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“*yawn*”
Reona allowed herself a momentary expression of fatigue as she slowly rose from her slumber. Juggling high school entrance exams, her duties as class president, and her life as PAREO was proving to be exhausting; though it’s nothing the keyboardist couldn’t handle. She enjoyed being so busy. Her life before she joined RAISE A SUILEN was so overwhelmingly dull, but now, it was full of color, and she was proud to lead it.
Today, she had to rush over and take the first train bound for Tokyo, and so she wasted no time in getting dressed. RAS planned on celebrating their first appearance on national TV just the day before– of course, the band aimed for more than simply appearing on this now-outdated form of entertainment, but the fact remained that this opened a great door for them, and helped them connect with a public who might not know of them otherwise. Of course, MASKING and CHU² would rather have celebrated on the day, but since LOCK was busy at Galaxy that night and PAREO couldn’t come, they decided to move their party to the next day– today.
Reona smiled. Chiyu used to complain about “wasting time partying”, but now she was among the first to want to celebrate. RAS was really coming together now, if the multiple relationships that formed among the five didn’t make it already obvious. The girl checked her all-new wig as she put it on her head– usually, she stuck to just two colors, but today, she wanted to celebrate all her partners. Green for Rokka, red for Rei, yellow for Masuki, blue for Chiyu, and of course, pink for herself– it looked a little bit garish, but she didn’t care. Today was a special day. Satisfied, she put on her platform shoes and quietly walked out of her room, but as she reached for her house’s exit–
“Where are you going this early in the day, young lady?”
“Ah–”
---------------------------
CHU²’s concern was beginning to grow.
Usually, she’d get a text from PAREO when she boarded the train, but this time, she had yet to receive anything. She checked the time again– 6:45 AM. It should have left ten minutes ago, and yet… still nothing. Now, she was glad she randomly woke up early.
Opting to make absolutely sure she didn’t uncharacteristically sleep through her alarm, the DJ decided to simply give her a call– but as soon as it began, the call cut out. Something was definitely wrong now. “PAREO never declines my calls…” Quickly, the small girl typed a simple message. “PAREO? Where are you right now?” For an agonizing five minutes, she received no response. Another odd sign. Right as she decided to attempt to call again, though, she saw a reply slide onto her phone screen. “Ah– …a voice message?” CHU² wondered to herself. Usually, the keyboardist only sent text messages full of cute emojis. This was a long one, too, which felt even stranger. Still, she was happy to hear from her, and pressed the play button–
“–unthinkable! To think this is the kind of thing you’re doing instead of studying!”
…That voice. CHU² instantly recognized it, even though she’d only heard it once before.
“Were you just hoping I’d never find out!? That kind of music isn’t right for a girl like you to play!”
“...Yes, Mother.” Reona’s voice came through weakly, barely a mumble.
“And these outfits! How do you want to find a husband if you dress yourself this way!?”
“...I understand, Mother.”
“And your father and I saw you, you know. We saw you on stage, ki–”
The voice message cut out, but CHU² knew what Reona’s mother was about to say. No matter what, she had to take responsibility now. Immediately, she threw on the closest outfit she had, and called someone else.
“MASKING! Wake the hell up! We’re going to Kamogawa!”
---------------------------
“Are we there yet!?”
“Gah, stop askin’ me! I told ya, we’ll get there in a little bit!”
“This is the worst!”
“Ya asked!”
CHU² and MASKING bickered as the former hung onto the latter for dear life. She had ridden on Death Galaxy before, but she still wasn’t used to it like LOCK was. Regardless, this was necessary, and so she tried to swallow her doubts as she held onto her friend and bandmate.
“What time is it!?”
MASKING checked the clock on her bike, adjusting for the usual seven minutes of difference. “9:50!”
“Thanks! LAYER and LOCK should be there already, then!” CHU² spoke, reassuring herself more than anything. Before she left, she made sure to give an acquaintance of an acquaintance a call, making sure to send the fastest taxi she knew to the bassist and guitarist’s homes so they could be brought to the train station in record time. They all had to go and rescue their bandmates.
