Capítulo 60: Who wants to see a guy blush?
One morning, when there was only a week left of summer break, Masachika received
a simple voicemail from Takeshi: "Help."
The unusual message prompted him to call his friend immediately, but nobody picked
up. It appeared that while his buddy was in some sort of trouble, it would be difficult to
explain over the phone. Regardless, Takeshi's tone was clearly exhausted, so Masachika
quickly changed into his school uniform and headed to Music Room B, where Takeshi and
Hikaru were hanging out.
"…Ugh," he groaned when he peered into the room through the window in the hallway.
Hikaru had installed himself in a corner, where he was mumbling something to himself with
dilated pupils, and Masachika could practically see a rain cloud hanging over his head.
Although Masachika expected it to be bad from the voicemail, he wasn't expecting to run
into Shadow Hikaru today, especially with this level of darkness tormenting his soul.
I'd do anything to go straight home right now…but I can't turn my back on him.
There was no escape after coming this far, so Masachika let out a brief sigh, pumped
himself up, and opened the door to the classroom.
"Oh, Masachika… About time ya showed up…"
Takeshi, who seemed to have been trying to talk to Hikaru, instantly approached his
classmate with a pleading look in his eyes.
"Hey… What's up? What's the situation?"
In fact, why were they the only ones here? Takeshi and Hikaru were supposed to be
practicing for their school festival performance with three other members. The student
council was in charge of keeping up with the reservation status of rehearsal spaces in general,
so Masachika was well aware of their situation.
"Wait until ya hear this…"
Takeshi began to explain the situation.
"I'm sorry."
Those were the first words that came out of the girl's mouth. She was a fierce-looking
girl with almond-shaped eyes and shoulder-length black hair tied in pigtails. Her name was
Nao Shiratori, and she was the lead singer in Takeshi's band, Luminous. She was unyielding,
proud, and hardly ever bowed to anyone, which was somewhat of a problem for the other
members of the band.
Perhaps that was why she ended up apologizing with downcast eyes in a voice strained
with emotion. Apparently, she was going to have to transfer to a new school due to family
issues, and she wasn't able to go to the school festival anymore. After talking to the other
band members, she revealed that the family issue was that her father's company was on the
verge of bankruptcy. This was presumably the cause of other issues within their household
as well, although Nao never said so outright.
"This is probably my last day at this school, too. Anyway…I'm sorry. I know this is
sudden, but I have to quit the band."
The abrupt news had the other four members lost for words. A few moments went by
until a certain young girl slowly approached Nao.
"Why…? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
The pained question came from a petite girl who resembled a small animal, with short
hair that curled slightly at the ends. She trembled in utter shock because she, Riho Minase,
was not only the keyboardist in the band but also Nao's childhood friend. Nao couldn't even
look her in the eye, averting her gaze while curtly replying:
"Because it wouldn't have changed anything… Am I wrong?"
"Maybe it wouldn't have changed anything, but I would have preferred it if you gave
me a heads-up…"
Riho explained that although she couldn't have done anything about Nao's father's
company, she could have at least been there to support Nao and share her pain. If anything,
Riho seemed more shocked that her childhood friend didn't even come to her to talk.
Nevertheless, Nao simply continued to avoid eye contact with her friend.
"It's sometimes harder to say things to people you're close to, and you're her best friend,
Riho," chimed in Hikaru, trying to calm his teary-eyed friend before it was too late.
Thankfully, it seemed to work a bit, and Riho even apologized to Nao.
"I'm sorry, Nao. I didn't mean to snap at you like that…"
"No… It's fine…"
An indescribably awkward silence filled the air between the pair until Takeshi cheerfully
spoke up to lighten the mood.
"H-hey, this doesn't mean ya can't come to the school festival and perform, right? I
mean, there are no rules stating that ya have to go to this school to sing onstage…right? …
Right?"
"You're actually right… The thought never even crossed my mind, but I think you just
found a loophole."
"Right?! Even if ya transfer to a new school, you could just make it seem like you're
joining on the fly and sing with us!"
"Yeah… Yeah! Nao, don't give up! Let's do this!" exclaimed Riho happily, agreeing
with Takeshi's suggestion as if she were trying to make up for her behavior earlier.
