Chapter 91: Aya has Nordic blood flowing through her veins

Trading the honorific “-chan” for “older sister” wasn’t a bad deal. While being treated like a little kid was slightly annoying…

Well, considering my height and appearance, I did look younger than Aya and Mizuki, who, regardless of my past life memories and chronological age, seemed much more mature, more… adult. Standing next to them, I had to crane my neck to look up at them, which only emphasized the difference.

“So, just the cafe, or are we going somewhere else?” I asked. I’d been hoping for a more relaxed outing, but it seemed we were already heading towards something more… energetic.

“I want to go to karaoke~”, Mizuki said,

“Karaoke? I thought we were going on Friday…”. Mizuki definitely seemed like the karaoke type, always up for some fun with friends. Aya, though… I glanced at her, and Mizuki, sensing my doubt, quickly added, “Aya likes karaoke too, don’t you~?”

“Well, I do go sometimes… to relieve stress.”

Aya… liked karaoke? That was… unexpected. I’d never read anything about her enjoying karaoke, or even liking music, in the novel. But it seemed rude to point that out, so I stayed quiet. The Aya I knew from the novel was the “romantic comedy” Aya, her personality defined by her interactions with the protagonist, the narrative focused on the dramatic events of the plot, not her personal preferences.

‘So this is… another side of Aya…’ The realization, the discovery of something new about her, made my heart flutter.

“So, Rina-tan, you’re coming too, right~?”

“Um… y-yes, Onee-chan…!” I mumbled, my face flushing slightly. I wasn’t a fan of karaoke, even in my past life. Studying had consumed most of my free time; I rarely went out, let alone to karaoke. But… there were faint memories, buried deep within Kurosawa Rina’s past, of going to karaoke with friends. ‘Rina… went to karaoke with friends… despite studying so hard…?’ The thought was… intriguing.

The karaoke place, located in the heart of Shirasaki Street, was a familiar sight, but I’d never been inside before. The exterior was flashy, but the interior, surprisingly, was rather ordinary, similar to Korean karaoke rooms. “Welcome! How many?”

“Three~” Mizuki replied smoothly, approaching the counter, while Aya and I waited quietly behind her. “Two hours should be enough, right? We can always add more.”

“Yeah, that’s plenty.”

Two hours…? I was inwardly panicking, but Mizuki finished paying and grinned. “Two hours, please”.

”Room 16.”

“Let’s go~!”

The room was small but cozy and clean. Feeling slightly nervous, I sat on the sofa in the corner, and Aya settled beside me. Mizuki, already flipping through the song list on the karaoke machine’s remote, seemed to be in her element. “You come here often, Mizuki… Onee-chan.”

“Of course! Best way to relieve stress! Rina-tan, don’t you like karaoke?”

“I… I like it, but…” I wasn’t sure, not really. I trailed off, and Mizuki grinned, nudging my shoulder playfully.

“I want to hear you sing, Rina-tan! I bet you’re adorable when you sing!”

“I-I don’t know…” I mumbled, looking down, my face burning, and Aya, smiling softly, said,

“I bet Rina-chan has a beautiful voice. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Aya… Onee-chan, not you too…” As I squirmed in embarrassment, Mizuki had already chosen a song and was standing up, microphone in hand.

“And now, a performance by Mizuki-sama~!” She announced herself in the third person, grinning, and a cheerful J-POP melody filled the room. She was surprisingly good, her voice clear and strong, the rhythm steady. As expected of one of Takamari’s Four Beauties, a true multi-talented overachiever… Her energetic performance was infectious.

“Wow, Mizuki!”

“Mizuki~! Mizuki~! Woo~!” Even Aya was clapping along, shaking a tambourine, and Mizuki, after finishing her song, grinned and handed me the microphone.

“Who’s next? Rina-tan’s turn~?”

“W-What?! Me?!” I froze, my heart pounding, and Aya, smiling gently, handed me the microphone.

“I’d love to hear you sing, Rina.”

