Chapter 548
Shiina Rikki stared intently at the object in his hand.
"Rikki-chan ~"
Takamatsu Akari tugged at Shiina Rikki's sleeve, her eyes pleading and begging, breaking down her last line of defense.
"I, I understand! I'll wear it, I'll wear it, okay!"
She tossed her black hair, pouted, closed her eyes, and resolutely walked towards the side of the preparation room, like a warrior heading to the execution ground.
"Hurry up! There are only five minutes left!"
Ogura Asahi urged them on from behind.
After PP finished her second song, the other members took turns performing.
To save time, they had already gone up on stage and stood behind them before they left.
"Oh~ So cute~"
The first to notice them was Hikawa Hina, who jogged over and circled around them, scrutinizing them from all angles.
Apart from Ogura Asahi, the other four people kept their heads down, their faces flushed, and dared not speak.
"You too, Hina- san! Your performance just now was also very beautiful!"
Ogura Asahi replied with a smile.
"Mmm~ Mmm~ I'm really looking forward to your song, keep it up!"
After raising her hand in encouragement, she skipped off the field.
PP's other four members also passed by them with smiles, offering continuous praise and encouragement:
"Go for it!"
"Everyone and their clothes are so cute~"
"Um... please don't be nervous!"
"Asahi -san, and everyone else, keep it up!"
"Thank you, thank you..."
The other four people besides him stammered in response.
"Please give me your guidance..."
Thanks for your hard work...
Wow! He actually greeted some famous seniors! That's amazing!!
Unlike the shame they had felt earlier, they felt a surge of pride, a sense of "we're really amazing."
But the courage they had just mustered was instantly extinguished when they saw the vast sea of heads below the stage.
Oh, how scary!!!
The four of them lowered their eyes in despair, having Kokoro looked down, feeling so weak that they could barely stand.
Not to mention, it wasn't just the atrium, but also the surrounding classrooms, corridors, and rooftop—everywhere was filled with eyes and faces... It was terrifying!
Unlike the lights-out effect in a livehouse, in broad daylight, everything around you is so clearly visible.
In this situation, let alone Chihaya Aine, who was experiencing it for the first time, and Takamatsu Akari, who was prone to nervousness, even Shiina Rikki and Nagasaki Sōse were a little—no, quite apprehensive.
What, what, what should we do... Should we play under these circumstances?
Oyster--Oyster!!!
The four swallowed hard, their faces pale and sweat beading on their temples as they looked at Ogura Asahi. He was now the only thing keeping them from running away.
Ogura Asahi's lips revealed a faint glimpse of white teeth. When he stood up and saw this scene, he also felt a bit uneasy; it was even more lively than he had imagined.
Isn't such a large-scale event too fast and too exciting for them?
Will today's plan be completed smoothly?
The sheer scale of this lively scene created a level of pressure that rivaled even the two- or three-thousand-person flag-raising ceremony I attended in my previous high school.
Buzz--
A sharp popping sound came from the speakers. He looked back and locked his gaze on Chihaya Aine, who was plugging in the power cord.
"Feel sorry!"
Her face was covered in sweat, and she quickly apologized.
There are instruments prepared in advance on stage, but you can also use your own preferred instrument if you wish.
No one blamed her; they just offered a few words of comfort.
She was, after all, a Student Council President, and must have given speeches and performances in front of the whole school a few times.
Her continued nervousness only shows that she lacks confidence in her abilities and takes the band's debut very seriously.
"Don't worry, just play it as you did in practice. If you really can't, just close your eyes."
He patted her shoulder, then turned to the other three and said:
"You too, don't be afraid of failure. Even if you fail, there will be a next time! I will prepare a stage like this again!"
"I hope the stage can be a little smaller next time~"
Nagasaki Sōse tilted her head and gave a bitter smile.
"Alright, everyone take a few deep breaths and drink some water. Don't panic if you make a mistake or hit a wrong note! You can always try again!"
After giving a few words of advice and leaving the others to make final preparations behind, he went to his microphone and began to speak:
"Hey everyone from Hanasakigawa, good afternoon! We are... Oh no~ We haven't decided on a band name yet! What should we do, Rikki?"
"Eh? Me?!"
