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Chapter 36

Open Mic Night

…

…

Kenji dropped himself into his bed, exhaling a tired sigh.

Today was quite eventful but one thing lingered on his mind, his boys' practice for the open mic. The first song that they practiced was "To Be With You" sung by an American singer. And frankly, while he knew that his boys were incredibly good singers, the moment Kasamatsu opened his mouth, Kenji felt himself shiver.

The boy was damn good.

Sure, he was nowhere near Kise's monstrous vocal range, but in Kenji's opinion, Kasamatsu had the better voice. To the ordinary person, they would think Kise's voice was better because of his range, but in terms of sound, tone, and timbre, Kasamatu's voice was better sounding. Not that he was saying the blonde didn't sound good.

And while nothing was set in stone for Alter-Ego yet, Kenji decided to let them do all the open-mics they wanted, do anything just to get Alter-Ego's name out. He knew stopping them was only halting the evitable. And then again, he never intended to stop them anyway.

"Man…" Kenji sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "…why am I the one getting excited and can't sleep?" A chuckle escaped his lips, before he got up and opened his laptop. Afterwards, he typed in the search bar, 'Open mics nearby'.

…

…

After their practice, the boys assembled in their living room, sorting out the things that they'll need for the open mic. They've already got the two songs they would be performing, all that's left in that aspect is for them to learn and practice. They sat comfortably in the conversation pit, Takao having a notebook and pen out.

"So, since we're going to be performing as Alter-Ego at the open mic, what are we gonna wear?" Kuroko asked, slumping further down into the cushions. He then looked across to Kise, as if trying to tell the boy that this was all him.

"That's the least of our problems." The blonde replied. "I want to know what are we going to be doing with our faces? I'm sure we can't head out there barefaced."

"But I don't want a repeat of what we did with Catal Rhythm…" Kuroko groaned out. "It's still a pain."

"Maybe we could do something like cosplay." Kagami suggested. All eyes turned to look at him. "Hey! I'm not saying we should cosplay, but you know how the cosplayers look so much like the character, you aren't able to tell who they are in the real world?"

The other four nodded.

"I was thinking of something along that line. We could dye our hairs, wear contacts and some not-too outlandish outfits."

"What? Leather-jackets and shit?" Takao asked.

Kasamatsu snorted. "There is no specific way to dress when you're in a band. Unless, there's an image that the band is going with." He said, typing away speedily on his cellphone. "So, in our case, sneakers, a good pair of ripped jeans, a nice t-shirt or whatever and we're good to go."

"No leather jackets and wicked eyeliner game?" Kise asked, almost sounding dejected.

"That's on you."

"Kasamatsu-senpai has a point. We need to remember that Café Sundown's theme for that night is centred on love. We can't turn up looking like emo-witches who are ready to summon the devil." Kuroko sighed. "I doubt anyone would want to listen to us."

"Well shit." Everyone looked at Kuroko with surprise. Definitely, Takao was rubbing off him.

"So," Kasamatsu started again, this time looking at Kagami. "You could source the idea for our look. The whole cosplay thing isn't so bad."

Kagami was not pleased. "But the open-mic isn't so far away…how am I going to find something…? You know I'm not good with fashion!"

"Tai-chan…" Takao started with a smirk. "That's where Ryou-chan and I come in."

"Thank God." Kagami visibly sagged to show his relief.

Kasamatsu grinned at their exchange. As much as he was the eldest, he wanted to rattle Kagami a little bit. After all, he intended for Takao and Kise to take care of their appearance anyway. "Anything else on the agenda?"

Takao perked up in delight, almost as though he was dying for this moment. He took up a pen and a notebook and prepared to scribble.

"I was thinking about our channel content." Takao grinned. "We got the clear to have our channels so let's start planning what our contents are gonna be."

"Our channels?" Kuroko asked with a raised brow. "I thought there was only one."

"One for Catal Rhythm and the other for Alter-Ego." Takao huffed with pride. "So, what's the content of our channels?"

"Song covers obviously." Kasamatsu shrugged. "I dunno what'll be the content of CR's channel though."

"Dance practice videos!" Kise chirped.

"Challenges!" Takao added, equally shrieking.

Kuroko snapped his book shut so loud, everyone had to stop and look at the teen. His blue eyes landed on Kise, the blond starting to feel uneasy.

"Yes, Kurokocchi?" He asked nervously.

"What kind of dance practice are we talking about? Because the ones that I've seen are anything but." Kuroko said. "I'm not against the idea, it's just that I thought dance practice videos would be…you know…practice. Not the idol group performing perfect choreo to one of their songs in their practice room. Or in another version, looking like dorks."

Takao grinned. "Well, why don't we be the trendsetters then? Our dance practice videos would have all our mistakes, falls and of course, our very angry and frustrated outbursts."

"I think that'll be a good idea. Let those who are watching see that we're humans and not machines." Kagami nodded. "I've been reading a few articles online and I'm scared."

"Right?!" Kasamatsu agreed. "I mean, I like their work ethic, but sometimes I wonder if they're okay…"

"Sometimes, they're just a little bit extra and doing it to get a good name." Kise said with an eye roll. "Idols like those sick my stomach."

"Right…" Takao nodded. The atmosphere suddenly got a bit dark before Takao spoke up yet again. "So just to make things clear, Alter-Ego's channel will have song covers —"

"For now, until we think up some more content." Kasamatsu nodded. "We can't post original songs right off the bat."

"And then again, we don't have a fanbase to do anything else, really." Kagami chuckled.

"Well, everyone starts out like that at first." Kasamatsu shrugged. "But we should enjoy the peace while we still can. When we become superstars, we have to be wearing masks in public even when we aren't sick."

They all erupted into laughter at the statement, however, they knew that the captain was right. In this industry, peaceful days like these are short-lived, the more famous a band becomes, the more they're likely to be constantly swamped by reporters and paparazzi, fans and all other crazy stuff.

"I'm prepared for it." Kagami grinned. "I mean, the rock industry isn't so harsh like the pop idol industry, so we should be fine even if shit goes down."

Kasamatsu nodded. "How right you are."

"Can't we have a video diary?" Kuroko suggested. "I guess that's later on, but it would be nice if we could do things like film behind-the-scenes stuff, and maybe, things like show the music creation process."

"That's not bad." Takao said as he scribbled it down. "But as you said, that's for later. Right now, we don't even know the names of the equipment Zane-san uses." He broke out in chuckles. "Zane-san" here referred to Nobuzane, however, ever since they discovered a member in NOTE was named "Nobu", they found it disrespectful to call their producer the same name.

"Wait! What about our stage names? We haven't thought that out yet!" Kagami looked like he was about to explode. "As much as I love my name, I'm not using Taiga again!"

"I know mine; I'm going to be Tsukki. I'll put in an extra 'K' in it." Kise grinned. "The Other Side of "Sunn" will be "Tsukki", if you get it."

"Ah, sun and moon." Kuroko nodded. "That's befitting. What would my name be? I can't think of any. I'm at a loss."

"Well, given that you always refer to yourself as a ghost, how about Yurei?" Kasamatsu suggested. "I don't think it sounds bad."

Kuroko stilled for a moment. The captain was right, the name didn't sound so bad, and it was quite memorable. "It doesn't. I like it."

"I'll be 'Hiroki'!" Takao perked.

"That's so you." Kise laughed. "Large sparkle' right?"

"Yup!"

"You really are a sparkle." Kagami chuckled. He then added, "Well…if I should follow Kise, then, my name would be "Ryuusen" meaning dragon. That can work."

Kise and Takao giggled, teasing the rapper. "Sounds powerful!" they both came out with. Kagami visibly twitched and reached for a cushion. He threw it in at them, but thanks to their agility, they managed to dodge in time.

"I can't decide between Yuko and Kishi." Kasamatsu groaned.

"Yuko? Isn't that…?" Kise started but trailed off. He didn't know how to say it, but he did anyway. "…a girl's name?"

The captain laughed. "It's the name my grandparents gave me. I just wanted to…"

"Senpai, I would like if you name your daughter, Yuko." Kuroko said. "It's a nice name, but truly, I don't want to have to twist someone's neck for insulting you."

"Plus, you are our Knight in Shining Armour!" Takao chirped. "You're always there to bail us out!"

