"So there's going to be a fireworks festival this summer too~ I've never been to an event like that before. I heard there are all kinds of street stalls… Maybe I should go check it out this time~"
Nagasaki Soyo gently caressed her pale cheek with one hand, her soft voice carrying a hint of anticipation.
"That's right, that's right! Sometimes they even have those sweet candy apples! You might even get the golden summer limited edition!"
Maybe it was just human nature, but the word "limited" had a strange kind of irresistible pull.
Kazami Haru, chewing on a fry, looked up in slight surprise. Watching Ikuyo Kita launch into her excited explanation, he asked curiously—
"If you eat the golden candy apple, do you get +50 experience and +30 memories?"
Hopefully it also triggers a special CG. Amen.
"Eh? What does that mean?"
Kita blinked her pretty eyes in confusion at the sudden question.
"Well, I'm not sure about the 'experience' part," she replied, "but rumor has it… if a couple shares a golden candy apple together, they'll stay happily together forever."
As soon as she said it, Haru could feel a shift in the air, both girls sitting across from him had clearly reacted.
"Ahaha~ That kind of 'rumor' is just an urban myth, right? We live in a scientific society now, no way things like that actually happen—"
Chihaya Anon laughed as she waved her hand, showing off a cute little fang in a playful grin.
"Ehh~ I actually kinda believe in that stuff."
Unlike the pink-haired girl pretending not to care, Soyo-san gently played with the silky hair on her shoulder, smiling sweetly.
"Ha?!"
Wait, this wicked woman believes in that stuff too!?
Chihaya Anon, who firmly believed she had some kind of supernatural power due to her prophetic dreams, suddenly found herself doubting her own logic. If she believed in mysterious, unscientific things like visions of the future, then maybe this golden candy apple rumor wasn't so far-fetched either.
What if it was real?
Who knew that maybe the rumor really did have some kind of strange power. And if it didn't? No harm done. But if it did work, then it'd be a jackpot!
If it's free, might as well eat it!
"What do you think, Haru-san?"
"There should still be some time before Kessoku Band performs, right? How about we walk around a bit before that? …Maybe look for that rumored golden candy apple?"
Soyo mimicked Haru and picked up a thick-cut fry, casually inviting him as if it were no big deal. Then she dipped it in ketchup and popped it into her mouth.
The unusual flavor made her blink her bright eyes in surprise.
"Tch…"
Haru stared at his soda with a complicated look. After one sip, he immediately frowned, the Pepsi tasted weird to him, leaving him feeling out of sorts.
Meanwhile, he was actively thinking about how to deal with Soyo's seemingly innocent attack.
Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~ (ジジジ: Stare)
×3.
Not only was Soyo looking at him with that usual smile, but even the ever-energetic Anon had gone still, lifting her cup of cola with both hands as she stared at him, silver-gray eyes full of silent reproach.
And Kita, the one who threw out the topic in the first place, was sneakily glancing at his expression from the corner of her eye.
He had thought that surrounding himself with enough people would naturally neutralize Soyo's advances.
He didn't expect a problem like this.
You sneaky little troublemakers! I swear, the moment I find an opening, I'm gonna teach↑ you↓ a serious lesson!
"Well, let's see how much prep work we have before we go on stage. If there's enough free time, maybe I'll walk around the festival with 'everyone.'"
No way I'm walking around a fireworks festival with someone who eats fries with ketchup.
If Haru seriously agreed to go around the festival alone with Soyo, and if they just happened to find that rumored golden candy apple, and then somehow ended up eating it together…
He could already see where this was going.
Even without Platinum Star behind him, he knew exactly what would happen next.
At that rate, it probably won't be him triggering some special CG. Instead, it's like he's the one being triggered as a CG by Soyo-san.
"Well, that's true~ There might be rehearsals or other prep before the performance…"
Nagasaki Soyo seemed to accept that reasoning, a faint trace of disappointment flickering through her eyes.
Chihaya Anon, who had been quietly panicking, finally let out a small breath of relief. What if her precious little boyfriend actually fell for Soyo's seductive figure and ended up agreeing to go with her?
If that happened, she'd never let the two of them be alone together!
…Though Anon didn't notice that Soyo's "disappointment" vanished almost instantly.
That gentle smile returned to Soyo's lovely face. She habitually rested her finger against her lips, and her calm, ocean-blue eyes seemed to glint with something strange. The look she gave Kazami Haru was tinged with subtle contemplation.
