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V6 Chapter 4: Do You Even Need to Hesitate?
🕑 Added 2025-06-28 13:46:38 +0000 UTCMaybe, just maybe, Kazami Haru could admit this simulator had its upsides.
Even though this so-called "Ultimate Romance Simulator" forced him down a pure solo love route, through the simulations with Hitori Gotoh, Haru had come to understand the emotional states of both Chihaya Anon and Ikuyo Kita in depth.
These two radiant girls were not only inseparable best friends, sharing everything, but also love rivals who completely understood each other's feelings and intentions.
Whenever Kita-san grew closer to him in the simulation, it was immediately Anon-san who would notice and block her and Kita wasn't the type to sit by and let Anon get a moment alone with him either. When Anon chose to confess, Kita would go all in to keep pace.
Their open and covert struggle was obvious enough now. With this 'peek into the future,' Haru could pretty much grasp what was going on at present.
"So, listen..."
"I want MyGO to perform at the Haneoka Cultural School Festival! What do you all think?!"
With sparkling light-gray eyes like polished gems, Chihaya Anon's cheerful voice cut through the air, ringing in everyone's ears.
The day after she struck her 'bet' with Kita, the pink-haired troublemaker had called all the MyGO members to a meeting at RiNG, and once everyone had gathered, she immediately laid all her cards on the table.
Of course, a sudden announcement like this was bound to stir up reactions. Shiina Taki raised an eyebrow in visible doubt.
"You... act like you're asking for our opinion, but didn't you already hand in the application form?"
"Yeah, this is totally you just doing whatever you want."
With her usual deadpan tone, Nagasaki Soyo chimed in, the two bouncing off each other as always. Faced with their complaints, Anon sheepishly twirled a lock of her cherry-pink hair.
Caught between both sides, unsure how to respond, she pressed her lips into a pout and turned to him with a pleading glance.
Haru could guess easily enough, this pink-haired tornado clearly wanted to one-up Kita, so she'd rallied everyone for this 'head-on clash.'
Still, that glance for help was a bit unnecessary.
From what Haru could see, nobody in MyGO was opposed to doing a live show. The irritation stemmed more from Anon's arrogance. Even without pulling this stunt, if she'd just asked sincerely, they probably would've agreed.
"What do you think? Should we perform at the cultural festival?"
Haru took a sip of Darjeeling and turned to the others, his voice casual but curious.
"I'm in."
Kaname Raana replied without missing a beat, clearly entertained by the drama. As far as she was concerned, anything that got her on stage to shred was fine by her.
"What about you, Tomori?"
Shiina Taki's brows knit slightly as she looked toward Takamatsu Tomori, who had remained quiet. The sudden idea of performing alongside another band like Kessoku Band had clearly thrown her off.
But after catching a glimpse of Haru's subtle encouragement, Tomori took a deep breath and steadied herself.
"Um… I think playing on the same stage as Kita-chan and the others would be amazing. Ever since I saw them at the Summer Festival, I've wanted to perform live again, so…"
"If Tomori's down for a live, then I'm in too."
Taki gave a firm nod like she'd just found her anchor. But beside her, Haru narrowed his eyes slightly, watching her face with a knowing smile.
That look made his bandmate flush instantly, her cheeks dusted rose. She shifted uneasily.
"Haru, what are you staring at?"
What, he wasn't allowed to appreciate a good-looking friend?
If Soyo weren't sitting there, smiling serenely as ever, Haru might've stolen another glance at her long legs.
"Nothing. I was just wondering if maybe you've been itching to get back on stage."
"Huh?!"
Taki's pale violet eyes shot wide open.
She was about to argue when she noticed everyone's eyes on her. With her naturally thin skin, she gritted her teeth and turned away slightly, her face tinged with red.
Shaking out her waist-length black hair, she glared at Haru with a touch of defiance.
"So what if I have?"
It was obvious to anyone paying attention. Shiina Taki had been stepping up her training lately. Her intense routine made it clear she was gearing up to perform, especially since she'd been bringing up that other rookie band, Kessoku Band, quite a lot.
Even Tomori could probably tell just how strong Taki's competitive spirit was.
"What about you, Soyo?"
"Before you ask about me, shouldn't we be more worried about you, Haru?"
Nagasaki Soyo, who'd been coolly brushing off Anon moments ago, now wore a softer expression. Her brows drew together slightly as she looked at Haru, who looked unfazed as ever.
He was supposed to go head-to-head with Kessoku Band on stage as a member of MyGO and even if members from both bands were on friendly terms, in this moment, they were rivals.
As the composer and keyboardist for both bands, Haru was like a slice of cheese squished between two layers of bread, his position was awkward to say the least.