Kasamatsu didn't know how to react. While Takao's sentence was normal, Kuroko's got him a little concerned. But he really couldn't really wrong them. "Well, Kishi it is."

…

…

Ding! Ding!

Makio's phone rang out briefly, indicating that a message had come in. He placed his drumsticks on the bass drum, took up the phone and gaped.

Hey there, Makio-kun.
Just letting you know that your first job as Manager of Alter-Ego is here~
Give me a call when you're free~

This was followed by a string of emoticons.

Makio twitched, the message oddly gave him Kise vibes. Irritated, he dialled Kenji's number, wanting to find out just what was thrust upon him in such a short notice. After three rings, the phone picked up, and without a greeting, Makio shrieked.

"Kenji! What's that message about?!"

"Why, good evening, Makio-kun." Kenji said, totally ignoring Makio's hysteric tone. "You seem rather lively today."

"Don't good evening me! What. The. Hell. Is. Going. On!?"

"Ah, well, you see. The boys have gone ahead and signed up for an open-mic. So —"

"Is that even allowed?!"

"Well…no." Kenji answered. "…but it doesn't make sense we stop them. They'll do it anyway."

"So, you're letting them have free reign. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"As long as they have guidance."

Makio sighed. He hasn't even been introduced to the other members of the team yet, since a whole lot of paperwork must be done and approved by different departments, and President Aihara himself. And now, he's been given work? Without even seeing what his contract looked like? What his pay would be?

Preposterous! The drummer thought. But he knew he couldn't escape his fate so there was no sense in fighting. "You better thank me. I'll take on this challenge." He said between gritted teeth.

"I knew you would. After all, aren't you Kise-kun's drum instructor?"

"Ha!" Makio laughed, slightly mockingly. "I'm doing it for myself! If Ryou goes to his big sister, I'll be fucking screwed. And trust me, I don't want to have to face that monster."

Even Kenji could feel Makio's shudder over the phone and wondered just what kind of woman Kise Ruiko was. He's heard the stories, he's heard it from Kise himself, but he couldn't help his curiosity.

"Well, whatever floats your boat, Makio-kun."

"Tsch. I don't even have a boat at this point."

Makio heard Kenji's snicker on the other end of the line before he hung up the phone and placed it face down on his table. Repositioning himself on his throne, the former drummer exhaled a deep sigh. Makio had always known that re-teaching Kise the drums wouldn't end in his favour. Adding to the bomb that the blond brat dropped on him, Makio thought that more or less, Kise and his friends would find a way to rope him in, forever.

And so, it was.

While he only intended to be Kise's drum instructor until the brat could go off on his own, Makio never saw this coming. He never would've guessed that Kise would drag his friends along. He never would've guessed that Kise would have tricked him into being their manager. Although he bargained for it to be until they found a suitable person, he knew Kise. They weren't going to look for another manager.

"Fuck." Makio sighed.

The young man gazed up onto the ceiling. It triggered the memories of when he was in a band. It was then that a smile appeared on his face, recounting the old days.

"Haa…I'll give the brats a call tomorrow."

…

…

The days leading up to the open mic went by quickly.

They got calls from Makio, inquiring more information about their open mic. With receiving the relevant information, the former drummer got into his role quite well. He scouted Café Sundown, Kasamatsu tagging along and dragging his boys along with him.

This was something that should be done, so they know just what they were getting themselves into.

Kenji did his part as well, giving Makio a list of open mics that happened on a weekly basis in and around the area, the latter even saying that he'll let them perform at his Euphoria when they've settled down.

With these two working together, Catal Rhythm never knew what was in store for them.

Additionally, that week, Catal Rhythm had the rounds of the Inter-High Tournament, and of course, each school made it to the quarterfinals. This was no surprise for either of the teams, given that they worked their asses off to prepare.

When it was time for the quarterfinals, the match-ups proved to be exciting as though it was the final. Kaijou faced Yosen in quarterfinal one, Shutoku faced Seirin in quarterfinal two, Touou and Rakuzan faced some other strong school.

Throughout the matches, the entire gymnasium erupted with cheers and hoots, adrenaline pumping through them as though they were on the court. But in the end, through blood, sweat and tears, Kaijou bested Yosen, Seirin beat Shutoku and of course, Touou and Rakuzan came out victorious.

…

…

In the middle of changing out of his sweaty jersey, Kasamatsu's phone rang, and the ringtone he heard was the one specifically for Reiko. Quickly, he snatched up the device and read the message.

"Go on without me!" Kasamatsu said as he exited from the locker room. Before Kise could even ask him where he was heading to, the captain was gone —vanished like a ghost.

Making it outside of the venue, Kasamatsu was almost out of breath. He had been playing in a quarterfinal for three of the four quarters, so to say that he was a little beat was an understatement. He stopped at a young blonde-haired young woman, who was busy on her phone.

"I…I…I…" Kasamatsu panted heavily, placing his hands on his knees, and catching his breath. "I have arrived."

"Yukio-kun! You didn't need to run!" Reiko shrieked, dabbing his face with her handkerchief. "Gosh, you just played against Yosen!"

A chuckle escaped his lips. He held her wrist, indicating to her that she could stop. "Yes, yes, I know. But I couldn't bear to know that a beautiful girl is out here alone waiting."

Reiko's face darkened. "I'll have you know, I'm a blackbelt in three different types of Martial Arts. And, I have an ultimate weapon that it's a sure-fire way to save my ass."

"Which is?"

"I run."

This time Kasamatsu burst out in full blown laughter. Reiko was dead serious as well, which everything even funnier. But the captain loved to be in her company. She was a beautiful girl, who grew up in a well-off household, yet she didn't behave as though she was the queen of the world. Sure, she was elegant and poised, but there were moments when Reiko was just an ordinary girl.

And the poor girl didn't have the slightest clue what she did to Kasamatsu.

The two then walked off from the gate, no one really paying them any attention. To the public, they were just a teenager in Kaijou's basketball jersey and a beautiful blond girl. To many, they were a couple going about their business.

"So, where are we going?" Kasamatsu asked. "Takao and Kise had already sourced our disguises…"

Reiko grinned. "Think of this as a present from me to you."

Kasamatsu raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what it could be." He played along. "Is it some form of music equipment?"

"Like hell it is!" She laughed. "I don't even know the first thing in music!"

"Come on, everyone knows at least the treble and bass clefs." He teased.

Reiko looked at him with a pout and jabbed him in his sides. Of course, the younger teen doubled over in pain, and wheezed out, "I…take…it…back…"

"Too late."

The two walked towards the busy town centre, where Kasamatsu followed Reiko into a clothing store —Clothes Minded. The captain was confused, but nonetheless, he thought that there must be a reason for Reiko to come into a clothes store. She walked to the counter and the clerk whipped out a wrapped box, after which she placed it in Kasamatsu's hands.

"Wear it when you're going to perform at the Open Mic."

Grateful, Kasamatsu nodded. "Are…" he started, feeling the blush creep up onto his face. "…will you be there?" The captain didn't know what came over him, in asking her this. Of course, she would be there because her little brother is the band's drummer. But there was another part of him that just wanted her to be there for him.

"Of course!" She chirped. "How could I miss it?"

Kasamatsu was sure. This girl will end him.

…

…

"I can't believe Yu-chan is gone." Takao sighed as he entered their house. "And Ryou-chan doesn't even know where."

"That's because he didn't say." Kise followed suit. "He just dashed out and by the time we ran after him, he vanished into thin air."

"Was he abducted by aliens?"

"Maybe he had important things to take care of." Kuroko said, dismissing Takao's ludicrous thought. "I mean, he's now a third year."

The other four of Catal Rhythm had just arrived home, after they celebrated with their respective teams. It was a shocker for them when they saw Kise turn up alone. Kenji wasn't so baffled because the captain had informed him that he wouldn't be coming.

"Bah." Kise frowned. "What could —" The blonde broke off when they heard the lock being opened. Kasamatsu entered, with what seemed to be a present.

"Senpai…where have you been?"

"I was with Reiko." He answered. Instantly, the others grinned like the dorks they were. Kasamatsu had given up completely. He had decided that whenever he's out with Reiko, he won't deny it.

"Hoh? What did you two do?" Takao snickered. His face was mischievous. "I hope you —"

"Ahhh, if I remember correctly," Kasamatsu said, tapping his chin in thought. "I might've given her a hickey."