“If ya knew the bullet train was faster, why’d ya ask me to take ya by bike anyway!?”
“Uh– um– shut up, MASKING! Just ride faster!” The tiny producer replied. Maybe she got a little too into the idea of rescuing their girlfriend on a shining metal steed, but it was too late for regrets now.
Eventually, the two loudest members of RAS reached their destination. Noticing LAYER and LOCK waiting patiently just a few blocks down the road from the Nyubara residence, MASKING parked her bike, CHU² hopping off as soon as it stopped to join the two.
“CHU²-san! Masuki-san! You’re here!”
“Thank you for letting us know about PAREO. How was the ride?”
“Too slow!”
“Hey, I did my best!” MASKING shouted, still a small distance away as she secured her vehicle. “Any faster ‘n the cops woulda had somethin’ to say ‘bout it.”
“Please drive safe, you two…” LAYER sighed. “I understand PAREO sent us what can only be described as an SOS, but I don’t think she’d like it if two of her girlfriends got into an accident…”
“I wouldn’t like that either!” LOCK added, punching Masuki in the arm with what little might she had as the drummer finally walked over. “Please be careful!”
“Enough.” The DJ cut in. “We’re all ready. Let’s move.”
“Got it.”
“W-Wait, Masuki, CHU²… do we even have a plan…?”
“What plan do we need for this? Let’s just go and save PAREO.”
“CHU²-san! We can’t just rush into this…!”
As the two more reasonable members of RAS tried (and failed) to reason with the two more hotheaded ones, the four all steeled themselves nonetheless. They all dealt with it differently, internally, but they all knew– PAREO didn’t speak of her family much for a reason. Whenever she did, worry would appear on her face, and she would think about what her mother would think, or what her father would say if they knew– if they knew about the kind of band RAISE A SUILEN was, if they knew about her fashion style, if they knew about her four girlfriends, let alone the fact she was a lesbian at all… endless concerns were always swimming in the keyboardist’s mind, even if she tried not to show it much, though she did her best to unlearn that and communicate.
CHU² hated that she was afraid. She wanted to swoop in, pick PAREO up in her arms, and carry her away to Tokyo where she would be happiest. She offered so many times for her to just move in with her, but she knew reality wasn’t that simple, and she couldn’t stand that fact. If only things were easier… if only PAREO’s parents were absent like hers, then…
MASKING hated this situation, too, but she was even more lost than CHU². The drummer often felt that her anger over injustice was like a loose cannon with no one to aim it– she’d get mad, punch a pillow or beat her drums to force the frustration out, and then try to distract herself as best she could, but it was never enough. And this was the most unfair and difficult thing she had to deal with in her short life; her girlfriend was being scolded for the crime of wearing what she liked, playing the music she liked, and dating who she liked. She had never met PAREO’s mother, but she already hated her. She wasn’t sure she could hold back the things she wanted to say once she got there.
LOCK was too worried to feel anger or sadness or any other emotion. She couldn’t help but relate to PAREO on some levels– she, too, had to convince her parents to follow her dreams, but hers were much more understanding. Her father was blunt and strict, but she knew it came from a place of care… she couldn’t help but wonder if PAREO’s mother was like that as well, or if she was… different. Unsure of the best path forward, she simply resolved to try and keep the peace as best she could. If things devolved into a shouting match, then there was a very real chance that they would never see PAREO again.
LAYER, meanwhile… felt oddly calm. She felt like she was in the eye of the storm at the moment, with her bandmates all swirling around her in panic and anger. She didn’t have any more of an idea of how to solve this situation as the rest of her band, but she felt determined to observe and only speak up when it was most necessary. She was the most mature in their band, and looked that way as well. That was both an upside and a downside, and she had to exercise great care to make sure PAREO’s mother didn’t think she was trying to manipulate her into destroying her life. It didn’t matter who was in the wrong; to her, they were the enemy, trying to harm her daughter. She had to do everything in her power to dispel that notion, no matter her personal feelings, for her girlfriend’s sake.
