Chapter 126: Blue Bird

It was Sunday, and today Kaminari didn't head to his "base" to practice with Tetsutetsu. He opted for a routine morning jog instead, while Tetsutetsu went off to train on his own.

By afternoon, Kaminari found himself in a recording studio. The sound engineer, Dawu, was bobbing his head to the music, thoroughly enjoying the songs playing in the background as he worked diligently.

Standing behind him were Kaminari's father and the band's manager, Momo. Though less outwardly animated than Dawu, they were clearly just as impressed by the music.

"You said if you could fly,

You would fly far - far into that sky,

And you would set your aim,

On the clouds all around that endless sky,

The moment you break free,

You'll finally find, you'll find all you seek

And it's all waiting there,

In that blue, in that blue sky up above

In that blue, in that blue sky up above

In that blue, in that blue sky up above"

As Kaminari sang the final line of the song, his voice trailed off as the music came to a close. He looked up, grinned, and gave Dawu an "OK" gesture from behind the soundproof glass. Dawu returned the gesture with equal enthusiasm, both of them letting out a synchronized sigh of relief.

"Finally done…" Kaminari exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

Kyoka, the band's bassist, wiped her forehead dramatically, grinning. "Yeah, no matter how amazing a song is, singing it a dozen times in a row will make you sick of it."

Kaminari chuckled. "True. Even a masterpiece gets old after a while."

Kyoka twirled her bass with a satisfied smirk. "Well, it's easier for me. I'm just playing the bass, I didn't have to sing!"

Kaminari's smile turned mischievous. "Don't get too comfortable. You're up next!"

"What?" Kyoka froze, her eyes wide. "Wait, I have to sing too?"

"Of course," Kaminari said, matter-of-factly.

"You're the lead singer, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah…"

Kaminari smirked. "But who said there can only be one lead singer? I'm the male lead, and you're the female lead. From now on, our band's songs will have two versions: a male version and a female version. And if it suits the song, we'll do duets too!"

The idea had struck him back when he and Kyoka were preparing for the Sports Festival. He'd realized that while his own versions of the songs worked, something was missing—female vocals.

Kyoka hesitated, a mix of embarrassment and excitement crossing her face. "I… I guess that makes sense."

Seeing her enthusiasm starting to grow, Kaminari nodded firmly. "Don't overthink it. We'll record it a few times until you feel comfortable. I'll play the piano for you this time."

Kyoka brightened at his encouragement, nodding with a small smile. "Alright, let's do it!"

Kaminari relayed the plan to Dawu outside the booth, and the team prepared for another round of recording. As Kyoka settled in, Kaminari reassured her.

"It's normal to be nervous your first few times, but trust me, you'll get used to it. And soon enough, you'll be handling this like a pro."

He added with a teasing grin, "Oh, and while you're at it, we should also record a female version of 'Railgun.' Have you seen the fan comments? A lot of people are asking for it."

Outside the booth, Kaminari's father was preparing to leave after spending nearly an hour in the studio. But before leaving, he pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Momo.

"Uncle, what's this?" she asked curiously, taking the card and noticing two lines of text on it.

"This is the login information for Kaminari's Twitter account," he explained with a smile. "You're the band's manager, so from now on, you'll handle this."

Momo blinked in surprise, her expression quickly shifting to one of gratitude. "Thank you! I'll do my best!"

Kaminari's father chuckled, patting her shoulder lightly. "Take care of Kaminari. You're doing great."

He glanced back at the sound booth, where Kaminari was focused intently on his guitar, and muttered softly as he walked away, "Silly kid…"

Another hour passed, and the recording finally wrapped up. Kaminari and Kyoka emerged from the booth, stretching and looking thoroughly exhausted.

"You're finally out," Momo said with a calm smile, pointing to the time on her watch.

"Whoa, it's almost two o'clock!" Kaminari said, rubbing his stomach sheepishly. "No wonder I'm starving."

"Same here," Kyoka added, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. Despite the long session, she was clearly in high spirits from the singing.

That's when she noticed the unique design of Momo's watch.

"'Ninetales' peripheral watches?" Kyoka thought, realizing the design wasn't available in stores yet. She glanced down at her bare wrist, a small pang of envy flashing across her face, though she didn't say anything out loud.

"Alright, let's grab some lunch!" Kaminari announced, addressing the group. "It's on me today."

The three of them headed out together, making their way to a nearby shopping street lined with small restaurants.

Kaminari didn't opt for anything fancy, instead choosing a modest spot called Yoshinoya and ordering three regular beef bowls.

It was simple food, but it hit the spot. Whether it was because of the flavor or just their hunger, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Interestingly, Momo mentioned that it was her first time trying a beef bowl, which left Kaminari and Kyoka momentarily stunned. Then they quickly remembered, this was normal for someone like Momo.

After finishing their meal, the three stepped outside, the sound of a small bell jingling as they left the restaurant.

"That was delicious," Momo said, smiling contentedly. "I'll have to ask Tajima if he can make this at home."

Her comment made Kaminari and Kyoka exchange amused glances.

At that moment, a sleek black luxury car pulled up to the curb. A chauffeur in a pristine suit stepped out and opened the rear door.

"Miss Momo," the man said politely.

"Already?" Momo sighed softly, clearly reluctant to leave. She gave Kaminari and Kyoka a small wave. "Thanks for today. See you both later!"

As the car drove away, Kyoka watched its departure with a faint smile. "It must be tough sometimes, being the daughter of such a wealthy family," she said quietly.

"Yeah," Kaminari replied, his tone neutral. "Let's go. I'll walk you to the subway station."

With that, the two headed back along the food shopping street, the afternoon sun casting long shadows behind them.

***

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