Chapter Text
It was early in the evening, the final lights of the sun had just disappeared when Aki was strolling around town. He took in the scenery as usual, not getting sick of it despite doing this almost everyday. Some shops have closed for the night already, but most still illuminate the dark streets with their lights, welcoming any customer who delightfully enters them. As he passes by the lively commercial district, he hears interesting stories from all sorts of people. From rants of a tired salesman to laughter of giddy high schoolers, these foreign memories come and go with every single step he takes.
He walks further, coming to a halt at a nearby park. The interesting conversations of the street he just passed were mere chitter chatter when he coincidentally turned his head and set his gaze upon a person with a somewhat familiar shade of hair. They were in the park alone, looking the other way with their body mostly covered by the shrubbery from Aki’s sight.
“Hm?” He whispered. A guess came to mind, piquing his curiosity. Aki only knew one person that had hair that’s as orange as a pumpkin. Whether they knew him or not wasn’t gonna quell his internal inquisition. He let his curiosity get the best of him when he walked towards them. “Um… Hello, there…”
“H-Huh? Oh, hello. Do you need something..?”
Aki’s guess turned out to be right. As the orange-haired person turned to him and spoke, he knew then and there that that person was none other than— “Shibuya Kanon? The Shibuya Kanon?! As in… the one from Liella??”
Kanon’s eyes widened upon hearing the name of the group she was from. “Y-Yes I am…”
“I was such a big fan of Liella! And you— you were my favourite member,” He said, astonishment painted his face.
“R-Really? I… I don’t know what to say, thank you so much!”
Aki expressed how this moment felt like a dream, he couldn’t believe he met his favourite idol. She shyly laughed, delighted by his enthusiasm; happy to have met a fan. “But, um, would you mind if I asked you your name?”
“Oh! Pardon me. I’m Aki, Yamada Aki.” He turned with a faint sense of regret, “S-Sorry for getting a little bit too excited…”
“No, it's alright, it's alright. I'm more surprised than anything that someone actually remembers me and Liella.” Kanon wore a slight smile, then she paused. Hesitantly, she decided to ask Aki what his favourite song was from them to keep the conversation going.
“Hmm… I guess your solo song – “Aozora wo Matteru” – would be my favourite. It is such a romantic song, I can really feel your emotion in it. And your voice… it’s angelic.”
Kanon blushed, smiling and thanking him for appreciating their work. She still found it hard to believe that there is still someone who liked and remembered her as an idol. Aki is a testimony to that. He is proof that Liella made an impact even after years have passed.
“That reminds me,” She wondered. “How did you recognize me?”
“I was just passing by and when I saw you, I thought you looked familiar.”
She smiled. “I’m glad that someone still recognizes me even after Liella had disbanded. You know… I usually don’t sing in public anymore; I thought Liella just faded away and became irrelevant and forgotten.”
Aki smiled along with her. “To me, Liella’s legacy will always live on. Even though it was sad to witness Liella’s disbandment, my love for all of you will still remain. The memories you all shared, the wonderful songs, and the fantastic performances you put up will always still be there.”
Kanon looked up at him, a slight blush on her face. She thanked him, stuttering a bit but her gratitude was clear and genuine.
“As a fan, I may not understand the feelings you all had when you separated but, I will always support all of you,” Aki, with a bit of shyness, turned his head slightly away. “Especially y-you… since you’re my favourite member…”
“T-Thank you so much..! I’m no longer used to this kind of attention, that's why I’m acting a bit shy and nervous… But I’m glad to know that I’m your favourite…” Kanon said with a smile. “It means a lot to me, really.”
Aki’s cheeks become rosy upon hearing her gratitude. He found himself admiring her voice, the faint shyness in her speech was just so cute to him for some reason. Meeting his favourite idol was so surreal. He never even imagined seeing her on stage, let alone meeting her. But here he was, talking to her, a few feet apart from each other. It was a dream come true.
But this dream had to end. It would be rude for him to just keep her there and keep on blabbering about his admiration towards her and her former idol group. Even if he still had plenty to say, Aki was wise enough not to bore her with it. After all, idols are still human; like us, they feel emotions, discomfort, and other things. They’re not perfect heaven-sent angels here to pamper you and give you everything you desire. Aki was – very much – well aware of that. He kept a respectable distance and treated her like how a normal person should treat another. Yes, he was… a bit too excited at first, but how could you not act the same if you met someone you truly looked up to?
