Uneasy daily life

"Yukino-chan, instead of causing trouble for that jerk, you should contact other people and arrange some work."

Yukinoshita Haruno leaned closer with a smile and said, "It'll be our turn to perform later."

Bai Ying had already picked up two glow sticks and said in a loud voice, "To express my apology for overestimating the leader's intelligence, I will definitely do my best to cheer later! Please don't make things difficult for me!"

"That jerk resorted to such a desperate measure, it must be because Yukino-chan is inflexible." Yukinoshita Haruno shook her head and sighed, "If we directly applied to Yukino-chan, it would definitely be rejected on the grounds of being unconventional and risky. We can only do it this sneakily..."

"That's not quite right." Bai Ying frowned slightly, dissatisfied. "I did everything according to the rules and regulations, with the approval of my superiors, directing my subordinates to make arrangements, paying for the goods out of my own pocket, and carrying out publicity to try to convey the spirit of the leaders. How can you say I stole chickens or dogs?"

Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly realized, "That's right, it must be Yukino-chan's fault for being inexperienced and careless."

"You should be more tolerant of your superiors. How can you talk like that?"

The white figure said with dissatisfaction.

Yukinoshita Haruno readily agreed: "Yukino-chan's boldness in delegating authority and her lack of concern for details are truly rare qualities."

Yukinoshita Yukino: #!

"Bai Jun, don't run away! I'll talk to you properly later!"

The next performance was just around the corner. The die was cast, and the die was cast. Yukino Yukinoshita managed to sort out the situation that had deviated from the plan and pulled Haruno Yukinoshita towards the closing band to give them a pep talk before they went on stage.

Let's shut off the white fungus again later!

Yukino Yukinoshita felt a bit itchy and her heart was in turmoil. She hoped that the things that Hakukage had done in secret had not been overlooked and could become a story rather than an accident.

Things have finally settled down smoothly, with performances and reading product advertisements again... This is truly the second major setback in Bai Ying's life.

The thought of Hikigaya performing in front of his sister made him feel much better.

Let the name Oreki Kurenai become history from this day forward...

Houtarou Oreki sighed as he removed his mask.

The curtain beside them was lifted.

Chitanda Eru curiously peeked into the backstage area: "Huh? It really is Oreki-kun!"

Oreki Houtaro: "..."

If I put the mask back on now, can I fool them?

Chapter 143 Fireworks

I was fooled by the white fungus; this is nothing like the exciting thing I wanted...

A successful fireworks display: joyful and harmonious, without any surprises, with wonderful performances that were a feast for the eyes.

Baijun's Fireworks Festival: Fireworks aimed at people, 10% off a tube, buy more and get more, it will make your eyes go black!

After thinking it over, there's only one reason: I trusted Baijun too much.

While Bai Jun deliberately encouraged him to organize a stage performance to make the fireworks display a spectacular event, he secretly worked on his own projects to add some unusual elements to the fireworks display.

I just subtly inquired with some staff members and discovered that there really is such an event to fulfill one's dream of gunfights. The staff members even spoke with an air of "you must know about this"...

Am I the last one to know?!

Hmm? Could this be what he meant by 'being obsessed with beautiful women' when he told his mother?

Yukino's expression shifted back and forth, and she secretly spat in her heart, thinking, "She's clearly ugly, not cute at all, and she's lying to me again."

"Hey, Yukino-chan, don't be sullen." Yukinoshita Haruno nudged him with her elbow and said with a smile, "The performance is about to start, it's not good to have a sour face, besides, that rascal meant well."

Yukino Yukinoshita said irritably, "What kind of good intention is this?"

"Because this is the job at home."

Yukino Yukinoshita said, "Calmly face your own trust, examine and make a judgment. Actually, from what I know, Yukino-chan is the type who trusts herself more and tries to handle her work on her own, right? But with such a big event as the fireworks festival, Yukino-chan can't possibly do everything by herself. Even if Yukino-chan manages to handle everything, can't that rascal secretly complete something new?"

"Being fooled by a jerk is better than being fooled by someone else. At least he's doing what you want—if the event goes well, you'll definitely be happy. Even if you have some complaints about the jerk's behavior, the die is cast, so you'll still get on board and praise how beautiful and sturdy the ship is."

Yukino Yukinoshita sensed something was off, but nothing was quite right. Judging from the situation, Shiro-kun had indeed handled things quite well. There was a possibility of an accident, but it had been minimized through designated areas, personnel arrangements, and advance publicity. The benefit was that this fireworks display would be unprecedented.

Yukino patted her sister's shoulder and said earnestly, "This shows that he cares about you and helped you make the fireworks festival more spectacular than ever before, doesn't it?"

“I don’t like him keeping things from me,” Yukino Yukinoshita muttered, her tone softening slightly. “I’m not a rigid person. He didn’t try to persuade me; he just kept it from me outright…”

"Maybe this jerk just wants you to realize the problems that come with being a leader."

"I believe in Bai Jun, not anyone else."

Yukino's mood improved slightly.

Yukinoshita suddenly laughed and said, "Alright, I made all of the above up to fool you."

"?"

Yukino Yukinoshita's eyes widened, speechless for a moment, and she was somewhat confused... What exactly did her older sister want to say?

Beside her, Yukinoshita Haruno, holding a guitar, smiled and lowered her voice.

"She keeps her emotions tightly closed, views others with rationality and calmness, and maintains an attitude of unwillingness to get close or give trust. So, in other people's eyes, Yukino-chan is naturally a cold, difficult-to-communicate, and unapproachable girl. But what is the real Yukino-chan like?"

