Chapter 45: Shocking You Again with the Zither

The clash ended in my complete victory. Seeing Shohi flee in disgrace brought an indescribable sense of relief—like eating iced watermelon in the sweltering heat of summer, or finding a beauty to keep you warm in the dead of winter. It truly vented years of built-up frustration.

After half an hour, the auditorium was packed to capacity, with military instructors and university leaders seated in the front rows. The evening show officially kicked off with an energetic opening dance by a group of passionate sophomore girls, drawing loud cheers and wild applause from the pack of wolves below. If it weren’t for the formal setting, they probably would have started whistling!

Following the dance, the hosts took the stage. Dressed in a pure white evening dress, Kakae walked slowly toward the center of the stage alongside Shohi. Suppressing his gloomy expression, Shohi forced a smile, raised his microphone, and addressed the audience. "Respected university leaders, instructors, and dear fellow students, good evening!"

His bland, mechanical opening speech earned immediate disdain from the audience. In particular, students who had witnessed him harassing Kakae earlier broke into a chorus of boos. Shohi’s face drained of color in an instant, leaving him looking deathly pale like someone critically ill—a sight that brought me immense joy from the backstage area. He had thoroughly humiliated himself this time.

Even President Takahashi in the audience frowned. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Kakae quickly stepped forward, smiling warmly as her eyes swept across the hall. The rowdy crowd instantly quieted down, every pair of eyes fixed on her. It turned out good looks really had their perks.

Raising her microphone, Kakae’s crisp, clear voice echoed throughout the entire auditorium. "Today, we gather here to bid farewell to our beloved, respected military instructors, and to welcome our new freshmen to Tokyo University. As a sophomore student, I am deeply honored to contribute to this performance."

Rhythmic applause broke out across the audience. I hadn’t expected Kakae—who was so remarkably shy in front of me—to maintain such composure on a stage like this.

"Let’s celebrate together tonight! First, let’s welcome the freshmen from the Faculty of Law to bring us a wonderful performance!" As the applause died down, Kakae announced the first act before stepping off the stage alongside the stony-faced Shohi.

The law students performed a traditional peacock dance. The lead girl danced extraordinarily well—achieving that level of finesse easily required seven or eight years of dedicated training. Sitting backstage, I had little interest in most of these acts, but when it was Ryu Yu’s turn, I paid close attention. Cross-talk comedy relied heavily on speaking, imitating, teasing, and singing; this traditional art form was executed brilliantly by Ryu Yu, leaving the audience rolling in the aisles with laughter. Upon stepping off the stage, the guy even cast me a provocative glance. Hmph, just wait—I’ll knock your socks off in a moment!

"Next, please welcome Sho Utei, a sophomore from the Faculty of Fine Arts, to perform a zither solo!"

Following Kakae’s introduction, a delicate girl with shoulder-length short hair walked onto the stage in response, followed by two male students carrying a mahogany zither. Why does this girl look so familiar? It felt as though I had seen her somewhere before. I squinted at her with confusion, but couldn’t recall. Giving up on the thought, I focused on listening to her play.

A classic, melodious zither tune filled the hall. Although I knew nothing about the zither, I could tell she was playing The Fifteen Moon, a song perfectly attuned to the atmosphere. The military instructors’ eyes began to redden. Standard military service lasted at most three years, but these men were different—they were special forces soldiers without fixed terms of service, and some hadn’t been home to visit their families in years. Hearing Sho Utei play The Fifteen Moon naturally brought back memories of home and loved ones.

Immersed in nostalgia and homesickness, the entire venue fell silent, saved for the resonant notes of the zither. As the piece concluded, everyone stood to applaud enthusiastically, with the instructors clapping with all their might. Sho Utei smiled subtly, bowed, and exited the stage.

It was only after the applause washed over the room that I snapped out of it, having been drawn into that faint sense of longing for home. Someone backstage called my name; it was finally my turn to perform.

Summon the Goddess of Music! I called out in my mind.

Rays of golden light burst from my bracelet, enveloping me as I re-entered that ethereal, mysterious state once again. I could feel Aphrodite present inside my body, her presence much clearer than last time.

Shohi stepped back onto the stage to announce the next act. "As everyone knows, Tokyo University welcomed a top scholar this year—Fuitsu! Today, he has prepared a performance for us. Let’s welcome him!"

