After Anon told the others about the relationship between Tetsuya and Ai, both Soyo and Taki fell silent.
"That guy has a past like that with a popular idol..."
"It just sounds so unreal."
Both of them expressed their disbelief.
Then, Taki couldn't help but ask Soyo:
"Soyo, do you know this idol named Hoshino Ai?"
"Mhm. Anyone who pays even a little attention to social media should know about her."
Soyo said.
"A beautiful girl who had high hopes placed on her from the moment she debuted, a 'first star' who skyrocketed to fame at an unprecedented speed, a popular idol predicted to perform at the Budokan within a year..."
"Now it sounds even more unreal."
Taki couldn't help but shake her head, then she immediately looked back at Anon.
"Are you sure you didn't get it wrong? Could it be someone else with the same name?"
"I'm sure. I confirmed this with my brother a long time ago."
Anon said with utmost seriousness.
"In [Summer Zodiac]'s first music video, that stage outfit that got everyone online talking was designed by my brother for Hoshino Ai."
"...Chihaya-san is quite an incredible person himself."
Taki raised an eyebrow again.
Before, she had only thought of Tetsuya as a very talented young designer. She never expected him to have such an impressive "battle record"...
Come to think of it, is it really okay for them to ask such an amazing designer to design their stage outfits without any psychological burden or cost? Should they consider paying him something after this?
Taki fell into some very realistic thinking.
Meanwhile, after hearing all this, Soyo suddenly spoke up again.
"So, what does this have to do with our live show?"
She asked with her arms crossed, a look of confusion on her face.
"I can understand that you don't want Hoshino Ai to take away Chihaya Tetsuya's future... but what can our newly formed band possibly do?"
"Well..."
A flicker of hesitation crossed Anon's face when questioned by Soyo, but she still managed to say what she had to say.
"I want our band... to use this live show as a starting point and begin our activities with the goal of a 'major debut'."
"Major debut!?"
Hearing this term, Taki couldn't help but exclaim.
"Hey, you do know what that means, right?"
Unlike bands that students just play in for fun, a band aiming for a major debut needed the skill to attract a record company, sign with them, and release commercial albums. And once they were truly scouted and recognized by a record company, they would no longer be amateurs, but would officially become professional musicians.
Never mind their band, which had been formed less than a month ago; even many bands that had been active in various live houses and bars for years couldn't reach that level—
"Setting aside the feasibility of this goal... what happens after we make our major debut?"
Soyo continued to press.
"What do you hope to change by having a major debut?"
"The same thing Hoshino Ai wants to do... I hope that through this, we can increase our influence and protect my brother."
Anon said.
"Even if we can't reach Hoshino Ai's level, at the very least, we can't let her do whatever she wants."
"..."
Soyo fell into deep thought.
On the other side, Taki said:
"It's impossible. According to what you just said, it seems Hoshino Ai is planning to show her hand in May, right? That timeframe is way too tight for a band. In less than a month, we'll only have enough time to release a few singles. Without our own album, there's no way our band can gain the popularity and influence to compete with a top idol."
Although she was refuting Anon as usual, this time, Taki was analyzing the situation seriously and without any petulance.
"And among the five of us, besides Raana, the other four, including me, are nowhere near the level of a major debut. Especially you. Although you've been practicing hard lately and have made obvious progress, you're still a long way from the level of a professional guitarist."
"Ugh..."
A look of frustration appeared on Anon's face.
At first, she had wanted to form a band just to get everyone's approval and become popular at school. But now, with the appearance of the girl named Togawa Sakiko and the whole entanglement between Tetsuya and Ai, she gradually realized she couldn't be so carefree anymore.
Of course, she wasn't ignorant of the objective analysis Taki had laid out. In fact, she was more aware of her own lack of skill than anyone.
But, if she really did nothing, she would probably have to just sit back and watch her brother be snatched away by someone else—
"...If we're just working towards that goal, it should be fine, right?"
Just then, Soyo suddenly spoke up.
"For us, it just means increasing our training a bit, participating in as many live shows as possible, and raising our profile."
"Huh? Are you serious?"
Taki shot Soyo an incredulous look.
"Given our current skill level, it's not as simple as just 'a bit'. And... if we really plan to have a major debut, that basically means our future career paths will be decided. This isn't something we can decide with just a few words."
"I know. So, we're going to discuss this together now."
Soyo calmly took out her phone.
"I'll call Tomori over. After she gets here, the five of us will make a decision together... Anon."
"Hm?"
"About your brother... This is just my personal opinion, but I don't think he'll really let Hoshino Ai willfully strip away his career as a designer."
Soyo said.
"There's nothing that can't be solved with proper communication. This is a lesson your brother taught me, and he must know it himself. Given your brother's... eloquence, I don't think you need to worry to that extent... However, your desire to do something about it isn't wrong. At least personally, I'm not opposed to us aiming for a 'major debut'."
"Soyo..."
Anon stared blankly at Soyo for a good while before speaking.
"Even though you're always complaining about my brother, you really do respect him in your heart, don't you?"
"...Hello? Tomori? Could you come to [RiNG] right away? We have something important to discuss with you."
"Ah, I'm being ignored..."
Although she was ignored so mercilessly, Anon's expression showed no sign of dejection. Instead, a smile appeared on her face.
Whether it was Taki or Soyo, although their viewpoints differed, neither of them had opposed her motive to "protect her brother."
This band, which had slowly come together with Tetsuya's help, was at least quite united when it came to matters concerning him.
"This live... has to be a success."
For the future of this band, and to protect my brother!
"Speaking of which, how is Taki's song coming along?"
"It's finished. It's just that our time slot that day allows for one more song. It's not realistic to write another new one, so I was considering what to cover—"
"You guys have another song, don't you?"
Anon said.
"The one created by your [CRYCHIC]—'Haruhikage'."