Yukino glanced at her sister. Having come here twice at different times to support this band, Haruno must really like them.
Now, seeing this situation, even though her face didn't reveal much, she was surely feeling disappointed and frustrated with the hecklers in the crowd.
"Are we not leaving, Sister?"
"Why should we? Didn't we agree to wait until the performance on stage is over before leaving?"
"The lead singer isn't in good condition. Judging by this, she'll probably just bow and step down once the song is over."
"Maybe."
"You don't seem angry about this, sister."
"Angry?"
Haruno looked curiously at her sister, who had raised this point.
"Why would I be angry?"
"Because you really like Kesshoku Band, don't you?"
Hearing Yukino's explanation, Haruno crossed her arms and smiled.
"I do like them, but not to the point where I feel the need to stand up for them. Everyone is responsible for their own choices.
If they knew they weren't in good condition but still forced themselves to go on stage, then they have no one to blame for the outcome. After all, it was their own decision."
She paused for a moment, then suddenly stepped closer to Yukino's side. Their similar, delicate faces were now incredibly close to each other.
"The same goes for us. So no matter what, Yukino, never make a decision that you'll regret."
Yukino gazed into her sister's smiling yet profoundly serious eyes. She blinked, then lowered her head slightly and took a step back.
"You're too close."
"Hahaha, being shy with your sister is just too much!"
Leaving aside the playful banter between the sisters, the performance on stage had finally reached its shaky conclusion, ending with a prolonged guitar note.
The mistakes in the performance were obvious, and the audience responded with scattered, lackluster applause—utterly perfunctory.
Most people clapped out of sympathy, but compared to the reaction during the morning performance, the difference was night and day.
Standing in front of the microphone, Ikuyo lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.
They traced down her cheeks and dripped off her chin, completely beyond her control.
It wasn't supposed to be like this…
Hitori looked at her with deep concern and stepped closer. Ryo, with an expressionless face, took a step forward to shield her. Nijika also stood up from behind the drum set.
As the band leader, she picked up the microphone used to amplify the instruments.
Just as she was about to conclude the failed performance, the originally noisy audience quieted down slightly.
Following their gaze, she turned toward the side of the stage and widened her eyes.
The other three members also followed suit.
Their expressions turned to pure astonishment when they saw Chisato stepping onto the stage, a microphone in hand, walking toward them.
No one had expected this.
Even Hitori had no idea why he was suddenly appearing now.
Meanwhile, in the audience, Haruno, who had been playfully teasing her sister just moments ago, suddenly fell silent when she caught sight of Chisato stepping onto the stage.
Like a hunting cat spotting its prey, her eyes sharpened instantly.
Yukino first noticed the change in her sister's expression before shifting her own gaze toward the stage.
The person walking toward the center wore a baseball cap, its brim pulled low. But no matter how low it was, it couldn't completely conceal his face.
Moreover, she had shared an elevator ride with him that morning when they left the building. Even though she hadn't wanted to, she had memorized his outfit for the day.
Now, it immediately clicked.
That was her next-door neighbor, the absolute scumbag in her mind—Suzumiya Chisato.
Why was he here? And why was he stepping onto the stage now?
Had her sister known this would happen? Was that why she had specifically come to the festival today?
A flood of questions rushed into her mind, but none had answers. She turned toward her sister, about to ask.
But before she could, Haruno raised a finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture.
She never once looked at Yukino, keeping her gaze locked onto the stage.
Yukino didn't get an answer from her sister, but not far away, the voices of a few guys who had previously stood up for Kesshoku Band carried over, providing some insight.
"Who's the guy on stage?"
"I think I've seen him before. Isn't he that part-timer at Polaris? The one who makes drinks and handles the register?"
"Oh yeah! Now that you mention it, I remember! I didn't recognize him at first because of the cap, but yeah, that's him.
Every time I go there, he's surrounded by a bunch of girls. I'm so jealous of his luck with women. But why is he on stage now?"
"Probably to save the performance. I overheard Polaris's owner talking with a friend once. He mentioned that guy is actually Kesshoku Band's manager."
"Manager? He doesn't even look that old."
"I don't know the details. Let's just watch and see."
Yukino withdrew her gaze and refocused on the center of the stage.
Some questions had been answered, but even more had emerged.
On stage, Chisato wore a plain white shirt and loose, washed-out jeans.
His look was youthful and fresh, yet it clashed completely with the coordinated stage outfits of Kesshoku Band's four members.
However, in a way, that contrast made him stand out all the more. He didn't blend in; instead, he became the undeniable focal point of the stage.
Without saying a word, he walked to the center, facing the entire audience. Aside from handing Ikuyo a tissue, he made no other movements.
"If it's just playing guitar, can you keep going?"
He spoke in a barely audible voice.
Ikuyo sniffled and nodded vigorously.
This time, she wasn't forcing herself. Her throat hurt terribly, and after that song, her voice was completely hoarse. But her fingers weren't affected.
That was enough.
"We'll stick to the original plan. Leave the rest to me."
With those words, Hitori immediately returned to her spot without any objections.
Ryo, despite her deep uncertainty, had no choice but to trust Chisato in this moment.
Finally, Nijika glanced at him, locking eyes for a brief moment before making the same decision as the others. She placed the microphone back and sat down again.
By now, the audience had returned to its previous noisy state.
Many spectators were growing impatient with this inexplicable development. A few even whistled mockingly.
Chisato turned to fully face them.
What he had said to Seika earlier hadn't been a lie.
This was his first time on stage, standing before hundreds of people, with all eyes fixed solely on him. The pressure was overwhelming.
And only now did he truly understand what Ikuyo had endured—singing through an entire song under such immense scrutiny without giving up.
His heart had already started pounding before he stepped on stage. Now, the rhythm had sped up so much he could hear it echoing in his ears.
But even so, he had to go through with it.
He was here to salvage the performance. If the person meant to fix things ended up failing too, that would be a complete disaster.
He didn't care about being ridiculed himself. But he absolutely couldn't let Kesshoku Band suffer any further humiliation.
Forcing himself to stay calm, he clenched his left fist and raised the microphone with his right.
"Next up, an original song by Kesshoku Band…"
Even before stepping on stage, he had already decided.
The best way to overshadow a poor performance was to create an explosive moment that would completely seize the audience's attention.
He had no doubts about the quality of the song. In his past life, this track had even been performed at professional competitions, and its popularity spanned generations.
The song was solid. As long as he didn't mess up his performance, he could turn things around.
"…Until the End of the World."
"Please enjoy."
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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