree on a name already?! We need to finalize everything today, and we're the only group who hasn't given the marketing department our team's name!"

Her frustration silenced them for all of three seconds before they both tried to talk over each other again.

"His ideas are the problem!" Shota shouted.

"No, your ideas are the problem!" Takeshi yelled back.

Akami groaned loudly, standing up and cutting them off. "Enough! If you two don't come to an agreement by this afternoon, Ayaka and I will pick the first name that pops into our heads and send it in. I don't care if it's something ridiculous like The Neon Potatoes!"

The room went silent at her threat, the weight of her words settling over them. Without waiting for a reply, Akami stormed off, her patience clearly at its limit.

Ayaka sighed and followed suit, stepping out of the room to clear her mind. The hallway was quiet compared to the chaos she'd just left, and the stillness helped calm her nerves.

She pulled out her phone, hoping for a distraction, and was greeted by a message notification from Akihiko.

When she opened it, it wasn't a long text or a question—just a sticker. A simple, playful cartoon of a cat waving.

Ayaka couldn't help but smile, warmth blooming in her chest. "He's probably bored…" she murmured to herself, imagining Akihiko's calm expression as he sent it.

But the momentary escape was short-lived as reality hit her like a cold wave.

Her smile faded as her mind replayed the clause Akihiko had written into their contract. The words echoed in her head like a warning: "No falling in love…"

She shook her head, trying to push the thought away. "Focus, Ayaka!" she whispered.

"WOAH! WHY ARE YOU WHISPERING OVER THERE?!"

The sudden outburst echoed down the narrow, dimly lit hallway, breaking the fragile silence like glass shattering on concrete.

Ayaka's heart leapt to her throat. "AHHHH!" she screamed, nearly dropping her phone as she spun around, her chest heaving with surprise.

Leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed with a smug grin plastered on his face, stood Kazumi—his dark eyes glinting with amusement.

"That's my ultimate move!" He declared with a chuckle, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "In case you forgot."

Ayaka exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to her chest as if to physically calm her racing heart. "Geez, Kazumi! You scared me half to death!"

"Mission accomplished." His grin widened, but there was an underlying softness in his gaze as he stepped closer, his footsteps echoing faintly against the polished floor.

Ayaka straightened herself, smoothing out the creases in her skirt, trying to regain her composure. "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be with the others?"

Kazumi shrugged, his expression shifting to something more casual. "I'm here to collect your group's name. You're the last one left."

Ayaka's face froze for a split second before she forced an awkward laugh, scratching her chin and looking anywhere but at him. "Ah… about that. Can you come back later? We're still, uh, deciding."

Kazumi opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes—just for a brief, unguarded moment—flickered downward to the glowing screen of Ayaka's phone in her hand.

The name "Akihiko" was still lit up.

His face didn't change, not immediately. But something in his gaze darkened—just a flicker, barely noticeable.

"Is he giving you a hard time again?" Kazumi's voice had softened, the playful edge gone, replaced by something quieter, heavier.

Ayaka instinctively turned her phone over, gripping it tightly, as if that could somehow shield her from the question. She forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

But instead of answering, she blurted out, "Hey, Kazumi… you said you liked someone before, right? Have you ever tried confessing?"

The words tumbled out awkwardly, her voice slightly too high, too forced. She leaned in a little, hoping the shift in topic would mask the tension lingering in the air.

Kazumi blinked, clearly caught off guard. His usual quick wit was nowhere to be found. He looked down, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"Actually…" His voice was softer now, almost fragile. "I haven't confessed yet."

Ayaka tilted her head, her curiosity genuine now. "Why not?"

Kazumi took a deep breath, as if gathering the courage to pull something heavy from deep within himself. Then, he looked up, and their eyes met.

What Ayaka saw there made her chest tighten.

There was no playfulness, no sarcasm. Just raw, unfiltered vulnerability.

"Because I already know I'd get rejected."

The words hit harder than she expected, as if the air itself grew heavier between them.

Ayaka's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean…?" she whispered.

Kazumi's smile was small, almost sad, like he was trying to soften the blow of what he was about to say—for her sake, not his.

"Because the person I like…" He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "Is you, Ayaka."

Silence.

Complete, suffocating silence.

Ayaka's breath hitched. The walls felt like they were closing in, the space suddenly too small, too fragile to contain the weight of those words.

