'He is shining!'
'Incredibly, dazzlingly bright!'
Although she was confined within the dark, cramped cardboard box and couldn't see, Gotou Hitori could vividly sense Kasumigaoka-san's overwhelming stage presence through his performance alone! It stirred a powerful emotion within her, and she began to play with even greater intensity!
However, it was difficult to avoid mistakes when playing in total darkness. She couldn't observe her bandmates, nor could she fully coordinate with them to unleash her complete potential…
Even so, Gotou Hitori felt that by chasing after Kasumigaoka-san's 'footsteps,' she, too, was shining—like a small star surrounding a brilliant moon, adding her own faint but earnest twinkle to the collective light.
'I'm thinking too highly of myself!'
'I'm just a rat hiding in the shadows, too scared to even show my face!'
Gotou Hitori bit her lower lip slightly, a surge of unwilling frustration welling up in her heart. Yet, this very feeling made her yearn even more intensely to stand under the spotlight, to truly change…
…
"Your voice… is very similar to a certain food and music blogger I follow online."
Following Ijichi Nijika's train of thought, Yamada Ryo's eyes flickered with a spark of recognition as she looked at Kasumigaoka Touji with a mixture of uncertainty and surprise.
His vocal timbre was strikingly similar… But she had the distinct feeling that compared to the 'Winter-sensei' she knew from his videos, the voice of the person before her was even more captivating, his technique seemingly more refined—it was like a 'Winter-sensei Plus' version!
"Do you think it's possible that I actually am that food and music blogger you mentioned?"
Kasumigaoka Touji, who had been mentally evaluating his own performance as well as those of Gotou Hitori, Ijichi Nijika, and Yamada Ryo, raised his hand, making a small gesture with his index finger and thumb as he joked lightly.
The two girls in front of him immediately displayed expressions of shock and blurted out almost in unison:
"Winter-sensei!? Really?! I knew the voice sounded familiar…"
"So it really is him…!"
Their voices carried clear astonishment, quickly followed by waves of excitement and an almost reverent admiration.
Although Kasumigaoka Touji hadn't formally debuted as a musician, he was a food and music blogger with a follower count exceeding four million. He was undeniably a major online figure! And he even had popular original works to his name! The idea that such a prominent person would share the stage with them as a temporary bandmate felt like something out of a dream—it was almost unreal!
"Hitori-chan actually has such an incredible friend!"
Ijichi Nijika first glanced at Gotou Hitori, who had timidly poked her head out of the cardboard box, then turned her amazed gaze back to Kasumigaoka Touji. She couldn't resist asking with burning curiosity, "Speaking of which, Winter-sensei, which song did you originally want to perform?"
"Personally, I prefer 'Kasumi Utako,' but it ultimately depends on which of my songs you all are more familiar with."
"The one I'm most familiar with… is definitely 'Fireworks'!" Ijichi Nijika raised her hand energetically, answering without a moment's hesitation.
Kasumigaoka Touji glanced at her and gave a slight, understanding nod. He felt this song matched Ijichi Nijika's vibrant personality perfectly and wasn't surprised by her choice…
Yamada Ryo stated coolly from the side, "I prefer the song 'Unravel.'"
"Me too."
Gotou Hitori's eyes lit up faintly as she looked at Yamada Ryo, feeling a fleeting sense of kinship—they might share similar taste! This thought, however, lasted only a few seconds before evaporating. One of us is a socially anxious wreck, and the other is cool and aloof. We're fundamentally different!
…
After this brief exchange, Kasumigaoka Touji lightly cleared his throat. He picked up the photocopied sheet music Ijichi Nijika had given him earlier and gave it a slight shake. "Can I make some modifications to this sheet music?"
It was too immature! The sheet music they had provided felt decidedly unpolished. With his current skill level, a single glance and a quick trial run were enough to identify numerous areas ripe for improvement. If he didn't adjust it, singing and playing it would always feel awkward and unsatisfying.
"Ah… m-modify the sheet music!?" Ijichi Nijika shot a quick, uncertain glance at Yamada Ryo, a troubled expression crossing her face. This song had been composed by Yamada Ryo. While she was admittedly curious about what modifications Kasumigaoka-sensei would make, she also had to consider Ryo's feelings. Plus, time was undeniably tight now… Overall, she leaned against the idea.
"I have no objections."
To her surprise, Yamada Ryo readily agreed, showing no sign of displeasure. She simply added a practical caveat: "But how much time do you need? The performance is about to start…"
"A few minutes will suffice." Kasumigaoka Touji glanced at the clock on the wall; they still had roughly thirty minutes. Theoretically, it was enough.
