Just like the comment he saw under his video, PVC Records had indeed posted a tweet publicly supporting him.
The message was short, but their stance was crystal clear—supporting Kessoku Band, and supporting him.
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"SUKI-san is a musician of exceptional skill. His guitar technique is outstanding, and his composing abilities could be considered master-level.
He won first place in our company's original rock music project, and there's absolutely no need to question the originality of his songs.
As for the rumors circulating online about whether Kessoku Band is a good match for SUKI-san...
Everyone grows. SUKI-san chose Kessoku Band because he believes in their potential to grow, which makes this topic unworthy of discussion.
We at PVC support SUKI-san, support Kessoku Band, and we strongly condemn any individuals or groups spreading baseless rumors online.
That is all."
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Aoki couldn't be sure why PVC was backing him now.
Maybe they just couldn't stand the toxic atmosphere in the music industry.
Or maybe they saw his potential, and now that public opinion was leaning in his favor, they were jumping in to build ties.
He didn't know their exact motivations—after all, they were a business—but at least they were taking action.
He made a mental note of it, then scrolled down to check the replies.
Unlike the Ghost Elements statement, which was flooded with defensive fans and half-hearted excuses.
The responses to PVC's tweet were overwhelmingly supportive praising SUKI-san, slamming Ghost Elements for stirring the pot, and encouraging him to keep going.
It was clear now which way public sentiment was turning.
The outcome of this whole situation was basically sealed.
Aoki closed the tweet.
The comment had also mentioned other musicians speaking out in support of Kessoku Band and himself, but he didn't bother looking into those.
It was already 1:40 PM.
Only twenty minutes left before practice started.
Taking the train to the livehouse might even make him late.
He pushed the rest of the comments out of his mind, quickly packed his things, and left his apartment.
After a short walk to the station and a ten-minute train ride, he followed the familiar route toward STARRY.
Just as expected, by the time he was halfway there, it was already past 2:00.
Originally, he'd been rushing to get there on time, but now that he was officially late, Aoki relaxed a little.
"It's just around 2 PM anyway... And Ryo-san is always late herself. Being a little late this once won't hurt," he thought.
Feeling a bit thirsty, he decided to stop by a convenience store to grab a drink before heading to practice.
Luckily, there was one just a few steps ahead on his route.
He pushed open the door, went straight to the drinks section, and grabbed a bottle of energy drink without hesitation.
Turning around to head for the cashier—
He froze.
Right in front of him stood a girl he knew all too well.
Short blue hair. A small beauty mark beneath her left eye. Stylish outfit, strikingly pretty face… and the usual deadpan, unenthusiastic expression.
Ryo-san.
Aoki blinked, stunned for a second before instinct kicked in.
He turned slightly, ready to duck and avoid being seen—but it was too late.
At the exact same moment, Ryo turned and spotted him too.
Their eyes met.
It had been almost two weeks since the last awkward incident—when, due to a system reward, he had impulsively touched Ryo's leg.
Since then, their interactions had been minimal—just short, clipped syllables like "mm," "yeah," or "oh." No more casual chatting. No messages.
Aoki had been planning to find a moment alone to apologize properly, but between missed chances and hesitation, he'd kept putting it off.
And now, out of all places, they ran into each other… in a convenience store.
The silence was unbearable.
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Meanwhile, on Ryo's end—
Ever since that time when her NSFW fanbook had been discovered by SUKI-san, she'd also wanted to clear the air.
If she didn't explain herself, and SUKI-san happened to tell someone she was buying R-rated doujin, the consequences would be disastrous.
But just like him, she'd been unsure of how to bring it up—and so, the explanation kept getting delayed.
And now? They'd suddenly run into each other. Alone. No distractions. No escape.
Eye contact again.
Ryo was mortified.
"..."
The store was dead silent.
Other than the two of them, there were no customers.
The tension was thick.
After a few long seconds, realizing this awkwardness could only spiral if left unchecked, Aoki took a deep breath and spoke up first.
With a forced smile and a slightly stiff tone, he offered a greeting.
"H-hey, Ryo-san. Fancy seeing you here. You shopping too?"
"..."
Ryo froze mid-step. She blinked slowly, clearly trying to gather herself.
To dodge the awkwardness, she looked away and replied in a soft, awkward voice:
"Ah… SUKI-san. Yeah. What a coincidence."
Two short sentences.
And then—silence again.
The awkwardness wrapped around them like fog.
Aoki inwardly cursed himself.
Why hadn't he just gone straight to the livehouse? Why now?
He had nothing prepared—no lines, no plan. Nothing.
Half a minute passed.
Finally, the convenience store clerk broke the unbearable tension, speaking hesitantly toward the two who were still standing by the drink fridge:
"Um… would you two like to check out?"
Snapping back to reality, Aoki turned gratefully toward the cashier as if being granted a lifeline.
"Ah—sorry! Yes, right away!"
Clutching his drink, he stepped quickly to the counter, pulled out his wallet, and paid without delay.
Once he was done, the awkward tension still heavy in the air, he turned back to Ryo and spoke up again, a bit more composed this time:
"I'll wait for you outside."
And with that, he headed for the door.