[Warning 15+]
Part Four
"―From Now On, You Better Treat Me with That Same Energy, Too!"
Chapter 129
For Some Reason, It Looked Radiant
"―From Now On, You Better Treat Me with That Same Energy, Too!"
Chapter 129
For Some Reason, It Looked Radiant
"Um, I mean, you guys use it a lot for meetups, right...?"
Saki was flustered as heck, pleadin' her case with a voice that was way higher than usual.
Everyone's eyes went wide and they tilted their heads, totally shocked to hear Saki—who usually stays in the shadows—actually speakin' up like that.
Sittin' under all those stares made Saki shrink back and lower her voice, but the second she locked eyes with the person lookin' her way, she pursed her lips tight and balled her fists in front of her chest.
Then, just as Saki was gearin' up to really speak her mind, Himeko's bright voice suddenly cut through the air.
"―Um."
"Oh, I wanna do it! I wanna sing! Wait, but is it just old-school stuff?"
"U-Um, well, I think there are a few laser discs they recently ordered online..."
"Whoa! Do we know which songs we got!?"
"Yeah, Hime-bō, it's in the basket right on the right as you walk into the storehouse."
"The storehouse, got it!"
"H-Hime-chan! In that case, I'll get everythin' ready~."
The crowd's confusion lasted only a split second; As soon as Himeko went sprintin' off to the storehouse all hyped up, the vibe in the Community Center flipped to full-on karaoke mode in no time.
"Yo, Kanehachi-san, let's go help the girls out!"
"You bet! I'm gonna let my beautiful voice roar through the place."
"Shut it, you raspy-voiced old man!"
"Look who's talkin', Mr. Booze-breath!"
"Hey now, don't you dare forget about us ladies."
"I just can't hit those high notes like I used to, y'know?"
Truth is, the karaoke setup at the Community Center is one of the few ways to have fun in Tsukinose.
Since everyone was already half-buzzed, once the vibe kicked in, they totally forgot about Saki's weird outburst. Conversations about what to sing, what they wanted to hear, or how the last session went started poppin' up all over the place. It all happened in a flash.
"...Guess Saki-chan really bailed us out there."
"...Yeah, for sure."
Saki's move was clearly a reaction after she'd caught a glimpse of Haruki's face.
Naturally, they hadn't given Saki a full rundown of Haruki's messy situation. There was no way they could've.
As for Saki, maybe 'cause she was the one who suggested it in the first place, she ended up gettin' stuck with the mic.
Saki shot Himeko a look like she was pleadin' for help, but Himeko just chirped, "Oh, they've got the theme song from that rerun drama we talked about!", and slickly grabbed the other mic, blockin' any chance of Saki makin' a break for it. Himeko thought she was being a good wingman, but Saki was lookin' pretty teary-eyed.
And everyone around 'em was hyped as heck, shoutin' stuff like, "Go for it!", "First time seein' Hime-bō and Saki-bō singin' together!", and "Finally, what we've been waitin' for!"
Before long, the intro to a song that sounded a bit old-school but oddly familiar kicked in.
It was the theme song from a hit drama starrin' a former idol that'd been re-aired a gazillion times.
Even Hayato, who'd never actually watched the show, had heard the tune before; It'd popped up at plenty of these meetups. Honestly, it was the perfect track to pick.
Everyone started clappin' along and eggin' 'em on.
"Anata ni Hitomebore (Falling for You at First Sight)~♪"
Their voices echoed through the community center.
Himeko had hit up karaoke a few times, so she could hold a tune okay, but she still sounded stiff and looked like she was givin' it her all just to keep up with the lyrics.
On the other hand, Saki was a total train wreck.
Must've been Saki's first time singin' in front of a crowd like this.
Saki's face was beet-red with embarrassment, and she kept her shoulders hunched as she barely whispered the words.
But the crowd didn't care—they were hyped, though.
For the older folks there, watchin' both Himeko and Saki was probably like watchin' a grandkid's school recital. Everyone had a big, goofy smile on their face.
Even Hayato found their earnest effort pretty wholesome.
Especially Saki—'cause seein' her like this was the polar opposite of the dignified way she looked doin' the Kagura dance at the Festival every year.
"...Saki-chan really is a great girl, huh?"
"Yeah, for sure."
"And man, Saki-chan's just so cute."
"I guess so."
"That's why, seein' Saki-chan try so hard like that... ...it makes me think, about Saki-chan---"
"...Haruki?"
With her eyes still fixed on Saki, Haruki muttered somethin' with a look on her face that Hayato had never seen before.
It was full of affection, but at the same time, it looked lonely—like it was 'bout to fade away. It was a complex expression that was hard to put into words, and for some reason, it totally messed with Hayato's head.
Without thinkin', Hayato reached out to confirm Haruki was really there and try to grab her, but his hand just swiped through thin air.
Haruki had already stood up.
From where Hayato was sittin', he couldn't see Haruki's face anymore.
"Hayato, I'm gonna head up there."
Sayin' that, Haruki turned back with a smile so gorgeous it was captivatin', then she made a dash for the stage with total swagger.
Hayato caught his breath.
That was the Nikaidō Haruki smile (the mask)—completely calculated (actin') because she knew all eyes were on her.
The first verse of the song was over, and it was headin' into the bridge.
