Inside the live house, three girls stared blankly at Ishikawa Hayabusa.
His body was completely weighed down with equipment—an amp clamped under one arm, two drum cases in hand, his keyboard slung across one shoulder, and even Ryo's bass strapped to his back.
He looked like a warrior clad in heavy battle armor, eyes fixed ahead with unshakable determination.
"Let's go!"
Nijika snapped out of her daze and rushed to stop him.
"Wait, no! Hayabusa-kun, why are you carrying everything by yourself!?"
Always used to looking after others, seeing Ishikawa burdened like this made her feel deeply unsettled, like the world had tilted sideways.
Ryo, however, had already taken advantage of the distraction—on tiptoe, she quietly slipped out of Starry and down the stairs.
"The world treats me kindly, so I treat the world kindly!"
With that inexplicable slogan, Ishikawa marched after her.
The spot they'd chosen for the street performance wasn't far. Since they didn't have any special goals in mind, they'd picked a convenient location—just enough for the new band member to get a taste of the atmosphere.
In Japan, street performances are fairly common. As long as you play in the designated places and times, there's rarely an issue. Of course, some ignore the rules and do as they please—but that's another matter.
On the way there—
"Really, let me carry something."
Nijika looked nervously at Ishikawa, who was staggering forward under his mountain of instruments. He looked like he was wrapped head to toe in armor. His imposing, almost frightening appearance only made her worry more.
"It's fine. I can handle even more than this."
Ishikawa suppressed the urge to mention his "pervert energy reserves" and brushed her off casually.
Nijika realized she couldn't win against his stubbornness. Smiling faintly with exasperation, she studied this strange yet oddly cool boy.
"Hayabusa-kun, if you keep this up, Ryo will just take advantage of you."
"She won't."
His voice carried absolute conviction. It was so firm, so unwavering, that Nijika couldn't bring herself to doubt him.
Completely disarmed, she stepped a little closer to him instead.
Ishikawa knew perfectly well that Nijika wasn't swooning over him—she was just worried he might collapse under the load and wanted to be close in case of an accident.
Still, having a cheerful, kind-hearted beauty walk beside him, her fragrance drifting temptingly into his nose—it was enough to make anyone's heart pound.
For a fleeting second, he almost considered pretending to be an ordinary boy. But only for a second.
Even if the path of the pervert was a lonely one, he would walk it to the end.
Just then, the missing Ryo came jogging back, three cans of drinks in hand. She passed one to Nijika, then turned to Ishikawa.
"Here. Good luck."
Expressionless as always, she shoved the can into his pocket before cracking open her own.
Sorry for doubting you, Ryo. I take back every bad thought.
As he listened to the sharp pssh of her drink opening, Ishikawa apologized silently in his heart. At the same time, he wondered: Will today be the day? Will the chance finally come?
Pervert Intensity: 70%
Meanwhile, in another part of the bustling city, Kita Ikuyo wandered the streets with two friends, laughing and window-shopping. Outwardly carefree, her mind was elsewhere.
The evening before, as usual, she had followed in Ryo-senpai's footsteps to Starry. There, she had overheard something—Ryo and her friend mentioning that their band lacked a guitarist.
To be clear, she hadn't meant to eavesdrop. She'd just happened to be standing within four meters of their table, ears stretched as far as they would go.
After all, it wasn't strange for her to run into Ryo-senpai at Starry. She had been dropping by daily, hoping to catch even a glimpse of her.
Perfectly normal behavior, Kita told herself.
But the important part was—the band!
If she joined the band, she could be closer to Ryo-senpai than ever before.
"Kita-san… your face looks weird."
A friend's teasing voice jolted her back to the present. Flushing red, Kita waved her hands quickly.
"No, it's nothing!"
"Liar. You've got a boyfriend."
Another friend leaned in with a mischievous grin.
"No, no, no—it's not like that!" Kita laughed awkwardly, flustered.
Her friends' eyes sparkled with suspicion, clearly not believing her.
"I told you, it's not like that! He's just… someone I admire."
She tried to explain—but at that very moment, her gaze landed on Ryo-senpai up ahead, weaving through the crowd with drinks in hand. Beside her walked what looked like a massive walking instrument rack disguised as a man.
Forget the "transport robot."
What mattered was—Ryo-senpai! With instruments! That much equipment could only mean one thing.
A street performance!!
Without hesitation, Kita abandoned her two friends and dashed off.
"Tamako, Megumi, something came up—see you tomorrow!"
"Eh? Kita-san!?"
The two girls blinked in surprise as she ran off, then exchanged a knowing look. Mischief glinted in their eyes.
The late-afternoon sun flooded the streets with golden light, the air alive with the energy of students heading home.
For Kita, however, the throngs of people only made following Ryo more difficult. She nearly lost sight of them several times, but at last she spotted them again—three figures stopping in an open space near the station.
She watched as Ryo-senpai took the bass off the tall boy's back and strapped it on herself. The boy then set down the amp and other gear. Ryo's friend began opening the drum cases, pulling out pieces to assemble the kit. The boy pitched in to help.
Up until then, Kita had assumed he was just a porter—but the way they interacted told another story. They were clearly close.
A surge of panic seized her.
Could it be… he's approaching Ryo-senpai with the same intentions as me?
Unforgivable!
Kita clenched her fists tightly.
Then she saw him unzip the long bag on his back and pull out a keyboard.
I knew it!!
He was aiming for Ryo-senpai!
But before he could set it up, both Ryo and her friend stopped him.
Kita no longer cared about the details. She circled around from the side, determined to get a closer look at him—and to observe their atmosphere firsthand.
Strangely, though, he still hadn't once turned to face her. From the moment she'd started following, his back had been all she could see.
Well, whatever. I'll be watching anyway. Totally normal for an audience member to get closer.
When she was about five or six meters away, he finally set the keyboard aside and turned.
For the first time, Kita saw his face clearly.
"P-Pervert!?"
The words slipped out before she could stop herself. She was so shocked, so utterly disbelieving, that she shouted aloud.
Honestly, Ishikawa Hayabusa hadn't expected this. He thought maybe some nosy classmate would stumble across him today—but to reel in Kita Ikuyo directly? That was unexpected. Still, it worked out.
Ryo and Nijika, however, were now staring at the girl who had just pointed at Ishikawa and screamed "pervert."
She wore the same school uniform as him. A classmate, then?
Wait—does this mean Hayabusa really did something…?
They had a good feeling about him so far, but even so, tension rippled through them.
"Um… Hayabusa-kun, who is she?"
Nijika asked carefully.
Completely calm, Ishikawa nodded, unconcerned about any misunderstandings. Even as the atmosphere seemed ready to collapse, he kept a serene expression.
"She's my classmate."
Then he looked around.
Nijika and Ryo, tense and wary. Kita Ikuyo, hand clamped over her mouth, eyes full of dread. Curious onlookers gathering in the plaza beneath the burning sunset sky.
Ishikawa spread his arms wide, as if embracing the entire world, and declared:
"And she's right—I am a pervert!"
"A pervert who loves regardless of gender, regardless of age. Organic or inorganic, living or nonliving, chemical composition, physical form—none of it matters. I love them all."
He didn't care about time, place, or the stares of the crowd. His voice rang out, honest and proud.
In that moment, Ishikawa Hayabusa stood at the center of the world.
A few seconds later, the crowd resumed its flow, though three girls were left frozen in place, dumbstruck.
After a pause, Ryo stroked her chin and murmured, a hint of confusion in her calm tone:
"Loving the whole world…?"