121 - An Unexpected Specialty

RAW

The moment Ayaka invited Haruto to karaoke, the classroom buzzed with excitement.

Noticing the commotion, Haruto briefly scanned the room, then responded with a cheerful smile.

"Sure, let's all go to karaoke together."

Despite her past trauma, which made Ayaka hesitant to reveal their relationship, she had taken the initiative to approach him. As her boyfriend, there was no way he could ignore her courage.

Ayaka beamed at his agreement and returned to her desk, leaving Haruto to fend off a barrage of questions from his classmates.

"Hey, Otsuki! Are you seriously going to karaoke with Tojo-san?"

"Well, other people will be there too—like Tomoya and Aizawa-san," Haruto replied with a wry smile to the wide-eyed boy.

"Otsuki-kun, since when are you so close with Tojo-san? What brought you two together?" one of the girls asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Well, it’s partly because Shizuku is close to Tojo-san."

"Shizuku? You mean Dojima-san from the first year? How do you know her?"

"Shizuku's the daughter of the karate dojo I’ve been attending since I was a kid."

Upon hearing this, a boy chimed in with a thoughtful look. "If I joined that dojo, could I meet Tojo-san...?"

"Dojima Dojo is always recruiting new members. If you're interested, feel free to visit," Haruto offered with a smile, happy at the thought of supporting the dojo that had been like a second home to him.

"I'll think about it. Let me consult you later."

"Sure."

Haruto deftly navigated the avalanche of questions, casually weaving in invitations to join the dojo.

After school, Ayaka and Saki approached Haruto at his desk as homeroom ended.

"Otsuki-kun, about the karaoke earlier—would this place work?" Ayaka asked, showing him a popular karaoke chain’s website on her phone.

"Yeah, that place is fine."

As Haruto responded, Tomoya arrived.

"Hey, Akagi-kun, is this karaoke spot good for you?" Ayaka asked.

"Hmm? Sure thing!" Tomoya gave a thumbs-up after glancing at her phone.

"Are we heading straight to karaoke from here?" he asked.

"Yep," Saki replied with a nod.

At that moment, Haruto remembered Shizuku. "Oh, I need to let Shizuku know."

"I already messaged her," Ayaka said. "She’s waiting at the school gate."

"Great, let’s head out then."

As the group left the classroom, they could feel the stares of their classmates trailing them. Haruto, sensing the mix of emotions behind those gazes, chose to ignore them.

After meeting Shizuku at the gate, they made their way to the karaoke place. Upon entering their private room, Shizuku spotted a flyer on the table.

"A discount on a mountain of fries... Let’s get this, everyone."

"Sounds good to me!" Saki agreed enthusiastically. Seeing unanimous nods, Shizuku ordered the fries.

Meanwhile, Tomoya adjusted the air conditioner. "Ladies, mind if I lower the temperature a bit?"

"I’m fine," Ayaka said, looking at Saki and Shizuku for their input.

"No problem here," Saki replied.

"We’ll warm up with our singing anyway," Shizuku added with her usual deadpan humor.

With everyone’s consent, Tomoya lowered the temperature, while Haruto placed the karaoke remote on the table. "Who’s going first?"

A brief silence followed before Saki raised her hand. "Me! Ayaka, let’s sing together!"

The two girls huddled over the songbook, finally selecting a duet. As their voices harmonized, Haruto found Ayaka’s slightly shy singing both adorable and captivating. He clapped enthusiastically with the others when they finished.

Tomoya then grabbed the mic and belted out a high-energy rock song, showcasing his experience as a band member.

"Wow, Akagi-kun, you’re really good!" Saki exclaimed.

"Tomoya’s been playing guitar since elementary school and is in a band with students from other schools," Haruto explained.

"Really? That’s so cool! I’ll look forward to your performance at the school festival," Saki said with genuine interest.

Next, Shizuku took the mic. She surprised everyone by choosing a challenging rock song with fast-paced English lyrics. Despite her expressionless face, she sang flawlessly, impressing Ayaka.

"Shizuku-chan, you’re amazing!" Ayaka whispered to Haruto.

"Yeah, she’s full of surprises," he replied, fondly recalling her playful personality beneath her calm exterior.

Finally, it was Haruto’s turn. Tomoya, insisting he sing his signature song, hijacked the remote to select it.

"Wait, Tomoya! I—"

Before he could protest, the intro began playing. Resigned, Haruto started singing, his voice rich and emotive. The others were stunned, especially Saki.

"Wait, Otsuki-kun’s specialty is... enka?" she laughed.

While Tomoya grinned proudly, Ayaka gazed at Haruto, captivated.

"Haruto-kun’s voice is... amazing," she murmured, her cheeks flushed.

As the room erupted into applause, Haruto felt both embarrassed and fulfilled. His unexpected specialty had brought everyone closer together.

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look like we will have Tomoya x Saki

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