"I can't speak, I can't sleep, a troimerai
The truth you're looking at
A chart no one can read
I just want to know the inexplicable things"
"Wow, as expected of Ichinose."
"I almost feel like the air got a little sweeter after hearing Ichinose sing."
"Seriously?"
Ichinose answered shyly. The Class B students cheered loudly at the karaoke place, and the fatigue from a day of physical training vanished in an instant.
"Kagami, want to sing too?"
Ichinose had gone out of her way to invite Nagami to karaoke for a class gathering, partly to thank him for his help during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. Ichinose wasn't good at keeping secrets, and the people around her had eventually pieced together what had happened on the island.
"We can sing together, if you want."
"Hey~ Sure, I guess. What should we sing?"
In this parallel world, most things were still the same as in the original timeline. That included his favorite song, Utada's "One Last Kiss."
Nagami sang in a low voice.
"My first trip to the Louvre
Didn't feel like anything special
Because I'd already met
The Mona Lisa, who belongs only to me"
He pointed the microphone at Ichinose, signaling for her to continue.
"Though I've had plenty of kisses already,
Let's add one more"
"Can you give me one last kiss?"
"Something I don't want to forget"
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh..."
"I love you more than you'll ever know."
Ichinose's voice was sweet and soft, while Nagami's low voice blended perfectly with hers, as if he were gently confiding something.
Their voices intertwined. Whether it was because of the lyrics or the accidental meeting of their eyes, a subtle warmth filled the air.
Just like the opening of the song: "The Mona Lisa, who belongs only to me. I'd already met her."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"That was beautiful! I had no idea Nagami was such a good singer."
"I feel like he'd completely outclass any younger students. Not that we have any juniors."
Wave after wave of praise brought the atmosphere to a peak. All that was missing was someone shouting, "Get together! Get together!"
"Thanks, thanks."
Nagami replied.
In the dim light of the karaoke room, no one noticed the blush on Ichinose's cheeks. She kept sneaking glances at his profile, replaying those suggestive lyrics over and over in her mind.
It had only been a brief touch, yet something had taken root in the heart of a lovestruck teenage girl. Every time she looked at him, that bittersweet, swelling feeling grew clearer.
"It's already nine. It's getting late, so let's head back."
Their happy time had flown by, and soon it was nine o'clock. The student apartments didn't have a set curfew, but with the school's strange, hidden rules for evaluating students, everyone kept to a good student's schedule.
"I had so much fun singing today. Bye, Chihiro. Bye, Kanzaki. Bye, Asako..."
Once they reached the student apartment building, Ichinose said goodbye to her friends one by one.
If you're enjoying this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you can find it again.
"Kana, Honami."
"Yeah! See you tomorrow, Kagami."
"Nagami, you've been hard to find lately. What have you been busy with?"
Kushida suddenly came over to talk to him in Class D.
"Oh, it's Kushida. I forgot to tell you—I'm an apprentice on the Student Council now. There's a lot to do for the Sports Festival, so I've been busy."
"Just call me Kikyo. Nagami, you really are amazing. Have you signed up for the mixed-gender three-legged race? I feel a little awkward because I'm not close with anyone."
"The boys in Class D are all great. If you really can't find anyone, come ask me."
Nagami turned her down. With such a huge difference in their heights, a three-legged race would be pure torture.
"Hirata, I'm entering the 100-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, 200-meter run, group tug-of-war, Pole Toppling Competition, and the all-school mixed-gender 100-meter race."
The cavalry battle and the pole vault weren't suited to athletes who relied solely on strength. In a cavalry battle, being lightweight was a bigger advantage for the rider, while the opposite was true for those being carried.
"Six events, Nagami? Do you have enough stamina?"
"Absolutely. I just have to pace myself sensibly."
(The qualifying time for a second-class 100-meter runner is 11.74 seconds, while the Asian high school record is 10.52 seconds. Unless we're extremely unlucky and the school has a record holder, I should be able to take first place at 10.5 seconds all-out.)
"For the men's 110-meter hurdles, the ideal height is between 180 and 188 centimeters. Only athletes with those proportions can clear the hurdles in seven strides."
"I haven't practiced in a while. I'll go see if I can get back into form after we're done today."
"With Nagami there, Sudo can save a lot of stamina."
"Koenji, are you entering any events?"
"Sorry, I'm not feeling very well. I'll have to cheer you on from the stands."
Koenji was slacking off as usual, and Hirata didn't try to persuade him. Everyone was already used to the blond boy's bizarre behavior.
(Still, he has the talent to get away with slacking. Too bad Class D has quite a few students who are hopeless at both sports and academics.)
"Hey, let's sort out the order again. We only get to submit it once."
Hirata Mom had been wearing herself out over Class D, and the dark circles under his eyes had gotten worse.
It was hard to imagine that someone as kindhearted as Hirata could exist in the strange Class D.
Ike and Yamauchi were unbearably anxious because this exam was so unfriendly to them.
"What do we do? We lose ten points if we come in last. I should've studied properly. From today on, I'm not reading light novels anymore."
"Ike, I've decided too. Starting today, I won't play a single game. I'm going to devote myself completely to studying. I'll study all night."
"Good luck!"
"Ayanokoji, what events did you sign up for?"
The Three Idiots asked.
"I signed up for all the team events, like the scavenger race, four-way tug-of-war, and mixed-gender three-legged race."
"Everyone has to sign up for team events, right? Are you doing the mixed-gender three-legged race with Horikita?"
"Horikita's usually so cold and hard to approach, but I'm still jealous that you get to have that chance."
"Hey, Ayanokoji, don't use this as an excuse to take advantage of Suzune. Got it? I'll be watching you!"
The red-haired gorilla was very bothered by the idea.
It seemed like the whole school was excited about the Sports Festival, including the Student Council President.
"Nagami, you're here. Have you signed up for the relay at this year's Sports Festival?"
"I have. It's worth a lot of points, after all."
"I'm looking forward to seeing how you do. At the last Sports Festival, before I became Student Council President, I beat the previous president in the relay."
"The relay competition between the candidate president and the sitting president has always been a Student Council tradition."
"Oh! Then I'll give it everything I've got."
(The Student Council President, huh? What a pain. Once you graduate, senpai, I'll just slip away. People soon forget you once you're gone.)
Before you continue