“Well, I better not waste more of your time. I’m sure you have somewhere important to be. It was really great meeting you,” Aki paused, giggling a bit before he continued. “It’s kinda sad saying goodbye to you, I don’t know why.”
“No, you weren’t wasting my time!” said Kanon. “And besides… I don’t have anywhere to go…”
Aki was a little confused after what she said. But then, he realised. What was she doing in the park? At night?? In a rural town of all places! And with luggage?! He asked her all of this, a concerned look appeared on his face.
“R-Relax, relax,” Kanon reassured him. “I’ll explain myself...”
She told him about why she was there. She told him about her dream. A dream where she can freely share and sing her songs again in public. Kanon spoke about finding inspiration, and how she wanted to have a change of pace. She wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and find a slower and charming place to be while in pursuit of her passion. Since she wasn’t in a group anymore, she wanted to become a solo artist. Being one meant that she had more freedom in her personal creativity. Not to say that Liella was holding her back, in fact, being in Liella was what pushed her to keep going after her aspirations.
“But where will you be staying?”
“W-Well, you see…” Kanon looked away, a tad embarrassed. “I thought about that a bit too late…”
“Pfft—” Aki stifled a laugh. Kanon’s flustered reaction only worsened it. He couldn’t help but be amused by the clumsiness that put her in the situation she was in. He stopped when he saw her pout, suppressed laughter turned into little giggles.
“You met the right person then! I’m the owner of the only ryokan in this town,” With a bit of tears in his eyes from laughing, Aki brought out his phone. “Don’t you worry, I’ll message the staff to have a room ready for you.”
Kanon’s eyes widened. “Wait— A-Are you sure? This is so unexpected. Wouldn’t my sudden arrival cause trouble for your staff?? And… how much is a night’s stay there?”
Aki shook his head, smiling.
“It’s no trouble at all! We always welcome guests, even unexpected ones,” Aki looked around and stepped closer to her. Talking quietly, he said, “And you don’t have to worry about the bill, it’s on the house.”
Kanon was shocked, she did not anticipate such a generous gift. “N-No, I couldn’t just stay for free.”
“Nonsense!” chirped Aki. “This is just a small token of gratitude.”
Kanon stood there, speechless. “I… I don’t know what to say… T-Thank you so much! How could I ever repay you..?”
“You don’t have to,” said Aki. “Back then, whenever Liella performed, it would always cheer me up. This is nothing compared to what you all did for me!”
Again, Kanon was baffled. It made her so happy to see that Liella made such an impact on someone’s life. It really meant a lot to her to actually witness how merry and grateful their fans were because of their songs and dances. She had no regrets being in Liella. The smile on everyone’s faces was what drove them to become school idols – and Aki’s smile, being one of the countless others, warmed her heart.
♥︎ ♡ ♥︎
The walk to the ryokan was mostly silent. Since it was situated on a mountainside near the top, the view was nothing short of breathtaking. The pair admired it, they did not even dare to start a conversation. Kanon was behind Aki, following him to the inn. Earlier, Aki offered to carry Kanon’s luggage to which she initially refused but ultimately, and hesitantly, accepted when she learned that they would be hiking up a mountain. She asked him where the ryokan was and Aki pointed up top. There, surrounded by foliage, she saw the glowing lights of the establishment – flickering like a candlelight. At that point, she knew that it was the perfect place to be, finding some inspiration there will be easy.
The hike was relatively effortless. The road had a wide enough sidewalk, maintained, and it wasn’t too steep. Soon, the view of the town faded within the dense treeline. Only the light from the lampposts and the clear moon illuminated the road. Every now and then a car passes, either from the town or from the next town over. The silence from the two broke when Aki spoke.
“We’re almost there,” said Aki. “I hope your stay here inspires your first song or album as a solo artist.”
“It definitely will,” Kanon replied. “Make sure to listen to it when it’s out!”
“Oh, you bet I will. I’ll be your first and biggest fan in your solo career!”
