Chapter 116: Listen

In the dimly lit venue, the musicians made their final adjustments for the performance—drums thumping, bass humming, keyboards emitting fantastical sounds, and Guitars buzzing.

However, only a handful of people in the audience were paying attention to them.

The venue was so dark that only the vague outlines of objects could be seen.

Silhouettes of people stood, many faces illuminated by the white glow of their phones, their eyes fixed solely on their screens.

Others conversed in hushed tones.

Ninety percent of the people in the venue weren't paying attention to the stage.

The diligently prepared musicians seemed to be lost in another dimension.

This was the lonely performance scene they were facing.

With little fame and performing on a day with streets swept by wind and rain, it was unavoidable.

Sitting at the very back of the stage, Nijika nervously gripped her drumsticks.

After much internal struggle, she mustered the courage to shift her gaze from the drum kit and look forward, but then she quickly averted her eyes.

In that brief glimpse, she sawーIndifferent audience members, friends whose expressions she couldn't discern, and only two fans watching them with anticipation.

She was very anxious.

Will the customers listen?

Will the other members of the Band be nervous?

Can they really give the fans a satisfying performance?

In such a dismal setting,

the sound of the five members tuning their instruments ceased, and the lighting technician appropriately lit up the stage, illuminating the performance area.

After the lights came on, Kita quickly put on a smile and began the opening remarks.

Although she had been disheartened by the earlier conversation with the customer, she wasn't overly nervous, as she could feel a very reliable person behind her.

A person reliable only in times of crisis.

She smiled as she looked at the desolate audience below, and said easily,

"Nice to meet you all, we are Kessoku Band."

"Thank you all very much for braving the wind and rain to watch our performance today."

Nijika also followed the lines they had designed before going on stage, smiling as she teased Kita.

"Kita-chan, really, for a rock band, you're so polite..."

But the lack of response from the audience and her own voice gradually failing only made the atmosphere in the venue colder and more awkward.

Only their two fans cooperatively let out some laughter.

It was fortunate for their cooperation; otherwise, the scene would have truly been as silent as a funeral parlor.

Seika and Hiroi Kikuri stood at the very back of the venue. Seika watched the scene with a poker face, arms crossed.

Hiroi Kikuri, who had changed into dry clothes, glanced at her, as if sensing Seika's expectation.

Just get through it... Just get through it...

Endure the coldest audience, and then completely take over the stage with skill.

On stage, Kita was so flustered by the cold atmosphere that she didn't know what to do.

Even Nijika had faltered, and Kita, being relatively new to performing, had even fewer options.

She glanced around, saw no one giving her a cue, and hastily ended the MC segment.

"Well then, we'll start with our first song right away."

"Please enjoy our original song, 'Guitar, Loneliness and Blue Planet.'"

Beside her, Hitori wore an uncomfortable expression, her feet subtly shuffling on the ground, her restless demeanor giving the impression that she would dig a hole and hide in it if she had the chance.

But upon hearing Kita's cue to start playing, Hitori quickly adjusted her state, tilted her head, and looked at her friends beside and behind her.

With a nod from the others, she stomped on the distortion pedal of the effects unit, then turned it off, causing the amplifier to shriek.

Mid-shriek, Nijika crashed the cymbal, and the lead Guitar, rhythm Guitar, and bass joined in succession.

The sounds of the five instantly blended together, forming music that surged through the oppressive atmosphere.

Kita heard the music, which was not much different from their usual, and smiled contentedly, looking at the audience.

When they performed on the street before, they had immediately made passersby stop and pay attention.

She fully expected the same to happen now.

However,

as far as her eyes could see, not many people in the audience were enjoying their music.

Kita's breath hitched.

Clearly, merely a decent performance wasn't enough to attract these music lovers who had braved the wind and rain.

Disaster then struck again, one after another.

The moment the problem arose, Kita immediately heard itーthe drums were out of sync with the music!

Although the audience wasn't watching her, she still didn't dare turn back to confirm with Nijika.

She panicked.

It was already the verse, and she could only start singing.

"The sudden evening rain makes me hate myself for not bringing an umbrella."

"What does the sky's mood have to do with me?"

Singing in a panic, she felt her voice was being squeezed in her chest.

Behind her, Nijika was even more aware of the problem than Kita, and Nijika also knew how to fix it.

It was just that her mind was a mess at the moment.

The fans' opinions, the first official performance, the customers completely uninterested in their show, the hard-won opportunity from her sister, and even more irrelevant thoughts flashed through her mind.

What was originally just a slow drumbeat now, under her control, became increasingly chaotic.

She didn't even know how to find the rhythm again.

Later, upon hearing Kita's voice turn somber, she felt her consciousness was getting further immersed in a dark, silent deep sea.

She couldn't hear anything anymore.

She gave up all control, stiffly hitting the drum kit out of habit.

The song they had created was now being marred by them with one black mark after another.

The opportunity to go on stage, gained with so much effort, was being squandered by herself in this way.

The fans who came to enjoy their performance also gradually became disappointed.

They were powerless to change it, only able to continue along this chaotic rhythm, as if blocked by a wall.

"It's really nothing special, is it?"

"The drummer and vocalist are completely off."

"This Band is performing here too early."

Hearing the audience's comments and sighs, Seika's gaze grew heavier.

She saw her sister's head drooping in disappointment once again, and she even felt that Nijika's expression this time was on the verge of tears.

