Once she stopped playing, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It was the first time any of them had heard a guitar produce such a terrifying sonic assault.
"Amazing. I didn't know a guitar could be used like that." Ryo gave her honest opinion, then raised a completely serious thumbs-up at Hitori.
"Are you complimenting her or making fun of her, Ryo?!" Nijika couldn't help but retort.
Then she turned to look at Hitori, and from there to Yuki, her eyes silently asking if he might have brought the wrong person. Based on what she'd just heard, Hitori didn't seem like someone who could play guitar at all. But what puzzled Nijika was why Yuki had recommended her in the first place.
Feeling Nijika's gaze on her, Hitori grew even more uncomfortable. She knew she'd messed up. She'd blown her chance to show what she could do. Shame and self-loathing welled up inside her.
This is right... someone like me belongs in a corner. Dying alone was always going to be my fate.
The more she thought that way, the darker her expression became, so much so that everyone in the room could feel the gloom radiating off her.
"Hitori's situation is a bit special. To see her real skills, we need a little something extra." Yuki stepped in, walking over to a cardboard box in the corner of the room.
The three girls watched him pick it up with puzzled looks.
"A cardboard box? What kind of special tool is that?" Nijika murmured.
"You'll see." Yuki kept them guessing. He walked over to Hitori and handed her the box.
She took it, and a grateful look appeared on her face, she understood what he was trying to do. Yuki smiled, gave her a nod, and returned to his seat, leaving the floor to her.
Hitori placed the box on the ground, then climbed inside, enclosing herself in that small, dark space once more. And in there, her nervous expression vanished. She returned to her usual self.
"She... got inside?!" Nijika stared in disbelief, completely confused.
For a moment, she half-expected Hitori to pull off some kind of magic trick. But then the sound of a guitar filled the room. Nijika froze, looking at the box in astonishment. Now she understood exactly what the box was for.
The guitar Hitori played now was completely different from before, beautiful, rhythmic, and full of life. It was like night and day. Now Nijika understood, this was Hitori's true skill. The earlier mess had just been nerves, from performing in front of other people.
"That's amazing," Kita whispered under her breath.
Ryo closed her eyes and nodded in approval. "Really good." She gave her honest assessment, clearly impressed.
Two minutes later, Hitori finished playing and finally climbed out of the box.
"I-I'm sorry, everyone... about before..." Hitori started to apologize for the contrast, but Nijika cut her off gently.
"It's fine, Gotoh-san. That performance just now that's the real you, isn't it?" Even without an explanation, she could already tell what the issue was.
"Y-yes... I'm really sorry." Hitori nodded, bowing deeply in apology.
"You don't need to apologize for that!" Nijika shook her head with a sigh.
She'd figured it out by now, Hitori was someone with social anxiety. No wonder she'd frozen up in front of everyone. Only inside a cardboard box could she play with peace of mind and perform at her full potential.
"Gotoh-san... could you tell us a bit about yourself?" Nijika asked.
"Okay..." Hitori returned to her seat and began to speak.
A minute later.
"Well... Gotoh-san, your situation is a bit tricky. Socially anxious, withdrawn... you're basically a lonely little introvert." After hearing about Hitori's struggles with making friends, Nijika felt genuinely sympathetic.
"Lonely introvert... sounds cool," Ryo said in her usual deadpan tone.
"Please don't think that's cool!" Nijika instinctively shot back.
"Hey, Gotoh-san, did you learn guitar all by yourself?" Kita asked.
Hitori nodded. "When I was little, I saw a concert on TV, guitarists performing on stage and I fell in love with the guitar right away. So I just looked up tutorials online and taught myself..." She recalled her past, explaining what had sparked her interest in the instrument.
After hearing her story, everyone was deeply impressed.
"That's incredible, Gotoh-san! No, Bocchi-chan!" Nijika declared. She thought the story was incredibly inspiring to teach herself to that level was nothing short of genius.
"Bocchi-chan?" Everyone looked at her curiously.
"Gotoh-san is Bocchi-chan! It's a nickname. A band nickname!" The others finally caught on.
Hitori looked stunned.
Does that mean... I'm officially in the band?! She shot an eager, questioning look at Nijika. Nijika smiled and nodded, giving her a firm yes. Hitori's heart soared.
This means... I've finally made friends again. And with people who share the same interests.
"That's great! My life won't just be dark corners and dying alone anymore!" Tears streamed down Hitori's face as she gripped Nijika's hands tightly.
Nijika was a little overwhelmed by the intensity of her reaction. "It's not that dramatic, Bocchi-chan!"
"Yeah, Gotoh-san," Kita nodded. "From now on... we're friends!"
"Mm."
And just like that, Hitori had made friends outside of Yuki. With the members decided, the next step was figuring out the band's arrangements.
Hitori's skills were beyond question, no issues there. The only question mark was Kita. Singing was her main role, but most vocalists in bands also played guitar at certain moments. That was something she'd need to overcome, since she didn't know how to play at all.
Kita said she was willing to learn. She'd wanted Yuki to teach her, but since he wasn't actually in the band and wouldn't be around often, she had to drop that idea. In the end, Kita asked Hitori to teach her guitar. When it came to guitar instruction, Hitori was more than qualified, so there was nothing to worry about.
And with that, the band was officially set. As for the name, at Yuki's suggestion, they went with Kessoku Band.