"All right! It looks like the results for the First Screening are officially in! How about it, everyone?! Have you picked your favorites yet?!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Listening to the roar of the crowd, a certain magical girl—or rather, Minamin—nodded with satisfaction.
I’d been ignoring it until now, but what exactly was she cosplaying as? I had a nagging feeling I’d seen that outfit somewhere before...
"Okay! Let’s move right along to the Second Screening! Next up is the Singing Ability Match... which is basically just a massive Karaoke Contest! We’re going to decide the order by drawing lots, so will all the contestants please come up to the stage!"
At Minamin’s signal, staff members carrying a table and a box appeared from the wings. Once they set it up in the center of the stage, the contestants filed out and lined up in a single row.
How was Sara-san doing? For now, she seemed to be holding it together.
"Now then, please take turns drawing a card from the box!"
One by one, in order of their entry numbers, they reached into the box. Minamin confirmed each card as they drew them. Once everyone was finished, the order appeared on the screen at the back of the stage.
"Satsukawa-senpai is staying at number nine!"
"Mother is third."
"And that woman is the finale... I wonder if that’s a good or bad thing."
As a result of the lottery, Mayumi-san was third, and Sara-san remained ninth. Then, for reasons I didn't quite understand, the Stuck-up Woman was looking at Sara-san with a smug, triumphant expression as the final act.
Sara-san, naturally, completely ignored her. She had been smiling at me for the last several minutes.
Man, she really was just too cute.
"The singing order is set! We’ll be getting things ready now, so will the contestants please return to the wings for a moment!"
Sara-san gave me a secretive little wave as she retreated. Mayumi-san stopped near the edge of the stage and looked like she was about to do something to me, but Sara-san promptly dragged her away.
I thought I heard a faint cry of "Sara-chan, you’re so mean!" but maybe I just imagined it. Mayumi-san was as restless as ever.
…………… ……… …
"Yes, thank you very much! Everyone in the audience, one more big round of applause!"
The second contestant finished their song, and warm applause flooded the stands.
The song they’d poured their heart into was a recent hit. For someone like me who never watched music programs, it was at the level of "maybe I’ve heard this somewhere before." People could call me behind the times all they wanted, but I just wasn't interested.
"It must be nerve-wracking to sing in front of a crowd this size," someone remarked.
"I could absolutely never do it," Tachikawa-san added.
"Well, it’s only natural for their pitch to be a bit off in a situation like this, right?"
"Listen to you talk... though, Natsumi is actually a really good singer," Hanako noted.
"Heh-heh. I have a bit of confidence when it comes to karaoke," Natsumi-senpai said with a grin.
It was true; Natsumi-senpai’s singing was genuinely impressive when I’d heard her before. She was arguably the best among us. She just had a "seasoned" vibe to her voice. However, she mostly sang trendy new songs, which made it hard for me to get into the same groove.
As for my own singing? Let's just say that was a topic best left unmentioned.
"I don't really care about all that, but it’s boring when I don't know any of the songs," Hanako complained.
"Ah... well, Hanako-san is..."
Just as expected, Hanako-san was a one-hundred-percent Anime Song specialist. That made it difficult for me to keep up with her in a different way. I knew a few older series, but I hadn't watched any recent anime at all.
"Kazunari, we're going to karaoke the next time we have a break," Hanako stated.
"Does that mean I'm being dragged along?"
"Whoa, whoa! You’re not leaving me out of something that sounds this fun!" Tachikawa-san chimed in.
"What’s this? You surely weren't thinking of going to karaoke without me, were you?" Natsumi-senpai added, her eyes gleaming.
The festival-lovers were on it in an instant. They were fast.
"Yuji, you’re coming this time too, okay?"
"...To be honest, I'm not very good at karaoke..."
"Heh. Hearing that just makes me want to make you participate even more."
"Ugh... please go easy on me."
As Natsumi-senpai flashed a predatory grin, Yuji slumped his shoulders in defeat. He really was... well, I knew I shouldn't be the one to talk, but Yuji was so bad at singing that anyone hearing him for the first time would be genuinely shocked.
"What about you, Hayato-kun?"
"If Marina-san is going, then of course I'm going too," Hayato replied.
"Eh... I, I... um, I want to do fun things with everyone... and, of course, that includes you, Hayato-kun!" Marina-san stammered, her face turning red.
"Yeah. Then let’s all go together."
Those two were as consistent as ever. It was actually interesting to watch the contrast between the different couples in our group.
"Yeah, yeah... I'll just be the one to set everything up, right? I get it," Nishikawa-san muttered.
"Nishikawa-san... let’s both do our best. In various ways," Tachikawa-san whispered.
I decided it was best to let Nishikawa-san and Tachikawa-san be for now. But as a best friend, I truly hoped that someone great would appear for both of them. I really did. If everyone could be happy, there would be nothing more wonderful.
