Chapter 18: A Sudden Encounter (Please Bookmark)
“Alright.”
When it was her turn to sing, Tsukika Yamabuki readily agreed and picked up the microphone from the table.
People who rarely come to karaoke usually feel shy and hesitate to sing.
But she had been to karaoke many times with friends during high school and often went during university as well, so singing was never an embarrassment to her.
“Wait, Tsuki-chan, are you going to sing ‘Marigold’?”
At that moment, Risa Minamida, holding the song selector, suddenly stopped her from standing up.
“Huh? Tsuki-chan isn’t going to sing her favorite ‘Moonlight Legend’ this time?”
Before Tsukika could respond, Wakaba Miyagi leaned in curiously to confirm.
“...”
Holding the microphone and about to step forward, Tsukika froze in place.
“Ah... could it be that you’re afraid to sing your favorite song because Ryoichi Sugawara is here?”
Realizing which song Tsukika had chosen, Wakaba suddenly understood.
She had hit the nail on the head—Tsukika was indeed too shy to sing the girlish ‘Moonlight Legend’ in front of Ryoichi Sugawara.
After all, she still wanted to maintain the dignity of a teacher in his presence.
“It’s not that Tsuki-nee is afraid. When we went to karaoke before, she always sang that song. She just wants to try something different this time.”
At that moment, Ryoichi Sugawara spoke up to help her out.
“Is that so?”
Wakaba had intended to stir up some fun by teasing, hoping to liven the atmosphere, but Sugawara’s response wasn’t curious; instead, it was quite straightforward.
“Of course. Ryoichi and I have been to karaoke many times. He’s long known that my favorite song is ‘Moonlight Legend.’”
Finding a graceful way out, Tsukika stepped down and confirmed this.
“Alright then.”
Wakaba Miyagi, who had been hoping for a little spectacle, felt disappointed.
She had wanted to see how Sugawara would react the first time he saw his favorite senior singing ‘Moonlight Legend’—to witness that adorable expression.
But thinking it over, these two had already been dating for a year. Such things were clearly no secret.
“Shall we start then?”
Minamida Risa, noticing the unexpected choice for Tsukika’s first song, had a similar thought but was not surprised and simply asked.
Putting the brief interruption behind them, Tsukika moved to the standing area and nodded.
---
As she nodded, the quiet room was soon filled with the gentle, undulating prelude.
With the strumming of the guitar, it was as if a sudden breeze stirred up a pleasant and captivating melody that tugged at the heartstrings.
Standing sideways, Tsukika gazed at the lyrics on the screen and softly began to sing:
“The wind blows fiercely, and my heart wavers just a little.”
“Watching you so focused makes my heart race.”
Every hit song is one that resonates deeply with listeners.
Tsukika’s voice was different from the original singer’s—a unique blend of youthful and mature tones, crisp and melodious.
Because of this, the song belonged to her alone.
She didn’t imitate the original, nor did she employ vocal tricks; she just sang in her own way.
“Quite a natural talent for music…”
Ryoichi Sugawara, possessing professional-level skills, had a deep appreciation for music and singing, and he took note of her voice.
Cover songs generally follow two standards: the first is imitation, where the closer to the original the better; the second is to sing with one’s own style without forcing a perfect match.
Both have their own charm.
But no matter the approach, the essence of singing is to sound good. As long as one isn’t tone-deaf or off-key, it’s already a fine performance.
Though ‘Moonlight Legend’ was Tsukika’s favorite, that didn’t mean she couldn’t sing other songs.
Singing this song felt like she poured her emotions into it.
“I don’t have enough courage to confess my whole heart.”
“But strangely, I don’t see despair.”
“The figure that’s always reflected in my eyes is the one I love most—you.”
Listening to her, the three close friends couldn’t help but glance repeatedly at Ryoichi Sugawara.
What touches hearts most in love songs is the ability to express one’s feelings through music.
Given the story of how Tsukika and Sugawara met and started dating, they all felt a sweet connection, imagining many scenes in their minds.
Tsuki-chan lacked the courage to confess, but even after graduating and no longer attending the same school, she wasn’t at all hopeless because she knew Sugawara would come to her sooner or later.
“Ah! Words like ‘I love you’ aren’t enough to express my feelings, so let’s just kiss directly.”
“The clouds still hold the silhouettes of the two of us.”
“Forever and ever, let’s stay like this.”
“Don’t ever part.”
Unconsciously, the song neared its end.
---
When Tsukika put down the microphone, the room erupted into enthusiastic applause:
“*Clap clap clap!*”
“Tsuki-chan, I’m sorry! Please forgive me! I shouldn’t have teased you earlier. I was too dense and forgot you’re no longer single. Maybe your favorite song has already changed.”
In the span of a song, Wakaba Miyagi had a sincere change of heart, deeply realizing her own foolishness.
Though Tsuki-chan used to always pick ‘Moonlight Legend’ as her first song, that was in the past.
Now, her favorite might very well be ‘Marigold.’
After all, the lyrics of this song closely matched her relationship and experiences with her boyfriend.
“Dummy.”
Tsukika smiled wryly and gave her a playful glare in response to the earnest apology.
Though her secret had been revealed, she wasn’t angry—she knew Wakaba well.
Just then, the song’s outro finished, and the screen displayed a score: 92 points.
“92 points? That’s so high! Looks like you’ve practiced quite a bit.”
Mai Asai was surprised and smiled with a hint of warmth.
Perhaps Sugawara’s earlier 97 points made people wonder why it wasn’t higher, but for amateurs who hadn’t formally studied music and only sang for fun, scoring over 90 was already an excellent achievement.
“Not too bad.”
Tsukika blushed slightly under her gaze and hurried back to her seat.
“So thirsty, so thirsty.”
To hide her embarrassment, after putting down the microphone, she raised her beer glass and took a few sips.
“Hahaha.”
Seeing her shy like this, everyone burst into laughter.
“That’s the end of the first round. Next up is round two… Tsuki-chan, Sugawara-san, now that you’re warmed up, you should think about what duet to sing.”
After some playful teasing, Wakaba took charge and spoke.
“Uh... okay.”
Tsukika hesitated, uncertain, but forced herself to respond.