Chapter 165

"Next up is the only blade of grass among the many flowers in the band, keyboardist, Ishikawa Hayato!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand high, then slowly lowered it to cover his face, striking a rather cheesy pose, seemingly oblivious to the awkward silence from the audience, and continued speaking.

"16 years old, already has a girlfriend, please do not disturb!"

"Since our lead guitarist has put on such a flashy performance, I can't be outdone. Bocchi, move aside!"

Bocchi obediently moved aside, even pressing himself against the wall, without putting down his guitar, remaining in that pose like a statue.

The audience was also curious about what other tricks the keyboardist could pull.

You can't exactly bite the keyboard, can you?

Then, Ishikawa Hayato adjusted the keyboard position, turning it sideways to the audience, and walked to the front of the keyboard, performing a backflip.

He started playing on the keyboard with his hand back, like a bridge on a board, and he was playing the rock organ version of "Kara Kara".

He plays at 190 BPM like it's nothing!

Playing the same piece with a different sound gives the audience a unique experience.

His actions even startled Nijika, who was standing next to him. Facing the stunned Nijika, he even had time to flick his wrist and make a V sign.

After playing for a while, he stood up straight without any need for support, and without caring about the audience's feelings, raised his hand and shouted.

Thank you!

The atmosphere in the audience finally eased quickly, like an icebreaker passing by, and someone shouted.

"That's incredible!"

"Give me the full version!"

Some female fans even screamed.

"Ishikawa!!"

Ishikawa Hayato smiled nonchalantly, turned the microphone around, and gestured for Nijika to introduce him to the audience.

"Next up is our team leader, drummer, and parent, Ijichi Nijika ~"

When Nijika heard that it was her turn to introduce herself, she turned to the microphone.

But she, who was usually quite talkative, froze at this moment.

"Um... um..."

Stuttering, she stared intently at Ishikawa Hayato with her beautiful red eyes.

You guys are all doing such fancy moves, how is she supposed to keep up? She doesn't know how!

And you've already said everything that needed to be introduced, you've taken most of the words, and you're still adding your own random additions—what is she supposed to say?!

She adjusted herself, and amidst Ishikawa Hayato's awkward smile, she spoke.

"Thank you so much for coming to our performance. We hope our show today will leave you with wonderful memories..."

As Nijika spoke, she suddenly hesitated for half a second, thinking of Bocchi's amazing move just now, but she completely ignored the thought that popped into her mind and continued to speak with a smile.

If you're interested in our music, please follow us!

Amidst the enthusiastic response from the audience, she began the next piece.

"Next up is <The Little Sea>, please enjoy!"

Ishikawa Hayato, who was already prepared, played the first note after her voice fell.

Several new posts appeared on the forum during the transition period.

"Kessoku Band, invincible, come quick!"

"Don't waste your time looking at any singers, this year's top band has already been decided."

"The most awesome people are always the unknowns!"

Those who had voiced their Kessoku Band on the forum posted replies intermittently, but after a while, they all fell silent.

Before long, some people who couldn't contain their curiosity from the forum came to Shinjuku.

After all, this music festival ticket is valid for all events; once you buy a ticket, you can enter any livehouse you want.

Moreover, this activity is only limited to Shinjuku, so it won't take long to switch to another store, making the cost of trial and error extremely low.

As more and more people on the forum say "I'll go check it out" and then disappear, the number of people who simply disappear is increasing.

More and more people are becoming curious.

Until...

A staff member stood at the entrance of Shinjuku Folt and apologized to the approaching viewers.

"Sorry, our venue is full. Please go to another venue to watch the performance."

The audience could only leave disappointed.

The organizers didn't expect that what they were worried about—a sold-out final show—would actually happen at the very end.

After all, it was already quite late by the time of the last show, so not many people would stay to listen, and even if the venue was packed, it wouldn't be that full.

However, there were still many people at this time, which is why the unexpected situation occurred.

But this also proves one thing: the Kessoku Band by winning over the audience with their own talent!

On the other side, the venue was already packed with people, just as the staff had said.

When Kita looked down from the stage, he could barely see the audience below their chests.

Despite being suddenly faced with this situation, the five remained calm and continued playing steadily.

The soaring music and powerful yet tender singing voices resonated from the brightly lit stage into the dimly lit hall.

"I always find myself in a quiet corner, daydreaming about vast horizons."

