Chapter 231 – After New Year, It’s Time to Compete

January 3rd — they boarded the train and returned to Tokyo.                

Tottori and Tokyo felt like two completely different worlds.

At least in Tottori, Kei didn’t have to think about all those tedious, headache-inducing things.

The very next day after returning, Kei was bombarded with messages from Nijika and Kita.

Stuff like:

“Senpai, how could you not tell me about that?”

or

“I could’ve gone too, you know…”

The two girls were full of questions that left him completely at a loss for how to respond.

Then came the real problems: The radio show.

Niijima Yusuke called again.

The broadcast event, originally scheduled for mid-January, had been postponed now pushed back to the end of February due to the promotion concert on the UK.

A whole month of delay.

Which meant Kei’s plan to drive to Hokkaido after returning from Okinawa was going to be affected again...

He sighed, thinking, ‘Niijima really has it rough. Even during the holidays, he’s still taking care of his friends’ requests… what a true corporate warrior.’

With all these little troubles piling up, Kei had simply gotten used to it.

Next came driving lessons.

Cooking might not have been his strong suit, but when it came to driving, Kei had a knack for it— perhaps thanks to his “previous life” experience.

He picked it up quickly, and if everything went well, he’d have his license before flying to UK.

And so, between signing contracts, band rehearsals, and driving lessons, Kei’s days moved forward bit by bit.

Then came January 28th.

That afternoon, Kei received a message from Kikouka Seijirou: the producers of Sing! Asia had officially sent an invitation.

They wanted Kessoku Band to join the show in early February.

Since the program had already begun filming, the band would appear as “Challenger Artists”—entering the competition midway, when the cruise ship docked in Okinawa, to challenge the current lineup and fight for the top spot.

If they managed to pass as Challenger Artists, they would continue the journey aboard the ship.

Kei knew it wouldn’t be easy.

As foreign contestants, they lacked the strong local fanbase they had back in Japan.

In the audience voting round, they could only rely on one thing— their music.

Only if their songs truly touched the audience’s hearts could they win support from other singers’ fans.

It was a steep climb.

But Kei wasn’t afraid.

His “status panel,” so to speak, already showed world-class skill—both in keyboard performance and vocals.

And his bandmates had all improved dramatically too.

Take Ryou, for instance— her smooth, elegant, and precise bass solo that day had made it clear: her technique now rivaled even that of professional musicians.

Nijika and Kita were also growing fast.

And Bocchi—her teamwork and stage presence had improved tremendously.

Her social anxiety hadn’t disappeared, but at least she could now face a live audience without freezing up completely.

————————————————————————

January 28th, afternoon.

The holidays were officially over, and winter break was coming to a close.

Everyone had to return to juggling school life with band practice.

That meant they could only meet in the afternoons.

At the live house, Kei gathered the girls and explained the details about their upcoming trip and competition.

The reactions were mixed.

Nijika looked a bit surprised.

To her, it felt like New Year’s had just ended—and Ryou’s little solo trip “incident” had only happened yesterday.

“Eh? So soon? Guess I’ll have to ask my teacher for leave tomorrow then…”

“Yeah, do that. We’ll also need time to prep the setlist, and the staff wants us to arrive before the 30th—they’ll be shooting the promo videos then.”

“Whoa, there’s a promo shoot too?” Kita exclaimed, as if discovering some exciting new secret.

Then, eyes sparkling, she added, “So—should we bring gifts for our fans? Senpai, any ideas?”

Kei thought for a moment.

Beside him, Ryou quietly handed him a drink.

Bitter Green Tea Milk.

Without thinking, Kei took a sip—then instantly regretted it, suppressing the urge to cough as he calmly handed it back.

“Fan gifts, huh… I’m not sure there’ll be a chance to hand them out directly,” he replied evenly. “But if we do… maybe New Year greeting cards? It’s still New Year over there.”

“Ehh~? That’s kind of boring. Can’t we give them food or something? Like, red bean mochi?” Kita protested.

“Suki-san, this one’s good.” Ryou interrupted, offering him a piece of candy—the same ultra-sour lemon drop she’d given him before.

The kind that made your whole body twitch.

Kei accepted it, didn’t eat it, and set it aside.

“Food’s risky. Better not. Could cause problems.”

“Aww, fine…”

Talking about food made Kei’s stomach stir a little.

But first things first—he had to think about their performance.

This was no ordinary stage.

This was the world stage.

They would be competing against top-tier artists from across the globe.

It was intimidating— but at the same time, Kei could feel a spark of excitement burning in his chest.

‘Competing with other artist, huh...’

‘How should we show the world that we were here?’

He already had the answer.

Win.

Take the number one spot on the global charts.

Let the whole world know Kessoku Band’s name.

Make their album the best-selling record of the year.

Just like in the lyrics—

“Leap into this era!”

After the discussion ended, the last lemon drop Ryou had offered… ended up being fed to poor Bocchi.