"If you open your heart to someone, it's easy to get carried away and want to hold on tightly. You'll give as much trust as possible, to the point that your clever mind becomes dull and you can't maintain a calm mind. You'll give your heart and expect the other person to reciprocate, and you'll inevitably get caught up in your own self-indulgence..."

"Yukino-chan, you're the kind of person who gets drunk very easily."

Yukino walked forward, glancing back with a smile and whispering a teasing remark.

"Be careful not to get too caught up in beauty."

Drunk? Infatuated with beautiful women? Here comes another one of these strange analogies.

What's wrong with being attracted to good-looking people? I'm happy to be...

Yukino Yukinoshita froze, vaguely recalling the phone call she had with her sister when they returned from the battle, and how her sister seemed to have mentioned something similar at the time.

People who get drunk easily, people who are absolutely sober... I guess I get drunk easily, but are my sister and Bai Jun definitely sober?

What was my sister thinking? What was the answer she didn't tell herself?

The lights came on.

Yukino Yukinoshita suppressed her slightly chaotic thoughts, and could still faintly smell the lingering scent of fireworks from the stage... Hmm? Were there fireworks with various fruit flavors?

The four members of the band took their places after the band ended.

"Good evening, friends of Chiba! Did you enjoy the performance just now? If you're interested in experiencing it, you can go to the designated area to buy special fireworks and have an unforgettable fireworks festival."

Her cheerful and lively voice carried through the air as Yukinoshita adjusted the microphone slightly: "Now, please enjoy..."

Oh ~

His languid, deep voice carries a timeless charm, bringing back the sounds of the last century to life in this one.

For those over thirty, the song brings the past into the present.

The rhythm is melodious and lively, the voice is so emotional that it sounds 'thick', and the lyrics are interspersed with some English words from time to time.

Marbles, records, radios, skipping stones, a snack shop selling all sorts of small treats...

Time, as it is called, casts the past into people's memories.

"Say Hello..."

Yukino Yukinoshita sang a line into the microphone, echoing her sister's singing, then stepped aside to continue playing. Her gaze darted to the corner of the stage and she saw a curtain slightly ajar, from which a white figure peeked out, nodding and keeping time.

She subconsciously shifted her position to block someone's unruly head from being seen by the audience.

"The songs will sound very old-fashioned to older people."

"I think it sounds great! I usually like listening to this kind of thing..."

Angelina's head popped out briefly, but upon seeing the audience in the distance, she was so startled that she quickly shrank back.

"You're so young and already have hobbies like an auntie? You're really not going down the wrong path."

"No, that's not it! I just prefer something a bit more classic..."

"Don't be silly, they're not singing century-old classics, they're at most Showa era classics."

"Uncle Bai, I also really like Showa-era songs. I guess Dad usually likes to listen to those kinds of songs."

"How about I have Oreki Kugenaga sing it for you?"

"Huh? Why does it have to be Oreki who sings what I like?"

"Because he needs a little explosion."

"?"

"I'm tone-deaf."

"Songs with perfect pitch are everywhere, but those with poor pitch are rare. Things are valued for their rarity, and you are very valuable."

"..."

A murmur of discussion drifted over, and before they knew it, Bai Jun had taken them to the ends of the earth once again.

Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head, focusing on her performance and occasionally glancing at Ichiri Goto. The other girl was engrossed in playing the guitar, her skill level hovering around the passing mark, even though she sometimes played exceptionally well during training... Oh, that was when she was being fooled by Shiro-kun.

Seriously, what am I daydreaming about...?

"Next up is the second song—before we officially begin, let me introduce it to you. This is an original song by the End Band..."

Yukino Yukinoshita continued to host with ease, giving the four band members a little plug after the song ended, dispelling the lingering ambiance from the previous song. She then walked away with her guitar, handing the microphone to Kita Ikuyo, who was a little nervous and trying to remain calm.

"Yukino-chan, you seem a little nervous?"

My sister's soft voice came from beside me.

Yukino Yukinoshita simply glanced at the other person silently—what kind of performance is this, whispering like this?

"Want to know the answer?"

Why bring this up now? Is your hobby just looking at your own troubles? That's a bit twisted. I've already told you to change that.

Snow falls silently beneath the snow.

"Give it your all, perform with all your might so that you have no time to think, and you will get the answer."

Yukino stepped forward, the rapid strumming of the strings marking the end of the piece.

The song ended with a powerful, rhythmic, and very rock-and-roll track aimed at young people.

Kita Ikuyo, her heart pounding, handed over the microphone, took a short breath, and prepared for her final song.

"One song is dedicated to the past, one song is dedicated to the present, and the last song is dedicated to the future—please enjoy the fireworks next."

Yukino Yukinoshita stood in front of the microphone, looked around, and accurately spotted her parents in the crowd.

The guitar strings were gently plucked.

She spoke with a smile, her voice soft and clear.

Dusk embraces the setting sun

The waves that rise in the darkness of night.

From hesitation to wandering,

How did going with the flow become a direction?

The deep, resonant singing easily swept away the remaining heat on the stage, while the slightly negative and confused music revealed a different meaning in the smile.

Yukino Yukinoshita sensed something was wrong. Although it looked exactly the same as during rehearsals, her sister's voice sounded completely different on this stage. Even though she could only see the back of her sister's head, she had a vague feeling that her sister was smiling.

Will life lose its sunshine?

Are the snowflakes waiting to freeze or melt?

How can weak wings fly?

How can one sing with a dry throat and tongue?

Oh, world.

Where are you going to send me?

Goto Ichiri lowered his head and strummed his guitar, vaguely feeling a kind of pressure, the powerful pressure that singing brought to the accompaniment.

Does music have power? It does when it resonates.

When you're lonely, you don't feel pain or confusion; it's when you're confused and in pain that you feel especially lonely.