Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 219, Section 21: "Doing 'that' in a karaoke bar will get you kicked out."

As soon as I opened the door, the noisy singing from next door rushed into the private room.

Because of its affordable prices, this karaoke bar is a great place for students with limited funds to pass the time. Many high school students visit after school to sing their hearts out during the free time.

After Masumi and Haigetsu came out, she closed the door to quiet the room and her gaze fell on the girl with long flaxen hair.

It was his idea to go to karaoke together this time.

Modern karaoke systems are very convenient, with floor-standing microphone stands that can not only tune instruments but also display specialized sheet music on the main monitor to replace the original scores.

After connecting the karaoke equipment with the equipment cable, the private room becomes a rehearsal room, or even an impromptu live performance.

For them, who are not a professional band, this place is cheaper than renting a rehearsal room, and the environment is more relaxed, so there are no people who are uncomfortable here.

Masumi went to great lengths to create an environment where Kaigetsu could sing.

"...Masumi."

Haiyue called him softly, and he seemed to have accidentally looked too far ahead.

"Oh, sorry, let's go get the drinks."

"Ah."

As Haiyue spoke, she stretched out her hand, revealing her slender wrist through her light blue hoodie. It was as smooth and white as porcelain, hanging weakly in mid-air.

Masumi paused, glancing guiltily at the closed door of the private room, before taking Haiyue's hand.

Even when they were very close, Masumi's white sneakers and Kaizuki's brown leather shoes made it possible to distinguish the different sounds of their footsteps.

"How's this karaoke place?" Masumi asked, as if trying to make conversation.

What he really meant was to ask Haiyue if she was used to such occasions, but sometimes it's not a bad thing to be a little ambiguous in your words.

"Just like the first time I went with Kozue..."

When Haiyue uttered those words, it was like a machine; her voice was flat and emotionless, completely devoid of any inflection.

Masumi noticed that Kaigetsu's wrist was trembling violently, and through the gaps in her flaxen hair, one could see her almost transparent, snow-white skin, creating a beautiful contrast under the warm lights of the karaoke room.

"Because it's a chain store."

He wrapped it in his warm palm and said in a relaxed tone:

"Let's sing together. We've come all this way to karaoke, it would be such a waste not to sing."

"Ah."

Haiyue's expression relaxed, her eyelids twitched slightly, and her thick, long eyelashes fluttered.

The two people took six drinks from the self-service beverage machine, and naturally let go of their hands, holding the plastic tray.

Masumi, Kaigetsu, and Mio all drink orange juice, but unfortunately it's not Arita mandarin oranges from Wakayama; it's just regular concentrated fruit juice.

Back in the private room, the sound from the speakers could be heard, but no one was singing; only Mami was making a racket with a handheld microphone.

"Yo! Let's get hyped up!" She shook a bell in her other hand.

"Sister Mami, this is a karaoke bar, not a dance hall," Chiai reminded her.

"Hey, is Chiai trying to say that I'm only having fun by myself? Well then, I'll share one with you."

"No, that's not what I meant..."

Without saying a word, Mami shoved a maracas into Chiai's hands.

"Alright, alright, when Chia isn't singing, you can be the atmosphere-maker with me."

"Hmm." The childhood sweetheart sighed, then gently swung the maracas without spoiling the mood.

Asami waved her hands, swaying her body to the rhythm of the flashing disco ball and the music, looking like she was having a great time.

In front of her was a pile of fried food and snacks: pizza, fries, a fried chicken platter, and two enormous hamburgers that were impossible to look away from.

The hamburger buns were round and plump, swaying slightly in the sound waves of the karaoke room.

Masumi sighed in surprise and said, "I didn't expect you to be the most excited person."

Upon hearing this, Mami's expression suddenly darkened, and her low, sighing tone seemed to gently touch upon memories:
"Because, when I was a student, I really wanted to have a party with my friends at a karaoke bar."

"Eh."

Shaken by her gloomy expression, Masumi hesitated to say something, only to see Mami's mischievous expression.

