Chapter 31: The Official Vocalist

Yuna's POV

The silence stretches between us. I feel Kai watching me, waiting. I hate how patient he is, how he never pushes too hard—but just enough to make it impossible to ignore.

I stare at my hands, the condensation from my drink making my fingers damp. My heartbeat is annoyingly loud in my ears.

"...Fine. I'll try."

The moment I said it, I want to take it back.

My fingers tighten around the drink in my hand as the weight of what I just agreed to settles in.

Kai, for once, doesn't smirk. He just watches me, his expression unreadable. "Yeah?"

I exhale, forcing myself to nod. "Yeah."

A slow smile spreads across his face—not his usual smug one, but something softer. Like he actually expected me to say no but hoped anyway.

"Alright," he says, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Then let's do it after hours in the clubroom. Just us. No pressure."

I blink. "What?"

"You don't have to start in front of the whole band," he says, like it's the most logical thing in the world.

"It's just gonna be you and me. No audience, no expectations."

I hesitated.

Singing in front of the band is terrifying. But being alone with Kai, just the two of us in the clubroom, is a different kind of terrifying.

Still, the alternative is worse.

I let out a slow breath. "...Okay."

Kai grins. "See? That wasn't so hard."

I scowl. "You're really pushing your luck."

"You keep saying that," he says, standing up and brushing nonexistent dust off his jeans, "but you still agreed."

I sighed, tilting my head up toward the sky.

I can't believe I just did that.

Monday came too fast.

The whole day, I tried not to think about what was waiting for me after school, but it was impossible. Even without Kai in my classes, the thought of our so-called 'private test' lingered in the back of my mind.

Every time I passed him in the hall or saw him lounging around during lunch, he'd just shoot me that same easy, knowing look—like he knew I was overthinking.

And maybe I was.

But that didn't change the fact that I was about to do something I swore I'd never do.

When the last bell rang, my stomach was a mess of knots. I took my time packing up, half-hoping Kai would forget. Maybe something urgent would come up. Maybe the music room would suddenly be cursed and we wouldn't be able to go in.

Unfortunately, the universe wasn't that kind.

By the time I stepped out of my classroom, Kai was already waiting by the stairs, leaning against the railing like he had all the time in the world. He caught sight of me and grinned.

"Ready?"

No. Absolutely not. But I forced myself to nod anyway.

Kai didn't say anything else, which somehow made it worse. If he had teased me or made a joke, I could've scowled and complained. But instead, he just started walking, and I followed—like this was completely normal.

Like my legs weren't made of lead.

The school hallways were quieter now, with most students heading home or to their clubs. My heart pounded louder with every step. By the time we reached the music room, I felt like turning around and bolting.

Kai unlocked the door, pushed it open, and gestured inside. "After you."

I gave him a flat look. "You want me to run away, don't you?"

He just laughed. "No, but I would like to go home before midnight."

I rolled my eyes but stepped inside. The familiar scent of old sheet music and faint traces of floor wax filled the room.

Instruments lined the walls, and the drum set in the corner reminded me of Leo's terrible habit of drumming on every surface he could reach.

Kai set his guitar case down and took out his instrument, tuning it while I awkwardly stood by the mic stand.

"This isn't a big deal," he said, plucking a few strings. "It's just us. No audience, no pressure. Just music."

Easy for him to say.

I hesitated, gripping the microphone stand with both hands. "What if I suck?"

Kai didn't even blink. "Then you suck. But at least you'll know instead of just assuming."

I stared at him. "That's not comforting."

He shrugged. "I'm not here to comfort you. I'm here to hear you sing."

My stomach flipped, but I swallowed down the nerves. There was no getting out of this now.

Kai played the first few chords of a song—something simple, something slow. I recognized it immediately. Of course he picked this one. It was a song we all liked, something familiar. No fancy high notes, no pressure to sound perfect.

I closed my eyes and took a breath.

