Breaking Free from the Cocoon and Becoming a Butterfly

Chapter 74 Breaking Free from the Cocoon and Becoming a Butterfly

The party officially began at 7 p.m.

The stage, which was over ten meters high, on the playground lit up. Lights shone from all directions, making the red curtain look like a burning fire.

Bai Yuze stood backstage, clutching a handkerchief, wiping the keys of his Steinway piano while checking today's performance schedule.

The first performance was a dance by Shiracha Chika and Su Xue.

The curtain was drawn back, and the lights came on.

Bai Cha Qianxia, ​​wearing a jet-black evening gown, and Su Xue, wearing a pure white long dress, stood in the center of the stage.

As the music started, they slowly turned around.

Bai Cha Qianxia's dance moves are passionate and flamboyant. Every turn is accompanied by the wind, and her dark skirt draws sharp arcs under the lights, like a bird flying across the night sky.

Su Xue's dance was quiet and restrained, her pure white skirt swaying gently like a flower slowly blooming.

One in black, one in white, intertwined, separated, and intertwined again on the same stage.

Applause erupted from the audience.

Bai Yuzhe stood on the side platform, watching their backs, and suddenly realized that Bai Chaqianxia was right.

Su Xue's calm demeanor on the stage truly resembled moonlight falling on snow; she looked like the protagonist the moment she stood there.

But Shirocha Chika looks just as good. Night and day stand side by side, neither can overpower the other.

As the program ended, applause erupted like a tidal wave.

Clap clap clap Bai Cha Qianxia and Su Xue bowed on the stage, the lights still shining on them, making their dark black and pure white skirts gleam.

Some people in the audience cheered, some applauded, and some even held up huge light boards.

The light-up sign was very long and wide; clearly, it wasn't one of the standard school-issues, but a custom-made one, bright pink, that read, "White Tea Chinatsu, Goddess, I love you!"

Upon seeing these brands, Shiracha Chika's smile froze for a moment.

But that wasn't all. A dozen seconds later, a second sign lit up, then a third, and a fourth.

"Chinatsu Hakucha, the goddess of Fuyuki University!"

'

——"

Suddenly, a group of people appeared out of nowhere, holding up light sticks and chanting something in unison.

Bai Yuze couldn't hear clearly from the side platform, but judging from Bai Cha Qianxia's expression, what she was shouting was probably not what she wanted to hear.

Some people in the audience started to make a fuss.

Tokugawa Niun sat in the front row, looked around, and nodded with satisfaction.

All is ready except for the opportunity.

He lowered his head, picked up a bunch of bright red roses from the chair beside him, and tied them with a dark green ribbon.

On stage, Shiracha Chika's lips twitched, maintaining that polite smile, but there was no smile in her eyes anymore. She didn't need to think to know who had prepared this.

Looking at the scene before him, Bai Yuzhe finally understood why the class monitor disliked Tokugawa Naruhito so much.

Just then, Senior Brother Aiwas appeared out of nowhere, carrying a large bouquet of flowers, and shoved it into Bai Yuzhe's hands. He said with an incomprehensible look, "What are you standing there for? Go give him the flowers!"

"what?"

Bai Yuzhe had only taken a few steps when, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked down at the flowers in his arms, then at the stage, and said hesitantly, "Senior Brother, I only have one bouquet of flowers, and there are two people on the stage—"

"so what?"

"so----"

Bai Yuze paused, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Wouldn't it be inappropriate to give one and not the other?"

"Tsk."

Aiwas gave him a meaningful look.

"I never expected that you, who seem so honest and unassuming, would be such a womanizer."

Before Bai Yuzhe could react, Aiwas magically produced another bouquet of flowers from behind his back and stuffed it into his arms.

"Go quickly, or the girl you like will leave you!"

Bai Yuzhe looked at the two bouquets of flowers in his arms, then at Aiwas, somewhat surprised: "Senior Brother, how come you have so many flowers?"

Aiwas glanced at Professor Mu and Teacher Zhen beside him, his tone tinged with smugness: "As the senior disciple, you should think what others can think and do what others cannot do. Go on."

Bai Yuzhe took a deep breath. Good heavens, it turns out that all his self-righteous social skills were just a formality to his senior brother.

He took a deep breath, holding two bouquets of flowers, and was about to walk onto the stage when he noticed that some people below the stage had also stood up.

