Maki had just posted the new cover he recorded.
The views began rising at an unbelievable speed.
The very first like—and the first heart comment—came from the diva herself.
Uta.
Uta was one of the students who had entered U.A. through recommendation. She had taken her exam a week before the Survival Exam began and passed without difficulty.
Of course, the other examinees had tried to approach her for autographs and photos, but the Recommendation Test monitors—powerhouses in their own right—kept everything under control.
Uta
Authority: Akuma
Category: Paramecia
Epithet: Uta Uta (Song-Song)
Class: S, First Year
She was currently taking a short break after finishing several commitments in her music career. Her schedule would need adjusting—her priority now was studying at U.A.
While resting, she heard a notification.
Her eyes opened immediately.
She grabbed her phone.
Uta had turned off all other notifications. The only alerts she allowed were from his page.
Da-Fallen.
She tapped the Hero-Net notification and played the video.
This time, his face was still partially hidden, captured from a side angle. She noticed the golden snake earring, but it didn't matter.
She focused on his voice.
There was no caption.
No title.
Just him.
The warm, glamorous filter made him look radiant.
Pure lyricism.
Just a man and his guitar.
She listened as he sang about Mona Lisa—a woman he had been chasing, telling her he did his best to make her feel his love.
To Uta, it wasn't just a song.
It was a story.
A film.
An experience.
She was fully immersed.
Fully captivated.
She smiled softly, imagining he was singing right in front of her.
It wasn't only Uta.
Many people had been waiting for another song from him.
Nemu was one of them.
Ever since meeting him that day, she couldn't stop thinking about him. Her usual stoic expression had softened. Sometimes she would catch herself smiling subtly at the memory of him.
She knew she would see him again once the new school year began.
She waited patiently.
Nemu was a second-year in Class S.
As she scrolled through her phone, she received the notification.
Just like Uta, she pressed play.
While she listened—
Her father, the so-called mad scientist, noticed the subtle change in his daughter.
But instead of feeling relieved—
He took it seriously.
He cracked his fingers and laughed darkly.
"Let's test him myself. You dare bewitch my daughter? Hahahaha…"
He was extremely protective when it came to her.
And it seemed Maki had unknowingly stepped onto dangerous ground.
I'll pray for you.
In the faculty room, Unohana and Isane were reviewing new materials when Isane heard her phone buzz.
She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled it out.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Mother, look. He posted another song."
Unohana raised an eyebrow.
She didn't care much for music or the internet.
But when it came to him—
That was different.
Mei, on the other hand, was lying back, listening through her AirPods, imagining all kinds of things as the song played.
Not just them.
A certain green-haired woman was also listening while attempting to blend her shamisen with his guitar. Another long-haired green woman, a white skull covering her head, listened in silence.
Many more people were captivated—even those who didn't understand the language.
Because here was the truth:
Maki wasn't speaking Japanese.
All this time, he had been speaking Greenlandic—Kalaallisut.
Except for the English songs.
You might wonder how he communicated with everyone so easily.
It was the system.
It translated everything for him in real time.
Even his voice.
When the words formed in his mind, the system translated them instantly. What Maki heard internally was natural to him.
But when he spoke—
The system altered the output.
It translated his speech seamlessly into the language others understood.
Magic without him noticing.
And so they listened.
Some came for the music.
Some for the mystery.
Some hoping for a face reveal.
But most—
Stayed for that deep, resonant voice.
And the story hidden inside it.
As the night grew deeper, Maki didn't disturb Nemuri.
He knew her vacation would end tomorrow, and she needed the rest.
He quietly checked on her, gently pulling the blanket up to cover her properly. Then he turned off the light in her room.
After that, he didn't return to his own room.
He stayed on the sofa.
His eyes remained wide open.
For some reason, he couldn't sleep.
He stared blankly at the ceiling, thoughts drifting aimlessly. He wondered what his future in this world would look like. His mind replayed the years he had spent here.
Almost sixteen years now.
He once thought life here would be easy.
Was he excited about what was coming?
He didn't know.
He felt like he was simply sailing—following the current of the sea without resistance.
But even a calm sea hides storms.
And somewhere along the journey, he would have to steady his resolve and face whatever tempest was waiting ahead.
He exhaled softly.
"Good night…"
He closed his eyes.
And finally, sleep took him.
(ヽ´ω`)