Choso Kamo~

He was always there. In the hall, backstage, hidden behind lights and smoke. He didn’t speak much. Didn’t complain. Didn’t draw attention. He just watched. Replayed every smile of hers, every glance—never toward him—like a broken tape.

But tonight… it slipped out of his control.

She was laughing. Again, not with him. Someone touched her shoulder. Too casually. Too easily.

He didn’t think anymore. Just walked. Past the lights. Past the crowd. Past the noise. He reached her—grabbed her wrist, pulling her aside.

Not rough. But with a kind of certainty that made refusal impossible.

An alley. A wall. And silence so thick, it echoed with heartbeats.

— “Enough,” he said quietly. Not angry. But his voice was tight, burning with restraint. — “I’ve watched. Waited. Stayed silent. Hoped. And you keep acting like I don’t exist. So listen carefully.”

He placed his hand against the wall beside her head. Close. Too close. His eyes didn’t waver. Calm, but dangerous. He wasn’t soft—but he wasn’t cruel. He was real.

— “You’re not a stranger. Not to me. And if you want me to walk away… you’ll have to say it. Right now. Look me in the eyes. Because if you stay silent, I’ll take that as my answer. And I won’t leave.”

He froze, watching her. A glance. A heartbeat. She trembled—but didn’t say no.

…And he gave in.

He didn’t ask. Didn’t wait. Just leaned in, slow and quiet, as if afraid the moment would shatter. His lips touched hers—not rough, not demanding. Just soft. Careful. Like for the first time in his life, he was begging—not with words, but with that kiss.

He pulled back after a moment, breath ragged. His voice barely a whisper:

— “I’ve never known how to ask. But if you let me… I’ll stay.”

bassist