"Hehehe, I fooled Masumi-kun."

Seeing that smug expression, Masumi felt a vein throb on her forehead, unable to contain her anger.
She actually took advantage of other people's empathy; I really want to spank her.

"Don't just stand there, Masumi-kun, this most prestigious seat is for you."

She patted the spot not far from her with her snow-white soles.

"Was the seat near the door originally the seat of honor?"

"The seat closest to the toilet for easy escape is definitely the best seat," Mami said matter-of-factly.

"Not only do other people not care about this place when they are singing, but if someone hands you the microphone, you can also use it as an excuse to go to the bathroom."

"You speak so eloquently, is this really your first time here?"

"It's my first time," Mami muttered. "After I joined the culinary research club in high school, the upperclassmen said they wanted to throw me a welcome party and we'd go to karaoke. I even looked up some tips online for socially awkward people going to karaoke for the first time, and I even went to scout out some karaoke spots near the station a day in advance, but..."

"The result?" Qian'ai was a girl with a strong sense of curiosity.

"It turned out that one of the senior students had a karaoke machine at home, and their focus didn't seem to be on singing, but rather on preparing party food."

At this point, Mami sighed sadly.

"Oh, Mami-nee has such a past."

For a moment, Chiai looked stunned, but then perked up and said, "It's okay, Mami-nee, let's enjoy the karaoke to our hearts' content today!"

"Yes, thank you everyone, I'm so touched."

Asami gently wiped away non-existent hot tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.

"...You still have a sticky line hanging from the corner of your mouth," Masumi reminded him, ruining the mood.

Asami stopped acting instantly, stretched her leg to Masumi's waist, pried open the gap between him and the sofa, and pushed him unhappily.

At the same time, stick out your pink tongue and roll the stretchy cheese into your mouth.

Masumi sighed and reached out to grab the toes that were trying to tickle her.

“Then I’ll sing first,” he said, holding the microphone.

"Huh? Shouldn't Little Moon be the one singing?"

Mami's face turned slightly red, probably because Masumi was pinching her sensitive toes, but the dim, flickering light of the karaoke room concealed it all.

"Before the popular bands take the stage, there are always a few second-rate bands warming up the crowd, right?" Masumi said with a lighthearted self-deprecating tone.

“How can Masumi be considered second-rate?” Kurokawa Mio immediately disagreed, frowning as she said, “She should be called Heavenly Music.”

Looking into Mio's stubborn eyes, something inside Masumi seemed to fly away like sand.

"...Masumi? What song did you choose?"

Seeing Rinne holding a remote control and tilting her head like a little bird to ask her a question, Masumi unconsciously scratched her hair.

"Oh, "Black い涙"."

"I see."

Rinne manipulated the remote control, and soon a hard guitar intro began, accompanied by the sound of drumsticks striking cymbals.

Before the vocals came in, Haiyue began, "This is... a girl's song..."

"Oh, yeah."

Not quite understanding what Haiyue meant, Masumi gave a blank reply, as if she was simply stating a fact.

“…I’ve wanted to ask this for a while now.” Mami wondered, “Masumi-kun seems to prefer songs sung by female lead singers. It turns out the band’s songs are also in high pitch.”

"Huh? You mean this?"

Masumi, a beat slower, understood what Kaigetsu meant and explained, "My vocal range is naturally very high. Before I studied vocal music, I could barely sing up to E4 in my natural voice, so the songs I sing are also very high-pitched."

"As for song selection, it's just a matter of personal preference, and the karaoke equipment can also be keyed."

"Can boys...sing girls' songs?"

Haiyue tilted her head, unaware of what was going on. Her blue eyes, bathed in the flickering lights of the private room, blinked, as if hiding something else.

"Of course," Masumi answered without hesitation, having no reason to doubt such a question.

The monitor was showing fireworks over the Tamagawa River and a picture of a girl's profile on the train.

