Just as I was thinking of a tactful way to get Alex to back off a bit, my phone vibrated. I seized the opportunity to open it, signaling that I had a private message to reply to.
Alex, catching the hint, shifted his position.
[The show is about to start.]
It's from Kusanagi. Why does she have time to message me now? Could it be because she's nervous? After all, there really are a lot of people here.
[Where are you sitting?]
I looked around. [A bit to the right, less than 10 meters from the stage. Pretty close. How are you guys doing with the preparations?]
[Being that close, Miss Nozawa's height is going to block someone's view.]
Worrying about this person was a waste of effort.
[Is the young lady feeling a bit nervous?]
[No.]
If not, then why message me?
Me: [If you're nervous, just think of everyone in the audience as potatoes.]
[Why potatoes?]
I explained: [Because potatoes are cute and round, non-threatening. Thinking of the audience like that won't make you nervous.]
[Then I'll just think of them all as Miss Nozawa.]
...
You're about to go on stage, can't you focus a little? Also, aside from my chest and butt, nothing about me is 'round'.
I took a moment to calm down before replying: [Thinking of me is fine too. I get it. Thanks for the compliment.]
Everyone around me was waiting anxiously, while I was privately interacting with the most dazzling lead singer on stage. A strange sense of satisfaction welled up in my heart.
This feeling of being treated specially was both secretive and alluring.
While waiting for Kusanagi's reply, I quietly buried this feeling deep in my heart.
[Because Miss Nozawa is cuter than potatoes.]
As if afraid I'd miss the word 'cute', the girl even used katakana (uppercase pinyin) to make those two characters stand out glaringly.
...
Somewhat flustered, I held my phone, rereading that line several times, then took a few gulps of beer as a cover.
[Now, please watch me properly from down there.]
[The potatoes in the audience exist for my sake.]
[Miss Nozawa too.]
One message wasn't enough; she added several more, giving me no time to react.
I stared blankly at these words, feeling an unbearable heat rise to my face. She's saying weird things, right? It's not my imagination. She really is saying weird things, right? What is this person trying to do!
Backstage, the girls with their wild makeup were ready to go. Among them, a girl in a pure black long kimono wore it with reckless abandon, the collar left wide open, a narrow belt cinching her slender waist—aloof yet wildly arrogant.
She lowered her eyes to look at her phone, a subtle, secretive smile playing at the corner of her lips.
'Kusanagi, why aren't you wearing the uniform?' Momozawa's hair was dyed peach-pink, and she had a lollipop in her mouth—a pre-stage habit of hers that fans had captured and posted online, dubbing her the 'Peach Ambassador'.
'Isn't this outfit good-looking?' the girl raised an eyebrow. Black eyeshadow filled her entire eye socket, her unruly short hair slicked back, making her look incredibly handsome.
'It looks good, sure, but Inohara is definitely going to say something. You'd better think of a reason.'
'I already told her,' the girl said, sending her last teasing message before putting her phone away contentedly. 'I promised someone I'd wear this outfit on stage for them to see.'
'Let me guess who that someone is... it wouldn't be Miss Nozawa, would it?'
The girl expressionlessly punched Momozawa. 'You talk too much.'
'Just tell me, is it or isn't it?' Momozawa pressed, with a sense of interrogation.
'...'
'It's fine if you don't answer. I'll just ask her myself after the show. You're definitely going to stubbornly not—'
'Yes.' After a moment of silence, the girl admitted.
'...Seriously?' The lollipop in Momozawa's mouth nearly fell out. Wha- wha- what? She admitted just like that?
Uncertain, she asked again, 'Kusanagi, you know what I'm asking, right?'
The two of them looked at each other.
'I know.'
'...So you mean that too?'
'Mhm.'
'Really, really mean that? Not just in the simple sense?'
'...Mhm.'
'Holy crap...' Momozawa was as excited as if she'd discovered a new continent. She even forgot about her lollipop. Things were off that day during the cultural festival. She knew it! She knew it!
'Don't go looking for her, got it?' Kusanagi shot her a glare, a faint hint of red visible at the edge of her ear.
