"Karaoke?"
"Yes."
Kinoshita and Aki had quite the confusing faces that they were making. Well, after all, I suggested that we should go to some karaoke session. That would help to reduce some of my tensions building up over the past few weeks.
Also, that event that happened with that irritating piece of trash, whose name is Ichijo, contributed to my tensions. From now on, I even started to hate anyone with that name.
Sorry for all the Ichijos in the world but you are all FUCKING ANNOYING!!
....*sigh*
Back on the main topic, we three were sitting at our personal seats at the cafeteria. One more chair was added to this round table, and Kinoshita was on that additional chair.
"But why now of all times?"
Kinoshita raised that question while eating broccoli from his own lunchbox, which was prepared quite lovingly judging by the appearance and the extravagance of the food distributed. It emitted such a lovely scent that can seduce a person's hunger.
"Since you two did your best in the midterm exams, and pretty much got the result that you wanted, why not celebrate for the sake of it. It is also a good way to minimise our stress, right?"
After gulping down some water, I obliged them to go with me a bit enthusiastically.
"But I haven't gone to one." Said Aki with a bit of a worried face.
"Me too...." Supported Kinoshita with his small voice.
"So? As they say, there is always a first time in everything. I haven't gone to one too. Come on, it's gonna be amazing. You two should take a break and have fun sometimes."
Those two looked at each other with unsure faces. They looked like they are being forced,....well, to be honest, they are really being forced.
"If you insist on so much, I guess it won't hurt to come."
"Great! Well, let me invite someone who would know this kind of stuff."
Aki's eyebrows twitched upon my reply. She intervened when I was searching for a certain someone's number on my phone.
"We are inviting someone? Do we even have anyone who wants to come with us willingly?"
"Don't worry. Your sister isn't afraid of me or you."
She froze for a few seconds and started to process the things that I said in her mind.
"Y-You are calling Sakura over!?!?"
Not startled by her reaction, I continued to search for her contact on my phone while saying,
"Hmm, yea. Why are you so shocked?"
She opened her mouth without saying a word and after a few moments, she stuttered some words.
"I-It's nothing. It's that, I am a bit surprised..."
"'A bit' might be a little of an understatement," I said as I looked up to her.
When I say I looked up, it means that she was standing. Yes, literally standing from her chair. Aki also noticed this as she herself was surprised, yet again.
*Cough*
She put her hand in front of her mouth, covering her lips and pretended to cough so as to hide her embarrassment.
"You have any problem with me inviting her over?"
".....No. it's alright." She said as she sat down back to her seat.
"Cool. Then let me talk to her for a moment."
After some few seconds of ringing, Sakura picked up the phone and responded to me.
"Hello?"
"Hey Sakura, wanna come over for some Karaoke fun? Your sister will be there too."
"W-What? Why now? What happened? Anything special?"
"No, nothing of that sort. Just inform your parents about it and come over. We'll meet up later. Okay?"
"Ok,...yea."
"Later."
This short conversation between me and Sakura was over. Aki was looking at me quite furiously but I let it slide off and continued to eat my lunch.
"I really can't predict you."
She said as she continued to finish her lunch too. But she stopped eating again as she remembered something else. She glanced at me with a suspicious gaze.
"How did you get her number?"
"Hm? Just like that."
"Just like that?"
Her doubtful stare was more intense as I brought another food near my mouth.
"You better not do something to her."
I discontinued eating to stare straight to her slightly furious expression.
"I was not planning to."
"....."
After some time of eye contact, I averted my eyes first and resumed eating. She did not say anything and she proceeded to do the same. Silence was between us until the school bell rang.
.....
"Yo Sakura. Nice meeting you again."
I waved my hand from a small distance towards Sakura, who was wearing the Seien's Girls Middle School uniform. A white uniform accompanied with a red ribbon tied on the neck, partially covered by the dark blue collar of the uniform.