Rinne seemed to have requested the anime's ending theme, which has a long intro before the vocals begin. Taking advantage of this time, he added, "You can sing as much as you want—ah (a)..."

Masumi hastily continued with the first line of the lyrics:
There have been countless nights when I prayed that tomorrow would never come again.
Having lost my dreams and love, I wept incessantly, letting the heavy rain lash down on me.
……
"Wow, wow, wow~"

Asami and Chia were shaking maracas, while the atmosphere team worked hard on the sidelines.

But she still can't compare to Kurokawa Mio.

She stared intently at Masumi, shaking her maracas and bells like a fervent fan promoting a product.

If Masumi had chosen to become an underground male idol when she went to Tokyo, she would definitely be the ultimate fan who never missed a single live performance or handshake event and would give her the full amount of her monthly salary.

Even if you cry out desperately with black tears streaming down your face, the unfamiliar tomorrow will still arrive.

Because she hadn't sung for so long, even with her excellent vocal abilities, Masumi couldn't sing as freely as she had when she was in a band before, and her voice sounded somewhat strained and hoarse.

However, it doesn't seem out of place in the context of this song.

When she finished singing the last line of the lyrics, Masumi put down the microphone, exhausted, her bangs sticking to her forehead with sweat.

I heard applause coming from the sofa opposite me; it was Kurokawa Mio who excitedly stood up and clapped.

"That was absolutely amazing, Masumi." Kurokawa Mio said, her eyes filled with tears. "She portrayed the pain and inner turmoil of a woman heartbroken so perfectly. As expected of Masumi!"

"I can understand how Mio feels, but it's too loud, it's almost drowning out the accompaniment."

Rinne spoke with her usual indifference, then asked casually, "Mio really feels that way?"

"The one who should truly empathize is Rinne, who will be experiencing this soon."

Kurokawa Mio retorted sharply, but after a moment, she seemed to realize something and quickly changed her tune:
"No, I won't even let you experience that feeling."

That would mean she has to tolerate Rinne and Masumi dating! Absolutely not!
"so."

Rinne said casually, her long, beautiful legs, tightly wrapped in women's jeans, dangling down the sofa.

"Next, it's my turn to sing, 'Motokare'."

(Note: This refers to an ex-boyfriend)

"Wait a minute, I was planning to have a sweet duet of 'Den-tsu no Uta' with Masumi."

Ignoring Kurokawa Mio's gloomy face, Rinne's clear, cool voice rang out in the private room—

Back then, you were everything; it was only after time passed that I finally realized...
Perhaps it's because this is the first time I've experienced the pain and longing of love.

I'll look up from the street corner because your room light is still on.
I'm happily together with someone important to me now.
……
Relaxing your ears is the best way to enjoy music.

The karaoke machine was very loud; the electric shock-like vibrations pierced my eardrums, sending a shiver down my spine.

Kurokawa Mio sat silently on the sofa, downed the entire glass of orange juice in one gulp, and then slammed it hard on the table as if she were about to smash a glass.

Then, in a low, terrifying voice, he murmured, "...Why don't we just take Masumi down right here?"

"Mio-neechan, doing that kind of thing at a karaoke bar will get you kicked out."

After Chiai's trembling reminder, Kurokawa Mio suddenly cast a sharp glance at her, startling the childhood friend into trembling and shrinking towards Mami.

Will the happiness that is both lovely and nostalgic continue on its own?
Finally, I can pray for your happiness in the afterlife.
Then, turning her face to Rinne, who was singing, she said irritably, "Don't go overboard and arbitrarily change the lyrics!"

(Note: The pronunciations of "Rinmai" and "Rinne" are similar.)
"...I wasn't familiar with the lyrics, I just sang it wrong." Rinne said lightly as she put down the microphone.

"If that's the case, then don't sing this kind of song!" Kurokawa Mio said through gritted teeth, releasing her emotions. "Also, isn't there a prompt on the monitor?"

"...Who's next to sing?"

Rinne casually changed the subject.