Kagami, who had entered the kitchen dashed out and looked at the captain wide-eyed. Kise turned into stone, Kuroko used his book to his hide his face, but it was evident that he was trembling in shock. Takao, his jaws dropped through the floor.

"What?!" They all managed to utter out when they regained their composure.

"Anyway, I got this from her, as a gift." Kasamatsu continued as he unwrapped the gift. He changed the subject as though he hadn't said something outrageous. Lifting the lid off the box, he saw that there were five t-shirts, each of different sizes. Seeing this, the boys knew that they were for them. It had the Alter-Ego logo that Kise had designed earlier. It wasn't finalized yet, but the design was one that depicted a Yin-Yang symbol with the name "ALTER" in the Yin part and "EGO" in the yang.

Below the symbol, were their stage-names that they had decided on earlier in the week. And even though Kenji had told them to think more about their Alter-Ego names, to make sure that they're comfortable, they were adamant. It was the same with Catal Rhythm, the first set of names they came up was what they used.

"This is so cool!" Takao shrieked. "Look at mine! It's sleeveless!"

"Mine too!" Kagami followed suit.

"But, why does mine have sleeves?" Kuroko frowned. "Is it because I'm not muscular? Is Reiko biased to guys who have muscles?"

"I have sleeves on mine too." Kasamatsu said. "And mine are longer. The sleeve stops at my wrists. Yours don't."

Takao snickered. "It seems to me that Rei-chan doesn't want the whole world to see arms that belong to her. Am I right, Yu-chan?" the hawk-eyed teen wiggled his brows so fast, Kasamatsu wanted them to fall off.

"I don't…I—I…why are you like this?!" The captain replied, turning his face away to hide the blush.

"Hoh?"

"But look on the bright side, the shirts look really good." Kasamatsu said quickly to change the subject. His face was still beet red.

The others planned to get him back for this. They'll never let him live it down.

"You know, for the time being, we could use these as our performance shirts." Kuroko suggested. The light-blue haired teen decided to aid their leader. Although, it would be really good to see how he escaped from this situation. "And they're black too so they can go with any colour pants we put on."

"That's right." Kagami nodded. "Just so you know, I'll be wearing dark red jeans."

"I'll be wearing shorts." Kise said, somewhat absentmindedly. All eyes turned to look at the blond, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a drummer, my legs need to be free."

"Well, it's bedtime. Go to sleep brats." Kasamatsu got up and yawned, heading to their bedroom.

"You're a brat too, you know?" Kise replied.

"Yeah, that's why I'm heading to bed." The captain quipped.

Snickers followed all the way to their room, the five climbing into the beds and within a beat later, they fell asleep.

…

…

"So…I was thinking about something." Ren said, turning in his swivel chair. He faced Kiyotaka, Nobuzane rested his head on his desk, snores escaping his lips. Kenji had stepped out a short while ago.

"About…?" Kiyotaka asked as he typed speedily at his keyboard, Ren could care less what he was doing. Their roles were different anyway.

"Our boys." Ren said again. "There's —"

"They aren't injured, are they?" The booking agent's head snapped up in worry.

"No, but I was thinking about them. And their future."

Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow. While in prior times he was never on the same team as Watanabe Ren, he's heard the stories. He and Kenji were the same age and had often time volunteered to work here when they were in high school. Because of that, they've racked up immeasurable amounts of experience, which was what made them into the monsters they are now at such a young age. Furthermore, Ren has a tendency to care for the idols under his watch as though they were his siblings. He was cautious about everything he did, because one trademark that the entire company knew about him was that Ren always said, "their futures may turn out bad if we do this". So, hearing that sentence left Kiyotaka unnerved. Was there something that Ren saw that may be problematic later on?

"Oi, what's this about? Don't tell me there's a potential scandal in the making." Kiyotaka hissed, Ren slightly flinched not because of what the man said, but it was the suddenness of it. "Sorry, I just…"

"No, it's fine." Ren shook his head, his black curls swaying in the process. "It's just the idol industry is just so…plastic. And with how I see our boys progressing, I can see that they'll be the ones to shake up the industry, but I'm worried at the same time." He sucked in a breath. "I mean, I'm worried that they'll face terrible, terrible, irreparable backlash for being who they are. I'm worried that they —"

"Ren." Kiyotaka cut him off. "It's okay. And frankly, being in this job for as long as I have, you'll know that whatever they do, they'll be subjected to backlash. Even if they should behave like manufactured goods, they won't escape it. This industry is just that filthy. They can't please everyone, and knowing them, they won't try to. Our boys are the type to say "fuck if you don't like us, we're not begging you to" and move on." He said. "But the most important thing is when this time comes, we'll be there as their pillars of strength."

"Yeah, I know but there's something gnawing at me. I mean, only Kise-kun knows what it's like to be under scrutiny and what would happen if shit went down. I'm just…" Ren trailed off once again. "…scared of their reaction. We are raising monsters, and I'm sure you know this."

Kiyotaka laughed. His deep voice boomed through the space, resounding like thunder. "They were monsters before we met. And then again, when we get to that bridge, we'll know how best to cross it. Until then…" He took up his phone and scrolled a bit before turning it in Ren's direction. "…care to tell me the newest developments for our boys' shenanigans for the Ai-Fest? Kenji isn't here."

"Shenanigan" was the right word indeed. When Kenji told them what the boys had planned, the entire dream team could only gape in shock. Not even veteran groups like Diverse and Perfect 5th had ever thought of something so outrageous.

Ren's face brightened. "I have so much to tell you! Let's see, where to start?!"

…

…

Finally, the day of the Open Mic Night arrived.

Makio decided to visit his boys since according to Kenji, this was just the start of his job as Alter-Ego's manager. Every time he remembered it; he rolled his eyes. Although he didn't mind doing it, he just thought that Kise could've done things a little bit better instead of thrusting it down his throat and then threatening to tell his fiancée if he refused.

"Such underhanded tactics." Makio hissed out as he turned on the street that led him to the boys' house. The young man whistled a tune in the meantime and within a few minutes, he arrived at the apartment building. He drove into the underground parking, and then exited the car. With the key he received from Kenji, Makio made his way up to the third floor.

Exiting the elevator, Makio walked down the hallway as per the directions but then, he saw a door swing open and out ran a tall young man with dyed red hair. He crashed into the drummer, the two tumbling to the floor.

"Sorry!" He shrieked.

"Uh, yeah." Makio could only manage a hiss. Then, he saw the redhead stretch out his hand to help him up. Taking it, Makio noticed that the young man kept staring at him intently. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"Ah, no. But, do you live here?" He asked. "I don't remember seeing your face."

"No. I don't. And it's my first time here."

The young man raised his eyebrow with suspicion. "Then how did you get in? The third floor is specifically for certain people."

Makio sighed. "I'm Alter-Ego's manager, I'm just here to see them."

"Alter-Ego? The company doesn't have a group by that name." The redhead hissed. "Are you a Yarakashi?"

Now Makio was both pissed and confused. Yarakashi (or Sasaeng in South Korea) were "fans" that had a screw loose. They stalked their idols no matter where in the world they go, they send them creepy messages and they even go as far as to harm other idols who get too close to their "biases".

"I'm not a Yarakashi! I don't even listen to pop idol music! And what do you mean by there's no group with that name? Just because you don't know that doesn't mean they don't exist!"

"Sugihara! Code Red!" the redhead shouted behind him. "Yarakashi!"

"Hey! What are you —?!" Makio broke off when he felt hands grab him under his arms and his legs. "O—Oi!? What are you doing?!" He screamed.

From the other rooms, more young men emerged with colourful hairs. They held the poor drummer in place, awaiting the security. Makio cursed.

"Hey! Believe me, I'm not a Yarakashi! You can ask Kenji!"

"Well, let the guys call him then." One said from behind him. Makio couldn't tell who it was, just that the voice was as deep as a whale's. The drummer then heard the numbers being dialled, before the phone started to ring. After two rings, Makio heard Kenji's voice.

"Ai-Ken, there's a man here," the person said, this time it wasn't as deep as the first. He was a blond with long side bangs and blue eyes. Somehow, he reminded Makio of Kise. "Oi, what's your name?"

"Sugimoto Makio."

