69novels Page 69
Page 69
“If you do well…” Isuzu paused slightly, then added another layer of assurance: “After the concert, you’re allowed to go out and have fun, and all expenses will be on my tab.”
An intense light, representing "desire," shone from Sylphy's eyes. She puffed out her chest—a magnificent sight that rivaled even Isuzu's—and raised her voice: "Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"
"Hurry up and get ready, Muse is already on stage!"
...
The muse, who reappeared on stage, looked elegant and refined, unlike her previous jazz style. She wore a warm-toned dress that revealed her fair and slender arms, with cute ruffles at the neckline and cuffs.
Below the skirt were uniform white over-the-knee stockings, which contrasted with the sky-blue skirt, unconsciously relaxing the audience's excited mood.
Each person wore a headband woven from small white flowers, which, combined with their fair complexions, gave them an air of "pure and ladylike" elegance.
As the music began, unlike the cheerful and uplifting tune of "Borderline Forbidden," this time the melody carried a hint of something indescribable...
Koizumi Hanayo stepped forward, her bright eyes gleaming with an unknown light, and slowly extended her right hand, palm up towards the night sky: "Sakura, Sakura wants to see you, I want to see you right now..."
Before her song had even ended, Hoshizora Rin came to her side, also extending her hand, palm down, and interlocking her fingers with Koizumi Hanayo's small hand: "It's okay, don't cry anymore, I am Qingfeng, I will gently embrace you."
Her gaze shifted to the side, settling on Hoshizora Rin's face. As if whispering, Koizumi Hanayo softly repeated, "Sakura, Sakura wants to see you, she wants to see you right now..."
Hoshizora Rin revealed her most radiant smile, gently stroking Hanayo's cheek with her other hand: "Thank you, I will always love you. I am Hoshizora, and I will always be there for you."
Their eyes met, and simultaneously they opened their mouths, whispering the same words to each other: "Meeting you is so wonderful, so very wonderful..."
At the same time, behind the muse, the huge screen on the stage gradually lit up.
Two scenes unfolded before everyone's eyes—a man and a woman unfolding letters in unison, each bearing the inscription "To Akari/Takaki-kun" at the top.
Chapter 0193 Cherry Blossom Rain at the Concert! (Third Update, Please Subscribe)
The images appearing on the screen did not interrupt the Muse's singing; the melody of the music continued.
With her hands behind her back, Minami Kotori walked out step by step beside Koizumi Hanayo and Hoshizora Rin, her eyes silently watching them. She slowly shook her head: "I can't stay here any longer. I have to leave. I'm so sorry..."
She bowed slightly, her face filled with obvious apology, and a bitter smile appeared on her lips: "Now, I must go to a distant place alone."
"Don't ask me where I'm going, don't ask why, okay?" Sonoda Umi sang as she walked to the opposite side of Minami Kotori: "I really can only say I'm sorry, I can no longer stay by your side..."
"Walking along our usual promenade, through the cherry blossom path, we headed towards the direction where the light shone over the river where we often played." Everyone's eyes were focused on Yazawa Nico's petite figure. Her twin ponytails swayed slightly, and her absent-minded gaze seemed to be recalling something.
Following behind her, Nishikino Maki parted her lips slightly, and her perfect voice sang a song that surrounded everyone's ears: "Although we can no longer meet, although I am lonely, it's alright..."
Nico Yazawa turned around, and their eyes met: "It's so wonderful to be born into this world, and it's so wonderful to have met you!"
Ayase Eli, Tojo Nozomi, and Honoka stood at the back, with Honoka in the center taking a slight step forward, while Tojo Nozomi and Eli on either side of her were half a step behind, leaning shoulder to shoulder.
"Waiting for your return in the afternoon, the sound of your footsteps, the things I didn't show, I know... what is the happiest thing in the world." As Nozomi Tojo's song ended, Eli Ayase, standing beside her, immediately followed up: "What you told me, the things that happened that day, so many things, I know... what is the saddest thing in the world."
