Even self-deception eventually comes to an end.
Kita walked to the front door of STARRY, paused, and looked at the brass doorknob on the black door, her heart hesitant.
Only then did she remember that she couldn't play the Guitar at all.
She lifted the Guitar on her back, which she had impulsively bought out of worry that Ryo-senpai might be taken away.
Her gaze immediately became a bit more confident.
She had practiced for a long time last night, and as long as she worked hard and spent more time honing her skills, she would definitely reach a level where she could perform with her senior.
Moreover, she had already done such a cunning thing.
She couldn't hesitate over such a small matter... "Akane-chan, I found a nice dessert shop. Let's go together today."
"Eh... Kita-chan, I'm on duty today."
"Let's swap..." Kita said, pouting.
"I know, I know... who should I swap with?"
Akane reluctantly agreed, and after responding, her gaze turned to a classmate nearby, checking for someone who could exchange duty with her.
"How about Hayato-kun? He seems to have time."
Kita, who had a plan, grabbed Akane's hand and pulled her towards Hayato, who was about to leave.
"...No way."
Akane was pulled along by Kita, sighing helplessly.
In front of Hayato, Kita put on a troubled but cute expression, clasping her hands together as she pleaded with Hayato.
"Ishikawa-kun, could you please trouble you to swap a day of duty with my friend? I beg you."
After she finished speaking, she nudged Akane gently with her shoulder, pleadingly.
"Please, Ishikawa-kun."
Akane pleaded without much hope.
"No problem. Then Tanaka will be responsible for duty next Tuesday."
Hayato was very straightforward; it even felt like he agreed without thinking.
Tanaka Akane hadn't expected Hayato to be so direct; she was surprised for a moment, then smiled a little.
"Thank you~"
Afterward, Kita and Tanaka Akane went to eat dessert. At the usual time when Ryo-senpai and her friends arrived at STARRY, she parted ways with Akane and then quickly rushed to STARRY.
At this time, duty should have just ended, so Ishikawa-kun wouldn't be here.
She was a bit worried that Hayato would prevent her from joining the Band, because she had called him that way yesterday, and seeing his interaction with Ryo-senpai, he might have been thinking of dating her.
And she had stared at him for so long yesterday, perhaps he had vaguely noticed.
She didn't want her admired person to be snatched away by someone else.
So she used a little trick and quickly joined their Band.
She really was terrible.
But Kita didn't regret it. She reached out and pulled open STARRY's door.
Ryo and Nijika were chatting at a table, and the manager Seika was spacing out at the bar. But when Kita entered, their gazes all turned to her in confusion.
Under their puzzled gazes, Kita walked down the stairs.
Before Seika could say that the place wasn't open yet, she spoke.
"Ryo-senpai, I heard you were recruiting Band members. I was very moved after watching your performance yesterday. Please let me join."
...Bocchi, in a not-very-crowded train car, huddled in the furthest corner of a seat, head down, her gaze fixed on the space in front of her feet.
Although trains were typically places with large crowds, here, almost no one paid attention to their surroundings.
Most people would find something to do during this long, boring time.
This allowed Bocchi to feel a little more at ease.
And at the same time, she, like others, was lost in thought.
Looking back on today, one name became the word she recalled most often.
Hayato.
Besides meeting in the morning, she also saw him at noon... During lunch break, Bocchi quietly left the classroom without attracting anyone's attention.
She quickly walked to the stairwell at the very edge, glanced around, and seeing no one looking her way, she swiftly slipped into the corner piled with desks and chairs.
Sitting in the dark, cramped space, Bocchi let out a sigh of relief.
Huh, strange, why can't I relax?
She looked around in confusion. Abandoned desks and chairs formed a corner invisible from the outside, and a faint, indistinct light streamed down from the stairwell above. She didn't sit directly in it, but avoided it slightly.
No one should be able to see her.
Bocchi had apparently forgotten yesterday's agreement, but her body instinctively came here, yet she was also nervous.
