Chapter 48: I Am the King of Nursery Rhymes
Ruby walked toward the center of the stage, her movements somewhat stiff. As she looked out at the pitch-black sea of faces in the audience, her heart couldn't help but accelerate.
*There are so many people... Do Mom and that guy Hikaru perform on stages like this all the time?*
Her legs felt a bit weak, making her feel as though she had returned to her past life as Sarina. Back then, she couldn't even stand up; she could only lie in bed every day, clutching her phone to watch B-Komachi's performance videos. Whenever Ai leapt into the air on stage, Sarina would desperately want to jump along with her.
As a result, Gorou Amamiya walked into her room one day only to find Sarina collapsed on the floor, smiling up at him as she said, "Just a little minor accident."
But this time, she was truly standing on a stage. Ruby felt like every single cell in her body was crying out.
Through the haze of her vision, the gentle figure of Gorou Amamiya seemed to materialize before her.
*Doctor, I wish so much that you could be here watching me...*
Down in the audience, Aqua stared at Ruby, sweating bullets on her behalf.
*You can do this, Sarina... No, you can do this, Ruby!*
The music swelled, and the familiar melody helped Ruby find the rhythm she had built up during practice. Taking a deep breath, she began to sing in a crisp, clear child's voice.
"Kirakira hikaru osora no hoshi yo"
After the first verse in Japanese concluded, the accompaniment didn't stop. Ruby smoothly transitioned into the second verse in English.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star"
"How I wonder what you are"
"Up above the world so high"
"Like a diamond in the sky"
Faint murmurs of admiration rippled through the spectator stands.
"What an adorable little girl, and her English pronunciation is so spot-on."
"This child is incredibly talented."
The judges also flashed satisfied expressions, turning to jot things down on their scoring sheets. The white-haired music professor set his pen down, thoughtfully stroking his snow-white beard. "This song... though the melody is simple, it's precisely that simplicity that makes it so unforgettable."
He turned to his colleague, lowering his voice to continue, "Listen closely. This arrangement version is highly intriguing. The melody is incredibly catchy and repetitive; children could easily memorize it after just two listens. That is an exceptionally vital trait for the propagation of a nursery rhyme. Furthermore, the lyrics are simple and easy to comprehend, yet they harbor a sense of curiosity and yearning for the unknown. This kind of underlying meaning is perfect for inspiring a child's imagination."
Another judge nodded in agreement. "The execution of the bilingual version is also very natural, without a single hint of being forced. It perfectly preserves the innocence of the Japanese version while introducing an international flair."
The elderly music professor smiled warmly. "Once the national tournament wraps up, we should get in touch with this family. Perhaps this song can be adopted as a classic nursery rhyme, integrated into the early childhood education curriculum, and promoted nationwide."
"I've noted your suggestion," the NHK Educational TV producer beside him immediately nodded and bowed deferentially.
As the song came to an end, Ruby delivered a deep bow of gratitude, and the audience erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Before long, Ichigo and Miyako escorted Ruby out of the backstage area.
Seeing Ruby walking with a slight float in her step, Hikaru couldn't help but tease, "They haven't even handed out the awards yet, and your head is already in the clouds?"
"Hmph, that was your masterpiece after all. Even if it's not first place, it's at least enough to advance, right?"
Ruby actually possessed a bizarre, unquestioning confidence in Hikaru.
She went to sit back in her original spot, only to realize a little girl wearing a hat had already claimed it.
"Kana Arima, what are you doing here?" Ruby asked in surprise.
"Just came to see how you'd do," Kana said rather curtly. She hopped up and patted Ruby on the head. "Not bad. At least you didn't embarrass me."
"If you're sitting there, where am I supposed to sit?" Ruby looked left and right.
Miyako smiled and reached out, pulling Ruby into her arms.
Following Ruby's performance, the competition rolled onward. Next up were the brackets for the lower elementary, upper elementary, and middle school divisions. Hikaru started out listening intently to the performances on stage, but as time ticked away and contestant after contestant delivered their pieces, exhaustion gradually crept in. Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep in his chair.
By the time he woke up, the venue's house lights had been turned back on, and the sky outside had darkened. He noticed a lavender cardigan draped over him, giving off a familiar, elegant fragrance–it was Ai's jacket.
Hikaru rubbed his eyes and looked toward the stage, noticing the staff members re-arranging the set. The originally minimalist center stage now featured a row of podiums stacked with trophies of various sizes, their golden surfaces gleaming brilliantly under the spotlights. It looked like the competition had officially concluded and transitioned into the awards ceremony.
The host, Misaki Tanaka, stepped onto the stage. "We will now begin the awards ceremony. Starting with the toddler division, the Bronze Award winner is..."
The entire hall instantly fell dead silent, everyone anxiously awaiting her announcement.
"Taro Tanaka from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture!"
Taro let out a cheer and sprinted onto the stage.
Visible disappointment washed over Ruby's face.
The host continued reading, "The Silver Award winner is..."
Ruby's hopes flared right back up, her eyes twinkling as she stared intently toward the stage.
"Kanon Sato from Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture!"