Seeing that Yamada Ryo had consented, Ijichi Nijika no longer voiced any opposition. She quickly found a pen and handed it to Kasumigaoka Touji. Gotou Hitori, her curiosity piqued, also cautiously crawled out of her cardboard box sanctuary to watch.
Kasumigaoka Touji began modifying the sheet music on the spot, altering several notes and even tweaking a few lines of the lyrics.
"Alright then… let's give it a try with the new arrangement!"
Using his revised sheet music as the master copy, the others quickly made their own copies, then returned to their positions to begin playing.
Gotou Hitori carried her copy of the sheet music back into the mango box—one had to wonder how she planned to read it in that dim, confined space… It was a rather bizarre image, to say the least.
"…"
The music began again—
A melody that was both familiar and yet distinctly more captivating filled the room. After only a few bars, Yamada Ryo found herself utterly engrossed.
'It seems I still have a very long way to go…'
'The road ahead is still lengthy.'
She reflected inwardly.
Beside her, Ijichi Nijika tapped away on her jazz drum, her face alight with exhilaration.
'This version is even better!'
'It's amazing!'
'Is this Winter-sensei's true capability?'
'He's actually this strong!'
If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes, she would have found it hard to believe that someone could elevate a song to such a degree in such a short amount of time.
'Today… we were really too lucky!'
For a moment, her resentment toward the guitarist who had run away lessened considerably. If that person hadn't suddenly vanished, she wouldn't have met Touji-san, wouldn't have had the chance to perform on the same stage with him, and he wouldn't have helped them revise their music.
'Maybe it was a good thing they ran away—!'
Simultaneously, Gotou Hitori also keenly felt the difference in the revised musical score. Peering at the notations illuminated by her phone's screen, a bright light of admiration shone in her eyes.
'It's smoother to play now, and even more captivating to listen to…'
'Kasumigaoka-san is incredible!'
'If only one day… I could become as amazing as him!'
'Then I would definitely shine incredibly brightly—!'
A warm, motivated feeling surged in Gotou Hitori's chest—her heart was deeply, genuinely moved.
...
"Kessoku Band, it's almost time for your performance."
After they had run through the revised piece twice, a staff member knocked on the practice room door, informing them to prepare to take the stage. Unnoticed by them, the time had already crept close to six o'clock.
"Okay… Everyone, let's take a short break first!" Ijichi Nijika set down her drumsticks and began consciously steadying her breathing and calming her nerves.
"Ah… Speaking of which, I don't think I've asked for the band's name yet."
Gotou Hitori, still huddled inside her cardboard box, peered out through the small square window Yamada Ryo had thoughtfully cut for her earlier and asked in a timid, muffled voice.
"Kessoku Band."
Yamada Ryo, who had just put down her bass guitar, walked over. She placed a hand on her hip and stated with a hint of unmistakable pride, "This is the name I came up with. How is it? Not bad, right?"
"Ke-, Kessoku…?Unity… Band…?" Gotou Hitori tilted her head slightly, the meaning of the name not immediately clicking for her.
"Exactly! It's great, isn't it?" Yamada Ryo covered her mouth, letting out a soft, pleased chuckle.
"It's terrible! We are definitely changing this name later!"
Ijichi Nijika, who had just walked over, immediately protested to Yamada Ryo. She then turned her attention to Touji and Gotou. "By the way, do you two have stage names or nicknames you'd like to use? You'll need them for the introductions later."
"You can just call me Winter-sensei," Kasumigaoka Touji replied casually. It was the name most people knew him by.
"I… I'm 'Yo-chan'…" Gotou Hitori mumbled, her expression turning slightly gloomy.
"…Yo-chan?"
"Uh… In middle school, some people just called me 'Hey,' or 'That One'…"
"That's not a proper nickname at all!" Ijichi Nijika couldn't help but take an involuntary step backward. How utterly pathetic… She felt almost moved to tears on Gotou's behalf!
"Hmm… Hitori… Bocchi… How about 'Bocchi-chan'?" Yamada Ryo pondered for a moment, resting her chin in her hand before looking at Gotou Hitori and offering the suggestion.
Upon hearing it, Ijichi Nijika shot Yamada Ryo a deeply subtle look—Are you some kind of devil? To suggest a name like that!
However, Gotou Hitori herself seemed unexpectedly pleased. Her sapphire-blue eyes brightened with a spark of joy, shining with cheerful light. "I, I, I… I'll be Bocchi-chan!"
Well then.
Since the person in question had no objections, Ijichi Nijika naturally didn't press the issue any further.
...
"Tsuyuri-chan, the performance is about to start."
In the now moderately crowded and buzzing hall, Kato Megumi gently nudged Kumin Tsuyuri's shoulder, rousing her from her nap.