'I thought it was just my imagination. I never imagined it was actually real.' Momozawa was still immersed in shock. 'Well, karma's a thing. So even you, Kusanagi, have a day like this?'
The girl sighed helplessly. 'Don't make it sound like I've been PUA'd.'
'I'm still shocked. Let me process this. Good heavens... We're about to go on stage, and you drop this bombshell.'
Momozawa muttered to herself, 'I should've noticed something was off with you earlier. Starting from the cultural festival... no, even earlier. Things were off during that barbecue. When have you ever participated in that kind of activity? And you randomly wanted to hold my hand...'
The girl clutched her forehead, exasperated. 'Enough. Stop talking. The more you say, the more nervous I get.'
'You sneaky Kusanagi, hiding such a big secret! Am I not your best friend? How could you keep this from me!'
'I didn't mean not to tell you. It's just...' Kusanagi was at a loss. She frowned. 'I just wasn't sure if she...'
Momozawa stared at Kusanagi's beautiful face, a wildfire of gossip rapidly igniting in her mind. Those involved are blind, while onlookers see clearly. Could the gorgeous lead singer really not handle a mere Miss Nozawa? Whatever, charge first, think later!
Momozawa slapped Kusanagi heavily on the shoulder, saying with great seriousness, 'Kusanagi, from last time plus this time, you owe me a huge favor.'
'What?' Kusanagi was taken aback.
'A favor on the level of a lifelong matter.' Momozawa said, brimming with confidence.
'Are you all ready?' Inohara approached. Her tall frame was paired with a revealing halter top, loose, stylish cargo pants, and her hair sprayed with temporary wax—sexy and alluring.
Sure enough, her gaze passed over Kusanagi, and she frowned slightly.
'What's this? The lead singer gets special treatment, not wearing the uniform alone? Or are you planning to go solo?' Her opening words were full of gunpowder.
Momozawa wisely retreated from the battlefield. She'd go find Kyoko instead. These two never went a day without arguing whenever they were together. But her weird sixth sense told her Inohara was acting strange too. She'd have to pry her mouth open another day.
'It's just an outfit. And I promised,' the girl instinctively touched her sleeve, 'to wear it on stage for someone to see.'
'Who did you promise? Such a pointless promise.' Inohara snorted disdainfully, annoyed. 'Forget it. Your wings are hardened now; you don't need me looking after you. Wear what you want.'
'Look at you, getting angry again.' The girl walked over, straightened the halter strap on Inohara's shoulder, and pulled it up. 'Too much is showing. Adjust it yourself.'
'You still know how to care about me.' Inohara was tough on the outside but soft inside. She stared intently at Kusanagi's wide-open collar.
'As a teammate, it's only right.' Kusanagi smiled, subtly withdrawing her hand.
'Just as a teammate?' Inohara's voice was slightly hoarse.
The girl lowered her eyes, then suddenly turned her back. 'As a friend is fine too.'
Inohara's throat tightened. She was the best at playing Tai Chi. Even now, Inohara still clung to a sliver of hope.
At exactly 9:30, loud music erupted on stage. The host came on to speak. In a few minutes, LADY MADE would make their dazzling entrance.
The cheers and shouts from the audience below also grew increasingly intense. A group of classmates wearing uniform T-shirts chanted in unison, 'LADY MADE! LADY MADE!' All eyes were on them, eagerly awaiting their opening performance.
The next second, they were about to appear.
'Inohara, put all your energy and passion into the drums, and I'll sing with all my might.' A light seemed to flow through the girl's dark, deep pupils.
Inohara, unwilling, stared fixedly at her face.
'We promised.'
On stage, a powerful beam of light focused on the very center. A girl, divine in appearance, seemed to materialize out of thin air. Her pure black kimono and bewitchingly wild black hair made her seem as if she had just broken forth from the depths of hell. On either side of her, equally crimson and wild girls took their positions.
The next second, without any intro, a high, intense, icy female alto voice shattered the night sky.
'Ahhhhhhhh! LADY MADE!'
'It's starting! It's starting!' 'LADY MADE is the best! I love you!'
