[In keeping with the season, Leo looks like a child waiting to meet Santa. It's cute, and Hiyori appreciates it! This song is a little more "Valentine's Day" than "Christmas," but no matter. He'll deliver the gift of music, and the gift of love!]
Very well! Then let my words sink deep into your heart, and let my smile become your smile! ♪
[He puts on the music. As the instrumental comes on, he takes a breath, preparing to sing his heart out and perform his most dazzling self. And then, he sings!]
♪~♪~♪
[The song reveals itself to be a seductive number one could tango to. He doesn't tango, but he does dance, swaying with the music and keeping his eyes locked on his lone audience member. As for those lyrics he tweaked?
They're heavy. How ironic, after the conversation they had about crushing someone with the weight of their emotions. The lyrics don't speak of a gentle sort of love, one that kindly asks to be returned. There are no nascent fluttery feelings, just all-consuming need. The very first line demands the listener not take their eyes off him, and the refrain about accepting is love is both a plea and a demand. There's no room for rejection. He won't allow it, and why should he? His love is more limitless than the sun, promising to cure all loneliness and grief. The answer to fans' prayers—literally, he sings. Let your lonely heart overflow, and he'll fill the emptiness with love.
As he told Leo, he really did sing the song once already to someone. That boy was ungrateful and unappreciative. A poor audience member, though the way he blushed furiously was sort of cute. He doesn't expect Leo to react that way, nor does he want him to.
And yet he holds nothing back.
If anything, he ups the fanservice compared to when he sang for Fuuta, especially towards the end. During that earlier performance, he divided his attention between Fuuta and their crowd of onlookers. This one, however, is all for Leo. The one he's promising to love is Leo, not just with his words, but with his body. He dances towards the couch, an arm outstretched as though seeking to grasp Leo's hand or cheek. It's not the only thing his hands do. He slides them down his body, places one over his heart, brings fingers up to his lips and blows kisses. There's plenty of hip-wiggling. If you asked him about all this, he'd say it's just the sort of fanservice the song calls for!
In reality, he might be testing him, or perhaps even taking his frustrations out. In his heart he can't help but wonder, Why is this okay? Why is it okay for him to slip into his idol persona now, but not use that other persona he mentioned in their text convo? Leo said it had to do with closeness, that he understands people by listening to their songs. But doesn't he get it? When he sings, it's almost always as the idol, Hiyori Tomoe. When he performs, he's in "that" persona.
Being an idol isn't about being your unvarnished self and forcing other people to love it. Being an idol is about becoming someone lovable.
Maybe Leo doesn't understand just how scarce a resource love can be. It can be snatched and taken away, blown away by the wind just like he sings about in his solo. Of course Leo wouldn't understand. He loves everyone! In that sense, he effortlessly does what Hiyori's trying to do with this song. And isn't that the difference between those so-called geniuses that Eichi admired, and everyone else on Earth?
He dances during the interlude, his heavy (and frankly pretty unsexy) Christmas sweater causing him to sweat from the exertion. But it doesn't matter. His voice is absolutely booming during the final chorus, as he sings with all of his passion, all of his frustration, and yes, all of his love. He places one knee on the couch so he can lean over Leo, bowing his head until his springy hair brushes Leo's forehead, right in time for him to sing that "Entrust yourself to me" line. And then...]
1/2 :')
Very well! Then let my words sink deep into your heart, and let my smile become your smile! ♪
[He puts on the music. As the instrumental comes on, he takes a breath, preparing to sing his heart out and perform his most dazzling self. And then, he sings!]
♪~♪~♪
[The song reveals itself to be a seductive number one could tango to. He doesn't tango, but he does dance, swaying with the music and keeping his eyes locked on his lone audience member. As for those lyrics he tweaked?
They're heavy. How ironic, after the conversation they had about crushing someone with the weight of their emotions. The lyrics don't speak of a gentle sort of love, one that kindly asks to be returned. There are no nascent fluttery feelings, just all-consuming need. The very first line demands the listener not take their eyes off him, and the refrain about accepting is love is both a plea and a demand. There's no room for rejection. He won't allow it, and why should he? His love is more limitless than the sun, promising to cure all loneliness and grief. The answer to fans' prayers—literally, he sings. Let your lonely heart overflow, and he'll fill the emptiness with love.
As he told Leo, he really did sing the song once already to someone. That boy was ungrateful and unappreciative. A poor audience member, though the way he blushed furiously was sort of cute. He doesn't expect Leo to react that way, nor does he want him to.
And yet he holds nothing back.
If anything, he ups the fanservice compared to when he sang for Fuuta, especially towards the end. During that earlier performance, he divided his attention between Fuuta and their crowd of onlookers. This one, however, is all for Leo. The one he's promising to love is Leo, not just with his words, but with his body. He dances towards the couch, an arm outstretched as though seeking to grasp Leo's hand or cheek. It's not the only thing his hands do. He slides them down his body, places one over his heart, brings fingers up to his lips and blows kisses. There's plenty of hip-wiggling. If you asked him about all this, he'd say it's just the sort of fanservice the song calls for!
In reality, he might be testing him, or perhaps even taking his frustrations out. In his heart he can't help but wonder, Why is this okay? Why is it okay for him to slip into his idol persona now, but not use that other persona he mentioned in their text convo? Leo said it had to do with closeness, that he understands people by listening to their songs. But doesn't he get it? When he sings, it's almost always as the idol, Hiyori Tomoe. When he performs, he's in "that" persona.
Being an idol isn't about being your unvarnished self and forcing other people to love it. Being an idol is about becoming someone lovable.
Maybe Leo doesn't understand just how scarce a resource love can be. It can be snatched and taken away, blown away by the wind just like he sings about in his solo. Of course Leo wouldn't understand. He loves everyone! In that sense, he effortlessly does what Hiyori's trying to do with this song. And isn't that the difference between those so-called geniuses that Eichi admired, and everyone else on Earth?
He dances during the interlude, his heavy (and frankly pretty unsexy) Christmas sweater causing him to sweat from the exertion. But it doesn't matter. His voice is absolutely booming during the final chorus, as he sings with all of his passion, all of his frustration, and yes, all of his love. He places one knee on the couch so he can lean over Leo, bowing his head until his springy hair brushes Leo's forehead, right in time for him to sing that "Entrust yourself to me" line. And then...]