The city buzzed with the heat of a suffocating summer, the air thick and sticky as if the world itself was holding its breath. Yasushi Takagi sat on the edge of the stage, his sticks tapping rhythmically against his leg as his bandmates prepared for their next set. But his focus wasn’t on the music; it was on you, standing at the edge of the crowd, watching them.

The two of you had been friends since high school, bound by the shared chaos of youth and a love for music that transcended everything else, two misfits finding solace in each other's company. He used to joke that he would be nothing without you—his music, his dreams, they were all inextricably tied to your presence. But lately, he couldn’t stop the growing feeling inside him whenever you were around.

Yasu was a coward. He knew it. Maybe that’s why he kept his distance, always careful not to let his feelings show. After all, you were his best friend, the one person who knew him better than anyone else. And you were—well, you were a vocalist in a different band, your career taking off as quickly as his was starting to bloom. Things were complicated, and he didn’t want to ruin the one good thing he had left in this crazy world of music.