"Hmm… oh." Kumin Tsuyuri lifted her head, slightly disoriented. She blinked blankly at her surroundings for a moment before fully coming to her senses. She let out a soft yawn and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"It's truly impressive that you can sleep so soundly in an environment like this…"
Having just closed her light novel, Kasumigaoka Utaha held her forehead, looking at Kumin Tsuyuri with an expression of genuine admiration.
"Ehehe~." Kumin Tsuyuri offered a soft, gentle smile, reminiscent of a harmless little animal, and added with a hint of pride, "As long as I want to sleep, I can fall asleep in any environment."
For someone who loved napping as much as she did, this was indeed a skill worth boasting about.
"Amazing!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
At that very moment, the overhead lights in the venue suddenly dimmed. In stark contrast, the stage lights blazed to life, instantly capturing the attention of nearly everyone present.
Kasumigaoka Utaha and the others also turned their gazes toward the stage.
A female host in an elegant dress ascended the platform, delivered a brief, energetic opening speech, and then proceeded to introduce the first performing band of the evening.
Following her introduction, Kasumigaoka Touji and the others walked out from backstage.
At first glance, Kumin Tsuyuri didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. At the second, third, and fourth glances… she suddenly realized. She blinked in confusion, then raised a hand to point toward the stage, directing her question to Kasumigaoka Utaha and Kato Megumi, who were already holding up their phones to record. "Why is Kasumigaoka-san up there too?"
What was going on? Wasn't it Gotou-san who had been invited? Why was he on stage as well? Kumin Tsuyuri began to wonder if she was still not fully awake…
Standing beside her, Kato Megumi kept her phone steady as she explained quietly, "While you were sleeping, Gotou-san recommended Touji-san to Nijika-chan."
"And then they went together."
"Oh… sou ka! I see!" Kumin Tsuyuri nodded, her expression one of dawning comprehension.
"..."
On Stage—
"Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you! We are Kessoku Band!"
Ijichi Nijika waved her hands energetically toward the audience below. Although the crowd's reaction was muted, with most simply watching in silence, she wasn't deterred. She continued brightly, "I'm the drummer, Nijika-chan!"
"I'm the bassist, Yamada Ryo."
The blue-haired girl with the short, stylish cut picked up the introduction coolly, holding her bass with practiced ease.
Kasumigaoka Touji stood at the center of the stage. He could feel the solidity of the platform beneath his feet, the heat of the lights upon his skin, and the collective gaze of the audience below—some curious, some indifferent, a few even glancing down at their phones with apparent disinterest.
He stood there, taking it all in, while his eyes subtly scanned the dimness for Kasumigaoka Utaha and the others. It was impossible to pick out individuals in the current lighting, but he could sense their general direction. He felt as though two particularly attentive gazes were fixed on him from the area where he had been sitting earlier—!
Leaning slightly forward, Kasumigaoka Touji felt his heart begin to pound. Alongside the excitement, a distinct urge surged within him—a desire to seize everyone's attention, to stir the audience from their passivity, to make them restless and fervent.
He leaned closer to the microphone and spoke clearly, his voice carrying through the venue. "I'm the vocalist. You can call me Winter-sensei."
Hearing his introduction, a portion of the audience visibly stiffened, a flicker of doubt crossing their faces. Winter-sensei? The popular Winter-sensei from online? Is it really him? Or just an impersonator…?
On stage—
Kasumigaoka Touji took the microphone off its stand and carefully angled it toward the opening of the 'Ripe Mango' cardboard box.
"I… I'm Bocchi-chan!"
A slightly flustered, muffled girl's voice echoed through the sound system and out across the venue.
"What in the world…!"
Ijichi Seika, seated with her arms and legs crossed at the side of the stage, couldn't suppress a twitch at the corner of her mouth as she stared at the cardboard box labeled 'Ripe Mango.' Having lived as long as she had, she'd seen her fair share of eccentricities. But a band member performing on stage while wearing a cardboard box? That was a first.
She wondered just where her little sister managed to find such uniquely bizarre individuals…
Speaking of which, did I hear that correctly earlier?
Ijichi Seika's eyes shifted to the young man now repositioning the microphone on its stand at the center of the stage. She lowered her head and pulled out her phone.
Just as she opened her browser—
On stage, Kasumigaoka Touji and the others began their performance.
The introductory notes of the song began to play.
The stage lights pulsed in time!
A sound many times more powerful and immersive than anything heard in the practice room now filled the entire venue. Amplified sound has a way of magnifying both flaws and disharmonies, but by the same token, it also magnifies the inherent charm and infectious energy of the music itself!
A unique, driving guitar rhythm permeated the space, causing even those who had initially seemed indifferent to lift their heads and direct their attention toward the stage…
And then,
The young man at the center began to sing.