Volume 13 Chapter 326 Shirogane Kanon, Halloween Night Live
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Halloween Beryl Fest ran on Saturday and Sunday for two days.
I, Shirogane Kanon, a woman loved by fate, hit the lottery for a Day 2 ticket after eating biscuits in silence throughout my pregnancy.
”Okay, I’m off to have fun,” I said.
All dressed up and ready, I turned to the same three who always came to see me off.
”Do your best, Kanon!” Kaede-senpai cheered.
”Kanon, take care!!” Emily-senpai cried.
Kaede-senpai wore a rising-sun headband, and Emily-senpai waved a Japanese flag while crying. I gave them a flat look. Why do they act like this every time? Are they under some curse that makes them joke too much?
”Kanon-san, please… come back alive,” Nee-san added.
”Eeeeh!” Even serious Nee-san was teasing me. I put my hands on my hips and puffed my cheeks.
”If you don’t stop with the jokes, I won’t bring souvenirs!”
Right away, Kaede-senpai and Emily-senpai clung to me like I was their last hope.
”Please! We beg you! Get us a Halloween Aqua acrylic stand!!” Kaede-senpai said.
”Any Aqua goods are fine, we’ll take anything!!” Emily-senpai added.
”Yes, yes, I know.” Honestly, if they were going to beg, they could have skipped the jokes at the start.
”M-me too… could you get the Halloween-only figure?” Nee-san asked, holding out a brown envelope of money.
”It’s fine. I’ll gift you one,” I said.
”Well then, I’m off!” I said again.
”Have fun!” Kaede-senpai waved.
”Be careful,” Nee-san said.
”Wear Homme-ts just in case you get too wet. Pads won’t be enough.” Emily-senpai called out.
I almost tripped at that. I won’t get that wet! …Though I did pack one, just in case.
Leaving the Shirogane home, I headed to Wonderland. Live shows were the best. I felt excited from the moment I got in the taxi.
”Wow!”
I pressed my face to the taxi window. Wonderland was full of Halloween lights and décor. The dome looked like a huge pumpkin thanks to the projection.
”Excuse me! I’ll get out here!”
I paid, stepped out, and walked toward the gate. Even the fence around Wonderland had Halloween designs. At the entrance, I crossed the line from the real world into a dream one.
”First, I should get goods, right?”
I opened the Wonderland app, scanned the QR codes, and chose how many I wanted. I was lucky. Since it was Day 2, I worried things might be sold out, but the team had stocked so much that fans could all buy what they wanted. I ordered everything and chose delivery, then paid cashless. The world had become so easy.
Outside the shop, I went to a busy wagon full of fans.
”This one, please!”
”Yes. May I see your ticket?” the woman said.
She scanned it. People with Halloween tickets could get one free Halloween headband. I put on a ribbon headband while looking in the mirror. I was glad I wore a cute Alice-style outfit for it.
”Oh, it’s Kanon-sama,” a girl beside me said when she noticed me in the mirror.
”So, does it look good?” I asked.
”Yes, very much!”
”Heehee, thank you. Your bat headband looks great on you too,” I said.
”Thank you!”
Little moments like this were special at a Halloween event. We waved goodbye, and I walked toward the stage area.
”This is the entrance. Please go through bag check first and then enter the inside area,” a staff member called.
Wow! Aqua said yesterday that boys would help guide people, and it was true. I saw some boys working with the Beryl female staff, and it touched me. What Aqua had started was spreading to everyone in Beryl, and it all felt connected.
”Oh, Kanon-neesama!”
”Lapis-chan!”
At the bag check, Lapis-chan, dressed as Alice like me, was working as staff.
”You’re so cute, Lapis-chan!”
”Kanon-neesama, you are cute too!” she said.
We held hands and jumped with joy. People around us began to murmur.
”As expected from Kanon-sama.”
”She’s a married woman and a mom… really!?”
”She’s always like a kid.”
”Yeah, yeah.”
”Let’s post on the Bulletin Board. Hey, Hagetoru, Tashinami is excited,” someone said.
Ugh! Why do they report everything about me to Hagetoru on the Bulletin Board? It’s like he knows my every move!
”Oh, Kanon-san!”
”Shitori-san!”
Shitori-san ran up when she saw me.
”Kanon-san, can I take a photo of you with Lapis? I’ll post it on social media to show the event.”
”Yes, of course! But please make it cute!” I said.
From the line, someone joked, “Don’t worry, Hagetoru says you look cute from any angle. Probably.” Everyone laughed.
Argh! Ever since Hagetoru started, no one holds back with me anymore. Still, this friendly distance felt nicer than being put on a pedestal.
I hugged Lapis-chan, and Shitori-san took a photo of us together.
”Thanks! Have fun in there!”
After passing the bag check, I stepped into the castle area where the stage was. Now, where was my seat?
”Anyone with a ticket number starting with AQUA, this way!” a staff member called.
