The number of people at the music festival in the evening did not decrease but increased instead, and the feverish atmosphere continued to rise.
Behind the bright stage, Nijika and Hitori cautiously peeked out, observing the audience's reaction.
Ikuyo, on the other hand, was writing the character "人" in the palm of her hand and bringing it close to her mouth.
This was a traditional method to ease nervousness before a performance, though only she knew whether it actually worked.
"When you get on stage later, remember to introduce yourself properly and greet the audience.
Don't just sing a song and run off like last time—people won't even know your name or what you look like."
Onstage, the previous band was still performing, with five minutes left before they finished.
Seika was adjusting Chisato's collar and the angle of his bangs.
"I understand."
Chisato obediently replied.
He had heard from Nijika before that her older sister had also formed a band with friends in the past.
Their progress was promising, and they were even on the verge of success.
However, due to a sudden family crisis, she had to abandon her dream of being in a band and instead compromise with reality by opening a live house, starting to earn money early to support her family.
Now, seeing her younger sister carrying her dream forward to this stage, even though she usually acted cool and indifferent, she must be feeling deeply gratified at this moment.
"Your morning performance has already gone viral on major video platforms. There's no doubt that the audience's response when you go on stage will be overwhelming.
But don't get nervous—just think back to how you felt this morning. If you really can't calm down, just imagine the audience as a bunch of radish and pumpkin heads."
Seika continued rambling about things to keep in mind for the performance.
Even though she wasn't the one performing, she seemed more nervous than anyone else, afraid that she might forget to remind them of some crucial detail.
"Don't worry, Seika-nee, everything will go smoothly."
Chisato placed both hands on Seika's shoulders and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Right now, what you should be thinking about is where we're going to celebrate after our performance."
Seika was amused by his remark.
"You should at least have a bit of nervousness. If you get too cocky now, you might end up making a fool of yourself."
"Yeah, yeah…"
Once everything was ready, a staff member came over to notify them that it was time to go on stage.
Chisato gripped the microphone tightly, took a deep breath, and prepared himself, adjusting his voice to its best condition.
Originally, today was supposed to be the day the band "Kesshoku" made a name for itself. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, he had to step in to salvage the situation.
Things didn't go exactly as planned, but given the current circumstances, he could only push forward with everything he had.
The previous band on stage had finished their performance and was now delivering their thank-you speech.
Nijika gathered everyone together, placing her hand in the center, and the others stacked their hands on top.
"Think about all the effort we've put in, practicing late into the night almost every day. There's no need to be nervous—just follow your instincts."
Chisato, stretching lazily, chimed in half-jokingly to ease the tension.
"Yeah, let's just go up there, perform, and finish quickly so we can go grab some late-night snacks."
Everyone exchanged glances and chuckled.
"For all the hard work we've put in!"
"For the late-night snacks!"
"Kesshoku! Let's do this!"
After their spirited cheer, a staff member came running over, signaling that it was time for them to take the stage.
"Let's go."
Leading the group, Chisato straightened his back and stepped onto the stage.
…
The stage lights were blindingly bright, illuminating the moment as Kesshoku Band made their entrance.
As soon as they appeared, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Many in the crowd had already witnessed their performance in the afternoon, so they knew very well that the handsome young man standing on stage was not only good-looking to an unfair degree but also possessed exceptional singing skills.
His talent was undeniably strong.
The feverish energy quickly spread throughout the venue.
Those who hadn't seen the afternoon performance looked around in confusion, puzzled by the sudden excitement of those around them.
Some might have even mistaken the performer on stage for a long-established, famous singer.
Yukino, hearing the deafening cheers around her, gently rubbed her forehead and let out a quiet sigh.
As expected, her sister's so-called "something to do later" was nothing more than an excuse to watch Kesshoku Band perform again.
Actually, that wasn't entirely accurate—it would be more precise to say that her sister's real goal had always been the person standing at the center of the stage, Suzumiya Chisato.
She couldn't understand why both her sister and even her underclassmen at school were so obsessed with this guy.
Yes, obsessed.
At least in Yukino's impression, her sister had always been an extremely rational person. From childhood until now, she had never seen her take such an interest in anyone.
After the afternoon performance ended, they had spent hours sitting idly in a nearby restaurant, only to arrive twenty minutes before the evening show to grab a spot close to the stage.
They had practically waited all day. No matter how she looked at it, this was way too much.
Since her sister clearly had no intention of talking at this moment, Yukino could only shift her gaze toward the stage.
No matter how much she disliked Chisato, she had to admit that his looks and presence were undeniably outstanding.
He didn't need to do anything—just standing there in the center of the stage with a microphone in hand was enough to make many excitable female fans scream in delight.
It felt like even if he couldn't sing, he would still be able to gain a massive following just based on his looks alone.
This damn world that only cares about appearances…
Once the excitement in the crowd settled down, Chisato gave a brief opening speech, only mentioning his name in passing while focusing on introducing the others.
Then, he proceeded to announce the next song.
"The next song is an original piece, STAY. Please enjoy."
Music began to play.
"Huh? STAY… This time it's an English song?"
Haruno twirled a strand of her hair around her finger with interest before glancing at her younger sister, whose face had darkened slightly.
"Yukino, you don't have to force yourself to stay with me. If you really can't stand this noisy atmosphere, you can go wait in the car at the parking lot."
"…"
Yukino pursed her lips and silently shook her head.
No way.
She had endured the entire afternoon for this. If she left now, who knew if her sister would take the opportunity to approach Chisato while she was gone? That would be a complete disaster.
Haruno shrugged and didn't say anything more, shifting her attention back to the stage.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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