"Now that you mention it…that might actually work…"
Nao must have been upset that she wouldn't be able to perform with the band, since she
had been working hard toward this goal for so long. Her eyes, which were usually brimming
with confidence, had a touch of uncertainty in them as she stared at her friends one by one.
That was when a plump guy, who had been quiet the entire time, suddenly patted Nao on
the shoulder and declared:
"Don't worry, Nao. I'll handle things with your dad's company, too."
"…?"
His name was Ryuuichi Kasugano, and he was not only the band's bassist but Nao's
boyfriend as well. Nao looked skeptical of his overconfident declaration. In fact, the other
band membersimmediately shifted their quizzical gazesin his direction, but Ryuuichismiled
proudly and pointed his thumb at himself.
"My grandfather is the president of Eimei Bank, after all."
"Seriously?!" shouted Takeshi, and his eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head. It was
an understandable reaction, since there wasn't a single person in Japan who didn't know that
bank. Even Hikaru and Riho were wide-eyed in astonishment.
"So come on. Everything's gonna be okay, Nao. I'll ask Granddad to figure out a way
to save your dad's company."
"Ryuuichi…"
Her boyfriend's promise put tearsin Nao's eyes, and she bit her lip. However,she swiftly
lowered her gaze and replied, her throat tight:
"…It's okay, though. It's already too late. Besides…you and your grandfather don't get
along, right?"
"Huh? Oh… Not really. But it's fine. He may be stubborn, but he's not going to ignore
his grandson's once-in-a-lifetime request!"
"Don't try to act cool when it's your grandfather who has to do all the work," chimed
in Takeshi.
"Come on—I may be smart and good-looking, have a great personality, and be a beast
on bass, but you can't really expect a pudgy little guy like me to change the world on my
own," replied Ryuuichi, giving a good slap to his belly at the end.
"Where does that confidence come from?!" joked Takeshi once more, sending everyone
other than Nao into a fit of laughter. The gloomy, serious mood was instantly swallowed
by a bright, friendly atmosphere. Ryuuichi's eyes filled with relief when he looked at his
girlfriend, who was still down, and he gently added:
"It's not going to be quick, and it's going to be hard…but don't just quit the band on us
so easily, okay? I'm going to see what I can do and talk to Granddad, okay?"
The others nodded and looked at Nao with compassion, gathering around her.
However…
"I said it's fine. I don't want your help," she insisted firmly, rejecting Ryuuichi's offer
once more with downcast eyes. Although Ryuuichi grimaced, frustrated at his girlfriend's
stubbornness, he tried to laugh it off and lightheartedly replied:
"Seriously. Don't worry about it. I don't mind groveling to a family member if it means
helping you. Besides, I'm already used to bowing to my teachers when—"
"I said I don't want your help!"
Her unexpectedly adamant refusal cut Ryuuichi off before he could tell another selfdeprecating joke to lighten the mood. She immediately lifted her chin and shot her boyfriend
a piercing glare that wiped the grin off his face.
"How many times do I have to tell you no?! I don't want you to do that!"
"C-come on, Nao. Let's calm down a little."
Takeshi tried to smooth things over between the couple but to no avail.
"I—I didn't mean to upset you… I—I just wanted to be a good boyfriend and help—"
"Then let's break up! It's not like long-distance relationships work anyway! It looks like
that's settled, then!"
"Nao?! Seriously?!"
"Wh-what?!"
"Nao?!"
Nao's decision made everyone but Ryuuichi shout in astonishment. Meanwhile,
Ryuuichi's eyes widened, then he slowly lowered his head and softly muttered:
"Oh… I guess you never liked me that much, huh?"
"Wh-what? I never—"
Nao sounded almost offended, but her refusal to meet their eyes did not go unnoticed,
and that was more than enough to convince Ryuuichi that his assumption was correct.
"No, I always knew. You never seemed like you were having fun when you were with
me, and I honestly wondered why you agreed to go out with me in the first place… But even
then, I figured you felt something for me—probably sympathy at the very least—since you
still decided to hang out with me all this time…"
Not even Takeshi or Hikaru knew what to say after hearing that, and it was actually Riho
who first spoke up.