…
A group of lively, socially adept girls naturally kept the conversation going the entire time. Despite a few minor "crises" along the way, Haru had managed to defuse them before they escalated.
Maybe because of the glowing presences of the pink and red-haired "third wheels" nearby, Soyo didn't follow through with the part of his mental simulation where she'd invite him for a walk after dinner.
"Today really threw all kinds of curveballs my way…"
Kazami Haru sighed, his gaze a little weary.
He felt like this whole mess started just because of that one "dinner." Why couldn't he have just kept his mouth shut? Now that he thought about it, he still had half a "purple apple" in the fridge, he could've eaten that. As long as he kept resetting the temperature in his mouth, things would've worked out, right?
Now slightly relaxed, Haru recalled what Kita had said earlier about the fireworks festival. He quickly pulled out his phone and opened Nijika-mama's LINE chat. His long fingers danced across the screen like a pianist on keys.
[Username: WantToBeFertilizer]
To: Nijika
Haru: "Nijika, are you there?"
[Ijichi Nijika ]
"Nijika: Yup yup, I'm here! What's up?"
"Nijika: Cat peeking sticker JPG"
Fast read and instant reply!
Was it possible that the sweet and kind Nijika-mama had been waiting by her phone just for him?
Haru: "Kessoku Band hasn't really done much this summer. I just heard from Kita that there's going to be a Summer Fireworks Festival. Apparently, there's a spot near the venue where bands can sign up to perform. What do you think about applying?"
Nijika: "Eh? Are you sure Little Tomori's side won't be a problem?"
Nijika: "You only just finished helping with her Live, right? Don't you want to rest for a few days?"
Even through a screen, Haru could feel Nijika-mama's warm concern. The tension in his shoulders began to ease. He raised an eyebrow slightly and quickly tapped out his reply.
Haru: "It's fine. I think it's about time we got active again anyway."
Haru: "By the way… have you guys gone out with Bocchi recently? I haven't seen her say much in the group chat lately."
"Ah—"
The golden-haired girl had been swaying her head slightly with joy, but the moment she saw that message, she froze.
Right then, Ijichi Nijika was sitting with her calves and feet to one side on the soft sofa in a very girlish posture. She reread the message about Bocchi, then suddenly looked up at the calendar on the wall.
August 10th!
Half the summer break had already flown by!
Now that she thought about it, she'd been caught up working at their family's LiveHouse and occasionally going out with friends. Ryo was still doing her usual solo wandering, and Kita didn't seem like the type to ask Bocchi out either.
This is bad…
Little Bocchi wasn't the kind of girl to initiate hangouts on her own. For all she knew, Shimokitazawa's Wild Pink Tsuchinoko might've opened her phone a dozen times, staring at the dial screen, trying to call her only friend for a proper summer.
Back then, she thought Haru was too busy with MyGO's debut Live, so she hadn't planned anything aside from work… and only now did she remember…
"UWAA! I totally forgot about Bocchi-chan!"
"Keep it down!"
Ijichi Seika, who had been napping, jolted awake at the shout. She frowned at her panicking sister nearby and, still groggy, grumbled—
"What's got you screaming now… Is it that Kazami guy again?"
Seika had only asked offhandedly, but to her surprise, her capable little sister actually made a face: part shock, part… something else.
Wait! She guessed right on the first try?
"N-no, it's about Bocchi!"
Just hearing Haru's name made Nijika's mind jump to some slightly embarrassing thoughts. Her cute, pretty face began turning a soft peachy pink. That bashful look instantly made Seika squint in suspicion.
"Really now?"
Seika took two steps toward her, only to see Nijika quickly hide her phone screen.
It was a casual move but to a seasoned vet like Seika, it was as obvious as a blinking neon sign.
Sensing this odd behavior, even Seika's usual post-nap crankiness faded a bit.
She curled her lips into what she thought was a very understanding smile, waved at her little sister, and said casually, "Nijika, you've been working at STARRY most of the summer, right?"
"Well, yeah… Why?"
"I'll give you a few days off. Take the chance to invite that Kazami kid out on a date or something."
Just like that, Seika's voice returned to its usual calm and detached tone, while she casually gestured over her shoulder with a thumb.
Nijika blinked, clearly not processing what had just been said.
And the next moment, her lovely face turned bright red, like it had been dipped in crimson ink.
"Big sis! What are you even saying?!"
"…Huh?"
Ijichi Seika gave her foolish little sister an annoyed look. She was trying to help her, for crying out loud!
