Uneasy daily life

The guitar music was dazzling and cool, and he himself was cool and dazzling. His brilliant performance captivated every audience member, to the point that only his performance resonated throughout the entire venue!

As a high-pitched note ripped across the guitar strings, Goto Ichiri, holding the guitar, closed his eyes slightly and lowered his head, his forehead hidden in the shadow of his drooping bangs, feeling incredibly handsome.

The next moment, the enthusiastic audience offered their praise.

"Everywhere you look, there are cheers; the mountains and seas surge for you."

The little black man had walked over at some point, holding a microphone, his voice trembling with shock: "Excellent contestants seek a stage to prove themselves, and you—Goto-san! The stage shines brightly beneath your feet; your performance has taken it to new heights!"

Well, generally speaking...

Goto Ichiri wore a calm expression.

Another little black figure came over and showered him with praise: "Life is nothing special, but you have left us with a precious time! A person who makes life precious is a hero, and you—Goto-san! You have enriched the lives of countless viewers, you are a true hero!"

Hey, hehehe...

Goto Ichiri nodded coldly with a straight face, replying casually and matter-of-factly, "Thank you for the compliment."

"Come on! Let's cheer for her!"

"Go! Let us spread her story!"

Two little black figures, hand in hand, were hopping and skipping around Goto Ichiri, while the audience below, whose faces were too numerous to make out, cheered enthusiastically.

"Brave Pro! Number One in the World!"

"Brave Pro! A Universe Treasure!"

"Brave Pro! Goto Ichiri!"

Amid the cheers, Goto Ichiri inexplicably felt something was amiss and couldn't help but blurt out, "Um, I should be the guitar hero..."

"What are you talking about? Brave Pro?" The little black figure had turned into a white shadow at some point. "Did you have some strange dream?"

Goto Ichiri: “?”

The other little black figure also turned into a white shadow, and he exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no! Brave Pro has realized this is a dream!"

Goto Ichiri: "A dream?"

She instinctively looked around.

Under the lights, the audience outside the stage became clearer.

So, everyone was just a white shadow?!

"Oh no! She found out?!"

"Brave Pro has been found!"

"Damn it, we must activate Plan B immediately..."

"How can the brave plro be sure this is all a dream?"

"Ex-girlfriend, you're awake?"

"This is a love story..."

A million white figures, making a noisy commotion.

Uh, it's a dream, it's a dream!!!

"Regarding the stage performances at the cultural festival, if any of you are interested..."

Goto Ichiri woke up with a start. In her dazed state, the teacher's explanation of the cultural festival on stage gradually became clearer, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief—it really was just a dream!

Looking at the clock hanging in the classroom, I realized I'd only been unconscious for less than ten minutes? It felt like I'd had a pretty long dream though…

Goto Ichiri raised his sleeve and secretly wiped away the little bit of drool left on the table.

There's no way around it, the mental pressure of group activities is just too much. When the teacher talks about "everyone working together," my mind starts to wander, and then there are those chilling things like "everyone has to participate" and "the whole class is a collective"... Oh no! Stop thinking about it!

"You can put the application form in the box in front of the student council. Students with performing talents can give it a try."

If you keep thinking like that, you'll definitely faint!

Goto Ichiri shook her head vigorously, finally shaking off the shadow in her heart, and a thought belatedly popped into her head—Hmm? Performing a special talent? Isn't that me?!

I started practicing guitar diligently in junior high, always hoping to make a splash at a performance like the school festival, but I always missed the opportunity because of one thing or another. Now that I'm in high school, I should sign up and perform in front of the whole school...

Goto Ichiri calmed down and rested his chin on his hands.

It's just a cultural festival performance, what's the point? I already have a band, I don't need to make friends this way.

My time is very precious and I can't waste it on the cultural festival. Besides, it's just a cultural festival performance, and I've imagined it countless times in my mind. I'm tired of it.

Besides, this is just a student cultural performance. I'm someone who has participated in fireworks displays. We're not even in the same league.

Goto Ichiri smiled to himself.

That's right, a mere third-rate cultural festival is not worthy of someone as first-rate as me...

"I'm really looking forward to the cultural festival!"

"If someone goes on stage to perform, I might become a fan of him."

In the front row, two girls were joking and excitedly discussing the upcoming cultural festival.

Goto Ichiri's gaze sharpened.

Let me, a first-rate performer, take the third-rate cultural festival performance to new heights!

……

In front of the student council building.

box.

Goto Ichiri.

The application forms were already halfway into the box.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Wait a minute... what am I doing? After class, I asked the class monitor for an application form, filled it out, and ran straight here, ready to throw it in...

Goto Ichiri pondered the meaning of his actions, his heart pounding as he considered backing out.

Shouldn't I calm down a bit? I filled out the form for the disbanded band. Logically speaking, I should discuss it with everyone first, then decide whether to participate, and only then fill out the application form, right? Only a strong person like Kita could do something like just doing it without saying a word…

Courageous → Cowardly

No, no, no, I'm actually pretty strong, right?

Fireworks festival, you know, the kind of lively, well-known festival that's held throughout the whole region!