"Nao, he's wrong, right? Because I specifically remember you telling me that there was
someone in our band who you liked when you first joined."
"…!"
After Riho took a few steps over to Nao, she looked right into her friend's wide eyes.
They were the eyes of someone in trouble, and they eventually drifted toward Hikaru. She
had to come clean.
"Yes, I used to like Hikaru! But he doesn't trust women…so I thought I might as well
give Ryuuichi a chance and go out with him! Okay?! So it doesn't matter anymore!"
Nao instantly grabbed her bag and fled out the door of the music room, leaving everyone
standing there in shock.
"But…I like…," muttered Riho unconsciously. Even though her voice was soft, it
sounded strangely loud in the silence.
"Oh, uh… I…"
A flash of panic widened her eyes when she realized everyone was staring at her, then
Riho, too, raced out of the music room, leaving three disturbed boys behind.
"R-Ryuuichi, uh…"
Despite being flustered himself, Takeshi tried to search for the right words to console
his close friend, but it was simply too much for the boy. Ryuuichi smiled weakly through
tears and slowly shook his head.
"I'm sorry… I want to be alone right now."
And then Ryuuichi left the music room with dejection in each step he took. All Hikaru
and Takeshi could do was watch helplessly as he disappeared around the corner.
"Soundslike hell." Masachika groaned automatically after hearing Takeshi explain what
happened. It was chaos, and it was the worst kind of mess for someone like Hikaru: It was
a disaster caused by love, passion, and jealousy.
No wonder he's acting like this…
Masachika sympathized with his friend's descent into darkness. Hikaru had a traumatic
experience involving a girl falling in love with him—multiple experiences, in fact. But what
hurt him the most was when he would open up to someone who he thought was a friend,
only to find out that they actually had romantic feelings for him. He had lost both female and
male friends in the past because of this.
This incident was extremely familiar. It was probably going to be hard for Ryuuichi to
still act the same around Hikaru after learning that his ex-girlfriend had actually had feelings
for Hikaru their entire relationship, and that was why it was only natural that Hikaru would
be this depressed. However…
"Bunch of disgusting bitches. That's what they are. Guys only think with what's in their
pants? Yeah, right. That's what girls do. All I do is act a little nice to them, and then they
tell me they like me without even thinking about how much they might hurt others. The only
person they think about is themselves, and then when things don't go their way, they ruin all
the relationships around them. They think it's okay to do what they're doing in the so-called
name of love? Piss off with that. I wish they'd all just die."
"Hikaru, that's enough," demanded Masachika, interrupting Hikaru's foul curse before
he went any further off the deep end. Hikaru slowly lifted his head, revealing hislifeless eyes.
"…Masachika? What are you doing here?"
"Takeshi told me to come. I heard what happened. That's, uh… That's rough, man,"
he commiserated and took a seat by Hikaru's side, then wrapped his arm around Hikaru's
shoulder. Takeshi promptly took a seat on the otherside and wrapped his arm around Hikaru's
other shoulder.
"These girls just won't leave you alone, huh? Don't worry about it, though. I'll gladly
take some ladies off your hands for ya if ya want."
"Takeshi,seriously? You make itsound like you actually have a chance with the opposite
sex."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Masachika and Takeshi stared hard at each other over Hikaru's shoulders as a silence
soon reigned over the room. Only when Hikaru let out a faint chuckle was the silence finally
broken.
"Pfft! You guys… Thanks. I mean it."
"No problem… I'm glad you're feeling a little better."
"Wait. I do have a chance with the opposite sex, right?"
"Read the room, Takeshi."
"There's your answer."
"What's my answer?!"
Masachika and Hikaru shot Takeshi scornful looks, creating a slightly more relaxed
mood, but the moment didn't last for long, as there was a knock at the door.
"Sorry for bothering you guys. I'm in the piano club, and I believe we reserved this room
to practice, so…do you think we could have the room now?"
A charming boy with cupid-like features stepped inside the room. Calling him a "pretty
boy" would most likely be the best way to put it, given histall,slender figure. He had graceful
features with a hint of melancholy in his eyes, and his noble-like behavior seemed somewhat
theatrical, which only made him more picturesque.
