Shin still couldnât believe it. Keigo was standing right in front of him, not ignoring him for once. He still remembered vividly seeing Keigo for the first time in years at D-Four Productions; Keigoâs rejection had been like a slap to the face. No matter how many times he had repeatedly reached out his hand, Keigo had always ignored it. The fact that Keigo was standing still in front of him, ready to listen, made his emotions soar - even if the other wasnât exactly looking directly at him.
As 2032 continued blasting from his phone, Shin only felt his emotions about the event amplify. âThis is a song for someone I thought Iâd be on a team with forever.â His own words from that performance echoed in his head; the performance where he had finally let go - or so he had thought - the burden of the past. No one would replace Keigo in his heart, but he could certainly make space for Kanade and the rest of DearDream.
His eyes followed Keigoâs every move, watching as the other bent down to pick up his phone. The conversation that had occurred on the bridge with Kanade before that performance replayed in his head. âThe feelings Iâd never get an answer to could only take shape in a song.â His feelings, all that he had ever wanted to tell Keigo was in the lyrics of 2032. He could still remember the concern written plainly on Kanadeâs face when they had talked about the meaning of the song lyrics. âThe truth is, you want to express those feelings to Keigo, donât you?â Now that he had that opportunity, he wouldnât waste it.
Shin took his phone from Keigoâs hands and began to examine it, leaving the song playing as he did so. His fingers quickly felt the small crack in the corner of the screen and he mentally berated himself for the mistake. At least it was a small crack, so he didnât have to replace the phoneâs screen.
âKurikaeshi kurikaeshi, toikakete wa. Kuuhaku no Answer.â
âKeigo,â choked out Shin, his voice full of emotion as they made eye contact. For a moment, he couldnât find the right words to say. But 2032 kept on playing, reminding Shin that even if he couldnât find the right words, the ones that expressed his feelings were more than enough. âI- I thought Iâd never see you again.â He started. There was so much more that he wanted to say, but this would be a good place to start.
Butterflies danced in his stomach, and Keigo knew he had made the wrong decision. He should have just turned around when he had the chance. Nothing good could come out of actually speaking to Shin for once, and the way he was looking at Keigo only confirmed it. They may have been friends before, back when they were both children, but now it just felt awkward. Even though running from the past wasnât the best option, it sure seemed like the easiest one.
Why was the stupid song still playing? Why hadnât Shin turned off his phone yet? Some people around them were already glaring, clearly annoyed by the music. Others recognized them (Shin, mainly, since Keigo was still just a rookie), and started taking pictures with their phones. The whole atmosphere felt way too tense, and the blond knew that this would not look good in the media.
He heaved out a small sigh, âIf you want to talk, I think we should go someplace else. After allâŠâ Green eyes wandered over the people at the station, who had effectively created a circle around the two. If the audience thought something dramatic was going to happen between the two boys, they were out of luck.
âIma dokoka tooku atarashii kyou de⊠ano egao wo torimodoseta kana.â
Wow, the lyrics were really hitting close to home now. It felt a bit like they were describing how he felt all those years ago, but especially after he had first met Yuto. For most of his life, Keigo had felt apathetic to most things. He thought that life would take away everything he cared about, so there was no point in caring in the first place. Still, Yuto opened his eyes and it made Keigo wonder whether he could really enjoy show business again one day⊠with ShinâŠ
His hands shook slightly, partially due to the song and partially due to the fateful encounter. He closed his eyes, attempting to get a hold of his emotions, âOh, and could you turn off the song?â He didnât want to break down there and then, not in front of a crowd, and especially not in front of Shin.Â