— — — — — —
Back home, just as he finished eating, he received an email—with an attachment.
The track he'd commissioned had arrived.
At times like this, you really had to admit. Money solves almost everything.
And if it doesn't? Then you just haven't spent enough.
The piece Oikawa requested, blending piano and violin together, was no easy task.
At first, several orchestras had turned him down.
That is, until he raised the price to 600,000 yen.
Then everyone answered, 'What difficulty? We're doing this for the love of music. Just a piano and a violin interwoven together—we dreamed of doing that.
Yeah, right.
Oikawa downloaded the file and hit play immediately.
"Not bad."
It didn't quite reach the level of the anime's original soundtrack, but it was more than enough to amplify the emotional impact for readers.
Listening to it, Oikawa let out a sigh. "Spending 600,000 yen before even making any money… not many authors spoil their readers like I do."
The final volume of Your Lie in April would be released on October 6.
So he would upload the track on October 5.
Compared to tomorrow's school festival, he found himself looking forward to October 6 even more.
All he wanted was a heartfelt exchange with his readers. He couldn't wait any longer.
...
..
The next day
Backstage, the stage was shrouded in darkness. Oikawa stared at his watch, reporting the time to Yukino every minute.
"Four minutes left."
"Got it."
Beside him stood the next group scheduled to perform.
A cheerleading squad, maybe?
He wasn't entirely sure, but judging by their outfits, it was probably close enough.
"Three minutes until opening. Yukino, it's time."
"Mm... This is Yukinoshita. Notifying all teams: the event will proceed on schedule. Report any issues immediately."
Her voice sounded as calm as ever. But Oikawa could still pick up on the faint trace of tension beneath it.
"Lighting is good."
"Audio control here, no issues."
"Backstage here. The performers are slightly delayed, but they should make it in time."
Reports came in one after another.
Everything was moving exactly according to plan.
"Understood. Hold your positions until the opening."
Yukino's voice remained steady.
"One minute until opening."
Oikawa could feel it. The atmosphere had changed. People seemed to breathe more quietly, more evenly.
Some were already counting down under their breath.
All of them waiting for that final second, hearts pounding with anticipation.
"Ten seconds."
Oikawa took a deep breath.
"Nine."
"Eight."
"Seven."
His heartbeat quickened.
"Six."
"Five."
At some point, it wasn't just him counting anymore. Voices began to overlap, rising together.
"Four."
"Three."
The noise backstage grew louder.
And the moment "one" was shouted—
Brilliant lights burst across the center of the stage.
"Everyone, are you enjoying the school festival today?"
Meguri Shiromeguri stepped into the spotlight, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Chiba's specialties are dancing and?"
"FESTIVALS!" the audience roared in unison.
The energy in the venue exploded.
The next second, multicolored lights flooded the stage, and thunderous dance music blasted through the hall.
The cheerleaders made their grand entrance in full costume.
The boys from the dance club followed with their own individual showcases.
As the performance neared its end—
"Audio control here. Music ending soon."
Oikawa smiled. "Executive Committee, Yukino Yukinoshita, it's your turn."
"Got it. I'm heading out."
She removed her headset. For once, her usually cool expression softened into a faint smile. After the host's introduction, she stepped onto center stage.
Oikawa couldn't help but think... that spot had always belonged to her.
With Yukino's flawless speech, the school festival officially began.
The festival would last two days. The first day was limited to students, while the second day would be open to the public.
In a way, the first day felt more like a rehearsal.
But aside from the main stage performances not being fully opened yet, everything else was nearly identical to what it would be on the second day.
Many students had set up food stalls.
The offerings were similar to what you'd find at a summer festival, minus the rigged games like ring toss or lottery pulls.
One thing did catch Oikawa off guard.
At some point, Kawasaki had set up a takoyaki stand—and judging by the crowd, business was booming.
"No money. What should I do?" Oikawa asked with a grin as he walked over.
"Then don't pay."
Kawasaki seemed prepared for this. She handed him a box of takoyaki without hesitation.
Someone in line wasn't happy.
"Hey! Why doesn't he have to line up or pay?"
Oikawa said nothing, pretending not to hear.
A faint blush crept onto Kawasaki's face. She looked at the guy and replied, "Because he's handsome. So it's free."
"Then I'm not handsome?" the guy shot back, clearly confident.
Kawasaki glanced at him once. "You're ugly."
He froze. Then he snorted and walked off.
Oikawa's smile only widened.
Honestly, he was one step away from asking her to be his girlfriend, but he never got a proper chance.
...
..
As the vice executive committee, Oikawa had to sing a few lines with the others.
It should have been a simple task, and the song was The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Sadly, it wasn't as simple as he thought it would be.
After the performance ended, Oikawa felt vaguely nauseous for the rest of the day.
Especially whenever he recalled the lines.
"Come play with me… I'm yours..."
"I can't play with you… because I haven't been tamed yet… my body isn't ready…"
What kind of lines were those?!
What kind of cursed interpretation was that?!
In Ebina's hands, The Little Prince had been completely ruined.
Oikawa collapsed onto the sofa, lifeless. He needed time. And rest. Emotional recovery.
His phone suddenly buzzed.
A message from Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Oikawa-senpai, let me guess. You're exhausted right now, aren't you?"
"Congratulations. You guessed right."
"Good work. I hope I can recharge your energy somehow."
Oikawa typed quickly with two fingers, "Photo?"
Ding
After seeing the picture Utaha sent, his body reacted before his brain did.
"Got... got more?"
Looking at the photo of Utaha in a silk nightgown, Oikawa replied without hesitation. "Give me something more exciting. Don't worry, I can handle it."
Utaha didn't reply.
Well, of course she wouldn't.
.
.
.