Back in the large recording studio, the auditions began.

Kame found it increasingly hard to focus on the applicants. Not when the only person he was interested in listening to was right at the bottom of the long list. If time could pass any slower we’d be going backwards! He had to stop himself from clicking his tongue in impatience, and contented himself with fiddling with the ring he always wore on his last finger.

He was glad that the others seemed to be paying attention, however.

In what felt like the hundredth scenario that played in his mind, Jin did not even appear for some reason, and he knew that if he did not pick the next best person, his future as a producer would be going down the drain.

What he would do if something like that happened, he did not know. Luckily he still had Ueda, who would stand by him.

If Jin did not already occupy most of my heart… Kame found himself subconsciously thinking along those lines as he watched the next applicant start her song, but caught himself in time. He was not being fair to anyone by thinking things like this. Stop it. What you want is only someone that would help you forget about Jin. And that, is something you’re fully capable of doing on your own. Why drag an innocent friend into this entire mess? At the bottom of his heart, Kame knew he would never be anything more than just a good friend to another person. Not again.

But the fact remained that if Jin failed to turn up today…

His train of thoughts was broken once more by a painful poke in the ribs. “You haven’t really been paying attention, have you?” A voice whispered into his ear.

“Eh? Uh…” Kame could not think of a way to deny this without lying outright.

“Well, wake up. Because as you were daydreaming, I doubt you realized that we’re reaching the end of the list. In fact…” Ueda laughed as he eyed the door. “We are at the end of the list. It’s the moment of truth at last, my dear friend.” He turned to the girl that stood beside it. “Next!”

They watched as she walked out of the room to call in the next applicant, only Kame and Ueda clear of the significance of this person.

They waited.

Was it just Kame, or was time passing even more slowly now?

Tick, tock, tick, tock…

Ueda gave Kame a sideways glance that told him it was not merely his imagination, but that their assistant was indeed taking an exceptionally long time to return, and the butterflies resumed their fluttering in Kame’s stomach.

Please don’t tell me…

The door opened with a click.

Kame’s heart stopped, and he looked away. Was Jin walking towards their table now? He saw, from the corner of his eye, Ueda lifting his chin slightly in the direction of the door, though his friend did not make a sound. He felt a gentle tap on his arm. Was it a good sign or a bad? Was Jin looking terrible that day? His eyes remained fixated on the table before him. There was another tap on his arm.

It was only then that he noticed something was wrong.

There was only the sound of one set of footsteps approaching their table, and it was the sound of high heels clicking against the polished floor of the studio. There must be some mistake. A third tap on his arm was all it took for him to tear his eyes off the last name on the list and place his focus in the direction of the door. There was no Jin. All he saw was his assistant, looking rather weary, walking up to them and telling them that the last applicant was absent that day, and that it was time to round up the auditions. All the other hopefuls had left.

Kame plastered what he hoped was a detached expression on his face. He was acutely aware of Ueda watching him for any emotional change, but was determined all the same to not let anything show. He heard his friend tell the others that he had something to discuss with Kame before both of them left, and that he was grateful for the time they had spent that day. Then he heard the door click once more, leaving him and Ueda alone in the silent, empty studio.

“You’re disappointed.”

Disappointed, Kame thought, was an understatement.

Whatever people had said about high hopes leading to even higher degrees of disappointment was undoubtedly true. His heart felt as though it had contracted very quickly in a very short period of time, and try as he might, he could not bring himself to even put up a fake smile to tell his friend that he was alright. Was this how Jin had felt when Kame left without a word? Because if this was what Jin had meant Kame to feel by not turning up, he had succeeded.

“I think I need some time alone.” Kame muttered, walking towards the place where his guitar lay. Why he had even brought it that day, he did not know. Maybe he was just being delusional by hoping that he would be able to play the guitar while Jin sang once more, that he would be able to immerse himself in the beautiful way by which Jin’s vocals complemented the chords he strummed with his fingers a way his own voice could hardly achieve.

He dragged a long stool not unlike the one he always sat on in his smaller recording studio towards the centre of the large, empty room, and faced it in the direction of the long table behind which he had sat moments ago. Placing himself upon the stool, he rested the guitar on his legs and cast his eyes around the vacant studio.

He knew that any music he was about to produce at this point in time would only emit hopelessness, but he had to give their song one last go. One last go before it was placed in the hands of someone who could deliver it with, perhaps, less soul than its original composer, though at least willingly.

