Arriving at the concert hall with the intention of watching a performance instead of putting on the performance was strangely unfamiliar. It was a thought that stayed with me, and I reminisced on the night I saw Aki for the first time. We were discreetly let in ahead of the line, and shown to our seats in the front row where it was easy for Aki to be called to the stage.

The theater was large, and it reminded me of a popular live house, but with plush seats fixed to the floor, strong lighting, and walls painted in art pieces. A few other guests of honour were escorted to their seats as well, dressed in suits and beautiful silk dresses with sparkling jewelry. Chairs were set up on the stage for the orchestra, and a podium at the center was set up for the conductor.

"Don't even think about it, Natsu, you're the most beautiful one in here tonight." Aki said, taking off his coat and draping it over the back of his chair before he sat down. He must have caught me studying the details of the people and the theater.

"What are you singing tonight?" I relaxed into my chair, leaning a little closer to him.

"It's an old Guardian song that they turned classical. Kind of like what the label wanted me to do. I think if it's well received, I might ask them to work with me some more."

"Did you rehearse? You've been with me the whole time."

He laughed with his breath and shook his head. "They sent me the recording of the song that they did, and I said I would sing it. End of story."

In the gym at the hotel during the summer, I had sang a classical version of a song with Aki, while he completely made it up on the spot and conducted me through it. He had a natural talent, but more than that, he breathed music. It didn't surprise me that he knew he could get up on stage with a live orchestra and sing with them in front of an audience, flawlessly, without ever having done it in person before.

"Do you ever get nervous on stage anymore?"

"Not anymore." He smiled at me in a way that told me as much as I had experienced Aki's stage presence, there were a lot of gaps to fill in. He had lived an entire life before I met him, before I even knew he existed, and he had already done the work in that time to earn his status and fame. "I never really was. I was surprised a lot of times at how the band was received on stage, but I wasn't nervous about it." He said it in a way that conveyed how aware he was of what his fans thought of him. How they were attracted to him because of his image and how they were captivated by his voice and talent.

We watched the orchestra for an hour, and my attention was glued to them every second. As they filed onto the stage, the theater softly applaud them, they took their seats, and seamlessly they began to play. At some point, as the lights were dim in the seats and bright on the stage, Aki had reached over to take my hand, and held it. I could feel the vibrations of the music everywhere, and it was so different from being present for a metal band's performance, but it was equally enthralling. I let it course through me, closed my eyes from time to time to immerse myself in it.

At the end of one song, the music faded entirely, instead of making a transition into the next song. Aki pat my thigh. "They're going to announce me."

The conductor turned to face the audience. He had his back to us for most of the show, being seen by the musicians more importantly, and he straightened the small microphone at his podium to speak into it. He made a predictable speech about the themes of the performance, and thanked the audience for their attendance. "I would like you all to join me in welcoming a special guest to the stage. Hasegawa-san, would you please join us?"

Aki stood from his seat to the applause, and bowed formally to the rest of the audience. He leaned down to kiss me quickly as he passed. "Be right back." He said.

"Hasegawa Akira-san, better known as Aki." The conductor continued to introduce him as they bowed greetings to each other. "You know him, don't you?"

The conductor made a show of passing a microphone to Aki, and a stage hand ran like a ninja with a stand for Aki to slip it into. "Good evening, and thank you for the introduction. I'm Aki, of Guardian." There was an applause from the audience that politely told him they knew exactly who he was, and what they were about to witness. He laughed a small laugh into the microphone, but cast his gaze down as if he was embarrassed. "I'm going to sing for you." He continued, and earned a small murmur of laughter. "This is a Guardian song that I wrote nearly ten years ago that we rearranged."

Aki nodded to the composer, and the orchestra started the first few lines of the introduction as the lights dimmed. I watched Aki as he swayed to the music, smiling, and I could feel his excitement to be with the musicians on stage. As the introduction notes faded, the spotlight found him, and he took a deep inhale into the microphone to begin singing. He leaned forward slightly to accentuate the first lines he sung, letting his deep voice creep in through the soft background strings and piano. The orchestra was careful to highlight him, lowering their volume to match his pitch changes. I knew their secret, that they had never rehearsed together, only with recordings of each other, but their combined talents were undeniable. Aki stood still while he sang, drawing the notes as long as he could in places, keeping his voice steady and strong. Even though he was standing still, a contrast to how he normally behaved on stage, he used his hands to gesture, and leaned his body into the energy he was projecting.

I took the chance to really look at him for the first time that evening. There were times when I felt like Aki's presence was so normal, so expected, that I forgot to observe him. I forgot to look and take him in. I knew him so well, I knew what every inch of his face and his body looked like, and at times, I relied on my mind's eye to project him. He was wearing a plain black suit, and left the few buttons at the top of his shirt undone, letting the tattoos on both sides of his chest peek out. He liked to wear it that way, and he liked to wear his suits about a half size too big. His trousers were accessorized with a belt, and his shirt was tucked in so that it would be visible by design. Somehow, even though he was dressed as a classical musician, I felt like anyone could take one look at him and know that with that voice he was belting with, he could easily scream like a demon as well.

When the song finished, I was the first one to stand, half a second before the rest of the theater's audience. Aki was smiling, but he also looked like he was holding something back. He was proud of himself, and the experience meant a lot to him, and the thought that I was the only one in the theater to know just by looking at him made me excited. He bowed to the audience, to the orchestra, and then to the conductor before returning to his seat beside me.

I reached to grab his hand as he relaxed back into the seat, casting me a glance and a smile as if nothing had happened.