Sing Your Heart Out Pt. 2

"CUZ TONIGHT WILL BE THE NIGHT THAT I WILL FALL FOR YOU~!"

Suzu screamed out the lyrics at full volume, her voice carrying more enthusiasm than accuracy. Even I could tell she was half a beat off, but that didn't seem to bother her. Her flushed cheeks and the way she clutched the microphone like it was her lifeline told me she was having the time of her life.

"She's drunk, huh?" I muttered.

"Obviously," Mira scoffed, casually knocking back her sixth shot. "Ha~ Learned something new today, huh? We don't drink often, but out of all of us, Suzu's probably the biggest lightweight."

"Eh~?!" Suzu gasped, offended. "No way! Look at Nabi!"

We both turned to find Nabi sprawled out on her side, head resting against the back cushion, eyes shut.

"Is she… asleep?" I asked.

"No. Pretty sure she's dead," Mira said before downing her seventh shot. Then, after reconsidering, she shrugged. "Actually, I take it back. Suzu's right for once—Nabi's definitely the biggest lightweight."

"Hey!" Suzu huffed. "What do you mean, 'for once'?! I'm right… m-most of the time."

"Uh-huh. Like that time you thought going seventy miles per hour meant it would take seventy hours to go seventy miles?"

"Hey! You just worded it weird!"

"How else was I supposed to word it?!"

As their bickering continued, I glanced over at Nae, who was still deep in conversation with a noticeably tipsy Yoko.

"Nah, you're talking out of your ass right now," Yoko said, her usual refined tone replaced with something more casual.

"No!" Nae shot back. "Here we out for a second, okay? If aliens had the technology to reach Earth—and by the way, space is incomprehensibly massive—why the hell would they come here? And if they did, do you really think they'd be dumb enough to crash land?"

"It's not impossible. Sure, the odds are slim, but we both agree aliens exist, right? And if they have the tech to make it here, then it's just as likely that they already have. Maybe they've been around for a long time."

"That still doesn't answer why, Miss Yoshino…"

"The why doesn't matter. Humans have done plenty of dumb things throughout history without a logical reason. Why did we—or didn't we—do certain things that could've changed the course of the future? We just do, so maybe aliens are the same."

That argument wasn't any better than the one Mira and Suzu were having. Nae had always been an expert debater when it came to extraterrestrial or supernatural topics, but it looked like she'd finally met her match.

I reached for my shot glass and hovered it in front of me.

Alcohol had always affected me in a weird way. I didn't get drunk, not in the way most people did. I never lost control or got loud—I just felt… fuzzy. Sleepy. Like the part of me that already struggled with socializing just shut down even more.

Hm… Maybe this is what being drunk feels like, and I'm just in denial. Who knows.

Just as I leaned in to take the shot, Mira suddenly turned away from Suzu and locked eyes with me.

"By the way, Noa… when's your turn to sing?"

I choked mid-sip, coughing like I'd just inhaled an entire lungful of smoke. "What...? What do you mean?"

"Tch, what else could I possibly mean? I'm asking when you're gonna sing. We're at a karaoke bar, you know."

"Oh, Noa's gonna sing next?"

I nearly jumped out of my seat. Nabi's face was suddenly inches from mine, her half-lidded eyes staring at me with unnatural focus.

"W-what the?! When did you wake up?!"

"I was never asleep. Just resting my eyes," she said, her voice monotone but her stare unwavering. "So? You're gonna sing, right?"

Just like that, all eyes in the room were on me—including the two in the corner who were previously wearing tinfoil hats and debating intergalactic conspiracies.

"Seriously…?" I muttered, feeling the weight of their collective stares.

"Go on, Noa," Yoko said with a sly smirk. "I'm sure your little sister would lo~ve to hear her big brother sing. Isn't that right?"

Nae's eyes sparkled as she eagerly nodded. "Yeah! Go for it, Big Bro! You got this!"

Suzu, who had absolutely no business looking this gleeful, switched the television to the next song while Mira casually handed me the microphone like she was passing me a death sentence.

This… This isn't happening.

They wanted me to sing? Me?! I had never attempted such a thing in my life. I had zero idea how this was going to turn out. My dignity, my honor, my very soul—all of it was at risk.

