Hyouka - Volume 03 - The Kudryavka Sequence - Welcome to KANYA FESTA! (1)

president, with his hair combed back and wearing a pair of framed spectacles,
was a slim figure with skillful-looking hands. He waited till the audience
gradually went silent before smiling and bowed courteously like a stage
actor.
"Let the show commence. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Magic Club
performance. Now feast your eyes upon the wonders that we have worked
hard in order to show you."
Applause.
I looked around during the applause. There doesn't seem to be anything out of
order so far...
"First, the Magic Club proudly presents Takamura Youichi of Class 1-B, who
will be gracing us with his performance of 'The Living Dead.'"
He then withdrew from the stage amidst the applause. The male student that
next emerged from the curtains was carrying a ball, as expected, as the El
Bimbo [5] began to be played in the background... As a French whisper pop,
this kind of music suits the mood well. Takamura-kun seems totally relaxed.
Now I know why they were proudly presenting him. Or perhaps it's because
this is the fifth time he's performing this?
The zombie ball and linking rings performances went smoothly as expected.
The Magic Club people sure have some skill. While I've seen my fair share of
conjuring tricks, this was nothing to be amazed at, but still, it was quite
intense seeing the ball float in mid air or the rings linked together from such a
close distance. And while the first guy and the girl that followed had a few
awkward moments with their movements, it wasn't so bad as to jeopardize
their performance. I applauded their mastery from the bottom of my heart.
The third act, "Vanishing Act," was just as impressive. Tayama-san, the