“...We’re here.” The vocalist spoke up.
“Awright, let’s go ‘n tell that bitch what for–”
“Masuki-san! Stay right where you are!” LOCK ordered, her voice fiercer than usual as she unconsciously slipped into her accent.
“W-Whoa…”
“Now you listen here, and you listen good! We can’t let PAREO-san’s mama think we’re mighty weird, got it!?”
“Who cares what she thinks?” MASKING simply shrugged, exasperating the rest of her bandmates.
“Masuki.” LAYER stepped up next. “LOCK’s right. If she ever feels her preconceived notions about us are correct, she’ll just force us out of her home and keep PAREO with her. We have everything to lose here.”
“Gah, I know you’re right, but like… ain’t that just unfair!? The whole sitch’s stacked against us from the start!”
“Yes, so we have to play our cards carefully. Just let the rest of us do the talking, okay?”
“What the hell, Rei? I can’t even try ‘n protect my girlfriend!? CHU², you listenin’ to thi–”
“W-Wait… where’s CHU²-san…?”
“Aw, damnit! She’s ringin’ the doorbell already!?”
---------------------------
“...Yes, Mother. Of course, I understand, Mother. I won’t do it again, Mother…”
Reona simply repeated her apologies for the umpteenth time as her mother continued to ramble on, her gaze fixed on the wig laid messily on the table in front of her. How long had it been? The sunrise which bathed the living room in soft light had become much brighter by now, but she hadn’t even attempted to check her phone, past her secret recording three hours earlier. She didn’t want to anger her even more. At least, she felt grateful that her father was away today– dealing with the both of them at once might have been too much for her to handle…
“Is this what you do with all your friends!?” Somehow, her scolding had returned to her relationships. Her mother was upset about many, many things, but the most shocking to her seemed to be that chaste kiss on the cheek she gave CHU² as they stepped off-stage. She couldn’t help but laugh bitterly in her own head– if she only knew how many kisses she shared with RAS, and how much more passionate they got, she very well might faint. “That sort of thing should be kept to boys! And even then, aren’t you too young to be doing this!?”
“...” Reona felt something boiling deep inside her.
“And is this why your grades have been dropping recently!?”
“...From full marks to barely under full…”
“Is that backtalk I hear!? What, so being lazy is okay so long as it’s a little bit!?”
“...”
“I see I’ve been too permissive with you, young lady. From now on, you–”
ding-dong
“...You stay here. I’ll go and answer the door.”
“...Yes, Mother.”
“Oh, and get that eyesore off the table and out of sight.”
“...I…!”
“...What was that…?”
“...Nothing. I will, Mother.”
“Good.”
Reona sighed quietly as her mother slipped out of the living room. She wondered what her girlfriends were doing now. Were they celebrating without her? Her voice message should have made it obvious that she can’t come after all. Maybe they had even moved on to practice by now, she thought as she pulled out her phone. More than anything, she just hoped they were happy without her–
“New message from CHU²-sama – 3h ago – “We’re on our way””
“Wh… what…?”
“Oh, hello there! You must be Reona’s friends~ Please, do come in!”
Reona went pale. They were here!? No, no, this wasn’t right, these two halves of her life were never meant to collide–
“Hello, Nyubara-san. My name is Rei Wakana. Thank you for taking care of our friend.”
“LAYER…-san…”
“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Thank you for welcoming us.”
“Chiyu…”
“U-Um! My name is R-Rokka Asahi! Please don’t mind Masuki-san, she’s not scowling, she’s just, um, r-really sleep-deprived! Yeah…!”
“LOCK-san… Massu-san…! Please, don’t…” Reona couldn’t help but feel a shiver go down her spine. She knew what was about to happen– her mother was only letting them in to gently, but forcefully, tell them to never speak to her again. She’s only acting kind to not give them any room to argue, until she found an excuse to shut them out. Out of anyone, she would know how her mother behaved when she needed someone to fall in line.
“Please, please, have a seat! Let me get all of you some tea. You must have come from so far!”