Tokugawa boils clouds.

He held the bouquet of red roses in his hands, the dark green ribbon tied neatly, and walked slowly toward the stage with his usual lazy smile on his face.

Bai Yuzhe paused for a moment.

He turned his head and glanced at the corner of the side stage.

She sat there quietly, wearing a fitted black dress, her long, jet-black hair cascading down to her waist like an ink waterfall, her hands clasped on her knees.

She seemed to be in a daze, but when she noticed Bai Yuze's gaze, she blinked.

Without any communication between them, she understood Bai Yuze's meaning. She gently blew on it, and the bouquet in Tokugawa Zhuyun's hand suddenly scattered.

Red roses slipped out of the ribbon, petals falling to the ground, a few rolling under the chair, and onto the few withered branches in his hand.

Tokugawa Nagi's hand froze in mid-air.

Bai Yuzhe withdrew his gaze, holding two bouquets of flowers, and strode onto the stage.

The light followed and fell on him.

He walked up to Shiracha Chika and handed her the first bouquet of flowers.

Bai Cha Qianxia paused for a moment, took it, glanced down at the calla lily in her arms, and then looked up at him.

His eyes were filled with surprise and joy.

Then Bai Yuze turned around and handed the second bouquet to Su Xue.

Su Xue looked at him, took the flowers, and glanced down at the white lisianthus in her arms. She looked somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting to receive flowers.

After the flowers were presented, the room fell silent for a moment. They glanced at the "GG" sign below, then at Bai Yuze on the stage, as if they had thought of something, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.

On stage, the host paused for a moment, then laughed and exclaimed, "Oh, this student is very thoughtful! Two bouquets of flowers, two beautiful young ladies, not missing a single one!"

The applause rang out again, even louder than before.

Below the stage, Tokugawa Niun had already returned to his seat. He leaned back in his chair, his smile returning, still that gentle expression.

He looked lazy and listless.

Bai Yuze?

That's interesting...

Next up to perform is the Chinese Language and Literature Department.

Bai Yuzhe didn't recognize the person, but Bai Cha Qianxia watched with great interest.

"You know the class monitor?"

"Not very familiar with each other."

Chinatsu Shiracha rested her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the stage. "But the other person seems to be from the student council. It seems like everyone in the student council is very capable."

On the stage, a young girl dressed in plain white Hanfu slowly sat down.

The skirt spread out like a newly opened white flower.

She held a guzheng in her arms; the wood grain was warm and smooth, and the headstock was carved with simple cloud patterns. After placing the guzheng down, she bent down to adjust her finger picks, and her fingers gently rested on the strings.

Guzheng (Chinese zither).

Bai Yuze's gaze paused for a moment.

The world has its own guzheng, which is not unusual, but hearing the sound of a familiar instrument in a foreign land always brings a different kind of feeling.

The girl's finger fell.

A cheerful note leaped from the strings, clear as a stream hitting a rock.

The entire hall fell silent, with only the sound of the piano echoing in the air, circling and moving into the distance.

Bai Yuze leaned back in his chair and listened.

Chika Shiratsumi is right, the other person played very well. The fingering was clean, the rhythm was steady, and every note was played perfectly.

It's like someone falling for someone else; a single glance from them can make them happy for half a day, a single word from them can make them lose their joy.

It rained for half a day.

My emotions went up and down, but they were all sweet.

In the middle, the tone gradually sinks. Unfulfilled desire, hopeless companionship.

Then, the cheerful mood suddenly disappeared, and the tune abruptly sped up, as if it were fleeing or hiding.

The false joy was torn away, revealing what lay beneath; even if one tried to become the perfect version of oneself in someone else's eyes, it would be in vain.

Emotions are just so irrational.

If you don't like something, you just don't like it. No matter how much someone changes themselves, it won't make a difference.

The music did not fall silent.

The joy is back.

The last note faded.

There was a moment of silence, then enthusiastic applause erupted.

Bai Yuze joined the crowd in applauding. Putting aside the other person's skills, their appearance alone was worthy of applause. He didn't know how long it had been since he had seen such Hanfu attire.

Most of what you see here are kimonos.

Time passed little by little.

One show after another, some people sang on stage, some played the violin, some performed skits, and some did magic tricks.

Bai Yuze stood backstage, watching them go on and off the stage.

