Chapter 182 – The Official Announcement of the Animated Short

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[Suki-san]: Thank you, Mr. Fujita, for your support these past few weeks. After discussing it with the band members, we’ve decided to take part in the animated short project.

[Suki-san]: Is there anything else I should know about the event?

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Aoki tapped away at his phone, carefully crafting two proper messages before hitting send.

Without waiting for a reply, he slipped the phone into his pocket, stood up, and headed into the kitchen.

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November 18, Thursday.

Back when the members of Kessoku Band had confirmed their decision, Aoki had already put his thoughts into words and reached out to Fujita, the project lead, to discuss the plan.

The day after that, the band visited a recording studio to prepare the soundtrack for KL Corporation.

And the day after that, Aoki and Fujita Masahito met at a café, where they officially signed the contract.

With the animated short project finalized, KL Corporation was, as always, offering a very generous payout.

Aoki knew this for a fact—he had done his homework on market rates but he didn’t turn it down.

Signing this contract was like taking on a favor: a deal where both sides got what they needed.

Aoki saw no reason to refuse.

For one, the band’s growth at this stage still depended heavily on funding, and this money would go a long way.

For another, setting KL Corporation aside, even just keeping close ties with Fujita himself was worthwhile.

Once they began working closely together, Fujita was willing to share information, an intel that Aoki otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

Last time they met, Fujita had only hinted vaguely about certain record labels and entertainment companies teaming up to suppress competition.

This time, though, he spoke in a casual, almost gossipy tone, revealing industry secrets that only insiders would know.

These included—

• Justice Entertainment, the company managing the band Ges, whom Aoki had previously clashed with, was plotting a joint media smear campaign with another label to drag him down.

• WDR Records, PVC Records’ biggest rival, was also eager to jump in and stir the pot.

• Most of the record labels and entertainment agencies that had invited Kessoku Band or “Suki-san” in the past and had been turned down were now looking for ways to “make their presence felt” at this crucial moment.

To put it bluntly, whether it was just Aoki alone or the whole of Kessoku Band, they had become thorns in the side of the entire entertainment market.

The pie was only so big.

If you refused to join a faction and share in the pie, the rest would simply find a way to pull you down.

The market was ruthless—artists who couldn’t withstand the pressure either compromised or disappeared.

Entertainment companies had been using this method for years to snap up musicians with incredible talent.

But—

While Aoki kept an eye on such moves, there was no way he’d spend every waking moment obsessing over them.

And the idea of surrendering and of signing with a company that didn’t match his values—or fading into obscurity was completely out of the question.

He had risen through the ranks via independent media, so these corporate smear tactics wouldn’t have the same crushing effect on him that they had on others.

And when it came to music, Aoki had full confidence in himself.

He believed he could face down any entertainment or record company with nothing more than flawless songs.

So as far as he was concerned, he could take on whatever they threw his way.

Two days after confirming the partnership with KL Corporation, on November 18, the final promotional poster for the animated short was revealed.

That afternoon, KL’s official Twitter account posted a tweet.

The contents were simple:

• A line inviting viewers to “stay tuned.”

• A list of the main cast and staff.

• A special highlight on Kessoku Band:

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We’re very grateful to have worked with the members of Kessoku Band.

They are incredibly kind people with great personalities, and we hope to collaborate again in the future.
This short film’s soundtrack is performed by Kessoku Band. The song is titled ‘I Once Thought About Ending It All’.

After the screening, there will be a follow-up radio broadcast and other events—please look forward to them and thank you for your support!

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Attached was a beautifully illustrated poster with a clean, refreshing art style.

Within minutes, the replies section exploded—not just with KL fans and Kessoku Band fans, but also with casual onlookers who had been waiting for any scrap of news.

They had been anticipating this announcement for far too long.

KL had been keeping the song under wraps for days—not even revealing the title until now.

That alone had kept fans on the edge of their seats.

No surprise there—anticipation for this song was sky-high, whether from supporters or skeptics.

Kessoku Band’s fans, in particular, couldn’t wait to hear the track they believed could surpass Takashi Imai’s work.

The onlookers—whether they were just there for the drama or outright hostile toward Kessoku Band—were hoping for the exact opposite.

They couldn’t wait to hear a disastrously bad song, just so they could “prove” their pet theory: Suki-san has long been bought out by the big corporations, and KL’s short film project is nothing more than a staged publicity stunt.

Within three minutes of the tweet going live, hundreds of comments had already poured in.

Setting aside the useless noise and malicious remarks, the reaction from Kessoku Band’s actual fans was… mixed.

Many were instantly curious about the song’s title. Naturally, the replies soon turned into a heated discussion:

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[SplitMango]: “I Once Thought About Ending It All”… This title is way too depressing. I mean, I’m a fan, but I can’t help worrying a little… Can Suki-san really pull off a song like this?”

[LoveEquation]: “The title is beautiful, as always, but I’m still worried about the quality. I mean… looking at Suki-san’s personal background, he’s a high schooler whose life has been smooth sailing. No matter how I think about it, this doesn’t seem like a theme that suits him.”

[AmanoRyu]: “I admit I’ve always had that ‘the creator has to resonate with the theme’ bias, so I kept subconsciously doubting Suki-sensei… But in the end, I just can’t help but believe. Tomorrow, I’ll be watching with my own eyes!”

[Milu-chan_wants_to_be_Suki’s_wife]: “Suki-chan! Mama loves you!”

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Some were hardcore looks-over-talent fans who didn’t even bother talking about the song itself.

Those who did discuss it generally fell into two camps: those who supported him without question, and those who supported him but couldn’t hide a sliver of doubt.

They were genuinely curious—

Aoki’s life seemed like an unbroken string of successes, smooth and effortless.

How could someone like that resonate with the heavy, painful theme KL had chosen for the short film?

And without that resonance—without the ability to truly empathize—could a song like this really make Takashi Imai, one of the most respected veterans in the music industry, admit defeat?

That little seed of doubt was all the malicious actors needed.

They took it, magnified it, and fanned the flames.

By the day before KL’s short film release, the online discourse targeting Suki-san—directly and personally—was only getting louder.

Aoki didn’t notice.

But—

Kita saw it.

And her worry only deepened.

People wanted to know the story behind I Once Thought About Ending It All.

But for Kei-senpai, that “story” meant—

Being abandoned by his parents and left in an orphanage.

Giving up on the music he loved.

Forcing himself to study hard.

Working late into the night, every single day…

Were those really memories he wanted dragged back into the light?

Ever since the song had been completed, Kita had been afraid this moment would come. And now, that fear was slowly becoming reality.

If—no, when—those experiences were brought up again, Kei-senpai would be hurt.

Absolutely. Without a doubt.

But right now… what could she possibly do?

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With that thought heavy in her heart, the night passed without incident.

The next day, November 19, around ten in the morning.

The temperature had warmed slightly, but the air was still bitingly cold.

A rare winter morning with sunshine.

KL Corporation’s animated short film—was officially released.