I really don't want to be reborn.

"I don't recall seeing that name. Is she very famous?"

"Yes, it's very famous and the music is great. I remember the singer is—"

"Yuki Morikawa's name appeared on the screen."

Xiao Lan nodded and said, "Yes, that's the girl. Do you remember her, brother? She was very popular back then. My mom was a fan of hers."

"Um, my mom's idol is Rina Ogata."

Hearing his words, Setsuna, who was singing, turned around and glared at him fiercely, her eyes conveying the clear message that she was Yuki's ally.

Kosaka retorted without backing down: "Actually, I'm also a Rina supporter."

Look, look!

They started tearing each other apart!

These two people inexplicably started fighting over two idol singers from more than ten or twenty years ago!

Since it was her birthday, Kyosuke Kosaka didn't argue with her and quietly sat next to Ran, watching Setsuna Ogiso, the karaoke queen, show off.

However, it must be said...

Her singing voice is really beautiful.

Although I already knew this girl would become an idol singer in college, her voice in high school was different from her college voice, so it's worth appreciating.

How to describe Setsuna's voice?

It's gentleness, a serious gentleness, combined with her focused and gentle appearance, along with the equally gentle melody and poignant lyrics, that creates a strange and unique attraction.

This song always reminds me of snowy days.

Very good, he thought Setsuna sang just right.

It's so good that not saying it is better than saying it is better.

"Clap clap clap..."

After the song ended, everyone applauded enthusiastically. Setsuna's friends cheered and hugged her tightly, looking very happy.

The girl with twin ponytails laughed triumphantly, then glared at him angrily: "I just heard Kosaka say that she's from the Rina faction, so please sing a song to show your support."

Kosaka waved his hand: "Please let me go."

"no!"

He wanted to find someone to speak up for him, and when he looked around, he found that a group of people seemed to be waiting for him to speak, even Xiaolan, with her bright eyes.

How about "Sound of Destiny"?

"Oh, so you really are a Rina fan... No problem!"

How good is Kyosuke Kousaka's singing?

Like I said before, it's neither good nor bad, just a little bit of that, really.

He was quite familiar with this song, and in addition, he had a very good voice, which could be deep and powerful, or high and flamboyant, with almost no flaws in its structure.

"One more song! One more... 'The Villainess'!"

"No, I don't want this!"

Kyosuke resolutely refused, and after sitting on the sofa and drinking a glass of juice, he realized that Ran had been persuaded by several girls to request a song.

"Wow, you're amazing! I never expected a guy to sing like that. Is there really nothing Kousaka-kun can't do?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Setsuna, you've been very naughty today."

"No, no, I'm not Setsuna today."

Confused, he heard Setsuna Ogiso make a face and say, "Today I'm the singing goddess!"

"Wow, this person's skin is incredibly thick."

She sat beside him, her hands folded over her lap.

Well-behaved and dignified.

"Is this how you behave?"

"A mere facade doesn't count."

The girl lowered her head, biting her lip, and leaned slightly closer: "How about I do what Ran does—onii-chan, am I a good girl?"

"Okay, it would be even better if you stuck your tongue out and made a funny face."

"Is that Kirino sticking out her tongue and making a face? I don't want to!"

She made a "hey" sound and gently punched his head with her little fist. She was incredibly naughty, completely different from the well-behaved girl she usually was, yet she exuded an unimaginable cuteness.

Kyosuke Kosaka, as if possessed, reached out and grabbed her little fist.

With a slight twist.

"ah!"

The girl gasped softly, almost falling into his arms. If she hadn't pressed her other hand against his chest in a moment of panic, they would have been pressed together by now.

Kyosuke Kosaka stared at her blankly.

Ogiso Setsuna's face, so close to mine, was filled with surprise and embarrassment. I released my breath, and I could almost hear her soft panting.

She was looking at him too.

The seventeen-year-old boy had delicate features and a bewildered look in his eyes. The deep sense of vicissitude that he had shown when they first met seemed to slowly dissipate from his brow, replaced by a myriad of emotions.