What, was he planning to play with Kessoku Band and then immediately jump on stage again with MyGO?
"Don't worry. I'm not going up there this time."
He said it casually, sipping his tea. But that offhand remark made both Tomori and Anon snap their eyes open in shock.
"What?! Haru's not performing?!"
Anon's mouth dropped open, revealing a pair of tiny fangs, disbelief thick in her voice.
She was used to having Haru behind her on keys. The idea of performing without him made her suddenly feel unsteady, like she'd lost her foundation.
"If I go up with both bands, it'll look weird to the audience, right? Besides, without me there, both bands can show their true strengths. In a way, it's a more fair contest."
Haru drained the rest of his Darjeeling and finally spoke at length.
He'd long known this day would come, a clash between Kessoku Band and MyGO. Better to sit it out entirely than to straddle the fence. Like Ave Mujica, he could simply step into the background and be part of the audience for once.
This was the perfect opportunity to put that decision into action.
Just like Tomori had said, if they were really going to stick together as a band for life, then messing around wasn't enough. They needed to treat it seriously, with the same drive and ambition as a real career. Only then could they hope to chase something like a dream.
A commercial girl band like Ave Mujica, for example, wouldn't have a male member standing on stage with them.
"Hmm…"
After Haru explained his reasoning, Chihaya Anon had nothing left to say. She just nodded her little head in quiet frustration.
To anyone else, this might've seemed like just a clash between MyGO and Kessoku Band. But Anon, who had made a serious bet with Ikuyo Kita, understood better than anyone, this was a showdown that could determine her future.
Whoever lost would have to give up pursuing Kazami Haru. Completely. Letting go of those beautiful memories that lingered in her dreams.
Even someone as passionate and upbeat as Anon felt uneasy at the thought of standing on stage without the person she trusted most playing keys behind her.
Haru could see the tears in her eyes, nearly spilling over. With a soft smile, he reached out and tapped her forehead with a light karate chop, speaking in an offhanded tone to reassure her.
"Alright, alright. I'm not performing with Kessoku Band either. What, you were all about to surrender just because I'm not joining?"
"As if! Even if you're not with us, we'll win and prove it to you!"
Shiina Taki crossed her arms, lips painted a bold cherry hue, her beauty mark glinting beneath those sharp violet eyes.
But Haru could still hear the edge of unease in her voice. Even his reliable bandmate wasn't feeling quite steady right now.
"Rikki's right…"
Chihaya Anon nodded firmly at that, her little fang biting down as her eyes gleamed with renewed resolve.
Even without Haru, she couldn't afford to lose.
If she lost… then it would all be over—
"We've got about half a month left before the festival starts. Why don't we start training every day at RiNG?! If we want to win, we'll have to double down! And what about the song we'll play on stage?"
"Why not just use 'If the Flowers Bloom'?"
Taki, thrown a little by Anon's sudden burst of determination, responded with hesitation. But Anon-san only raised an eyebrow at the suggestion.
Sure, "If the Flowers Bloom," which Taki had co-written with Haru, was a solid track. But if they wanted a secure win, it might not be enough...
Kessoku Band wasn't some easy opponent.
Formed around the same time as MyGO, Kessoku Band had already outshone established bands like SIDEROS during the Summer Festival. If MyGO tried to go head-to-head with them at their current level... it was going to be tough.
"How about a new song?"
That unexpected voice turned everyone's attention at once.
Haru, still feeding Miss Stray Cat a cookie, made the offhand suggestion. Just as Taki's brows started to knit in protest, Haru beat her to it. (T/N: Jojo Reference)
"Relax. I'm giving Kessoku Band a new song too."
He knew full well that Rikki wanted a fair fight. No way would she accept him giving either side an advantage.
"If both sides are using new songs…"
Nagasaki Soyo's quiet voice echoed what everyone was thinking. New songs for both bands was the fairest option.
But that meant Haru had to write two brand-new songs, each with its own style, in just fifteen days and knowing him, he'd make sure both were equally strong. That throwaway comment of his actually carried a heavy, invisible weight.
…
The band meeting for MyGO lasted about thirty minutes.
Afterward, no one wasted a second. They jumped straight into practice in the studio Shiina Taki had rented earlier. Since he wouldn't be performing, Haru, for once, didn't tag along.
With just half a month left, he needed that time to write both songs.
Perhaps it was Anon's new attitude toward training that sparked something, but soon the others were swept up in the energy. They threw themselves into rehearsals, pushing hard for the cultural festival.
This kind of healthy competition, from Haru's perspective, was exactly what both bands needed. And he was more than happy to see it.
