Chapter 297
Knowing that he was causing trouble for everyone, Hitori took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his state, and caught up with the pace.
After this seemingly normal interlude, the other three smoothly returned to the song.
"Their teamwork is truly impressive..."
Others might not notice the problem, but Hiroi Kikuri, who has experienced a lot in the performing world, could naturally see that the rhythm was off.
She took a sip of the wine with admiration, only to find that the glass bottle was empty. She then casually placed it on the stage, where it began to slide forward.
Seika looked up at the five people playing happily and said calmly.
"Hmm... that time when the others couldn't keep up, we had to force them to stop and start again."
Hiroi Kikuri glanced at Seika in a daze before remembering that she was referring to their first time on stage.
What happened not long ago feels like a very long time ago to her now, seeing the tacit understanding between the five of them.
Amidst the jubilant atmosphere around her, she looked enviously at the five people on stage; the trust and support that belonged only to young people was too dazzling.
From this song and their performance, she could almost see them enjoying their ordinary, joyful daily lives.
"Secret Base unknown to anyone, its vast stage gleaming brightly."
Just when these people thought there would be no more trouble, an accident occurred again right after Ikuyo finished singing her part.
Hitori, who had been looking down at the guitar and trying his best to overcome the effects of being out of tune, suddenly saw a string on the guitar snap.
Oops.
Hitori didn't want to cause trouble for anyone else and was preparing to switch to her new guitar to continue playing, but she glanced at Ikuyo's side.
She has already sung the next verse before the solo.
There was no time to change the guitar, so Hitori quickly squatted down to adjust the second string, which had been affected by the broken first string.
But after she twisted the string, a chill ran through her; the second string's string was also stuck.
This caused problems with both the first and second strings.
Behind him, when Ishikawa Hayato saw Hitori's guitar string break, he left the stage without hesitation and went backstage to get her a guitar.
In her panic, Hitori didn't notice his actions. Hitori was only thinking that she absolutely couldn't cause any more trouble for everyone and had to find a solution.
Hitori quickly racked his brains for ways to resolve the current situation, while his eyes darted around.
"Unlike grand dreams, it's about finding your heart's direction through free will."
Ikuyo's singing did not slow down; she continued singing very steadily. Noticing Hitori and Ishikawa Hayato's situation behind her, she simply tightened her grip on the guitar, preparing to take over Hitori's solo.
Just then, Ishikawa Hayato ran back with his guitar, but as he was about to hand it to Hitori found a solution first.
"Imagine dressing up in my finest attire and searching for a treasure that belongs only to me."
As the lyrics before the solo section were about to end, Hitori quickly went to the front, picked up the sake bottle that Hiroi Kikuri had put down, and used it as a slide to press down on the strings.
For a moment, Ikuyo, who was about to perform a solo for Hitori, and Ishikawa Hayato, who was giving her a new guitar, both stopped and looked at her expectantly.
Ikuyo's singing stopped, and a guitar solo began.
Compared to the issue that was previously unknown to the public, this accident was clearly visible to the audience.
The guitarist suddenly stopped playing, and the keyboardist ran backstage to get a guitar.
There seems to be a problem with the guitar.
But at this crucial moment, the guitarist who had suddenly stopped stood up again.
Then...
The guitar produced a rare, continuous sound, and the audience, who rarely heard such a languid and delicate guitar playing, couldn't help but shudder.
While the technique of slide playing itself isn't particularly difficult, using slide playing in such situations requires not only improvising playing techniques but also adjusting the solo passage and coordinating with others.
Here, Hitori's guitar even produced a sound that better suited the melody.
The audience below the stage listened in stunned silence to the masterful guitar solo performed on stage.
It's unbelievable that, despite the broken string, they produced even more exaggerated and beautiful music.
In the silence, Futari tugged at her father's arm and said.
"Sister is amazing!"
Even she could tell that her sister's current skill level was much higher than when she used to play at home.
All she received in response was a perfunctory reply from her father, who was moved to tears.
"Uh-huh."
As the solo was about to end, Ikuyo turned around and looked at Ishikawa Hayato was still holding his guitar, with a helpless smile on her face.
Ishikawa Hayato smiled slightly and gave a thumbs-up to reassure everyone to continue.
Ikuyo nodded seriously.
"Maintain a regular lifestyle, absolutely no staying up late or sleeping in, and live a safe and secure life."
Even if people say I'm boring, even if they ask me if I'm serious, as long as that place exists, that's enough for me.
While Ikuyo was singing, Ishikawa Hayato decided not to slack off any longer. He walked over to Hitori, who was still in a daze, and picked up her guitar.
Hitori snapped out of her daze and turned to look at him, while Ishikawa Hayato, amidst her stunned expression and the gazes of thousands of people, flicked the forehead of the girl who had just played the guitar so coolly.
"Well done."
After Ishikawa Hayato finished speaking, he hung the new guitar on her, laughed, and ran back to his synthesizer to start playing.
Hitori quickly snapped out of her daze and, clutching her new guitar, continued playing to Ikuyo's voice.
"Taking off the headphones, I could clearly and vividly feel the existence of the world; all the colors were so direct."
It's so dazzling it's almost blinding, but that's just right; it fills me with a sense of fulfillment.
This day is my treasure.
Listening to the steady pitch of the new guitar, Hitori gradually opened his gaze and looked up at the auditorium with thousands of people.