"His name is Sugimoto Makio, and —"

"Ah, yes, leave him alone. He's here to see Catal Rhythm."

"Huh? But he told me he's Alter-Ego's manager! Who're they?!"

"Calm down, Narumi. They are Alter-Ego."

"What?! How…how…what's going on? A subunit?" The one who had crashed into Makio earlier—Narumi—asked. "That was fast! Not even us got a subunit this quick! Is this favouritism?!"

"Uh, you guys can let me go now." Makio deadpanned. "And Kenji! You owe me!" He hissed out. Since the phone was on speaker, he knew that Kenji heard him.

"Haah…Makio-kun…" Kenji's sigh sounded stressed.

"Fuck!" Makio hissed when he was finally released. The others all apologized, but the drummer quickly dismissed it. In fact, he was stunned at their swift action, which meant that if an intruder were to truly enter, they'd meet the same fate.

"I'm so sorry, but I couldn't let you go on. I mean, I —"

"I said it's fine." Makio said. "You don't have to apologize, uh, Sir." He felt odd, but he didn't know the redhead's name.

"It's Narumi."

"Makio."

"Yeah, we heard."

"Well, I can't chat any longer. See you!" Makio left the colourful group and made his way to his rascals' house. Entering the passcode, he walked along the corridor up to the door.

Makio knocked on their door and was surprised when it opened. There was Takao, shirtless and looking haggard.

"Holy shit, what happened to you?" Makio asked. He never saw the raven-haired teen like this before and was dumbstruck.

"I just woke up."

"At minutes after one o'clock?! What were you doing last night?!"

"Yu-chan finished a song he was writing…" Takao trailed off to accommodate a yawn. "…and so we ended up adding music to it and before we knew it, morning light." He opened the door wide enough for Makio to come through, but at the same time, the club owner was worried. Tonight, was their big night, they wouldn't jeopardize it, would they?

"So why didn't you stop to sleep?!" He yelled, following Takao further into the house. He hadn't the time to take in the interior.

"What? Of course we slept." The hawk-eyed teen said in a matter-of-factly. "It's just that Yu-chan woke up in the early morning, when it was still dark. We went back to sleep at about eight o'clock."

Makio face-palmed. "You'll be the death of me."

It was here Takao grinned like the mischievous bastard Makio knew him to be. The new manager followed Takao further into the house, going into one of the larger rooms. This room had their instruments hooked up to their various amplifiers. Makio noticed a guitar stand to the far corner and smiled.

Guitarists, I can never understand why they need a million guitars… A soft chuckle escaped his lips, remembering an old friend of his.

When Takao had left, realization dawned on Makio, "Why the fuck am I sitting here?!"

"And I can't imagine two worlds spinnin' apart
come together eventually…"

Makio was snapped out of his thoughts by beautiful singing. He whipped his head around to see Kasmatsu, with headphones on, sitting on a bench with his cellphone in hand. Honestly, Makio hadn't noticed his presence.

Is he pulling a Kuroko on me? The drummer thought in alarm. Is he really pulling a Kuroko on me?!

But as the young man continued to sing, Makio crumbled in awe. Although he's heard a few of Catal Rhythm's songs, he's never heard Kasamatsu sing like this before. It was so mesmerizing, so gentle. The drummer had never heard a sound so gentle before, and before he knew it, he started to clap.

Frightened, Kasamatsu looked in the direction of the clapping. "Makki-san, what are you doing here?" The captain asked, his blue eyes looking innocent.

"I…Kazu brought me here." He replied.

"Hmm."

While Makio never spoke to Kasamatsu as much as he did with Kise, he knew that the captain wasn't as quiet as he is now on a normal day. Maybe he's nervous.

"So, uh, are you ready for tonight?"

Makio saw Kasamatsu grin. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just asking, just asking." Makio scratched the back of his head nervously. "I mean, Takao looked like a mess when he opened the door…" then it clicked. "Where're the others?"

"Basketball."

"What!?"

"They're nervous." Kasamatsu said. "Kise and Kagami are playing a one-on-one, Kuroko is reading his novel to get rid of his, but I know deep down he's still shaking. Takao was vomiting his guts out. I think he stopped now though."

"What?!" Makio asked again. "Vomiting?!"

The distressed look on Makio's face made Kasamatsu reconsider. "I'm joking, I'm joking. They're just…" he trailed off. "…doing something to ease their nerves."

Makio was not amused. "I never expected this from you, Kasamatsu. Ryou and Kazu, yes, but not you."

Kasamatsu looked at the drummer, roaring with laughter. "Is that so? You have a lot to learn."

Makio narrowed his eyes at the vocalist. There was something indefinitely off about him, but the new manager couldn't put his finger on it. This boy before him was not Kasamatsu, at least, not the Kasamatsu he knew.

"Are…are you alright?" He ended up asking. "You seem…different."

Kasamatsu made a faint smile. "I'm just nervous that's all."

There we go. "Well, anyway, great singing by the way." Makio said, he really needed to change the subject.

"Thanks." Then, the captain got up off his perch and walked to where Makio was. "So, why are you here?" he asked.

Makio let out a gasp and pretended to be hurt. "You mean, I can't come check up on you guys anymore?! Who do you take me for?"

"Kenji's duplicate." Kasamatsu deadpanned.

"I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

Kasamatsu grinned. "Don't worry too much about it." His eyes then took in Makio slightly dishevelled appearance and asked, "What happened to you?"

"I fell on my way here. Forget it."

"What—?"

"Yu-chan! I think I forgot the chords!" Takao burst the door opened and screamed. He didn't even spare a glance at Makio, who the door almost smashed in the face.

"Practice then. We got quite some time, no?"

"But Yu-chan…"

"Still, I find it hard to believe. Maybe I need to beat it in your bones even more."

Makio trembled and it wasn't even directed at him.

"Yu-chan, it's your fault. You should've slept last night!"

"I didn't tell the rest of you to wake up and add music to the finished lyrics."

"But it sounded good! We were inspired!"

"And whose fault is that?"

"Yours!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

Makio was sick and tired of this back and forth. "Oh shut the hell up, both of you." He walked towards Kise's drum set. "I'll play the drums, so pick up the guitar and start playing." He then looked at Kasamatsu as he settled on the throne. "You too, Frontman-san."

With a slight grumble, Kasamatsu marched towards the bass guitar while Takao took the Lead. Makio waited for the boys to get ready, and when done, he made a "badum tss" with his drums.

"Which song are we doing?" Makio asked with a wide grin on his face.

"The one Takao doesn't remember the chords for." Kasamatsu replied.

"Yu-chan!"

The captain burst out in laughter. He loved to tease his fellow bandmates, often time thinking they were his little brothers. "Fine, fine. Let's just jam."

…

…

By the time the others arrived, Makio, Takao and Kasamatsu were so engrossed in their jamming that they hadn't heard when the others came in. Add to that, the entire place was heavily soundproofed.

It wasn't until Kise strode his way towards Makio that they realized the others were there.

"So, you were just gonna ignore us?" Kagami asked as he leaned on the wall. "If Kise hadn't gone to Makki, you would've jammed away?"

Takao stuck his tongue out teasingly. "You know the place is soundproof. Plus, you saw how caught up we were."

"Yeah, sorry. Now grab your instruments. Let's do a quick run-through for Takao here." Kasamatsu said.

"Yu-chan! Why does it feel like you're targeting me?!" Takao shrieked, almost breaking out in tears.

Kasamatsu smirked, "Because I am."

Takao whimpered against Kise. The blond could do nothing more but pat the hawkeyed teen's hair.

"These fools." Makio chuckled as he got to his feet and stretched.

"Indeed." Kuroko replied. A girlish scream ripped from Makio's throat since he hadn't noticed when the boy came in. The other four cracked up with laughter upon seeing Makio's reaction.

Reddening from the embarrassment, the club owner hissed at them, "Ju-just get practicing!"

…

…

"Hurry it up!" Hyuuga hissed. "I want good seats!"

"If you guys don't get a move on, I'll quadruple your training!" Riko barked, adding fuel to Hyuuga's fire.

The guys looked at each other, and somehow came out with, "But we don't even attend the same school…"

"I don't even play a sport." Akagi murmured.

"I don't care, I'll find you." She snarled.

