Your hands were tense on the steering wheel as you navigated the empty forest roads. Sweat dripped down your forehead as you kept nervously checking the clock. The minutes seemed to pass like seconds as you drove down the road, the engine heating up as you forced it to go faster.
You might not make it to the concert in time... but of course, you couldn't give up right now. Not when Ayaka, Albedo, and the rest of your co-workers had sacrificed so much just so that you could repair your problems with Kazuha.
The forest road ahead was empty, so after a few moments you put your foot on the pedal, wincing slightly as the car rocketed forward. The woodland scenery zoomed by in a blur as you pressed on the gas, tapping the wheel through pure nerves.
Your heart pounded in your chest as, after almost forty-five minutes of driving, you saw the spotlights of the city's stadium, spiraling around in the sky. The concert had already started by now, so you drove even faster, clenching your teeth with stress in your heart.
Your breathing became heavy as you started to panic. The concert had already been going for half an hour, and you were fifteen minutes away.
Tears stung your eyes and made your vision blurry as you drove. You swiped at your eyes in distress, trying to obey the rules of the road and still make good time, but obviously, those are two very hard things to balance.
After what seemed like forever, you finally made it to the concert venue. You parked your car in the nearest parking spot that you could find, and you ran down the sidewalk to the entrance. The door to the stadium was closed, but you still had a faint hope that whoever was there would let you in.
Two security guards stood at the door: both had gray hair, but one guard's hair was longer than the other's. The longer haired security guard was attempting to tell the other lame jokes in the most monotone voice possible, but to no avail. The short haired security guard was just reading a book, ignoring the other's jokes.
They stopped their little quarrel when you approached them, red faced and panting. You held up your ticket to the security guard's face, and he scanned it, looking at you strangely.
He granted you entry... but before you could go, he started telling you a joke about Fungi. You were very tempted to stay and hear the joke and its ending, but then the blaring music inside the concert brought you to your senses and you rushed inside, leaving the security guards at the door.
You rushed through the stadium, a combination 5WIRL's music and screaming girls seeping mutely through the walls as you tried to find the open air part of the stadium.
After a hot minute of searching, you finally found your row - the front row. You sidestepped swooning girls and crying girls alike to the only empty seat in the row: which was your own.
The music speakers were blasting the band's songs, and everywhere you looked, girls were either shrieking, swooning, or sobbing their eyes out. You squinted your eyes, hoping that you would spot Kazuha on the stage. The lights were so bright, and the fog coming from some hidden machines didn't help either.
As the current song came to a close, your heart skipped a beat when someone approached the microphone. It was none other than Kazuha. His ivory hair seemed to glimmer under the stage lights, the red streak standing out even more. He had donned a red leather jacket over a white shirt, and he wore black jeans and shoes to complete the look.
The sounds of the cheering and screaming all suddenly began to fade away. All you could see was Kazuha... but as his crimson eyes worriedly scanned the audience, you realized that he hadn't noticed you yet.
"Hey Inazuma, thanks for coming out to see us tonight!" Kazuha exclaimed into the microphone after a small pause. "It means a lot to us all, but on behalf of 5WIRL, I just wanted to thank you for all your love and support."
He hesitated slightly before continuing to speak. You noticed that his eyes never traveled down to where you sat.
"This... this last song that we're going to sing for you all... is a song that I wrote for... a friend of mine." he said with a sad light in his eyes. Your heart broke at what he said next:
"She... she was more than a friend to me... and I'm sure she knows that. But... I think I messed that up. So... I hope that she can forgive me."
And with that, the music began to play. Kazuha slid onto a stool and began strumming in the chords on his guitar, accompanied by the rest of his band's background vocals...
I Want You (Stephen Sanchez)
I've been oversleeping so much
That I've been bored of dreaming
And just wake up, not next to you~
In this paper town where I live
Boxes pass along and I wish
That I was sitting in one with you
With you...
I will be your friend, but love you in my soul~
I'll never feel another way, just thought I'd let you know
You've knocked me to the floor since the moment I saw you
Every minute, every hour, if you'll have me, I want you
You've been overthinking so much
The traffic in your head, oh, they rush
At the thought of someone new
Y/N, why can't you accept it?
I love you and I'm not pretending
When I say those words to you, yeah
I will be your friend, but love you in my soul
I'll never feel another way, just thought I'd let you know
You've knocked me to the floor since the moment I saw you
Every minute, every hour, if you'll have me, I want you
If I learn to love myself
Will it keep you from loving someone else?
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know
If learning to love would cost my life
I'd spend it all on you and I
I will be your friend, but love you in my soul
I'll never feel another way, just thought I'd let you know
You've knocked me to the floor since the moment I saw you
Every minute, every hour, if you'll have me, I want you...
Your heart was thumping as the music came to a close. That... that was beautiful. And he wrote it just for you, even after all that you'd done to him?
Kazuha opened his eyes to a storm of applause coming from the darkened stadium. Instead of a happy, adrenaline filled look that usually comes with concerts, his eyes were instead filled with a look of regret. Sadness. Disappointment.