Shiina Rikki behind, cried out in shock. The sound, transmitted through the microphone next to him, produced a faint popping sound.
"Hahaha..."
This caused a burst of laughter from those around them.
Indeed, manzai (a type of stand-up comedy) is still the most suitable for easing tension and creating a lively atmosphere.
He raised his eyebrows, punched his arm hard, and continued MCing with a smile, "Of course! You're my deskmate! I can't exactly ask about girls from other schools like Akari-chan, Aine-chan, Sōse-chan, can I?"
"I, um..."
Shiina Rikki voice came through.
However, this was exactly the effect he wanted, and fortunately, Hanasakigawa's students were quite accommodating.
"Ah, since this might be the first time everyone is meeting us, is it alright if we do the MC part first, everyone?"
"Can!!!"
X N.
"That's wonderful! Everyone is so kind! Love you all~!"
He blew a kiss, which unexpectedly caused quite a stir.
"Ahhh! It's Ogura-kun!!"
"I love you too! Lord Asahi!!!"
"Lord Asahi, please look this way!!!"
"So Classmate Shiina was in the same band as her? We didn't know that!"
"Who is that? So beautiful... Wait, the top student in the first year?!"
"Is that their new band's uniform? It's so cute!"
"I understand the logic, but why are you wearing Maid Outfit?"
"..."
Chapter 494 Did you really understand "God Knows"?
After waving to the surroundings and giving a brief greeting, he began his formal introduction:
"First of all, there's the lead singer of our unknown band, Takamatsu Akari- san from the neighboring Haneoka!"
He pointed in the direction of Takamatsu Akari bowed shyly and nervously.
Clap clap... The applause from below was generous.
"Next up is our unknown band's guitarist, Chihaya Aine, also from Haneoka!"
"Nice to meet you... please take care of me!"
Chihaya Aine bowed in the same manner.
Clap clap... Amidst the thunderous applause from below, Ogura Asahi caught a glimpse of a woman with short, light blue hair jumping up and down, her expression seemingly quite excited.
Is it really necessary to get this worked up when you see a junior from the same school?
Well, if she knew that Takamatsu Akari was her only junior in the Astronomy Club, she would definitely be even more excited—she's the most direct descendant of the direct descendants!
"And our Bass —the young lady from the neighboring Tsukinomori — Nagasaki Sōse Desu!!"
"Wait! Asahi-chan!!"
Nagasaki Sōse straightened up, and after a moment of panic, quickly gave the audience a dry laugh.
"The drummer! Hanasakigawa from Class 1-B of Shiina Rikki!"
"Hey! Why am I the only one who was put into the class?!"
Shiina Rikki shouted at him resentfully.
"Because you're the closest to me, I'm giving you special service~"
"I don't want that kind of service!!"
"Hahaha..."
X N.
Hearing the chirping of birds all around them, they sensed that the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before. They exchanged glances, which eased some of their tension.
"And then, lastly, it's me! The band's freelancer— Ogura Asahi Desu, who was in the same class as Rikki!"
He raised his right hand high, which sparked another round of cheers.
"By the way, we sit in front of and behind each other, and she often freeloads meals and drinks at my place..."
"Hello! Who is it...?"
Shiina Rikki was about to retort when she was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm below.
"I'm so envious! Shiina Rikki!!"
"I want to sit next to Ogura-kun too!"
"I also want to be scammed out of food and drinks..."
"I want to trick Ogura-kun coming to my house..."
"..."
After wasting a minute of preparation time, he glanced at his teammate, asked him a question with his eyes, and received an affirmative answer.
Without further ado, he shouted his final words, "Now, please enjoy our band's debut song!"
"God Knows!"
He took a step back, hung up his guitar, and gave Shiina Rikki a look.
Upon receiving the signal, Shiina Rikki immediately struck the drumstick in the air, followed by the sound of the cymbals indicating the start.
Without the slightest hesitation, after she completed those two movements, he immediately launched into a dazzling guitar solo that electrified the entire venue. The tight and powerful electronic music instantly drowned out all the noise.
After a brief, stunned silence, deafening cheers soon erupted throughout the school!
As expected, Chihaya Aine made a mistake, but under the weight of her powerful electronic music, few people noticed.
As agreed beforehand, if he didn't stop, they wouldn't stop either, so the performance continued.