And then, before I could overthink it, I sang.

The first note slipped out before I could second-guess myself. It was shaky at first, quiet, but steady enough.

I kept my eyes closed, focusing on the sound of Kai's guitar. I expected him to keep playing like normal, but instead—

The music stopped.

My eyes snapped open, and for a split second, I thought I'd messed up. But Kai was just sitting there, staring at me like I'd grown a second head.

Then, he grinned. Not his usual teasing smirk, but something real. Something that sent my stomach flipping.

"Told you," he murmured, strumming his guitar again like nothing had happened.

I wanted to throw something at him. Or maybe just walk out of the room and pretend this never happened. But instead, I kept singing.

The nerves didn't disappear, but something else crept in—something I didn't want to admit.

It felt right.

Like I wasn't just making sounds, but actually saying something. Like my voice belonged here, blending with the music in a way I hadn't expected.

I wasn't thinking about how I sounded, or if I was good enough. I wasn't overanalyzing every note.

I was just singing.

And for the first time, I didn't hate it.

The next morning

I regretted everything.

Why did I agree? Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut? Maybe I'd hit my head on something and forgotten that I don't do this kind of thing.

But it was too late now.

I stood outside the music room, gripping the strap of my bag like it would somehow stop me from turning around and leaving. My heartbeat hammered against my ribs, and my stomach churned like I had eaten something questionable for breakfast.

Which was impossible because I barely ate at all.

Maybe they wouldn't notice if I skipped. Maybe they'd assume I was sick, or that Kai had made the whole thing up.

I took a step back. Then another.

And then the door swung open.

I barely stopped myself from yelping as Leo peeked out, looking bored as ever. "Are you just gonna stand there all day?"

I scowled. "I was about to go in."

"Sure." He stepped aside, letting the door swing open fully. "You know we can hear you pacing, right?"

I gritted my teeth and walked in, feeling all too aware of the six pairs of eyes that immediately locked onto me.

Silence.

No one moved. No one spoke. I wanted to crawl into a hole.

"…What?" I muttered.

Ethan blinked at me, then at Kai. Then back at me.

Milo, who was tuning his bass, looked confused. "Uh. Are we all seeing the same thing?"

Lena, sitting cross-legged on a chair, narrowed her eyes like I was some rare species she had never encountered before.

"Huh."

Noah, ever the poet, whispered dramatically, "The winds of change have arrived."

Erika groaned and smacked his arm.

Kai, of course, looked completely smug. "Told you," he said, just like last night.

I rolled my eyes. "Can we not do this?"

Erika crossed her arms. "So, you're actually gonna try?"

I let out a slow breath and nodded. "Let's just get this over with."

The room was still buzzing with the shock of my presence when Noah suddenly gasped, his hands dramatically pressed to his chest like he was witnessing some divine revelation.

"Wait," he said, eyes shining. "This means we finally get to use my lyrics."

I immediately had a bad feeling.

Kai groaned, running a hand down his face. "Noah, we've been through this—your lyrics are not a priority."

Noah looked offended. "Excuse me? My words have depth. My writing is raw, emotional—"

"—and unreadable," Lena cut in.

Noah gasped. "You wound me."

Ethan, ever the peacemaker, sighed. "Look, let's at least check them out before we start fighting. We do need something to sing."

Before I could even process what was happening, Noah had already yanked a battered notebook out of his bag. He held it with a reverence that did not match the duct tape barely holding it together.

He dramatically flipped through the pages, his voice grave. "These are my masterpieces. Each one a window into the soul—"

"Just pick one," Erika muttered.

Noah ignored her and finally landed on a page, tapping it like he had just discovered fire. "This. This is the one."

I peered over his shoulder. The title alone made my brain short-circuit.

"Eclipsed by the Void of Eternal Lamentation."

I blinked. "No."

Kai snorted. "Hard pass."

"But it's about the loneliness of existence," Noah argued.

"It sounds like an anime villain's final monologue," Milo deadpanned.

Noah gasped. "You understand the vision."

"That wasn't a compliment," Erika muttered.

I sighed. "Do you have anything that isn't about suffering?"

Noah flipped more pages, mumbling to himself. "Let's see… heartbreak, doom, inevitable despair—oh, here's one! Crimson Tears on a Moonlit Path."

"That's worse," I said immediately.

"It's poetic," Noah insisted.

"It sounds like you named it after a bad fantasy novel."

Noah looked genuinely insulted. "Excuse you, but this is art."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Yuna's right. We need something simple. Do you have anything that sounds like a song normal people would sing?"

Noah dramatically turned to the last few pages. "Fine, fine. I do have one that's… less intense."

He hesitated, then tapped a page.

I leaned in, reading the title.

"Chasing Tomorrow."

I frowned. "This one actually sounds… normal."

Kai grabbed the notebook and skimmed through it. After a moment, he nodded. "This could work."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you sure Noah wrote this?"

Noah gasped. "I have range!"

Erika crossed her arms. "Debatable."

Leo, who had been silent this whole time, finally stretched his arms and yawned. "So, are we actually gonna play, or are we just gonna bully Noah all day?"

"Why not both?" Lena muttered.

But Kai was already adjusting his guitar strap. "Alright. We're doing Chasing Tomorrow. Yuna, you in?"

I swallowed. This was it. No more backing out.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the nerves clawing at my stomach. "Yeah. Let's do this."

Kai gave a small nod, signaling the start. His fingers moved effortlessly over the strings, the first crisp notes ringing through the clubroom.

A second later, Leo's drumsticks clicked together in a steady count-off.

Three. Two. One.

Then the music exploded into motion.

The bass thrummed low and steady, grounding the melody. The keyboard layered in, smooth and rich, filling the gaps between notes. Leo's drumming wasn't just a beat—it was alive, keeping everything moving forward.

And then, it was my turn.

I gripped the mic, took a deep breath, and started singing. My voice came out shakier than I wanted, but no one stopped playing. They kept going, pulling me along with them.

Kai's eyes flickered toward me, and for a split second, I saw him smirk. Like he knew I'd get past the nerves.

By the second verse, something inside me shifted.

The more I sang, the more I found my rhythm. The words stopped feeling like something I was forcing out. They became real—like I actually meant them. My voice grew stronger, no longer holding back.

I wasn't just keeping up with the music anymore. I was part of it.

Kai moved closer, playing alongside me. He leaned in slightly, harmonizing in the chorus. His voice blended with mine, seamless and natural, like we'd done this a hundred times before.

Leo twirled a drumstick between beats, completely in his element. Ethan's basslines were solid, adding just the right amount of depth. Even Milo, the most low-energy guy I'd ever met, was tapping his foot to the rhythm.

And Noah—Noah was grinning so wide I thought his face might split in half.

As the song built up, I felt the energy shift. The music wrapped around me, filling every inch of the room, pressing against my skin.

And then we hit the bridge.

Kai's guitar swelled into a solo, his fingers moving with practiced ease. The room vibrated with sound, the music pulsing in time with my heartbeat.

I had never felt anything like this before.

It was raw. Intense. Real.

And then—just as quickly as it started—it was over.

The final note rang out, stretching into silence.

For a second, no one moved. The air buzzed, like the song was still lingering around us.

Then Noah let out a sharp breath and smacked the table. "Okay, that was insane."

Leo spun a drumstick between his fingers, nodding approvingly. "Not bad."

Milo stretched his arms over his head, smirking. "Yeah, that didn't suck."

Even Lena, who usually kept her reactions subtle, looked a little impressed.

I stood there, gripping the mic, trying to process everything.

I wasn't sure what I expected, but I knew one thing for certain.

This wasn't just fun.

This felt right.

To be continued.