UNMASKED (mha)

6

Aiko smiled at the roar of the crowd, she was slowly getting more and more comfortable on stage. More and more comfortable talking in front of crowds.

Nishi was right, it was just like talking to a lone camera in her room. If she closed her eyes and used her imagination she could pretend she was still in her room.

"Woo!"
She said, rubbing the sweat off her forehead
"It's all just jokes by the way, I totally would not date my ex's sister..."
She laughed. "At least probably not."

Aiko walked back over to where the guitar was sitting.
"So I have one more song in this part of the concert, after we'll have a small intermission alright?"

She strummed the guitar lightly, going through the motions of checking to see if it was properly in tune. Her fingers gracefully moved across the strings.

The crowd cheered.

They cheered for pretty much everything she did. Unless she was able to shock them into silence.
Every word she said and every tune she played earned her a cheer of approval from her audience.

It was kinda weird, Aiko constantly felt like she didn't have people's approval. Like she was constantly getting something wrong, but right now it seemed like she couldn't do any wrong.

"Alright..."
She said, putting her finger to her lips in a shushing motion.

The stage lights dimmed and one spotlight was on her. The lights around the band had gone almost completely black.

The crowd obediently silenced.

And she started to play.

"When I'm away from you, I'm happier than ever.
Wish I could explain it better
I wish it wasn't true~"

Her voice was different, most likely auto tune. To make the song sound almost vintage. Like it had been recorded decades ago.

"Give me a day or two to think of something clever
To write myself a letter
To tell me what to do, mm-mmm."

She hummed, this song was much slower and lighter than her others. She almost sounded ethereal.

"Will you read my interviews?
Or will you skip my avenue?
When you, said you were passing through... was I even on your way?

I knew, when I asked you to be cool, about what I was telling you. You'd do the opposite of what you said you'd do and id end up more afraid..."

She wasn't afraid of Monoma. Not anymore, be she had been not that long ago. The way he held her that one night, the rage and hate in his eyes... it had terrified her.

"Don't say it isn't fair
You clearly weren't aware that you made me miserable
So if you really wanna know...

When I'm away from you...
I'm happier than ever...
Wish I could explain it better...

I wish it wasn't true..."

The music started to slow down, her music almost came to a stop and it seemed like the song was over.

The crowd tentatively started to clap for her until they heard her speed up pase at the last second before her acoustic guitar was joined with an electric one. The lights behind her glowed as the other instruments were put to use and the melody hummed to life.