"Now then, sorry to keep you waiting! The next person up is, of course, that lady! The dark horse who is already wildly upsetting the ranking predictions! It’s time for Mayu-san!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The moment Mayumi-san’s name was called, a massive cheer erupted. She appeared instantly, trotting over to the stand microphone and giving a polite bow to the crowd.
"I wonder how Mother is at karaoke?"
"Hmm... I can't imagine her being bad at it," Tachikawa-san said.
I’d never heard her sing either, so I was curious. But like Tachikawa-san said, I couldn't picture a version of Mayumi-san that wasn't perfect at everything she tried.
The music started. Even someone as music-illiterate as me recognized the masterpiece from the very first notes. It had been used in TV commercials for years, so I could at least hum along to the chorus.
However, since it was a song by a male artist, Mayumi-san was performing it with a key change. Since I could only sing in the original key, that alone was enough to impress me.
"♪~ ♪~"
I wasn't the only one. A massive stir arose from the stands. At this point, it was already clear that she was on a level beyond just "good." Even if it fit my image of her, the actual performance was a shock. She really was someone who could do anything. Her specs were just too high.
"Whoa... this might be tough for Satsukawa-senpai."
"Mother is amazing, isn't she?"
"Ah... I lost," Natsumi-senpai muttered.
"She’s even better than you, Natsumi."
Everyone was stunned. She sang lightheartedly, without the slightest hint of strain. Her pitch was flawless, and she didn't sound like she was forcing the high notes. It gave the listener a sense of security.
Because it was such a famous song, members of the audience started humming along. During the instrumental breaks, cheers rained down on her. Mayumi-san didn't react much, but she looked like she was perfectly at home on stage.
When she finished, the roar of applause was even louder than it had been during the First Screening. People were whistling and chanting her name.
"Yes! Thank you very much! Wow, that was truly incredible! Your singing ability puts professionals to shame! It was simply brilliant!" Minamin shouted into the mic.
"Nfufu~. Thank you! I have a little bit of confidence in my singing," Mayumi-san replied.
"No, no, that’s way beyond just a 'little bit'! Even Minamin was moved to tears! Everyone in the stands feels the same, right?!"
Another round of applause followed. Mayumi-san bowed with a smile... and then, for some reason, she flashed a peace sign directly at me.
That was going to make us stand out way too much.
"...Hey, isn't that Mayumi-chan?"
"...You thought so too? I recognized her during the grass flute earlier. I’m pretty sure she won the Miss Contest back in the day..."
"...I'll try RAIN-ing the others. Some of the guys from our class should be here."
I thought I heard Mayumi-san’s name from the crowd, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from in the sea of people.
"It seems there are people here who know Mayumi-san," Nishikawa-san whispered.
"It’s not strange for alumni to be at the school festival. In fact, it would be weirder if there were none," Hanako added.
They must have heard it too. So I hadn't misheard. Still...
"Well, even if she’s recognized, it shouldn't be a problem. It’s not like Mayumi-san is trying to win, and my plan won't change either."
At this point, it didn't matter if her identity got out. The contest wouldn't be canceled, and even if she was disqualified, Sara-san’s assignment would continue. Nothing changed for us.
"True. A little noise in the stands won't hurt."
"If it gets out to everyone, it might cause a different kind of commotion, though."
"Hanako-san, don't trigger a flag..."
I just wanted to avoid anything that might mess with what was coming up next.
…………… ……… …
"Yes, thank you very much!"
The eighth contestant finished, and it was finally Sara-san’s turn. Because Mayumi-san had been so good, the people who followed her felt a bit lackluster by comparison. It was a tough act to follow.
"Now then, next is Satsukawa-senpai..."
"Sara’s singing... isn't bad, but..."
"My future wife's singing has its own flavor, so it might actually work in this situation," Hanako teased.
Just as she said, Sara-san’s singing had a unique quality. Combined with her naturally soothing aura, it felt "heartwarming" in a way that Mayumi-san’s professional performance didn't. If that struck a chord with the crowd... well, we didn't actually need to win them over, but it would help in the match against her mother.
"I wonder what Satsukawa-senpai will sing?"
"I know she has a huge repertoire of nursery rhymes, but surely she won't do that here."
"In that case..."
"Maybe... that one?"
"I'd bet on it."
Since Sara-san hadn't even known she’d be singing today, the only song she could probably do on the fly was "that one." Luckily, only one other person had done an anime song so far.
"Now, let’s keep things moving! Next is the one you’ve all been waiting for! The beautiful super heroine Rinka High School is so proud of! After that unexpected talent in the First Screening, here is Sara Satsukawa!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Satsukawa-saaaaaan!"
