The following days were peaceful. Sayuri and Yume stayed focused on their studies, Jun grew more excited about this new phase of his life, and Kenji, as always, lived completely at ease.
"Kenji!?" Yume called out. "Was it you who changed the website settings?"
"Settings?"
Yume looked visibly irritated.
"Yes, I got a bunch of complaints saying the comments and private messages were disabled."
Smiling awkwardly, Kenji scratched the back of his neck.
"So… funny story. I forgot to turn them back on… my bad…"
"Your bad? Do you know how important that is for visibility? Interaction with fans is essential… why did you do that??"
"Ah, that girl, Usagui… she's really weird, so I disabled things for a while to make her stop… but then I forgot to reactivate everything. No big deal…"
Yume stared at him coldly, almost like she could slice him in half with her eyes.
"Don't touch the settings again, Kenjinho…"
When Yume finally managed to organize the mess, a flood of notifications filled the screen. More than five hundred messages and most of them… were from Usagui.
"Alright, everything's fixed, but where are Jun and Sayuri? They're still not here?"
"We're here," Jun said as he placed his helmet on the table.
"Finally! You guys took forever!"
Sayuri yawned and sat down on the couch.
"We were finishing painting the living room. I'm exhausted…"
"Do you want to go rest?"
"No, Jun. I just need something to drink and I'll be fine. I'm not missing your performance."
Kenji went into the kitchen and came back with a cup of coffee for Sayuri.
"Thanks, Kenji. I really needed this."
While she drank it, he and Jun started carrying the instruments to the car while Yume prepared her camera to take new photos for the website.
"Alright, girls, ready to go?" Jun asked.
"Let's go," Sayuri answered.
They were excited. After such a long time, the boys were finally returning to the stage. And that night, for the very first time, Cherry Blossom would be performed in front of a real audience.
"In your eyes I found my soul
Alone I walked with dreams untold
I don't know when I fell for you
But deep inside, I always knew
Cherry blossom, soft and bright
Honey lips I crave each night
A silent scream I can't ignore
A love my heart keeps longing for…"
"Wow… this song is so beautiful, Say… how does it feel to be the inspiration behind it?"
Sayuri sighed softly.
"It feels like a dream… being loved like this. Such a beautiful and pure love…"
"Awww, love makes people so silly," Yume teased.
"Oh my God, I can't believe that's really them."
"That's Jun."
"They're amazing."
Sayuri looked at Yume.
"Did you hear that? Do you think they're fans? Did they come because of the website?"
"Probably. This is incredible. The boys are going to lose their minds."
As soon as the performance ended, applause exploded throughout the bar.
Girls screamed their names, phones recorded every second, and for the first time, Jun and Kenji realized something was changing.
When they tried to leave backstage, they were immediately surrounded by fans waiting for them.
They still had no idea…
…but that was only the first night of something much bigger.
Yume grabbed Sayuri's arm and the two slipped to the other side of the stage, entering backstage before the fans noticed.
"Girls, did you see that chaos? So many people…"
"We couldn't even get close to you guys," Jun said excitedly.
Yume grabbed the camera and suggested they take some photos with the fans for the website.
"Sure, let me fix my hair first," Kenji said while checking himself in the mirror.
Jun asked Sayuri to straighten his bandana.
"You look handsome, love…"
Yume went out first to organize a line so taking pictures would be easier.
As they stepped out from backstage, the venue security had to help Yume manage the crowd while the DJ's music blasted through the speakers.
"JUN!!! JUN!!! OVER HERE!!"
"KENJIIII!!! KENJIIII!!!! LOOK AT ME!!!"
Neither of them could stop smiling. It all felt surreal, and the adrenaline was overwhelming.
Fshhh… Fshhh…
Sayuri's father turned another page of the newspaper, already losing patience.
"Where is that girl who now spends every night out so late?"
"She's with her friends. She'll be home soon," her mother tried to reassure him.
Fshhh… Fshhh…
He slowly closed the newspaper.
"I don't like this… you give her too much freedom. Something tells me something's going on."
After taking several photos, everyone went back backstage, waiting for the bar to close before heading home.
"This is insane…" Jun repeated. "Absolutely insane."
"Man, I think someone grabbed my ass," Kenji said, making everyone laugh.
Jun, who had his arm wrapped around Sayuri, leaned close and whispered into her ear:
"Sleep at my place tonight…"
She looked at him and bit her lip softly.
"Jun…"
He lifted his hand to her face, gently brushing his thumb across her lips.
"Please… stay with me…"
She couldn't resist and gave in, sending her mother a message saying she would sleep over at a friend's house.
"Let's go, lovebirds," Kenji said as he handed Jun a few boxes to carry to the car.
Meanwhile, back at Sayuri's house, the atmosphere grew heavier and heavier. Her father had already lost his patience, and that message only increased his suspicions.
"From now on, I'm keeping an eye on that girl," he muttered before going to bed.