Chapter 15 Heat Field

The lighting inside was very dim, making it nearly impossible to make out people's faces.

The roars and noise that had been faintly heard outside the door were traced back to a visual kei band performing on stage. Each member had long hair, wore flamboyant outfits, and had their faces painted white, playing their instruments with excessive force and exaggeration.

The roaring came from the lead singer in the center of the stage, who was using a unique vocal technique to produce a sound like that of a devil from hell.

The dim, occasionally flickering lights also created a dark and terrifying atmosphere.

Ayakoji Chiyoko didn't see what was so interesting about such a flamboyant and crazy performance, yet, upon closer inspection, there were unexpectedly many spectators in the venue—at least over a hundred people, packed tightly together, wildly headbanging and screaming to the rhythm of the music to the extent one might wonder if they would break their necks.

This was clearly not a place for ordinary high school students.

"Here's your drink!"

Kagura Hikaru came over with a Coke and handed it to the mesmerized Ayakoji Chiyoko, having to shout in her ear to be heard over the music.

She quickly snapped back to reality, shook her head, and quickly typed on her phone before turning it around for Kagura Hikaru to see.

It read — "I'm not thirsty. You drink the Coke."

Understanding this was a makeshift way to communicate amid the noise, Kagura Hikaru also took out his phone, typed a message, and showed it to Ayakoji Chiyoko.

Kagura Hikaru: "The ticket here is actually a drink voucher. Just think of it as coming with the purchase."

Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Okay, how much?"

Kagura Hikaru: "Five thousand yen."

Ayakoji Chiyoko took out the money and paid Kagura Hikaru in cash. Then she felt entitled to drink her beverage as she scanned her surroundings, roughly understanding the kind of place this was.

—The band was still performing on stage, visible to anyone not blind.

So the so-called live house was simply a venue for indoor concerts.

It was just noisy.

After watching for a while, she felt Kagura Hikaru tap her shoulder. Ayakoji Chiyoko turned her head, and he pointed to his phone screen.

Kagura Hikaru: "I'm going on stage soon. Find a place to stay put."

Going on stage?

So the supposed after-school activity was a live show; no wonder he had brought his guitar.

Ayakoji Chiyoko was somewhat interested.

She hadn't known Kagura Hikaru had such a talent.

She watched him move through the crowd and leave. Turning, Ayakoji Chiyoko found a relatively less crowded corner, leaned against the wall, bit her straw, and selectively tuned out the noise from the stage while patiently waiting.

Her arrival drew some attention.

Here, a beautiful girl in a school uniform undoubtedly stood out because whether true students or adults, few wore school uniforms to a live house unless it was a costume.

In such a place, everyone wanted to appear a bit more mature.

Kagura Hikaru could have warned her but chose not to.

This was the unease he intended to create for Ayakoji Chiyoko; in such an unstable environment, he was the only familiar element, leveraging a psychological illusion similar to the 'suspension bridge effect' to quickly close the distance.

In the case of Ayakoji Chiyoko, whose emotional barriers were as strong as city walls, establishing a friendship in a short time could only rely on such sneaky tactics, although the chances of them working were extremely low.

But trying didn't cost anything.

And sure enough, Ayakoji Chiyoko had long been used to being stared at wherever she went and didn't mind at all, even casually checking her phone amidst the blasting music, completely ignoring the performance onstage.

The band on stage concluded their performance by flashing rock hand signs, sticking their tongues out at the audience, and spitting fake blood.

Fortunately, they didn't spit on the floor, otherwise the staff here would definitely teach them a lesson.

Not long after they left the stage, another band came on to take their place, setting up their equipment and tuning their instruments with the help of the staff.

This interval served as an intermission, during which the audience took the opportunity to relax and began chatting and laughing with their companions.

It was then that Ayakoji Chiyoko lifted her head. She immediately recognized the man on stage with the lake-blue electric guitar, tuning his pedals while wearing a mask, as Kagura Hikaru.

With his black mask on, only his eyes were visible, hidden under slightly long bangs, which significantly reduced his presence.

However, the calm aura he emitted was not something easily imitated.

Standing silently adjusting the equipment on stage, appearing focused yet indifferent, he was strikingly similar to Ayakoji Chiyoko who had been ignoring everyone else while playing with her phone just moments before.

Soon, the other members of the band gradually joined him on stage.

They were dressed similarly to Kagura Hikaru, all in dark "landmine-style" outfits, though not as hardcore as the previous band.

About five minutes later, after all the equipment and tuning had been tested, the performance officially began.

The last to take the stage, the band's lead singer, a man in his twenties, stepped forward to adjust the microphone and spoke softly, "Please enjoy our original song 'one fourth'."

After briefly announcing the song title, a restless melody immediately followed, with thundering drum beats raining down on the audience's faces. The rapid strumming that instantly occurred made hairs stand on end and hearts beat faster, compelling the audience to nod and tap their feet involuntarily to the rhythm.

Then, the lead singer began to sing.

White backlight instantly illuminated all the members, with the music behind them suddenly turning up the volume, fiercely and unexpectedly intense, like a train racing ahead, plunging into the climactic section of the tune right after the intro.

"Oh oh oh oh!!!"

The audience's suppressed excitement also erupted, transforming into gasps and screams.

This was also the reason this band didn't waste time chatting before starting their set, commonly known as "warming up the crowd."

Ensuring that the atmosphere heats up within one song is not an easy task and seriously tests the lead singer's stage presence and the quality of the song.

Although Ayakoji Chiyoko was an amateur from her perspective, it was clear that the band on stage was very impressive, far superior to the visual kei band that had performed earlier.

The intense yet organized playing, beautiful melodies and lyrics, the lead singer's unique and clean high notes, and the seamless cooperation of the five-member band kept lifting the atmosphere to the ceiling without any sign of dropping.

Ayakoji Chiyoko even thought they possessed professional-level skills.

Indeed, she lacked professional musical taste, but being able to give that impression was enough to attest to the high level of the band.

And for Kagura Hikaru, a high school student, to blend in without falling behind—no, to say he was almost the second lead of the band besides the lead singer!

There were two guitarists on stage, but the most complex guitar parts were all performed by Kagura Hikaru.

Ayakoji Chiyoko knew that in rock music there are 'rhythm guitar' and 'lead guitar' sounds, the latter being more difficult and complex, so it is typically played by the band's best guitarist.

Kagura Hikaru must have been the lead guitarist.

In other words, he was considered the best guitarist in the band.

If this band possessed professional-level skills, then Kagura Hikaru's skills were probably not far off either.

Heh, such a strong ability to play, yet he had never been heard to join any music clubs. Was it because he didn't want to play with those kids, or did he simply prefer the outside atmosphere?

Experiencing a different side of Kagura Hikaru on stage, Ayakoji Chiyoko found herself increasingly intrigued by him, with a slight change in the color of her gaze.

The band's vibrant performance enthralled the audience.

In the deafening metal music, Ayakoji Chiyoko incidentally caught some interesting noise from two spectators.