“Do I have to meet with Yori?” muttered Ikari in confusion. He recalled Fujisaki's words telling him to talk to his bandmate. To be honest, Ikari himself was quite aware that he had been rude to Yori. But obviously his pride and self-centeredness were more dominant, so he couldn't express his true intentions.
Despite feeling hesitant in the end. With a heavy heart, Ikari still decided to meet with Yori. He called Yori and asked her if they could meet in the city park.
“Ikari, why did you call me here?” asked Yori calmly. Now the teenage boy was standing in front of Ikari.
“Tsk. Nothing in particular. It's just that there seems to be something I want to tell you,” Ikari said in a fairly brusque tone of voice.
Yori's brow furrowed feeling that Ikari didn't seem to appreciate her coming here.
“If there's something you want to tell me. You should just say it right away without beating around the bush. You've summoned me and made me come all the way here.”
Ikari naturally found it difficult to tell the truth. He bit his own lip trying to cover his nervousness.
“You should have practiced harder, Yori. Lately when we've been practicing together, your performance has been terrible, and it's all because you never concentrate during practice!” Ikari said in a high tone, his eyes flashing. He was getting carried away with his emotions again.
Hearing the sound of breathing, Yori looked at Ikari with an understanding, yet unwavering gaze. “Ikari, I know you're upset. But I also know that it seems like something wrong has happened to you. But you don't have to keep acting like this.”
Ikari fell silent, Yori's words piercing his heart. However, his prestige and ego still got the better of him. He averted his gaze, refusing to acknowledge the truth Yori was speaking. This was how she always avoided when discomfort began to surface in her heart.
Yori continued, “I'll stay with the band only until the match is over because of my mother's sense of me. Look Ikari, I will never hesitate to choose my own path regardless of the outcome of our match.” With that, Yori turned around and left Ikari alone.
“You seriously said that?” Ikari couldn't believe that Yori, who he thought had always felt loyal to him, was now blatantly telling him that he would choose his own path.
“Do I look like I'm playing around right now in your eyes?” Yori turned around and took a glance at Ikari who seemed to be disappointed by her words just now. “Know that I am not your dog. Goodbye.” After saying that Yori left Ikari.
Ikari could only remain silent, feeling shocked by what had just happened. He was actually disappointed but tried his hardest to mask his disappointment.
He then chose to go to the studio to practice. He then practiced like crazy until it made his throat hurt. Here she felt desperate and fearful that her dream of remaining at the agency was shattered.
“No... there's no way this isn't the reality I'm supposed to face,” he said to himself.
Ikari's body shook violently. Yori's words came back and made him even more depressed.
“Aaarrgghhh no way!” Ikari slammed his beloved guitar unconsciously. Being under this kind of pressure made him lose control of himself.
After that Ikari could only continue to feel sorry for himself. Making himself sick over his bad thoughts that he could no longer contain.
***
Day after day passed, and Ikari became more and more immersed in his untimely training. His body began to feel the effects, but he didn't care. Exhaustion and frustration overcame him, but his pride never subsided. She couldn't let herself look weak, especially in front of Yori and the rest of the band.
One night, after a grueling practice, Ikari sat alone in a corner of the studio. His breathing was heavy and his throat stung. He felt like he was on the brink, and unconsciously tears began to stream down his cheeks. It was a feeling that he had been holding back for so long. It was no longer bearable. That feeling just leaked out and made her who usually acted very hard. This time brought out a much weaker side.
“Why... why... why does it have to be like this?” she murmured, her voice almost inaudible. “Why can't I admit my mistakes?” Ikari continued to lament his fate.
The studio door suddenly opened, and Yori walked in. He was surprised to see Ikari in such a state of disarray. “Ikari, what happened to you?” she asked worriedly.
Ikari tried to hide his tears, but Yori had already seen everything. “Nothing... you just happened to see me in a bad mood,” he replied softly, still trying to avoid being seen.
Yori sat down beside Ikari and patted his back. “Ikari, I've been watching you for some time now, you keep pushing yourself so hard. To be honest Ikari, admitting mistakes is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it is a sign of strength. You must learn to let go of your ego. It's not just about the band but also about the people around you. Where they all play a very important role in it.”
Strange but true, Yori's words slowly seeped into Ikari's mind. He knew that Yori was right. However, fighting his own ego and prestige was the hardest battle he had ever faced.
***
The next day, full of doubts but renewed determination, Ikari went to the other members of his band. Where they were all practicing in the studio.
Ikari would never have thought that he would have come this far. But he had been contemplating everything all night. And it made him realize even more that he was a rotten person who liked to bully others.
“Guys,” Ikari called out in a trembling voice.
The other band members turned their heads, looking surprised at Ikari's presence. “What's wrong, Ikari?”
Ikari took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “I... I want to apologize. I know I was rude to you guys and it was wrong. I'm just... too embarrassed to admit it.”
Yori smiled slightly, relief showing in her eyes. Seeing the changes in Ikari seemed to give her new hope.
“Ikari, it's okay. I know it was hard for you, but I appreciate your courage to admit your mistake. It seems like you've been having a hard time, leading you to take unexpected actions like this.”
At that moment, the heavy burden that had been pressing on Ikari's heart slowly lifted. He realized that friendship and cooperation within the band were more important than the prestige and ego he had been maintaining. And with that, he felt stronger to face the challenges ahead together with Yori and the other band members.
But of course all of that is still not enough to make his band win. Because fate will never know who the winner will be.
Finish