The crowd watchin' both Saki and Himeko (the idols of Tsukinose) was gettin' even rowdier, clappin' and cheerin' like crazy, which only made Saki's face turn redder and made her hunch over even more.
Himeko knit her brows, clutchin' the mic in one hand while pressin' the other against her throat.
"Mind if I jump in?"
Right between the two of 'em, Haruki cut in.
Saki was totally blindsided by the sudden move, but when Haruki gave Saki a sweet smile and reached out, Saki kept glancin' back and forth between her own hand, Haruki's hand, and Haruki's face, before finally—and pretty nervously—handin' over the mic. Haruki just gave Saki a wink like, "I got this."
Watchin' the whole exchange, Himeko blinked a few times, let out a "Well, whatever." kind of sigh with a slightly annoyed look, and then pulled Saki by the arm to clear the stage for Haruki.
All eyes were locked on Haruki now. The crowd was goin' wild with applause.
Everyone was hyped up, dyin' to see what kind of performance that former bratty kid was gonna pull off next, and the energy in the room hit an all-time high.
'―Amber Dream~♪'
""""―!""""
The second Haruki started singin', the whole world just flipped.
It was like everythin' in the room had been turned upside down or inside out, like a door to another dimension had suddenly swung wide open. The Community Center in Tsukinose was bein' completely repainted into a whole different reality.
The person singin' right in front of 'em was Haruki, but at the same time, it wasn't Haruki at all. What everyone saw was a girl who'd fallen for someone at first sight, but someone she was never supposed to love—lockin' her feelins' away like amber... ...a girl totally at the mercy of a tragic romance.
Haruki's singing, her arms driftin' through the air, her hesitant footsteps, and her long hair flowin' around—every single bit of it played out a tragic, heart-wrenchin' love story just like the lyrics intended.
You couldn't look away even if you tried. Everyone was slack-jawed; Forget clappin' their hands, they even forgot how to breathe, totally entranced by the whole thing.
Himeko, and even Hayato, couldn't hide how stunned they were. Saki stood there with her eyes shakin', ballin' her fists in front of her chest.
Hayato knew Haruki was good at both singin' and dancin'. But this wasn't just "Good"—it was on a whole other level.
This was a story of someone else that Haruki was pourin' her entire soul into actin' out.
And above all else, Haruki looked absolutely radiant.
This definitely wasn't the kind of performance you'd expect to see at a Community Center in some backwater countryside like Tsukinose.
Who would've guessed you'd catch a drama of this caliber here?
Yeah, in a place like this...
'―The emerald letter, I'll swallow it into my heart...♪'
And then, the song ended.
A dead silence hung over the Community Center. Every single person there had been completely swallowed up by Haruki's performance.
Any buzz they had from the drinks was long gone.
But still, nobody knew how to even react.
The Haruki standin' right in front of 'em felt like someone from a whole 'nother world.
Haruki's presence was just that massive. For some reason, Hayato was clenchin' his fists so hard it actually hurt.
As for Haruki, maybe 'cause everyone’s reaction was so unexpected, she just started goin', "Huh? Wait, huh?" over and over until she was totally flustered.
Lookin' at Haruki like that made Hayato feel like he was finally seein' the usual Haruki again. To shake off the murky anxiety swellin' in his chest, he started clappin' his hands louder than anyone else.
As if snappin' out of a trance from that sound, the applause spread like a ripple, swallowin' up the silence. The world finally went back to normal.
"Whoa, Haru-bō, you really showed us somethin' wild!"
"Oh my gosh, I was so shocked I dropped my corn!"
"Man, I ended up spillin' meat sauce and beer all over myself... ...Mom's gonna k*ll me for this stain!"
"Wahaha! What are you guys even doin'!? But man, that was incredible!"
"Gahaha! That was the biggest shock I've had in decades!"
Even though Haruki looked a bit shy under all those stares from the Tsukinose folks, the second she locked eyes with Hayato, she gave him that usual mischievous smirk.
Hayato's heart gave a thump, but based on pure instinct from past experience, a cold sweat started drippin' down his spine.
Still, that was the Haruki that Hayato knew best, and he felt a tiny bit relieved.
"Alright, Hayato, you're up next!"
"Oh, Haya-bō! We've been waitin' for this!"
"Come on, show us what you got! What's next!?"
"I'd love to hear Hayato-kun sing, too!"
"Whoa, hold on a sec! I'm not really...!"
Haruki grabbed Hayato by the arm and dragged him up onto the stage by force.
Fully aware that he was tone-deaf as heck, Hayato tried to back away from all those eyes on him. He gave Haruki a death glare, but she just shot him back a huge, cheeky grin.
Hayato let out a massive sigh. Scratchin' his head like crazy, he finally took the mic.
"...Fine, but don't come cryin' to me when this goes south."
And just like that, Hayato's flat, off-key singin' filled the Community Center, sendin' a whole different kind of laughter echoin' through the Tsukinose night sky.
Author's Notes:
Sn*aker Bunko is throwin' an "Oshi Light Novel Fair" right now!
They've picked nine series that are like, "This is what's hot right now!" At the bookstores runnin' the fair, you can check out special promo pop-ups made by the editors and even snag some limited-edition bookmarks for the featured works.
Tenbin is one of the lucky titles on the list, so make sure to grab a copy while the fair's goin' on, okay?
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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