Thud!!
In STARRY's practice room, Nijika, the little angel, watches the cardboard box containing Hitomi Goto topple over.
"Waaah~"
Hitomi wriggles out like a caterpillar.
He's gone… her husband is gone… Sure, he's just a virtual husband, but a husband nonetheless!
"Bocchi, you imitating a slug?" Ryo squats beside her, poking her stomach.
"Wahhhh!!!"
With a weird yelp, Hitomi slowly closes her eyes.
My heart was stolen by Kitahara-kun…
Without him, my life might hold no joy or sorrow ever again.
Everyone, please mourn. At this moment, you've lost a future rock legend, a national treasure musician, all because of—Ryo Yamada!
That's right, it's her!
Waaah~
Halfway through her mental breakdown, Hitomi crumbles.
Why?!
Why?!
My paper husband! He was supposed to be mine alone! Why did Ryo-san steal him?! (Note: Toru Kitahara belongs to no one; he's a free man.)
"Bocchi-chan, don't be sad. Here's a cola."
Nijika hands her an opened can of Coca-Cola, knowing it's Bocchi-chan's favorite drink.
Some sugar will cheer you up, Bocchi-chan~
"…Thanks, Nijika-chan." Hitomi replies softly.
She takes a sip.
So good.
Long live Coca-Cola!
As expected, only Nijika-chan won't betray her… Nijika-chan's the best!
Unlike Ryo-san!
Thinking this, Hitomi considers asking Ryo about Toru but hesitates after a few seconds.
Not out of friendship.
Um, it's just that Bocchi-chan's too shy… Social anxiety means even tattling is too scary.
"Bocchi, what's got you down?" Ryo pokes her stomach again.
"…!"
What? Ryo-san's actually worried about me?
Hehe, that's kinda embarrassing.
Ryo looks at her expectantly. "Spill it so we can all have a laugh."
"…" Hitomi Goto.
She always knew Ryo wasn't normal, but she didn't expect her to be this inhuman.
"Ryo, that's too much! Bocchi-chan's heartbroken!"
Nijika glares at her friend. Bocchi's already so pitiful, and she's still teasing her.
"Not… heartbroken."
Bocchi-chan replies in a voice like a dying goldfish.
Her youth will be infinitely revived by the simulator!
Her paper husband is gone in the game, but in reality, she still has a chance!
Wait, no~
Waaah—there's no chance in reality either!
Hitomi recalls rejecting Toru's friendship offer earlier and starts rolling on the floor in despair.
It's over, it's over, it's over.
Done, done, done.
Her romance with Toru Kitahara ended before it even started.
"Oh, right. Goto-san just got talked to by her crush, not heartbroken yet," Ikuyo Kita says.
"But in this state, there's no way Bocchi-chan can talk to guys normally, right?" Nijika Ijichi says with absolute certainty.
Bocchi-chan is timid, shy, makes weird noises, hunches over, dresses oddly, and has those long bangs…
No matter how pretty she is, it's pointless if no one notices~
Nijika secretly wishes Bocchi-chan could be more confident. She's actually really cute…
Though, her chest is as flat as mine, which is kinda reassuring, Nijika muses to herself.
"Bocchi's pretty interesting." Ryo Yamada props herself up from kneeling beside Bocchi, returns to her seat, and starts plucking her bass.
"Mooo~ Even if Bocchi-chan's interesting, you can't bully her!" Nijika, the little angel, stresses again.
"Mm." Ryo nods.
Looks like she didn't listen at all.
"Alright, let's keep practicing. Last round!" Nijika picks up her drumsticks, adjusts the cymbals, and gets serious.
She has her own dreams.
She'll prove her sister wrong—Kessoku Band isn't just kids playing house!
Nijika Ijichi wants to reach the top with everyone, shining like the brightest stars!
Bocchi-chan crawls up from the floor, setting her cola on the table.
The simulator can run on auto; practice is more important right now.
With her Perfect Pitch, she's unstoppable. A rock girl evolving daily, she'll shine bright and become the top star in the rock world!
Ikuyo Kita grabs her guitar, steps up to the mic, clears her throat, and says, "Let's do this, everyone!"
Ryo nods, glancing at Nijika.
Soon, a burst of drumbeats fills the practice room with energy again.
Kessoku Band is working hard for their dreams.
Meanwhile, Toru Kitahara is fretting over Hitomi Goto.
[Hitomi Goto's attention toward you has increased.]
What's he supposed to do?
His wife from the last life is knocking, but Toru's decided to love only Ryo Yamada this time. No way he's switching targets.
When you play a gal game, you don't replay a route right after finishing it, right? It loses its spark.
Toru's at the no-spark stage.
He needs to "cheat" on Ryo first to make Hitomi feel fresh again.
In short, he's gotta cheat with Ryo!
Hitomi Goto? Don't know her. A shut-in wife every four months? Switching daily isn't too much, right?
[Your weekly schedule: 1. Bass Practice. 2. Bass Practice. 3. Consult Ryo Yamada. 4. Consult Ryo Yamada. 5. Bass Practice. 6. Bass Practice. 7. Shopping.]
Woo-hoo, perfect plan! Cheer for me! Applaud me!
[Monday, Sunny…] … [Wednesday, Light Rain. You consulted Ryo Yamada on bass techniques. Bass Playing LV.2 EXP +15] [Thursday. You and Ryo Yamada had an intimate chat, warming up to each other. Affection +2 for both. Bass Playing LV.2 EXP +45]
A triple EXP crit! Ryo-senpai, I love you!
… [Friday. Mid-bass practice, you wonder if you could play with your teeth… Answer: No. Bass Playing LV.2 EXP +20, Courage +10]
What a weird event. Who plays an instrument with their teeth? Some iron-jawed scholar?
[Saturday…] [Sunday, Sunny. You go shopping, enjoying a relaxing day. Stress 90 → 70]
Seeing the final message, Toru pauses to think.
His stress is so high he's practically a stress gremlin… What now?
He checks his skill progress: [Skill: Bass Playing LV.2 (255/300)]
Resting two days to lower stress would mean missing next week's LV.3 unlock for Advanced Bass Practice, which gives 10 EXP per session.
But high stress risks mental breakdowns.
Toru looks at his in-game self, feeling a pang of sympathy, and makes a bold choice—
[Your weekly schedule: 1. Bass Practice. 2. Bass Practice. 3. Consult Ryo Yamada. 4. Consult Ryo Yamada. 5. Bass Practice. 6. Bass Practice. 7. Sleep.]
Sorry, I'm a gambling gremlin de☆ze!
[Monday, Sunny…] [Tuesday, Overcast…] … [Sunday, Overcast. Your stress hits critical. Late at night, waking from sleep, you reflect on life, deciding to live more freely. Congratulations, you've gained a new trait: Freedom. Stress: 100 → 30]
Holy crap, the gamble paid off?!
Ya☆da☆ze!
Overjoyed, Toru opens his status.
[Trait: Freedom (You're more likely to cheat in relationships)]
"…" Toru Kitahara.
Damn! Sounds like a cool buff, but it's a trap!