The boy, Yuushou Kiryuuin, was the son of the chairman of Kiryuuin Corporate Group,
which was extremely successful. In addition, he was considered one of the top three bestlooking guys in school, and as if he couldn't get any more perfect, he had performed
extremely well in piano recitals domestically and abroad, which earned him the title Prince of
Piano. Nevertheless, some people, such as Takeshi, didn't think so highly of him, which was
made clear by Takeshi's audible gagging the moment he saw the boy's charming, beautiful
face.
"Oh, Yuushou. Sorry about that. Give us a second to clean up," announced Masachika
while pretending like he didn't hear hisfriend gag. After Masachika looked back to hisfriends
and signaled with his eyes that it was time to leave, Takeshi and Hikaru hurriedly began to
clean up. Of course, Masachika wanted to help, but since he wasn't a member of their club,
he wasn't sure how he could. Therefore, to avoid getting in his friends' way, he decided to
strike up a conversation with Yuushou to buy them some time.
"Sorry about this. We ran into a little trouble earlier."
"Oh, it's fine. I sometimes get so into playing piano that I lose track of time as well."
"…Thanks for being so understanding."
While Yuushou seemed to be very understanding of their situation, the female club
members behind him didn't seem to share that feeling. It was as if their piercing glares were
saying, "Stop wasting Yuushou's time."
"Anyway, Masachika, it's pretty unusual to see you in the music room. Did you join the
music club or something?"
"Hmm? Oh. No. Takeshi just asked me to come over to help him with something. I'm
still super busy with the student council."
"I bet. Music not your forte?"
While it seemed to be casual small talk, Yuushou's gaze made it appear as if he were
fishing for answers, although Masachika had no idea why.
"I don't exactly hate music, if that's what you're asking. When I was little, I played
violin…and a little piano."
"Pfft! Who does he think he is, even mentioning piano in front of Yuushou?" muttered
one of the girls behind Yuushou with a sneer, followed by numerous other foul comments
made by the other girls. Obviously, Masachika could hear their rude remarks, but he figured
nothing good would come of saying anything, so he simply ignored them, not even glancing
in their direction. Yuushou, on the other hand, couldn't tolerate their mocking.
"That's enough, ladies. Don't be rude."
"Sorryyy."
"But can you blame us for laughing? He just said he could play piano in front of you—
someone who puts even pros to shame."
"Ha-ha-ha! Me? Putting prosto shame? I play as a hobby. I have no interest in competing
against professionals."
"You're this good, and you only play as a hobby? Yuushou, you're so cool!" squealed
one of the girls. The others nodded, showering him with their passionate gazes.
"Okay, it's all yours," reported Takeshi in an annoyed tone as if he wanted to click his
tongue in disgust.
"Really? Great. Is everybody ready?"
"""All ready!"""
Yuushou, along with his posse who had already forgotten that Masachika even existed,
stepped into the room as if to replace Takeshi and Hikaru. After Masachika wryly smirked at
Takeshi's annoyed glare following Yuushou, he walked out of the room and into the hallway
with his two friends at his side.
"Hey… Don't you think you hate Yuushou a little too much?" asked Masachika to
Takeshi once they were far enough away.
"I wouldn't say I hate him. It's…"
Takeshi mumbled but paused, since he didn't genuinely hate the guy. In fact, he wasn't
the kind of person who could seriously hate another human being. His eyes wandered
awkwardly for a few moments until he eventually pouted in a childish manner.
"I mean, the guy's a punk. 'I only play piano as a hobby. Derp.' Nice humblebrag, bro."
"I'm not sure that's exactly how he said it."
But pointing out Takeshi's malicious impression only heated him up even more.
"And what's with that harem of his?! Like, is he seriously the only guy in that club?!
Piano club? More like harem club, if ya ask me!"
"Yeah, uh… I guess…"
"I even asked him once who he was going out with! And do ya know what this punk
said to me?!"
"…I'm guessing he said he didn't have a girlfriend?"
"Exactly!"
