There was no fiery shounen-style huddle before going on stage, nor the trademark "A, A, O" chant of a girl band anime. This nameless band simply walked up the steps and stepped into the stage where the audience's eyes met the glare of the spotlights.
Thud!
The microphone gave a dull burst of noise as it came to life. Holding his electric guitar, Haru stood to the left of the little penguin vocalist. On the right stood the stray cat, whose fingers, with just the lightest touch on the strings, tore forth waves of sound.
The sea of faces below made the penguin a little nervous. But she was no longer the timid girl she once was. With only a swallow, she steadied herself, though the hand clutching the microphone still trembled slightly.
"Hello everyone, we're a band that came together just for today."
"Even up until stepping on stage, we still haven't thought of a name… We didn't even have much time to practice. But we'll give everything we have to play… Please, listen to this, our original song…"
Her halting words grew firm, like the heartbeat of courage awakening from slumber. Tomori instinctively glanced at the black-haired boy beside her, catching only his deep black eyes, amused yet unwavering.
It was unbelievable, how her heart instantly calmed down.
A warmth like fire spread from her chest through her body, filling her limbs and throat. The small body that was always curled up straightened at last, standing tall at the front of the stage.
She took a deep breath.
"Noraneko(Stray Cat)."
At the moment the girl called out, the band bloomed into sound. Gentle, winding notes shimmered from the glowing steel strings of the guitar, like a ray of golden sunlight piercing a street corner.
The tender prelude seeped like melting snow into cracks in the ground. Guitar arpeggios fell like raindrops against the synth, and the smooth, gentle melody carried the girl's voice to its fullest. In just an instant, it trembled against the soul.
The revolving lights swept across her cheeks, scattering into countless specks among the crowd, like fragments of cherry blossoms refracted through a prism. There was no desperate screaming or forced passion, only calm sincerity, emotions drawn from the heart.
"…"
A faint smile spread across Raana's face. Holding her warm guitar, her gaze drifted back to an afternoon bathed in sunset. Behind her was no longer the warm-toned stage, but the familiar Live House entrance.
Her fingers traced the strings, pouring out a melody of warmth. Her mismatched eyes glimmered faintly as her guitar entwined with his, forming a chord powerful enough to resonate with the world, melting into the glow of the sun.
Music could build bridges between people. The audience had already fallen completely under the spell of the gentle song. At the very back, an elderly white-haired woman leaned on her cane, her eyes shining as she watched the stage.
As the last guitar overtone faded into the roar of the ventilation fans, the audience still couldn't return to themselves. They were even afraid that clapping might recklessly shatter the air so steeped in tenderness.
"This song, Stray Cat, is for all of you… thank you, truly."
The little penguin, clutching the mic, seemed to finally relax. Her words of thanks pulled the audience back to reality, and applause spread like seashells left scattered and damp after the tide receded, echoing through the hall in waves.
Haru drew in a long breath, turning his gaze toward Raana.
The short-haired girl with snow-white locks stood upright on the stage. Her head tilted back toward the lights glowing like the sun itself, sweat gleaming on her face, yet her smile was more radiant than ever.
"Hmph-hmph~"
The cat, sharp in her instincts, seemed to sense Haru's gaze. Humming proudly to herself, she glanced his way, her mismatched eyes sparkling with light, as though no one in the world could be more exhilarated than she was.
Her breathtaking smile etched itself into his vision.
Seeing the small white-haired cat so brimming with joy, Haru couldn't help but smile in turn. In that instant, he knew without a doubt that all the late nights and effort poured into composing Stray Cat had been worth it.
Tomori, her cheeks flushed, let out a breath. Only after hearing the audience's enthusiastic applause did she finally begin to calm down.
"Even though… we're just a temporary band, one that doesn't even have a name, we're still so grateful for everyone who listened. Next, we'll play another song, so please—"
"SPACE."
The sudden word from Haru left the girls around him blinking in confusion.
The penguin looked lost, Taki, still secretly wiping away tears, froze in place, and even Umiri raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
Only Raana, standing at the edge of the stage, widened her eyes. Her mouth opened slightly as her gaze locked entirely on Haru.
"Let's call the band 'SPACE'."
A self-assured smile spread across Haru's face. No one voiced any objections. Even Taki gave a small, helpless laugh and nodded. The warm orange stage lights grew brighter and brighter.
