Time flew by.
Bai Qiu and the other two entered the adjacent private room.
They sat down on the sofa.
Whether it was psychological or the KTV's soundproofing wasn't great, the three of them felt like they could faintly hear Otsuki Yuyuko's singing.
This made them feel even more uneasy.
Maybe we should go get Otsuki Yuyuko too?
Bai Qiu thought.
Fortunately, at this moment.
Chihaya Aine took the initiative and suggested,
"Um, let's sing quickly!"
"Akari, Bai Qiu-kun, do you have anything you want to sing?"
After she picked up the tablet for song selection, she looked at the two of them.
Akari shook her head.
In her mind, she couldn't help but recall the last time she came to karaoke with everyone from Crychic.
Bai Qiu also shook his head.
Listening to others sing is more fun than singing yourself.
If he had to sing, he'd like to sing a song from back home.
He just didn't know if the KTV here had them.
Although both of them seemed to shake their heads in disagreement,
Chihaya Aine revealed a smile.
"Then I'll choose!"
"Let's sing a sumimi song."
"sumimi?"
Bai Qiu repeated the question, curious.
Akari blinked, equally bewildered.
"Huh?! It's sumimi! You guys don't know sumimi?"
Aine looked surprised, then explained.
"It's a popular idol group this year!"
Bai Qiu nodded slightly; he never paid attention to such things.
Chihaya Aine had already selected a sumimi song.
Immediately, two beautiful girls with different styles, holding guitars, appeared on the screen.
One with golden hair, the other with black hair.
Pleasant singing also drifted over.
Bai Qiu narrowed his eyes. "This is sumimi?"
"Yup!" Chihaya Aine proudly raised her head, then excitedly said, "Pretty amazing, right? They're my idols. I wish I could meet them in person."
"I think I've seen them."
Bai Qiu suddenly said.
Chihaya Aine froze, her eyes widening. Her voice was a little excited.
"You've seen them? Really?!"
Akari looked at Bai Qiu with confusion, although she didn't know about sumimi either.
But, according to Aine's introduction, they seemed really amazing.
"I've seen them, twice actually."
Bai Qiu said casually, glancing at Aine.
Chihaya Aine was petrified. "No way?!"
"Last time was at the Planetarium."
Bai Qiu said.
"Planetarium?"
Hearing "Planetarium", Akari also became interested.
Bai Qiu looked at Akari and explained,
"Actually, Akari has seen her, but probably didn't notice. The last time we went to the Planetarium, this golden-haired girl was sitting next to me."
Akari recalled the scene from the last time, gently shaking her head. She didn't seem to have much of an impression; she was too busy looking at the stars.
"It's Haruka!"
Aine said enviously.
"Haruka?"
Bai Qiu was stunned for a moment; the name brought back a slightly distant memory.
"The blonde one is Misumi Haruka, and the one with black hair is Sumida Mana."
Chihaya Aine explained to the two, sighing inwardly.
If only she had more opportunities to meet idols!
If she could get an autograph or a photo with them, hehehe!
Bai Qiu, on the other hand, was seriously observing Misumi Haruka on the screen.
Could it be such a coincidence?
Even though it was a long time ago.
He had a friend named Misumi Haruka whom he met on a small island.
Comparing it with the screen in front of him.
The change seemed huge, but on closer inspection, there were indeed some similarities.
Had Haruka transformed into a popular idol?
Bai Qiu was a little disbelieving.
Tokyo, or rather, Nihon, was really this small?
"By the way, which Planetarium is it?"
Chihaya Aine interrupted Bai Qiu's thoughts.
She clasped her hands together, speaking with anticipation and sincerity,
"Please, tell me everything!"
"It's not far from here..."
Then.
Chihaya Aine was satisfied after getting the Planetarium's address, and began to sing happily.
After a few songs.
The atmosphere felt right.
Bai Qiu and Chihaya Aine exchanged a silent glance.
Bai Qiu: You or me?
Chihaya Aine: Leave it to me!
Before this, Bai Qiu had already told Chihaya Aine that Akari had been in a band before, and was the vocalist.
Aine was surprised, but then she cheerfully stated that having two vocalists wouldn't be a problem!
"Akari, actually... I want to form a band. I wonder if you're interested?"
Aine looked at Akari, a sweet smile on her face.
"Huh? A band?"
Akari looked a bit caught off guard.
"Yeah! You can still be the vocalist, Akari!"
Aine coaxed.
"But... I don't sing very well."
Akari instinctively put herself down, her voice softening.
Hearing this, Bai Qiu sighed softly, unable to help but speak.
"Akari, don't say that."
"I really like the way you sing, with all your effort."
"Maybe it's not the best, but there will definitely be a lot of people who like it."
"Is... that so?"
Akari looked uncertainly at Bai Qiu.
Bai Qiu nodded, answering affirmatively, "I'm really looking forward to Akari's singing."
Chihaya Aine also added, "Me too."
Looking forward to it...
Takamatsu Akari didn't want to disappoint them, but she still had many worries in her heart.
"Akari, don't you want to sing?"
Bai Qiu asked again, "Answer honestly."
After a slight hesitation, Takamatsu Akari nodded.
"I want to!"
"Then, can you sing Spring Shadow?"
Bai Qiu revealed a smile.
"Hmm…"
"Spring Shadow?"
Chihaya Aine didn't know the song yet, but she was quick to search for it on the tablet used for song selection.
"It's not here?"
"Idiot, how could a KTV have songs from a regular band?"
Bai Qiu complained.
"Oh, right," Chihaya Aine realized belatedly.
However, in the next room.
Otsuki Yuyuko was indeed singing a song she wrote herself.
Actually, in this karaoke place, as long as you paid, you could upload your own songs onto the tablets.
And so.
Bai Qiu planned to use his phone to play Crychic's live performance as accompaniment.
The accompaniment slowly began.
The familiar sounds of the piano, guitar, bass, and drums echoed in Akari's ears.
Under the encouraging gazes of Chihaya Aine and Bai Qiu.
Akari also tried to muster her courage.
She gripped the microphone tightly, and her voice gradually emerged.
"My withered heart, my trembling gaze"
"I was all alone in the world"
"The spring that only knows how to scatter,"
"Treats me coldly every year,"
"In the darkness, a one-way street…"
Aine listened intently.
So did Bai Qiu.
The familiar lyrics echoed in his ears.
Perhaps it had been too long since he last sang it.
Perhaps it was the wrong setting.
At this moment, Akari wasn't nearly as desperate as she was in the video.
But undeniably, she had a remarkably beautiful voice.
Gradually, her voice began to overlap with the voice in the video.
No technique, just pure emotion.
Bai Qiu had seen these opening lyrics before.
He'd seen them in Akari's diary.
Back then, he'd thought they were too pessimistic, too negative.
But after listening to Crychic's performance last time.
Bai Qiu later revisited Spring Shadow many times.
Undoubtedly, this song, whether in terms of lyrics or composition,
is excellent!
So excellent that it's hard to believe it was created by a band performing live for the first time.
And, listening to the end.
"Why are your hands so warm?"
"Hey, please."
"Please don't let go of me like this."
"Never, ever let go of me."
Then you'll discover that Spring Shadow isn't purely a sorrowful melody.
It's Akari's inner cry.
-------------------
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