This was the one thing she absolutely did not want to see, especially not on a stage of her own venue.

Her heart was twisted into a knot.

At this moment, she even began to hesitate whether to stop her sister from pursuing this path.

On stage, their terrible performance continued, with the vocalist, drums, and guitar all flailing about like headless chickens.

"Singing like the fool I am..."

"I vent out to the stars..."

However, after Kita finished those two lines terribly, Ishikawa Hayato suddenly seemed unable to bear it any longer, as if to interrupt all sounds, and heavily pressed the keyboard repeatedly.

The synthesizer transmitted a sharp audio signal to the amplifier, which converted it into sound, shrieking throughout the venue.

The first to be startled was Hitori, followed by Kita, Ryo, PA-san, and the manager.

Then, the customers who had been looking down at their phones gradually came to their senses, looking at the inexplicable stage.

Not only was the playing bad, but were they about to start a fight?

Under Ishikawa Hayato's interruption, the others' playing began to stop one after another.

Lead guitar, bass, melody guitar, until only the jarring keyboard sound and drumbeat remained.

But soon, the drumbeat also stopped, full of desolation.

PA-san, who could have stopped all this, did not act.

She watched the stage with a smile, her gaze seemingly conveying admiration.

On the performance stage, Ishikawa Hayato glanced at the four who were all looking at him.

Nijika's expression was tense, timid, filled with unease, as if she were afraid.

Ryo was calm yet serious, awaiting his explanation.

Kita's gaze remained fixed on his keyboard.

She didn't dare meet his eyes directly.

Hitori looked at the others in a panic.

Ishikawa Hayato said to the four, "Isn't it such a waste to play such a good song so half-heartedly at this moment!!"

His voice grew louder and louder, spreading heavily throughout the entire underground space.

"We are a rock band! There's nothing to be afraid of! If you can't find the rhythm, stop and start over, continue from where we just were!"

Having said that, Ishikawa Hayato ignored their reactions, switched the timbre, and began his solo on his own accord.

Although the audience had some complaints about Ishikawa Hayato's sudden disruption, once he started his solo, all other sounds ceased.

The sound of thunder, lightning, and rain, combined with fast yet emotionally explosive playing, covered up all the failures.

The audience stared blankly at Ishikawa Hayato, who had broken free from the chaotic rhythm and unleashed his full power.

The keyboard produced rich, layered, and psychedelic sounds that silenced all doubts!

Then, Hitori also turned around, facing the audience.

She placed her hand on her guitar, made two feints following Ishikawa Hayato's rhythm, and then stepped on the effects pedal without hesitation to join in.

Ishikawa Hayato's sudden burst of energy was already enough to surprise the audience, but then, a guitar player who was by no means inferior to the keyboardist also joined in, playing sounds of an incredibly terrifying level.

It truly stunned everyone present.

This was completely different from the band that had been slacking off just moments ago!

Except for the two on stage, everyone else seemed to have stopped, staring blankly.

But soon, the bass found its entry point and joined in.

Kita looked over in surprise at the movement beside her.

Even Ryo had joined them, using her bass to enhance the rhythm of their sound.

At this moment, she heard the faint sound of drumsticks among the various instruments behind her.

She turned back and saw Nijika looking at her with a determined gaze.

When Kita looked back, Nijika nodded, signaling Kita to follow.

At the same time, as if everyone heard the faint sound of the drumstick, their band's music gracefully shifted its rhythm, returning directly to the original song.

The powerful drumbeat propped up the gradually weakening song.

Under the lighting designer's support, the stopped lights began to flicker again!

Kita took a deep breath, feeling helpless yet amused.

He truly was a pervert.

To interrupt so forcefully, wasn't he afraid of completely messing up?

The music began to fade, reaching the part just before the chorus, and Kita sang.

"I am alone on this blue planet."

As soon as Kita started singing, she noticed something was off.

She leaned into the microphone, singing, and looked back.

It was Ishikawa Hayato harmonizing with her.

She was confused. Was he worried she would mess up again?

He really didn't trust her.

But because of her earlier mistake, she didn't dare react and just continued to sing.

"Listening to countless voices."

"Swirling for billions of years."

"So just for a moment, please~"

Her voice rose and stretched, as if in defiance.

But then, Ishikawa Hayato deliberately jumped in a beat early and sang,

"Please hear me."

His deep voice seemed to be a reminder to Kita.

Kita paused, but then she looked at the audience below and suddenly understood his intent.

Even now, he was trying to rile her up.

Kita thought, but a smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

She took Ishikawa Hayato's cue and sang to the audience below with an air of arrogance.

"Listen to me!!"

The female voice, empowered by the male voice and aided by the music, suddenly pressed down on the audience, releasing all the pent-up emotions.

"That I am, I am, that I am right here!"

"I left out a scream, even though I couldn't let out a sound."

"I want to be something, something, anything is fine."

"Singing like a fool I am."

"I vent out to the stars."

As the song drew to a close, Ishikawa Hayato moved his gaze from the backs of the girls in front.

He saw Seika smiling, and Hiroi Kikuri next to her noticed his gaze, tilted her head, and made a V-sign for victory.

Closer to the stage, fans number 1 and 2 had sparkling eyes.

Those in the venue who were playing on their phones, uninterested in listening, now watched the stage intently.