But with all their eyes drilling into me, I had a sinking realization.

No matter how many times I refused, they wouldn't let this go. They would keep pressing me, chipping away at my willpower, until the night faded into dawn and I was left with no choice but to submit.

"…Damn it," I mumbled. "Don't expect anything crazy, alright? Actually, expect it to be crazy, just not in a good way."

"Of course, of course," Mira grinned. "Now, go for it!"

Reluctantly, I took the mic as the music started playing. I inhaled sharply, bracing myself.

If I'm being forced to sing in front of a bunch of professional idols… then I might as well go all out and treat this like a damn audition.

Here goes nothing.

The moment I opened my mouth, two minutes vanished in the blink of an eye.

Now, we were just sitting there. No music. No talking. Nothing. The karaoke room, once the loudest in the building, had become a graveyard of silence.

Suzu, who had been swaying happily just moments ago, had frozen mid-bob, her drink dangling precariously in her hand.

Mira, usually so quick with a snarky remark, simply stared at me, her expression unreadable.

Nabi, who had been uncomfortably close earlier, had somehow retreated to the furthest corner of the room.

Even Yoko, always composed, had her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to say something but had lost the ability to form words.

Nae blinked. "Uh… wow. That was… something, Big Bro."

"Hah. That bad, huh...?" I mumbled defeatedly.

She quickly waved her hands. "No, no! I mean, it was… uh… different."

"Y-yeah," Suzu gulped, clearing her throat. "I've never quite heard… that before."

Mira crossed her arms, staring at the screen like it had personally offended her. "I feel like I just watched a horror movie where the ghost sings at you instead of jump-scaring you."

Nabi, still hiding in the corner, muttered, "This is a dream, right? No... More like a nightmare..."

I dropped my head into my hands.

Yep. Should've just refused until they gave up. Now, I'll have to live with this shameful and embarrassing moment for the rest of my life.

"Hehe~ Don’t fret, Noa," Yoko giggled. "We're just messing with you. Trust me, we've heard way worse—even from some big names in the industry."

"Doesn’t change the fact that it was bad," I sighed, sinking into my seat.

"Look at it this way. Now that we know how terrible you are, we'll probably never pressure you to sing again."

"...Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Pft..." Mira scoffed, standing up and stretching. "Take it however you want. Anyway, I'm gonna go for a walk. Clear my head a little."

Suzu gave her a skeptical look. "Are you even capable of walking right now? We did just drink a ton, after all."

"Eh, I should be fine. But... it'd be nice to have someone with me in case." Then, as if on cue, she turned to me. "Noa? You up for it?"

And just like that, all eyes were back on me. Their collective stares struck me like knives. Again.

It was such a simple question. Just a casual walk. But somehow, I felt like no matter what I answered, I'd end up disappointing someone.

"Um... H-how about we all go?" I suggested, scrambling for a safe way out. "Looks to me like all of you had a little too much to drink."

"I don't think I can..." Nabi mumbled, her head lolling to the side. "Too sleepy..."

"Don't worry, Nabi!" Suzu declared with such raw confidence. "I'll carry you!"

And she did—or at least, she tried. Nabi may have been small, but Suzu still wobbled like a newborn deer as she hoisted her up, gritting her teeth.

"Y-Yoko…! Help!"

Yoko, completely unfazed, took Nae's hand and led her toward the door, following behind Suzu and her half-conscious passenger.

That left just me and Mira. Alone.

"Psh~ Nice save," Mira giggled, tilting her head. "You really don't wanna be alone with me, huh?"

"Eh?! T-that’s not it!" I retaliated. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

She took a step forward. And I took a step back. Another step. Another retreat. Until I was backed up against the wall, my escape routes cut off.

That playful of hers made my throat dry. Her sharp eyes flickered with something that made me feel uneasy. And those red blots on her cheeks… were they just from the alcohol? Or something else entirely?

"You're so easy to read, Noa," she whispered. Then, she leaned in. "What I'm wondering now is… What are you gonna do with what you know? Hehe... But that's only if you really know."

And with that, she slipped through the door, leaving me standing there, completely frozen. I clutched my chest, my heart pounding way too fast for me to handle.

Just what... am I supposed to do?