Maki Ryuko: "So, please! By the way, my brother, like you, Ryo-kohai, is a student at Shuchiin."
Shuchiin, huh.... so he's probably a student in the middle school division?
What a pain. Oh right, he still had to help Hiratsuka-sensei tomorrow.
Leaving the Maki residence, Uchiha Ryo took out his phone and called Hiratsuka-sensei. He planned to ask her what the plan was for tomorrow. Was he really going to her house to pretend to be her boyfriend, or just take a few pictures to keep up appearances?
The phone rang for a while before Hiratsuka Shizuka finally picked up.
"It's Uchiha. What's up? I'm a little tired over here."
Uchiha Ryo: "....Didn't you tell me to pretend to be your boyfriend tomorrow? Are we going or not?"
The sound of a fist slamming on a table suddenly came from Hiratsuka Shizuka's end, followed by the aggrieved complaints of the old maid.
"Waaah! I just told my family I found a boyfriend and I'm bringing him home to see them tomorrow."
"And none of them believed me! They even told me not to waste money hiring an actor! If I have time to find a fake boyfriend, I should just go back to my hometown for a blind date! I'm so mad!!"
Uchiha Ryo held the phone further away, then hung up directly.
He mourned for Shizu-chan for three seconds. But, less trouble is better than more. He was also spared the trouble of acting with Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Since he had already gotten the game's USB drive, he would give it to Kasumigaoka-senpai and the others tomorrow. Then he would copy a version for Ishigami Yu and have him research the hardware side of things.
So where to now?
Uchiha Ryo looked up at the gradually darkening sky. "I'll just go to STARRY and check on Bocchi-chan."
.....
At the STARRY music bar, a special guest had appeared in the last two days.
That's right. It was the white cat who had come to farm Gotou Hitori's affinity, the miserable Enyun-chan, forced to work by her scumbag master.
In a deserted, lonely park, Gotou Hitori sat on a swing, agonizing over lyrics for the band.
With her reclusive and gloomy personality, she simply couldn't imagine any happy, upbeat music that would fit.
Distressed, helpless, I want to hide in a dark closet!
"Meow—"
A cute white cat rubbed against Gotou Hitori's leg, instantly dispelling most of the gloom in Bocchi-chan's heart.
Gotou Hitori: "A cat? Where's your owner?"
"Meow—"
There was no collar, but a pure white cat like this couldn't be so clean if it was a stray.
"Is that so! You're just like me! We're both alone in the park, with no other companions."
[Gotou Hitori's affinity for Enyun has increased. G-Points +20]
This person is so easy to farm. She hadn't even started acting cute, and she already had affinity.
Enyun-chan sensed a business opportunity and continued to stick to Gotou Hitori.
"Sigh, kitty... I'm so envious of your life. You just go home at mealtime every day, and your owner will have a sumptuous meal ready for you. Then you can go out for a walk after eating. No worries, no school or work pressure....."
Enyun-chan: "....."
Envious? My foot! My master barely prepares anything for me. I have to open my own cans every day, and I even have to work for him to earn affinity.
Gotou Hitori: "Oh right! I still have to go to STARRY. See you later, kitty... sigh..."
Compared to humans, Gotou Hitori still preferred to interact with animals. But unfortunately, she was a human, so she couldn't just stay at home and wait for her family to feed her like an animal.
"Meow—"
Gotou Hitori walked out of the park and found that Enyun-chan was actually following her. She was so moved that she picked up the white cat.
"Is that so! Is that so! You don't have a companion to play with either? Then come with me! I'll take you to STARRY."
Enyun-chan: A mere affinity cash cow, trying to run away?
And so, a cute cat was added to the bar counter at the STARRY music bar.
Although Ijichi Seika, as the store manager, had thought about shooing it away—after all, if a small animal caused trouble in the bar and knocked over a glass or something, they would be the ones to clean it up—
But seeing how well-behaved this cat was, and since they weren't open for business right now, she decided to let it be.
Outside STARRY, Uchiha Ryo saw the 'Closed' sign on the door and could only call Bocchi-chan's phone.
Two minutes later, Uchiha Ryo hung up and called Ijichi Nijika instead. That's right, a certain someone didn't pick up at all!
Walking into the bar, Uchiha Ryo looked directly at Gotou Hitori, who was huddled in the corner. Oh? She saw me calling but didn't pick up. What's with this Bocchi-chan?
Ijichi Nijika: "Ahaha, sorry, Uchiha-kun. Bocchi-chan was just staring at her phone but didn't dare to answer."
Uchiha Ryo shook his head, then looked at the white cat on the bar counter.
"So Enyun-chan came over. You had a good harvest today."
Enyun-chan held her head high arrogantly, then jumped onto Uchiha Ryo's shoulder in a show of defiance.
Hurry up and charge my game currency. I can't wait to do a 10-pull!
Gotou Hitori: "Eh, eh!! This cat is yours, Uchiha-kun?!"
Uchiha Ryo lifted Enyun-chan off his shoulder and put her back on the bar. "Mhm, I didn't expect Enyun-chan to wander all the way over here."
Enyun-chan: "Meow— (You're full of it!)"
Who was it that sent her to farm affinity? Doesn't he have any self-awareness!
Uchiha Ryo found a random place to sit. At this moment, Ijichi Seika also came out from the back, holding four envelopes in her hand.
"Your wages for this period, all four of you. Come and get them."
Wages! It's wages! Gotou Hitori, who was not good at working part-time, looked as if her whole face was about to melt with joy when she received her salary of a full ten thousand yen.
Ijichi Nijika: "Sorry to pour cold water on you all right after you got paid, but we're working to meet the performance quota, so we have to hand it in...."
Gotou Hitori was crushed. The ten thousand yen in her hand flew out and floated into Ijichi Nijika's. Bocchi-chan herself also dove into a clean, large trash can.
Trash Can - Gotou Hitori, online.
Kita Ikuyo: "Eh, it seems it's still not enough. Does it cost that much to make a CD?"
Ijichi Nijika: "Mhm, forty thousand isn't enough. It's not just the official album for sale, but also shooting the music video and all that, which also costs money."
Kita Ikuyo: "Then let's just work more part-time jobs during the summer vacation! What do you think of a beach snack bar?!"
Gotou Hitori felt even worse! Go to the beach! Going to a place teeming with people, wouldn't that be the death of her! No! I absolutely cannot go to the beach.
Gotou Hitori took out her phone and started searching for things like "loans."
Uchiha Ryo: "Bocchi-chan."
"Waah!!!"
Gotou Hitori suddenly took out her guitar. "I don't want to work part-time, I don't want to work part-time! How about I just sell my guitar? I can use it as collateral for a loan."
Uchiha Ryo smiled helplessly.
"Bocchi-chan, I actually have a way for you to avoid going to crowded places like the beach and amusement parks You just have to be a maid. The pay for a maid is not low at all"
Gotou Hitori: "R... really?!"
Uchiha Ryo: "Of course! As your friend, if you become my maid, Bocchi-chan, I definitely won't mistreat you~"