Chapter 20

Well, here we are, a group of us from Class 1-13 at the karaoke, and it's turning out to be more fun than expected.

There are four guys, including me, and five girls. We're sitting separately like it's a group date, singing and eating. The mood is starting to lift.

Should I ask, "What are your hobbies?" No, I'd probably be labeled as the class outcast right away if I did, so I'll hold back.

"Hey! Who's singing next?"

"Me, me! Hey, Yamagata-kun, will you do a duet with me?"

"…Ah, eh!? E, ah, sure."

"Ahaha! Is this your first duet? Hilarious~!"

"Hehe, ahaha."

I'm being pushed by this perky gal, and I'm letting out a loud internal scream. I'm happy, but I'm so embarrassed and flustered that I don't know what to say!

What's the right attitude to have with girls? Formal language? Casual talk seems inappropriate. But we're the same age, and it's not like I'm talking to Kudou-san, so I don't want to come off as too distant. It's a tricky situation.

"Hey, Yamagata, you're getting too worked up."

"Matsumoto-kun."

"Even though you're a great explorer, you need to be more relaxed. You won't get any girls like that."

"Ugh…"

Matsumoto-kun, sitting next to me, puts his arm around my shoulder and says this. It's a huge blow to my ego! You're right, as an explorer, I should be popular, but with this nervousness, no one will even come near me.

I just want some friends, you know. Male friends, of course, but even female friends are a dream.

But in reality, I'm a social recluse. I get nervous just talking to girls. It's fine with older girls like Kudou-san, but with my peers, it's a different story.

With a sudden resolve, I answered the gal who offered to do a duet, Sazaki-san.

"O-Okay, let's sing!"

"Great! Come on, come on!"

She pulls my arm. She's definitely a gal, pushing me forward.

Sazaki-san is a very trendy girl with blonde hair and perfect makeup, but somehow her flashy appearance isn't vulgar. She's actually a very refined and beautiful girl. Her figure is also amazing, and I can't help but look away when my arm touches hers.

"Hey, Yamagata-kun, what are you looking at? Cute Risa is right here!"

"Huh, huh?!"

"Ahaha! Yamagata-kun is so funny!"

If a normal boy gets his face held by both hands and looked at closely, he'd be funny too!

Sazaki-san laughs heartily. Maybe because of her refined mannerisms, there's no hint of mockery like from Kankou-kun. She genuinely finds it amusing, which is surprising.

The other classmates are also laughing at my suspicious behavior. It's nice to get a laugh, but I'm also blushing from embarrassment.

Ah, to hell with it, I'll just sing my heart out!

I sing with Sazaki-san, arm in arm, in front of everyone. As I mentioned before, I'm tone-deaf, and my pitch is all over the place.

But somehow, it's fun. Sazaki-san adjusts her pitch to harmonize with me, and it actually sounds decent.

She even smiles at me during the song. Despite my terrible singing, she looks genuinely happy and cheerful.

Hey, is this girl an angel…? I was judging her based on her flashy appearance and attitude.

I have to admit it. Sazaki Risa is an incredibly good person, one of the best.

We finish the song. Everyone is hyped up, and the atmosphere is electric.

I'm also getting into the mood and feeling happy. When I look at Sazaki-san, she's smiling and raising her hand.

I get it. We high-five!

"Yay!"

"Yay! Yamagata-kun, you're getting into it!"

The sound of our hands clapping together is loud and cheerful, and we laugh together.

This is… nice, this is what youth is all about.

This is what it's like to have fun with friends.

By the way, when I sang solo, I displayed my terrible singing skills, but everyone laughed and made it a fun moment. It was actually a good thing.

I also got to bond with Matsumoto-kun, Katakoka-kun, and Sazaki-san's friends, Kino-san and Tono-san.

I shared some of my experiences as an explorer, and it seemed to draw some attention from everyone.

Before I knew it, I had become closer to people I could call friends.

I really had a great time.

No exaggeration, it was a wonderful after-school experience, enjoying my daily life.

At the time of posting this story, it has reached #1 on the Low Fantasy Daily Ranking and #18 on the Overall Daily Ranking.

Thank you very much.

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