After chatting with Hitori a bit longer and setting a time to meet after school, Yuki finally left.
Watching his retreating figure, Hitori felt a surge of excitement. She realized that ever since meeting Yuki, small things in her life had started to change.
Not only had her guitar skills improved significantly, but she even found herself smiling more often. Just like right now—she couldn't stop smiling, practically glowing with joy.
As for Yuki, after meeting Hitori, he headed off to find the final piece of the Kessoku Band puzzle. The band's vocalist—the kind-hearted Kita Ikuyo.
Right now, Kita hadn't yet lied about knowing how to play the guitar in order to join the band, only to flee in a panic when she realized she couldn't. At this point, she was still just a devoted fan of Ryo Yamada.
Using his abilities, Yuki quickly located Kita's classroom. Kita was a first-year high school student, just like Yuki—just in a different class. But when Yuki arrived at her classroom, he spotted someone unexpected.
Rio Futaba. The calm, collected, science-loving beauty from Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.
Yuki glanced at her—grayish hair, gold eyes framed by wire-rimmed glasses, and a petite figure wrapped in a white lab coat. There was no mistaking her. Even without using his powers, he could tell it was her—the girl who invoked quantum mechanics at the drop of a hat.
Rio was sitting at her desk, absorbed in a thick book. Even though Yuki's presence had caused a stir in the classroom, she didn't look up once. She was completely immersed in the ocean of knowledge—a book on theories by famous physicists from around the world.
Yuki watched her for a moment, didn't disturb her, and moved on. He greeted the girls who had flocked around him and asked them to call Futaba over for him. The moment they realized this handsome boy was there for Futaba, they couldn't hide their disappointment. Still, they were happy to help.
Meanwhile, Futaba had been focused on writing something at her desk. When her classmates called out to her, she looked up, confused.
"Someone's here for me? Who is it?"
"We don't know. But he's a really handsome guy—and he specifically asked for you. Futaba, is he secretly your boyfriend?!" The girls teased her, their faces full of gossip.
Rio Futaba only grew more puzzled. "Boyfriend? What are you guys talking about? Since when did I have a boyfriend?" She rolled her eyes and denied it.
But she was curious—who could be looking for her? Among the people she knew, there weren't many guys. Curious, Futaba left her seat and stepped out of the classroom.
And there he was—the "really handsome guy" her classmates had mentioned. He was undeniably good-looking—so much so that it almost felt unreal. She couldn't find a single flaw in him. His perfect appearance was like something out of a fairy tale—a prince come to life.
Futaba stared at Yuki, her cheeks flushing slightly, her expression dazed.
He's so handsome! Way too handsome! Is he really here for me? Since when did I know someone this good-looking?! She could hardly believe someone like him had come looking for her.
"H-Hello." Futaba was nervous, her words stumbling.
"Hello, Rio Futaba. My name is Rin Yuki. You can just call me Yuki." He smiled warmly, his gaze taking her in.
Her hair was as vivid as flames. Her face was bright, innocent, and sunny, with eyes like precious jade—yellow-green with a hint of mysterious mist. Her cheerful, open demeanor was the complete opposite of Hitori Gotoh.
"Th-Then I'll call you Yuki-kun. You can call me Futaba." Rio's heart skipped a beat when she saw the gentle smile on his face.
"Alright, Futaba." Yuki nodded. "do you have a moment? I'd like to talk to you about something. Maybe somewhere else?" He glanced toward a group of students clearly eavesdropping from around the corner.
Rio Futaba caught the hint and nodded. She followed him to a quiet corner.
"I'll keep this short. I came to invite you to join a band." Yuki got straight to the point.
Futaba's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth falling open slightly. "J-Join a band?! Did I hear that right?!"
She couldn't process it. Joining a band was the last thing she had ever expected. And now someone was actually inviting her? No wonder she wondered if she had misheard.
"You heard right. I'm inviting you to join a band." Knowing this would be her reaction, Yuki patiently continued.
"But... I don't know how to play any instruments or anything." Futaba looked away, a little embarrassed to admit it.
"That's fine. You can learn. And you wouldn't be an instrumentalist anyway—you'd be the vocalist." Yuki smiled lightly, clarifying the role she'd play in the band.
Hearing she'd be the singer put Futaba at ease. Singing—that she could do.
"Are you sure I'm cut out for it? I mean... why me?" She furrowed her brow slightly, genuinely curious.
"The reason? Nothing too complicated. I just think your voice is really nice. It'd suit singing." Yuki gave a simple answer—after all, he couldn't exactly say he'd read the script.
To Kita, though, this seemingly casual reason carried a different weight.
My voice is nice? He's complimenting me! A little spark of joy lit up inside her. But then she thought about it—they'd never met before today. And yet Yuki seemed so sure about her voice. That led her to a certain conclusion.
Could it be... Yuki-kun has seen me before without me knowing? Heard my voice, liked it, and that's why he asked me to be the vocalist? Her heart fluttered with a mix of joy and shyness. When she looked at Yuki, her eyes shimmered with something hard to name—a blend of curiosity and budding affection.
"Okay! I'm in." Rio Futaba agreed without much convincing.
They exchanged contact info and set a time to meet after school.