To be fair, none of them gave a bad performance, and as he looked at the audience below, the pressure on him grew little by little.

He wasn't worried about himself, but rather about what would happen if he messed up his performance and was ridiculed by the whole school. Would Okasan just unleash his full power on the spot?

Finally, the host announced his name.

"The final performance is a piano piece titled 'Breaking the Cocoon.' Performed by Bai Yuze and Bai Cha Qianxia from the Department of Abyss Biology."

Bai Yuze took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.

The light fell, landing on the Steinway piano and on the black and white keys.

He sat down and placed his fingers on the piano keys.

The audience was quiet, so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat. He turned his head and glanced at the side stage.

Hakucha Chika stood there.

The jet-black gown was replaced by a fitted, plain white dress, the hem trailing on the ground like a thin cocoon.

She didn't laugh, nor did she display her usual flamboyance; she simply stood quietly, waiting for the lights to come on.

Bai Yuzhe withdrew his gaze and his finger fell.

The first note is very soft.

Like something waking up in the dark, not knowing who it is or where it is.

Only the heartbeat, one after another.

White Tea Chitatsu is moving.

She curled up on the stage, hugging her knees, shrinking herself into a tiny ball. Her body trembled slightly, like a larva just emerging from its egg, soft, fragile, and vulnerable. She moved slowly, very slowly, as if struggling in mud. With each inch of movement, she would stop, as if afraid of something.

The music followed her.

The low register, with its heavy, slow notes, seemed to hold something lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce at any moment. Occasionally, a few clear notes would flash through the high register, like light filtering through leaves, disappearing in an instant.

She looked up, glanced in that direction, then looked back down. She couldn't go out yet; there were predators outside.

It drank dew and ate leaves every day, and slowly, its body began to change.

She hugged herself tightly, her fingers gripping her shoulders, as if building a shell for herself. That shell grew thicker and harder, separating her from the outside world.

She stopped trembling.

She curled up there, as quiet as a stone.

The music also quieted down.

There was no more fear, no more struggle, only a dull, repetitive melody, like a heartbeat, like the tide, like something trapped in a shell, knocking on the same wall day after day.

The lights dimmed.

Only one beam of light remained, falling upon her and turning her into a sculpture.

The audience unconsciously held their breath.

Bai Yuze's fingers paused on the piano keys for a second.

Then he bounced down.

A series of bright, rapid scales, like light exploding, like wings spreading. The sound climbed from the low register upwards, over every scale, over every wall, to the highest note—without stopping.

White Tea Chitatsu is moving.

She stood up.

Suddenly, it opened its arms wide, as if something rushed out from inside and tore open the shell.

Her skirt changed color under the lamplight. The pure white faded, and a pale purple emerged, like the sky before dawn.

She opened her arms, twirled, and her skirt fluttered up like a butterfly flapping its wings for the first time.

The lights changed with her.

One beam of light became two, two became four, four became countless, shining from all directions onto her, making her skirt appear as flowing colors.

Pale purple turns to pink, pink to gold, gold to blue, and blue to white—each color lasts only a moment, like the fleeting scales on a butterfly's wings.

She no longer curled up, no longer trembled, no longer locked herself in her shell.

She flew.

Spinning, leaping, stretching—every movement carried the wind, the light, and a power finally released after being suppressed for too long. Her skirt fluttered under the lights, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, shaking off the scales from its wings in the sunlight.

The music followed her.

In the high register, a bright, free melody, like the wind carrying her, like light guiding her, like the whole world making way for her.

She spun faster and faster, the colors of her skirt becoming richer and richer, from white to gold, from gold to purple, from purple to blue, until finally all the colors merged together and became a beam of light.

As the last note faded, she stood in the center of the stage, her skirt still swaying gently. The lights dimmed, leaving only a single beam that shone on her, bathing her in white light, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, its wings not yet dry, but already open.

The scene remained quiet for a long time.

Then applause erupted instantly.

Shiracha Chika stood on the stage, her chest heaving, her forehead covered in sweat.

She turned her head and glanced at Bai Yuze.

Bai Yuze was still sitting at the piano, his fingers still on the keys, looking at her.

She gave him a thumbs up.

Bai Yuze grinned slightly; it seemed his performance had gone well and he hadn't made a fool of himself.

The lights fell on the two people, one beam illuminating the black tuxedo and the other the white skirt.

The applause from the audience continued.