Chapter 42: Public Confession, Failed Flex, and Coma
At the Cultural Festival.
Just like the "him" in his memories, Haruka stepped onto the stage.
Amidst the thousands of lights, he shone dazzlingly.
"The next song I'm going to perform is specially prepared for a very kind-hearted girl."
"Well, actually... you could call this a form of confession."
Haruka smiled.
A wave of shouts and cheers instantly erupted from the students below.
Confessing to a girl on a stage like this.
For students in the prime of their youth, this was indeed the height of romance.
The boys admired his courage.
The girls envied the romance.
"In this world, vast as an ocean, every single one of us is a solitary island... There is an ocean separating every heart from another..."
"I hope everyone can pay attention to a special group of people. They might be slightly different from us, but they have the same feelings we do. They feel happy when they make friends, they feel sad when they are bullied, and they feel incredibly warm when shown even a little bit of care..."
"They are human. Not monsters, and certainly not animals."
"I'm not saying this to force everyone to care for them; that's unrealistic. I just want to change everyone's perspective a little. If you can't love them, please at least don't hurt them."
Countless people below looked up at Haruka.
Haruka didn't know how many people would actually reflect on his words—human nature is complex, after all—but if he could reach even one person, it was worth it.
"I have my own selfish reasons for saying all this. I love her. There are many reasons why: because of her kindness, her gentleness, the quiet smile she gives me every time she comforts me, the radiance she emits when she tries so hard to change herself and make friends, and because of her heart that persists even when facing difficulties I can't imagine..."
"Perhaps, there are also reasons I can't quite explain. Sometimes I feel like we were entangled in a past life. Maybe this is fate..."
"That is why I am willing to do these things for her. To let everyone see her—see them—in a different light, rather than continuing to look at her with strange eyes."
"Alright, back to the main topic. The song I'm dedicating to her today is one everyone is familiar with, but perhaps few have seriously thought about."
It was still The Monster's Ballad.
Only this time.
Haruka's technique was stronger, and the music was even more moving.
Standing on the stage at this moment, he was brilliant.
Like the sun itself, radiating a light called courage.
However.
No one noticed.
The more Haruka sang.
The more splitting the pain in his head became.
He felt it.
When he spoke those words of confession, massive amounts of memories flooded his mind, segment by segment.
A sense of deja vu.
He had sung this song before, right here.
But the real focal point was what came after.
An emotion of extreme sorrow surged into his heart, as if a tragedy were about to unfold.
Memories flashed.
Shoko's ears losing their hearing completely...
The jar filled with paper cranes...
The blood-stained bathtub...
The last words telling him to live on...
Pain...
The pain of losing his lover...
The anger of seeing all his efforts turn to ash...
The regret he couldn't let go of even at death's door...
"Even at the end of the sky, there still exists an ocean of courage..."
"Every monster will pick up that sunlight called courage!"
As he sang the final line.
Haruka's face was already pale, his vision blurred. His body trembled from physiological distress, and he felt nauseous enough to vomit.
The venue was silent for a moment.
Then—
Thunderous applause erupted.
Below the stage.
Everyone's eyes were shimmering.
Some sneered, some were deeply moved, some admired his courage, and some were puzzled...
Only in a corner below the stage.
The girls of the Service Club stood together.
Their gazes were fixed on Shoko.
There, tears were glistening in the corners of Shoko's eyes.
She stared blankly at Haruka on the stage.
In this moment, she thought of many things.
The confusion she felt as a child about being different from others...
The pain when she was discriminated against...
The anger of being deceived...
And the despair regarding her future life...
She had fantasized many times.
That someone would ignore the gazes of others, would not look at her with discrimination, would not be afraid of her differences.
Someone who would say to her, stuck in the mud, "Stand up, I'll protect you!"
However.
That was destined to be an extravagant hope.
No one. For over a decade, there was no one.
Only in this moment.
Only now.
Someone appeared and reached out a hand.
When she was stumbling, lost in life, and at her most difficult moment.
Her mood... was indescribable...
She only knew... she really wanted to cry...
"Sob..."
"Ha... ru... ka..."
"I..."
Just then.
Thud!
Shoko's eyes went wide, filled with pure terror.
On that stage, her light collapsed.
The scene instantly descended into chaos.
***
In the VIP seating area.
With her long hair cascading down and an aura as cold as an iceberg, Kaguya Shinomiya looked indifferently at Haruka, who had fallen on the stage.
"This person is interesting."
"Hayasaka."
Behind her, Ai Hayasaka, whose eyes held a strange glint, nodded slightly. "Understood."
***
[At the Cultural Festival, you took actions similar to the 'you' in your memories. However, this time, in addition to encouragement, your actions carried your love for Shoko Nishimiya.]
[Within this love, aside from your own feelings developed during this time, perhaps it was also mixed with the regret-filled love from your memories. But you know that this love is genuine and true. These are indeed your real thoughts.]
[However, after doing all this, unable to withstand the massive influx of memories, you collapsed on stage in full view of the public.]
[Shoko Nishimiya was anxious for you.]
[You dreamt of some things while in a coma.]
[You woke up after being in a coma for a day. You have recovered more memories and gained key information on how to save Shoko Nishimiya.]
Hospital.
Haruka woke up, his head heavy and groggy.
His brain still felt uncomfortable.
It felt like someone had thrown him into a washing machine, spun him around violently for a few cycles, and then tossed him into the water.
'Ah, seriously... collapsed before I could finish showing off. How embarrassing...'
Opening his eyes, he saw a pristine white ceiling.
Suddenly, he felt his wrist was exceptionally heavy. He turned his head slightly.
He saw someone slumped over the side of his bed, fast asleep.
It was Shoko Nishimiya.
Just as Haruka carefully tried to extract his hand.
Shoko woke up with a start, reacting as if she sensed someone touching a precious treasure.
"Ugh?"
Sleepy-eyed, Shoko looked at Haruka with surprise, tears welling up in her bright eyes.
She gripped Haruka's hand tightly with both hands.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh... Sob..."
Haruka smiled. "Dummy, I haven't finished learning lip-reading yet."
!!!
Shoko seemed to wake from a dream. She hurriedly let go of his hand and started signing.
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