Hearing his introduction, I was taken aback. Did he actually admit defeat?

As it turned out, a dog never stops chasing bone. Accompanied by warm applause, I stepped onto the stage. Shohi walked toward me, and just as I reached out to take the microphone from his hand, he flashed me a sinister grin, gave me a look that said enjoy the show, and brushed straight past me without handing it over.

Only then did I see through his petty trick. That bastard! How am I supposed to perform without a microphone? Is he expecting me to yell at thousands of people in the audience using just my raw voice? Damn it, that was sneaky—he clearly set me up to make a fool of myself!

Unfortunately for him, possessed by the Goddess of Music, I was no ordinary person. His wicked plot was destined to fail!

Walking to the center of the stage, I channeled my inner strength and declared, "I am Fuitsu from the Marketing Department. I am delighted to perform for everyone today!"

My sonorous voice reverberated throughout the Great Yasuda Auditorium, reaching everyone’s ears as clearly as if I were standing right beside them, yet without being harsh or deafening. The entire audience was stunned, staring in disbelief at my natural loudspeaker-like voice. Kakae had intended to bring me a microphone, but seeing me pull off this trick, she stopped dead in her tracks. Meanwhile, Shohi—who had hoped to watch me humiliate myself—stared at me in sheer disbelief.

Ignoring everyone’s shocked expressions as if I were a monster, I cleared my throat and continued, "I originally intended to sing a song, but someone intentionally refused to give me a microphone. So, I won’t be singing. Instead, I’ll perform something else for you!"

With that, I walked over to the side of the stage where Sho Utei was staring at me. Giving her a gentle smile, I said, "Hello, may I borrow your zither for a moment?"

Sho Utei muttered softly, "I finally found you... I finally found you!" As she spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks.

Looking at her gently, I said in a soft voice, "Whatever it is, let’s talk about it after my performance, okay? Please let me borrow your zither for now." With Aphrodite taking over my body, my manner of speech mirrored hers completely. How frustrating—do I even know this girl?

Sho Utei nodded unconsciously in agreement and called two guys to help carry the zither back onto the center stage. Under the watchful eyes of the audience, I sat down before the instrument and gently stroked its mahogany frame.

Suddenly, a snippet of the zither’s history popped into my mind. Aphrodite was remarkably thoughtful, filling me in on background knowledge in case I didn’t understand.

Plucking a string lightly with one hand, a note danced from my fingertips, immediately followed by the flawless sound of a trickling stream. Like a gentle brook flowing into the hearts of the audience, everyone involuntarily leaned in to listen closely. Gradually, the tempo quickened.

Ten fingers flew across the strings as the gentle stream merged into a surge of tides, which then expanded into a tempestuous, roaring river. The audience’s emotions ebbed and flowed alongside the transformation from stream to tide, and tide to mighty river.

As stormy waves crashed and spray scattered, the hearts of those below rose and fell. Sea birds soared through the sky, their calls echoing in the ear, bringing the grand majesty of nature fully into view.

The audience experienced an unprecedented sense of exhilaration, as though standing amidst the endlessly rushing currents, needing to unleash their emotions to achieve true inner peace and elevation!

With a snap of my thumb on the third string, the water came to a sudden halt. Through my left hand’s delicate slides, subtle vibratos, and rhythmic bends—sometimes fast, sometimes slow—a lush, majestic mountain landscape reappeared before their eyes like a fairy realm.

The high mountains and flowing waters embraced one another. The mountains stood steadfast and resolute, yet held infinite tenderness for the flowing water; the water, gentle and refined, pursued her own journey, never forgetting the warmth of the mountains even as she traversed a thousand valleys.

Through these brief notes, the water read the mountain’s mind through his gaze, while the mountain understood her innermost thoughts from the cadences of her flow.

Whether in sorrow or joy, aggrieved or triumphant, the water’s tenderness nourished the mountain’s heart. No matter how the mountain changed, the flowing water remained his source of strength; no matter where the water flowed, the mountain’s deep affection followed behind. An soul-stirring tale of love was conveyed through these vibrant, dancing notes.

As the piece came to an end and I stood up, the audience remained completely spellbound. Turning around, I walked quietly toward the backstage area.