Chapter 10: A Nightmare That Became Reality

The sun was shining brightly, but to me, this day felt different. It was a holiday, and a bad feeling was stronger than usual. I was on my way to pick up Yui from her school. When I arrived, I saw her sitting on a bench in a park near the school, petting a cat. She looked more cheerful than usual, and I knew that wasn't a good sign.

"Nii-chan!" Yui called, hugging my arm. "I've been waiting for you!"

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at her in confusion. Yui never asked for something like this.

"I... I want Nii-chan to go to karaoke with me," she whispered.

I stared at her, surprised. Her request seemed very unusual.

"I'm curious about what your singing voice sounds like," she continued. "And... and they have a big chocolate parfait there! If you go, I'll treat you!"

Suddenly, that bad feeling appeared. A trap. I smiled faintly. This was clearly Ayaka's and Reina's doing. And Kazuma's too. They must have bribed Yui with ice cream. I turned my head, seeing Yui giving a signal with her hand. Of course. It was a sign that their plan had succeeded.

Even though I knew it was a trap, I couldn't refuse. This was for Yui. For my sister, I was willing to sacrifice myself.

That night, the four of us were in a karaoke room. Me, Ayaka, Reina, and Kazuma. The atmosphere was awkward.

"Okay," Kazuma said, taking a stick from a box. "We'll draw lots! Whoever gets the shortest stick sings first!"

Reina took her stick, her eyes flat. Ayaka looked at her anxiously, then took hers. I took the last one. And of course, the shortest stick belonged to Kazuma.

"Ah, darn it! I'm first," he said with a playful grin. He took the microphone, and the music started. It was a song about "life and death."

When he started to sing, his voice... it was not a human voice. It was a raspy sound that hurt the ears, like a fork scraping a blackboard, multiplied by the sound of a dog in pain.

Outside, the karaoke staff on break suddenly winced, their heads feeling dizzy. On the streets, a cat and a dog that usually fought each other suddenly worked together to cover their ears. Even a passing ghost immediately went to heaven, finding the sound too terrifying to endure.

Inside the room, Ayaka and Reina held their heads, their faces pale. They both rolled their eyes, begging for the torture to end.

Yui and I, on the other hand, were prepared. I took a pair of headphones from my bag and gave them to Yui. We both put them on, and Kazuma's voice was now only a faint echo. I looked at him, smiling nonchalantly. I knew my brother, Kazuma, would never sing well.

After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, the song was over. Yui and I took off our headphones. Kazuma smiled triumphantly, as if he had just performed a concert.

"How was it? Cool, right?" he asked.

Ayaka and Reina could only shake their heads, still dizzy. "I... I can't take it anymore," Ayaka whispered.

It was my turn. I took the microphone. Kazuma played a song. The title: "Between life and death for you, my love." It was my mother's favorite song.

When the music started, I closed my eyes. I sang. I let my cold heart melt, and my voice flowed.

My voice was not loud, but it sounded gentle and sincere. I sang about love, about affection, about loss, and about hope.

Ayaka looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. She was reminded of my high school days, where I was just a chubby boy who was a victim of bullying. She remembered when they threw eggs and water at me, and I could only hang my head. Tears streamed down her face.

When the song ended, there was silence in the room. Then, a round of applause broke out. Kazuma whistled, Reina looked at me with sparkling eyes, and Ayaka... Ayaka just stared at me, her eyes filled with sadness and regret.

I looked at Yui; she had fallen asleep on my shoulder. I smiled faintly.

Ayaka and Reina came to their senses; they had forgotten their goal. They were supposed to charm and confess their love to me, but they were too carried away by the song. Maybe another time. They both looked at each other, realizing they had just missed a golden opportunity.

In a black car, a woman with shimmering silver hair stared out the window. Her eyes, which were a bright emerald green, stared blankly at the street.

"Mika," a voice said. "Tomorrow you will start college. I have already put your schedule on your phone."

The woman just nodded. She was Mika Tanaka, a campus idol. Tomorrow, she would begin a new chapter in her life.