When Aki had woken up in the hospital, there had been no one waiting by his bed.
He wouldn’t have expected it either way; he didn’t have many people in his life, not since his mother had passed. His bandmates had sent stuff, of course. Chocolates, flowers, balloons that read “Get well soon!”. But they had lives, and couldn’t spend most of them waiting for him to wake up from a three-day coma, unlike parents or siblings did.
Therefore, the first person he had exchanged words with had been his roommate. A man around his age, who had the top half of his face covered in bandages.
‘Hey, glad to see you up.’ He seemed sincere. How could he be so happy about the fate of a complete stranger? ‘My name’s Alex.’
They had introduced each other, talked a little bit. When Aki had mentioned he was a singer, Alex had laughed and nodded, pointing with his head towards the door.
‘Ah, I guessed you were someone famous. Every few days a paparazzi tries to sneak in and take some pictures, bribe the nurses for information.’
He must have seen the apprehension in Aki’s features, because he quickly added: ‘Don’t worry, though. Nothing has leaked.’
In a surprising turn of events, Aki had probably made his first real friend in years.
He had smiled, laughed. And when he had got discharged from the hospital, he had exchanged numbers with Alex, promising to meet again soon. For coffee, for a jamming session, since he liked to sing and played many instruments as well, or… simply to catch up.
And still, happy as he was, Aki couldn’t shake the feeling that he had lost something.
He couldn’t even begin to explain what it was. He had been on his car when the meteorite had stuck Shibuya – a rare occurrence, but definitely possible scientifically speaking – on the way to some photoshoot to promote his next album. His heart had stopped for a little bit over four minutes. The doctors had reanimated him and, surprisingly, hadn’t found any permanent brain damage due to the lack of oxygen. "You're extremely lucky", they had told him.
And yet, Aki knew something was wrong, deep inside.
His songs revealed as much. His pen furiously scribbling on the pages of his notebook, writing about a woman he didn’t know, that maybe he had seen only as he had been crossing the bridge between life and death. That he was certain he wouldn’t stop looking for, and would always hope to reunite with… even if it took him decades to do so.
Nothing could compare. No one.
───⋆☆─────────────
‘So your girl is a fan, huh?’ Aki asked, perfectly drawn eyebrows raised.
‘She is,’ Alex nodded, his face shining bright, like every time he talked about Cass. They had also met in the hospital; she had been a victim of the meteorite too. It had been love at first sight, on both parts, or that was what the blue-eyed man had said. ‘When I told her I was going to hang out with you she almost had a heart attack. She proceeded to show me pictures of her as a teenager, dressed in black, wearing the same makeup as you do now and to give me a Top 10 of her favorite songs of yours.’
Aki couldn’t help but laugh, finding it endearing. ‘And you think that if I played in her birthday party…?’
‘I would be crowned the best boyfriend ever.’
A warm smile extending over the long-haired man’s lips, painted dark purple. He pretended to think about it for a little bit. But they both knew what the answer was going to be.
‘Fine. I will sing on Cass’ birthday.’
───⋆☆─────────────
The day of the party came.
Aki didn’t know why he bothered putting on a show, he could have sat on a chair and sang without extenuating himself; the birthday girl’s eyes didn’t left Alex’s face, not even for a second, as she sang the lyrics (most of them about love) straight to him, stealing them from Aki and making them hers. Theirs.
This was, however, part of why he had become a singer, wasn’t it?
To make people feel things. Evoke emotions in them.
He was smiling when he finished his repertoire, leaving the mic there for an improvised karaoke contest organized by Cass’ brother, Hércules, who seemed to be as good of a showman as Aki was, even without the years of practice. He walked to the bar area to get a drink when he saw her.
A blonde woman, with long straight hair, a heart-shaped face. Freckles adorning it, beauty spots that Aki wished he could kiss, one by one. Had he died and gone to Heaven? No, but that was an angel was certainly walking amongst mortals. A goddess… like that of his dreams, whose face had always been hidden by some fog. But that he was sure looked very much like that of the girl.
He had to introduce himself. He had to approach her, ask her something. Whatever, it didn’t matter: how long had she known Cass for, if she liked the drink she was having, what was her favorite type of cake… He was scrambling his brains for something when she looked at him, smiled, and congratulated him for the concert.
Her voice. And the fact that he, who used his to earn a living, had lost his.
‘Thank you.’ He finally managed, with a croak. For existing, Aki added to himself, for approaching me.
He couldn’t let the opportunity pass. And that’s why he offered to pay for the woman’s next drink.
‘All drinks are free,' she laughed, but not at him. ‘The price was included in the reservation of the place.’
‘Then, let me give you my name. Aki.’
Would bowing to her be too much? Perhaps, but he was a strange man of strange customs, and so he did. She didn’t seem to mind, because she smiled and replied with a word Aki hoped he could say every single day from then on; Airi.
Night went on, ending with a kiss goodbye at her door and a promise to see each other soon.
‘In the morning, soon?’ A plea to a God. They were usually deaf, blind, and mute. But this one answered, curving the corners of her lips upwards.
‘Perhaps.’
───⋆☆─────────────
The next time he performed, Aki’s dark eyes darted across the room until they found hers. In the first row, the object of his devotion, love in the purest form.
He thanked everyone in the crowd for their attendance. Grinned at their exhilaration. Sang. But he had to apologize, secretly if he wouldn’t do it out loud, because his music today – and ever since she had walked into his life – was not for them, not really. It belonged to the person whose beating heart pumped blood at the same rhythm as Aki’s. Airi Takahashi.
No, I won't surrenderAt any costYou're something so sweet and tenderFrom my heart
Yes I've done my evilI've done my goodJust believe me honeyI won't let go of you
You are the oneAnd there's no regrets at all
Two souls that would always find themselves, no matter the circumstances. A love story being written, right before everyone's eyes.