The skirt was short and dark blue in colour also. Sakura was definitely those types who wear trending fashion things as her bags are full of cute stickers and conspicuous black bracelets are on her wrists. Almost all types of accessories were on her small body.
"Same to you Kaburagi, and who might that be?" She said while pointing her finger toward a boy next to me.
"Oh, he is Kinoshita Ken, same grade and same class to us two. Really good friend with us."
Kinoshita did a little wave gesture with his hand and introduced himself simply.
"H-Hi, I'm Kinoshita."
"Name's Sakura. Your classmate's little sister." Sakura, with a happy tone, said as she glanced toward a girl standing to the other side of me.
Aki responded to her glance by looking away swiftly.
"*Sigh*. Really, I never thought that the day would come where you would come to a Karaoke."
Sakura directed those slightly mocking words toward Aki, who readjusted her line of sight toward her sibling and responded with an annoying tone,
"Well, it's not like I wanted to come here. I was forced to be here. Kinoshita is also in the same situation as me here."
Aki side glanced me while passing off that comment. Being targeted with those 3 people's stares after having being accused, I lightened the mood by playing the ignorant one and continued to do the thing that we are supposed to do.
And that is, to have fun!!
"Well enough of these talkings and let's go to have some fun times," I said as I cross-armed with both the annoyed Aki and the nervous Kinoshita, while Sakura was following us.
When we arrived at the location for some karaoke action, we booked one room for 1 hour. Well, Sakura was doing all the booking, meanwhile, us three newbies were checking out the place.
But I did not let Sakura pay for the 1-hour session, instead, it was my own money. I gave Sakura the money that I got from the prideful and wealthy girl, non-other than Hitomi Ayame. Let's just say that it was a reward for our hard work.
Anyway, Sakura interrupted our little exploration of the place, to inform us that we are now allowed to go in one of these rooms. We proceeded to follow her as she was kind of our guide.
Behind the door of the room that we were entering, there was a medium-sized low table accompanied by long-range of seats around it. We were entering slowly while checking out the places. Sakura looked at us as if we were kids.
Us four sat down on those soft comfortable seats and were....doing nothing. Me, Kinoshita and Aki were looking at each other with no significant meaning.
"It really is your first time too? Geez."
Sakura broke the silence by embarrassing me a little. Kinoshita too felt the blow delivered by this middle schooler as he was looking away a little. But it can't be helped if I haven't been to one.
"Is that the first thing we should do when we come here? Embarrass me?"
"Since you three are rookies, then I think I should start."
"Please do."
Sakura stood and grabbed the mic while using her other hand to choose a song. As she finished, she went in front of the monitor, which showed the lyrics of the song chosen, and took a pose.
All three of us were focused on her, not saying a word. The instrumental part started and Sakura commences to sway her body left and right, with so little movement, that went with the rhythm of the song.
"I am really lucky, to have you, by my side. Every time we meet, I wish time would freeze eternally, so I can look at the moon, in front of me, for the rest of my life~"
She sang the first lyrics of the song she chose. Although I don't know this romantic song, I can judge that Sakura's rosy lips have grasped the emotions that these lyrics contain.
Elegant was the word that I could describe her at this moment. We focused on her performance for 3 minutes, until it seems like she arrived at the last lyrics.
"I will never ever forget you, even if I die, even if I go to heaven, even if I go to hell, you will always be, in my beating heart, which craves for your love, every second~"
Sakura turned her line of sight to Aki as she sang that part. Aki blinked in confusion, wondering why she is staring at her. The instrumental sound started to die down but Sakura brought the mic to her small lips to sing one last part that was not included on the screen.
"Oh my dear sister, congratulations on your midterm exams, for which you worked hard, and I wish, that I can see you, brimming with lights of success, as time march with you~"
Aki had wide eyes in response to those lyrics that Sakura invented, which sounded like it was part of the song she sang earlier.
Smiling, with her figure shining due to the lights in the karaoke room, Sakura made a small bow and said a simple,
"Thank you."
which left us three, mostly Aki, stupefied.