"Seriously?!" replied Masachika with a half smile, somewhat taken aback that he'd
actually gotten it right. Takeshi, however, promptly held his hands in the air and began
moving his fingers as if he were playing two invisible harps.
"Seriously! But that wasn't the problem! It was how he said it! It was…strangely
suggestive, like he was insinuating something!"
"Ohhh. Like, 'I'm technically not dating anyone. Wink, wink'?"
"Yeah, like that!" shouted Takeshi, pointing at Masachika with his index finger.
"No doubt he's having his way with every one of those girls in the piano club."
"Where's your proof?! And is this really what you're mad about?! You're just jealous!"
"What's wrong with that?!"
"Wow, Takeshi. So that's the kind of person you are…"
"Ah! Hikaru, no! I was only joking…"
A dark aura immediately began to surround Hikaru while Takeshi desperately tried to
backtrack.
"…You guys want to go get something to eat?" Masachika sighed, rolling his eyes at
them.
"So… What are we gonna do about the band?"
They had been at the restaurant for twenty minutes, and Hikaru had finally started to calm
down a little when Takeshi opened his big mouth like he couldn't stand having a moment
of peace.
"Seriously?"
Masachika immediately sensed danger and glanced at Hikaru. Thankfully, Hikaru didn't
seem too bothered, so after breathing a sigh of relief, Masachika replied:
"Not much you can do besides find a new member to replace her, right? At the very
least, you need someone to sing."
"Yeah… Sigh. I'm kind of worried we're not going to be ready for the school festival."
"Wait. You still plan on performing at the festival?"
The school festival took place during the beginning of October, which meant they had
only a little over a month to prepare. Not only did they need a new vocalist, but they needed
to make sure that Ryuuichi and Riho were coming back as well, and only after that could
they start practicing. Put simply, any chance of pulling this off in time was slim. It didn't
help that almost nobody in their right mind would agree to be the lead singer for a band that
was performing in a month. After all, vocalists were basically the face of any band.
"I think it's going to be rough…"
"Yeah… But I promised Kanau I'd put on the most badass performance in the world for
him at the school festival."
"Oh, your little brother? He's in fourth grade now, right?"
"Yeah! And he's so adorable! He looks up to me so much, too!"
The corners of Takeshi's eyes wrinkled the moment he started talking about his little
brother, but it wasn't long before despair once again clouded his expression, and he clutched
his head.
"And that's why, as his big brother, I can't break my promise to him, no matter what…"
Masachika flinched when he heard that. He then thought about it for a few moments
before carefully replying:
"I actually might know someone who could sing in your band…"
"Wait. Are you for real?"
"…Is it somebody we know?"
"Yeah. We need to ask her first, though…"
"Oh! Alya! Over here."
Masachika stood a bit from his seat while waving his hand at Alisa, who had just walked
into the restaurant he was in. A smile briefly flitted across her face, but then she promptly
put on her usual composed expression and approached the table, drawing the attention of
everyone around her.
"Sorry for suddenly asking you to meet me like this."
"It's fine. I wasn't doing anything important…," she replied while still coming toward
the table.
"Hey."
"Uh… Hello?"
Her face went blank the instant she saw the two guys sitting at the table with Masachika.
"…So you want me to sing in this band?"
"Y-yeah, what do you think?"
Masachika had been explaining the situation for the past ten minutes, but the entire time,
Alisa simply sipped on her melon soda and frowned. Both Masachika and Hikaru, who was
sitting across from him, appeared tense in the presence of her undeniably foul mood.
H-hey, is it just me, or is she in a really bad mood?
You can say that again…
Masachika and Hikaru communicated through eye contact as they waited for Alisa to
reply. Takeshi, on the other hand, was grinning and drooling all over himself while staring
at Alisa, partially because she was wearing something other than her school uniform for a
change. He was absolutely clueless.
"<You invited me out of the blue…so I was wondering what it could be, but…>"
That was when Alisa began to grumble to herself in Russian…which at least helped
Masachika guess what she was so upset about.
Huh? Oh… I guess I should have explained things better.
