The Undying Voice |『 Female OC 』• Oshi no Ko

Verse 6: Echoes of Ascent

The stage lights blazed like a thousand suns, casting long, dramatic shadows behind the curtains that veiled the backstage chaos. Looking around, Umeko's heart raced. The beats echoed so loudly in her ears that they drowned out the crowd's murmur.

*Tap*

*Tap*

The announcer tapped the microphone to gain everyone's attention, which snapped Umeko from her thoughts. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Velvet Horizons!" he announced. Following his announcement, a roar of cheers resonated through the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, Umeko stepped forward, leading her bandmates into the blinding light. The audience's applause washed over them like a welcoming wave. She glanced at her friends, seeing her own excitement mirrored in their eyes.

With a collective nod, they went into position. Tsukasa took his place behind the piano, and Anya adjusted her guitar strap. Umeko, on her side, grasped the microphone. Her fingers gripped it briefly as she took in the sea of faces.

The auditorium dimmed, spotlighting the stage and casting them in a halo of light that felt like a shield and a spotlight. Umeko's eyes found the front row, where familiar faces beamed back at her with pride and encouragement.

Umeko's eyes locked with Chizawa's, and her sister nodded. She mouthed, 'You got this,' making Umeko smile before closing her eyes. Compared to earlier, her nerves melted away, leaving only the pure excitement she felt.

With a subtle nod, Umeko signalled Tsukasa. His fingers softly began to play the melody as Anya followed through. Her fingers strummed the first chord, which resonated clearly. Touching the hat on her head for good luck, Umeko took the microphone in her hand and stepped back.

"I want you to show me your fantasy," she sang. "Your fantasy," came the background voices of Anya and Tsukasa. "No past and no future...that's what I need," continued Umeko. "The groove takes it over...we'll wait and see," she sang, doing a small dance.

"Even I might blank out...you and me," she sang before winking at the crowd. As she continued to sing, she gained more and more confidence and followed each lyric with a choreography she practised for the day.

"Tick and tock once more...you're hosting," sang Umeko, closing and opening her hand to go with the song. "A magic show I cannot escape," she continued spinning in rhythm before walking around the stage.

"There's nothing else left for me to do," she sang, dancing toward Tsukasa's piano. "Going to the other side...other side," she sang as Anya and Tsukasa's background voices repeated her words.

The trio was in great harmony, and Umeko captivated the audience with her voice and performance. It reached a point where the public slowly started a slow clap to accompany this vibrant performance.

Realising this, Umeko momentarily locked eyes with her bandmates and smiled. Tsukasa and Anya knew what she had in mind as they reached a certain point in the song. "Just be my saviour...take me away," sang Umeko, walking to the center of the stage.