”Ticket numbers starting with TOA, this way!”
”If your ticket begins with MAYUSHIN, please come here!”
”TENGA! TENGA! TENGA! Anyone with a ticket starting with TENGA, over here!”
My ticket started with AQUA, so I followed the corresponding line. I showed my ticket to a staff member, and she guided me to my seat.
The castle, lit up with a Halloween Toa theme, looked so pretty. I took a quick photo, then turned my eyes to the main stage again.
A long red carpet ran from inside the northern castle down to the stage. Another path stretched out on the other side, extending far into the park. I wondered how far the boys would use it.
Thinking of all the things that might happen, I waited for the show to begin.
”Soon, the Halloween live will start. It will be dark at your feet, so please take your seats before the show,” a voice said.
A loud cheer rose from the crowd. A few minutes later, the Wonderland lights went dark all at once, and another wave of screams filled the night.
Clack, clack-clack.
I heard a car shifting gears, then the sound of an engine speeding up. At that moment, gas lamps along the far path lit up one by one toward the stage. A soft violin joined the sound of the engine as it drew closer.
What was happening? My heart beat fast. From the far edge of the seats, screams spread like a wave.
When I saw the car, I screamed too. On the hood of an old open-top car stood Aqua, arms open, shirt loose and partially unbuttoned.
”Kyaaaaaaa!”
”Aqua-samaaaa!”
”Hold meee!”
”O-oh, oh, oh!”
”Damn it! I should have worn Homme-ts like armor!”
That moment became the start of the famous “Aqua Ride.” They said every girl who saw it wanted Aqua to hold her at once.
Ugh, Emily-senpai was right. I should have worn Homme-ts without letting my guard down. Would I survive this show until the end?
With a loud bang, the car reached the stage. Tenga-senpai, who had driven, Mayuzumi-kun in the passenger seat, Toa-chan in the back, and Aqua on the hood all got out. A lift beneath the stage moved, and the car went down out of sight. Beryl’s stage work always cost a lot and had so much detail.
The violin transitioned to the intro of the song, and Aqua picked up the mic.
”The night is here. Now, whose blood should I drink tonight?”
More high-pitched screams burst out. Some girls even pointed to their necks. Many had tattoo stickers saying “Bite here♡” or “Here♡” on their skin. So this was why girls who attended Day 1 advised everyone to wear clothes that showed the neck, even if it was cold.
I silently thanked those kind girls for warning us without spoiling the surprise.
Aqua was usually just a normal high school boy, but when he stood on stage as an idol, no one could match his charm. Still, if he acted like this all day, every day, we girls would never get a break. That was why it was good that his everyday self was more relaxed. Because of that soft side, his stage persona shone even brighter. This sharp contrast was what made Aqua stand out even among Beryl.
Even now, it had only been about a week since the school trip, and he was already putting on a show like this. Toa-chan and the others who kept up with him were amazing too, but if you thought about it, they were all kind of crazy.
Back on stage, the four of them finished the song, and the crowd responded with loud applause.
”Wow…”
”Aqua-sama, he started too strong!”
”Sorry, the moment he stood on that car, my brain stopped working after that.”
”Idol Aqua-sama is the best!”
Aqua walked slowly to the center of the stage as the music transitioned to a full orchestra. Oh! Mayuzumi-kun was now conducting. His fans looked ready to faint. Toa-chan raised a hand, and boys in Halloween outfits marched out from the castle. Was that Yamada-kun and Kokuchō-kun? I could also see Akami-kun.
”Kyaaaaaa!”
”Whoa, all the Beryl boys are here!!”
”The boys behind Yamada-kun… are they trainees?”
”Yes! I saw them working as staff!”
As Aqua reached the center, a piano rose from below the stage. He swung his outer garment aside, sat down, and began to play a solo.
Eeeeeek! Aqua was so cool! The coolest in the world!
I screamed inside my heart. Everyone in the audience covered their mouths, holding back their voices as they listened to the beautiful piano music.
Then Tenga-senpai stepped forward to face the boys from the castle. Oh! So the castle was Aqua’s—the vampire king’s—castle.
Aqua leaned toward the mic on the piano.
”Do you still wish to cross swords with me?”
When he spoke, a spotlight hit the place where he had stood before. It was on Tenga-senpai now.
”Yes. You are the Vampire King, and I am the vampire hunter. So this was always our fate,” he said.
Wait! Could it be that the song earlier, which seemed directed at the fans, was also a song from the vampire king Aqua to the hunter Tenga-senpai? A few people seemed to notice and nearly collapsed.
With Aqua’s piano and Mayuzumi-kun’s orchestration, Tenga-senpai began his solo, singing and showcasing sharp dance moves reminiscent of a sword fight. Amazing! He always sang well, but his dance had become so sharp with training.
When Tenga-senpai’s solo ended, Aqua stood, handed the mic to Mayuzumi-kun, and vanished into the castle.
