"Unleashing My Inner Star: Karaoke Debut"

Haru asked, "Do you wanna hang out somewhere?"

I shook my head. "I don't want to."

He sighed. "Come on, let's hang out. You never go out with anyone."

Before I could respond, Sanako suddenly appeared.

"Lemme come with you guys!" she said with a sly smile. "I can come, can't I? Right, Tanaka-kun?"

I narrowed my eyes. I knew exactly what she was planning—she wasn't even trying to pretend anymore.

She turned to Haru. "Can I tag along too? Can't I, um… Hara-kun?"

I didn't hesitate. "You see, I'm not going."

Haru frowned. "Huh? No, you're coming. It doesn't matter if you don't want to. If I say you're coming, that means you are!"

I said nothing. They knew that whenever I stayed silent, it meant yes.

With that, it was decided—Haru and Sayoko were coming along. But then, I noticed Kane, my neighbor, looking troubled.

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you wanna come too?"

She crossed her arms. "Of course, idiot. I was waiting for you to ask."

I picked up my bag and started leaving the classroom. Haru, Sayoko, and Kane had already walked ahead. But just as I was about to follow them, I heard a voice sneer behind me.

"Ew, so creepy. Why would they hang out with a guy like him?"

I froze. My feet felt heavy, as if they were chained to the floor. The words clung to me, suffocating.

But then—she came for me.

Kane grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. "If you can't endure your suffering, then I'll take half of it."

Without another word, she led me out of the classroom. The weight in my chest lightened, even if just a little.

Outside, both Haru and Sayoko were waiting, smiling as we walked toward them.

 I wondered about these feelings—they were warm, unfamiliar. I had never felt anything like this before. But… for whom were these feelings? What exactly was I feeling? And what was going to happen next?

With no answers, I found myself lost in thought.

We left school, and as planned, we headed to Kakore. It was my first time going to a karaoke place, but the others seemed to know how everything worked.

The venue was near the train station. As we entered, we approached the reception desk.

"How many people?" the receptionist asked.

"Four," Haru replied.

"For how long?"

"Around two hours."

With that, we were given a room.

The walls were thin, allowing faint echoes of other groups singing nearby. The place offered bottomless drinks, a simple soda and ice cream bar, costumes for themed performances, and a variety of food. It was all new to me—this whole experience of going out like this.

"What songs do they have?" Sayoko asked, scanning the menu.

"Pretty much everything," Kane replied. "They've got Korean, Japanese, and popular American pop songs… even some old classics! I usually sing Disney songs, Utada Hikaru, and a few anime openings."

I ordered some fries, while the others picked out different snacks. Before long, our food and drinks arrived.

"Why don't we start with a song?" Sayoko suggested, excitement evident in her voice.

I knew everyone would agree—after all, that's what we came here for.

"Fine by me," Sayoko muttered.

"Of course, Yuki-kun, you have to play too!" Kane added, turning to me.

"What? Why do I have to?" I frowned.

"Because you just have to!" she insisted.

And just like that, I was dragged into their game.

"That leaves only me! Let's all do it together," Haru said excitedly.

We all nodded, and with a quick round of rock-paper-scissors… Haru won.

"Uh… looks like I won," he said, blinking in surprise.

Sayoko and Kane exchanged glances, clearly unsatisfied.

"Well, nothing we can do now," Sayoko sighed.

"Seems like it," Kane muttered, arms still crossed.

Haru grinned and picked a song. He chose Don't Cry—the ending song from Hakuouki Otogisoushi. As the intro played, he took a deep breath and, in a dramatic voice, sang the first words:

"HAI! YOU! TIME LIMIT!"

The room fell silent for a second—then we all burst out laughing.

"Yummiest ya forever yeah…" Haru sang dramatically, finishing his song.

Sayoko and Kane, who had completely forgotten about their earlier argument, started clapping enthusiastically. Seeing them, I realized I should probably do the same, so I joined in.

When the song ended, we all applauded.

"Come on, guys, I'm not even that great," Haru said with an exaggerated sigh, then smirked. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. I shall accept your hands of applause!" he added, striking a proud pose.

"You didn't sing that well, to be honest," Kane teased with a playful grin.

"Well, Kane-san, you did speak the truth," Sayoko added, smirking.

Haru turned to them, feigning offense. "You guys are terrible!" But then he laughed, and soon, we were all laughing together.

