Standing in front of the railing, Gotō Hitori adjusted the somewhat unfamiliar guitar in her hands as much as possible to a comfortable state, then looked at the dense crowd below the rooftop, and took a deep breath.
Then she coughed, choked by the strong wind typical of high places.
Chihaya Anon behind her immediately looked at Asakura beside her with an expression that said, 'Is this child really alright?'
Asakura was unmoved.
He knew that if Asagumo Chihaya or Yukino were by his side now, they wouldn't have such doubts.
Because they had truly seen Gotō Hitori sing.
"Do you really want them to sing in a place like this?"
The broadcast room girl brushed a strand of hair, disheveled by the wind, and asked Asakura: "Putting aside how the sound will be picked up in this strong wind... you should at least look at the sky first."
Accompanying her question, not only Chihaya Anon, but even the three members of Kessoku Band subconsciously looked up at the sky.
The weather today wasn't particularly good to begin with; thick clouds covered the sky.
At this moment, the clouds began to churn, like an inverted lead-grey ocean, dense masses pressing against each other, the folds even giving the illusion of an asphalt-like texture, with sporadic sunlight falling through breaks in the clouds, but instantly swallowed by even denser ink-black cloud masses, giving a feeling of an impending storm.
Although he didn't speak, Asakura could feel that the three members of Kessoku Band also seemed somewhat worried about the weather.
"Hitori."
Asakura called softly.
The girl, who had been looking up at the sky, subconsciously looked at him.
"Don't worry, sing bravely."
Asakura pointed to the sky: "As long as you start singing, even the sky will stop for you."
"How could something like that be possible..."
The broadcast room girl mumbled softly.
But Gotō Hitori nodded vigorously, holding her guitar, her small expression serious.
"I, I understand!"
She said earnestly: "I will do my best!"
Ijichi Nijika and Yamada Ryo, who had also looked somewhat worried, exchanged glances and both smiled.
"Well, there's no choice but to go for it!"
Nijika said, holding up her drumsticks with full enthusiasm, her golden long hair shining like sunlight on a cloudy day.
"How rock and roll."
Yamada Ryo commented, looking quite interested in this somewhat unconventional behavior compared to their usual performances.
Gotō Hitori took another deep breath.
Then she shouted into the microphone: "...Please listen carefully to my [Song]!"
As if receiving some signal, at the same moment Gotō Hitori finished speaking, the three members of Kessoku Band began to play together.
☆
At the Soubu High School gate.
[...Please listen carefully to my song!]
"That voice..."
Listening to the girl's slightly nervous words coming from the loudspeaker, Amakusa Shino, who had been maintaining order, suddenly looked up: "Is it Miss Siren? That Asakura fellow really knows how to surprise people."
"President! The order in the auditorium direction is about to break down, it feels like today's visitors are especially prone to conflict for some reason!"
A Student Council member ran over hurriedly and said.
"Don't worry, soon they won't have the mind for that."
Amakusa Shino said confidently: "But when that happens, don't get lost in it yourselves; remember to take the opportunity to evacuate the entire crowd!"
"Ah? Oh..."
Although he didn't know why Amakusa Shino had such confidence, the Student Council member still agreed half-heartedly and ran back towards the auditorium.
[It's not enough, not enough! I have yet to be noticed by anyone! Like chaotic melodies, shouting voicelessly, for whom is the [True Self] to be seen? Ignorant me can only sing loudly to pour out everything! To that star!]
Listening to the song beginning to come from the loudspeaker, Amakusa Shino, whose nerves had been taut since earlier, finally let out a sigh of relief.
As expected of you...
☆
Service Club activity room.
"Come out nicely, big sister has cat treats here~"
Fujiwara Chika dangled a long, strip-like object in her hand.
"Fujiwara, that's a child, not a cat."
Shinomiya Kaguya rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"But I don't have anything for children to eat on me!"
Fujiwara Chika said self-righteously.
"It's already strange that you'd carry cat treats before anything else!"
Shinomiya Kaguya's mouth twitched.
"Ahaha..."
Yuigahama Yui, who was staying in the Service Club activity room, chuckled dryly, looking at the two girls she didn't know at all, unsure how to react.
Little Eiri-chan, meanwhile, hid behind her, hissing at Fujiwara Chika like a startled cat.
Yuigahama Yui smiled wryly: This child used to be shy with everyone, so why is she reacting so strongly to this pink-haired... oh, I'm pink-haired too... why is she reacting so strongly to this strange guest?
At this moment, accompanied by the declaration, "...Please listen to my song properly!", the speakers present in almost every classroom began to play a powerful piece of music.
"Is this rock? Does Soubu High School's Founders' Festival also have such performances?"
Fujiwara Chika asked curiously.
"Average."
Shinomiya Kaguya, who was more accustomed to listening to classical music, commented on the prelude.
But after a moment, both of them were gradually drawn in by the melody and singing, no longer saying anything.
Yuigahama Yui, however, looked at the speakers with burning eyes.
"Shining brilliantly, dazzlingly, please don't be so bright! Won't this only make my ugly shadow more obvious? Why does my heart become so fervent it cannot stop? Ignorant me can only sing loudly, stirring up an increasingly noisy heart!"
'This voice... is it that child from the Founders' Festival? If it's her, perhaps she really can quiet the school on the verge of chaos.'
At this moment, people in every corner of Soubu High School were more or less drawn to the music from the broadcast.
"Look, the rooftop!"
Someone suddenly shouted.
So many gazes turned towards the rooftop.
"Listen to my voice! I, I! I exist right here! Like chaotic notes, shouting in an inarticulate manner. Just wanting to become, wanting to become anyone at all, ignorant me can only sing loudly and pour out everything! To those stars!"
At this moment, the dark clouds in the sky seemed to be torn open by an unseen hand, and the surging of the clouds also seemed to be stopped by an invisible force. Bright sunlight poured down from that gap, appearing like a golden pillar of light due to the Tyndall effect, descending from the sky, like a natural spotlight, falling on the three people who were performing and singing on the rooftop.
It was like a miracle.