Kanon’s laughter was like music to Aki’s ears. Making his favourite idol laugh made his heartbeat faster as he continued to walk, looking away to hide his now blushing face.
“T-That reminds me, how long are you staying for?”
“Probably around eight days, including today, So… seven nights,” Kanon replied. “It was already pretty late when I arrived so I didn’t have the time to explore the place.”
“Great! I’ll show you around town tomorrow, and as for the following days, we can go to the various landmarks we have. Does that sound alright or would you prefer going alone?”
“No, no, that would be great! I’d rather go with you since you know this place but, wouldn’t you be busy managing the ryokan?” Kanon asked.
“Not at all. My staff handles almost everything. I only do the paperwork, I rarely help with other tasks. And when I do, my workers often stop me and continue the work,” Aki paused. “Oh no…”
“W-What is it..?”
Aki brought his palm to his head. He told Kanon that he could’ve called one of the staff over to give them a lift instead of hiking for almost an hour to the ryokan but the thought slipped his mind. This prompted Kanon to giggle for a bit with Aki apologising for his mistake.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I… actually enjoyed the walk. The air is nice and cool, and the view was absolutely beautiful,” she said with a smile on her face, and a dust of pink on her cheeks. “And besides… I enjoyed walking with my number one fan~”
“Kyaa~! M-My heart!”
She laughed at his silly reaction. Kanon never expected to have met such a cheerful fan. It was a pleasant surprise for her. A surprise that’s as pleasant as the final moments of their walk up to the ryokan.
Upon arriving there, she was met with the beauty of traditional Japanese architecture. Everything was so clean and well-maintained, the wood looked like it was sparkling. And as they walked inside, they were greeted by a couple of Aki’s staff. He talked to them for a brief period before one of the staff members offered to carry her luggage.
There was no trouble checking-in since Aki already called earlier. After that short talk with his workers, he led her to her room.
To Kanon’s delight, the room was nothing short of beautiful. She walked in, entering the main part of the room and what greeted her was a breathtaking view of the town below. The small lights from the buildings were like dancing fireflies above the slope of trees, and the surrounding farmlands were a dark sea that only served to emphasise the cosy town. It was a feast for her soul.
“Beautiful,” She muttered.
Seeing his favourite idol mesmerised made Aki smile. “Well then, I should probably leave you alone so you can rest. You're probably hungry now after that hike, huh? I'll go get someone to serve you dinner”
Right before he left, Kanon called out to him. With a slight blush on her face, she shyly invited him for dinner. The question left Aki stunned. Having dinner together with Shibuya Kanon? The Shibuya Kanon? With a bright smile and a cheerful voice, there was only one answer to that.
After a short moment, the staff came to prepare their dinner in her room. One sat beside Aki and teasingly asked, “Your girlfriend~?”
The question made him and Kanon blush, “W-What!? N-No! She’s just someone I know, okay? Geez…”
The staff members snickered, leaving after finishing setting up dinner for the two. Kanon suddenly giggled, “I guess, they’re like a family to you, huh?”
“Y-Yeah… I knew them all my life,” Aki paused, taking a breath to compose himself. “So, uh… Let’s dig in.”
They began to eat. The food was not lacking neither in quantity nor quality, and while they ate, Aki initiated idle conversation, asking Kanon’s experiences in Liella. After dinner, Kanon grabbed her guitar and offered to sing a song for Aki as thanks for his kindness and hospitality, and also for being a fan. Of course, he was more than happy to accept a private concert by his favourite idol.
That night would be remembered fondly by the both of them.
For the following couple of days, Aki toured Kanon around town. For a rural place, there were tons of things to do downtown.
“Oh! How about we go to one of my favourite spots here tomorrow? It’s within this ryokan’s grounds, it’s where the hot spring water comes from,” Aki said to which Kanon gleefully agreed. “It’s getting late, I should probably leave you to rest now, Shibuya-san.”
“W-Wait,” said Kanon. “Are you going back to your room?”
“Mhm,” Aki replied, wondering why her cheeks were flushed.
She nervously stands up. Taking a moment before she finally speaks, “D-Do you wanna… join me in the bath..?”