The comment from the NEW·world band, and the many replies beneath it, weren't malicious.
Kessoku Band's skill level wasn't low, but compared to professional bands who could command a stage in front of thousands, their overall ability was indeed lacking.
However, Aoki Kai's guitar skills and vocals were on par with those professional bands.
So, when online users suggested to Aoki that "you might have a better future if you switch bands," they were genuinely saying it for his benefit.
This was something that not only the commenters understood, but the members of Kessoku Band also knew it to be true.
That's why, after seeing the comments under Aoki's video, the girls in the band felt so deeply conflicted.
And because of this, ever since that video was posted, the atmosphere within Kessoku Band had been suffocatingly low.
...
...
"Loser" was a track with an ironclad melody. Its lyrics and deeper meaning were, in a word, perfect.
Combined with the promotional power of "suki-san," who was currently exploding on Yutube, the version of "Loser" sung by Kita Ikuyo passed the first round of selections, just as Aoki had predicted.
It placed second in the audience poll. First place went to the recently sensational "Ges Band."
Ges Band had a massive fanbase and their skills were excellent, but they were different from the other top bands. They hadn't built their following with their music, but rather through a deluge of corporate-backed publicity and by carefully manufacturing their public image.
In any case, they had firmly beaten Kessoku Band in the rankings.
It was also worth noting that while Kessoku Band scored high in the audience poll, their score from the professional judges was somewhat low.
August 6th. Clear skies.
The Saturday three days after the scores were released.
According to the competition rules, the top ten bands from the audience and judge voting were required to travel to a specific location for the second and final round of judging.
The finals were not in Tokyo. The address PVC Records provided was the Kyoto City Gymnasium, right next to the PVC headquarters in Kyoto.
It was a considerable distance from Tokyo. The train ride from Shibuya to Kyoto would take about four hours.
They departed at 10 AM and arrived in Kyoto at 2:30 PM.
After arriving, the group first went to the PVC Records headquarters.
The "Be original/Rock Band Project" finals were scheduled over three days. The first day was for checking into accommodations and drawing lots to determine the performance order. The competition itself would take place over the following two days, with five bands performing each day.
Ges Band, the first-place qualifiers, had drawn the prime spot: the closing act for Day 1. It was an excellent position, maintaining freshness while building anticipation for the crowd.
Kessoku Band, on the other hand, drew the first slot on Day 2. They were separated by a day, yet ended up right next to Ges Band in the schedule.
Regardless, as the temperature slowly climbed, the "Be original" project finals officially began.
On August 6th, after being shown to their accommodations, the girls of Kessoku Band—exhausted from the long train ride and nervous about their first large-scale competition—went to their hotel rooms to rest early.
Aoki Kai didn't wander around outside for long, either.
The atmosphere within the band had been tense for days. While it wasn't drastically different from normal—just that the girls were quieter than usual—Aoki couldn't shake the feeling that a storm was brewing.
He walked around alone for a bit before returning to the hotel.
He showered, lay on the bed, and did nothing, just staring into space. Eventually, he drifted into a hazy sleep, not waking until the next morning.
The finals began.
As mentioned before, the competition's format was strange. Even though the judges would make the final decision, tickets were sold to the public, allowing fans into the venue.
Because of this, the finals were not much different from a short live concert. If a band failed to manage the crowd's atmosphere, it could directly impact their reputation among fans.
This meant the finals weren't just about technical skill; they also required a band to have an exceptional ability to control a live audience.
The first performance was scheduled for 9:10 AM. Including setup time, each band had a 20-minute slot.
There were three performances in the morning and two in the afternoon, with the first day's judging wrapping up around 3 PM.
Afterward, the organizers would rush-produce videos of each band's live performance and upload them to Yutube, aiming to maximize the event's hype.
For now, none of this mattered much to Kessoku Band.
With the intent to learn, Aoki and the girls arrived at the gymnasium at 8:30 AM, well before the first band was set to take the stage.
They watched all three morning performances intently.
To be honest, while the bands were all experienced and technically proficient, their original songs weren't particularly outstanding.
They were good, passable, but only just good.
-------
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