This live show was clearly different from every performance they'd done before.
The moment Kita Ikuyo pulled open the curtain and stepped onto the stage with her guitar in hand, she was met with a sea of people surging from all directions. It was nothing like their gigs at STARRY, where the audience topped out at a few dozen. Now, there were hundreds, maybe even over a thousand, and the shock of that scale hit hard.
Chaotic murmurs rippled through the crowd, ringing in her ears. Kita found herself instinctively pressing the knuckles of her fingers against the six steel strings of her guitar. She was squeezing so tightly her slender fingers had turned pale, almost bluish.
Just as sweat started to form on her forehead and her thoughts began to spiral, a sudden jolt of sound rang out behind her, fingers slamming down hard on the keys of a synth.
Thunk!
Kazami Haru's long fingers danced across the keyboard with smooth, rapid strikes. In just a few seconds, a flurry of synth solos burst forth. The sheer intensity of the intro quieted the previously rowdy crowd in an uncanny way.
Kita turned her head, momentarily stunned, and the tight grip of nerves in her chest suddenly loosened.
She slowly came back to herself, her right hand gripping the mic trembling slightly.
"We're the band from Shimokitazawa, Kessoku Band!"
"We're still new, we've only been around for a little while… but we don't think that makes us any less on this stage than any other band! Actually, even though it's only been two months, we're confident, we're not losing to anyone!"
The red-haired girl's sharp shout made even Nijika, who was just about to strike the drums, flinch slightly. She honestly hadn't expected this confident roar from Kita, the usually cheerful and bubbly girl. It sounded almost like a declaration of war on every other band.
But Kazami Haru didn't hate it.
If anything, this was what the hell rock was all about.
Whether it was Ryo, or even Hitori Gotoh who couldn't quite lift her head, they both couldn't help but smirk the moment they heard Kita's words. Ryo, especially, already had her fingers teasing the bass strings.
With a flick that almost seemed like it was meant to provoke, a deep, piercing bass line thrummed through the air.
"—Listen to our original song, I Will Never Forget!"
Boom. Boom. Boom...
The instant the drums kicked in, the guitar's sharp roar tore through the night sky. Haru, who had already been poised over the keys, jumped in to match the beat, his melody weaving smoothly into the rhythm. Then Ryo's bass locked it all into place like a solid triangle, supporting the explosive lead guitar from behind.
Upbeat, bright, and full of boundless energy—that was the spirit embedded in this track.
The crowd below hadn't even recovered from the impact of Kita's "declaration of war" before they were blindsided again, this time by a full-frontal assault of synchronized sound. It was like a sonic uppercut straight to the brain.
From the start, the guitar was sprinting at full throttle. The pink-haired girl's nimble fingers darted across the fretboard like they'd practiced it tens of thousands of times. The sharp wails of her guitar melded with the soft clarity of the synth, pushing the opening to an even higher level.
As the guitar's intro trailed into a sustained note, Kita, forehead beaded with sweat, suddenly lifted her head.
"Zenbu tenki no seide ii yo—" (We can blame it all on the weather—)
The moment her voice rang out, clear and stunning, every single person in the crowd turned their full attention to the stage. Even the other girls on stage all turned to look at her in unison. Haru even locked eyes with Nijika from across the stage, both of them wide-eyed with surprise.
Forget the audience, even their own band didn't know Kita could sing like this.
"Whaaa—Is this really Kita?!"
Standing in the crowd, Chihaya Anon bounced on her toes, waving her orange-yellow glowstick. Just moments ago, she had been smugly admiring how cool Haru looked in her outfit.
But as soon as she heard Kita start singing, a chill ran down her spine.
She had seen Kessoku Band live before. But this was on a whole other level!
"That lead singer from Kessoku Band… last time she could barely hold a note..."
Beside her, Shiina Taki murmured in disbelief.
She remembered Anon mentioning that Kita couldn't even play the guitar properly before. And now, in just a short time, this kind of terrifying growth? That calm, powerful voice, this was nearly on par with a pro band.
"Did she unlock her inner potential or something?!"
