Chapter 39: You Jinxed ItAuthor: Geraint
(MC's POV)
While I was hanging out on the sidewalk, watching a street performer sing, I could feel the intense stares of Rumi and Ryukyu from behind.
"Tonight's really busy here," I said, pretending not to notice them.
The singer's voice wasn't bad, but there was something off. A slight pitch issue made the whole performance a bit awkward. Some people walked past indifferently, while others stopped to listen.
"There he goes again, acting guilty," Rumi said, arms crossed. "He just made a little boy cry and tanked the Pro Heroes' reputation in one night. And guess who they're blaming? None other than the Falcon himself."
Her words pierced like daggers.
"Ugh!" I groaned, taking emotional damage.
Behind us, a group of protesters were rallying against the police and Pro Heroes, demanding they release 'Captain Falcon.' They were throwing bottles and trash as police stood in a line with fiber shields, holding them off. Backup heroes were trying to calm things down.
"Don't you have a conscience?" Ryukyu added, scolding me with disappointment in her eyes. "These people are risking everything to save you… and here you are, stalking your Pro Hero girlfriend while she's on patrol. Poor them..."
"Uuuuugh!!" That hit even harder.
(Emotional Damage intensifies)
I noticed some people exiting the concert hall nearby.
(The concert must've just ended.)
Looking around, an idea sparked in my mind when I spotted a male street performer taking a break with an electric guitar slung on his back. He had a large speaker and a mic stand beside him.
I immediately ran up to him.
"Leave this to me! I'll handle it."
"Ichika?"
He was sipping coffee when I interrupted him.
"Can you lend me your equipment for a bit?"
"Hm?"
He looked me over suspiciously. With his tattered coat and pants, he looked like some underground rockstar.
(Is this the trend now? I can't keep up…)
"Sorry, this stuff's expensive. I can't just hand it over," he replied, shaking his head.
"Then at least tell me your name and… how much?" I asked, pulling out a checkbook. I squinted; it was dark and hard to see.
"Seriously? You're trying to buy it?"
"I don't want to, but I don't really have a choice."
"Dude, you sound desperate."
"Yeah... I need to stop those protesters with music."
"…What?"
"I know it sounds insane, but trust me. If it's me, it'll work. It's gonna be awesome." I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.
He stared for a second, then laughed and pointed at me. "I like that, dude. As a fellow musician, I'll lend you my gear. Just tell me what you need."
"Thanks!"
He handed everything over. As I tested the equipment, I strummed a few chords at low volume.
"How's it sounding?"
"Not bad," he said. "But don't you need a band?"
"I'll be fine. I made an app for that."
I whispered into my phone, "Roboco, you there?"
*What?*
"I need your help."
*I'm not in the mood.*
"…Are you mad at me?"
*Obviously.*
"Roboco, I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I promise!"
*You said that yesterday. 'Promise this, promise that.' We were supposed to be working on my body! But here you are again—stalking your girlfriend!*
"…Ugh! I couldn't help it! Something serious came up and Rumi called me! I swear I'll focus tomorrow!"
*…Fine.*
"I just want to stop the protesters before anyone gets hurt. I'll play the guitar, and I need you to handle the piano, drums, and bass at once. Got it?"
*I don't get why you're still in your home city getting tangled in this crap again.*
"…I said I'm sorry!"
*Father…*
I plugged my phone into the speaker, climbed onto the platform, and tested the mic with the volume cranked up.
"Hello~ Mic check~"
"Hey, before you start, dude—what's your name?" the man asked.
I smiled. "It's Fujiwara Ichika."
He froze, jaw dropped. "Dude… no way…"
"I'll make you believe soon."
Then I took a deep breath and screamed:
"FALCON PUNCH!!!"
Everyone clutched their ears in pain.
"HEY! What was that?!"
"That guy did it!"
All eyes turned toward me—including the protesters, police, and heroes.
"That hurt, Ichika!" Rumi yelled. "Why are you yelling all of a sudden?!"
"What are you even trying to do?" Ryukyu demanded.
The crowd started murmuring.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yeah… they called him Ichika."
The man beside me pointed and shouted,
"EVERYONE! THIS GUY… HE'S THAT FAMOUS SINGER! FUJIWARA ICHIKA!"
"WHAT?!"
With the crowd's attention on me, I began to sing.
(Play: "Unravel" – Tokyo Ghoul OP Full)
♪ Oshiete, oshiete yo, sono shikumi wo... ♪♪ Boku no naka ni... dare ga iru no? ♪♪ Kowareta, kowareta yo, kono sekai de... ♪♪ Kimi ga warau... nanimo miezu ni. ♪
The moment I strummed the guitar, the crowd grew. Roboco nailed all three instruments from my phone—piano, bass, drums—like a high-spec AI should.
"Did you see that? He's insane!"
"That voice… That's definitely Fujiwara Ichika!"
♪ Kowareta, boku nante sa, iki wo tomete. ♪♪ Hodokenai mou, hodokenai yo, shinjitsu sae... ♪
"Freeze~!"
♪ Kowaseru, kowasenai, kurueru, kuruenai,Anata wo, mitsukete... ♪
A loud cheer erupted.
♪ Yureta, yuganda sekai ni dan dan,Boku wa sukitootte mienaku natte! ♪
The crowd was hooked. Protesters started to disperse, blending into the audience alongside the police and Pro Heroes. Even the media arrived, flashing lights and filming me live.
I sang louder:
♪ Mitsukenaide, boku no koto wo~ mitsumenaide... ♪
I glanced at Rumi and winked.
(Eh?)She just stared back blankly.(No reaction?)She looked unimpressed. Ryukyu, standing beside her, gave me a nervous smile.
(Ouch.)
Still, I kept going.
♪ Oboeteite, boku no koto wo~ azayaka na mama... ♪
Soon the crowd was waving, shouting, cheering.
The protesters were now dancing. The tension had faded.
♪ Wasurenaide! Wasurenaide!Kawatte shimatta koto ni paralyze... ♪
The song built to its final peak.
♪ Oshiete... oshiete... boku no naka ni,Dare ga iru no? ♪
And with that, I finished.
"KYAAAAH!!"
The crowd roared with applause. I waved.
Ryukyu clapped enthusiastically. Rumi… turned her head away.
(Still not impressed, huh?)
Seeing that the crowd had settled, I unplugged my phone, handed the guitar back.
"Thanks. Everything's fine now."
But I was still stuck in the middle of the crowd with no escape.
From my phone, Roboco chimed in.
*You jinxed it, Father. You reap what you sow.*
"…What do you mean?" I whispered.
*Revealing yourself blew our cover. The Hero Public Safety Commission just got alerted. They've figured out we're closing in. They're going to erase the remaining evidence.*
"…Are you saying—"
*Yes, Father. They're going to execute Lady Nagant—Tsutsumi Kaina—in Tartarus to silence her for good. What are you going to do?*
I grinned menacingly.
"They leave me no choice... but to join the dark side. Roboco, prepare the stormtroopers. I'll need the Mind Stone."
*Yes, Lord Vader.*
(To be continued.)
A/N: I'll fix more mistakes later.