"I understand that I cannot be the perfect protagonist."

"Realizing that you are just a villager A who can't do anything."

So at least let me swim freely in the ocean of my heart!

Their music was so beautiful, it felt like being in a paradise, something Bocchi himself hadn't expected.

Every time she writes lyrics, she expresses her regrets, disappointments, and worries.

She would read each piece herself after she finished writing it, but even her attempts to add a touch of hope couldn't mask the overall darkness.

But those dark moments were completely erased by the performance of the five of them together.

The stirring music made even sorrow beautiful.

It was so beautiful that it felt almost fantastical.

Even if you get soaked in the rain, you can still face it with a smile.

"I admire you for who you are."

"Without realizing it, I will become as strong as you."

"Becoming more open about smiling than before."

If we meet again someday, please look back at our clasped hands.

It wasn't just the music that was modified; she was modified too. She felt increasingly free, though she didn't know when it started.

Bocchi couldn't help but exclaim, "Rock and roll is so good, and... so good."

Another piece ended with a long, drawn-out note, leaving behind a lingering and beautiful aftertaste.

After the applause, Kita, who was asked by the audience, talked about their previous unsuccessful performance.

"... On that day, the typhoon suddenly hit, which startled us. Besides, the band had just formed, and nobody had much confidence..."

Kita felt somewhat guilty and embarrassed as he spoke.

Otsuki Yuyuko stood by the aisle, arms crossed, calmly watching the five people on the stage.

If their strength during previous rehearsals was enough to keep her focused, now she was certain.

Kessoku Band is a band that can be compared to them.

This is a band that grows stronger with each setback and adversity.

Their souls are not controlled by Ishikawa Hayato, who is the most powerful on the surface. He controls the coordination between the various instruments to make the whole more perfect.

But the one who was responsible for the outburst was Gotou Hitori, whom she had always looked down upon.

It was precisely because of Gotou Hitori's explosive performance that their show was so dazzling.

So dazzling was she that even her rival was looking forward to their next performance.

Afterwards, the performance continued, interspersed with interactive exchanges.

After playing "If I Could Become a Constellation" and "That Band," the girls were all a little out of breath.

Such a high-intensity, high-level performance puts considerable pressure on them.

Of course, there are exceptions for the abnormal.

The audience also realized that the half hour had passed incredibly long, yet they were extremely reluctant to see it end, and their performance was about to come to a close.

The venue was air-conditioned, but Kita was still sweating profusely from the heat and exhaustion; her hair was soaked, and her voice was not as energetic as it had been at the beginning.

But she still smiled and tried her best to speak into the microphone.

"So, next up is the last song, and also our band's first original song! <Guitar, Loneliness, and the Blue Planet>"

Sweat streamed down her face, dripping onto her white skirt.

The five of them thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

It was precisely this feeling of exhilaration that prevented them from controlling their physical exertion as they usually did during practice.

But...

After the final song was announced, the packed venue erupted in the loudest response of the night, a response so powerful it could even break the venue's soundproofing.

Amidst that sound, Kita gave a weak laugh, then turned around to look behind her.

Liang and Bocchi noticed her movement and turned around at different speeds.

The five looked at each other, at each other's disheveled yet determined appearance, and then at Ishikawa Hayato, who seemed completely unaffected.

The girls gave these strange, helpless smiles, and then, someone among them chuckled softly.

Everyone burst into laughter.

This wasn't planned; it was just a spontaneous glance between Kita and everyone else who naturally cooperated.

Then, after Nijika nodded and the others confirmed, the music started playing!

As their most dazzling and fulfilling night came to a close.

138. Choice

The performance has ended.

Their long-awaited performance, the result of their much preparation and practice, has come to an end.

As the curtain fell, separating the audience from them, the girls immediately relaxed.

They were half-bent over, supporting themselves with their legs, panting heavily. Nijika, sitting in the chair, didn't even try to control her hands, leaving her arms hanging limply at her sides.

Their expressions clearly showed how much effort and satisfaction they had put into tonight's performance.

Seeing their condition, Ishikawa Hayato put away the synthesizer and patiently gave them time to recover their strength.

After a short while, Nijika sighed.

"It's almost time to go down; SIDEROS will be taking the stage soon too."

"Hmm..." the girls responded to her words and began to move.

Ishikawa Hayato also helps Nijika take apart her drum.