Thump-thump.
The sound of a hand knocking on the wall, followed by a familiar voice.
"Is Gotou-san there?"
"Yes."
Bocchi answered as if by a ghost's prompting, and only then did the memory of yesterday's lunch break suddenly surface before her eyes.
"Can I still come here to find you in the future?"
Ishikawa-kun!
He really came to find her again!
She had just decided to keep her distance this morning.
But since she had already agreed, Bocchi didn't dare to run away.
She sat on the ground in a duck-like pose, crying inwardly, her unopened bento box resting on her sweatpants-clad legs, waiting for Hayato...
Hayato walked in from outside, climbed over the abandoned tables and chairs, and after getting inside, he found a pink-haired beautiful girl in a dark corner, looking nervous, huddled up, and holding a bento box.
"Excuse me."
He smiled and waved.
"Ah, mm."
The other party dodged Hayato's gaze, nodding slightly in response.
"Can I eat with you?"
Hayato did not lose his desire to communicate despite the other party's weak reaction...
Refuse, refuse! Refuse!!
She had already decided to keep her distance.
"Ah, please feel free."
Bocchi hated it, she hated herself for not daring to refuse.
Just as she was feeling sorry for herself, she heard Hayato say this.
"Gotou-san is very gentle with people, even more concerned about others than herself."
Hayato looked around; it was dark and cramped, and although not dirty, it wasn't the best place to be.
"You deliberately hid here to eat to avoid people, yet you still agreed to let me join you for lunch."
Bocchi's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
No one had ever said that to her before, and such a statement was something she herself had never even considered.
For a moment, she had the illusion that the clouds in her heart had parted, revealing the sun.
She looked at Hayato again; in the dimly lit corner, his gaze was calm and clear, radiating a strong yet harmless presence.
He was not one of those unreasonably happy people.
The tension in her heart receded considerably.
After interacting for these two or three days, she gradually felt that he was indeed coming with good intentions.
Finally, she leaned forward slightly and took the initiative to ask Hayato.
"Ishikawa-kun, why… why do you want me to join the Band?"
Facing her question, the young man in front of her spoke in a very calm tone.
"Because I heard a cry for help."
The hero did not exude light and brilliance, but sat before her with an approachable demeanor, as if asking her to accept his help.
"Gotou-san, you actually want to change, don't you? Wearing that to school on the first day, you wanted to make friends and form a Band, right?"
"Everyone in my Band is a very good person; they even accepted an inexperienced person like me. Gotou-san, bringing her Guitar to school, must be confident in her playing."
"Come with us and create some beautiful memories."
Looking at Hayato's outstretched hand, Bocchi hesitated for a long time, opening her mouth but not knowing what to say.
Everything she hoped for seemed to be laid out before her, waiting for her response in a very real and straightforward manner.
It felt like a dream.
Bocchi thought.
Perhaps there would never be a second chance in her life.
Bocchi, you can do it! Say yes!
Finally, she unconsciously pinched her hand on the corner of her clothes, wiping away any potential sweat, held her breath, and mustered the courage to grasp his hand.
The boy's firm hand, which she could clearly feel the warmth of, squeezed her hand once and then released it.
After letting go, Bocchi lowered her head, her long bangs completely covering her eyes.
She trembled, muttering nervously as if regretting her decision.
"Wait…"
Her words made Hayato curious.
"Wait, at least let me prepare myself mentally a little…"
At this moment, the young man revealed his mischievous nature.
"Anytime is fine…"
He paused, then said in a playful tone.
"Although I'd like to say that, I'm only giving Gotou-san one month to think about it."
Bocchi looked up in alarm, seeing Hayato's mischievous grin, and listened to him trembling like a small animal.
"If after a month, Gotou-san is still not ready, and still looks like she wants to change but doesn't dare, I will drag you out by force."
"I…", Hayato hesitated.
"I guarantee it, as a Pervert."