The next day, after classes ended, Yuki had lunch with Lala and the others before heading off alone to meet Hitori Gotoh at their usual spot. He had arranged to meet her there today, mainly to talk about the band.
Yuki was planning to follow the original lineup, reuniting the Kessoku Band as it was meant to be. Nijika hadn't discovered Bocchi-chan yet, so Yuki decided to lend a hand. When he arrived at the familiar, unused storage corner, he saw her sitting there, her guitar in her lap, tucked away in the shadows.
"Hey, Hitori. You're here early."
The girl looked up, and there was that familiar face, still as breathtakingly handsome as ever. The sight of him made her heart race. His gentle smile felt like sunlight, chasing away the shadows in her heart and warming her soul. No matter how many times she looked at him, Hitori couldn't help but feel that the gap between someone like Yuki and someone like her was just too vast. It made her feel a little lost and inadequate.
"Yuki-kun! I ate lunch here, so I got here early." She scrambled to her feet and pulled out a cloth, quickly wiping down the chair next to her. "Please, sit."
Seeing her like this, Yuki wanted to say something but held back. In the end, he just let out a quiet sigh. "Alright, you don't need to do that kind of stuff. It makes it seem like you're my maid."
Seeing how submissive she was, it was easy to imagine how she might be treated in other relationships. In the original story, it was a good thing this was a music anime and everyone she met was kind. If she had been around the wrong people, her timid personality would have gotten her pushed around until she broke.
"Ah? O-okay…" Hitori looked flustered by his words, keeping her head down as she answered softly.
Even though she said yes, Yuki knew this kind of low self-esteem wasn't something that would change overnight. The next time he saw her, she would probably act the same way. But there was no rush; change took time. He believed that once Hitori joined Nijika's band and started making more friends, her personality would improve naturally.
Yuki sat down, and Hitori sat next to him. But the way she fidgeted on the bench made it clear she was worrying over whether it was appropriate for her to sit beside him.
"Stop overthinking." Yuki gave her shoulder a gentle pat to help her relax.
She nodded quietly.
"Huh? You've got some pretty dark circles. Didn't sleep well last night?" Yuki noticed the faint shadows under her eyes, just beneath her pink bangs.
Hitori had good features. Beneath all that gloom, you could tell she was actually a beautiful girl. And her figure was amazing—the kind of bust that would make even Nijika and Kita jealous. It was just all hidden behind her gloomy personality and baggy tracksuit.
"Ah? Y-yeah…" she answered nervously.
The truth was, after getting Yuki's message last night, she had been so excited she couldn't sleep. But that wasn't even the main problem. Her little sister had gone and told their parents that she was in love, and then she had been interrogated for the rest of the night. It was exhausting.
If she hadn't managed to brush them off with some excuse, she probably would have woken up in the middle of the night to find her parents still sitting there, waiting to continue the questioning.
Thinking back on that chaotic night, Hitori's lips twitched into a bitter smile.
Yuki didn't press further, just telling her to get some rest. Then, he got down to business.
"Hitori." He turned to face her, his gaze serious.
Hitori turned to meet his eyes, and her heart gave a little tremble. She had seen that look before—in romance dramas, right before the guy confessed his feelings to the girl. In that moment, Hitori's mind went into overdrive.
Is... is Yuki-kun about to confess to me?! No way... someone like me... is that okay?!
Her face flooded with crimson in an instant. Her cheeks felt hot, and her head was spinning—she was nervous and panicked all at once.
"Do you want to join a band?"
"Huh?"
Just as Hitori was bracing herself for something, Yuki's actual question landed, and her expression froze.
A band? Not a confession? Right... of course not. Someone like me... how could someone like Yuki-kun ever—
She laughed bitterly to herself. Then, she calmed down and processed what he had actually asked. "What do you mean, Yuki-kun?"
"Well, a friend of mine is planning to form a band..." Yuki gave a quick explanation, telling her about Nijika wanting to start a band and how they still needed a guitarist and a lead vocalist.
After listening, Hitori hesitated. Her expression darkened slightly as she lowered her head. "Would I... really fit in?"
"Of course! I think you'd be perfect, Hitori." Seeing her lack of confidence, Yuki immediately nodded in reassurance. "Your guitar playing has its own unique style, and your skill level is practically professional. A small band like this? You'd be more than suitable." He smiled gently and highlighted her strengths. "Of course, if you're not interested in joining a band, I won't force you."
He made sure to respect her choice. If she didn't want to, he wouldn't push it.
"No..." Hitori quickly shook her head. After thinking it over carefully, she finally nodded. "I'll do it."
The truth was, Hitori had wanted to join a band for a long time. Even though she was socially anxious, she wanted to change, and the best way she knew was to make more friends.
She had tried various methods before, most of them with little success. Then, she got inspired by other guitarists. She realized she could connect with people who shared the same interests.
So she started bringing her guitar to school, hoping to make friends through music. At first, it didn't go well. She hardly made any friends in her class. But later, things changed—because she did succeed. She met Yuki through playing guitar. That only strengthened her belief that shared hobbies could slowly help her build friendships.
And now, a band was an even better opportunity. So of course, Hitori wasn't going to let this chance slip away. Joining a band meant more chances to make friends.