Everyone around me went crazy, all standing up excitedly, waving their glow sticks, singing and dancing along with the band on stage.
'My god, this is too much?!' Li Shijia nestled in her boyfriend's arms. They were being jostled by the crowded surge of people. Peng Keming was also protecting her.
Seems the little boyfriend is somewhat reliable. But I couldn't spare any attention for them at all. All my focus was drawn to the person on stage.
My gaze locked onto the girl on stage, and I suddenly froze.
Kyoko and Momozawa were all wearing the uniform—an extremely flamboyant red on stage. Only she, with reckless abandon, wore her snow-white collar wide open, her milk-soft thighs also exposed—a wildness that didn't match that beautiful face.
She gave no room for buffer. Her opening was an astonishing, roaring high note.
She wore that beautiful black kimono. She really wore it. A secret known only to me, coming only for me. My heart, seemingly infected by the passion of the venue, began to beat violently, unreservedly.
'Hey, I kept my promise.'
Her dark eyes shone brilliantly. I felt as if I were being sucked into this vortex.
On the far left of the stage was Momozawa. She had dyed her hair a super eye-catching pink, and in front of her was an equally pink keyboard. Paired with the pink lollipop in her mouth, she had a rather perverse 'Harley Quinn' vibe.
Slightly to the right was Kyoko. She held a bass guitar, completely shedding her previous cute and sweet demeanor. Her fingers moved fast and fiercely across the strings, producing intense notes.
Right in the middle was Inohara. Her drum kit was huge, occupying a large area of the stage, but her tall stature and long limbs made her look particularly dashing. She nimbly twirled her drumsticks, performing some impressive fancy drumming. Even though she was positioned a bit further back on stage, she still drew gasps of amazement from the audience.
And she, standing at the very center of the stage, gathered all the light beams upon herself, the focus of all attention.
The girl's unrestrained power, her delinquent, violent aura, her defiant roar—her singing was incredibly infectious and captivating. Every audience member was swept up in this emotion, plunging into a frenzy.
I watched her, feeling both nervous and excited, unable to tear my eyes away from her for a single moment.
A deity. She is a deity.
'Miss Nozawa, shall we sit down to listen?' Alex pulled on my arm. He had somehow procured a stool from somewhere and was eagerly offering me a seat.
My legs, having stood for so long, were indeed a bit sore. But I didn't want to sit. The people in front were too tall; if I sat, I wouldn't be able to see Kusanagi.
AI Model: gemini-3.0-flash
"Kuroki Kusanagi! Kuroki Kusanagi!" I heard several girls nearby shouting Kusanagi's name, their faces flushed with excitement and fervor. Yes, this was the right way to cheer. What was the point of just sitting there?
"I'm not sitting!" I followed the group of girls, completely casting aside my mental baggage, and started jumping along to Kusanagi's singing.
"Li Shijia! Let's jump together! Senior, you too!"
"Nozawa, you're way too hyper! You crazy girl!"
"Hahaha, come on!"
I dragged them into the revelry. With the intense rhythm, people started splashing water. I grabbed a beer from the ground and splashed it back fiercely and joyfully, and several of us couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Kusanagi is so cool; this popularity rivals a big star!" Li Shijia stared at the girl on stage. "My god, she's seriously both cool and beautiful. I'm almost being turned gay by her."
My dear lady, your boyfriend is still right next to you.
"Turned gay? What does that mean?" Fortunately, the hopeless straight man didn't understand.
After the girl finished one song, she quickly switched to the next without any hesitation. It was their famous song [Shut Up]. Someone else recognized the intro like I did and started screaming in excitement.
"It's this song!" Peng Keming also got excited, grabbing Li Shijia's hand. "This is the song I shared with you back then!"
Big brother, why do you share a song like "Shut Up" with each other when you're dating?
However, Kusanagi's songs are the best, no arguments accepted.
I opened another bottle of beer, took a few refreshing gulps, and like everyone else present, waited with excitement.
The girl on stage gave a soft "Shh," and the audience immediately fell silent.