"I."

Haiyue raised her hand.

"Hey, is Haiyue ready?"

"Ah."

The jellyfish girl nodded slightly.

Thinking she would need to prepare for a while, Masumi handed her microphone to Kaigetsu.

Even when there are only a few people in the coffee shop, she can still sing beautifully with ease.

It was probably the same when I was in Wakayama.

Your right hand is poking my cheek.

My left hand is holding that warm mug.
The song burst forth from the depths of his throat.

Masumi's eyes reflected the image of Kaigetsu holding the microphone in both hands.

He looked at it for a while, then lowered his head, gripped the rim of the glass, and stared intently at the water droplets that sparkled like rubies and sapphires, straining his ears to try and understand the moon's presence.

Even just one, a peony that never fades.

I only wish to touch your heart and give you a happiness that allows you to forget your innermost feelings.
For some reason, her throat felt so hot. A rush of air swept through Haiyue's throat, and the heat that surged up slowly eroded her body, her wavering emotions choking her airways.

I couldn't breathe, and I just wanted to let it all out, no matter what.

Because my speech is usually fragmented and weak, I can only express myself through singing.

One is enough, even if you don't know left or right and forget everything.
It's like being alone in the dark, experiencing a profound sense of silence and solitude.

If you could tell me one of them

The melodious voice kept resonating in Masumi's ears.

The song Haiyue sings is called "Left and Right Blindness," which refers to a condition where one cannot distinguish between left and right, and may also be unable to identify directions.

Colorless and transparent, without a heart, the jellyfish has no expectations and doesn't want anyone to understand it; it simply keeps its distance.

Although she knew in her heart that this was the only way to avoid getting hurt, Haiyue still held that person's hand.

Even a ray of sunshine, just a ray of sunshine piercing the darkness.

May it shine into your heart
Haiyue gazed silently at Masumi, her narrow, blue-green pupils seeing only Masumi.

Peel your heart away from me, bit by bit, and entrust it to you.
I give you my whole heart, everything.
I'll take the ruby ​​from the sword hilt and give it to you, then I'll take the sapphire from these eyes and give it to you.

Just set this broken lead heart aside.
The instrumental music stopped, leaving only the very light and delicate sound of plucking strings. The lyrics slid across the tip of the tongue, and the singing at the end sounded as if someone had accidentally revealed their true feelings.

Your heart, and my heart
I've always felt that we are each other's other half.

……
The song is over.

"Great."

As always, Mami and Chia, the two members of the atmosphere duo, clapped enthusiastically, with Mami having a cold French fry in her mouth.

Because the song is quite lyrical, the two of them didn't shake the maracas just now.

"Haiyue sang very well, the transition in the chorus was perfect." Qianai praised frankly.

Masumi nodded and sighed, "I wish I could perform this perfectly in the recording studio."

It seems his incorrigible nature has resurfaced.

Such a moving voice made Masumi want to do everything she could to support it, just like Mio's koto music, it would be a shame if it couldn't shine.

"I will...try my best..."

In order to stay in Masumi's world, Kaigetsu decides to do everything in her power.

"Yes, I believe in Haiyue."

A few strands of flaxen hair clung to the girl's cheeks, and Rinne reached out and gently brushed them away.

Only Kurokawa Mio remained silent, her delicate lips pressed into a line of displeasure.

Haiyue's singing voice is very beautiful, but I always feel uncomfortable with it.

Why? It's like having your crush being showered with declarations of love from several girls right in front of you.

As a keyboardist, I couldn't hold the microphone properly; it felt like I could only stand by and watch silently. It was just...

enough!

Even if I tell you this or that

And all I'll get in return is the response, "Why do you love me?"

If it's just for fun, everything is easy; but if it's serious, it becomes a mess.
When do you plan to stop using those unexpected, flippant (or heavy) words?

Inside the karaoke room, Kurokawa Mio's hoarse, desperate singing voice rang out, as if she were venting her frustration.

(End of this chapter)