Currently, Seirin, Akagi, Kobori and Moriyama (even though they graduated), Shutoku, Rakuzan and Touou along with Murasakibara and Tatsuya were making their way to Café Sundown, the venue for the Open Mic Night. As long as they had the time, they would've supported their friends, and as such, they never wanted to be late. They never wanted to get the worse seats.

They wanted to be in the centre of the establishment, cheering on their boys.

Upon reaching, they heaved a sigh of relief. There were a few people there, buying drinks and conversing over by the bar that was to the left of the area. The tables were spaced out against each other, allowing for room to walk.

The teens scanned the area for their preferred seats, but something caught their eyes. It was the sole blonde-haired girl that sat at one of the huge tables in the centre. She was laughing and conversing with the other four people of her table.

"Who's that?" Mibuchi asked, gazing at the mysterious girl. "I need to know the products that she's using. Her hair is absolutely gorgeous!"

Since her back faced the teams, they couldn't see her face.

"Guys…" Furihata started, "…that wouldn't be Reiko-san, would it?"

"Did she say she was coming?" Izuki asked. "Did she?"

"Well, Kise is her little brother, and she was kissing Kasamatsu so, yeah, of course she'd come." Akagi nodded.

"I still can't believe it!" Moriyama tore up. "Our little Kasamatsu is all grown-up!" He sniffled. "I remember the days when he was so young and couldn't even stand beside a girl!"

"Right! He even fainted a couple times!" Kobori joined in, wiping an imaginary tear.

"Moriyama-senpai, Kobori-senpai…that's —" Akagi broke off when he saw Akashi, standing beside the blond girl. "Akashi-kun!?"

Akashi had long left the group and approached the table where the mysterious girl was. She had turned to face him, lo and behold, she was indeed Kise Reiko. The four at her table were her best friends —Mai, Ayaka, Takeru and Asao.

"So, let's secure our seats first." Hyuuga said. "Five to a table!"

The teams scampered around and took up the tables nearest to the stage. The Seirin team—Riko, Hyuuga, Izuki, Koganei and Mitobe were at table one, while the Rakuzan team was beside them at table two. Reiko and her friends were at table three.

Behind Seirin at table four were Kaijou— Akagi, Hayakawa, Kobori and Moriyama. Beside them at table five were the freshmen trio along with Tatsuya and Murasakibara. At the following table six were Shutoku —Yuya (Miyaji's younger brother), Midorima, Miyaji, Ootsubo and Kimura. Behind Shutoku at table nine were the Touou team (inclusive of Imayoshi even though he graduated).

And so, now that they've secured their seats, the teams interacted with each other since they were in a close cluster and even ordered drinks and food. It was an amicable atmosphere; Izuki dishing out his puns, enraging Hyuuga but making Hayama die of laughter. Mibuchi kept questioning Reiko about her hair products since her hair was even glossier than his. She happily entertained him, telling him her haircare secrets.

Almost half an hour passed and then heard a deafening screech coming from the direction of the entrance.

"Guuuyyysss! You made it!"

Everyone knew that voice all too much. It belonged to Kaijou's sometimes irritating ace, Kise Ryouta.

Catal Rhythm or rather, Alter-Ego had arrived.

If it weren't for the screech, the teams nearly wouldn't have recognized them. Kasamatsu sported a lovely electric blue hair colour styled differently than his usual hairdo for school. The pointy and wacky edges of his hairstyle had a lighter blue than the rest.

As for Kise, he had pulled back his now grey-ish silver hair into a small ponytail, his contacts were red.

Kagami didn't do much to his hair except to change the style, similar to Kasamatsu's. His eyes were hidden behind the shades.

Takao's hair had orange streaks to match with his orange contacts, while Kuroko remained as he was. The only added accessory the light-blue haired teen had was a beanie that hid most of his hair. Of course, a few strands escaped at the nape of his neck and at the sides of his face.

All five were dressed in regular clothing, their T-shirts were the shirts that Reiko had gifted them but apart from that, they wore nothing that made them stand out too much. Their hairstyles and colours were enough.

Behind the five boys were Makio, Kenji and Ren; Kiyotaka and Nobuzane had business to attend to so they were unable to come.

"Of course we'd come, Kise." Aomine said with a big smirk. "I took the time out of my schedule for this, so we better play a one-on-one after."

"While it is appreciated, Aomine-kun," Kenji started, his face darkening. He knew that if Kise should accept that offer, the boy would be pushed to use his Perfect Copy and then probably destroy himself. And while Kenji would want them to have their fun as teenagers, Kise was now an Idol. And there were events that he has to attend in the near future which would require him to dance. "Kise-kun cannot accept your offer. I'll let you know when you can milk as many one-on-ones as you possibly can play."

Aomine didn't mind that at all. Putting this one off for many more another time? Of course the hotheaded ace wasn't going to let this pass. "Sure!"

"Kenjicchi…" Kise whimpered, looking like he was about to cry. "…did you just…plan my death or something?"

Kenji smiled. "Why would I want to kill you? You're my precious war potentials. Can't have you dying before you conquer the world."

Makio softly chuckled and shook his head. What the boys didn't know was that Kenji didn't just view them as such. The five had long wormed their way into the man's heart and he sees them as his children that he needed to protect.

But of course, Makio wasn't going to tell the boys that.

So, for now, he sat back and watched the festivities before him.

…

…

Then, after minutes of waiting, they saw a lone female walk onto the stage. She took the mic and with a grin she greeted them with much excitement.

"Good evening everyone!" she chirped. "Welcome to another Open Mic Night!" The audience applauded, indicating their agreement. "Thank you all for joining us, we're super excited to have you all here. My name is Kitajima Fumika, the Coordinator of Events here at Café Sundown.

"On behalf of all our sponsors, our board and everyone else who keep this running, I'd like to thank you for coming to our Open Mic Lover's Night.

"As some of you are regulars, I'll let you know that there will changes to this Open Mic. What are they? It'll be done in two sections, soloists and bands."

"Really?!" Someone screamed out.

"Yup. We got quite a few soloists signing up this week."

In the crowd, Riko wondered the reason for this. "Quite a few? Is it because of the theme for this week?"

"I guess." Hyuuga shrugged.

Even they had done their research on the establishment and found that Café Sundown's Open Mic often time had bands performing. The café had always attracted bands thanks to them providing a drum set and keyboard. Typically, if bands were performing at any given venue, they'd have to carry their own instruments —that included a drum set with which the poor drummer has to saddle with.

Keyboards could be carried in road cases, but the café still supplied it. Once upon a time, a piano used to be instead but due to tuning issues, the owners decided to use a keyboard.

"Maybe soloists want to charm the crowd. Who knows?" Izuki joined in. "I'm just glad that our boys got in."

"Right."

"So please put your hands together for our first performer, Enju-san!"

The audience applauded as a tall young woman took the stage with her acoustic guitar. And when she started to sing, everyone stopped and listened.

…

…

The soloists were not bad at all. Sure, to the trained ears of Alter-Ego, they'd naturally pick up faults in pitch and melody, but the performers weren't outrightly terrible.

"Senpai…I'm nervous." Kise whispered as he watched the soloist belt out a beautiful love song.

"Well, that's natural." Kasamatsu replied. "I mean, if you weren't, I would've thought you weren't human."

"What?" The ace looked stupefied.

"It's natural to be overwhelmed with emotions right now, especially nervousness. We've never done this before, and we're going up in front of a crowd. The only thing saving us would be the faces of our teams."

"But what if I forget the —"

"Forget anything and I'll kill you." The captain hissed out, his eyes not leaving off of the soloist.

"Senpai!" Kise whined. He knew Kasamatsu was joking anyway.

With a softened expression, Kasamatsu sighed and said, "Just do your best. Even if you mess up, we'll just keep on going until you catch us back."

"But it's going to be embarrassing!"

"It's even more embarrassing if you mess up and don't do anything about it."

"Boys…" Makio sighed as he listened to their banter. Kenji was beside him, not giving a care in the world. "…aren't you going to do something about them?" The drummer asked the manager.

"What's there to do?" Kenji said. "Boys will be boys."

"You…" Makio was close to strangling Kenji. But, he didn't want to end up in jail with a criminal record.

Just then, the song came to an end, and the entire Café applauded the young man as he exited the stage. Promptly, the five boys of Alter-Ego got up and whisked themselves through a passageway that led to the back of the stage. Another performer headed up the stage, and it was after them would be Alter-Ego's turn. So, while in the wings, the boys tried to keep their nerves in check. Kasamatsu did his regular breathing exercise, while the others tried to calm him down.

