Since Iseri Nina had nothing else to do—and clearly no plans to go home after dinner—Rinto naturally brought her along to the Live House where he worked.
"What's a Live House…? ('?ω?｀)"
As expected of a girl whose past had zero overlap with normal youth culture, Nina asked with pure, innocent confusion.
Momoka was totally floored.
"Wait, seriously? You're my fan, right? That means you like rock! But you've never even been to a Live House show…? Don't tell me—you don't even know karaoke?"
"Uuu~ ( > w < )"
Annoyed, Nina puffed out her cheeks and provocatively clung to Rinto's arm, poking her head out from beneath it as she explained:
"I do know what karaoke is! I just wasn't allowed to go because of family rules… My dad's a locally famous educator, so he made a bunch of strict rules for us…"
As she spoke, Nina's naturally gloomy side surfaced, her voice shrinking smaller and smaller.
Rinto had heard about those rules before:
[One. The whole family must eat dinner together at home.]
[One. No phones in the living room.]
[One. Hold a family meeting every Sunday evening.]
The fact that these rules were proudly framed and hung up at home said everything about how strict and rigid her family environment was.
As Nina recited them, Rinto could almost see the pressure—dark, thorny spikes of it—looming over her petite frame.
"…Hey, Rinto," Momoka whispered, leaning close with a completely serious look.
"Why do all three rules start with the number 'One'? Is her dad bad at math?"
Rinto sighed. "…Momoka, maybe you should consider going back to high school."
He'd heard (though it might've been a rumor) that numbering every rule as "one" came from the Shinsengumi's Kyokuchu Hatto—it emphasized that every rule was equally absolute and unnegotiable.
Nina's upbringing meant she rarely hung out with friends and had almost no exposure to entertainment.
That kind of isolation turned her into a stereotypical "good girl"—obedient, polite, and introverted.
But underneath that timid surface was a core of stubborn determination and uncompromising logic—traits that made her both admirable and a little scary.
Rinto didn't say more. He just patted her head gently.
"You'll get it once we're there. It's a place where bands perform. Momoka's old band used to play there a lot."
"I'll introduce you to my coworkers too—they're in bands as well."
"…Mm!" Nina's dark mood lifted instantly. She looked up at Rinto, her eyes bright with dependence.
In this huge, lonely Tokyo, he was her only support.
Soon after, Rinto brought both Momoka and Nina to STARRY.
He'd even convinced Momoka to bring her guitar, telling her it was "just in case."
Descending the slightly intimidating basement stairs and stepping into the dim, moody venue—they were greeted by an angelic voice instead.
"Good evening, Rinto-kun~! …Whoa, Momoka-san really came! Hello, hello—I'm actually your fan! (≧▽≦)"
In Rinto's mind, Ijichi Nijika had long been the Great Angel of Shimokitazawa.
With her bright, sparkling smile, she bounded over to greet Momoka and Nina, while at the counter, Yamada Ryo lazily raised a hand in greeting.
Ryo and Rinto exchanged a quick, knowing wink—he'd texted them earlier, asking them to keep his bass lessons secret from Momoka.
Taking the chance, Rinto introduced them.
"These two are Ijichi Nijika and Yamada Ryo. They're in a band called… uh, what was it again?"
Yamada Ryo: "It's Kessoku Band (laughs)."
Ryo snickered openly, making Nijika's face turn bright red.
The word "Kessoku" meant "bonded" or "connected," a name perfectly matching Nijika's warm, sunny personality. It made Rinto unexpectedly fond of her all over again.
Next, Rinto led them to the counter.
"This is Ijichi Seika, the owner. And the black-haired beauty beside her is our sound engineer, PA-san. …Uh, PA-san, what's your real name again?"
PA-san smiled mysteriously. "Fufufu~ Rinto-chan, haven't you heard? A woman's charm lies in her secrets."
She wore ear cuffs, multiple piercings along both ears, a lip ring—and when she talked, a glint of a tongue piercing flashed.
Rinto couldn't help wondering how that wasn't painful.
But instead of discomfort, her punk look exuded a dangerous, magnetic allure. His thoughts began to drift somewhere they shouldn't—and he had to desperately summon mental images of his twin girlfriends to suppress the urge. Momoka was too soft a countermeasure; that would've just made it worse.
Meanwhile, Nina—on her first-ever visit to a place like this—hid nervously behind Rinto like a small, frightened animal, avoiding eye contact with Seika and PA-san.
In her sheltered worldview, this was practically a den of demons.