“PARE– um, Reona… it’s good to see you.” Chiyu forced a smile, trying to act like she couldn’t see the distant, empty look in her girlfriend’s eyes.
“Chiyu… Rei, Rokka, Masuki… good morning.”
Quietly, all four guests sat at the table with their girlfriend. Masuki quickly snagged the spot to the left of Reona, wanting to protect her, with Rei opting to sit across from the drummer, closest to where she assumed the keyboardist’s mother would sit– on the other end of the table. Chiyu took the seat across from Reona, and Rokka sat at the very end of the table, facing the matriarch, hoping to keep her attention away from the keyboardist or the angry drummer as much as possible by sitting directly in her line of sight.
“It’s good to finally meet my daughter’s friends properly!” The older woman declared, setting down the teacups in front on all four of her guests. “You all should have come earlier.”
“Kamogawa is a very nice town, isn’t it? Perhaps we should come on vacation here sometime.” Rei said with a smile, remaining diplomatic.
“...If we have the time.” Chiyu replied quietly, seeming to struggle with keeping up friendly appearances.
“Wouldn’t that be nice~ Reona, smile, please.”
“Ah– yes, Mother. Of course.” The daughter replied, forcing a smile through her half-dissociation. “It would be great if you all could come.”
“You–” Masuki began, before stopping herself, seeming to keep something in mind. “...Yeah. It’d be great.”
“U-Um!” Rokka piped up. “I just realized we never said, but… we’re very sorry for the sudden visit…!”
“Oh, no, it’s quite all right. What brings you here, though? It’s interesting to see you so far from Tokyo this early in the day… almost as if someone called you here…” Reona shrunk away as her mother’s remark hit her where it hurt.
“We came on our own.” Chiyu half-lied, surprising the black-haired girl. “We had plans with Reona, and when she didn’t send us a message telling us she was on her way, we got worried and thought we’d come and check on her.”
“Right. We all took the first train and rushed over.” Rei added, still as calm as ever. “It’s good to see she was simply spending time at home with you, and didn’t get in any trouble.”
“Yes, it would have been an issue if she ran into trouble, wouldn’t it? The big city is so dangerous, after all… we wouldn’t want a middle schooler going to Tokyo on her own on a regular basis, hmm?”
“Ah–” For the first time since she came in, Rei faltered. She had spoken herself into a corner on accident, giving Reona’s mother an opening.
“D-Definitely!” Not wanting to let her win, Rokka spoke up next, coming to the vocalist’s rescue. “That’s why Rei-san and I always come pick her up at the station the moment she arrives!”
“...Is that so?” The matriarch thought for a moment, not expecting these kids she saw as delinquents to care about her daughter’s wellbeing.
“Yes, naturally. Reona is our dear friend, and an irreplaceable part of our band. As our leader and producer, I refuse to put her in harm’s way.” CHU² followed up Rokka’s defense, but…
“Producer, hmm…? Shouldn’t this be left to someone with more experience?”
“...Excuse me…?”
“(CHU²-san…!)” Rokka whispered, trying to stop the short girl’s anger from flying off the handle.
“If you’re big enough to be featured on television, wouldn’t it be best to let an adult handle these matters? A bunch of kids like you can’t expect to not be taken advantage of.”
“...Tch–”
“Hmm? Did you say something?”
“...Nah, nothin’.”
“Please, do speak up… Masuki, was it?”
“...We’re not just some kids. We know what we’re doin’.”
Panicking, Rokka looked over at Rei, their gazes meeting in shared agreement. Both of them could see this was getting out of hand; Reona was all but fully checked out, Masuki was being actively goaded into snapping, and Chiyu was grumbling to herself, barely keeping a lid on one of her usual outbursts against authority.
“Aren’t most of you in high school?”
“So what?”
“Masuki…!”
“Nah, Rei. I wanna speak up a lil’. Just ‘cause we’re high schoolers don’t mean we can’t look out for each other, or make the music we wanna make!”