"Remember, we have two songs to sing." Takao said, his voice trembled. "And I'll play it in…" He let out a gasp. "Which chords do I use again? I forgot!"

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. It was Kasamatsu, and even though he looked like he was about to tumble over any minute, he said, "Keep calm. Take deep breaths."

"Funny, coming from the guy who's always in labour." Takao chuckled. The others did too.

A smile appeared on the captain's face. "If anything, why don't I start out first? You know, getting the crowd's attention while you guys get acclimated."

"How?"

"Here's what we'll do…"

…

…

"Shit!" A man hissed as he drove into the parking lot. "I'm late!" He hurriedly parked and scrambled out of his car, bolting for Café Sundown. "All because of the fucking traffic! Where did it come from anyway!?"

Luckily the venue was not far from the parking lot, and within five minutes of running, he made it to the door. Entering, the man quickly found a seat, heaving a sigh of relief that he was just in time.

"The first band to hit the stage will be Alter-Ego! Give them a round of applause!"

"Tear the house down, Yuko!" The man almost screamed as he rose to his feet. It was then that Kasamatsu's eyes locked onto the man in the back, and a smile appeared on his face as he mouthed:

"Dad."

Kasamatsu Mitsurou was indeed glad that he hadn't missed Alter-Ego's performance.

…

…

"Alright everyone!" Fumika said after the performer left the stage. "Now, it's the bands segment!" The audience roared when they heard this. Especially the teams. "I see you're all excited! Good, good. The first band to hit the stage will be Alter-Ego! Give them a round of applause!"

Seirin, Kaijou, Rakuzan, Shutoku and Touou along with Akagi, Tatsuya and Murasakibara screamed and applauded rather loudly at the mention of their friends' name.

The five boys walked onto the stage with an aura of dominance about them. No one knew how nervousness wrecked them backstage but now, they looked as though they could conquer the world.

"Tear the house down, Yuko!"

Kasamatsu looked in the direction of the scream and saw a tall man, dressed in formal clothing. But there was no way Kasamatsu wouldn't recognize him. Add to that, he called him Yuko.

"Dad." The captain mouthed, not wanting the mic to pick up his voice. A smile graced the vocalist's face and he felt even more empowered to do his utmost best. So, getting in gear, Kasamatsu started.

"Hello, good night everyone!" The Blue Elite said as he stood at the front mic. The others nestled at their instruments quickly while Kasamatsu engaged the crowd. "How are you today?" A round of applause came his way. "Well, tonight's theme is Love, so I imagine all the couples in here having a good time tonight, right!?"

Chuckles came from the crowd. When they had first arrived, Kasamatsu made sure to study the audience that he was going to perform in front of. He saw a few flirting, he saw a few kissing and holding hands and he saw some just being friends. He wanted to know how to handle the crowd before he reached onto the stage.

"We are Alter-Ego! Tsukki is on the drums, Hiroki is the Lead guitar, Ryuusen is the bassist and Yurei is our keyboardist! And me, I'm Kishi, vocalist. Thank you for lending us your ear! Let's go!"

Ooohhh ohhhh
ooohhhh

Kasamatsu's soft voice echoed throughout the café, and immediately, he had grabbed their attention. Kuroko played the right keys in pianissimo, adding to the setting atmosphere.

I hung up the phone tonight
Something happened for the first time deep inside
It was a rush, what a rush

'Cause the possibility
That you would ever feel the same way about me
It's just too much, just too much

Why do I keep running from the truth?
All I ever think about is you
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized
And I've just got to know

The moment Kasamatsu reached the third stanza, he sang stronger, with a lot more emotion as if to emphasize his inner conflict of being in denial and admitting his feeling for this girl.

But as soon as Kasamatsu finished this stanza, Takao, Kagami and Kise came in full force with their instruments, giving the song more depth and sounding less like a ballad.

Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?

Kasamatsu being Kasamatsu, had the others join in as backups during the third and fourth lines of the chorus, somewhat overlaying his voice and giving that part of the song an extra umph.

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way you do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy

While Kasamatsu sung, he deliberately sucked in a breath during the first line, creating some sort of hesitancy to capture the mood.

"Dang, he's good." Takeru whistled in shock. He then turned to Reiko and asked, "Where'd you discover them from?"

Reiko's face turned blank. "You don't listen, do you?"

"Huh? I don't remember you saying anything about Alter-Ego." Mai joined in.

"Of course I didn't." The blonde sighed. "I told you guys that I wanted to check out this café and then I found out about the Open Mic."

Reiko never told them about the identities of the band members —or rather, she withheld the identities of the vocalist and drummer. Her four friends had met Kasamatsu the night he accompanied her to her ball, and everyone knew her little brother.

And then again, she felt that there must've been a reason for them to hide their identities anyway.

"Oh, I love this part!" Ayaka chirped, causing them to refocus to the band on stage.

See it's a chance we've gotta take
'Cause I believe that we can make this into something that will last
Last forever, forever

"Oh gosh! His voice is beautiful!"

Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy

Why do I keep running from the truth?
(Why do I keep running?)
All I ever think about is you
(All I ever think about…)
You got me hypnotized, (hypnotized)
so mesmerized (mesmerized)
And I've just got to know

While Kasamatsu sang the full chorus, Kuroko sang the adlibs. With his mellow voice, it gave this part of the song a soft tone, setting the mood and somewhat building towards the next part.

Do you ever think when you're all alone
All that we can be, where this thing can go?
Am I crazy or falling in love?
Is it real or just another crush?

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way you do?
'Cause I'm trying and trying to walk away
But I know this crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
This crush ain't goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy
Goin' away-ay-ay-ay-ayy

When the song came to an end, the audience applauded them, and of course, their friends made the loudest of cheers. Mitsurou's jaws dropped. His son sung so well, hit every falsetto perfectly, utilized his head voice well, and not to mention the others. They were captivating as they played their instruments —the sound they produce were powerful.

Before Alter-Ego performed their second song, Kasamatsu once again conversed with the audience, while the others prepared. This time, the song was more of a ballad, but the five did their own arrangement to it. Takao and Kagami were required to play the Acoustic and Acoustic Bass guitars respectively, Kuroko remained on his keyboard, while Kise would provide the backing vocals.

Soon, Kuroko came in with the keyboard, setting the mood to calm. After playing a few keys, Kasamatsu came in with the first verse.

I've been alone so many nights now
And I've been waitin' for the stars to fall
I keep holdin' out for what I don't know
To be with you, just to be with you

Once again, the moment Kasamatsu opened his mouth, it was like the entire café was engulfed in silence. The teams were in awe at his voice, the softness was somehow comforting.

But not even a minute after, the other instruments came in, adding to the serene atmosphere.

So here I am staring at the moon tonight
Wondering how you look in this light
Maybe you're somewhere thinkin' about me too
To be with you, there's nothing I wouldn't do

"OMG!" Ayaka shrieked. "His voice is beautiful!"

"Damn, does he have a girlfriend?" Mai asked. "Because if he does, I'd like to say she's one lucky bitch."

Reiko didn't partake in their conversation. Instead, she focused on the stage and listened keenly to Kasamatsu's voice. She knew he could sing, but this was like hearing a totally different voice.

It was soft, touching, and pleasing to the ears.

She felt as though she could listen to him for the rest of her life and never get tired.

Mitsurou was tearing up, wishing his wife was here with him.

And I can't imagine two worlds spinnin' apart
Come together eventually…

Here, Kise joined in almost like a duet with his Senpai, shocking the entire venue. Although Kise's voice had the higher pitch, the two boys managed to blend their voices so well together.

And when we finally meet, I'll know it's right
I'll be at the end of my restless road
But this journey, it was worth the fight
To be with you, just to be...

Holding you for the very first time, never letting go (never letting go)
What I wouldn't give to feel that way...
Ooohh...

At the beginning of "holding", Kasamatsu sang more strongly, with Kise dropping in an adlib there. And when Kasamatsu continued to sing, hitting the high and long note at "way", gasps could be heard echoing.

"Fuck, he can sing." Aomine said, jaws almost dropping to the floor.