As time passed, they kept singing, and our food finally arrived. While they enjoyed their performances, I kept myself busy with drinks and snacks, quietly watching them.

Then Kane suddenly turned to me. "Yuki-kun, why do you think we came here?"

I looked at her. "For singing, I believe?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you so quiet?"

I hesitated. "Well, you see… um… I don't know how to sing!"

Kane scoffed. "Huh? You think Tanaka-kun knew how to sing before?"

Haru gasped dramatically. "That hurts, Kane-san. Truly."

Sayoko smirked. "That's true, but Yuki, I know better than anyone how well you can sing!"

My heart skipped a beat. "Why would you say that, you idiot?!" I blurted out without thinking.

Kane and Haru both looked at me in shock.

"Wait, Yuki? The hell? Why didn't you tell me?!" Kane asked, her expression a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

I was stunned. My mind raced for an excuse.

Ah, um—you see…" I stammered, trying to come up with an excuse.

But Kane cut me off. "I don't care about your excuses. Sing. Right now!"

I turned to Sayoko, giving her a glare that, if translated into words, would mean: "Meet me outside. We need to talk."

"Hey! Will you stop glaring at her already?" Kane huffed. "Just sing!"

Haru grinned. "That's right, Yuki! You have to sing for us!"

And just like that, I was trapped. There was no way out. They had ganged up on me.

Feeling the pressure, I sighed in defeat. "Fine…"

I grabbed my drink, taking a few sips to relax my throat. Then, with a deep breath, I picked up the microphone and started singing:

Baby, don't think twice, na-na.

One second can change your life, na-na.

So shoot with your heart…

And don't think twice…

As I sang, I wasn't sure if I was nervous or something else entirely. My voice wavered at first, but as the melody carried me, something inside me loosened.

Am I drunk or am I dreamin'? (Am I dreamin'?)

'Cause, babe, I've never seen this clear (before)…

The room grew quiet. Even Kane, Sayoko, and Haru, who had been teasing me moments ago, just watched.

For the first time in a long while… I felt something different.

 With that, I was done.

Kane and Haru stood frozen, their expressions a mix of shock and awe. The entire room had fallen silent.

Breaking the stillness, Sayoko grinned. "See? Told you he sings so well. That's my childhood friend for you!"

Kane's eyes practically sparkled as she spoke. "H-How can you sing that good? Yuki, why didn't you ever tell me? I—I'm too stunned to say anything, but wow, you're something else!"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a little embarrassed. "You think so? I mean… it's not something I'm proud of, but I guess I should say thank you, Kane."

"Wait a sec! What did you just call me?"

"No, ah—I didn't mean to—"

"No excuses!" Kane smirked. "From now on, you have to call me by my first name.

I sighed. "Fine… if you don't mind, then I'll call you by your first name."

Haru and Sayoko groaned in sync. "Guys, will y'all stop flirting?"

I immediately defended myself. "No one is flirting with anyone!"

Kane pouted slightly but nodded, and before we knew it, time had slipped away.

A knock on the door interrupted us. A staff member stepped in. "Would you like to extend your session?"

After a quick discussion, we agreed on an extra hour. I turned back to the staff. "We'll extend for one more hour."

"Understood!" They left, and the focus immediately shifted to Sayoko.

Kane smirked. "You're the only one left, Sayoko. Time to sing."

Sayoko grinned confidently. "Of course! I sing way better than everyone here!" She shot me a playful look. "Well… maybe not everyone~"

I chuckled. "Then less talking, more singing, don't you think?"

Sayoko started singing, and just like that, the extra hour slipped away in laughter and music.

A staff member knocked on the door. "Your time is up."

We settled the bill, handed over the extra money, and stepped out into the cool evening air.

Kane and Haru headed off in their own directions, leaving just Sayoko and me to walk home together—like always.

As we strolled down the quiet street, Sayoko broke the silence. "So… what's the deal with you and Kane-San?"

Her voice carried a hint of curiosity, but there was something else beneath it—something I couldn't quite place.

 I replied, what do you mean?

 She said, "No, you started calling her Kane" while being jealous.

"Ah, it was nothing, I guess she wanted to permit me to call her Kane. See how everyone treats her by her given name and not her family name?

"Well, I guess it's true after all and no one calls her".