“...Right. I saw your concert on TV yesterday.”
“...So you did. Thank you for tuning in.” CHU² replied through gritted teeth, guilt mounting within her as well as rage.
“I’ll give you that much, your presence was impressive, and you seem to have a lot of fans… lots of girls Reona’s age, even.”
“U-Um, if you don’t mind me asking, ma’am… what do you mean by that…?” Even Rokka was beginning to get ticked off, though she hid it better than the drummer and DJ could.
“My daughter wouldn’t happen to have been one of your fans before? I heard she was scouted, after all.”
“No! She’s a founding member of my ultimate band! Do you think I’d be happy with just any random girl to play for me!?”
“Do not shout in my home, please. And playing “for you”, hmm? In “your” ultimate band? What was that kiss, then? Was that just for your own good, too?”
“I– no, that’s not what I–”
“...Let’s cut to the chase. Reona will not be playing in your little group any longer.”
“...Mother…!”
“...!” CHU²’s eyes widened. Had they failed? Had she failed her?
“N-No… PAREO-san…!”
“Who the hell are ya to decide–”
“Masuki, quiet!” Rei snapped, struggling to keep her composure. “Ma’am, please reconsider. Reona is our precious friend…!”
“What does a young woman like yourself care if a middle schooler remains in your circle? For a university-aged student to care this much…”
“She’s a high schooler, ya damn bitch!”
“MASKING, shut up! You’re not helping anyone right now!”
“I don’t care no more! I ain’t gonna stand here and–”
“How dare you speak to me like this in my own home…!”
“W-We’re sorry! Nyubara-san, please forgive us!”
“No. I’m not going to let my precious daughter be corrupted by some girls making noise recklessly any longer. I–”
“PLEASE STOP!”
The entire room quieted down as Reona’s pained scream cut the argument short. The girl was standing up now– tears were streaming down her face, and yet, her eyes found their light once more, though it was faint. Bravely, she stared at her mother, her resolve unshakeable.
“Mother…! You can say whatever you like about me, b-but insulting my friends or our music is unacceptable!”
“Reona, sit down. I’m not interested in your opinion on this.”
“No, you’re going to listen for once!”
“...!” Not expecting her daughter to talk back, Reona’s mother couldn’t help but fall silent.
“I know you’re just wanting the best for me, but it’s gone too far! I’m happy playing music with RAS! It’s the first time I’ve felt like I enjoyed what I was doing in my whole life! I love putting on wigs and cute clothes and makeup, even if it looks silly to you! And… and I love being with them, too! All of them have been nothing but lovely to me from the start! The way I feel about them is stronger than I’ve felt for any boy in my entire life!”
“And what about being a doctor? What about your dreams!?”
“Those were your dreams, not mine!”
“...!”
“I… I can’t be the perfect, conventional daughter you want me to be…! I’m not Reona, the perfect student who wants to be a doctor…! I’m PAREO, the c-cute keyboardist changing the world through her music! If you force everyone out… th-then I’m leaving, too!”
“Wha– PAREO!?” CHU² spoke up despite herself. “No! I can’t make you leave your family like this…!”
“I agree. At your age, it’s not safe either…” Rei added.
“...Masuki-san, it’s okay.” Rokka encouraged her girlfriend, seeing her struggling to keep something in.
“...Gah– yeah, it ain’t the right way! I know I said some really stupid things, so I ain’t one to talk, but don’t make a decision like that without thinkin’!”
“LOCK-san… Massu-san… CHU²-sama… LAYER-san, I…”
Reona took a deep breath. Right. Anger didn’t solve anything when her mother aimed it at her. It didn’t solve anything when her bandmates aimed it at her mother. So, her own anger was bound to only make things worse, too. Centering herself, she started again, walking over to her mother’s side.
“Mother… I understand. You’re just worried for my future, aren’t you? You want me to be safe, and to have a nice job, and to not put myself in danger without thinking. But the truth is, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I’m not doing this recklessly– you can ask Rei, who held me as I agonized over what to do in the future. Or Chiyu, who’s always stood by my side and swore to respect whatever path I chose, even if it brought us apart. Masuki and Rokka were the first to chase after me when I lost my way, too… they all care about me so much.”
