Onihunter Yuna 2

116 An Unexpected Encore (Present)

Wakamino played through their set and then left the stage amid cheers and applause. Loudly an encore was demanded, which they brought after a few minutes. This time it was served with 'It's Not Over' by Chris Daughtry. When the song was over, Wataru shouted, "Well, and now your schoolmate Mizuki Sasaki has something else to say." He stepped back and the purple-haired girl stood in front of the microphone.

"That was a great show. We thank you." Slowly, Wataru went to where Mizuki usually stood. "For today's concert we rehearsed a very special song. Just for you." She gave the audience some time to express their enthusiasm. "There are certainly some anime fans among you, right?" She waited a moment before continuing. "Do you know 'The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi'?"

While the students were still screaming, Nobu counted in the song and they played 'God Knows' by Aya Hirano. The song reached by the mentioned series great notoriety. And indeed, Mizuki sang.

She had been preparing for this gig almost continuously for the past two weeks. She had already practiced the song for herself at home because he just liked it. When Wakamino was asked to play at the school festival, she suggested to her band members that they play this song. At first, the others hadn't been sure, but after playing her part and singing to them, they were excited about the idea. Wataru had given her a few more tips for singing and they had also trained Mizuki's vocals a couple of times, so she would be up to the task. And now it was time to reap the benefits of her work. Many students sang along loudly and the whole assembly hall simmered and boiled.

When they came to an end, Mizuki stood up there staring at the students who were cheering at her. She looked over at Wataru and said, "It's very different when you sing."

He nodded. "I know."

"Thank you, my friends!" she called into the microphone. "You are fantastic! I love you!" She looked at her boyfriend, who gave her a big grin. "I hope we'll see each other again soon. Good night to all of you!" They finally left the stage and gathered behind the curtain. Mizuki wiped sweat from her forehead several times. "I think that was my most intense show."

"You did really well, Mizuki-chan," Nobu assured her. She nodded, but then she began to cry. Distraught, the other band members looked at each other.

"Are you okay, babe?" Kaito grabbed her by the hands and she smiled at him.

"Yes. I'm just so relieved that everything worked out." She wiped away the tears and kissed her boyfriend stormily on the mouth. "I'm so happy."

Nobu pulled Wataru with him so that the other two would have some space. "What happened to you at the beginning of the show?"

"I was looking for Yuna-chan but couldn't find her." Embarrassed, he grinned.

"All right. I can understand that. It's her school after all. Still, that was very unprofessional."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Now you know what you can work on. That will not happen to you any more."

Wataru nodded. "I think so too. Still, I should check on her."

"Wait a minute. You want to go out there now? There are dozens of pubescent girls out there longing after you. Is that clear to you?"

"Somehow not," the singer admitted.

"Call her and order her here." Nobu took off his glasses and cleaned them with his sweaty T-shirt, causing even more stains. "I'm going to wash my glasses. Don't go out there, understood?"

"I understand." Wataru pulled his phone out of his pocket.

No credit. And no money.