"But two new songs, huh? Starting from scratch with both isn't impossible…"
With his current music theory level at Lv.4, Haru was nearly back to where he'd been in the first run of the simulation with Ryo. Even in just fifteen days, he might be able to produce two excellent songs.
The issue was whether two new songs written under such pressure would really suit each band perfectly.
Given the situation, he also considered drawing from his existing stock.
If both bands were going all-in, they deserved top-tier material. Something like The Ever-Blooming Pure White Flower or Wisteria Bird, both of which had laid the foundation for the bands' future peaks in previous simulations, could work.
Unlike "Forget-Me-Not," which felt more like a personal love letter, these two songs carried less emotional risk.
Which one should he use?
As Haru mulled it over, the demon hunter emblem (phone) resting in his lap began to buzz faintly.
[Shimokitazawa Archangel]
Haru, did you hear anything from little Kita about the cultural festival show? I just found out she wants everyone to perform at Haneoka's School festival. What do you think?
He hadn't even finished thinking everything through when Ijichi Nijika's message popped up on LINE.
"Kita's not wasting any time either, huh…"
Haru couldn't help but let out a sigh.
As expected, both Kita and Anon were textbook "action types." Once they set their minds to something, they charged ahead full speed, even if they might regret it later. They'd rather act first and deal with consequences later.
[Username: Gotta Be Fertilizer]
I already heard about this from Anon. If Kessoku Band goes up on stage, that means they'll be performing at the same time as Tomori and Anon. Honestly, I'm pretty optimistic about both bands competing.
[Gotta Be Fertilizer]
But really, it depends on what you and the others want, Nijika.
Buzz...
[Shimokitazawa Archangel]
Um, Haru, do you have time right now?
[Shimokitazawa Archangel]
Ah! Sorry if this is sudden! I just really wanted to talk with you about the band. But if you're too busy, it's totally fine, okay?
What was going on? It was just a screen of glass...
So why did it feel so lively and cute?
Kazami Haru had always assumed his resistance to Ijichi Nijika would be close to zero. What he didn't expect was that even without seeing her in person, she still had this effect on him. How could he possibly say no to her?
His brain hadn't even started working before his fingers were already tapping out a reply.
[Gotta Be Fertilizer]
Sure, let's meet up.
Did this really need any hesitation?
…
STARRY~
In truth, it wasn't strange that Nijika had suddenly asked to meet up.
As the real soul of Kessoku Band, Ijichi Nijika naturally understood there were some problems surrounding this cultural festival live show. For reasons of her own, she hadn't brought them up in front of Miss Kita. Instead, she chose to talk with Haru one-on-one.
As soon as he stepped through the café's door, Haru ran into Ijichi Seika, who was sitting right by the entrance holding a juice box. The moment she saw him, she raised an eyebrow and waved him over in that abrupt, offhand way.
A little confused, Haru walked over at a steady pace.
Seika took a sip of her "Kid Juice," eyes narrowing, and said in a flat, vaguely irritated tone, "Nijika's in the back storage room. If you're here for her, just go."
Seriously, she was getting more and more annoyed every time she saw this guy.
Every time Nijika thought about her idiot little sister grinning at her phone like a fool, only to suddenly look sad and lost moments later, she got a headache.
If she didn't already know exactly what kind of person Haru was, she'd probably be worried by now that her sister had fallen for some walking pick-up artist.
Tch. Just thinking about it ticked her off.
Haru, naturally sensitive to how people looked at him, could absolutely feel Seika's irritation. That laser-eyed glare made the corner of his mouth twitch slightly, and he began to wonder if he'd somehow offended her without realizing it.
Was she going through menopause or something?
"You punk… were you just thinking something real rude?"
What the—could she read minds now?
"Nope. I was just thinking how beautiful you are today, Seika-san."
Haru answered with a calm face, not even blinking. Then, taking advantage of the moment she glanced away, he turned and dashed straight toward the storage room.
Left behind, Seika rested her chin in one hand and clicked her tongue, face full of exasperation.
The storage room sat deep within STARRY's back corridor. Ijichi Nijika was in the middle of carrying two small boxes of canned soda, stepping forward cautiously.
Even with the pile in her arms nearly blocking her view, she still tried her best to peek around and check the path ahead.
Then, as she turned the corner—
"Wah?!"
Startled by the sudden approach of another person, she instinctively tried to move aside, but lost her balance and almost fell.
Just as her body tipped forward, someone caught her by the shoulders. She barely managed to steady the stack in her arms, and her heart, which had stopped for a second, suddenly started racing again.
As she opened her mouth to apologize, Nijika noticed the hand holding her steady at the cuff, there was a faint streak of orange-red.
Was that... oil paint?
