Against a gray backdrop, the tips of his pink hair stirred in the wind. Facing the sun, the boy's silhouette was slightly darkened, his expression indistinct.
"Huh?" Kurisu Makise had just felt like she'd won their soul-searching debate, so she was surprised he'd suddenly switch the topic to a live show.
She certainly had a good impression of Chihaya Kaiser, but it was still their first time meeting.
Should she agree?
Going to a live show with a boy she just met, didn't that feel a bit.....
But—
"I want to go."
Before she could finish her thought, she was interrupted by a sudden voice.
A staff member appeared in the connecting hallway, jogging over to the two of them.
"Ms. Makise, the paper presentation is about to begin. I've been looking for you."
"..." Her lips quickly flattened. Her emotions vanished in an instant, her expression becoming formulaic, like a poker face.
"Sorry, I have a paper presentation. I don't have time to go with you."
"That's fine. We can get in touch tomorrow, then, and go to their research institute together."
Chihaya Kaiser was a little disappointed. He had been so close to getting her to agree. Regardless of how the date went, he could have gotten a piano skill of some level.
The quest points were the real prize.
He was still waiting to save up ten points to buy a lucky coin. It seemed that day was still a long way off.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Kurisu Makise turned and walked away decisively, the crisp sound of her leather boots striking the tiled floor.
The wind blew the clouds away, revealing a corner of blue sky.
Camera in hand, he boarded the train.
By the time he arrived in Shimokitazawa, there were only about ten minutes left before the show started, so he quickened his pace.
His breathing was a little uneven, but thankfully he could already see the STARRY sign. He presented the ticket Ryō had given him.
"Long time no see, PA-san."
"Yeah, it really has been a while since I've seen you, Chi-chan." PA-san looked at him, covering her cheek with one hand.
"Don't forget to get your drink."
"Right, got it."
He slipped into the live house, exchanged his drink ticket for a glass of orange juice, then turned to head toward the front of the stage.
He raised his hand, took a picture, and hit send.
The moment the message went through, the girl backstage stared at her screen and sent him a sticker in reply.
Ryō Yamada glanced at the box over there and sighed. It seemed unlikely that Kaiser would join the band.
She walked over to the cardboard box and, as if giving up, started teasing the similarly pink-haired girl inside.
"You really can't come out and play?"
"No... I really can't..."
The person in front of her, stuffed inside a box, was a guitarist Nijika had dragged in off the street at the last minute. Never mind that her rhythm was a complete mess, she couldn't even leave the box.
And she was the one who had handed her the box in the first place.
Having a guitarist was better than not having one at all.
Feeling that the future was bleak, Ryō Yamada returned to her seat and sent a sticker back to Chihaya Kaiser.
"Break a leg," Chihaya Kaiser texted her and Nijika separately. He didn't get a reply from Nijika. Since the show hadn't started yet, he lowered his head and scrolled through his group chat messages.
There were almost no light sources in front of the stage; a few small lamps were all there was. It was dim, stuffy, filled with the scent of perfume, and people were packed closely together.
Quite a few girls noticed him and started whispering to their friends. Finally, someone came up to talk to him, asking which band he liked.
Chihaya Kaiser didn't want to chat, just giving a series of "uh-huhs," but the other person only got more enthusiastic, taking out her phone to ask for his contact information.
At that moment, he thought of Marin Kitagawa. If only she were here, not as many people would hit on him; she would help block them.
"Sorry, I'm here to see my friends perform." Chihaya Kaiser put on a professional fake smile and rejected her, then took his orange juice and moved to a more secluded corner.
This time, he was a bit too far from the stage.
Still, the opening act was Ryō and Nijika's Kessoku Band. He wondered what kind of skill level the junior guitarist Ryō had mentioned actually had.
Before long, familiar faces appeared on stage. A cute girl with a yellow side ponytail smiled brightly, raising her drumsticks high for the audience.
"We're Kessoku Band."
Ryō's hand rested on her bass. Her expression was blank, as if she were deliberately trying to look cool, but in reality, she was a little sleepy.
But none of that was the main point.
What was with that cardboard box?
The performance was, to put it mildly, a complete disaster. The guitarist couldn't keep up with the beat at all, playing whatever she wanted.
Ryō and Nijika didn't have any particularly brilliant moments either. As an opening act, they completely failed to warm up the crowd.
Seeing them leave the stage, Chihaya Kaiser clutched his orange juice and, following his memory, found the staff entrance.
He walked through unimpeded; no one stopped him.
Chihaya Kaiser saw Nijika's reply pop up on his phone and asked where they were.
"The usual dressing room."
"Okay, I'm on my way."
Suddenly, he saw a pink-haired girl rush past him, moving so fast he couldn't see her face.
When he looked back, she had already burst through the door, her figure vanishing at the end of the long hallway.
His mind full of questions, Chihaya Kaiser walked quickly toward the dressing room. The door was open, so he could see inside directly.
Nijika was holding her phone, and Ryō stood to the side, looking like she was about to fall asleep.
"Ah! Chi-chan!" Seeing the boy enter, she immediately put down her phone and broke into a genuine smile.
"Sorry for the late reply."
"Don't worry about it. You were backstage getting ready to perform, of course you wouldn't be checking your phone constantly," Chihaya Kaiser said with a smile.
"Well, I'm really happy you could make it, Chi-chan." She pulled Ryō Yamada along, and they gathered around the table.
"What's wrong with Ryō?" His gaze fell upon the blue-haired girl, watching her slump over the table without even looking up.
"She said she's really tired and sleepy."
Nijika also slumped onto the table, stretching her arms forward as if she were exhausted too.
She had wanted to invite Kaiser to join, but Ryō had already bailed. And now, she felt that inviting him after a performance like that would most likely get her rejected.
Recalling the performance, she let out a long sigh, then slapped her cheeks to psych herself up.
"Chi-chan..."
"Nijika..."
They both spoke at the same time, followed by a brief silence. Chihaya Kaiser looked into her eyes. Nijika cleared her throat, adjusted herself slightly, and held out a hand.
"You go first, Chi-chan."
"What was with that cardboard box? Ryō told me the new guitarist was a junior who looks up to her?"
Chihaya Kaiser pointed at the nearly-asleep Ryō Yamada. "Why was there a cardboard box?"
"Oh, that?"
Nijika's gaze shifted away. "We suddenly lost contact with our original one. I was actually going to ask you to fill in, Chi-chan, but Ryō said she wanted to try and win you over with the performance, so I found a new guitarist. She's a little scared of playing in front of people, so Ryō found her a cardboard box."
"That sounds just like Ryō."
He laughed out loud and looked around the room. "Did the new guitarist agree to join? Why don't I see her?"
"Huh? I think she agreed? We already arranged to play again next time."
Nijika's smile instantly froze. Her tone turned crestfallen, and she propped her chin up with both hands.
"She already ran off, and Ryō's acting like this. I was hoping we could all hang out for a bit. There's no atmosphere of us banding together at all."
__________________
Oh Halo!
Walnu- ahem... I mean, it's MikuDayoooo!
With all my love, I'm launching a new update for you! A huge thank you for all of your incredible support, it means the world to me <3
Our community goals are still running!
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters for ALL STORIES!
Want to help us continue with our projects?
By joining, you get instant access to:
✅ Up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
👻 [email protected]/Walnutchan