Chapter 21: I Am the Sun
The crisp and emotion-filled lyrics entered the minds of every spectator in the stadium, striking a resonant chord within them.
"That guy... just when did his vocal skills..." Aqua muttered to himself, a rare trace of astonishment breaking through his usually expressionless face.
Ai's gaze was firmly locked onto Hikaru Hoshino on the stage, the two stars in her purple eyes sparkling with absolute clarity.
Just as Hikaru always believed that Ai on stage was incomparably radiant, Ai now felt that Hikaru on stage was deeply dazzling.
"That brat Hikaru is finally starting to exude the aura of a powerhouse vocalist," Ichigo Saitou said, leaning back in his seat and clicking his tongue. "Though I hate to admit it, he really is a fine singer."
Miyako Saitou, on the other hand, was busy calculating: *With this level of talent, Ai isn't taking too much of a loss by associating with him...*
The tempo of the song began to gradually quicken, building up into the chorus.
Hikaru had completely immersed himself in his own artistry. Gripping the microphone, he closed his eyes and poured his soul into the melody:
"Ah-ah~" Hikaru let his vocals soar without restraint.
Ah, what a wonderful day
Today, when I can feel happiness
Today, when dreams collapse and I stumble
The moment he finished the line, Hikaru immediately pivoted to the other side of the stage, continuing to sing at the top of his lungs: "Ah-ah~"
Ah, without giving up, I'm still walking
In this narrow, wide world
Singing of miracles
On the far side of the VIP stands, Maki Shijo furrowed her brows and asked, "Which artist is that guy? How come I've never heard of him before?"
Koromo Shiranui turned her head, a hint of pride gracing her spacey, dazed expression. "Hikaru-kun used to be an actor, you know. He only became a singer very recently."
Koromo had also received a ticket from Hikaru, so she had decided to come check things out. As for Maki Shijo, she had been dragged along by her twin brother, Mikado Shijo, who was an absolute hardcore soccer fanatic.
Back in high school, Mikado had even led a completely unknown, underdog high school to defeat the prestigious Shuchi'in Academy, successfully seizing the championship title of the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
"He's got some serious skills!" Sitting right next to Maki, Mikado suddenly grew incredibly excited, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Why didn't the soccer tournament I played in back then have a high-tier cheering song like this?!"
The more he thought about it, the more pumped up he became. "If—and I mean *if*—I had a singer like this to fire up the crowd back then, wouldn't the league's popularity have been way higher?"
"And then, I would have ridden that unstoppable momentum to claim the championship, hoist the trophy, and with my incredibly handsome face, I definitely would have amassed a massive fanbase, right?"
Mikado slammed his hand down. "It's decided! Next time I enter a soccer tournament, I'm absolutely getting this guy to write the theme song!"
Maki Shijo poured cold water over his delusions without a shred of mercy, unleashing her toxic-tongued firepower at her brother. "Stop daydreaming, Mikado. A guy with zero charm like you wouldn't be liked by many people even if you won a championship."
"You really are my flesh-and-blood sister," Mikado muttered, a few dark lines appearing on his forehead.
"By the way, which universities are you guys attending now? How does university life feel?" Koromo asked, tilting her head.
"I am currently at the University of Tokyo, in the Faculty of Economics," Maki's attitude softened significantly when facing Koromo. "As for this guy..."
Mikado puffed out his chest. "I'm at Nippon Sport Science University! Kicking a soccer ball every day is awesome. It's a shame Miyuki went to America, otherwise, I could have asked him to play with me."
On stage, Hikaru had completely cut loose.
No longer caring about the internal pressure, he threw his entire body and soul into the music. Through the act of singing, he experienced a joy that belonged entirely to him—a pure, deeply internal happiness.
Hikaru continued to sing:
Ah, what a wonderful day
Today, when I can worry in happiness
Today, when I'm falling apart
Ah, I breathe, I walk
All of it is me
All of it is who we were that day
What's the difference between you and me?
We've each seen different sights
I will live this moment as myself
That's such a precious thing
As the final note faded, the stadium went dead silent for a single second before suddenly erupting into a thunderous storm of applause. The clapping of 50,000 people converged into a massive sonic wave, sweeping across the entire venue like a tsunami.
