The first week of February had quietly slipped by.
On an unusually cold morning, Haruki arrived early at the recording studio. Today, the band Flō was scheduled to begin the official session for the opening the. He had already sent them the music sheets weeks in advance, ensuring they had ti to prepare.
The studio they had rented was only a short walk from Echo Shroud's main building. It wasn't extravagant, but it had everything they needed: high ceilings for acoustics and a booth large enough to handle a full band.
As Haruki stepped through the doors, the familiar sll of coffee filled the air. The sound engineer, already tinkering with levels on the board, looked up and greeted him warmly.
"Morning, Yuuki-san. We'll start testing once the band arrives."
Haruki nodded, setting down his bag. "Let's go over the pre-production plan."
They ran through the checklist, instrunt balance, vocal mic placent, the order of takes. By the ti they were done, footsteps echoed from the hallway. The mbers of Flō filed in, carrying instrunt cases and exchanging polite bows before setting up.
One month earlier.
At a studio across town, the four mbers of Flō had been recording until noon when their agent beckoned them over during the lunch break. He had reserved a private booth at a restaurant next door, and the group followed him.
As soon as they sat down, the agent said excitedly,
"I've got sothing big lined up for you. The opening the for a new Mizushiro ani, scheduled for release this sumr."
The room went quiet for a mont.
Koshi, lead singer and guitarist, frowned. "An ani tie-in? That's short notice. There's barely ti to put sothing together."
"No worries about that," the agent said, sliding a folder onto the table. "They've already prepared the music sheets and lyrics. All you need to do is perform it. Think about it, guys. This is a massive chance, it could put you on the global map."
Hiroshi, the drumr, blinked. "Hold up. You an Mizushiro's next project?" His voice carried a mix of disbelief and excitent, like soone trying not to jinx a good thing.
"Yes," the agent said, catching their reactions with a nod. He'd called in more than a few favors to secure this spot. "Co on, you can see what this ans, right?"
Takeshi, the lead guitarist, the one who usually wrote most of their music, looked uneasy. Having to just play soone else's work didn't sit right with him. "All because Mizushiro's attached? I don't think he's that popular internationally."
"You're right. Mizushiro alone isn't a big na overseas," the agent admitted. "But there's more. What most people don't know yet is that Mizushiro and Kazuya have brought in three world-class production groups for his new ani, Code Geass. It's still under wraps, but insiders are already clearing their calendars. With this opportunity, your music gets carried straight into the spotlight. And your band's style fits perfectly. If it didn't, you wouldn't even be in the running."
For a few seconds, no one spoke. Each of them was lost in thought.
Takeshi tapped his fingers against the nu. "So we just… play it as-is? That's not really how we work. Our music's our identity."
"I get that," the agent said quickly. "But look, nobody's asking you to change who you are. You'll bring your own sound to it. The sheets are just a frawork. People will hear your band in the song, not just so studio filler."
For a mont, no one moved.
Koshi glanced at the folder again, then at the others. "It's not ideal. But if we take it, we'll get more publicity."
Hiroshi let out a breath, his tone a mix of relief and excitent. "Well, I'm fine either way if our music's gonna be on Mizushiro's ani."
Takeshi gave a dry smile. "Guess we'd better not screw it up."
The quietest of the four, Kōtaro, finally spoke. "Then let's play it our way."
The agent leaned back, pleased. "That's all I wanted to hear."
Back in the present, the mbers of Flō tuned their instrunts in the booth. The sharp twang of a brass guitar filled the room, followed by the rising hum of a synth pad. Drums joined in, gradually building into rhythm.
Behind the glass, Haruki had all the notes and finished products laid out. Guided by him, the engineer adjusted sliders and marked takes. Haruki gave precise instructions, "Raise the vocals here," "Keep the raw edge on that guitar line," "The synth needs more weight in the second chorus."
By the end of the week, the track was complete.
The following Monday.
The eting room was filled with anticipation. Everyone had gathered, because today Haruki would play music that would be used in the opening for Code Geass.
Haruki entered, crossed the room, spoke briefly with the operator, and gave a single nod.
The room stilled.
A bold synth brass line erupted from the speakers, brash and commanding. The drums punched in, steady and relentless, locking everything into motion. Then, cutting across it all, the lead vocal rang out,
"Jibun wo,"
Layer after layer stacked over it, guitar snarling, bass grinding, rhythm surging like a current. The sound didn't ask for attention; it seized it, daring anyone to look away.
Three minutes vanished in an instant.
When the final chord crashed and fell into silence, no one spoke at first. Then ca the subtle signs, faces lit up with excitent, and murmurs spread through the room.
Now, with more new people having joined the studio, they weren't aware of just how much talent Haruki had. They had heard of him writing and drawing multiple manga and ani, but now they realized he could write music too, and not just any music. This was a song that could certainly be called a classic.
[Note:- While writing this chapter, I think I listened to "COLORS" by FLOW at least 10 tis 🎧🎶🔥]
Shout out to eatwithbread, Mo for joining my p-atreon! your support ans everything to .
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-a-t-r-e-o-n/Alioth23 for 60 advanced chapters)
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