"That was your smiling face, your tears, your gentleness, the sound of you calling my name..." Honoka hugged her arms tightly, a faint light flickering in her eyes, though no one could see it due to the distance: "Hold my arms tight, your warmth, though I can no longer touch it, I will never forget that happiness!"
This is not just a performance. As a qualified singer, you must express the emotions that the song wants to convey. And to express real emotions, you must be 100% committed.
The song "[Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms, I Want to See You]" might seem like a love song at first glance, but after the members of Muse learned the true story behind the song from Hyakusho, every time they performed it with their whole hearts, someone couldn't help but have tears welling up in their eyes—Honoka and Hanayo Koizumi, such simple and sentimental people...
"It's so good to be here in this world, it's really wonderful, and it's so wonderful to have met you!"
The continuous music suddenly stopped, the abrupt turn causing everyone in the audience to hold their breath—just as the thought, "Has something happened?" began to cross their minds, a gentle breeze rose without warning in the venue, and "snowflakes" exuding a unique fragrance began to drift down from the ceiling...
Those were fresh, tender cherry blossom petals, falling at a speed of five centimeters per second to every corner of the venue and onto everyone.
Amidst the "cherry blossom rain," the images on the screen behind the muse begin to change continuously.
First, Akari found Takaki and told him that she was about to leave. From Takaki's face, you could clearly see his surprise and confusion, but in the end, he still couldn't say what he really thought.
The two began to express their longing for each other through letters, writing about the interesting things they encountered in different places and checking the mailbox at their door every day—even though they knew that the letters would not receive a reply so quickly.
As time passed and the two grew up, they finally couldn't bear their longing for each other any longer and agreed on a time and place to meet.
But unexpected things always happen – a train delay can also bring unexpected warmth and surprises – even though it was so late, Takaki still insisted on coming to the meeting place, and Akari... also chose to wait silently no matter how long it took.
The two kissed under a withered cherry blossom tree in the snow. At that moment, the cherry blossom tree came back to life, and cherry blossom petals fluttered around them—the scene was frozen in time!
"Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, I want to see you, right now, I want to see you! It's okay, I'm right here, I am spring, gently embracing your sky."
0 ····Requesting flowers···· ·········
"Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, I want to see you, right now, I want to see you! Thank you, I will always love you, I am a bird, I will always sing for you."
Beneath the cherry blossoms, a deeply moving song resounded once more. The members of Muse walked together to the edge of the stage, their hands clasped tightly in front of their chests—this time, everyone saw the light shining in their eyes, for at that moment, they were just like the Muses...
"Beyond where cherry blossoms dance in the air, close your eyes and you'll be in my heart..."
As the last note faded away, a long silence fell over the concert hall. Neither the Muse nor anyone sitting in the audience made a sound; even the sound of breathing was unconsciously suppressed.
…
A guy who comes to a concert with his girlfriend will take the girl's hand and hold it in his palm for a long time; the girl will tilt her head slightly and rest her head on his broad shoulder.
Those who are already married will exchange a glance with their partners in the darkness, and smile at the same time—though they don't say a word, they already know what the other wants to say...
As for those who are not yet married or in a relationship... most people will be affected by the atmosphere and can't help but think, "Should I try harder to find my other half?"
No one wanted to break the tranquility of the moment; in fact, they wished it could last forever.
The breeze, just as it had come, vanished without a trace when no one was paying attention, and the shower of cherry blossoms finally came to an end.
Honoka slowly opened her eyes, looking at the frozen "ocean" before her, and revealed an extremely bright smile—their singing could make everyone stop waving their light sticks and forget the cheers after the song ended...
This is the highest praise for them!
P.S.: The sudden downpour caused a power outage, which left me completely disoriented. I hurriedly wrote this on my phone... I'll finish the final update tomorrow! —Fan
Chapter 0194 Tiramisu's Reward! (First Update, Please Subscribe)
"That's a foul! That's a foul! They knew perfectly well that 5 Centimeters Per Second would end in tragedy, yet they still showed us this!"
