"This is the only time; there won't be a next time."
Tanaka Masao couldn't help but smile as he looked at the message Goto Hitori sent.
Sure enough, Goto Hitori was easily swayed; she would agree with just a little persuasion.
She said it was only this once, but if he just asked, she would surely comply next time too.
"Just once is fine."
"Then Tanaka, you're not allowed to laugh at me."
"What's there to laugh at? I just want to learn more about Bocchi-chan."
"Learn more about what—"
Such words sounded too much like something friends would say, so Goto Hitori no longer held back and revealed her grades.
"I got eighty-five points on my midterm exam this time."
"Eighty-five? So Bocchi-chan is that good at studying? Which subject was it?"
"It was all of them."
"All of them? Which subject is that? I've never studied that subject."
"All of them means all of them."
"Don't tell me it's what I'm thinking, all subjects combined?"
"That's right."
... "Hey, Tanaka, please say something, don't be silent."
After waiting for several minutes, Tanaka Masao still didn't respond. Goto Hitori couldn't take it anymore; these few minutes had been agonizing for her, feeling as if countless ants were crawling all over her body.
She even wondered if Tanaka Masao thought she was stupid and didn't want to be her friend.
No!
She didn't want to lose a friend over something like this.
"As long as Tanaka doesn't mind that I'm stupid and is still willing to be my friend, I'll do anything."
Just as Goto Hitori was on the verge of tears, her phone finally received a message from Tanaka Masao.
"I was just wondering why Bocchi-chan's score was so low. Did Bocchi-chan fall asleep during the exam?"
"No, I was very serious during the exam, and I reviewed thoroughly.
I just don't know why, but every time I take an exam, my mind goes blank, and seeing the test paper makes my head spin; I can't do anything.
By the way, Tanaka, you wouldn't not want to be my friend just because I'm stupid, would you?"
After sending the message, Goto Hitori's hand holding the phone trembled slightly. She was very afraid that Tanaka Masao would give an affirmative answer.
Finally, after what felt like years of waiting, Tanaka Masao only took two and a half seconds—oh, no, for Goto Hitori, it felt like two and a half years.
"How could I?
Although Bocchi-chan is stupid, she is especially good at... playing the guitar."
"That's right, that's right! Not only am I good at guitar, but I can also sing, dance, and rap!"
"I'm really looking forward to it. I hope I can see Bocchi-chan's performance."
"If it's Tanaka-kun..."
"You agreed?"
"Not... not yet. I need to prepare myself mentally first."
"Alright, but Bocchi-chan, isn't your score a bit too low? You might keep repeating grades and never graduate."
"Hmph, hmph, you don't need to worry about that, Tanaka."
"So confident, it seems Bocchi-chan already has a solution."
"That's right, even if I repeat grades my whole life, it's completely fine.
Because Dad and Mom have already agreed to support me for life."
"Bocchi-chan, how can you say such good-for-nothing words with such confidence?"
"While I might be a bit useless, I'm not completely worthless.
I also earn money."
"Really? Bocchi-chan doesn't seem like the type to go out and work."
"I haven't gone out to work. I just uploaded some music works online, and my dad added some advertisements to them, so I have some income."
"So, Bocchi-chan is actually a big star."
"A big star? It's not that exaggerated, hehehe—"
Goto Hitori let out a silly laugh, clearly pleased by being called a big star, which greatly satisfied her somewhat insecure heart.
"Then, big star Bocchi-chan, could you tell me your work account? I'd like to check it out."
Goto Hitori hesitated, because for some reason, the thought of her friend appreciating her work brought a strange sense of shame.
This feeling was like reading an essay you wrote in front of the whole class, especially one about family, teachers, or friends, full of rich emotions.
It felt as if her inner world was being peeked into, making her feel very shy.
However, considering that Tanaka Masao didn't understand music, after much hesitation, she still decided to tell him.
Because Goto Hitori was quite confident in her works, and this was one of the few things she could be proud of.
"What if Tanaka is already my fan? How surprised would he be to learn my true identity? What should I do?"
Goto Hitori found herself a little excited at the thought, so she sent a message:
"My work account is Guitar Hero. Does Tanaka know it?"
"Guitar Hero!"
"You know me!"
"Never heard of it."
Seeing the message from Tanaka Masao, even the usually timid Goto Hitori couldn't help but puff out her cheeks, a little annoyed.
Seriously, if he hadn't heard of it, he should have said so sooner. Why act so excited? He made her anticipate for nothing.
"I'll listen to it after class, but I feel like listening to the online version isn't as good as hearing Bocchi-chan perform live."
"Indeed, my recording equipment isn't top-tier, so there might be some difference in sound."
"Then I'll look forward to Bocchi-chan's live performance. If Bocchi-chan's fans knew, they'd surely be envious of me. Oh, right, Bocchi-chan, I've got a great idea."
"What idea?"
"Has Bocchi-chan ever done a live stream?"
"Live stream? No."
Are you kidding? How could Goto Hitori, being socially anxious, do something so difficult?
"Then how about trying it? Like an online live concert or something."
"No, I can't. I'll definitely be too nervous to play the guitar.
And I'm also afraid of being recognized by everyone."
Normally, Goto Hitori would also fabricate some outlandish content online, pretending to be a normie, and even attach some photos.
However, these photos usually wouldn't show her face, because she was afraid of being recognized in real life.
"Bocchi-chan, don't worry. You can wear a mask during the live stream or put a mosaic over your face, so no one will recognize you.
Like this."
Saying that, Tanaka Masao sent Goto Hitori two photos.
One was of a beautiful woman wearing a mask, with only her eyes visible.
The other was of a beautiful woman with a black rectangular mosaic over her eyes.
Goto Hitori glanced at them. Although she found these two girls a bit strange, she had never seen them before.
"I think it would be even safer to wear a mask and then put a mosaic over the eyes."
"That works too. I want to live stream with Bocchi-chan then. Not for anything else, just to let your fans know that I have such an amazing friend as Bocchi-chan."