“kono mama mou tsukoshi dake kimi wo kanjitetai
gaadoreeu fukinuketeku shimetta kaze…

Ore no migikata yorikakaru, kimi wa sotto
nureta hoho wo te de nugutte tachi agatta…”

For some reason, he was no longer able to feel each note produced by his finger, each word voiced from his throat. He never thought something like that would happen to him, but for once, just this once… Music brought to him neither happiness nor fulfillment, but rather, a sense of loss.

Maybe he had been alone all this while, after all.

He stopped the music and plucked the ring off his pinky, taking careful aim at the door and throwing it in that direction with all his remaining strength. He watched sadly as it landed with a soft clink. That’s where all my memories should go. Out of sight, out of mind.

He resumed play, starting the song all over again.

Our story… Can I even continue calling this song ‘our story’?

***

Jin was running short of breath. Why did he have to miss the stupid bus? He berated himself for his indecisiveness, trying with all his might to run towards the building he had alighted before.

He was late; Very late.

I can’t believe I even spent so much money just to catch a cab here!

Tired of waiting for the bus after almost half an hour, he had decided to take a cab. However, it did not prove to be much faster anyway.

But it was going to be worth it, if he could finally take the first step towards his dream. It was going to be even more worth it if he could meet Kame along the way. But then again, maybe he was hoping for too much. He paused at the lift lobby of the tall building, resting his weight on either leg, impatient. The auditions must have ended already. He could hardly remember being this late for any event.

And why on earth was the lift taking so long?!

There was no time left. He had to get to the recording studio in the shortest time possible. Maybe he ought to take the stairs.

Level fourteen…

Taking one more glance at the lifts, which showed no sign of coming back to the first level, he ran for the stairway. This must surely be my most unglamorous debut! He could not help thinking as he struggled to catch his breath, hoping with all his heart that the auditions had not ended, or at least, that of judges had not left. After all, being almost more than two hours late, he could not blame anyone if he lost this chance.

Maybe he would get there in time to stop the judges from leaving and convince them to listen to him. Though he highly doubted he would be able to sing properly in such a state.

Level fourteen!

He looked around desperately at the doors lined along the corridor at that level, wondering which the one he ought to be entering was. Then, as if some miracle had occurred, he noticed a familiar figure come out from one of the rooms. Isn’t that Ueda Tatsuya? He then noticed, as well, that a row of empty chairs were lined against the wall outside that particular room, as though they had seated several star-hopefuls an hour or two before.

This was his last hope.

He bolted towards the producer, who seemed to be in little of a hurry, and managed to catch up with him within seconds. Short of breath, Jin stammered his words out in a hurry.

“I’m – I’m Akanishi Jin… Sorry I’m late… Are the auditions…?”

He watched as the other man’s eyes widened in surprise. Was it just Jin or did a flicker of recognition appear in his eyes? Perhaps the producer had noticed his name on the list?

“You’re Akanishi-san?” Ueda tried his best to hide his shock. So all hope is not lost, is it? It’s time for some quick-thinking, then. “Ano… Auditions are over…” He started, observing the man that was attempting, with great effort, to catch his breath, as though he had rushed over as quickly as possible. He saw a crestfallen look mar his features for a while. Ah, so this is the reason Kamenashi-san hates seeing him upset.

 “But I could make an exception for you, since you hurried over.” He continued. “Wait for me in the studio. I’ll be back in a while to listen to you. And in the meantime, try and catch your breath. Take it easy.” That is, if you can still remain calm after you’ve met your guy.

He smiled as Jin nodded immediately and entered the studio.

Someone’s going to be happy. He thought, as he walked in the opposite direction, imagining how the two friends would react to each other’s appearance. Kamenashi-san, you owe me one.

***

The first thing that Jin heard as he stepped into the dimly lit, almost-empty studio was the sound of a guitar. He stood there for a long while, taking in the soothing tune, immobilized by its beauty. It had been a long time since he had heard anything this emotional, this depressing. A tall, slim man was sitting on a high stool, silhouetted against a light from the far end of the room. This was one talented man. He had not heard such wonderful music since Kame had gone. Wondering who that man was, and if he had mistaken Ueda directions and entered the wrong studio, he considered backing out for a moment… Until he recognized the melody produced by the instrument in that man’s arms. .

It was all too familiar. Our story?

Yet, no voice sung to the melody; no sound completed the song. It was not meant to be this way, Jin thought. He tried to take a better look at the person strumming the guitar, but failed, for the person’s had his back faced to him.