Other people might not have noticed the changes in Ijichi Nijika , but as someone who had lived with her for over ten years, her older sister saw everything.
It was painfully obvious. While working at STARRY, Nijika would sneak glances at Kazami Haru and those glances were becoming more frequent as time went on.
That Haru kid, whether it was his personality or his talent, left Seika with very little to complain about. If Nijika ended up with him in the end, Seika honestly thought that would be a pretty good outcome.
But still, if you like someone, just go confess already!
"Just ask him out already. That guy wouldn't turn you down, guaranteed."
"T-that's not true at all! You're such a dummy, Sis!!"
Face flushed and feeling her head go hot, Nijika shouted and stomped away with hurried pat-pat footsteps. She rushed back to her room and slammed the door shut, leaving Seika standing alone in the living room.
"Seriously… who's the real dummy here?"
Seika rolled her eyes with a sigh, clearly at her wit's end.
Kessoku Band alone already had girls with all kinds of feelings bubbling under the surface, and now that Haru was also involved with another all-girl band of beautiful musicians? Last time they came to the café for a Live, each one was just as stunning as Nijika. Especially that pink-haired girl with real protagonist energy.
Even just managing Kessoku Band was already a headache, let alone with all those other girls circling around him.
If Nijika didn't get serious now, she'd be the one curled under her blanket sobbing later.
…
[Ijichi Nijika :]
"Crap! I completely forgot about Bocchi! It's already halfway through summer break… I'll start planning a group activity for Kessoku Band ASAP! And I'll handle the Live application for the Summer Fireworks Festival too!"
[Ijichi Nijika :] 😭😭😭
"I knew this would happen," Haru muttered stiffly, staring at the flood of crying emoji she sent.
There was no way Bocchi would ever reach out first. If no one invited her out, Hitori Gotoh would probably spend the entire summer cooped up at home, shredding guitar solos alone, then crying under her blanket at night from the crushing loneliness.
[Haru:] "Before the festival Live, how about we go visit Bocchi together?"
[Nijika:] "Got it! I'll pull in Ryo and Kita too!"
After chatting with Nijika-mama for a while longer and settling on a day to visit Bocchi's place, Haru finally put his phone away.
That's when it hit him, Bocchi was one of his simulation targets, too. Should he take this chance to run a scenario with her?
But the moment the thought came, he shook his head.
Better not. Running Soyo's simulation last time had given him valuable future intel, sure but doing two in a row had taken a toll on his mind.
For now, he'd take a break from simulations.
"Hm?"
While walking along Usayama Shopping Street, Haru's eyes were suddenly drawn to an ice cream cart decorated with cute cartoon characters. A closer look revealed that you'd get a penguin sticker with each purchase.
Believe it or not, he'd always been a die-hard penguin fan.
Guess he had no choice but to buy some ice cream.
Just as he was about to step forward, his eyes landed on a familiar silver-haired girl among the crowd of kids. She wore a white shirt and hunched over nervously, like a shy little penguin.
He recognized her instantly from behind.
"Tomori?"
Girls really did have an uncanny sixth sense.
As Haru looked at Takamatsu Tomori, who had been staring at the cartoon on the cart, her gloomy eyes suddenly turned toward him, almost like she had sensed his gaze. Her lips parted slightly, surprised.
"Haru?"
"What are you doing here? Weren't you feeling unwell?"
Tomori immediately abandoned her spot in line and jogged over.
Her gently furrowed brows and soft, concerned expression made her look even more fragile. She began scanning him from head to toe as if afraid to miss anything important.
"I'm fine! I just didn't sleep well and took the day off."
"I actually went to RiNG with Soyo earlier. She's already apologized to Anon and Taki about the Live. She'll probably come find you soon to apologize in person too, so you don't need to worry anymore, okay?"
Haru's voice was gentle as he tried to reassure the timid little penguin in front of him. Tomori had probably been anxious every day about Soyo, and what she needed now was someone to help ease her tension and stabilize MyGO's situation.
"…Soyo?"
Tomori's expression stiffened.
Her hand moved to grip her opposite arm, and strange fragments of memory started replaying in her mind. She recalled the dream she had that morning…
It was about Soyo and in it, Soyo married Haru.
"…"
Tomori didn't think that dream was just random. She had seen similar visions before like the one where Chihaya Anon developed feelings for Haru. That one turned out to be true.
And now… even Soyo?