"That damned Mr. Baili, this must have been his doing, right? He showed us such a beautiful concert, but then released the music video for '5 Centimeters Per Second'!"
"No, in my opinion, the song 'Sakura Sakura, I Want to See You' was originally a sad ballad, so there's nothing wrong with pairing it with the plot of 5 Centimeters Per Second, right?"
"Listen carefully to the lyrics! It describes an unrequited love... Doesn't it fit perfectly with '5 Seconds'?"
The long silence was finally giving way to a long-suppressed outburst. The once quiet meeting room erupted in heated discussion, including many vehement and righteous protests against Baili Xiao—but to no avail...
With a faint smile on his lips, Baili Xiao stared intently at the muse on stage—he wasn't worried at all that the audience would be overwhelmed by this "healing (depressing)" music video, because he knew perfectly well that anyone who loved anime and manga possessed an incredibly strong heart.
Just like in the past, even if you know that a certain anime is a "tearjerker", even if you say "Ah, I don't want to cry anymore", in the end many people will still obediently click on the anime and watch it with great interest ("It's actually good" warning)!
"Judging from everyone's expressions, they seem quite satisfied with this song, Hyakuri-kun." Akane Akasaka chuckled and tilted her head, her eyes quietly fixed on Hyakuri Xiao's profile, emphasizing the word "satisfied."
"An expected reaction." The latter's response clearly contained a hint of pleasure. Eriri, who was sitting not far away, couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard his words. As an illustrator, she knew exactly what Baili Xiao was thinking. In fact, anyone working in the field of anime and manga (whether an illustrator or a light novelist) would be in this state from time to time.
It was a dark state of mind, like, "Huh? The readers seem pretty satisfied with the current plot? How about we write (draw) someone to kill off and surprise them? I wonder what their reaction will be? I'm really looking forward to it..."
For this reason, creators are often called "manipulators" by fans. Even knowing this, many people still enjoy using this title to their advantage!
Leaving aside Baili Xiao and the others' discussion, turning their attention to Muse on the stage, after sensing the increasingly chaotic noise in the venue, the group exchanged glances and smiled simultaneously: "Everyone, did you like this song, 'Sakura Sakura, I Want to See You'? Just so you know, all the songs performed in this concert were written and composed by our teacher, who also guided and trained us step by step, so... if you like this song, you should thank our teacher!"
Everyone knows who the "teacher" they're referring to is—people like the song, but whether they'll "thank" Baili Xiao is another matter entirely...
"When we first learned this song from our teacher, we were all worried about whether we could sing it well." Sonoda Umi took a deep breath and looked at Honoka and Koizumi Hanayo beside her with a sense of relief: "Honoka and Hanayo can't help but shed tears every time they sing this song. Even in the last rehearsal, we couldn't do our best. Today's performance also had some flaws. I hope everyone can understand."
The so-called "flaw" refers to the faint sobbing in Honoka and Koizumi Hanayo's voices near the end of the song—because it was a duet, it was perfectly covered up by the voices of the other singers.
If Sonoda Umi hadn't said it herself, over 95% of the people present wouldn't have noticed—yet even so, she still chose to "admit her shortcomings in front of her fans."
"It's okay. Rather, it's precisely because of this that the atmosphere of the song becomes even stronger."
"Yes, it was because of the faint sobs that sounded like Guo Huang and Hanayo-chan choking up that my nose started to sting when they sang."
"Huh? You all figured it out? That's amazing..."
The extraordinary hearing brought by the [National Idol] skill allowed Baili Xiao to clearly hear the whispers of the audience not far away. He was not surprised by everyone's reaction, and even felt that it was "within reason" - while a perfect performance and stable singing are certainly good, flaws such as "voice cracking" are not "mistakes" in the true sense.
Personally, he was very satisfied with Muse's performance tonight—more satisfied than any previous rehearsal!
"Slowly, I'm starting to grow up too..."
...
Backstage, the wind spirit Sylphie skipped and hopped up to Isuzu, making no attempt to hide her boastful tone: "Hey, can I go out and play now?"
