"No need!" Kurisu Makise quickened her pace, her steps becoming noticeably more frequent as she walked swiftly to a spot near the stage.
The live house already had a scattering of guests, all of them quiet. The two of them still stood out a bit, and a few girls in jirai-kei fashion kept looking back at them.
In just a few days, Chihaya Kaiser had already gotten used to the feeling of being secretly watched. With an 8.0 in Charm, he could be called handsome, and his Natural Affinity was especially effective on the opposite sex.
With Kurisu Makise by his side, most people wouldn't dare approach him, especially in a place like a live house teeming with young people.
More and more people filled the space around them, and the low hum of their hushed conversations created a sense of chaotic energy in the venue.
Kurisu Makise spent most of her years either in a research lab or staying alone in hotels. The noisy environment made her a little uncomfortable, and she took a step closer to Chihaya Kaiser, whom she felt quite fond of, bumping his arm.
"Sorry."
"It's fine."
Just then, the stage lights suddenly switched on. The audience fell silent in an instant. When one person stops talking, others quickly quiet down, looking around to see what's happening.
The lights converged on the center of the stage. A band gave a brief self-introduction and then began to perform.
A while ago, Ryō had given him a ticket, and he'd gone to see half a show before heading backstage without really getting into the mood.
This time was different.
Though he always made jokes about bassists, in a live setting, the low frequencies of the bass were crucial.
The opening band was average, and the crowd only started to warm up later. The audience began to cheer, with some people shouting for an encore.
Kurisu Makise seemed to be caught up in the atmosphere, yet she remained restrained. Her expression barely changed, but her fingers were tapping along to the rhythm.
There was a sense of exhilaration.
Her gaze shifted to the boy's profile. He was tapping along to the music, his eyes fixed on the guitarist on stage. Occasionally, he would comment to her on the guitarist's skill level.
"A lot of them are just at an enthusiast's level, but that's enough. Hobby bands are sometimes more stable and last longer."
"Is that so? What about you, Kaiser?" She still wasn't used to calling him by his name, to maintaining such a familiar form of address with someone.
Thankfully, the late hour and darkness hid the blush on her cheeks.
"Well, my skills are pretty average. I just play around in a rhythm position, I rarely do solos," he admitted frankly.
She noticed Chihaya Kaiser staring intently at the stage, a certain look of anticipation in his eyes.
In the two days she had known him, this was the first time she had seen him look like he truly wanted to do something.
If he likes it so much, why doesn't he get on stage?
One band followed another, singing songs they had written, singing about the path of a band.
The skill level at 'ring' was pretty good.
After ten bands had taken their turn on stage, the night's show was over. The crowd flowed outwards, talking amongst themselves.
The lights were bright after leaving the live house.
The boy walked beside her, his pace slow, and asked, "Kurisu, were there any bands you liked?"
"Well, none that I would normally listen to, for sure."
Kurisu Makise first spoke for herself before giving her opinion on the bands.
"The one without a vocalist, the purely instrumental one, was interesting. Especially the blonde guitarist with twin tails, she seemed really energetic."
"Really? I liked that one too. Their cover song was interesting, but I preferred the drummer."
Chihaya Kaiser took a deep breath, recalling the drummer's aggressive style, then slowly exhaled.
His warm breath dissipated into the cold night. After leaving 'ring', the lights became sparse, and the road was divided into segments of light and shadow.
As they passed under a light, the shadow of her slender legs, clad in black stockings, was cast and elongated.
By the time they reached the station, there were no stars visible in the night sky.
Is this where we part ways?
He turned his head and looked at the red-haired girl's profile. "Kurisu, we can't take the same train, can we?"
"Yeah. I'll be at the lab tomorrow."
Kurisu Makise said this with a hint of anticipation in her eyes. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
She pursed her lips, not saying it directly, talking in circles and getting a little awkward again.
The implication was—Will you come?
Chihaya Kaiser didn't pick up on it, sticking to his previous line.
"I'll see what my work schedule is like. If I have time, I'll go."
"Okay." She reverted to her poker face, her expression unreadable, making it difficult to gauge her emotions.
He started walking toward one end, and Kurisu Makise toward the other. This should have been where they parted.
The boy stopped, turned, waved, and called her name loudly, running back a few steps.
"Kurisu?"
"Hm?" She stopped and turned back.
The boy in her vision was smiling, walking toward her at a steady, even pace, waving with a loud voice.
Thankfully, at this hour, the station was empty. It was just the two of them.
"See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow..."
Before Kurisu Makise could finish, Chihaya Kaiser had already run off toward the other passage, his figure disappearing from view.
The corners of her mouth slowly curled upwards. She let out the breath she had been holding.
"Coming to Japan wasn't all bad, after all."
.
.
He took the train home. After they parted, the System's notification belatedly appeared.
[Quest Complete]
[Reward Acquired: Piano Lv. 4]
Seeing the lines of text, the weight on his mind was finally lifted, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
As long as the System recognized it as a quest, it was fine.
He had now completed five quests, halfway to ten. He still had the quests for Kitagawa and Anon.
It's within reach.
The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. Humming a tune, he jogged the rest of the way home.
Just around this corner, he would be able to see his house. The light on the second floor was still on. Is Anon still awake?
He pushed the door open, went upstairs, and before he could even steady himself, a dark figure pounced on him.
Not only was Anon awake, she was also wearing her black-framed glasses. She grabbed his shoulders, her face full of excitement.
"How did it go? Was the date a success?"
"What progress? I don't know."
Chihaya Kaiser took off his jacket. "I'm going to take a shower and go to sleep. I have to get up for a run tomorrow."
"Don't hide it."
She wrapped her arms around his waist with great interest, swaying her body slightly and speaking in a cutesy voice.
"So what's the deal with you and Kurisu?"
"It's normal that you don't know." He pressed a button on his shirt with his finger, pushing it inward.
"She's a university student in America, a bona fide genius. She only came back this time to present a report. After a while, she'll be going back to the US.
Of course nothing's possible between us. You're overthinking it, Anon."
"You're lying." Anon couldn't believe it. "You two have absolutely no relationship?"
"Just friends."
He pulled off his shirt. "I never hold out hope for feelings that won't lead anywhere. Having expectations of others is often the first step toward disappointment."
"That's what's not good about you, Kaiser."
Anon let go of him. "You don't even try, so how do you know Kurisu wouldn't be willing? Maybe she'd stay in Tokyo for you."
"..."
Before entering the bathroom, his eyes met Anon's. Hers were clean and beautiful.
He didn't want to say anything too harsh to refute his sister.
He sighed and pulled the bathroom door shut.
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