Eh? Aqua left? Was that okay?
”From here on is the master’s home. I cannot let you pass,” Mayuzumi-kun said in full butler mode. Some girls almost fainted again. Girls, I’ll collect your bones later.
Next was likely Mayuzumi-kun’s solo. Toa-chan took Aqua’s place at the piano, and Tenga-senpai took over as conductor.
Since starring in a late-night drama, Mayuzumi-kun had developed an even stronger stage presence. He sang gently, very different from before. When he finished, he switched places with Toa-chan, who took the mic.
”Well, I guess I’ll help too,” Toa-chan said.
He sang a bright, cute song that was very like him. The fans, who had been at their limit, seemed healed.
Huh—wait. The necklace Toa-chan wore… wasn’t that the same as Aqua’s? Fans who noticed began to drop one by one. The tempo then changed, and the sweet song turned wild and strong. Yes, Toa-chan’s singing was so good. His final shout sent more fans flying.
Right. This was a Beryl live show. It was a “survival game” to see how many fans made it to the end. I felt ashamed for coming without a diaper and with such a naive mindset.
Holding a mic, Tenga-senpai shouted at the castle, “Vampire King, where are you!?””
All the lights went out at once. Then every spotlight pointed to the castle balcony.
There stood Aqua, the Vampire King.
”No need to worry. I am here,” he said.
Then he stepped over the balcony and jumped.
No way!?
…Ah! There were wires. Okay, that made sense.
”Even without the wire, Aqua-kun would land fine,” someone said.
Yes, yes. He once fell from ten thousand feet and didn’t get a scratch. That must have been someone from the Bulletin Board. Honestly!
Aqua’s solo brought the whole venue to its peak.
”Will you still fight me?”
”Yes. It is our fate.”
Aqua and Tenga-senpai sang a powerful duet full of their struggle. Anyone who survived that was knocked out by Aqua and Mayuzumi-kun’s master-servant duet next. Then came a pride-on-the-line duet between Mayuzumi-kun and Tenga-senpai, a comrades duet with Toa-chan and Mayuzumi-kun, a new-style duet from Toa-chan and Tenga-senpai, and finally a duet with Toa-chan and Aqua. Almost half the fans who were still standing fell at once.
”Come, it is time to end the fight. Take my hand, and let’s sing together.”
In the end, the vampires and demons found a way to coexist with humans. The four of them sang almost ten BERYL songs together. I liked how it had a clear story, with a new song at the start, solos and duets in the middle, and a classic BERYL medley to close.
They waved, walked back into the castle, and the lights went out. It wasn’t over. The fans felt it too, and waved penlights with all their strength.
”Encore! Encore!”
Responding to the call, red light washed over the castle.
Yes!!
Aqua came out, and Tenga-senpai struck his electric guitar. A BERYL band song for the encore— the best!
Aqua began softly, then, after the key change, sang with cool power.
”This wild need burns inside me. Can I hold it back?”
Aaaaah! The blood-sucking urge!
A close-up of Aqua’s face with red contacts filled the screen behind him, and everyone, including me, exposed our necks. Of course I wanted him to bite me too!
When the fast first song ended, they jumped right into a second new song. What—two new songs in the encore? No fair!!
”Everyone, thank you so much for coming todaaaay!” Aqua shouted during the break, and the crowd answered with cheers.
Aqua spread his arms and turned toward Mayuzumi-kun.
”On bass, Mayuzumi Shintaro!!”
Mayuzumi-kun played a cool bass line in response.
”On electric, Tenga Akira!!”
Tenga-senpai gave a sharp guitar solo.
”On drums, Nekoyama Toa!!”
Toa-chan showed off with a drum solo.
”DJ Moja!”
Moja-san, supporting them, gave a shy bow.
”Story, Tsukasa Kei!”
Of course it was Tsukasa-sensei! I knew it!
”Costumes, John Slimane!”
John-san stepped out and bowed with a smile.
”Support members, Yamada Maruo, Kokuchō Kujaku, Akami Hajime!”
Each boy waved to the fans. Yes, someday these boys would stand here as the main group too.
”Beryl Entertainment president, Atori Ako! And all the staff who supported today’s stage!!”
All the staff came out of the castle and bowed.
”And all the fans here today, and all the fans watching this video!”
We screamed back until our voices broke.
”Alright, last spurt!!”
Aqua sang the final part of the new song, ending with a strong shout.
”Thank yoooouuuuu!!”
The final song ended in a storm of cheers. It had truly been like a dream.
Like the others, I stayed a little longer to enjoy the afterglow in Wonderland before catching a taxi home. When I got back, Emily-senpai approached me with a silly face, asking, “Did you use your diaper~?” I was too tired, so I brushed her off and went to my room.
I really just wanted to change out of my wet underwear!!
—
Akio-san was the one who taught Aqua that way of standing on the car.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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