"Quality issues? Radio appearance?" Aoki raised an eyebrow, a little puzzled.
Across the dining table, Niijima Yusuke looked hesitant.
But after a few seconds of deliberation, he spoke up without further delay.
"Yes. It's about the quality of Fireworks," he said, meeting Aoki's gaze. "As the associate producer and not the chief director, I didn't have full control over the final cut. And now that it's complete… I have to admit, I didn't verify the film's quality beforehand."
"In other words…?" Aoki had already guessed where this was going.
The movie Fireworks was undeniably subpar—borderline terrible, even.
But the song 打上花火 (Uchiage Hanabi), which had once won Japan's Gold Disc Award in his past life, was flawless in every sense.
Still, he wasn't particularly bothered.
A film's quality had nothing to do with the song.
In his previous life, Uchiage Hanabi had risen to global acclaim despite being attached to a bad movie.
This time, with Kessoku Band performing it, Aoki was confident the result would be the same.
"So what you're saying is: the film's poor quality might actually end up dragging the song down with it."
Niijima nodded and continued, "Exactly. That's what I'm worried about." Then, almost immediately after speaking, he stood and gave a deep bow.
"If you want to terminate the contract, that's completely understandable. I'll cover the penalty fee myself. This entire situation is due to my misjudgment, so—"
But before he could finish, Aoki cut in.
"As long as Uchiage Hanabi is fine, that's all that matters. Kessoku Band and I are only responsible for the performance. The movie and the song aren't tied at the hip. In fact, I was counting on Fireworks to help promote the track."
He leaned back casually. "So, Niijima-sensei, don't worry about it."
Niijima blinked, stunned mid-apology, then quickly recovered and stammered, "Th-Thank you, Aoki-san!"
Waving it off, Aoki waited until Niijima had sat back down before continuing with his earlier question.
"So I understand the part about the live performance. But what's this about a radio appearance? Could you explain a bit more?"
"Oh, that—that's something I arranged specifically for you and your band," Niijima said, his tone perking up. "I figured since Kessoku Band is just starting out, you'd need all the exposure you can get. Without a label backing you, it's tough to get proper promotion."
He smiled. "So I pulled some strings. After the song drops, you'll be featured on a radio program. I spoke to a friend of mine who directs broadcasts. He agreed, and once it was confirmed, I came straight to you."
It was a smooth move on Niijima's part—almost textbook damage control.
He'd made a mistake by attaching Uchiage Hanabi to a weak movie, then promptly offered to cancel the contract, penalty-free.
When Aoki declined, Niijima came bearing a gift—one that was "specially arranged," and only brought up after "getting a friend's approval."
It was classic art of conversation—and diplomacy at its finest.
Still, Aoki knew he had to check with the rest of the band first.
Nijika, Kita, Ryo—they'd likely be fine with it.
But Bocchi-chan… Given her social anxiety, a radio program might be too much for her.
"I appreciate the gesture, Niijima-sensei," Aoki said with a nod. "But I'll need to discuss it with the rest of the band. I'll get back to you by the day after tomorrow at the latest."
"No problem."
With the radio appearance settled for now, Niijima went on to briefly explain the details of the upcoming live performance.
It wasn't as simple as Aoki had assumed—there were fixed time slots and a set number of shows.
But in return, the band would be paid for their participation, which Aoki found perfectly fair.
After going over the payment details, they wrapped up lunch.
Around 1:30 p.m., Aoki excused himself—he still had training that afternoon.
That day, they practiced ensemble playing at the live house.
Aoki also brought up the radio appearance with the girls.
As expected, everyone was on board… except Bocchi-chan.
Though Aoki was ready to respect her wishes, Kita, Nijika, and even Ryo (after hearing there would be payment) gently but firmly pressured her into considering it.
Bocchi eventually turned her teary eyes to Aoki for help, only to find him casually whistling and looking away.
With no backup, she reluctantly agreed.
The next day, Aoki informed Niijima that the radio appearance was a go.
Niijima responded quickly, confirming the booking.
With that little drama behind them, life returned to its normal rhythm—for a while.
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September 19 – Only one week left before the final recording deadline.
September 20 – Aoki taught Kita the last of what he could regarding vocals. With nothing more to teach in that department, they moved on to guitar training.
September 21, 22, 23… – Practice continued daily until September 27.
———————————————————————
According to the original plan, Aoki and the girls of Kessoku Band boarded a private tour bus provided by the Fireworks production team.
Instruments in hand, they headed to the designated recording studio.
It was a small studio—just the right environment for Bocchi-chan to showcase her guitar skills.
Ryo's bass work had always been solid, but with all the training lately, she had become even better.
Nijika's drumming had improved in leaps and bounds.
Kita handled rhythm guitar and, by now, her vocals could almost rival Aoki's.
And as for Aoki himself…
With his master-level keyboard skills, he was more than capable of elevating Uchiage Hanabi to its full potential.
The recording session began smoothly.
It took all morning—testing levels, retakes, fine-tuning but when it was all said and done, the final version of Uchiage Hanabi came out perfect.
Niijima, who had been listening in the entire time, was nearly in tears.
"This song is way too good for that film," he blurted out, completely disregarding any loyalty to the director.
He wasn't done there.
Teary-eyed and clearly overwhelmed, he showered praise on the girls' performance, swearing he'd find a way to work with them on future projects.
Nijika had no idea how to respond to that kind of praise.
With an awkward smile, she simply said, "We'll follow Aoki-senpai's lead."
Unfortunately for Niijima, his attempt at sweet-talking didn't get him anywhere.
According to him, the song wouldn't appear in the trailer—it would be saved for the film's final act.
And now—
According to the latest schedule, only about ten days remained until Fireworks would begin its marketing push and official release.