Of course, Seika and the others were perfectly decent people.
Seika studied Momoka seriously, her usual lazy tone shifting to something respectful.
"Nice to meet you. I once took my little sister to see Diamond Dust live. You were great. Have you thought about starting another band?"
"Ahaha… well, it's not something you can just decide, right? These things depend on timing, and… fate, I guess."
Momoka laughed awkwardly, clearly flustered in front of the older, more experienced Seika.
It was a small world—of course Seika knew who she was.
But Momoka was still in a slump, and hearing about her old band just made her uneasy.
"…Yeah, that makes sense."
Seika, perceptive as ever, sensed her discomfort and backed off gracefully.
"Since it's rare to have pros here tonight, tickets are on me. Rinto, take good care of them—and next time you need a stage, consider us first."
Rinto flashed a charming smile. "Thanks, Seika-san! You're the best—and the most beautiful—boss ever!"
"Hmph~"
Seika pretended to ignore the flattery, but the tiny cowlick on her head spun happily, clearly pleased.
With Seika's blessing, Rinto could treat them for free.
While he explained the setup to a still-bewildered Nina, Nijika eagerly sidled up.
"Hey, hey, Nina-chan! You're Momoka-san's fan, right?"
"Besides Momoka-san, is there anyone else from Diamond Dust you like? Their drummer Ai-san is amazing! So fierce on stage, yet she's so cute! I really admire her! Oh—and I heard they just picked a new vocalist and are planning a comeback show…"
Nina: "Ah, sorry, but I'm a Momoka-only fan. Ever since she left the band, I haven't followed Diamond Dust at all. No interest."
…Ah. Nijika blinked, quietly slipping her phone—just taken out to share gossip—back into her pocket.
Yeah, bringing up someone's old band in front of an ex-member really wasn't the smoothest move.
Nearby, Rinto was dutifully serving tea and water to Yamada Ryo, massaging her shoulders and even thumping her legs under Momoka's skeptical stare—playing the good little kouhai to perfection.
He asked casually, "Nijika, how's practice going? Your show's tomorrow, right? Didn't your vocalist-guitarist say she'd come by today? She's from Shujin too, yeah?"
"Exactly, Rinto-kun! Listen to this!"
Nijika instantly latched onto the topic, her frustration spilling out.
"Our vocalist hasn't shown up to any practice! Every time something happens! Yesterday her dog got sick, so she had to stay overnight at the vet! It's like she's cursed!"
She showed him the chat log with their vocalist.
From the messages alone, the girl seemed friendly and apologetic—a total normie sweetheart.
But each rehearsal day brought a new excuse.
Earnest apologies or not, she hadn't attended even once.
The band was basically doomed… but Rinto didn't have the heart to say that.
Nijika, being Nijika, still wanted to believe the girl would show up.
Ryo, still luxuriating in Rinto's service, wasn't so gentle.
"Even if she does show tomorrow, she's never practiced with us once. We'll die instantly—buried alive under rotten eggs. Kessoku Band will end before it begins. Pfft~ (￣▽￣)"
She cracked up at her own joke, shoulders shaking with laughter.
Nijika, of course, pouted furiously and punched her, the two scuffling like kids.
…and that was Rinto's cue.
Feigning nonchalance, he dropped the suggestion.
"How about letting Momoka join in? Even just for a warm-up jam."
"""—Huh?!"""
Everyone froze.
Exactly as planned—this was why Rinto had insisted Momoka bring her guitar tonight.
Realistically, she wouldn't join the band permanently—their schedules and goals were too different.
But even a short jam might reignite her spark. Rinto knew she'd never truly quit music; she just needed a nudge.
"Rinto, you totally schemed this…" Momoka muttered, puffing her cheeks in mock annoyance.
But she couldn't hide how touched she was. If fewer people had been around, she might've tackled him on the spot for a different kind of "practice"—just like their first night together.
Rock girls were bold; once the line was crossed, shame stopped mattering.
Recovering fast, Nijika's eyes glittered.
"Performing with Momoka-san—an actual pro?! That's awesome! Ryo, you must be thrilled! She's your idol!"
Yamada Ryo: "…I guess."
Unlike Nijika, Ryo just gave Rinto a sly, knowing look.
Rinto pressed his palms together in a silent "please go along with this" gesture.
Ryo saw straight through him. He'd basically tricked them into being Momoka's support band.
Not that she minded. Leaning close, she murmured,
"You owe me again. You'll have to grant all one hundred of my wishes, no matter what."
