Classmates

When we were younger,
we thought life would work out
even if we never became "important."

As time passed,
it wasn't me who became successful -
it was my old classmates.

The lawyer.
The city hall worker.
The doctor.
The guy still working on-site.

When life gets tough,
the faces that come to mind
are the ones I can still call by last name.

"DOKYU" is a quiet song about choosing not to lead,
about supporting others instead,
and about finding strength in long-standing connections.

It doesn't shout.
It simply exists -
like background music in an izakaya late at night.

A song for those who didn't rise to the top,
but found a way to keep life moving forward.