She took a deep breath, habitually touched the bridge of her nose with her fingertip, switched the microphone to her right hand, and her explosive voice erupted instantly.
[What is 'right'! What is'stupid'!]
[I'll show you all right now!]
[...]
The crowd was instantly ignited by the song, roaring into the sky like a launched rocket. Even the profanity felt refreshing and unrestrained.
"Holy crap, you're actually this crazy?" Li Shijia couldn't help but come over and pull me. "Was all that gentleness and poise just an act?!"
"Guess?" I smiled with narrowed eyes.
Kusanagi's violence and arrogance, fused with the power of her roaring voice, were expressions of irritability, intolerance, and emotions on the verge of exploding, all of which were vented at this moment.
The girl's voice was soft yet interlaced, with a force that felt almost thrown out. The nearly crazed expressive effect was jaw-dropping. The melody was incredibly catchy, the rhythm was perfectly controlled, and the vibe of a delinquent girl hit right at the spinal cord.
She shook her body as she sang, her fair and slender legs swaying back and forth, both alluring and cold.
Captivating. Only this word remained in my mind.
Wait, that twisted softness in the lyrics, followed by a sense of collapsing immense force—was it portraying a violent, delinquent honor student?
Then Kusanagi is singing about herself, I couldn't help but think.
It was such a messy yet perfect fusion. I couldn't help but marvel again at the expressiveness of Kusanagi's voice, while my heart also pounded uncontrollably. This pounding was unusual; besides the scorching atmosphere of the scene, it was mixed with something else.
Something else... I didn't dare think about it. I gulped down the beer in my hand, but I still couldn't suppress the tremor in my heart.
This time, the palpitations were stronger than ever. My palms began to sweat. This situation was usually either a fever or a cold, but I clearly didn't have either.
A possibility flashed through my mind.
At the thought of this possibility, my heart gave a violent feedback. Realizing this, my head spun, and the shock in my heart was momentarily beyond words.
...Seriously? How could I have such a thought? It must be those ambiguous text messages of hers that disturbed my mind and corrupted my character.
I covered my face in embarrassment. I'm practically a beast. Nozawa, I advise you to quickly get rid of such wretched thoughts.
Fast-paced, intense songs consume time quickly.
"Why is it over already? Are there other bands next?"
"They should be the opening act. There are other school bands after them."
The performance ended, but I was still immersed in that unbelievable thought from just now, my mind filled with the shock brought by that sliver of possibility.
"Miss Nozawa, is your stomach upset?" Alex keenly noticed my condition. He unscrewed a hot drink and handed it to me. "Did you drink too much beer?"
Fearing that others would notice my abnormality, I made up an excuse. "Thank you, Senior. There are too many people here; it's too stuffy."
"Maybe we should go out for some fresh air first." Li Shijia fanned herself with her hand, feeling hot and tugging at her collar. "Where can we get out?"
Holding the hot drink Alex gave me, I looked toward the teaching building. On the day of the Cultural Festival, when I walked down that small path with Kusanagi, she mentioned the backstage entrance of the concert hall, right behind the teaching building.
"I know. Follow me."
The group pushed through the crowd. A large wave of people was also heading out—those who had finished listening to Readymade's performance and weren't interested in the other bands, leaving early. Pushing open two doors, there was a long corridor, and voices could be heard coming from the end of it.
"This looks like a secret passage." Li Shijia looked around. "Hey, Nozawa, is it okay for us to just walk in like this?"
"That reminds me." I turned to the two men. "The area ahead might be the girls' dressing room, so please stop here, gentlemen."
Alex and Peng Keming looked at each other and readily agreed.
Li Shijia and I continued forward, and soon reached the end of the corridor. The voices grew closer. The door was wide open, and inside, several chattering girls were gathered together, excitedly discussing the performance just now, not even having had time to take off their stage costumes.
The cool and beautiful girl in black was surrounded in the middle. She leaned on her chin focusedly, the smile on her lips never fading. She was also playing with her phone, her fingers tapping rhythmically.
