"That's a real shame," Chihaya Kaiser comforted her. "But there's always a next time. Bands have plenty of opportunities to perform. You'll have a chance for a wrap party later."
"But… our very first live performance ended so unceremoniously."
There was a hint of regret in Nijika's voice, but she quickly cheered up, her eyes returning to their usual brightness and the corners of her mouth turning up slightly.
She didn't ask Chihaya Kaiser what he thought of the performance. It was an obvious disaster, so there was no need to put him in an awkward position.
So, she decided to ask him something else instead.
"Hey, Kai, do you have any thoughts about playing in a band again?"
"Not at the moment." He held his glass. The ice had almost completely melted, and a layer of condensation coated the outside, gathering into a stream where his fingers touched it.
"Then… what about the guitar?"
The little cowlick on her head, shaped like a Bugles snack, went soft and drooped. Her side ponytail swayed a few times as her gaze filled with expectation.
Faced with Nijika's expression, Chihaya Kaiser opened his mouth, paused for a dozen seconds, then nodded.
"I still play."
It wasn't a lie. He had been practicing all along, and he'd even been teaching Anon guitar a few days ago.
The cowlick suddenly shot straight up, like an exclamation point.
If he had quit guitar, there would be nothing she could do. But for someone who's been in a band, who's experienced the spotlight, as long as they're still playing an instrument, there must be a part of them that still longs for the stage.
Nijika moved closer to him, the rims of her eyes seeming to waver as if she were about to cry. She made a cat-like expression, clenching her fists and holding them to her chest.
"Please please please please, Kai, join Kessoku Band."
"Huh?" Chihaya Kaiser was stunned. "But you guys already found a guitarist."
"One is definitely not enough."
Her eyes were bright, her lips pouted, and her expression was cute with a hint of grievance as she pressed her hands together.
"Kai~ Please? Come be Kessoku Band's rhythm guitarist. That way you and Ryō can dance together on stage again. I won't stop you."
"Ah, that?"
Chihaya Kaiser did indeed have a memory of getting so into a performance that he and Ryō started dancing opposite each other on stage.
They were teased about it by their bandmates afterward, and it became a mandatory topic of conversation at every wrap party.
Tokyo is a very tolerant city. As long as you play by the rules, people will treat you like you're invisible. But if you don't follow the rules, everyone will collectively ostracize you.
There was no malice in their teasing; making jokes like that was just a sign of how close the band members were.
People build each other up. They'd make fun of other members too, all for a good laugh at the after-party.
But now, thinking back on those days, and then about the arguments and even the physical fights that came later…
A chill went through Chihaya Kaiser's heart.
Yet faced with Nijika's plea, he had almost agreed. He probably felt that if he was in a band with Nijika and Ryō, what happened last time wouldn't repeat itself.
It was as if some invisible force was just one push away from making him accept Nijika's offer on a whim.
After careful consideration, Chihaya Kaiser turned his head away, not daring to look her in the eye or see her expression.
"Sorry."
"Well, it's okay." Nijika was still smiling, waving a hand at him.
Chihaya Kaiser could see the disappointment in her eyes. "I need to think about it. Can you give me some time? I have some other things I need to take care of."
"That's great! Then just contact me or Ryō once you've made up your mind, Kai." She tilted her head, clapped her hands, and smiled with her eyes narrowed.
"Okay. I see Ryō is about to fall asleep. Let's call it a day. We can meet up again some other time." Chihaya Kaiser stood up, holding his half-empty glass of orange juice.
"Oh, right, my sister has been mentioning you a lot lately. She said you haven't been showing up at Starry much. You should come hang out more when you have the chance."
"Okay, say hi to Seika-san for me."
He had been wondering why he hadn't seen her. Today had been a bit hectic, though. If he had come a little earlier, he probably would have seen Seika.
After leaving Starry, he took the train home, stopping by a convenience store on the way to buy a few ice cream bars.
After running around all day, he finally had a moment to rest. Chihaya Kaiser felt like his brain was starting to seize up.
Because he came back so late, his mom had left dinner for him, which he polished off in under ten minutes.
Delicious. Loved it.
He put the ice cream in the freezer and carried his equipment upstairs, but didn't see Anon.
He put his camera in its case and prepared to take a shower.
As he passed through the living room, the light was on. He slid open the bathroom door and took off his jacket and shirt.
The bathroom had a separate wet area, so he slid open the next door.
Chihaya Kaiser's eyes met with Anon's, who wore a goofy grin. She was lying in a bathtub full of bubbles, smiling foolishly, probably fantasizing about how to steal the show.
The sound of the door opening shattered her fantasy and caught her attention. She looked up and started to get up.
"You idiot, don't get up." He couldn't see anything at first; the bubbles covered her completely.
But with that movement, now he could see.
Anon immediately sat back down, pouting. "Hey! It's your fault for barging in, Kai. Did you want to see that badly? Aren't you going to leave?"
"I wouldn't look even if you begged me to."
As a reincarnator, Chihaya Kaiser retained many of his memories.
Until they were seven, their mom used to plop them both in the tub together to wash them at the same time.
He was about to slide the door shut, but Anon wouldn't have it. She shot up from the bathtub again, agitated.
"Huh? What do you mean you wouldn't look? Am I not attractive? You have no taste, Kai!"
"Alright, hurry up and finish. I need to shower too." Chihaya Kaiser started to close the door, planning to wait a bit.
"Don't go!"
No matter how much Anon called after him, Chihaya Kaiser didn't look back and went straight to the living room.
He took out his wallet, organized the money he'd earned over the last few days, and hummed a little tune.
In just three days, he already had nearly fifty thousand yen saved up. System quests were a fast way to make money.
He'd been lucky, too, getting work two days in a row, especially today's photoshoot.
Chihaya Kaiser stuffed the neatly arranged bills into his wallet and remembered he hadn't sent the photos yet.
He went back to his room, turned on his computer, took out the memory card, organized the photos, and sent them to Kurisu Makise.
"Did you get the photos?"
"Yes, thank you for your trouble." She replied immediately.
"Great. I'll contact Miss Shiina and head over to see them tomorrow, is that okay?"
"Yes, thank you for your trouble."
After his conversation with Kurisu Makise ended, he messaged Mayuri Shiina and got the address for the lab.
Just then, Anon came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a bath towel and drying her long hair with another towel.
"Kai, what was that supposed to mean?!"
"Aren't you supposed to be calling me 'big brother' for these three months?" Chihaya Kaiser saw her charge at him and immediately sidestepped.
"I haven't showered yet, don't touch me."
"Then explain yourself! Why didn't you look? Am I that unattractive?"
"You're my sister!"
"Hmph, my older sister, to be precise." Anon puffed out her chest, set the towel aside, and picked up the hairdryer.
"Our band is officially formed, you know. We're having our first meeting tomorrow. Pretty cool, huh?"
"...I want to meet your bandmates. Is that okay?"
Chihaya Kaiser was still worried she'd be taken advantage of by bad people. He thought for a moment.
"I have something to do tomorrow, but I'll come find you as soon as I'm done. We'll coordinate by phone."
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