Despite all the trouble that had just happened, the audience in the auditorium still listened to their performance with great enthusiasm.
It seems... she was doing things in the right direction.
As she was thinking this, she felt a slight itch on the spot on her forehead where Ishikawa Hayato had flicked her.
She felt a little helpless. She had said she wanted to be someone he could rely on, but in the end, she ended up relying on him instead.
However, when Ichiri played the broken string with the slide just now, Hitori really felt relieved.
It wasn't just because she could continue performing, but because it confirmed one thing: in that situation, Hayabusa Ikuyo-chan trusted her and let her continue playing the solo.
If she can do it, then Falcon certainly can too.
This is not blind faith or worship, but rather a judgment and trust based on understanding of the two individuals' skills.
Just do it, and be passionate about what you love most.
It's okay if I don't tidy up; this is, yes, my own little space.
This Secret Base remains unknown to anyone; its vast panorama is magnificent and splendid.
Unlike an infinitely large dream, imagine traveling to distant places on the wings of free will, or imagining a procession.
That was a treasure that belonged only to me.
This is Secret Base where we can meet again even after waking up.
Unlike the audience who simply listened to the excitement and clapped along with the atmosphere, Sato Aiko looked at the five dazzling people standing on the stage.
Their unrestrained performances, their fully revealed stage style, their supportive and trusting relationship, and their terrifying popularity.
Even though it's just a free performance at the school festival, wouldn't the number of people attending their show be much smaller if tickets were required?
They are already a professional-level band, and they could even secure a place in the music scene if they debuted immediately.
Unlike Sato Aiko in the audience, the five people on stage were more concerned about the majority who clapped along with the atmosphere and reacted enthusiastically.
The cheers and shouts that followed the end once again ignited the auditorium, allowing the five people who had been racking their brains to make up for their repeated mistakes to finally breathe a long sigh of relief.
"Phew... Thank you all so much for coming. Now let me introduce the other band members."
Ikuyo took two deep breaths and walked towards the cool.
Although Hitori's performance was outstanding, she dared not get carried away and hand the microphone to Hitori again, and it was also time to introduce others.
"This is Ryo-senpai, the senior composer in our band. She's the one who led me onto the path of music. Before today's last song, does Ryo-senpai have anything to say?"
Ryo looked at the microphone that Ikuyo handed her, then turned to look at Ikuyo again. After confirming their expressions Nijika Hitori...
"I hope everyone enjoys today's unconventional performance."
Ikuyo was shocked.
This self-centered Ryo-senpai, actually used the word "willful" to describe himself.
She didn't even have time to respond to the audience's reactions. After a long pause, she walked blankly toward Nijika under Liang's sidelong glance.
As Ikuyo introduced Nijika, Hitori was thinking about what Ryo had just said.
Indeed, their performance today was very unrestrained; it could be considered a public display of their relationship in front of everyone, and the entire performance was designed to please their mutual boyfriend.
The playlist, too, showcases their meeting, their time together, and their final moments...
After Ikuyo introduced the remaining people one by one, she returned to her original position, her face flushed with happiness and excitement, and she said with a genuine smile.
"Although I'm very reluctant to say goodbye, it's time for the last song."
She took a deep breath and spoke loudly.
"Then please listen to the final piece, 'Bathing in Light'!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the other four followed without hesitation, their hoarse guitars and dull drumbeats, accented by bass and keyboard, creating a powerful sound that blasted from the loudspeakers.
The opening of this piece immediately made the audience feel that it was different from other pieces, and everyone focused their attention on the five people standing in the light on the stage.
208. The End (Complete)
"I became very nervous during the first eight sections of the performance."
Break free from that inferiority complex and leap into that beam of light.
In the back of the auditorium, Ryo's former band fans listened to Ikuyo's emotionally charged singing on stage while looking ahead.
The dense crowd, with people excitedly waving their arms along with the band, almost blocked her view of the stage.
She could only watch from afar, shielded by others, the five people standing on the stage "Bathing in Light."
They were playing their music with abandon in the brightest spot in the auditorium.
She hadn't understood why the Kessoku Band's music was so captivating before, but after listening to their songs so many times, she finally understood why today.
It's not just the wonderful music, nor just the lyrics that resonate with people and burst forth with strength in desperate situations, nor just their superb playing skills and emotional delivery.
Rather, it's the effect of combining all of these elements and then playing the piece with one's own emotions.
That uplifting power, the power to dispel gloom, the power to invigorate—that's what makes their performances so captivating.
On stage, Ikuyo played the guitar while leaning forward toward the microphone, singing with all her might.
"A whole new world was born."
At this time and place, it seemed like something out of a fairy tale.
Ikuyo also found it hard to believe that their music could reach this level, attracting thousands of people to their performances and creating such excitement among the audience.
Here, she truly felt that her goal of joining the band had been achieved; amidst the stirring melodies echoing in the auditorium, she could hear the voices of everyone inside.
Nijika's drums, Hitori's guitar, Ryo's bass, and her boyfriend, Ishikawa Hayato, who led her back to the band and completely steered her down the wrong path.
Every minute and every second is a miracle.
A fleeting moment of brilliance, yet it sprinkles meaning into the very fabric of each day.
Liang glanced at the lead singer's state and knew that they were already singing their hearts out. Although her state was similar, she still remembered the arrangements for what was to come.
She turned sideways to look at the other members of the band.