Raana stood dumbstruck for a moment. Then, as though she understood what Haru meant, her mismatched eyes curved like crescent moons, and her delicate, lovely face blossomed into a dazzling smile.
The penguin nodded too, her own expression lightening.
"…Yes. We are 'SPACE'."
"Then… please listen to our next song—"
…
When the final overtone of the last song dissolved into the stage lights, the Live of "SPACE" finally reached its end. Even as Haru stepped down from the stage with his guitar, the chants of "Encore" still echoed in his ears.
The success of the performance was undeniable. The audience's passion had surged to its peak.
"Never thought they'd demand encore after encore… we ended up adding several songs beyond the setlist."
Taki rubbed her sore arm, her violet eyes like autumn waters shimmering with fatigue. But her back remained straight, her stubbornness refusing to betray even a trace of weariness.
Though she was a drummer trained for years, her strength and stamina far greater than most girls, even the best endurance would crumble after hammering through so many songs at full force.
Yet no matter how sore her shoulders grew, she would insist she was fine.
"Yah?!"
The proud Taki let out a startled cry. Haru had suddenly leaned in close, his hands massaging her strained shoulders and arms without so much as asking.
If it were in private, she might tolerate his touch. But with Umiri, Tomori, and even the stray cat all watching, her paper-thin composure instantly burned bright red.
"Y-you… what are you doing?!"
"Just massaging a bit. Otherwise, you'll be in pain tomorrow morning."
"N-no need! This much is nothing. And besides, everyone's watching...hey!"
The once-tough, unyielding Taki melted in an instant. Her sharp violet eyes, usually so blade-like, now darted nervously as if searching for an escape. Her flushed cheeks burned as though she'd drunk herself senseless.
So that's how it is...turns out Taki can actually sound like a girl.
As her face turned crimson to the point of bursting, Haru, having perfectly hit her "embarrassment" limit. Let go in time, turning instead to the penguin.
"Tomori, after singing so long, your throat must be sore, right?"
"…It's fine. For this performance, I just felt… really happy."
The penguin clenched her tiny, harmless fists, her cute face glowing with a smile. Umiri, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow at that, then allowed a faint, knowing smile to play on her lips as she looked toward Taki.
"That's true. I felt really happy as well."
"After all, it was the first time the three of us performed together with you and Haru."
Her eyes flicked back and forth between Haru and Taki.
"Don't be ridiculous… you wouldn't get happy over something like that."
Taki tried to snap back, her cheeks still red, but without her usual sharp gaze, the words lost all edge. Instead, her cuteness showed through more clearly than ever.
The Live had left all three girls visibly elated. Only Raana clung to Haru's arm, her small hands locked tight around it like a sleepy koala unwilling to let go.
Haru chuckled softly at the sight, brushing away a bead of sweat from her nose.
"Raana, how was it today?"
"Ex-hi-la-rating~"
The cat swung her head lazily, deliberately stretching out her words. She had played until her fingers went sore, her whole body drenched in sweat, yet her heart was happier than she ever imagined.
It was the most joyful Live she'd ever played.
Her lips curled into a smile, then her lovely little face softened with realization. She lifted her small white head, rubbing gently against his chest with the sweetest of smiles.
"Haru~ thank you~"
"Love you~ the~ most~"
That was… hard to handle.
But what choice did he have? He was devoted to pure love.
Though right now, he admitted… she had the stronger hand.
Hit with such a straightforward confession from the innocent Raana, even Haru had to cough lightly, trying to cover his embarrassment. He put on a casual expression and asked instead:
"Raana, where did you pick up that weird way of talking?"
"Mocha."
"…What's that, a kind of coffee?"
While the group was still laughing and fooling around in the greenroom, a soft knock came at the door. The moment it opened, an elderly woman with graying hair stepped inside, her face still carrying the kind of sternness that could intimidate anyone.
The instant Tsuzuki Shifune entered, the girls instinctively fell silent.
Umiri exchanged a glance with Taki beside her. They didn't need words to understand each other, and so Taki gently took Tomori's hand, pulling the dazed little penguin along with her.
"Tomori, we've got other things to take care of."
"Huh?"
Still lost, Tomori let herself be pulled out by Taki. Umiri, bass in hand, gave Haru a small nod before following them out, even closing the door behind her.
