By 2027, Ren was in the 11th grade, and his band had become a sensation in their local town. However, a major challenge arrived: a prestigious music festival in Tokyo invited them to perform. This was the first time Ren would have to leave his home and his mother for an entire week. The old Ren would have locked himself in his room, but the new Ren looked at the family portrait on the wall—the one taken the day Emi returned—and packed his bags.
Hana, now a successful graduate, decided to accompany the band as their "manager" (and professional teaser). During the rehearsals in Tokyo, the pressure was immense. The lead singer lost his voice, and the band looked to Ren to take the mic. Ren panicked; his breath hitched, and for a moment, he felt like that little boy who couldn't eat without his mother.
He reached into his pocket and felt a small, laminated note Emi had hidden there. It said: "Your voice is your own. Sing for the boy who survived the silence." Ren stepped up to the microphone. When the lights hit him, he didn't look for Emi in the crowd. Instead, he closed his eyes and sang a song he had written during those three lonely months. The audience was mesmerized. "The Crimson Tides" didn't just play music; they told a story of survival. They won the silver trophy, but for Ren, the real prize was knowing he could breathe on his own in a city miles away from home.