A small lump formed in your throat as he looked around the stadium one more time and tried to muster a smile with trembling lips. You hoped that he would at least... look down at your seat and notice you. But he didn't.
As he walked towards the back of the stage to give the microphone to Aether, you bit your lip. Now was your only chance to repair things with Kazuha once and for all...
As Aether started speaking some closing remarks and thanks into the crowd, you stood up from your seat and looked up and at the stage, right in Kazuha's direction. After a deep breath, you yelled:
"Kazuha!"
You felt, more than saw, Kazuha's shoulders stiffen. That flinch should've been expected, but it still kind of hit a sore spot. After all, hundreds, if not thousands, of other fans were probably calling out his name too.
"Kazuha!!"
You yelled once more, this time the confidence in your voice building up slightly. Kazuha looked convinced now, and he walked towards Aether, whispering something in his ear.
You fidgeted nervously as they talked. That feeble moment of confidence that you had when calling out to Kazuha was now rapidly fading away.
Your breath caught in your chest as Aether stopped talking. Behind him, Kazuha took the microphone slowly, and looked directly at you. You would've liked to hope that the look in his eyes was maybe shock, or happiness.
"Y/N... are you here?"
The crowd's chattering paused. They recognized that name. Not just from the song that Kazuha had just played, but also from a certain article, too.
You could practically hear everyone in the stadium muttering and frowning. Why was he asking about you, they were probably wondering.
The muttering gradually faded away, leaving the stadium in silence once more.
After a moment of awkward quiet and waiting, you hesitantly raised your hand, cheeks flaming red as you avoided eye contact with everyone.
Kazuha came forward almost instantly, right to the edge of the stage, and sat down right in front of you, his arms falling into his lap and his legs dangling off the side.
"...Y/N?!" was all that he could muster. His crimson eyes were wide and he was clearly stunned, but somewhere in his eyes... something told you that he was willing to listen to what you had to say. He was happy that you were here, and he was giving you an opportunity to redeem yourself.
"Um... yeah, it's me, Kazuha." you murmured, subconsiously playing with your hair as you looked down at your shoes. You could feel the eyes of thousands of people on you as the spotlight was directed on you and Kazuha, but you still were able to say, "Listen... I... I'm really sorry about what I said to you that day. The truth is... I lied. I definitely was still available to go to this concert... but I was embarassed. Not of us, but of what other people thought of us. What other people perceived of us and our... relationship."
"I... I was hurting, and in the process, I hurt you too." you said, the volume of your voice rising as a tearful lump formed in your throat. You finally looked at Kazuha, dead in the eyes, and finished, "And I don't know if you'll accept my apology... and you don't have to... but I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry. I still like you, and I hope we can still... be friends."
You looked down at your shoes in shame once more, the tears now starting to fall, but Kazuha's voice suddenly rung out in your ears.
"Y/N... you still feel that way?" he asked. In response to his question, all you did was nod, still ashamedly looking at your feet.
"Y/N... look at me."
You weren't looking at him, but you felt like you heard a smile there on his face.
You looked up to his face, and you were shocked to see that he was crying too. Without another word, he extended his hand out to you - he was inviting you up onto the stage.
With trembling knees and hands, you accepted his offer and climbed onto the stage, much to the gasps and even the boos of some people (mostly girls). But you heard none of them. Kazuha gripped your hand tightly and led you by your hand to the middle of the stage, a smile of pure ecstacy spreading across his face.
He pulled you close to him, and your cheeks immediately began to heat up. Seeing his smile again was everything to you. So, without another thought, you leapt forward to hug him. As a response, Kazuha's arms circled around you in a warm embrace as you cried. You weren't sad though - you were happy. Purely and completely happy.
"I thought I ruined our friendship forever..." you whispered into his shoulder so only he could hear.
"You didn't Y/N. I still love you. I love you so much that you don't even know... even to the moon and back." he whispered in reply, tightening his hug around you.
He scooted back from you so that you could see his face, slightly tear-stained but still happy beyond explanation. Without any further hesitation, and with more certainty than ever before, you stood on your toes and kissed him.
Although being a second kiss, that didn't make it any less special than the first. The kiss was still breathtaking and sweet. You could hear the crowd again, and to your surprise, they were cheering. Cheering for you and Kazuha.
Your lips parted from his and you gazed up into his eyes. The both of you linked hands and looked at the rest of 5WIRL - Venti was absolutely squealing, Aether and Heizou were laughing but still approving, and Scaramouche and Xiao - well, were still Scaramouche and Xiao.
"Hey Y/N." Kazuha whispered, his breath feeling warm against your cheek as he whispered in your ear. "You remember, almost a year ago when we met, right?"
You smiled and nodded. Your heart fluttered as he pressed his lips to your cheek adoringly in a lingering kiss and said,
"That day... all I desired was some time to myself. But I ended up finding someone even better~."