When I first stepped into the karaoke place, I was completely consumed by the thought that I had to sing well no matter what. After paying for an hour and closing the door to the assigned room, I picked up the karaoke remote, thought for a moment, and then passed it off to Hina.
“Hina-chan, how about you start with the song you wanted to practice? I’ll just browse the charts for a bit.”
“Okay, got it. Just in case it sounds bad…”
“Ahaha, that’s never gonna happen… Nope, it’s absolutely not going to, so don’t worry!”
Listening closely as Hina began to sing, I flipped through the charts. Not a single familiar song popped up.
…Well, of course not.
Seeing her struggle with a song she obviously didn’t know, I turned on the sheet music feature. It was something I needed anyway.
In the end, I decided to reserve anything from the chart rankings since I’d end up not knowing no matter what I picked. After that, I comfortably enjoyed Hina’s singing.
Compared to before she started vocal training, I could tell she had improved a lot in terms of breathing, vocalization, and pronunciation. She seemed to fumble a bit with a song she didn’t know, but at this level, she should be considered someone who can sing well anywhere.
When Hina finished her song, the accompaniment of the song I chose started playing. But right from the start, the pitch was suspiciously high…
Why do ominous premonitions never go wrong? As the highlight approached, the pitch shot up, and naturally, it hit a high C in the third octave.
I thought I had somehow managed to get through it, but what was this? What I thought was the highlight wasn’t it at all; the pitch climbed again. A G in the third octave—did I seriously pick this song of all things? There’s no way I can hit that…
Anyway, trying my best to not let it show, I finally finished the song after a lot of ups and downs, and Hina clapped for me, lifting my spirits a bit. So this is why a maestro goes crazy for applause? I think I’m starting to understand it a little.
After that, Hina and I took turns singing songs, but strangely, every song I picked seemed suspiciously high-pitched. The songs didn’t feel particularly great, making me think that any song that starts off with a high note ends up ranking high on the charts. So I deliberately chose something from the lower ranks, and it definitely felt like those had a more manageable range.
Hmm, singing like this makes me miss my old karaoke favorites. At this rate, I could easily handle anything in the original key or even push the key higher without much trouble.
However, while I was browsing through the charts, a familiar song welcomed me.
[All I Want for Christmas is You.]
Even though I knew it wasn’t the song I recognized, I couldn’t help but be fooled. I couldn’t resist. It felt almost inevitable.
Sure enough, the song was completely different from the one I knew—a calm, ballad-like love confession. But because of that, I found myself more drawn into the song itself for the first time.
I immersed myself in each line of the lyrics, resonating with their meaning and pouring out my emotions. I held tightly onto the mic, hoping my feelings would reach Hina, even without obsessively sticking to the melody.
If someone asked whether I sang the song well, I would say no. It would be obvious that it felt entirely different from the original. Since it was a song I sang freely and out of my own whims, it would be hard to call it a good rendition.
After the song finished, I quickly turned to Hina, who was sitting next to me with her head down, ignoring the score that popped up on screen. Her cheeks were bright red, and I felt like she understood my sincerity in that song, even just a bit.
“Hina-chan, I’d feel a bit sad if you don’t even look at me…”
“…Ugh. Mika, saying that after playing a song like that, what am I supposed to do?”
Seeing her turn her head to the side and cover her face with her hands showed just how embarrassed she was. Compared to my more carefree attitude, Hina’s feelings for me might run deeper, and it made sense.
But I was feeling bold. Well, not that I should be, but I decided to be. I was ready to do everything I could to make Hina happy.
“Um, could you maybe look this way for me?”
I carefully took her hand off her cheek, and only then did Hina look at me. Yet, her wavering gaze still didn’t meet mine.
“I see. Hina-chan probably dislikes me—”
“Th-that’s not it. Don’t get me wrong, Mika. I really…! Er, really…”
As I tossed a little bait, Hina took it reflexively, and our eyes met. The distance between us shrank. Hina’s eyes widened, and then her eyelids slowly closed.