In the blink of an eye, the large greenroom was reduced to just three people.
"Grandma~"
The tiny cat girl pursed her lips in a pout before darting straight to Shifune's side.
The grandmother's severe expression softened at once, even her tone lightening when she finally spoke.
"I just watched your performance from the audience."
Haru stiffened instinctively, straightening his posture.
If he guessed right, she was about to ask something like, Did you give it your all? Her attitude toward music and performance was harsher than anything else. Show hesitation, and she would scold without mercy.
But tonight's Live was different from before. Haru now had the confidence to answer her.
Yet to his surprise, Shifune's lips curved in a faint smile.
"This time, you all truly gave it everything you had. It was beautiful."
Ah, so she could wield the soft blade as well as the hard one.
"Hmph-hmph~"
The sudden praise left Haru blinking in confusion, but Raana was already grinning triumphantly. She spread her little arms like wings, her lips curling into a smile so smug it was almost funny.
Shifune looked at her with fondness, then spoke softly once more. "As an ordinary guitarist, you stood beside Raana and showed me a wonderful performance. I don't think I'll ever forget this temporary band of yours."
Haru's eyes grew steady, his expression serious.
"It's called SPACE. That's the name of our band, even if it's only temporary."
"And… thank you very much for your praise, Tsuzuki-senpai."
A gentle warmth flickered in Shifune's eyes as Raana tugged her to sit down on the sofa. Holding her cane loosely, she murmured, almost to herself:
"You're right."
For Raana, once upon a time, SPACE was what she called home. But Shifune had never thought it should be her final destination, which was why she resolved to close the Livehouse that had accompanied her for so many years.
What she hadn't expected was that Raana's final home would still turn out to be SPACE.
"Haru."
The stray cat didn't notice her grandmother's thoughts. Instead, she pouted and tugged at Haru's sleeve. Clearly, she didn't like hearing him address Shifune as "senpai."
He had promised her they'd both call her "Grandma," and yet here he was, using formal words. No wonder she was a little upset.
"Sorry, sorry."
Haru whispered an apology, ruffling her hair to soothe her.
But he still had things to say, important things, so he couldn't afford to relax just yet.
After a round of head pats and chin rubs, the little cat purred like a content kitten, and only then did Haru finally draw in a deep breath. He fixed his gaze firmly on the elderly woman before him.
"Last time, you asked me what I thought about being Raana's 'home.' Back then, maybe I wasn't mature enough… I couldn't give you a clear answer. But now… I can."
He turned to the girl at his side, her mismatched eyes brimming with pride, and said with solemn clarity:
"I want to be Raana's home. I'll keep her by my side for the rest of her life."
The future might be uncertain to most, but he had already made his decision. That was why, tonight, he used the name SPACE to give Shifune his real answer.
This answer was nothing like the one he had given before.
The white-haired cat wore the purest, happiest smile, like an ordinary girl in love who wanted nothing more than to cling to him like a house cat forever.
"Is that so?"
Shifune smiled faintly, unsurprised.
In truth, this was exactly what she had come to hear. She hadn't even needed to ask before the boy blurted out the answer himself.
She let out a long breath, then spoke in a tone full of weight.
"Raana is willful. Even I have trouble keeping her in line. I hope you'll be patient with her, no matter what happens, and always remain the place she can come home to."
"Yes, I understand."
Haru's black eyes were steady as he gave his reply.
From their very first meeting, Shifune had already spoken to him as a senior, even as a guardian. Now that role was sealed. Tonight, she had formally entrusted Raana to his care.
"Haru, from now on, you're the same as Raana."
"Call me Grandma, or Granny, whichever you like."
Though her rocker's temperament was free and easy, in matters like this she was stubborn. Haru had no reason to refuse. He smiled warmly and nodded.
"I understand, Grandma."
The abrupt address caught even her off guard. She coughed lightly, tapping the floor with her cane before speaking as casually as if she were commenting on the weather.
"Since we're here, why don't you take Raana to live with you?"
"Yes, I'd be glad—wait, what?"
Haru's startled face amused her. Shifune only chuckled and waved her hand.
"Her parents are abroad more often than not. And I'm getting too old to keep up with her."
"Since you've decided to be her home, then from today on… you'll take over the responsibility of caring for her from me."