“Ugh… o-okay…” I took the remote and started browsing the song list, my fingers moving almost instinctively, inputting the title of a song… I’d never sung before. It was a Japanese song, but… ‘…I’ve heard this before…?’ I’d listened to it a few times in my past life, it having been on my J-POP playlist, and it felt… familiar, as if Rina had also sung it before.

The intro music started, the karaoke machine counting down, 3…2…1… and then, the first verse.

[My instincts are taking over,
like a cornered mouse.]

“Rina, you’re really good!”

“Rina-tan! What’s with this hidden talent?!” Mizuki and Aya exclaimed, surprised, and I… I hadn’t expected to be this good. My voice, clear and strong, the notes effortless, the rhythm perfect… it felt natural, as if I’d sung this song countless times before. And wasn’t this song… a bit… yuri…?

‘…Whatever, I’ll just sing…!’

I finished the song, my classmates cheering and clapping. “Wow~! Rina-tan, that was amazing!”

“Rina… so that’s your style, huh~?”

“Ugh…” My face burned. While they seemed to be focusing on the performance itself, the lyrics, so clearly about a girl’s feelings for another girl, made me blush, the Japanese words, unfiltered by translation, hitting me with full force.

“Aya’s turn!” Mizuki said, seemingly oblivious to my embarrassment, and Aya, taking the microphone, stood up, her usual elegant composure replaced by a slight flush on her cheeks.

“Alright, my turn.” She selected a song, her gaze fixed on the screen, her fingers moving quickly across the remote, and I wondered, ‘A ballad, maybe? Or a calming pop song…?’ I imagined her singing something soft and gentle, when the title of the song appeared on the screen, and I stared at it, my jaw dropping.

‘…Isn’t that… a really intense heavy metal song…?’

The opening bars, a furious explosion of drums and electric guitars, filled the room, the karaoke machine’s lights flashing, bathing us in a kaleidoscope of colors.

“…?!” And then, Aya began to sing, her voice strong and powerful, a raw, visceral energy that made me flinch.

“Kyaaaaaaa—!!” Her voice, so unlike her usual soft-spoken tone, was rough, almost… primal, a stark contrast to her elegant appearance, and I froze, completely captivated.

“Wow…”

It was an unexpected, exhilarating performance. She sang with a fierce passion, her long silver hair swaying, her blue eyes blazing with a fierce charisma.

‘…Is this… Nordic soul…?’ I could practically feel the Viking blood coursing through her veins. She was from Denmark, wasn’t she? I stared at her, mesmerized, and Mizuki, grinning, nudged my shoulder.

“Rina-tan, why so surprised? Aya-ring always sings like this.”

“It’s just… so unexpected…”

“Aya-ring’s amazing! Kyaaaaa~!” Mizuki, seemingly accustomed to Aya’s hidden talent, grinned, shaking a tambourine to the beat, and I continued to stare at Aya, her transformation, so sudden, so complete, still unbelievable. I’d never seen this side of her in the novel.

‘How can she be so… cool…? I didn’t even know about this…’ I watched, completely captivated, as the song reached its climax, Aya’s voice soaring, powerful and emotive, before ending on a final, sustained note. She was slightly out of breath as she turned to look at me, a shy smile on her face.

“…Surprised?”

“Totally… Aya, you’re… amazing…”

“Really? I was worried you’d think it was too loud.”

“No! I loved it!” I’d unconsciously dropped the honorific, but she didn’t seem to mind, just smiled, a shy, almost bashful smile that made my heart flutter.

‘Aya… is…’ A few damp strands of hair, plastered to her cheek from the exertion… she looked so… cool, so… beautiful… I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

We continued singing, each of us taking turns, the two hours flying by. Strangely, the songs on my past life’s playlist seemed to also be favorites of Kurosawa Rina, and we had enough songs we all knew to fill the entire two hours. Perhaps my past and present selves weren’t that different after all. Or perhaps it was because of Aya’s breathtaking performance, her unexpected rockstar persona, that made the time pass so quickly, the memory of her fierce energy, her raw passion, lingering in the air long after the last song ended.