Unlike Anon and Taki, who were simply stunned, Tomori, also a vocalist, quietly clenched her right fist over her chest. What surged within her wasn't shock, but an overwhelming sense of crisis.
Just a year ago, she was still performing as a member of CRYCHIC and now, a complete rookie like Kita was catching up and maybe even surpassing her with ease.
She had to work harder. Otherwise—
On stage, Kazami Haru's lips curled into a faint smile. Until moments ago, he thought the one he had to worry about the most was nervous little Kita. He never expected this kind of transformation from her.
Surprise aside, he was fully immersed in his performance on the keyboard.
Maybe that "I sometimes go sing karaoke to practice" line from Kita wasn't as casual as it sounded. Who could say how much she'd really trained for this live?
"…"
As the song climbed into the main melody's peak, the already bright tune burst with youthful sweetness and promise.
For a moment, it felt like you could see a girl in a sailor uniform leaping high into a sky blanketed with white clouds, their energy overwhelming every single person in the crowd.
Kita took a deep breath at center stage and picked the melody back up without missing a beat.
She was always scared. Because she knew she had no real talent for music.
No matter how hard she practiced, she could never match Bocchi's guitar skills. When she heard from Haru that they'd be performing at the Summer Festival, her confidence shook.
She feared her lack of skill would embarrass the band. Bocchi and Haru were amazing. But as the vocalist, a role most listeners judge a song by, she had to be perfect.
No matter what, she couldn't mess this up.
The song ended.
Her fiery red hair clung to her forehead with sweat, and she turned around with an elated smile, looking to each bandmate in turn. Seeing approving gazes from Nijika, Bocchi, and even Ryo, her radiant face bloomed into the sweetest smile.
And when her eyes finally met Kazami Haru's, his yellow-green eyes gleamed with light.
Her pale cheeks weren't just red from singing her heart out, maybe it was his gaze. It felt like the sun had kissed her face, painting it with an entrancing flush.
Right now, Kita Ikuyo was absolutely shining.
Haru held his breath. In that moment, Kita completely captivated him.
"Thank you, everyone!"
The same Kita who'd just thrown down a bold proclamation on stage now looked like she'd deflated.
Panting, she bowed deeply to the crowd. The contrast between her bold words earlier and her polite gratitude now made the audience roar with applause.
This time, the cheers were even louder than for SIDEROS.
Even Yahata Umiri, holding a chocolate banana, clapped quietly. Her calm face stood in stark contrast to the excited crowd around her.
As someone who'd seen Kessoku Band's debut live, Umiri could truly see how far these girls had come.
She'd thought only Kazami Haru and the guitarist had any real potential. She never expected all five members to perform in such perfect sync. Her eyes shifted to the smug-looking keyboardist, those turquoise eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
"…"
Down below, Wakaba Mutsumi blinked dumbly at the stage. She hadn't brought a proper cheering lightstick, so she pulled a cucumber from her bag and held it up instead.
Beside her, Nagasaki Soyo silently watched Kita. Her furrowed brows hinted at a deeper emotion.
For a band, to deliver a full, immersive performance from start to finish, there was no greater rush, no material reward that could compare. You had to experience it yourself to understand.
If you asked Matou Shinji how it felt, he'd probably say:
"It's like a hundred times better than sex."
One song and they were already exhausted. Luckily, each band at the Summer Festival only got time for a single song. What remained was a short period for introductions.
Kita seized the chance to promote the band.
"Now we'll introduce our members! First up, our bassist—Ryo-senpai!"
As her light, cheerful voice fell, Ryo, standing at the side, coolly plucked her bass. Her stylish solo earlier had shown off a tone few expected from a guitar, earning cheers.
"Next, our drummer—Nijika-senpai!"
Nijika waved her sticks high, her thunderous rhythm heating the crowd. She playfully banged out a 4th beat and turned to Haru beside her.
"Our keyboardist—Haru!"
Getting introduced caught Haru a little off guard. But he returned Kita's enthusiasm with a soft smile, casually playing a smooth, flashy arpeggio.