All he did was tell her to meet him at this restaurant if she wasn't doing anything, since
explaining things on the phone would have taken far too long… However, it appeared that
Alisa thought she was being invited to hang out and have fun. It didn't help that Takeshi and
Hikaru were also there, so it was understandable that she was upset.
"<Would it kill you to invite me somewhere just to hang out sometimes…?>"
"So, uh… Alya? Think you could do it?" asked Masachika once more, since Alisa had
started to chew aggressively on her straw. However, she just shot him a piercing glare before
looking away once more.
"Why me? I've never sung for a band before. There must be plenty of other people who
are more qualified, right?"
"Why you? Because you're the best singer I know."
Alisa's eyebrow suddenly twitched as if she were finally expressing some interest.
"…Well, I guess that's understandable. My family often compliments my singing… But
that's it?"
"What do you mean, 'that's it'? You're a talented singer. What more could we ask for?
Think about it. The only opportunity most people get to bring someone to tears is at their
wedding when they read the speech they wrote for their parents. But great singers can move
hundreds of thousands of people to tears with their beautiful voice alone, and that's pretty
incredible if you ask me."
"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little too much?"
"Not at all. Honestly, I think being able to sing well is the most incredible and rarest
talent the heavens can give someone."
"O-oh?"
Alisa's slightly crabby mood from a few moments ago was nowhere to be found. She
fidgeted with the ends of her hair and smiled happily. The astonishment on Hikaru's and
Takeshi's faces as they exchanged glances was a testament to how foreign such a sight was
to them.
What the…? All ya have to do is compliment her a little…?
She's really easily flattered, huh?
But Masachika didn't even glance in their direction while they silently communicated
their surprise.
"Plus, this could benefit you as well, Alya. You are going to have even more fans if you
sing onstage at the school festival. Plus, this will help you with your teamwork skills."
His calculating scheme made Alisa frown, and she glanced at Hikaru and Takeshi. She
then poked Masachika's left hand under the table, getting him to hold out his palm for her
to type on.
Are you sure you should be saying this in front of them?
Seeing that Alisa had already practically mastered flick-input on his palm warmed his
heart, but he purposely replied aloud:
"You don't have to worry about Takeshi and Hikaru. They're on our side, and they're
not doing this as a favor. This is a deal that benefits both parties."
Alisa briefly broke eye contact to think for around ten seconds. Then she faced Takeshi
and Hikaru once more.
"Very well. I'd be happy to help if that's okay with you two."
"S-seriously?! I can't tell ya how happy we are to have ya on board!"
"Come on, Takeshi. You two haven't even heard her sing yet."
"Oh, uh… But she's good at everything, so I figured… Ha-ha- ha…"
Masachika and Hikaru rolled their eyes at Takeshi, who couldn't even make eye contact
with Alisa as he nervously scratched his head.
"At any rate, I'd be fine with her joining, but we need to hear her sing first. Of course,
she needs to see us perform as well."
"Yeah, you got to see if you're a good match for each other. How about doing a session
together before making up your mind? You're fine with that, too, right, Alya?"
"Of course."
"Then, uh… Like… Should we head over to a karaoke box after this or…?"
"Nah, we're still in our school uniforms, and it's not like you guys can show off your
skills at karaoke."
"Besides, all our instruments are at school, so I guess if we're going to do a session, it
should be at school, right?"
"O-oh, right. Hmm… I guess we could rent a studio somewhere, too, if we have to. Hold
up. I forgot. When were we practicing next?"
Masachika helped them come up with a plan…while still holding hands with Alisa, who
once again began to type something onto his left palm.
Hmm? What's she writing…?
Even if he were in the middle of a conversation with someone else, Masachika could
easily read what someone was writing on his palm with this method, so he directed half his
attention to his conversation with the boys while focusing the other half to his left hand.
T.H.I.S. W.A.Y. "Look this way"?
Masachika looked at Alisa, but all he got back was a quizzical stare.
"…What?"
"Nothing…"
I just did what you told me, he thought in bewilderment. He wondered if he had misread
what she wrote, so he began to think back to—
"Masachika?"
"Bro, you've been staring at her for a while. Get lost in her beauty?" teased Takeshi,
making Masachika suddenly face forward, flustered.