From cowardly to courageous?

I've performed at fireworks festivals before, so performing at a cultural festival is just like a pro returning to a beginner's village and wreaking havoc.

Performing at the school's cultural festival is a dream I've had since I started playing guitar... In short, it's a very easy thing!

I'm in a really urgent rush to see him, the hero, the brave pro!

Goto Ichiri took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and let go.

The application form slid silently into the box.

In that moment of silence, her heart and lungs almost stopped, but her mind raced like lightning.

No--!!!

NO!

Yo-yo-yo!

The hand swung violently across the air above the box; the urgency to hold on could not ultimately overcome the force of gravity.

Goto Ichiri stood frozen in place for a few seconds, clenching his right hand and kneading the air a few times, his face suddenly turning deathly pale.

She dug her hands into her hair and scratched it vigorously, while her legs spun around and she lifted them high, her shoes making a series of messy crunching sounds on the floor. Perhaps the constant scratching caused some static electricity, because the virtual light bulb above her head lit up with a ding!

Goto Ichiri reached for the suggestion box, but her fingers could only slip through the slit at the top where the application form was inserted; she couldn't possibly reach inside. She quickly hopped around the suggestion box, bent down, and turned her head to find a delicate little metal lock hanging on the small open door of the box.

I reached out and tugged at the small lock, but it didn't budge.

I painfully plucked a strand of hair and poked it into the keyhole, concluding that the movie was a lie.

I bowed deeply to the box, but the box remained remarkably indifferent.

To show his sincerity, he offered a dogeza (a deep bowing gesture), but the box remained unmoved.

First, deceive yourself—think positively, everything will go very smoothly, so there's no need to worry, and then you'll show a bright smile.

He walked five steps away as if it were nothing, then suddenly turned around and rushed back, pressing his face against the box and examining it, but found nothing different.

Goto Ichiri couldn't help but spread his arms wide and roar silently to the sky.

It's over. My band career is over! I will be the culprit who ends the band! I destroyed everything with my own hands!

She lowered her head, panting, and her eyes gradually hardened as she stared at the box.

She slightly raised her lips, revealing clenched teeth, and suddenly raised both hands, her fingers forming claws, reaching out with a fierce and menacing aura towards the innocent box...

Out of the corner of her eye, Goto Ichiri noticed that the door to the student council next door had been opened at some point.

She remained in the posture of wanting to thoroughly crush the box, then subconsciously turned her head to look, only to meet a trembling, terrified gaze.

The student council girl couldn't help but take a small step back in fear, swallowed hard, and asked in a trembling voice, "W-this student? Are you...are you alright?"

Goto Ichiri remained motionless.

"classmate?"

puff.

Goto Ichiri collapsed in a gesture as if he were about to attack the box.

"classmate!"

……

……

"Ok?"

In the activity room, Bai Ying withdrew her gaze from the laptop screen, picked up her phone, and then fell silent, the clattering of the keyboard fading away.

Yukino Yukinoshita glanced up at him subconsciously, then continued looking at her laptop screen, browsing reports on past cultural festivals.

The general process was similar, starting with school-wide activities, then activities organized by each class, and occasionally some individual activities... Why did Bai Jun look like he'd seen something strange? Didn't he look in the mirror every day?

If it's to be successful, the test will be all about coordination skills, confirming the activities for each class, estimating the number of visitors, arranging the division of space on campus, and so on... Bai Jun's expression turned serious? What trick is he thinking of now?

To make it successful, it obviously requires some effort. From the perspective of the executive chairman, making the cultural festival a success simply means focusing on group activities, such as opening remarks and stage performances... Bai Jun's expression turned to shock.

These are secondary issues; the teacher's request is rather strange—to persuade Miura to ask her to be the executive committee chairperson? The first step, I guess, is to talk to Miura first…

"Bai Jun, you're holding your phone and fidgeting around, showing all sorts of emotions. Do you really want someone to talk to you?"

Yukino Yukinoshita sighed softly, breaking the strange silence in the activity room.

"Is it wrong for the audience to criticize the actors' acting skills?"

"An audience? Where did they come from..."

Yukino Yukinoshita paused, then pondered, "Hmm, I guess I am indeed paying more attention to you? Perhaps it's because the white fungus has a light-gathering property."

"So what did Shiro see?" Yui Yuigahama asked, slightly curious. "What joke? Or some big news?"

Bai Ying shrugged, turned on her phone screen, and placed it on the conference table: "Please take a look."

The three of them peeked out and saw a dialog box on the phone screen.

[Poch-chan: We're doomed.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: What kind of apocalypse is today?]

[Poch-chan: It's all because of you. I acted impulsively, and now I can't face anyone... Waaaaah...]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: The best way to explain something clearly is to just state the facts.]

[Pochi-chan: Ah... my life is beyond saving, everything is over. I've become a weirdo in everyone's eyes at school, been kicked out of the band, and will probably spend the rest of my life as a shut-in...]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: No job means no income, no income means death, and it's said that starving to death is extremely painful.]

[Poch-chan: What should we do?!]