Takashi Kadomori was thoroughly satisfied with Hikaru's performance.
*Splendid! Not only is his songwriting top-tier, but he doesn't experience a shred of stage fright when facing tens of thousands of people. This is exactly the kind of talent I've been looking for!*
Holding the microphone, a brilliant smile broke across Hikaru's face as he shouted into the mic, "I am Hikari! This song is dedicated to all of you fighting for your dreams!"
With that, he bowed deeply before turning around to walk off the stage.
The host instantly took over the microphone to continue the program: "Our immense thanks to Mr. Hikari for that high-energy opening! Up next, we are about to witness the ultimate showdown—representing Tokyo, the clever and commanding private Shuchi'in Academy will go head-to-head against Miyagi Prefecture's Karasuno High School, renowned for their explosive speed and iron will! A true North-South clash is about to unfold!"
"Ohhhhh!" Mikado cheered loudly. "Let's go, Karasuno! Trash that obnoxious Shuchi'in!"
Manki couldn't help but roast him, "You literally transferred to Shuchi'in in your second year of high school, just whose side are you supposed to be cheering for?"
After the performance ended, Hikaru shared quick high-fives and embraces with the band backstage before making his way over to the VIP stands.
"So, how was it? I sang pretty well this time, didn't I?" Hikaru asked, panting slightly as he looked at everyone with an expectant expression. The adrenaline from the stage was still coursing through his veins, making him look exceptionally high-spirited.
Ichigo Saitou crossed his arms, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. "Your vocal skills have improved quite a bit. This is obviously all thanks to my brilliant guidance, though I suppose your own hard work played a tiny, tiny part in it too."
Ai tilted her head, the stars in her purple eyes glittering beautifully as she spoke with absolute sincerity, "Hikaru on stage looked like a tiny sun. You were incredibly radiant."
This was the very first time Hikaru had ever heard someone describe *him* as radiant; usually, that was the exact word he used to describe Ai.
"A sun, huh..." Hikaru rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit bashful as he turned his face away. "I think I still prefer stars."
Right at that moment, Ruby marched over, planting her hands firmly on her hips like a prosecutor demanding answers. "Hey, old man! Didn't you promise to write a children's song for me a while ago? When are you actually going to finish it?"
Hikaru's expression froze instantly. He rubbed his nose, awkwardly shifting his gaze away. "Next time, for sure."
If Ruby hadn't brought it up out of nowhere, he would have completely forgotten about that promise.
While the group was chatting away, waves of roaring cheers suddenly erupted from the pitch.
"Whoa!! A goal was scored!" The shouts from the spectator stands rose in succession, completely igniting the atmosphere of the entire stadium.
The massive LED screen displayed the current score: **Karasuno High School 2 : 0 Shuchi'in Academy**.
The orange-and-black Karasuno jerseys sprinted across the green turf, the players high-fiving each other in celebration. In stark contrast, the Shuchi'in players looked visibly dejected, while their coach barked out furious instructions from the sidelines.
The atmosphere in the stadium reached a fever pitch. The cheering and roaring of the fans melded into a singular entity, causing even the air to vibrate. Streamers and banners fluttered amidst the crowd, and every brilliant offensive or defensive play triggered a tsunami-like reaction from the stands.
Ichigo watched the match for a moment before turning his attention back to Hikaru. "By the way, the recording for *Hadashi de Summer* is fully complete. I've privately reached out to a video production agency; we're getting ready to shoot the music video."
Hikaru replied casually, "Moving fast, aren't we? What did they say?"
"REEL is a professional MV production company, and we've collaborated with them in the past. After listening to the track, they concluded that since the song has a distinct summer theme, it would be best to shoot it by the sea. Before the weather turns completely cold, I plan to set out for the Shonan Coast in Kanagawa Prefecture. The beaches there are relatively clean."
He paused, casting a look toward Hikaru. "You're the original creator of the song. What do you think?"
*A beach MV, huh... now that sounds like an exciting scene.*
Without a single moment of hesitation, Hikaru answered, "I'm going to the set to watch."
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