"…Ugh…"
Tomori furrowed her brows deeply. Her mind was a mess, tangled in emotions and confusion.
Seeing this shift in her demeanor, Haru narrowed his eyes slightly. He could tell something was off and quickly reached out, gently taking her hand and leading her to a nearby bench.
"Tomori, wait here for a bit."
"…Okay."
Still overwhelmed, Tomori tilted her head and blankly watched Haru walk away.
Moments later, he returned with two ice cream cones and two different penguin stickers tucked in his pocket, the little prize she'd been eyeing earlier.
"I didn't know which flavor you'd like, so I bought two kinds."
Haru smiled and showed her a black and a white ice cream cone. Tomori's amber eyes sparkled faintly as she shyly took the white cream one from his hands.
But instead of eating it right away, she cradled it carefully in her palms, quietly admiring it.
"Ice cream is as beautiful as snow… I really like it. But… if you just leave it alone, no matter how beautiful it is… it'll slowly melt away.
The more you want to cherish something… the more likely it'll slip away…"
"That's… really sad."
A band was just like that, too.
Soyo's willingness to come back and rebuild the band had truly made Takamatsu Tomori happy.
But the core issue still hadn't been resolved.
She herself naturally held feelings for Kazami Haru but she wasn't alone. Anon-chan, Soyo-chan, even Raana-chan and Taki-chan… any of them might feel the same.
That should've been something to be happy about.
And yet...
There's no such thing in this world as having it all.
Just like in that dream, where both she and Anon fell for Haru. If she accepted his confession, Anon would be hurt and might leave the band. But if she rejected Haru to protect Anon—
Then he would be the one hurt.
Tomori stared quietly at the pure white ice cream in her hands, her voice subdued, her melancholic eyes trembling slightly.
Now even Soyo liked Haru. At this point, even backing away wouldn't make a difference.
And if she ever had to face that painful choice again, the band Haru had worked so hard to piece back together might fall apart all over again because of her.
She didn't know what to do.
Suddenly, two penguin stickers were gently pressed into her hands.
"An emperor penguin… and a yellow-eyed penguin…"
Tomori murmured as she stared at the stickers in her palms. Then she slowly raised her confused eyes to look at the boy in front of her.
The dark-haired boy smiled lightly as he met her gaze, taking a small bite from the chocolate ice cream in his hand. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he gave a satisfied expression and lifted one finger toward her.
"There's a way to keep ice cream from melting, you know. You just have to store it properly in the freezer."
"If you're afraid it'll melt… then just protect it carefully so it doesn't."
So it won't melt…?
Tomori blinked at the snowy white ice cream in her hands. Her expression slowly turned serious.
As long as you protect it… it won't melt?
"…Haru."
Holding the ice cream close, Tomori slowly lifted her head. Her breathtakingly beautiful face stared intently at Haru, and the impact of that gaze made his nerves tense.
Then, softly, she spoke—
"Will we be… together, forever?"
The words sounded just like a confession.
Normally, Haru would've answered "yes" without hesitation. But with Anon, Kita, and Soyo in the picture, he couldn't make that kind of promise to everyone.
But there was one thing he could promise right now:
He'd never leave this little penguin behind.
"I will," he said seriously, without a pause.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Really really?"
"Really really…"
After a few playful loops, a smile finally bloomed on her face.
She began tasting the ice cream—gently, carefully. But because they'd spent so much time talking, the creamy white dessert had already begun to melt.
Flustered, the little penguin hurried to eat faster. But going too fast made her clutch her head in pain. Haru couldn't help but laugh and gently massaged her temples until the ache eased.
"You don't need to eat it that fast—you'll get a brain freeze…"
"…It's cold, but… it's warm, too."
Tomori's deep, mysterious amber eyes lifted to him. She gave a small shake of her head and spoke softly, her gaze falling back to the ice cream:
"Because… you gave it to me. It's precious… so I don't want to waste even a little bit."
Too cute. It hit him like a truck.
Haru felt like if he kept looking at her, he really would die from how ridiculously adorable she was.
"…The band should last forever too."
Tomori wouldn't just let things fall apart.
Even if everyone in the band ended up liking Haru, that was okay.
But if that meant people started fighting over who was "the one," and friendships were torn apart, then no matter what, she would protect it.
Their bond as friends wouldn't melt, as long as they found another way to protect it.
Maybe… if "the one" no longer had to be "the only one,"
then no one would have to fight… and nothing would have to break.
- - -
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