Jun Hao felt the passion directed solely at him and leaned back comfortably against the soft chair, looking every bit like a judge at a talent show.
He cleared his throat and deliberately adopted a stern expression.
"Ahem... Alright then, Miss Formidable. The stage is yours."
Hearing that, the smile on Formidable's lips became even more radiant.
She knew it. No matter how whimsical her ideas were, the Commander would always understand them.
"Then, Commander... the real show begins now!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Formidable snapped her fingers. The Manjuus immediately sprang into action, playing an energetic and rhythmic prelude as the accompaniment began.
It was the song Jun Hao knew all too well, "Blind Labyrinth."
Without Noshiro and Prinz Eugen joining in this time, the fiery emotion in Formidable's youthful voice stood out even more vividly.
Every note she sang and every movement she made brimmed with passion.
And from beginning to end, her eyes never left the only person sitting below the stage.
The only audience she cared about.
To Formidable, this wasn't simply a performance. It was an honest expression of herself.
She wanted Jun Hao to see every side of her.
A Formidable who loved rock and roll.
A Formidable who longed to break free and lose herself completely.
A girl with a heart burning hotter than anyone realized.
Jun Hao barely spoke throughout the performance, yet everything she wanted to convey reached him perfectly.
As the song gradually approached its climax, Formidable's dancing became bolder and more unrestrained.
Yet strangely, she didn't feel tired at all.
Instead, a bright and carefree smile spread across her face as she completely immersed herself in the music.
As the final chorus approached, Formidable launched into a series of explosive dance steps toward Jun Hao.
She wanted to end this performance, meant only for him, in the most perfect way possible.
Closer.
Even closer.
'Now!'
Gathering all the strength in her legs, she stomped down hard.
But instead of feeling the solid stage beneath her feet, a sharp cracking sound echoed through the room.
"Eh...?"
The smile on Formidable's face froze instantly.
The stage beneath her had collapsed inward, unable to withstand the impact, leaving behind a large hole.
Her body lost balance immediately, and she fell forward uncontrollably.
At that moment, despair flashed through her.
'I messed it up...'
But before she could crash to the ground, a warm and steady embrace caught her securely.
Of course, it was Jun Hao.
The moment he heard the crack, he rushed forward without a second thought and threw his arms open.
Only then was he able to catch the falling Formidable safely against his chest.
"Wow, Formidable... you're really heavy. I almost couldn't catch you."
The emotional haze surrounding Formidable shattered instantly because of Jun Hao's perfectly timed buzzkill comment.
"I'm not heavy!" Formidable puffed out her cheeks and protested indignantly.
"Forget that for a second. Are you hurt anywhere?"
Ignoring her sulking expression, Jun Hao immediately crouched down and carefully checked her ankle and legs for injuries.
"You..."
Formidable had been feeling embarrassed and annoyed just moments ago, but she quickly realized something.
Without even trying, Jun Hao had completely thrown her off rhythm again.
Somehow, Formidable had already forgotten that her concert had ended in disaster.
The warmth behind Jun Hao's attempts to comfort her, tangled together with the fear that she might have disappointed him, swelled inside her chest until her emotions finally overflowed.
In the end, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears gathered in her eyes and began streaming down uncontrollably.
"Commander... I... I'm sorry..."
After confirming that she wasn't injured, Jun Hao didn't say anything right away.
Instead, he quietly pulled her back into his arms and held her there in silence.
"As expected... I'm really not suited for this kind of thing..." Formidable's voice trembled between sobs. "A proper lady should be more gentle and reserved... I shouldn't have acted so wildly..."
Hearing those words, Jun Hao gently held her shoulders and guided her to face him. Then he looked straight into her tearful eyes and spoke firmly.
"Don't say that. No matter what you're like, you'll always be a lady in my eyes. That's never going to change."
Formidable shook her head repeatedly, tears falling even harder.
"Commander... you don't need to comfort me anymore..." she whispered weakly. "I know it myself... A true lady should be like Sister Illustrious... always elegant and graceful... always refined and dignified..."
Her gaze lowered little by little.
"Not someone like me... someone who only ruins everything..."
Every word she spoke was filled with self-loathing and admiration for her sister.
The inferiority complex she carried so deeply made Jun Hao's heart ache.
But after a brief silence, his expression gradually became resolute.
There were things he needed to make absolutely clear to her.
Before Formidable could continue putting herself down, Jun Hao suddenly reached out with both hands and gently pinched her soft cheeks.
Formidable froze for a moment.
"Comman-der...?"
Her speech came out adorably muffled.
Jun Hao stared at her seriously.
"That's complete nonsense. Who decided that every lady has to fit the same exact mold?"
Keeping hold of her cheeks, he made sure she couldn't avoid his eyes.
"And who says a girl who loves rock music and expresses herself passionately can't still be a lady?" His tone softened slightly. "Illustrious has her own kind of elegance. That's a calm, refined beauty."
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"But you, Formidable... your passion and energy are beautiful too. Yours is a lively kind of beauty."
Formidable stared at him blankly.
Jun Hao continued naturally, "Think about the cakes you ordered earlier. Is chocolate cake somehow worse than strawberry cake?"
Only after saying that did he finally let go of her cheeks.
"And besides," he added softly, "if Illustrious were here right now, there's no way she'd agree with the things you're saying about yourself. She'd definitely be proud of the performance you gave today."
A flicker of hesitation appeared in Formidable's eyes.
These were the words she had always wanted to hear the most. And now, the person whose opinion mattered to her more than anyone else's was saying them so sincerely.
She looked into Jun Hao's eyes once again. There was warmth in them.
Understanding.
Acceptance.
And a tenderness that made her chest tighten.
'If I keep drowning in self-pity after hearing all this... then I'd really be betraying the way the Commander sees me.'
Once that thought crossed her mind, Formidable finally moved.
She slowly stepped out of Jun Hao's embrace and wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief.
After taking a moment to calm herself, she stepped forward again until she was pressed right against him.
Then, leaning close to his ear, she whispered in a sweet voice laced with teasing mischief.
"Well then... I never imagined you liked me this much, Commander."
A playful smile curled across her lips.
"You really are my biggest fan, aren't you?"
Jun Hao immediately realized that she had recovered.
"Of course I am," he replied without missing a beat. "Your singing was amazing. Honestly, if I'd known I'd enjoy it this much, I would've brought a pair of glow sticks and cheered for you properly."
Formidable let out a soft laugh, her mood visibly brightening again.
"In that case..." she murmured sweetly, "as your idol, I suppose I should give my number one fan a very special reward~"
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Azur Lane: Don't Fight! You're All My Wives!
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