However, it could not be who he thought it was. It must be some strange coincidence. He was about to take another step forward when he saw something glinting on the ground. Squatting down to pick it up, he saw that it was a ring. A ring, in fact, identical to the one he wore on his last finger.

He stood up quickly and compared both rings. This he was certain that he could not be mistaken about. He looked at the lean figure seated on the tall chair in the middle of the room again.

Is it really you?

Well, there was one way to find out for sure. He cleared his throat with as little noise as possible.

***

Kame paid no attention to the fact that the door clicked open again. It was probably Ueda, reluctant to leave him alone, in case he did something stupid. His worries were not unfounded, Kame thought to himself. But he need not have returned this time. Kame could handle this by himself.

Or at least, he thought it was time he learnt how to deal with things like this on his own.

He remained resolutely silent as he began strumming the chords for the chorus of the song, not wanting to destroy his last listen of it before he handed it over to another person to sing. A melody without a voice to complement it is never complete; Just as my life will never be full with the absence of that special one.

In that case, then, he was destined to lead an incomplete life.

Was he really?

“Our story, koko kara hajimaru
asu e no story, sorezore no chapter
Our story, arukidasu futari
Sayonara jyanai, sou ii kikasete…”

As he continued strumming the strings on his instrument, a voice suddenly joined in. A voice that was deep and strong, able to convey whatever Kame had been unable of doing all this time.

Could it be?

Yet, he dared not stop the music, fearing that the voice would vanish if he did not complete the song. He could not stop his fingers from moving, going through the familiar movements that he had been keeping to himself for that long period.

So there they remained, Kame with his back towards the friend he had been missing for so many years, and Jin, wanting to rush forward to embrace the figure before him. They were so near, yet so far.

But things were different now.

Though they were separated by a few steps worth of distance, they were connected in their hearts, the music they made together a link between two souls that were previously escaping from each other.

“I'm sorry...kanarezu mukae ni yuku yo
Our story, koko kara hajimaru
asu e no story, furimukanai de

wasurenai sono koe, wasurenai sono egao
wasurenai futari de kasaneta toki wo

tadayou mirai ni
tada aishiteru to itte hoshii…”

As his voice trailed off, the room resumed its previously silent state. With the last note on his guitar, Kame lifted his fingers from the strings. The voice was gone. Dare he turn around? Would he find himself facing an empty room, or something more?

He heard approaching footsteps, steps that were hesitant, almost afraid.

Someone else was in the room with him.

It was time to face the music. He turned around. There he stood, his long hair slightly unkempt, wearing a simple white shirt and faded jeans.

“I never thought I’d see you again.” Kame said the first thing that came to his mind, as he allowed the sight of Jin to overwhelm him. Close-up, he realized that the man had hardly changed since the last time they had met, except that he was thinner now, a look of weariness having seeped into his once immature features. They had both grown up, had they not?

“You look so grown-up now.” Jin was right in front of him, scrutinizing him closely with wide eyes, just as he had used to do in the past, when they had not met each other for more than a few days. It was that look of concern, of curiosity, that never failed to bring a smile to Kame’s face. Jin was like a little boy sometimes, looking at his best friend as though worried that he would forget these facial features he loved.

Possibly, not everything had changed.

“Our song was never complete without you.” Kame, after an internal struggle, spoke the words he had been keeping to himself all this time. He paused, wondering if he should continue. It’s now or never.

“You… will be here to keep this song whole, won’t you?”  

Jin did not know what to say, and could do little more than looking as shocked, joyful and excited as he felt. He only hoped that this was not a figment of his imagination. If only he could reach out to envelope those slim fingers within his own again…

“Can I really?” He asked. Seeing that approving gaze once again, warmth overcame his heart; the heart that had been plagued with a gaping hollowness since before. He stretched out his hand and carefully took the other’s, carefully resting it on his palm, its softness bringing him comfort, comfort that he had desired so much before that it was almost unbearable now that he had received it.

Words did not seem appropriate for this moment.

“Our story, koko kara hajimaru; asu e no story, furimukanai de.” He sang softly in response, meaning each word that he uttered from the bottom of his heart.

It was then that I realized, our story had never once reached an end. The end as we had known before… was merely the pause between the first chapter and its next.  I believe as well, that there will be many more chapters in this story in time to come, and I look forward to writing these scenes with you, because that’s what makes my life complete at last.

Jin gave Kame’s hand a squeeze, and a true smile lit up the latter’s face once again.

 
"You'll never be alone again."