My Childhood Friend, who became a National Idol, moved next door to my Run-down Apartment [Dropped] - Chapter 16 - Sena's performance!

“Friday… 2:30 PM, Kagari Sena… That’s it.”

The practical exam at Teito Music University has entered its second half.

In the past week leading up to Sena’s practical exam, she seemed to have secluded herself in her room to practice.

Entering the main hall a little late, there was a considerable but not entirely packed crowd filling the event auditorium.

As I sat down in an empty seat, I overheard the conversation of some nearby students.

“Kagari Sena, the one who brought an anime song from last year’s late period and scored an S in the practical exam?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s been a while since someone ventured beyond classical and got an S.”

“She’s a singer-songwriter type? Honestly, just the fact that a cute gal like her plays and sings passionate anime songs is enough to draw an audience!”

“I know right.”

“Yeah.”

I totally understand that fact.

In fact, I wholeheartedly agreed with the people sitting next to me.

Listening in on their conversation, the spotlight focused on the center stage.

Sena walked in a bit nervously, and all eyes were on her.

When I calmly looked at her, she was quite beautiful. Her features were well-defined, but her expression revealed her nervousness.

Her flowing chestnut hair swayed gently with every step she took, and her well-toned body was adorned with a purple dress, giving her a slightly mature charm.

However, even with her usual steel mentality, she seemed a little shy, probably because of the public’s gaze.

Her unaccustomed high heels made her walk look a bit unsteady.

“You can’t help but want to protect her in that state.”

“I get it.”

“I totally get it.”

I nodded multiple times in affirmation. It’s this kind of charm that makes Sena so captivating.

“Examinee number 8. I’m Kagari Sena, a 2nd-year student majoring in composition.”

“For your performance piece… um, ‘The Point of the Short Sword Rapier,’ is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

The professor seemed a little perplexed.

—Kagari’s new song is super intense! Have you ever seen ‘Valklo’ before?

Even before the exam, Sena excitedly showed me her phone in the cafeteria.

The opening for this season’s hit anime ‘Valkyria Chronicle: The Final Battle of the Goddess of War’ is ‘The Point of the Short Sword Rapier’! It’s an amazing OP that plays when the heroine, the Goddess of War Valkyria, awakens to protect her comrades in Episode 9! If you watch it all the way then you might be able to tell how good that opening song is.

“This is going to be interesting.”

The person next to me murmured as he focused his attention towards the stage.

“I heard the main vocalist for ‘Misty Eyes’ is on the opening. It’s surprising that she’s singing anime songs too.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Michiru Sasaoka, isn’t it? She does have a great voice. It’s amazing how she can handle powerful songs too.”

“If they were going to pick a vocalist from the same idol group, they could’ve gone with Mitsuki Toujou. She would’ve been a good fit for the image, but I guess Michiru Sasaoka can handle it too.”

“Oh, right. That makes sense. Though Toujou has a cool, serious image, she’s better known for her cute songs. It’s unexpected, but I guess Michiru Sasaoka can pull it off.”

“Misty Eyes,” isn’t that the idol group that is considered a rival to Mitsuki?

Michiru Sasaoka is known as the top idol after Mitsuki Toujou. They both enjoy a fervent fan following and have top sales, making them the two biggest names in the Japanese idol industry.

While Mitsuki excels in cool and serious songs, Michiru Sasaoka shines in cute, typical idol-style songs.

That’s why the anime picked Michiru Sasaoka, an unexpected choice for a serious battle anime, to sing the intense opening song. It caught the anime fans by surprise.

Sena readied herself, the song, and the anime countless times at my place.

Her commitment is too strong.

She is the type to immerse herself emotionally into music.

And with her unique power to interpret songs and draw them into her own world, Sena’s music becomes incredibly moving.

She calls this state her “awakening mode.”

“Kagari might not be the best at dancing, playing the piano, or singing perfectly, however…”

Sena is majoring in Artistic Expression.

In other words, she is being trained as a singer-songwriter.

As she brought the microphone close to her mouth, a slightly bewitching aura surrounded her, unlike her usual self.

“When I play and sing intensely hot songs, an endless stream of power flows from my soul!”

As she played a two-octave glide using glissando technique with her palm, Sena’s boundless power seemed to fill the entire hall.

Her powerful yet transparent voice, along with the piano’s resounding force, resonated throughout the hall.

And above all, her presence declared, “I am living at the center of this world!”

If Michiru’s music is calm and flowing like a mountain stream, then Sena’s music is like a blazing fire, full of intense passion.

Thanks to her personal arrangement, the original song had changed considerably, but that is what makes Sena’s music so appealing.

But…..

“You can’t help but feel like you want to take her out for ramen after her performance because she looks so exhausted.”

“I get it.”

“That’s so true.”

After all, it seems like many people are drawn to Seina’s performance, not just for her effort, but also for this aspect of her music.

I, too, strongly agreed with the three people sitting next to me.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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TL : Zenon#4120