"M-me…?" The word barely escaped her lips, trembling like her heart in that moment.

Kazumi chuckled, but it was hollow—a thin disguise for the pain etched into his expression. "Yeah. You. I'm in love with you."

He shifted his weight, his gaze dropping to the floor as if the memories he was about to unearth were written there.

"It started back then. When I was being bullied by my seniors." His voice was quieter now, filled with a distant ache. "No one dared to step in. I felt invisible—like I didn't matter. But then you showed up."

Ayaka's eyes softened, her mind flashing back to the memory she'd almost forgotten.

"You were just a newbie. You didn't know me. You had nothing to gain. But you stood up for me anyway." He laughed bitterly. "I thought, 'Who is this girl?' And from that day on… I couldn't stop noticing you."

Ayaka's throat tightened. She wanted to say something—anything—but the words tangled, stuck between guilt and disbelief.

"I tried to be there for you." Kazumi continued, his voice steady but his eyes betraying him. "Tried to make you laugh, to take you out, to be someone you could count on. I thought maybe… if I stayed close enough, you'd see me the way I see you."

Another pause.

His smile faltered, just slightly. "But you never did."

Ayaka felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye, blurring the edges of her vision.

"Even if you didn't say his name out loud, I already knew." He exhaled shakily, his voice breaking just enough to shatter her heart. "Because I look at you… the way you look at him."

Ayaka bit her lip, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. Kazumi wasn't just a friend. He was her anchor, a brother, the person who'd been there long before fame had painted her world with bright, blinding lights.

But she couldn't love him the way he wanted.

And that realization hurt more than she thought it would.

"Kazumi…" Her voice was barely a whisper, fragile and hollow.

He forced another laugh, wiping the corner of his eye quickly, as if brushing away sweat instead of tears.

"Man… this sucks." His voice was lighter again, but it didn't fool her. "I was just supposed to get your group's name, and now here I am suddenly confessing to you."

He turned away, his back to her now. "I'll go. I'll ask someone else later."

Ayaka's hand twitched, as if she wanted to reach for him. But her feet were glued to the floor, her heart too heavy to move.

She watched him walk away, each step feeling like a door slowly closing.

"Kazumi…"

But he didn't turn around.

And when he disappeared around the corner, the tears finally fell.

Later that afternoon...

Ayaka sat in the practice room, her body moving through the motions, but her mind stuck in that hallway.

Kazumi's words echoed in her head, over and over.

"I look at you… the way you look at him."

She blinked rapidly, trying to focus, but the ache in her chest wouldn't fade.

A gentle tap on her shoulder jolted her back.

"You okay?" Akami's concerned voice pulled her from the fog.

Ayaka forced a smile, her lips trembling slightly. "Y-yeah! I'm just a bit sleepy."

Akami didn't seem convinced, but she didn't push. "Well, we've got one last practice. Then tomorrow's just individual readings for the fans, so we'll get some rest."

Ayaka nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Right… Let's get this over with."

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt sadness, and echo of Kazumi's voice.

------

The group gathered again, this time calmer after cooling off. The tension was still palpable, but Takeshi and Shota's usual fiery banter had been replaced with unusually serious expressions.

"We've finally decided on our band's name." Shota said, his voice steady as he glanced at Takeshi.

Ayaka and Akami exchanged skeptical looks, unsure whether to believe them.

"We actually came to an agreement." Takeshi added, surprising everyone with his sincerity.

They both took a deep breath, their gazes locking for a brief moment before they spoke in perfect unison.

"DREAMCATCHER'S MELODY!"

The name hung in the air like a spark, and for the first time in days, a sense of unity filled the room.

Ayaka's lips curved into a small smile, while Akami raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.

"It's perfect!" Ayaka said softly, her voice full of approval.

"About time." Akami teased, though the relief in her tone was evident.

Takeshi grinned triumphantly, nudging Shota's shoulder. "See? Told you we'd figure it out."

"You mean I figured it out." Shota retorted, though there was no heat in his words this time—just a hint of pride.

With that, the group finally passed their band's name.

The words hung in the air, fragile yet powerful, like the final note of a song lingering long after the instruments had gone silent.

For a moment, no one spoke. The room, once filled with restless shuffling, heated debates, and frustrated sighs, was now steeped in an almost sacred stillness.

"Alright Dreamcatcher's Melody, let's do our final practice!" Takeshi exclaimed, feeling fired up.