InsomniaWL

Chapter 184 – A Few Things About Suki-san’s Past

Added 2025-09-28 19:07:03 +0000 UTC

Whiskey in a Glass.

Putting aside the nickname he’d been called for years, his real name was Arima Rei.

Now, after seeing this article, Arima frowned slightly, puzzled, and tapped the link.

A long string of text filled his screen. The article was anything but short.

In his bedroom, Rei rubbed his eyes, refocused his gaze, and began to read carefully.

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“First, let’s revisit the title.

The author of this post is indeed a police officer.

I must apologize to Suki-sensei — I abused my position.

Out of curiosity, I went and… dug into Suki-sensei’s personal history.”

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There was no doubt that this was illegal.

No matter the reason, doing something like this was absolutely, absolutely unforgivable.

Rei’s brow furrowed deeper as he read on.

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“In high school, he attended the prestigious Shuchiin Private Academy, with excellent grades.

His music career was just as smooth; every song he composed became a hit, racking up millions of plays.

A handsome face, a string of successes — his life looked perfect.

That’s the version everyone knows about Suki-sensei.

But today, I want to talk about something different.”

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A whole lot of fluff so far.

As a Kessoku Band fan, Rei already knew all of this.

Suppressing his impatience, he scrolled further.

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“A few days ago, KL Corp. announced that Kessoku Band had beaten Takashi Imai in the soundtrack competition for an animated short film.

Many netizens questioned this:

‘Suki-san’s just a high schooler — how could he possibly compose something that fits the theme so perfectly? There must be shady dealings behind it.’

At first, I thought so too.

But after investigating, I realized I was dead wrong — painfully wrong.

Determined to set the record straight, I wrote this article.

Shuchiin Private Academy’s tuition is steep — well beyond what an average family can afford.

You’d think Suki-san must come from a wealthy background, right?

In reality, it’s the complete opposite.

According to my findings, Suki-sensei transferred to Shuchiin in his second year.

Before that, he attended the cheapest, lowest-ranked high school in all of Tokyo — Shirose High.

The only way he could pay tuition on time… was by studying during the day and working part-time after school for the entirety of his first year.”

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Rei raised an eyebrow. That part was a little unexpected.

But almost immediately, he dismissed the thought.

At the end of the day, Suki-sensei’s family situation was his private matter.

It wasn’t this blogger’s place to post about it.

And besides… that headline about “I Once Thought of Ending It All” being written for himself? That sounded dramatic.

Plenty of people work to pay tuition — it’s hard, yes, but not that sensational.

His annoyance grew, but he kept reading.

Then, one short line made him stop.

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“During that time, despite being so gifted in music, Suki-sensei didn’t touch a single instrument for a very long time.”

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That… sounded unbelievable.

Rei didn’t know much about music, but even he understood — someone at Suki’s level must have an overwhelming love for it.

And yet, he’d gone a long stretch without touching an instrument?

Rei’s frown deepened as he scrolled on —

— and froze completely.

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“You might be asking: How could someone go that long without playing? Even if he worked part-time, wouldn’t his family offer some support? It doesn’t add up!

But it does.

I wrote in the title: ‘I Once Thought of Ending It All was written for himself.’

Yes — it was.

All the accolades, all the genius, the perfect grades… were just the surface.

People say he’s too young, that he’s only ever known success, and therefore couldn’t possibly compose something so perfectly in tune with KL Corp’s animation.

I know what I did was wrong, but after learning the truth, I couldn’t hold back — I wanted to prove it for him.

You can only create music that resonates with others if you’ve truly felt that depth yourself.

Suki-sensei or rather, Aoki-sensei was born in a poor area of Tottori Prefecture.

Abandoned by his parents at birth, he was placed in an orphanage.

His life seemed like a dead-end, with no way forward.

And yes… Aoki-sensei really had thought about ending his own life.”

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Rei’s mouth fell open in shock.

He stared at the words for a moment, stunned — then quickly snapped back to focus.

Without pausing to think, he fixed his eyes on the screen and kept reading.

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All the pieces are in place now, the author of the post wrote.

So, I’d like to share purely from my perspective—what I believe to be the real, less-than-glamorous life story of Aoki-sensei.

Born in Tottori Prefecture. Raised in an orphanage.

Possessing both remarkable musical talent and a sharp mind.

He went through elementary and middle school in that small, limiting town, dreaming of something more.

Somewhere along the way, he discovered music first piano, then guitar and fell in love with it completely.

By the time high school came around, unwilling to let his life stagnate, he left for Tokyo alone.

But Tokyo was merciless.

The cost of living was crushing.

Most of his time went into part-time jobs, and the rest into studying.

Meals? Cheap bento boxes.

Nights? Getting off work at one in the morning.

His beloved music slipped further and further away, drowned beneath the weight of survival.

It was probably during this period that he wrote the song many of us know: “So I Gave Up on Music.”

And yet, life doesn’t stay in the valley forever.

Through sheer determination—scraping together savings from endless work and securing a scholarship.

Aoki-sensei eventually transferred to the prestigious Shuchiin High School.

That was when he met the band that would change his life.

Something about Kessoku Band’s energy must have reminded him of the days when he’d loved music with his whole heart.

After much hesitation, Aoki-sensei made the choice to join them.

The rest… is the part of the story everyone knows.

Even now, watching KL Productions’ animated short, Aoki-sensei must have felt something deep stir inside.

Memories of the time he’d thought about ending it all.

Enough to bring a burn to his eyes.

And so, he poured every drop of his soul into writing a song that would tell the world:

"Even if you’ve thought about giving up on life, please… just hold on a little longer. Even if it’s only for a moment."

He wanted his voice, his music, to prove—I could make it through. So you can too.

But—

But!

Before the song was even released, it was buried under a wave of doubt.

Judgments made purely from appearances.

And so, I ask the question again:

"Could Suki-san—supposedly a high schooler who’s only ever tasted success—really compose a song that perfectly fits KL Productions’ short film?"

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Arima Rei read the entire article in one breath, then let out a long sigh.

Instinctively, he scrolled down to check the comments… only to find there were none.

Comments had been disabled.

He stared blankly at the screen for several seconds before finally locking his phone.

When he thought back to “I Once Thought About Ending It All,” the only thing in his mind now was the story he’d just read—

A boy who grew up in an orphanage.

A boy who once considered ending his own life.

A boy who had given up on the music he loved.

If it was all true…

A pang of guilt bloomed in Rei’s chest, crushing and raw.

But along with it came something else—an overwhelming sense of respect.