“Reona…”
“When you tell me to take off my wig, or to not play music anymore… even if you’re trying to protect me, it’s what’s hurting me the most…! You saw me, didn’t you? On TV. Didn’t I look happy?”
“...You did… I couldn’t understand how you could smile when this all seemed like the opposite of what the Reona I knew would want to do.”
“I apologize… the truth is, I’ve been lying to you from the start…! I’ve never wanted to be a doctor, or anything like that… I only just recently found what I want to do, but I was scared to tell you…!”
“...”
All five members of RAISE A SUILEN watched on with bated breath as Reona’s mother took some time to think and collect herself. Things had gotten much more intense than they’d hoped, and now, their fate as a band was hanging in the balance. They all knew– RAS isn’t RAS without all five members. If Reona were forced to quit, that’d be the end of them– in their prime, as they’re breaking into the mainstream.
“Reona… do you like playing the keyboard?”
“I love it! With all my heart!”
“Do you like fashion?”
“I love my style so much, too!”
“...And do you love these girls?”
“...More than you’d ever know.” Reona smiled, as she took Rei and Chiyu’s hands in hers, gazing lovingly at Masuki and Rokka.
“...We understand that this is a lot.” Rei spoke up, feeling like she should now. “You don’t have to just accept all of this– all of us– at once, but… please, can we work together? For Reona’s happiness.”
“...” Silence. Reona felt Chiyu’s hand tightening around hers, telling her she won’t let her go. “...Very well.”
“W-Wait, really!?” Rokka spoke up, shocked.
“Aw, hell yeah!”
“...Thank you, Nyubara-san.”
“Yeah, thanks. And… as RAS’s producer… I’m sorry for not speaking with you properly sooner…”
“I have to say… I didn’t expect you all to protest Reona wanting to leave.” The older woman admitted. “In my mind, you were all wild kids trying to take my daughter away… but that made me reconsider my stance.”
“I’ll accept your offer. Let’s work together from now on… RAISE A SUILEN.”
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RAS breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief as they headed back to MASKING’s bike– this time, as a full group of five. Against all odds, they had managed to come to an agreement with PAREO’s mother. She was free to keep playing in the band, but she was forbidden from sneaking off without prior warning, and had to keep her parents informed of her activities. The keyboardist gladly accepted those terms, and her smile finally returned for good.
“Thank you all for coming for me…! PAREO is the luckiest girl in the world~”
“Hehe, well, we weren’t going to leave you on your own.” Rei replied.
“But maaan, yer ma’s scary as hell. She was all like, “if you break her heart, I’ll make you regret it”, and she really chewed me out for swearin’ in her house…!”
“It certainly seems like she’ll need some time to warm up to you…” Rokka chuckled.
“She needs time to warm up to all of us, in general.” CHU² stated. “As far as she’s concerned, I’m someone she barely knows, and the rest of you are complete strangers. The reason things got this bad is partly because we didn’t introduce ourselves earlier on.”
“I’m sorry, CHU²-sama…! I really should have told her about you all–”
“Huh? Nonsense.”
“...?” PAREO fell silent, shocked at her girlfriend’s reply.
“The fault’s shared between us, but I still don’t like your mom. She didn’t exactly give you a chance to get comfortable either.”
“Right. You were feeling suffocated by her expectations… I can tell she’s struggling with your sexuality, too, even if she’s trying to be accepting. So it makes sense you wouldn’t, or rather, couldn’t come clean about us.”
“Everyone… thank you…!”
Overjoyed to have such understanding partners, PAREO stretched out both of her arms, bringing her band in for a big hug. LAYER and LOCK blushed profusely, CHU² complained, and MASKING smirked as she ruffled her multi-colored wig, the keyboardist enjoying every second.
The road to recovery, be it for her or her family relationships, was long, but as long as she had her beloved band, she knew she’d be okay.