"Little sisters, look who's here?" Li Shijia was like a bundle of joy. She shouted and raised her hands high. "Big sister is here~ I'll treat you big stars to dinner later~"
"Ahhhh! Sister Li Shijia!" Kyoko and Momozawa rushed forward without a second thought. They had a very good relationship with Li Shijia, and each hung onto one of her arms. "Saikou!"
Inohara didn't react much, as aloof as ever.
Kusanagi naturally noticed me too, her voice filled with unconcealed joy. "Why are you here?!"
"Good work today." I hid the joy in my heart and tried my best to calm my nervous emotions.
Kusanagi was even more beautiful and cold than I had imagined. Her stage makeup was bold and arrogant on her face. Her tall, elegant nose paired with a large area of eyeshadow, and her eyes were full of captivating charm. She was even more stunning up close.
Remembering my wretched little thoughts from just now, I became even more ashamed and didn't dare look her in the eye. I lowered my head and locked my gaze on the floor, only to hear the pitter-patter of a small run as the girl's soft, clear aura enveloped me.
I didn't react in time and let her pull me into a full embrace.
"You're so silly," her voice rang in my ear, happy yet playful. "How did you find the backstage?"
...I couldn't think about anything else, nor could I answer her.
She was too happy after the performance, leaning into my arms without any gap. Her unguarded softness pressed directly against my chest, and her slender white arms tightened around my waist. The posture was as close as could be. Her dark, moist short hair brushed against my neck, itchy and cool, and her fair, cold face was inches away.
She was getting more and more bold.
Give me a break; my heart rate is about to overload.
I didn't know whether to hug her back or not. I stood there with a flushed face, letting her rub and hug me in my arms.
"You look great in this outfit today." The girl shrugged her shoulders and snuggled herself in, lazily twirling a strand of hair. "The white dress really suits you."
"Don't lean so close; there are so many people..." I stiffly squeezed out these words, my face turning red with embarrassment like a cooked shrimp.
It's usually not like this. Why is she being so out of line today, over and over again?
"Did I sing well?"
"...Yes." I was almost unable to concentrate.
"How well?"
The girl clearly didn't plan to let me off. She mischievously leaned even closer.
"..." I turned my head away and pursed my lips tightly, my ears turning so red they looked like they were bleeding.
"Pfft." Seeing my reaction, she laughed even harder.
Li Shijia watched from the side, her expression shifting from confusion to thoughtfulness, and then to bewildered incomprehension.
Japanese people are very averse to physical contact; even etiquette like shaking hands isn't common. Why do these two look a bit... a bit...
She racked her brain but couldn't think of an adjective. Suddenly, she remembered that she had hugged her boyfriend like this today, and a spark of insight flashed.
A bit intimate. Yes, intimate.
Li Shijia quickly shook her head. Someone as straight as Nozawa—no matter how you thought about it, it was impossible!
At this moment, the only person in the worst mood was Inohara.
She originally didn't care what promises Kusanagi made with whom; it was all just kids playing house. Whether on stage or in life, the only one who would accompany Kusanagi was herself. But seeing Kusanagi run toward that woman with her own eyes, and the two of them hugging tightly, her heart began to ache like a needle prick.
As if God thought she hadn't been struck hard enough, the woman was wearing a beautiful snow-white dress, which, paired with Kusanagi's pure black kimono, was a ridiculously perfect match.
Inohara sneered silently. How could she have thought the crisis was over?
Utterly stupid.
Kyoko noticed Inohara's gloomy expression. She leaned in gently and asked in a soft voice, "Hara, are you okay?"
"Let's go eat."
Inohara didn't answer her; the pressure around her was terrifyingly low.
"Right, let's find a place for a late-night snack to celebrate tonight's performance!" Momozawa really saw Kusanagi in a new light—shamelessly taking advantage of Sister Nozawa without even blinking. Tsk tsk, bravo!
"Yeah, let's pack up and go."
As the girl's presence left, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I really need to be careful. This girl has no sense of propriety; I can't let her keep doing this.
The group came out of the backstage in a grand fashion. The two men had been waiting outside for a long time. As soon as Peng Keming saw Li Shijia come out, he immediately went up to greet her enthusiastically.