"Damn, good looking, good at basketball, good at dancing, good at singing…" Wakamatsu grumbled. "Why did he have to hog everything? What about the rest of us average Joes?"

"That's why you're only good at one thing." Imayoshi replied. "Because you're an average Joe."

"Captain!"

"You're the captain now, remember?"

While everyone else was looking at Kasamatsu and praising his voice, Momoi's eyes lingered on Kuroko. He played the keyboard with such poise and elegance, the pink-haired girl imagined him sitting around a grand piano, playing classical tunes in a theatre.

Oh, to be with you...

Oh, and I can't imagine two worlds spinnin' apart
Come together eventually

Once again, Kise joined in at the same areas, capturing the crowd's hearts yet again. But then, as they came to a pause at the "eventually" they entered a decrescendo, allowing the instruments to continue playing.

This caused the audience to reflect on the words just sung in accordance with the set mood.

And when you're standin' here in front of me
That's when I know that God does exist
'Cause He will have answered every single prayer
To be with you, just to be with you, yeah
You...

The song came to an end, and with a bright smile, Kasamatsu said, "Thank you for listening."

The other four joined in at the front stage, held hands and bowed respectfully to the crowd, before leaving the stage.

However, the audience was still in awe. Unlike the soloists, Kasamatsu's voice resounded more and sounded a lot better. The reason was simple, the Blue Elite was trained while the other's weren't.

"Holy shit." Hyuuga gasped out. "Kasamatsu was capable of that?"

Riko nodded absentmindedly. "I believe he's capable of much more too."

"You can't be serious."

"I am."

Backstage, Alter-Ego collapsed into a mile of mush.

"Oh, God. It's over!" Kasamatsu wheezed out, leaning against an equally crumbling Kise. "It's over! I thought I was gonna die!"

"At least you didn't have to remember the chords!" Takao and Kagami hissed out simultaneously.

"You know, I find it odd." Kuroko said. "You guys can perform in front of a crowd of thousands and yet, such a small venue here is making you nervous?"

"That's because it is a small venue!" Kasamatsu almost screeched. "The stage is so close to the crowd, and you're seeing their faces! In a crowd full of thousands, we aren't seeing them! There is a huge difference Kuroko!"

The light-blue haired teen sighed. He knew the older male was right, but he couldn't help himself.

"Alter-Ego, don't loiter in this area. Please return to your seats." The host said.

"Right. Sorry." They said shyly and returned to their seats. However, Kasamatsu made his way to where his father was, and gave the man a hug.

"You made it."

"Of course! The traffic almost made me miss it though."

"Where's Mom?"

"Work. She has a surgery today."

"Oh, damn."

"But boy! You can sing! I can't believe that it was you up there!"

Kasamatsu grinned at the praise. "Thanks. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the others."

Mitsurou ruffled his son's hair. "You have great friends, Yukio. I wish you all the best. You know I've got your back in this."

"Thanks."

"And since your performance is done, I have to go home. Your brothers are probably burning the house down."

"But isn't Gammi there?"

"Yeah, but she might fall asleep. Look at the time." Mitsurou sighed stressfully.

Kasamatsu face-palmed. "You're right."

With that, Mitsurou ruffled his hair once again before leaving. Kasamatsu then made his way back to his table.

For the remainder of the night, Alter-Ego enjoyed themselves with their friends, of course, the teams praising them on their vocals, instrumentals and overall, how they handled the crowd.

Makio ruffled Kasamatsu's hair for a job well done in loosing up the crowd before they performed. It was a usual thing for even established musicians to do, so, for an unknown band to be able to snatch the crowd's attention like was a praiseworthy feat.

"Well done, boys." Kenji grinned. "I see a bright future ahead of you."

"Thank you!" The five chirped.

"We got the songs ready!" Kise said excitedly, stretching across the table to hold Kenji in his sleeves. He ignored the angry screeches of the others when he spilled their much-needed orange juice.

"Kenjicchi! Senpai completed the lyrics to our second song and we added the instrumentals!" The ace said with glee. "I can't wait for you to hear them!"

"They're Et Cetera and Flag on the Hill, right?" Kenji asked.

"Yes!"

"Wait just a damn minute." Makio joined in. "I'm Alter-Ego's manager and you want Catal Rhythm's manager to hear your songs? How messed up is that?" He huffed. "Make up your damn mind."

"Aww, Makkicchi." Kise cooed, in order to soothe the huffing drummer. "You know what I mean…"

"No, I don't." Makio deadpanned.

"Can you shut the hell up now? I'm trying to listen to the performances!" Kasamatsu hissed out.

"Sorry."

From then on, Kise made sure to whisper to anyone he was talking to, but for the most part, they sat and watched the performances.

…

…

Now that the Open Mic was over, Alter-Ego didn't head straight home. Instead, they lingered a bit, for the most part, the others conversed with their teammates while Kasamatsu went off and interacted with the host and other contestants.

Kenji and Makio watched the boys from their seats, and while the former didn't know much about rock bands, he's been doing his fair share of research.

"Kasamatsu-kun is already on the ball, huh?" Kenji said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, he is." Makio replied, somewhat absentmindedly. His eyes never left the blue-haired teen, a look of nostalgia in his eyes. The young man remembered his days when he was in a band, and a part of him felt pained that it came to an end.

"Makio-kun?" Kenji called, waving a hand in front of his eyes.

"Huh? Yes?"

"You okay? You seemed to be in your own little world…"

Makio wore a solemn smile. "It's just that seeing Kasamatsu interact with the others made me nostalgic."

"Oh." Kenji replied. He already knew Makio's history, so he never brought it up. Plus, Kenji deemed it would be a touchy topic so he never put the drummer in a situation where he would be forced to talk about it. "Do you think…that's why Kise-kun chose you?"

Makio laughed, loud and hearty. "As if! He just wanted someone to torment!"

"Are you sure?"

"No…"

Now it was Kenji's time to laugh. However, he didn't press; instead, he left it at him being weird. Kise and Makio have known each other for years through Ruiko so he shouldn't be surprised at this reaction.

"Hmm?" Makio said, suddenly sitting forward attentively.

"What's up?"

"Kasamatsu is leaving with Reiko." The drummer replied. "Tell me something, are they dating? Ryou won't tell me anything and their interactions are a bit…"

"I wish."

"Huh?!"

"Don't make such a ruckus!"

"How can I not when you said something like that!? You just said that you wished Kasamatsu and Reiko were dating! Isn't he an idol?! What's gonna happen when the nasty paparazzi find out!?"

Kenji sighed. Is he cursed to get the loudmouths to work with? "They make a cute couple and I know Kasamatsu-kun has feelings for her. He's just being stubborn."

"What about her?"

"She looks like she's getting there."

"And what about the paparazzi?"

"They won't know. As it is, no one knows the identity of Catal Rhythm. How are they gonna write an article about someone whose face they've never seen? Plus, the company allows our employees to date. It's just that the public never receives the news with open arms."

Makio snorted. "Even if you allow your idols to date, you guys need to revamp your marketing of them. That's where the fucking problem is."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when I look at how companies market their groups, it's like they're setting them up for bondage. If you début a group or is about to, and the image you attach to them is the "perfect boyfriend" kind of thing, female fans are going to be ensnared by this, and the delusional little bitches are gonna think that the idols are their boyfriends.

"They're gonna gloss over the fact that they are allowed to date because really, when they're singing those songs, who are they singing to? The fans. Looking at a video, the bitches feel as though the guys are looking into their eyes. And, these idols are pretending to be the perfect boyfriend for years, so naturally, all they're doing is dumping a shitload of fuel onto an already blazing fire. Trust me, delusion is one hell of a thing, you know.

"And that is why, I believe idols have been and are suffering so much. If you have a product and promote as X, then the target audience is gonna take it as X."

Kenji looked at Makio slack-jawed.

This has always been an issue, but why didn't they see it from this angle? Sure, Aihara Productions have always tried to be humanitarian to their employees, but by no means were they perfect or saints. The company has their shitload of flaws too.

But hearing this coming from a rock fan, someone who was once a drummer in a band was really something.

"I…we…" Kenji couldn't even find the right words to say.

"You what?"

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me, I'm just sick of the fuckery that's been going on. Plus, if you want to truly thank me, continue doing what you've been with the boys. I think those adorable, yet pesky little shits are perfect for the job."