For the first time, I explored Hina’s lips—something I usually only pecked her forehead, cheeks, and nose. It was a fresh, innocent kiss, but from here on, I planned to take it slow.
Chuu… smack…
Since Nagisa’s pointed comment about my pride had hit me hard, I wondered how many rough practice sessions this might be. Playfully nibbling on Hina’s lower lip, licking it with my tongue, and pulling her in, I imagined her soul leaving her body.
Yeah, I imagined that.
“…Ugh?”
Until I was caught off guard by Hina suddenly becoming assertive.
Today was supposed to be our first proper kiss, yet for some reason, Hina pushed her flag into my mouth effortlessly, as if it were second nature.
Because I had relinquished the lead to her sudden change in demeanor, at some point, she straddled my lap and eagerly began to explore me. From her small lips, a gentle invasion of her warmth began.
“Haah… chuu. Mmm…”
And just like that, Hina’s short burst of eagerness came to a halt. It felt like she was familiar with light pecks, but as we moved to the next stage of our tongues intertwining, she instantly turned into a clumsy mess.
She followed mindlessly along, not even trying to reclaim the lead. I paused our kiss momentarily to give her a little break.
Still nearly connected at the lips, I whispered to her.
“I love you, Hina-chan… no, Hina. Whether it’s the strong Student Council President Hina, who takes on challenging tasks for everyone, or the girl behind that facade who’s actually shy and finds everything bothersome, I adore both sides of you.”
“That’s unfair to call my name like that…”
“But unfortunately, there’s no referee here to hide that fact, is there?”
“Ugh…! Huhhh…”
Suddenly, as we continued to ruffle each other’s hair and engage in our passionate battle, our senses returned when the karaoke machine announced there were only five minutes left.
But on a whim, Hina added another hour just then. It seemed she didn’t want to break the mood.
Forget about practicing songs. Looks like we’re just going to do a lot of kiss training.
*
“Hina-chan, about that request I wanted to make the other day…”
“Uh, what about it…”
“Could you maybe kiss me—”
“…Please be quiet, Mika. It doesn’t have to be that… Today, I was planning to gather my courage myself.”
After spending an enthusiastic time in karaoke, we tidied up our messy hair and makeup before stepping out onto the street, walking hand in hand with Hina. Hearing her honest confession made her feel incredibly cute.
“Ahaha, so you were planning to share our first kiss when we said goodbye this evening?”
“…”
“Hmm? Why the sudden silence?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. What you think is exactly right. I guess I just wanted to change the relationship between us since you seem to view me more like a little kid that needs looking after rather than a girlfriend… But I was worried that you might reject me, so…”
“Shh. Hina-chan, I understand how you feel, but shouldn’t it be time for you to realize that I’m really, really weak against requests from those I care about?”
“…That’s definitely true.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if Hina had those feelings due to how I treated her. Aside from self-esteem issues, it was clear that it was entangled with the undeniable facts of my perception.
In reality, I did see Hina as someone I had to protect, but that’s a sentiment I held not just for her.
Besides, I couldn’t deny that Hina’s physique influenced how I treated her. It’s unavoidable that a good figure and a pretty face align with my preferences.
Still, Hina’s unique blend of strength on the outside but softness on the inside was part of her charm, at least in my eyes.
“Hey, Hina-chan. What should we have for lunch?”
“…Anything you like is fine.”
“Oh, what a coincidence. So do I☆”
Asking what someone wants to eat only to hear ‘anything’ in return is forbidden and a crime. I think it should be legally prohibited.
After prying into what she wanted to eat, I led her to a nearby ramen shop. I had a restaurant reserved for dinner, so I planned to take her there.
When I subtly slipped our clasped hands into my coat pocket, Hina squeezed my hand tightly, and it made me feel incredibly affectionate. Seriously, is this why I can’t get my head straight?
