Ritsu Tainaka, doesn't she ever think before she speaks?
Shiro Sakamaki glanced at the others. Kotobuki Tsumugi was giving Yui Hirasawa a puzzled look, while Yui herself wore an eager expression, practically screaming
"Let me do it!"
Ritsu and Akiyama Mio looked at him with what could only be described as dangerously kind smiles—so sweet, they could melt steel.
But when it came to being the scapegoat, Shiro was never one to back down.
He had already calculated dozens of outcomes in his mind and prepared a library of excuses.
"It's not that I don't want to… I just can't."
Calm as ever, he took a leisurely sip of black tea as if he were simply commenting on the weather.
His words instantly drew everyone's attention—including Yukinoshita Yukino, who had been quietly reading.
"What do you mean you can't?" Ritsu crossed her arms.
"You're a member of the light music club too. It's totally normal for you to take the lead on stage."
"Yeah, yeah!" Mio chimed in quickly.
"Besides, you have a really nice voice, Sakamaki—I mean, Shiro—don't you think it'd sound great?"
As long as she wasn't the one up front, Mio would endorse anyone.
Shiro narrowed his eyes, leaned back, and replied coolly,
"Mio-san, I'm doing this for your sake. You might want to be a little more grateful."
Mio blinked. "Huh?"
"Let me break it down for you. You wrote the song, right?"
"Yes…"
"And the lyrics are… well, cute and kind of ambiguous?"
"I-I didn't mean to! They just came to me!"
"Right. Now imagine this: the emcee announces your name as the songwriter. Then I—a boy—step up and sing a song about hugging my 'beloved bunny.'"
He casually flipped his hair.
"And, you know, I'm quite confident in my looks."
The others looked confused—except for Yukino, who had already rolled her eyes and sipped her tea in silent judgment.
"So, what do you think will happen next? Rumors. Whispers. People linking us together."
He paused dramatically.
"Of course, if you don't mind having a few extra 'rumored boyfriend,' then hey—go ahead and insist. But I, for one, would be perfectly fine."
Silence. Dead silence.
Mio's ears turned red, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she buried her face in her hands.
Mission: Avoid Lead Singer Role — Accomplished.
There was no way he was going up there to sing that song. Just imagining himself belting out lyrics about cuddly bunnies was already mentally scarring.
Then, a small voice broke the silence.
"Um… I…" Yui Hirasawa raised her hand like a student answering a question. Her eyes sparkled.
"Can I be the lead singer?"
Mio's head shot up, astonished. Someone actually volunteered?!
Although she worried about Yui's dual-tasking skills, Mio couldn't bring herself to crush that kind of enthusiasm.
Ritsu blinked, then shrugged.
"Well, if Sakamaki-kun and Mio can't do it, then sure, why not?"
She briefly considered letting Tsumugi do it, but it felt weird to have the keyboardist as the lead.
"Ahem. Honestly, you've got a nice voice, Yui. You might surprise us."
Yui scratched her head, smiling sheepishly. "I-it's not that good…"
Shiro coughed. "In any case, let's let Yui-san give it a shot first."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Okay then—here I go!"
Yui cleared her throat and started to sing—
Only to be immediately stopped by Mio.
"You forgot the guitar part!"
"Oh—oops, sorry!" Yui chuckled awkwardly.
After adjusting, she began again, this time playing the guitar too. The beat kicked in, filling the clubroom with energetic rhythm.
But a few seconds later—
She forgot the lyrics.
Shiro let out a sigh. Right… single-core processor.
Yui could do one thing extremely well. Add a second task? Her brain would drop the first like a hot potato.
Over the next half-hour, after several attempts filled with forgotten chords and misplaced lines, Yui finally collapsed dramatically on the floor, groaning in defeat.
Her dreams of lead singer glory had vanished like steam off a teacup.
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