"Oh my. I had no idea you felt that way." Alisa giggled by his ear as she flicked her hair
back with a provocative grin. Just seeing how much she was enjoying this made Masachika
grit his teeth.
You little…!
Though he was frustrated about being set up, he maintained his composure and replied:
"Oh, no. I thought I heard Alya say something. That's all."
"Okay."
Although Alisa seemed to have given up easily, the mischief in her eyes remained as
she immediately began to write something else on his palm.
You're so cute when you panic.
"I know it's a little late for me to be saying this, but wouldn't we need her to officially
join the music club first?"
"Hmm? Oh… Good question. That would probably make things easier…"
"But we only have a little over a month until the school festival. Having her join for a
month and then immediately quit would be…"
"Yeah, good point."
Look this way again. This time I'm serious.
"Hmm… We'd have to discuss this with the captain, I guess. I really doubt there's a rule
where you can't perform if you're not in the music club, but having a member of the student
council join could lead to some issues."
"Y-yeah, good point. I'll call the captain and see what's up."
What's wrong? Are you sulking?
"Hold on. Maybe you should wait until she officially joins our band."
"Yeah, that would be better. Your next practice session is two days before the opening
ceremony, right? You can make your official decision there, and if Alya ends up joining the
music club, then she can join as a second-semester recruit…"
You're acting like a little kid. How adorable.
She's already using the flick-input technique I taught her for evil!!
Masachika screamed internally while still managing to converse with Takeshi and
Hikaru. He was making sure to concentrate on Alisa's fingers while keeping a straight face
in the hope that she might actually have something she needed to tell him in secret…but she
was only messing around with no end in sight. It was as if she were compelled to keep teasing
Masachika, since he wasn't giving her a reaction, and if that was the case, then there was no
reason to keep paying attention to her. In the end, that wasthe conclusion Masachika reached,
so he put his attention solely on the conversation with Takeshi and Hikaru. However…
Ngh… This just makes it…
While he may have stopped trying to read what she was saying, he still couldn't ignore
the fact that she was caressing his palm with her fingers. If anything, that fact stood out even
more now as the tips of her fingers tickled his skin. Every time she tapped on his palm, his
fingers twitched closed, making him almost hold her hand.
O-oh, gosh… This is starting to tickle like crazy!
A chill slowly ran down his spine, alerting him that danger was near, but he felt it would
be rude to brush her hand away, and it would make him feel like a loser as well. He couldn't
come up with a good reason to get up out of his seat mid-conversation, either.
But… Wait. Hold on. This is seriously bad. I'm starting to feel like I'm doing something
naughty with all this rustling under the table…!
He could feel his body gradually getting warmer, so he did everything in his power
to end the conversation as soon as possible, but it wasn't going as well as he had hoped,
thanks to Takeshi, who kept bringing up whatever new topic came to his mind. Nevertheless,
Masachika managed to use every bit of rational thought he could to maintain his composure.
"Yeah, then first you should probably send her the lyrics and background music for the
songs she's going to sing."
"Yeah, good idea. By the way, Masachika…"
"Hmm?"
"Is it just me, or are you really red?" asked Hikaru.
"…?!"
Masachika froze.
"Yeah, your face is kind of red, bro. You okay?"
Takeshi looked him over. Their consideration was innocent, and their eyes were pure…
which made Masachika just want to crawl into a hole, guilty about worrying his friends when
it was his own fault for playing with fire and not expecting to get burned. Furthermore, his
heart swelled with humiliation, embarrassment, and self-disgust for succumbing to Alisa's
teasing by blushing.
Ahhh! I just want to disappear! I don't want to be alive anymore! Somebody, kill me!
Please!
He didn't even have the energy to explain himself as he hunched over.
"Oh my. What's wrong? I hope you don't have a fever," Alisa whispered into his ear.
The audacity prompted Masachika to sharply glare at her out of the corner of his eye, but she
didn't seem to care in the least. If anything, she seemed to be extremely proud of herself; her
lips curled with satisfaction and her fingers danced on his palm.
That should do it for today.
And with that, Alisa let go of his hand, grabbed her melon soda, and began to indulge
herself in the fruit of her success—happy as could be.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder