Let's do it again, Yukino.

Hikigaya listened speechlessly to the boys' hopeful chatter, while standing behind Komachi, he couldn't help but rub his forehead as if he had a headache.

Those guys from Class B really went to great lengths to lure these boys to the gymnasium.

"Isn't this Qing Ge's concert? What does 'beautiful girl concert' mean?"

Komachi also heard the boys' comments and looked at her older brother with some curiosity, a puzzled smile on her face beneath her small canine tooth.

Hachiman immediately covered his sister's big mouth.

"Even if you don't say it out loud, be careful that the concert doesn't end before it even starts. Your Qing-ge will be very grateful to you."

"Little Qi..."

Yuihama, who had been sitting quietly next to Hachiman like a puppy, suddenly tugged at Hachiman's clothes.

"Look at the one standing in that corner over there, doesn't she look like Xiaoxue...?"

The girl with the dumpling-shaped hairpin pointed to a corner in a certain direction.

Hachiman also saw her; from behind, she did resemble Yukinoshita somewhat, but...

"Although the figure does look somewhat like her from behind, I don't think it's Yukinoshita. That woman's talent for seeking advantage and avoiding harm is off the charts. Unlike us, she doesn't have any grievances. Anyone with a brain would definitely not come to this concert that is destined to be hell."

"Who are you calling brainless? Watch out, Hachiman-kun..."

Suddenly, Hiratsuka-sensei appeared out of nowhere and quickly joined the hastily formed group, brandishing her fist defiantly in front of Hikigaya, who was badmouthing Haruhi.

"That's my student's concert. I have to come even if the music is terrible."

"I think what you said was even more hurtful than what you said, teacher..."

Hikigaya gave a somewhat bitter laugh.

……

…………

"call……"

The faint breathing sound of a young boy could be heard coming from the enormous speaker.

In an instant,

The previously black stage suddenly lit up.

As the curtains that had been drawn earlier were quietly raised again, the lights in the stadium became even brighter.

Not long after,

Under the gaze of the group of people below the stage, including Hachiman and others,

The once empty stage now has several figures.

Three sexy and beautiful young women, each with their own style, stood on the stage, each carrying their own musical instrument.

"Hahaha!!! Those upperclassmen weren't lying to me after all!!! They really are all beautiful girls!!!"

that moment,

Even though some of the people didn't recognize the girls, the stadium erupted in a deafening roar of cheers at that moment.

Teenage boys are like wild horses, staring at the girls in their eyes, shouting in a tune they don't know in some language with red eyes.

"They all seem to be blonde... Is this some guy's twisted sense of humor...?"

Hikigaya also noticed the three graceful girls at first glance. Although he was curious about what conditions Kasuga had used to invite Miura, he didn't recognize one of the other two. It seemed that one of them was from Shuchiin University in Tokyo.

It seems like most of the people Haruhi knows are girls. Could it be that this guy is the real winner in life, hiding right next to me?

"Huh? Where's Kasuga?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka was much more rational than the boys; she cared more about her apprentice than these girls.

"Could it be that he got stage fright at the last minute and had some of them fill in for him?"

Hikigaya looked at the four-person group on the stage with some concern.

and many more,

He seemed to understand something.

Four?

"Um, could it be that the boy standing in the very center is Qing-ge?"

Komachi noticed something was off. Upon closer inspection, she pointed in surprise at the boy standing at the very front of the stage and exclaimed.

"That handsome guy who looks like a popular singer? How could that be? He doesn't look like that delinquent Kasuga at all!"

Hachiman's gaze lingered on the boy holding the microphone, who exuded a sunny and healthy aura, without a trace of gloom.

A look of disbelief

……

…………

among the crowd,

A certain icy maiden in the dim light unexpectedly smiled.

Looking back,

Has the bangs that were blocking the view been combed up?

Isn't this how that idiot looks when he's twenty?

Even if you promised me you'd grow up, you don't have to go this far...

Fool?

Chapter Fifty-Five: Confession and Practice - Another Story

That happened in a previous life.

During a rare moment of free time, the young man once asked the girl who had always been by his side this question.

"Hey, Yuki, compared to Hayato and Hachiman, who's more handsome?"

"Um... first, tell me why you brought this up, Ah Qing. But do you want the truth or a lie?"

The girl, who was busy preparing lunch in the kitchen, peeked her delicate face out of the kitchen, seemingly surprised by the young man's question.

"Of course it's the truth..."

What young people sitting on the sofa watching TV definitely want to hear the truth about these private topics between lovers.

"It must be you..."

Without thinking, Xiaoxue nodded to the young man, and the next moment she spoke the truth that satisfied and moved Chunri.

The girl seemed to recall past events, shook her head, and smiled faintly.

"After all, I'm quite picky. If you weren't good-looking, I probably wouldn't have noticed you, Ah Qing, when we first met."

"But none of my friends seem to have mentioned anything about my appearance. Could it be that in other people's eyes I actually look like a three-dimensional Gian?"

"No way, I think it's because of your personality, Ah Qing, and the bad habits you developed since childhood. If it weren't for someone like me who accidentally got on this treacherous ship, other people probably wouldn't have bothered to get along with you peacefully. Who would have time to observe whether you're a handsome guy or not..."

"Really? Suddenly, because of Xiaoxue's words, I feel so confident. I used to never dare to talk to my female colleagues at company dinners... Now I can finally try chatting with them. After all, I'm a handsome guy, and handsome guys are always popular, right..."

"Um, I take back my answer to you, Ah Qing. Maybe it was just my imagination. You should know the saying 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' right? Don't overthink it. Go wash up and go to sleep. Handsome, dashing, and all that stuff doesn't apply to you at all. The only words that suit you, Ah Qing, are rude, boorish, and disrespectful. No one but me would be interested in someone like you. Give up..."

The girl's graceful figure returned to the kitchen, her expression one of disdain and contempt for the scoundrel, leaving the young man once again sitting dejectedly on the sofa, clutching a cushion and sighing in despair.

The young man looked at himself in the mirror, his hair a mess, like a bird's nest. Although Chunri didn't think he was inferior to those handsome men on TV in any way, he wasn't exactly the kind of boyfriend who would embarrass Xiaoxue if he were taken out in public.

And I just wanted to ask my female colleagues what kind of men's style girls like Xiaoxue prefer.

Xiaoxue, do you have to be so harsh on me?

……

…………

If we could turn back time to the present,

General Military High,

Cultural Festival

Inside the stadium,

"I suddenly feel confused because I've liked you for a long time."

You probably couldn't hear the beating of my chest, could you?

The singing voice contained a captivatingly magnetic young tone.

The sound rang out quietly in this tranquil space.

Accompanied by the guitar accompaniment of the blonde girl with twin ponytails

At that moment, all the spectators gathered in the stadium heard that gentle, unfamiliar yet healing singing voice.

The next moment, the girls in the crowd erupted in cheers, a cheer that was both surprised and delighted. These cheers became even louder after the curtain was raised.

"I lied, I'm so sorry."

I've liked you for a long time.

The unfamiliar, unheard-of song continued to spread, and the handsome young man standing on the stage seemed to have become a dazzling star in the eyes of countless viewers.

At that moment, many people felt a mixture of surprise and delight.

The song's infectious quality affected all the audience members below the stage, and almost no one could take their eyes off the handsome young man.

However, no one noticed that while the boy was singing a healing song, his gentle gaze kept lingering on the girl watching him from below the stage.

If only time could stand still at this moment.

Although I'm not a celebrity, at least the girl I like came to my concert, which is really great.

You agree, right?