Chapter 14: Karaoke Time

Setting aside the little incident involving their chance encounter, the female attendant who had been leading the way soon brought Sugawara Ryuichi and the others to their destination.

“Esteemed guests, this is your private room. The restroom is at the end of the corridor. Should you encounter any other problems or wish to order something, please call this number. The drinks you reserved will be delivered shortly. We hope you enjoy yourselves.”

After ushering them into the room, the attendant recited her unchanging, routine lines, closed the door, and left.

The private room was not especially large, but since they had requested to sing standing up, it did not feel cramped.

The room was lit by lamps mounted on the walls. For now, the lighting was quite bright, though both the main lights and spotlights could be adjusted at will.

“I’m choosing the first song.”

At last, with the staff member gone, Miyagi Wakaba immediately rushed to seize the song-selection machine.

“No one’s going to fight you for it.”

Seeing her brimming with enthusiasm, Nanada Risa shook her head helplessly and went to sit in one of the seats along the side.

“Have you and Tsuki ever been to karaoke, Sugawara?”

Asai Mai followed her over, but before sitting down, she suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask.

At the question, Yamabuki Tsuki immediately wanted to deny it.

Knowing her best friend as well as she did, she was certain Mai’s question concealed some ulterior motive.

“We have, though not very often.”

Before she could react, however, Sugawara Ryuichi had already nodded.

As far as he was concerned, the answer had to be yes. They had been dating for a year, yet had never once gone to karaoke together—that would easily arouse suspicion.

After all, Japan was the birthplace of karaoke, and it was a form of entertainment beloved by the entire country.

Besides, life in Tokyo was intensely stressful, and singing was an excellent way to vent.

“That’s wonderful! Then could you two sing a duet later? I really want to see you sing together.”

Receiving the answer she had hoped for, Asai Mai clasped her hands in delight and seized the opportunity to make her request.

Ever since she had suggested karaoke at the sukiyaki restaurant, she had been imagining what a beautiful sight it would be to see Tsuki and Sugawara—a handsome couple—singing a love song together.

“I don’t mind. I just don’t know whether Tsuki will be willing.”

Having anticipated this development, Sugawara Ryuichi was not surprised.

“Tsuki…”

Realizing that the decision rested with the girl, Asai Mai immediately resorted to pleading, calling out in a coquettish voice.

“Tsuki…”

With Mai’s coaxing, Miyagi Wakaba, who had already obtained the song-selection machine, and Nanada Risa joined in, pleading in unison.

Although the idea of a male-female duet had not occurred to them at first, that did not stop them from seizing the moment and echoing Mai’s request.

They had known Tsuki for so many years, yet had never seen her sing a duet with a boy. After all, none of them were interested in the whole group-dating scene; most of the time, they simply went out together as close friends.

“All right… But let me make one thing clear beforehand: Ryuichi and I have never practiced any male-female duet songs. Until now, we’ve always chosen our songs separately, so you’re not allowed to laugh if we don’t sing well.”

At this point, Yamabuki Tsuki also realized that she could not claim they had never gone to karaoke together. Faced with everyone’s request, she agreed, while making her position clear in advance.

“Wonderful! Don’t worry. No matter how well or badly you sing, I won’t laugh at you.”

Having won her consent, Asai Mai was completely satisfied.

“So what do we do now? Should Tsuki and Sugawara sing first?”

Miyagi Wakaba, who was always the first to seize the microphone and get the room warmed up, was already growing eager.

“Don’t rush. We have plenty of time tonight. Let’s all sing one song first and warm up.”

Although it was rare for her to give up the opening song, Asai Mai felt that starting with the duet would be too soon.

Fine cuisine required carefully preparing the ingredients and cooking them properly; singing was much the same.

“Mhm.”

Grateful for her rescue, Yamabuki Tsuki quickly nodded.

“Then I’ll go first!”

Miyagi Wakaba placed the song-selection machine on the table, then picked up the microphone and began testing it.

“Tap, tap. Ahem, ahem. Mm-hm! Ahhhhhhh…”

She lightly tapped the microphone, cleared her throat twice, and began running through the notes.

“She’s awfully professional.”

Sugawara Ryuichi, who had already removed his mask, was somewhat surprised by the convincing way she tested her voice.

“Don’t let her fool you. It’s all one of her little tricks.”

Yamabuki Tsuki had removed her mask as well. Covering her mouth, she giggled, genuinely amused.

Of the four best friends, Wakaba was by far the biggest clown.

Hearing that assessment, Miyagi Wakaba cast her an imperious glance, took a deep breath, and decisively pressed the button for the first song.

As the title Cruel Angel’s Thesis appeared on the display and the sacred choral accompaniment began, she opened her mouth and sang:

“Like a cruel angel…”

“Boy, become a legend!”

Wakaba let the final note trail away, immediately followed by the lively beat of a drum kit.

To be fair, she had sung the opening rather convincingly.

“Cruel Angel’s Thesis?”

Listening to the song, Sugawara Ryuichi felt a wave of nostalgia and familiarity.

In his former life, he had not known much about Japan. Most of what he knew came from anime and a handful of phenomenon-level television dramas, and the theme song from Evangelion had undoubtedly been one of his favorite masterpieces.

“D minor.”

That phrase suddenly surfaced in his mind as he listened to the melody.

He had never studied music before and naturally knew nothing about keys. But under the influence of his professional-grade singing technique, hearing the song again now gave him a much deeper understanding and a richer appreciation of it.

Listening closely, one could hear how the song’s D-minor foundation, combined with elements of pop, rock, and electronic music, created a sound that was vivid and full of energy. The lyrics were catchy while also expressing reflections on fate and loneliness.

The choral harmonies, reminiscent of Western church nuns chanting, along with the sacred-sounding interlude, further imbued the song with an air of mystery and sophistication.

Although he was listening and appreciating the performance attentively, the others reacted rather ordinarily.

Wakaba sang this song every time they came to karaoke, so they had long since heard it countless times. Some cheered her on, some searched for their own songs, and someone else went to adjust the lighting.

Before long, the four-minute song came to an end, and a score appeared on the screen: 92 points.

During the song, an attendant had also delivered their drinks.

Sugawara Ryuichi had ordered cola. The others had all chosen beer. Although all four girls drank, none of them were heavy drinkers. They simply enjoyed having a little alcohol to relieve stress and savor the pleasant haze of mild intoxication.

“Clap, clap, clap!”

“Well sung.”

When the song ended, Sugawara Ryuichi applauded and called out his praise.

“Really?”

A little breathless after finishing the song, Miyagi Wakaba stared at him in surprise. She had not expected him to be so enthusiastic and was delighted.

“Really. It sounded great. You must have practiced many times to sing at that level.”

Sugawara Ryuichi nodded, expressing his approval.

From a professional standpoint, there had clearly been shortcomings in Wakaba’s performance. The song required a certain level of vocal skill to reveal its full appeal. Even so, for an amateur, she had sung it remarkably well.

“Hehe, this is my signature song!”

Encouraged by his praise, Miyagi Wakaba grinned happily before going to sit down at the side.

“Here’s your beer.”

Nanada Risa pushed a large glass of beer toward her.

“Thanks.”

“Ryuichi, it’s your turn to choose a song.”

At the same time, Yamabuki Tsuki handed the song-selection machine to Sugawara Ryuichi.

Taking it, Sugawara Ryuichi began searching through the song library—not the one inside the machine, but the one stored in his own mind.

After some thought, he finally settled on a song and handed the machine back to Yamabuki Tsuki.

“March 9th?”

Taking the machine again, Yamabuki Tsuki glanced at the song he had chosen and read the title aloud without thinking.