"And finally—our guitarist, Bocchi!"
When it was Bocchi's turn, she just stood there frozen.
Her face was pale, and her eyes darted to Haru behind her, as if begging for help.
Haru, understanding immediately, mimed a flourish on his keyboard like a cue.
Got it… Haru-san wants me to show off!
But she'd already played a simple solo. If she wanted to impress, it had to be something new!
Her brain worked overtime, nerves frying her last brain cells. Then she took a deep breath and opened her mouth wide.
Chomp chomp chomp!
In full view of the crowd… she played a guitar solo with her teeth.
Haru: ?
…
"My name is Hitori Gotoh, I'm sixteen. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh—"
"No, you don't. Snap out of it."
Haru gently patted Bocchi's soft cheek. But even after all that, her eyes were rolling back as she collapsed right there on stage.
She had to be carried off by Haru and Nijika. Physically back, yes. But her soul seemed to still be out on stage.
Who could blame her?
After that ridiculous heavy-metal tooth solo, the crowd had fallen into a stunned silence. The whiplash was too much, for the world's ultimate introvert, it was hell.
"Pfft… Bocchi's bit was hilarious. Did anyone record that?"
"Watch, she's gonna go viral tomorrow on Twitter, 'The Pink-Haired Tooth-Shredder.' Our band's account might explode with followers."
Ryo laughed behind her hand.
And somehow, those words pierced time and space to reach Bocchi's ears. Her limp body twitched, foam bubbling from her mouth. She wasn't even breathing.
"Bocchi, she died?!"
"Savage!"
As Kita and Nijika's teasing rang out, the heavy tension from earlier had vanished.
All that remained was joy, pure and raw. Their performance had matched, even surpassed, many of the other bands. All the emotion they'd held in was finally let loose.
"You weren't bad today! But don't think you've won anything. Next time, we're stealing the whole show!"
Waiting in the wings, Ohtsuki Yoyoko, still dressed in black, pointed dramatically at a bewildered Kita.
"We won't lose to Girls Band Cry!"
"It's SIDEROS!"
Haru's smug misnaming earned an angry correction from Yoyoko. He had the face of an angel and the attitude of a devil.
Fuming, she stormed off, leaving the others chuckling.
"That was such a blast! I didn't expect the crowd to cheer so much…"
Still holding her guitar, Kita's heart was pounding, the thrill of the performance still alive inside her.
"Probably because your singing was amazing," Ryo replied, deadpan.
"Hehe~ Thanks, Ryo-senpai!"
Just one line and Kita's spirit soared.
In the past, a compliment from Ryo might've kept her up for days. But now, she found herself caring more about what Kazami Haru thought.
She clenched her fists, lifted her yellow-green eyes filled with warmth and energy, and carefully asked—
"Haru-san… what did you think?"
What did he think? He nearly smashed his keyboard in excitement back there.
But seeing her hopeful, glowing expression, Haru, never one for sweet words, gave a gentle smile and said seriously, "Ikuyo, your hard work really paid off. You sang wonderfully."
"…"
Hearing her name like that, Kita trembled. Her delicate hands fidgeted in front of her.
She bowed her head, silent, but her cheeks were burning red. Even Nijika, who was about her height, could see the heat radiating off her face.
Was it an illusion from the stage lights? Or were there little flowers blooming above her head?
"Haru, I want yakiniku at Jojoen for the after-party."
"Ryo! That's too much!"
Nijika lightly smacked Ryo's forehead. Just because Haru had promised a meat dinner didn't mean she could demand high-end wagyu!
If they actually went, Haru would be broke or worse, sold off to be someone's sugar baby.
"It's just Jojoen. We'll go."
Haru lifted his chin calmly. That cool confidence even made Ryo raise an eyebrow.
She knew he was working part-time just to make ends meet, no way he had money for that.
Was he… seriously being sponsored by some rich girl?
The truth? Haru's confidence came from recent savings. Band activities left no time to waste money. Between his high-paying café job and working with Umiri as a "mercenary," he'd saved quite a bit.
Wagyu? Bring it on.
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