"Goddess-samaaaaaa!"
The cheers reached a fever pitch. Sara-san walked out calmly, seemingly indifferent to the noise. As usual, she wasn't smiling. In fact, the louder the crowd got, the more cold and unsmiling she became. It was a strange inverse reaction.
She gave a polite bow and stood behind the microphone.
Exactly on cue, the intro began. It wasn't a nursery rhyme, but it was a cute, classic melody that every child in the country knew—the theme song for a legendary anime masterpiece. It was the same one she’d sung at karaoke before. An image of a leaf umbrella sprang to mind.
"♪~"
She wasn't exceptionally skilled. Compared to Mayumi-san, the technical difference was obvious. Even so, Sara-san’s singing had "something" else. It made the listener feel gentle and calm. I was sure everyone in the crowd felt it too.
"♪~"
In the middle of that peaceful atmosphere, a small group suddenly came running into the open space in front of the Front Row Group. A large group of children had appeared. They were jumping and dancing with huge smiles, their voices acting as a chorus for Sara-san’s song.
Then, one of the girls turned around and beamed when she saw me. It was Mio-chan!
"Onii-chaaaaaaaan!"
She slipped through the divider bar and launched a "missile tackle" at me. I caught her with both hands and pulled her into a hug, settling her against my right arm.
"♪~"
Mio-chan began singing the rest of the song at the top of her lungs, looking up at me and laughing. Caught up in her joy, I started singing along with her. Mio-chan’s smile grew even wider as she looked toward the stage.
Following her gaze, I saw Sara-san. She was singing with a radiant smile, looking directly at me and Mio-chan.
"♪~"
The song reached the chorus, and the children’s voices grew louder. The microphones on stage picked them up, creating a beautiful harmony between Sara-san and the kids. Mio-chan sang her heart out, looking at me every few seconds.
Sara-san, the children, Mio-chan, and me. I found myself completely lost in the moment.
Then I looked at the big screen behind the stage. It showed the children singing, and then it cut to Mio-chan being held by me... and me! Some staff members had been filming the front of the crowd.
I also saw Mayumi-san in the wings, singing along happily. When she saw me looking, she gave me a big wave.
"♪~"
The fun moment passed far too quickly. The song reached the final part where the character’s name was repeated, and the music faded out. When the sound died away, Sara-san gave a deep bow—surely to the children.
Then, a roar of applause erupted that was louder than anything that had come before. Even Sara-san looked a bit surprised.
I looked around. Natsumi-senpai, Nishikawa-san... everyone was looking at me and Mio-chan with gentle eyes. Even the Suit Group and the surrounding strangers were smiling at us.
"Fufu. You don't have to be so shy, Takanashi-san. You were very wonderful."
"Papa... I mean, Takanashi-kun, not bad!"
"It was a good chance to show off your better side, Kazunari. Killing two birds with one stone," Hanako teased.
I knew they weren't being mean, but reflecting on what I’d just done... Uwaaaaah, that was so embarrassing! It was broadcasted to the whole school!
"Wow! That was another massive success! The children’s appearance was such a surprise, and the whole crowd ended up singing along! Even Minamin was singing her heart out!"
Minamin sounded genuinely excited. The crowd laughed at her enthusiasm.
"Anyway, Satsukawa-san’s song choice was great, but the Vice President in the front row really stole the show! Singing along while holding a child... he had such a lovely smile! That’s going to earn him high points with the ladies!"
"Wait...!"
Please, stop teasing me! I’m not used to this!
"Fukazawa-san..."
"It’s Minamin, not Fukazawa! And I get it! I’ll stop talking, just please don't look at me with those murderous eyes!"
The moment she saw Minamin tease me, Sara-san’s expression had turned icy. No matter how good her mood was, she would never back down when it came to me. And honestly, I couldn't help but be happy about that.
"Let’s get back to the subject! That was another unexpected turn, but may I ask why you chose that song?" Minamin asked.
"The reason? Well, I’ve almost never been to karaoke, so I didn't have a repertoire of songs to choose from. I can sing plenty of nursery rhymes, but I’ve always loved this anime, and I knew the song by heart. I suppose it was the only one I could really do," Sara-san explained.
"I see! But the fact that you know so many nursery rhymes... is that for playing with children, just like the beanbags?"
"Yes. That is certainly the biggest reason."
"Hmm! As expected of the Number One Girl Everyone Wants to Marry! You’re beautiful, domestic, and you love children! You're practically calculat—no, I’m joking! Please stop making that scary face! I know why, and I promise I won't say it!"
There it was again. I’d been curious since the school broadcast, but between the First Screening and now, it was clear Minamin knew about us.
There seemed to be some kind of understanding or promise between them. I just hoped it wasn't something that would cause trouble for Sara-san later...