“Of course!” Isuzu nodded gently. Sylphie’s eyes widened slowly, and she couldn’t help but jump up: “Oh ho ho~ Sylphie can go out and play! Oh yeah! I want to take a plane, woohoo, fly up to the sky!”
Cheering and stretching out her arms like an airplane, Sylphy ran quickly down the corridor and soon disappeared from Isuzu's sight.
(After the concert, how about we go out and have some fun?) Seeing Sylphie's happy expression, Isuzu suddenly had this thought—before she could think about it further, a small pink, fluffy hand tentatively tugged at her sleeve: "Um..."
"Hmm?" Isuzu made a "confused" sound through her nose and turned to look at Tiramisu, who was standing awkwardly to the side, glancing at her furtively before quickly looking away. "What? Is something wrong?"
“Isuzu, look, Sylvie got a reward, too. I helped out this time, too. I planted all the cherry blossoms, didn’t I, didn’t I…” Tiramiz tried to soften his tone, and as usual, he casually pointed to his small backpack with his right hand. As a “flower fairy,” Tiramiz could quickly cultivate all kinds of plants. The cherry blossom rain falling in the venue was picked from the newly cultivated cherry blossom trees.
Tilting her head to look at Tirami, who was completely different from usual, Isuzu realized what he wanted: "Yes, you also made a great contribution to this mission. What reward do you want?"
"Actually, it's nothing big, just give me a little money, hehehe..." Tiramisu's face once again showed a perverted smile: "A little drink, a bath, and some full-body health exercises, that's it..."
"Bang!" The loud sound of a musket rang out abruptly from behind the stage, accurately interrupting Tiramiz's "demand"...
Chapter 0195 I Don't Want to Be Trained Alone! (Two Chapters, Please Subscribe)
"Now, please wait a moment, we will be performing the third new song, 'Gokuraku Jodo'!" The Muse members bowed and left the stage—they needed to go backstage to change into the costumes they had prepared for the third song.
Baili Xiao stood up slightly, his movement went unnoticed by anyone else—after all, in the almost pitch-black concert hall, a person getting up and leaving would not attract any attention at all: "I'm going up."
"Okay, good luck, brother." Kasumigaoka Utaha responded softly, watching Hyakuri Akira depart—this was a pre-arranged plan: "Go on stage and perform [Gokuraku Jodo]!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't know why Hyakuri Xiao insisted on performing this song on stage—of course, this wasn't a question about Hyakuri Xiao's ability to play instruments. In fact, everyone in the studio knew that while his playing level wasn't that of a master, it was more than enough to handle occasions like concerts.
As the person who knew Baili Xiao best among them, Kasumigaoka Utaha was somewhat puzzled, because she could sense that the former seemed to have a very deep obsession with this song called "Gokuraku Jodo"...
"Huh? That's... Teacher Baili?! What's he doing up on stage in 04?"
"Idiot, Teacher Baili is the general supervisor and planner of this concert. Isn't it normal for him to go on stage?"
"Hehehe, for a moment just now, I thought Teacher Baili was going to go on stage and sing a song with Muse. Ever since I heard Teacher Baili sing the theme song of '5 Centimeters Per Second', I have been unable to forget his magnetic voice."
"Hey! Watch your words and actions! Your boyfriend is right here!"
"What's there to be afraid of? Besides, he likes Teacher Baili even more than I do..."
Under everyone's gaze, Baili Xiao walked onto the stage and approached the drummer. The latter smiled slightly, put down his drumsticks, stood up, and bowed slightly to Baili Xiao: "Teacher Baili, the rest is up to you."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Nodding in acknowledgment, Baili Xiao sat down, gently tapped the drumhead a few times with the drumstick, and tested the sound: "Not bad."
His actions caused a stir in the entire venue, with many people raising their eyebrows in disbelief.
"What the heck? What is Teacher Baili trying to do? Is he going to play the role of the drummer himself? I've never heard of him playing any musical instruments before?"