Ebina Hina often said strange things, but when she sang, she became an entirely different person.
Her demeanor softened, and her voice carried a gentle warmth.
When she finished singing, she smiled at the others.
Yuigahama Yui clapped enthusiastically, while Miura Yumiko had a somewhat complicated expression.
"What do you think, Su Yu-kun?" Ebina Hina turned to him, curious about his opinion.
"It was great. Much better than me," Su Yu gave her a sincere compliment.
"Thanks for the praise," Ebina Hina smiled and handed the microphone to Miura Yumiko.
Yumiko glanced at her before standing up.
"Yumiko is the best singer among the three of us," Ebina Hina whispered to Su Yu after taking her seat.
Su Yu shifted his attention to Miura Yumiko.
She stared at the TV screen with a serious expression.
"Yumiko seems to excel at everything she does," Yuigahama Yui murmured, sounding envious.
Hearing that, Su Yu glanced at her.
Her words reminded him of something Yukinoshita Yukino once said in the anime—people who admire others often fail to realize just how much effort it takes to succeed.
From the focused look on Miura Yumiko's face, Su Yu could tell that she must have practiced diligently to get this good.
Among her group of friends, she always maintained the top position—and that wasn't without reason.
She worked hard for it.
The music began.
Miura Yumiko started singing.
Both Yuigahama Yui and Ebina Hina fell silent, captivated by her performance.
Su Yu was the same.
At that moment, Miura Yumiko seemed like she was standing on a grand stage, delivering a breathtaking performance.
Unlike Ebina Hina's gentle style, Yumiko had strong vocal technique—her singing was polished and almost professional.
When the song ended, Yumiko kept her eyes closed, still immersed in the emotions of the song.
A round of applause followed.
She opened her eyes.
"Yumiko, you should become an idol," Ebina Hina joked with a smile.
"Yumiko, your singing is still as amazing as ever," Yuigahama Yui said admiringly.
"If I see you on TV one day, I won't be surprised at all," Su Yu commented.
"Thanks," Miura Yumiko smiled, unfazed by their praise.
Now, it was Yuigahama Yui's turn.
She stood up, looking nervous.
After all, she had to follow Miura Yumiko's flawless performance.
"The reason I went first was so I wouldn't have to deal with this pressure," Ebina Hina grinned.
"Hina, you're so sneaky!" Yui pouted.
"Relax, Yui," Miura Yumiko encouraged her.
"Mhm." Yui took a deep breath.
"Don't worry, you won't be worse than me," Su Yu added.
Yui froze for a second, then suddenly covered her mouth and laughed.
"Yui, doesn't Su Yu-kun's encouragement make you feel powerful?" Ebina Hina teased.
"Hina…" Yui's cheeks turned red.
"Your turn is starting, Yui," Miura Yumiko reminded her.
Yui focused on the screen, took another deep breath, and began singing.
Her voice was nowhere near as refined as Ebina Hina's gentle tone or Miura Yumiko's professional-level singing.
Instead, her voice had an innocent charm—not perfect, but adorably natural.
She made several mistakes, blushing each time, but that only made her singing more endearing.
When she finished, she immediately sat down in embarrassment.
Su Yu took the microphone from her.
"Even though you made mistakes, you looked really cute while singing," he said casually.
Yuigahama Yui's mind went blank.
Then, one overwhelming thought filled her head—
Did Su Yu-kun just call me cute?!
Her face instantly turned bright red.
Before she could recover, she heard Su Yu's voice.
He had started singing.
Yui looked up in surprise.
His voice… was just like the original singer's.
Miura Yumiko also froze for a few seconds.
Ebina Hina listened quietly.
When the song ended, both Ebina Hina and Yuigahama Yui clapped.
"Su Yu-kun, did you practice that song for a long time?" Miura Yumiko asked.
"I've just listened to it a lot," Su Yu replied.
Miura Yumiko nodded, assuming he was like her—someone who quietly worked hard in secret.
But in reality, Su Yu had simply memorized the lyrics and techniques using his enhanced memory.
Time Passed
As the atmosphere became more relaxed, the three girls started singing more freely.
Su Yu only sang one song before excusing himself to prepare dinner.
All three girls were surprised that he could cook—and eager to try his food.
From the kitchen, he could still hear them singing.
Halfway through cooking, Miura Yumiko appeared at the kitchen door.
"Need any help?" she asked.
"It's fine. I'm almost done," Su Yu glanced at her.
Even so, she stepped inside.
She looked at the pot of curry he was preparing.
"You know how to cook?" Su Yu asked, noticing her expression.
"I've learned a little… but I'm not as good as you," Yumiko admitted.
"You learned for someone you like?" Su Yu guessed.
"…Yeah," she blushed slightly.
She had learned cooking for Hayama Hayato, but she was never very good at it.
"I think when a girl makes food for a guy, it doesn't have to be perfect. What matters is the effort and feelings behind it. If I had a girlfriend, I'd eat everything she made, even if it wasn't good," Su Yu said sincerely.
"The feelings behind it…?" Miura Yumiko's eyes lit up at his words.
"Hayama-kun wouldn't reject your cooking. At the very least, he'd give it a try." Su Yu directly pointed out her thoughts.
"Th-Thank you, Su Yu-kun," Yumiko's blush deepened.
"No problem," Su Yu turned back to the stove.
Smiling to herself, Miura Yumiko quietly left the kitchen.
Half an Hour Later
Su Yu carried plates of food into the living room.
The girls had already cleaned the table and turned off the karaoke machine.
"It smells amazing! Su Yu-kun, you're amazing!" Ebina Hina exclaimed.
"How did you do this?" Yuigahama Yui asked curiously.
"Don't be afraid to fail. Persistence is the key to success." Su Yu summarized his cooking philosophy.
The three girls laughed at his words.
Only after Su Yu sat down did they start eating.
Su Yu took a bite—it turned out quite well.
Back in his old world, he had lived alone for years, so cooking had become a necessary skill.
That was why his cooking was decent.
"Delicious!"
The three girls gave the same reaction at the same time.