All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

As the curtain rose, the lights across the entire auditorium went dark in an instant. Only the spotlights gathered on the stage, forming a single pillar of light. The brightness had been carefully adjusted by the backstage crew—just enough to illuminate the performers, leaving everything else in darkness.

A sharp contrast of black and white.

In darkness, the human eye instinctively seeks light.

Even those in the audience who had little interest in musical performances found themselves, almost involuntarily, turning their eyes toward the stage.

In that vast hall without a single other source of light, the only glow came from the stage.

At first, people could only see faint white outlines traced by the beam. But as their eyes adjusted, the view became clear—and the hall erupted.

”Kotomi—!!!”

Before a single note had been played, cheers filled the air. When the curtain fully lifted, the excitement only grew louder.

The reason for the outpouring of enthusiasm was obvious: Kotomi Izumi.

Her popularity at Sobu High was unparalleled. Among the many nicknames people had given her, the most famous by far was—”A once-in-a-century beauty.”

When word spread that Kotomi would perform in the cultural festival—and that it would be a musical ensemble—few expected much in terms of technical musical skill. After all, Kotomi wasn’t from the music department. Nobody thought she’d be that good.

Her grades were already top-tier, and she was stunningly beautiful. If she also excelled in music, wouldn’t that be too unfair to the rest of the girls?

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Kotomi’s beauty and charm transcended envy. To most girls, she wasn’t a rival but a kind of divine existence. Instead of jealousy, some found themselves wondering, How can I marry someone like Kotomi Izumi?

Of course, Kotomi also had another, far less flattering nickname—”The womanizer of Class 1-F, a heartbreaker who’s two-timing a hundred girls.”

The ”heartbreaker” part... well, Kotomi couldn’t completely deny that.

But the hundred girls part? That was pure nonsense! When she’d first heard the rumor, she had nearly blown a fuse. How did it escalate from two-timing to a hundred? She didn’t even know a hundred girls yet!

In short, most of the audience wasn’t here expecting a musical masterpiece—they just wanted to see Kotomi Izumi on stage.

But then came a surprise.

Everyone assumed she would take the center position as the lead vocalist. Yet, when the curtain opened—Kotomi stood to the side, holding a guitar.

Not singing... but playing.

A soft guitar melody intertwined with the sound of the keyboard, flowing like a calm river. Then, as the intro ended, Yui Yuigahama opened her mouth and began to sing.

The audience blinked in confusion. Why isn’t Kotomi the one singing? But within moments, all such thoughts vanished. The instant Yui’s voice spread through the hall, everyone was drawn in completely.

In a heartbeat—no, in a breath—they were submerged. Their minds were whisked away, helplessly carried into the depth of that graceful, melodic current.

The first song—”Re: TrymenT.”

”A heart burdened by memories past.”

”A soul weighed with quiet sorrow.”

”Unaware of what it’s lost.”

”A heart, cold as frozen glass.”

”Faith clings to what remains.”

”And strangers pass as once they knew.”

Hideaki Anno—who had collaborated with several world-renowned musicians—had come specifically to Sobu High today to witness Kotomi Izumi’s musical ensemble firsthand. His expectations were high. He wanted to see for himself whether Kotomi’s composition skills were truly capable of creating music worthy of EVA.

Neon Genesis Evangelion had consumed half of Hideaki Anno’s life. For him, every element—storyline, visuals, and especially music—had to meet his exacting standards.

Kotomi’s lyrical and compositional style suited his taste perfectly. But until now, she had only released one song, ”Fly Me to the Star.” He wanted to hear more—to truly measure her potential.

Even with his notoriously critical ear, Anno had to admit—this song caught him immediately.

”Beautiful,” he murmured under his breath, voice low but full of conviction.

”I’ve never heard this song before,” Moyoco Anno whispered. ”But both the melody and lyrics... they’re the kind that captivate you from the very first note. The short-haired white-haired girl playing the guitar on stage—is that the Kotomi Izumi you told me about?”