Kenji sighed. "I think you're confused there, Makio-kun." He referred to the older male's latter statement. "You can't choose whether they are adorable, pesky or little shits, huh?"

The drummer smiled. "Indeed."

…

…

"You were pretty awesome tonight, Yukio!" Reiko chirped, slapping him on his shoulder. "Your vocals are no joke!"

Kasamatsu chuckled. "You thought they were before?"

"No…" she pouted. "…it's just that you sound…different?"

Kasamatsu knew what she meant. A sigh escaped his lips before he answered. "In a group, we sing in different tones, keys and octaves so that everyone's voices can mold together and produce a good sound." He said. "Singing solo lets the voice loose, so to speak."

"So…have you ever thought of singing solo?"

"Never!" Kasamatsu replied quickly. "I feel comfortable with my boys on the stage with me. I can't think of a day going on the stage without them."

"But isn't it the same as Alter-Ego? You're singing by yourself, aren't you?"

"Well…" Kasamatsu started. "…for now. For the band, we planned for Takao to have like 5 tracks like a mini-album kind of thing. And Kuroko's voice would be on the hidden tracks."

"What about Ryou and Kagami-kun?"

Kasamatsu grinned. "That's a secret that no one knows yet. Of course I won't spill it to you either."

"Awww, come on! Don't be like that!"

"It's a surprise! A surprise!"

Reiko huffed and folded her arms. "Fine. But I hope I get backstage passes to your concerts in the future."

"If you buy the V.I.P ticket." The captain shrugged. "I'm sure that you'll get our albums for free. You can't be greedy now."

Reiko was not amused.

Then, Kasamatsu checked his watch and noticed that time was already far spent. He never wanted her out so late, and worse, he didn't know where she lived.

"Isn't it about time you head back home?" He asked. "I mean, I don't want you out late…"

Reiko laughed. "I'll be fine. I drove here."

Kasamatsu was not persuaded. "I've seen where murderers lay in wait at your house. Getting there isn't always where the shit happens."

"Haa…you have a point there." She shuffled on her feet before looking back at her friends. "I guess I gotta go for real. We have a test Monday and I doubt Takeru studied."

"Can I at least walk you to where you parked?"

"Sure."

The two then proceeded to leave the area, while everyone else was busy chatting and socializing. But of course, this didn't go unnoticed by Kenji and Makio and of course, Kise.

The two exited the establishment and walked rather slowly down the pavement. The street was still busy, but then again, Yokohama was always busy no matter the time of day…or night.

"So, when did you figure out you could sing?" Reiko asked, fiddling with her fingers. She felt so nervous and awkward being alone around Kasamatsu that she began to wonder if she was losing it. He was her friend and her brother's Senpai, so there shouldn't have been a reason for her to act this way.

Kasamatsu laughed. "Ever since we agreed to become trainees and were taught."

"Wait." The blonde couldn't believe this. "Someone could acquire the skill to sing?"

"Yeah. I mean, it takes a lot of work and dedication, but it can be done. Look at us. We were all screechers except for Takao, and now we sound like gods."

"Gods? Pfft!"

"Your brother's words not mine."

"Right…" Reiko didn't believe him at all. This was one thing she liked about him, the way he says bullshit with such confidence it actually sounds believable.

"Don't believe me? Ask him then."

"I will."

Once again, the two descended into silence, walking towards the parking lot. It wasn't that far away from the venue, about a couple blocks. Upon reaching the parking lot, Kasamatsu followed her to her car and watched as she texted Mai, telling the other girl that she was ready and waiting.

"I wish you all the best on this venture, Yukio." Reiko smiled at him, making the captain's heart palpitate out of control. "I'm sure you guys have it in you to conquer the world."

Face reddening from the blush, he could only manage, "Th-tha-thanks."

Seeing his weakness, she decided to continue. "You know, if this were a shoujo manga, this scene would be a perfect one. You know —"

"Are you saying that this is where I'm supposed to kiss you?" Kasamatsu was no stranger to shoujo, thanks to Takao and Kise. Even though the two read all genres of manga, these days they've been on a shoujo spree.

"Yukio!" Reiko screeched, reminding Kasamatsu too much of Kise. Her face was beet red, looking flustered.

"Not so loud!" The captain hissed, covering his ears.

"It's your fault! Why would you say something like that out of nowhere?!"

"It's because you said…!" Kasamatsu stopped and dragged a hand over his face. "…let's forget it."

"Right."

"But anyway, Ken-san and the others are probably hunting down the place for me, are you sure you're okay here?"

"Of course! Remember what I told you! I'm not some useless damsel! And if push comes to shove I can always run."

"Rei, don't take this —" The captain gasped and covered his mouth. He had unintentionally called her "Rei".

"Well, well, well, what's this, Yuki?"

Kasamatsu started to blush. He didn't know why, but whenever he's around Reiko, not only could he speak freely, his heart raced out of control. He got nervous sometimes whenever she did certain things. It's almost as if his body was going haywire around her.

"It just slipped out! That's all!"

"Well, I don't mind. My close friends call me Rei too."

"So…I'm a close friend?"

"You could say that."

Kasamatsu visibly sagged. Reiko rose an eyebrow in confusion. "That's good." The captain said. "I'm glad we're on good terms." But she could hear the dejection in his voice.

"You seem a bit —"

"Oi! What are you doing here?!" A rough voice barked from behind Kasamatsu.

"Rei-chan! He didn't do anything to you, right?!" Mai asked, worriedly.

"No, he just volunteered to walk me here. He was worried about me." Reiko replied.

"Sure, you can sing, but Kise is off-limits." Asao hissed into Kasamatsu's face. The Blue Elite found it odd that they didn't recognize him, after all, they didn't try that hard to hide their identities. Their hair colours were altered with the coloured hair wax that's all the rage these days, they placed coloured contacts in their eyes and their outfits were pretty simple.

"Thanks for the compliment." Kasamatsu replied. "And don't worry, I know where the boundary is." He then walked away from the group after he waved goodbye to the blonde-haired girl.

"Is it just me, or did what's-his-name look a bit like Kasamatsu?" Takeru asked. "His voice sounded similar too."

Asao looked at the taller male. "What are the odds…"

…

…

"Finally! Home at last!" Takao shrieked as Kenji drove into the underground parking. "I'm going to take a nice, long, shower to ease my nervous bones!"

"It wouldn't make sense to do that now." Kenji sighed.

"I know, I know, but I just want to wash off the evening."

"I'm just going to sleep." Kasamatsu groaned out.

"No way. I wanna know where you disappeared to with Reiko-nee." Kise said with a smug look on his face. Kasamatsu was shocked. The venue was crowded, and he was sure that they had slipped away unnoticed.

"How the hell did you even see us?! What are you? A fucking radar!?"

"Kasamatsu-kun, language." Kenji said.

"Sorry." The captain said. There was silence for a while before he said again, "T'es quoi? Un putain de radar?!"

"Gasp! Comme c'est grossier !" Kise screeched indignantly.

"Oi! You bratty fools! I didn't mean you should argue in another language!" Kenji yelled back. "And Kasamatsu! Aren't you learning English? How are you speaking French?!"

"I let Kise teach me to see if he's learning in his classes."

"That's good. So tell me, what did you say to him?"

"A translation of what I said earlier."

"And I told him he was rude." Kise added.

Kenji didn't answer, instead, he pulled up at the entrance drivers would use. He decided to leave them to their own devices. He didn't have the energy to fight with them right now. Kenji then turned and faced them, with a serious look. "Go get some sleep."

"But what about you?"

"I have fifty million things doing thanks to you lot."

"Awww, I know you love us." Takao grinned, blowing a playful kiss in Kenji's direction. And pretending as though he could see it, Kenji dodged. "Ken-chan!" The hawk-eyed teen tore up.

"Bye Bye!" Kenji grinned as he sped off as soon as they all exited the van.

"Did he just…?"

"It's your fault."

Without further ado, the five boys headed up to their house and all collapsed into the conversation pit. Tonight, had ended in a success, but one thing the five boys of Alter-Ego knew was that this was just the beginning.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review!

Notes: Songs Sung by Alter-Ego: David Archuleta: "Crush", "To Be With You"

Songs mentioned: One Ok Rock: "Et Cetera", OLDCODEX: "Flag on the Hill"