Rinto: "One hundred's way too many, shishou… but fine. Whatever Ryo-shishou commands, I'll obey."
Becoming Ryo's loyal dog… honestly didn't sound so bad.
With Nijika and Ryo both on board, Momoka was cornered.
After all, Seika had just treated them for free—she couldn't exactly refuse.
"Fine, if it's just practice… but on one condition."
Momoka glanced toward Nina, who sat quietly in the corner, sipping juice and shrinking into herself.
At home, that girl was fierce—boldly clinging to Rinto and openly challenging Momoka.
But here, in an unfamiliar place, she looked like a lost puppy, trembling as her "owner" chatted away with others.
Momoka sighed, stepped forward, and grabbed her hand.
"My throat's not in great shape today, so I'll just play guitar. Let this girl sing instead—it's just practice, right?"
"Ohh~" Everyone nodded enthusiastically.
Nina froze—then panicked.
"Sing?! Me?! Muri muri muri! I—I can't sing!"
Rinto immediately cut in, siding with Momoka without hesitation, still massaging Ryo's legs.
"Liar. You sing beautifully."
"You sang for me before, remember? It was amazing. And you've listened to Momoka's songs a thousand times—you probably dream them by now. It's just practice, so why not give it a try?"
"Ahh…" Nina's face went bright red, cornered and flustered.
And before she could argue further, the four were already onstage.
Since STARRY hadn't opened yet, they could use the space freely.
Boss Seika and PA-san looked delighted at the spontaneous performance.
As Momoka tuned up her guitar, testing the sound, Rinto felt something stir inside him.
In nearly four months of living together, this was the first time he'd seen Momoka seriously step onto a stage again.
Her fallout with her old band had crushed her confidence—made her avoid sharing music at all.
But the ice couldn't last forever. Rinto was glad to be the one breaking it.
From the audience, he called up, "Nina, what song can you sing? Let's start with something familiar."
"…'Sora no Hako.'"
Tiptoeing, Nina struggled to reach the mic.
Rinto chuckled and adjusted it for her.
Still blushing, she mumbled, "I can only sing Sora no Hako. I don't know any others… and only Momoka-san's version."
"Nina…" Momoka's cheeks flushed at the devotion in her fan's voice.
Nijika and Ryo exchanged grins and immediately launched into the intro.
"Alright, Sora no Hako! We're Momoka-san's fans too—we've practiced this one plenty!"
"All set—just missing guitar and vocals. Good thing Diamond Dust didn't have a keyboardist, huh?"
Who said bands needed keyboards anyway?
As the intro kicked off, before Nina could even find her footing, Rinto shouted from below:
"Nina! Sing!"
"—!!!"
Nina's eyes locked onto him.
That one encouraging figure filled her vision completely.
The pressure bottled inside her burst like a dam—dark spikes of energy erupting with the familiar melody.
"The exam paper before me is completely blank; this moment feels endless."
"The so-called answers—they're all superficial common sense!"
Nijika: "…Wait, what?"
Ryo: "—She's incredible!"
The three bandmates almost got blown off their feet by Nina's raw, crystalline voice.
Sora no Hako wasn't even a heavy song—just Momoka's heartfelt debut track from high school.
But Nina poured in every ounce of emotion she'd held in for years, linking her seventeen-year-old self to Momoka's past.
Even Momoka felt it—the pulse in her chest, the burn in her fingertips—wanting to burst open alongside Nina.
"That's it, Nina," Rinto whispered proudly, watching her come alive onstage.
Nina reached her hand toward him, voice blazing:
"Just what should I rely on to keep going forward?"
"They say textbooks have all the answers, yet they're full of empty words."
"Since that day, I haven't changed one bit!"
"…Who is this girl?" Seika muttered, stunned.
PA-san's eyes gleamed as she slipped on her headphones, officially starting her sound mix.
Everyone in the room was swept away by Nina's voice—pure emotion surging through the space.
When the song finally ended, silence fell like a soft wave.
Nijika, trembling, whispered, "What… was that…?"
Ryo smirked. "She's a genius."
Nina stepped back, blushing furiously—and Rinto jumped onto the stage, wrapping her in a tight hug.
As Nina burst into tears, Rinto smiled softly.
"You were amazing, Nina. I'll always walk beside you. Let's do our best."
"…Mm!" Nina sobbed happily, clutching him.
Momoka stood at the edge of the stage, still breathless from the lingering emotion—saying nothing at all.