Kanon, sporting a floral crown, leisurely made her way up to the stage.
Kana Arima offered some comfort from the side, "It's fine. Even if you don't win an award, it's no big deal. This is your first time performing, after all."
Up on stage, the host was still reading from her cue card. "And finally, the Gold Award winner for the toddler division..."
Hikaru couldn't help but hold his breath as well.
"The Gold Award winner is... from Tokyo, our shining gem, Ruby!"
The spectator stands exploded into thundering applause, and the judges' panel broke into a flurry of approving murmurs.
Hearing her name, Ruby's eyes went completely wide. Her mouth naturally curled upward into a silly grin.
"The Gold Award! Wow, this feels just like a dream!"
Looking intensely thrilled, she leapt out of Miyako's lap.
Her tiny figure scrambled up the stage to accept the golden trophy and a somewhat extravagant certificate from the host's hands.
"To all our attendees, please do not leave immediately after the ceremony concludes. We will also be distributing a scholarship prize of 30,000 yen, alongside the qualification certificates for the National Tournament," the host reminded the crowd.
Following that, she continued announcing the winners for the other age brackets. The families who secured placements had joy radiating all over their faces, while the empty-handed children looked thoroughly drained, though they could only accept the results quietly.
"Now, we will proceed to announce our special awards! First up is the Best Original Work Award. The winner is... Ruby!"
Ruby pointed a finger at herself, looking around the room with a face full of absolute disbelief. "Who is it going to? Me again?"
She scrambled back onto the stage once more, picking up a crystal special-category trophy engraved with a musical note pattern, along with a custom certificate.
"The prize money for this special category is 10,000 yen! Please remember to collect it together at the end," the host said with a smile.
Once the awards ceremony drew to a close, Ichigo escorted Ruby backstage to collect the rest of her prizes before the group finally exited the venue.
Ichigo and Miyako each carried a trophy, while Ruby herself tightly clutched her two certificates.
"I actually won! I'm so happy!" Ruby's tiny face was completely flushed with excitement.
"Congratulations, Ruby," Aqua said, clearly in a fantastic mood himself, looking even happier than if he had won an award personally.
"Thanks, big bro!"
"But the National Tournament is still ahead of you, so don't slack off," Hikaru reminded her.
"I know, I know! I definitely won't slack off. I'm going to keep winning awards at the nationals!"
Ruby ran out ahead of the group, rolling her certificates up together and smugly brandishing them like a baton toward everyone.
"Hehe! I have certificates! Do you guys have any?"
"Can't say I do," Hikaru said, throwing his hands up. "My awards haven't been handed out yet. Right now, I only have nominations."
"?" The group turned to look at him with a collective look of confusion.
Hikaru unlocked his phone and randomly tapped into a news media outlet. Displayed on the screen was a striking headline: "The 66th Japan Record Awards Nominations Announced! Hikari Shortlisted for Best New Artist!" The accompanying graphic was a collage of the various nominees, with Hikaru taking up the most prominent spot in the center.
Miyako gasped, "The Record Awards!"
Ichigo's eyes popped out as well. "That is one of the most authoritative awards in the entire Japanese music industry! Just being shortlisted is already a massive validation of an artist's caliber!"
The Japan Record Awards stood as the oldest and most influential musical honor in the J-pop scene. Held annually, the event aimed to commend artists and works that demonstrated exceptional excellence in musical composition, vocal technique, and commercial achievements. The artists capable of securing a nomination were all elite performers who had delivered spectacular showings in the music industry that year.
"I just received a call from my manager informing me of the nomination," Hikaru said, tucking his hands behind his back to assume the posture of an absolute grandmaster.
He let out a sigh. "Seriously, when it comes to awards like this, can't they just ship them directly to my house? Having to attend the actual ceremony later... for someone like me who wins awards until my hands go numb, isn't that just a massive waste of time?"
Ai nodded along in earnest, "That actually makes a lot of sense."
"Don't listen to his absolute nonsense," Ichigo muttered, slapping a hand over his own forehead.
Aqua, meanwhile, pulled out his own phone to browse through the news related to the awards. He suddenly raised his head, his mouth twitching into an amused smirk. "Why don't you take a closer look?"
Hikaru backed out of his current article and scrolled down to another category below it–the winner list for the Excellent Work Award. The Excellent Work Award featured ten slots every year, and the most exceptional track among them would ultimately take home the highest honor of the night: the Grand Prix.
"Oh, turns out I won another award too," Hikaru said cheerfully. "Thanks for the heads-up."
Aqua did his absolute best to stifle a laugh. "Personally, I think you're just going to get absolutely demolished by Ai."
Hikaru slid his finger across the screen in surprise, only to discover that Ai's name was also sitting squarely on the list for the Excellent Work Award.
Aqua explained, "Ai has been debuted for much longer. Generally speaking, the top honor of the night–the Grand Prix·is almost never handed out to a newcomer."
"Well, that's even better," Hikaru said, suddenly clapping his hands together.
A bright smile broke across his face. "Honestly, that would make me way happier than winning it myself."
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