บท 16: Burn Brightly!
"Karaoke?"
"Yup."
"Your treat?"
"Okay, okay. If you come, then it is my treat!"
"Thank you very much!"
If it was free, Ishigami was fine with it.
Yes, his money was still brimming after he helped Kaguya set up a date with Shirogane, considering she repaid him several times the money he used to prepare their date, but he wanted to remain frugal as he would go out with Onodera and Chika during the weekend.
Going with two girls over the weekend definitely wouldn't be cheap, so Ishigami had to prepare his ammunition.
Moreover, he wanted to buy pants and shoes, so he knew he had to prepare his money.
Nevertheless, it had only been two days since he was in this world, and he wanted to experience many things and visit many places, so when he saw a chance to do all of that without even using money, he was all for it.
Still, those who joined to go to the karaoke were not only the boys but also the girls.
"You are also going, Onodera?"
"What? You don't want to?" Onodera smiled and asked, "Or are you not confident with your singing skills?"
Ishigami was speechless, but being provoked instead of accepting this challenge, he remained modest. "To be honest, I am not that good at it."
When he said so, he looked at his singing skills from his system.
[Singing Level 3 (3/100).]
While his singing skills weren't that impressive, they were at least at the level of a professional.
Nevertheless, as he had been with the system for a day, he understood that skill at Level 1 meant an amateur, Level 2 meant a low-tier professional, Level 3 was a top-tier professional, Level 4 meant that one above many, and Level 5, the maximum level, meant that he could become a historical figure on the respective field.
At the same time, he also realized that the skills that he had harnessed in his previous lives could help him to raise the level of the chosen skills faster, like "Acting," which suddenly became Level 4.
It might be weird, but in his previous life, he had been living a fake life, acting since it eased his life. So, in this life, he hoped to live genuinely, yet he had to say a habit was hard to erase, and he often acted so he could smooth out all the troubles in his life, which made him sigh helplessly.
Nevertheless, let's put this matter aside, as he was going to show everyone the singing skill that he trained when he took a bath last night.
Still, as Ishigami joined this trip to karaoke, everyone was excited and ready to make up for all the mistakes they had made; only the participant of a certain someone surprised all of them.
"I-I will join too!" Iino suddenly said.
While they were surprised, no one said much since this invitation was given to everyone in the class. The majority might have joined, but there was also a minority who had declined.
Many thought that Iino would be included in the minority, yet she decided to join, but no one said much.
Nevertheless, Onodera couldn't help but ask Ishigami, "Are you close with Iino, Ishigami?"
"I can't say we're close, but before the incident, we often hung each other."
"Re-Really?" Onodera was surprised, but before she could ask him a question, Iino approached Ishigami. "What's with that expression? You don't want me to join?"
"I don't mind, but can you even sing?" Ishigami asked.
"I am much better than you!" Iino, who was being underestimated, couldn't afford to lose face and directly said that she could. Yet, inwardly, she thought about what kind of song she should sing since she hardly listened to music.
Yes, she might often wear earphones, but what she listened to wasn't music but the comforting voice of a handsome voice actor.
As she was in doubt, Ishigami said, "Don't force yourselves."
"I am not! Anyway, can you even sing?"
"I can sing an anime song."
Ishigami was a famous otaku anyway, so it didn't matter.
"Oh, I can sing Fullmetal Alchemist song with you," Onodera suddenly said, interrupting their conversation.
"Did you watch Fullmetal Alchemist, Onodera?" Ishigami asked with surprise.
"Yes!"
Watching the two start to talk, Iino felt like she was ignored, but before she was about to interrupt them, her only friend came and asked, "Are you sure that you are going, Iino?"
"I am going." Iino nodded at Kobachi Osaragi. "What about you, Koba-chan?" When she asked this, she looked hopeful since, if possible, she didn't want to be alone as it would be her first time to be in karaoke.
As if being forced on and appearing helpless, Kobachi nodded. "Okay, I will go with you."
"Thanks!"
Still, Kobachi glanced at Ishigami, who talked with Onodera, then Iino, who was happy about her participation, without saying anything.
Nevertheless, as Kobachi participated, those guys howled like wolves.
"Huh? Is Kobachi-san also joining?"
"Ah, I will join too!"
"Wait, wait. Let me come."
"You guys..."
The girls looked at those guys helplessly, and then some of the girls looked at Kobachi in jealousy.
"Osaragi-san is so popular."
Onodera couldn't help but say this when she saw the guys' reaction.
"Isn't it normal? Many have a crush on her," Ishigami said calmly since he was thinking of maximizing the benefits that came from being treated by his classmate and he didn't care much about Osaragi's popularity since he knew who should he choose.
"What about you?" Onodera looked at Ishigami curiously, yet inwardly, her heart said otherwise.
Ishigami only smiled and said, "I don't have a crush on her."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"Then, do you like someone?" Onodera felt her face burning when she asked this question.
"No."
"...."
Onodera felt like her world had turned gray until Ishigami looked at her with a gentle smile and said, "But lately, I have been curious about the feeling of liking someone."
"Oh?" Onodera was surprised, then asked nonchalantly, yet the smile on her lips was so obvious. "Why?"
"It's a secret."
"Eh? Tell me!"
As the two talked, Iino watched them, wishing to say something, but she couldn't say anything.
"They have been close to each other lately," Kobachi suddenly said.
"Um..." Iino became even more depressed.
"They might even be da—"
"What?"
"No-Nothing." Kobachi shook her head, thinking that she also started not to feel good.
Yet, Ishigami, who was oblivious, didn't care about anything and just focused on having a good time at the karaoke, so the moment they arrived at the karaoke near their school, he didn't even hesitate when his classmates gave him a chance to sing first.
"Are you sure?"
"Sure, sure."
"Sing first, Ishigami!"
"Take the first blood!"
Watching the expectation in their eyes, Ishigami rolled their eyes and said, "Okay, okay. Let me take the first song."
"OOOOOOOHHH!"
"Onodera, help me!"
"Eh?"
Onedera was surprised, but she saw him come closer and ask, "Do you know this song?"
"I know."
"Shall we have a duet?"
"Let's go!"
The two on the stand in front of everyone then started clapping their hands along with the rhythm of the music.
Then, at the same time, they sang, "Daddy! Daddy! Do!
"I want everything about you.
"I want to be embraced by love and burn brightly."
Their first karaoke started with a bang.
Yet, for those who knew him, watching him, singing, and having fun with everyone, they thought that Ishigami had changed.
Or did they just not know this side of him?
However, as they watched Onodera and Ishigami, who appeared so close to each other, they felt the distance between them grow larger and larger.
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