"Yay!" The woman that requested it chirped and ran inside. The women that were left outside shook their heads and chuckled in amusement.
Suddenly, one of the women held her stomach and said, "I'm hungry."
"I'll just buy food, wait for me there, ah?" She added before running back.
"Heh." The girl that was left standing shook her head and turned to the managers, "If you're hungry too, go with Moring. We can manage here. As if someone would know us with masks on." She said before going inside.
Inside, the people that were using the karaoke finished. Andre knew that he was next so he stepped forward and keyed in the song on the remote.
Breathing in, Andre prepared to sing the song that he hadn't sang for years. He sang the first verse of the song soulfully while reminiscing.
"Saigo no kisu wa tabako no flavor ga shita
Nigakute setsunai kaori."
(The last kiss tasted like tobacco, a bitter and sad smell.)
"Hmm?" The woman that just entered tilted her head with intrigue as she listened to the singer. It wasn't awful, in fact, it was beautiful and full of emotions. His deep and melancholic voice fitted the song even though his voice was a lot deeper from the original singer.
The woman that was first to enter saw her and rushed towards her, "Nari, do you hear that song? That's your favorite, right? Let's listen to it!" She urged her.
Nari thought for a moment and nodded, "Sure. It wouldn't harm us anyway." They then walked towards the karaoke booth.
Andre continued to sing with a voice filled with emotions in front of the television that showed the lyrics. Around him, a lot of people gathered to listen to him singing.
"Wow. He has a wonderful voice."
"He's handsome too. Is he a famous singer?"
"No, I don't think so. I don't recognize him."
Others started to record him singing the song.
"Ashita no imagoro ni wa
Anata wa doko ni irundarou
Dare wo omotterundarou."
(Tomorrow, at this time, where will you be? Who will you be thinking about?)
Suddenly, on the television, the background video changed to a picture of a blonde Japanese woman that had a mole on her nose bridge. Her eyes looked at the front with a happy smile. For the people around, her gaze was mesmerising, but for Andre, it was as if her gaze could see his deeply hidden emotions.
Coincidentally, the song reached the chorus part. With the song in addition to the picture in front of him, his eyes couldn't help but water as images of a happy relationship came to his mind.
"You are always gonna be my love,
itsu ka dare ka to mata koi ni ochite mo.
I'll remember to love,
you taught me how.."
(You are always gonna be my love even if i fall in love with someone once again. I'll remember to love, you taught me how.)
Gasp! His voice had an even more powerful emotion in it, the people's eyes couldn't help but water.
"You are always gonna be the one
ima wa mada kanashii love song
atarashii uta utaeru made."
Sniff! Audible sounds of sniffing and crying could be heard around.
"Why am I feeling this?"
"I don't understand it, but why am I crying?"
"I miss you, Andrea!"
"I've been single since birth. Why am I crying because of a love song?"
"I still love you!"
Nari's heart couldn't help but ache for no reason. 'Why am I feeling this again?' She thought to herself he clutched her chest. Her eyes also watered and tears ran down her cheeks.
The girl that was beside her was tearing up when she turned and saw Nari, "What's happening? Is your ailment attacking again?" She asked nervously as she helped Nari up.
"I-I think it's the song." Nari replied while suppressing the pain. She wiped her tears off of her cheeks and looked at the man in front.
"Then let's leave! Let's do that." The woman said and grabbed Nari's wrist, dragging her away, but Nari resisted.
"Wait, Nezumi!" She said, "I want to stay and listen."
Nezumi gawked and thought, "Why are you staying if you know that it's hurting you?"
At this time, Nari was completely focused on the man that was singing at the front.
Andre continued to sing with his grip on the microphone tightening more as more memories resurfaced from the depths of his mind.
"Andre-senpai, can you teach me this? Please~"
"Andre-senpai, let's run at the park again!"
"Andre-senpai, you're too fast! Wait for me~"
"Andre-senpai, the moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
"Andre, you won't leave me, right?"
"Andre, I got into the audition!"
"Andre, support me wherever I go! I trust you!"
"Promise me that you'll never leave me."
"Promise." Tears streamed down his eyes.
"Tachidomaru jikan ga
Ugoki dasouto shiteru
Wasureta kunai kotobakari
Ashita no imagoro niwa
Watashi wa kitto naiteru
Anata wo omotterundarou"
Andre inhaled deeply and wiped the tears on his face. His voice quavered as he continued to sing.
"You will always be inside my heart
Itsumo anata dake no basho ga aru kara
I hope that I have a place in your heart too
Now and forever you are still the one
Ima wa mada kanashii love song
Atarashii uta utaeru made."
He prepared to continue but before he could do so, a woman's voice sounded from the speaker singing the song. Andre widened his eyes and turned around.
There, a woman with a mask on and a cap was holding a microphone while looking at the television before turning to him. She walked forward while continuing to sing.
"You are always gonna be my love,
Itsuka darekato mata koi ni ochitemo
I'll remember to love, you taught me how."
Waking up from his stupor, Andre sang with her as he stayed his gaze at the woman.
"You are always gonna be the one
Mada kanashii love song.."
"Now and forever…" Andre and Nari gazed at each other's eyes and while their voices were in harmony.
Suddenly, from the back, Moring, the woman that got food, arrived and tapped Nezumi, "Hey, what's happening there?" She asked.
"Nari went up and sang together with that guy over there." Nezumi whispered to Moring.
"Hmm?" Moring was intrigued and looked at the man. Her eyes widened as a shocked expression showed on her face.
"Hey, where are you going?!" Nezumi called out as Moring ran towards the karaoke.
Until now, Andre and Nari were still looking at each other when Andre realized something. He suddenly dropped the mic as he lost his grip. "Nari?"
Realizing it, Andre turned and ran away, which shocked Nari. "How did he recognize me?" She thought.
From her peripheral, Nari saw a figure dashed to where Andre ran.
Later, Nezumi went up to her, panting, "Nari, she's nuts."
"Who?"
"Moring!"
"Moring?" Nari gasped and looked at the vanishing figure of Andre and Moring with perplexion.
Far away, Andre was running fast and stopped when he thinks that he's already got far enough. Relaxing his body, he slumped down leaned on the wall with remorse and deep melancholy.
Suddenly, he felt himself held on the collar and raised up. "You bastard! You were here all along?!" A woman's voice yelled at him with anger.
As Andre's eyes were filled with water by now, he didn't realize who the woman was. He blinked hard to remove the tears on his eyes and wiped them off, having a clear vision of who it was. "M-Moring? H-How?"
"Yes, it's me!" Moring yelled angrily, "It's been more than five years since you left her, but you didn't even visit her once? How evil of you! Even if she doesn't remember you anymore, you could've just gone to her and let her remember you again!"
"How did you remember me? I thought I made everyone forget?" Andre asked with disbelief.
Moring's eyes widened when she heard him, "You really are the reason for it. I thought I was just delirious." She became even more angry as she remembered everything that happened to her.
"I've spent the last five years thinking that I was already mad, and you were only an imagination or a character inside my dream. The next day after you left, I went to the YPEnt Building, discovering that everyone forgot about your existence. I asked Nari about it and she, too, was also confused."
"I've spent years on years thinking to myself that you are just an imagination, something that is out of my understanding. I was already moving on and forgetting about the memory of you and Nari together, but now, here you are." She snarled at him.
"Why? Why didn't you visit her? Ever since you left, she always had her heart aching for some reason that they do not know. I thought she was ill, but now, I am certain of why she's feeling that way."
"You made her forget."
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