That doesn't belong to me...

She made this self-deprecating remark, and the two separated after less than two seconds of contact, without anyone else noticing.

The Valentine's Day birthday celebration ended with Setsuna and her friends leaving Chiba and giving a speech.

Before leaving, Setsuna suddenly turned around and said, "Kousaka Kyosuke, hello there!"

He paused for a moment, then smiled sincerely: "Very good, I'm getting better every day."

On this day, it is necessary to re-evaluate ourselves.

------

Ah, it hurts so much.

Chapter Sixteen: Those Flowers Blooming at the Ends of the Earth are Called Memories

It was nearly 9 p.m., and the corridor was quiet before the lights were turned off.

The moon slanted in through the window.

The moon isn't very round. Even though this is in the United States, the moon isn't necessarily very round in foreign countries.

Some thin shadows fell on the bulletin board.

I'm at the bottom again today, how awful.

She slowly walked out of the corridor, sat down on the steps at the front door, and looked up at the winter sky.

The moonlight was dim.

This is a large venue in the suburbs of the city, with little industrial pollution or smog, and even the light pollution common in Japan is absent, allowing you to easily appreciate the vastness and clarity of the sky.

However, the world beneath this dim curtain appears even more desolate.

Looking somewhat forlorn, Kirino Kousaka gazed at the distant sky. The weariness of living far from home did not affect her expression at all; the exhaustion remained buried deep within her heart.

The winter wind was strong, howling past. In the dim light, she could clearly see dust mixed with leaves being swept into the air, sometimes bobbing, sometimes gathering and dispersing, leaving the roads deserted and desolate.

After sitting like that for a while, the moon disappeared, and it gradually started to rain—a bone-chilling winter rain.

Kirino is in a daze.

It's also about recalling things that have never been said aloud.

Inside a coffee shop in Akihabara, the dark-skinned man dressed in Gothic Lolita fashion whispered to her, "Your brother actually likes you, the kind of liking you want, you know that?"

That happened while my brother was in Nagasaki.

She leaned against the wall, recalling the turbulent emotions she had felt then, but now they didn't even cause a ripple, as if all the intense feelings had receded like the tide in an instant.

After saying that, the black cat looked at its own face, which was filled with ecstasy, with a conflicted expression: "But... he doesn't seem to understand his feelings."

The tone was so serious that Kirino held her breath.

“Listen, the only thing I’m certain of is that your brother, Kyosuke Kousaka, had those feelings and affections for you… or rather, for you in the past.”

"You, how could you—"

"That was an unexpected accident. His expression was like that of someone who was suddenly awakened from a dream, but his face was more pale than ever before."

You must have been stunned when you first heard this news.

She closed her eyes and recalled the details of the black cat's words. She was certain that she hadn't made a sound, not even a breath.

It was as if she and the black cat had discovered the great secret that Meruru had stepped out of the screen and come to this world, and discovered a truth that could not be told to others.

But why can't his brother understand his feelings for him?

He has an incredibly high emotional intelligence, and can easily understand and utilize anything—so why can't he understand his own feelings?

As she walked back to her dorm room, the door to her double room was opened, and a flood of lights engulfed Kirino, piercing the cold darkness and bathing her in soft light.

From head to toe, shoulders, waist, forming a graceful curve, her usually gentle or cheerful face now only showed some loneliness and longing, which seemed within reach in the light.

"Kirino, why aren't you coming in yet? Did you get soaked from going out?"

Her elementary school roommate looked at her with a puzzled expression. She was a genuine elementary school student, and also the fastest elementary school student in the world. Young Leah Hagrid could not understand the girl's complicated thoughts.

But she thinks Kirino is very... very pretty now.

The girl's innocence and confusion, along with that bittersweet longing, made her suddenly realize how beautiful her cool roommate was.

"Lia-chan, do you think I'm really useless?"

"Uh...no, I don't think so."

Leah scratched her cheek: "Are you worried about your running results? I heard from the coach that you have a problem with your mentality and that you should take a few days off."