🌱 Chapter 12 — Marmalade Sunset/ママレード・サンセット

- Original song: Megurine Luka https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DvomQu9yUTv4&ved=2ahUKEwj_ysDNpMCTAxXIaPUHHUMRCtIQ6vUJegUI9wEQAA&usg=AOvVaw3xBTci_wsTisXyLwc67XLp 💜💗💜💗💜 Story 💗💜💗💜💗 A few days later. Luka was sitting at the small table in her apartment. Her phone suddenly vibrated. She lowered her gaze toward the screen. It was an email from the audition company. She froze for a moment. Her finger hovered above the screen. After a few seconds, she finally opened the message. Only a few short lines appeared. An acceptance notice. For a moment, the room felt completely silent. Luka stared at the screen for a long time, as if she could hardly believe it. Her hand trembled slightly. And then, tears quietly began to fall. Not from sadness. But from the feeling of finally being recognized. Memories rushed through her mind. The nights she spent alone revising lyrics again and again. The days she practiced singing by herself. The moments when she wondered if she would ever make it this far. And now, that door had finally opened a little. Luka lifted her head. The tears still lingered in her eyes. Suddenly, she thought of someone. Gakupo. Once, the two of them had stood in the same place, talking about the future. Talking about the day when they might stand on a stage and sing. Back then, those words had sounded like a distant dream. But now, for the first time, she felt that she was getting closer— closer to that dream, and closer to him. Luka picked up her phone. Her fingers trembled slightly as she dialed a familiar number. The phone rang several times. In another city, Gakupo sat in a dimly lit room. The curtains were drawn. The lights were off. Several unfinished sheets of music were scattered across the desk. The vibration of the phone broke the silence. Gakupo glanced down. The name on the screen made him pause for a moment. Luka. His hand hovered in the air. After a while, he slowly answered the call. “…Hello?” His voice was low. Heavy with exhaustion. When Luka heard his voice, she couldn’t help but smile. But the tears still hadn’t stopped. “Gakupo,” she said softly. “I passed the audition.” For a moment, the room on the other end of the phone fell silent. Gakupo didn’t respond right away. He lowered his head, staring at the floor. Something in his chest stirred. It should have been good news. Something he had once hoped she would achieve. But now, his body felt completely drained. The pressure of being an idol. And the love he had been trying so hard to let go of. Both had slowly worn him down. After a moment, he finally spoke. “…That’s great.” His voice was quiet. Almost like he was saying it to himself. On the other end of the call, Luka still held the phone tightly. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks. She didn’t realize that the distance between them was still farther than she imagined. But at least, in this moment, she felt that she was finally walking toward the place they had once dreamed about together.