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V2 Chapter 36: Chihaya Anon? That Evil Pinkhead!
🕑 Added 2025-05-12 01:12:02 +0000 UTCIn Japanese, the words for "him" and "her" are pronounced very differently. Anyone would immediately hear the distinction. This was no slip of the tongue and Haru didn't really have male friends to speak of.
So "her" could only mean a girl.
Everyone's mind went straight to the same question: Who is her?
Even the gentle and pure-hearted Nijika couldn't help feeling a little curious. Gossip was a natural instinct, especially among girls.
But still, she wasn't the type to pry into someone's private life.
"Who is she?"
Ryo was different.
She just asked directly.
Even though Nijika had already sent her some seriously obvious eye signals, Ryo didn't hesitate at all, straight to the point.
Gotoh Hitori was probably the only one who figured it out.
"Ah…"
A flicker of realization passed through Bocchi's timid, ocean-blue eyes.
As Haru's earliest friend, she knew well he didn't have many school friends. And if he was teaching someone guitar, it could only be one of two people.
The first was Kita Ikuyo, who joined the band thanks to Bocchi's invitation and had been diligently practicing guitar since. She often asked Haru and Bocchi for tips.
The other... was her classmate, the ultra-popular "Super Extrovert No. 2," privately dubbed "the evil pinkhead" by Kita, Chihaya Anon!
Bocchi instinctively glanced toward Kita and noticed her returning the same look. It was clear they both knew exactly who Haru had meant.
Ryo, sharp as ever, picked up on Bocchi's odd reaction.
Even though she was always anxious and shy, something was different today—like she knew something.
"Bocchi, do you know who it is?"
"Eh? I…"
Put on the spot, Gotoh Hitori started avoiding eye contact and glanced toward Haru.
After all, it was Haru's private matter. And besides, she might be wrong, better not to make careless guesses.
"She's a guitarist from another band. She feels like she's still lacking in skill, so she asked me, as a friend, to help her improve and learn some music theory."
Seeing how troubled Bocchi looked, Haru decided to just say it outright.
There was no need to hide it. In the simulation, he and Chihaya Anon had been deeply connected, but real life wasn't a scripted simulation. They were just bandmates.
Even if that pink menace did have a slight crush on him, it wasn't like it had gone beyond friendship.
"Is that so?"
Ryo nodded thoughtfully. She didn't think Haru would lie to her and judging by Bocchi's response, it seemed to be true, but that didn't mean she'd drop her guard.
There were plenty of people who could teach guitar, why him specifically?
Her instincts told her this wasn't so simple.
"Eh? Haru-san plays guitar too?"
Nijika blinked her bright red eyes in surprise. It was the first she'd heard of it. She couldn't help but wonder what he sounded like when he played.
"I wanna hear!"
"Haru-san, me too! Me too!"
Kita Ikuyo chimed in immediately, her yellow-green eyes twinkling like stars. Her cheerful energy radiated so strongly, it even made Bocchi, standing nearby, feel like she was melting.
Even Ryo, though silent, seemed interested—her faint smirk said as much.
"Ah, didn't we plan to rehearse together today? I even rented a recording studio for this!" Nijika clapped excitedly. "Haru-san, why don't you play us a little something first? Please?"
"Huh?"
Haru looked up, startled to find everyone watching him with expectant eyes. He didn't know how to refuse.
...Fine. His guitar skill had just leveled up to LV2, and he hadn't really tested it yet.
This was a good chance to see where he stood.
It definitely wasn't because Nijika's puppy-eyed plea was too cute to resist.
...
Since Haru didn't have his own guitar, and he obviously couldn't whip out the [Anon's Fanta Guitar] from the simulation in front of everyone, he borrowed Bocchi's guitar.
Bzzz…
Plugging the guitar cable into the amp and tweaking the knobs, the raw buzz of an electric guitar flowed through the speakers. Haru held Bocchi's precious instrument close in his arms.
"Huh? Isn't that guy supposed to be a keyboardist? What's he doing with a guitar?"
"He said Nijika found out he could play, so she asked him to give a demo."
Ijichi Seika frowned slightly, sipping a bottle of 'Good Kid Juice' and watching Haru with a curious look.
She hadn't even seen him play keyboard yet, now suddenly he was on guitar?
"This kid better not be bluffing."
Honestly, Seika didn't trust Haru's skills much.
Geniuses his age weren't unheard of, but mastering two instruments at once meant neither would be truly elite—especially when he was supposedly writing songs too.
People had limits.
Every instrument required time and dedication. No matter how talented, few could reach high levels in both—and compose—at his age.
"Hmm~ What should I play?"
Holding the guitar, Haru hesitated.
The girls' eager gazes made him feel awkward.
His guitar was only at LV2. He wasn't familiar with the popular riffs everyone knew and loved.
If he played something unfamiliar, he risked it sounding terrible.
Then it hit him, Original music.
He was most familiar with the original songs he'd composed himself.
Even though his simulations had produced high-quality pieces like Anon's "Sakura" or Ryo's "Blooming Blue Snowflower," his current skill level wouldn't do them justice.
They were complex, fast-paced piano pieces, not great for mellow electric guitar.
Then... how about that one?
(TL Note: The tone reminds me of this riff:
Cyberpunk 2077 - Never Fade Away (guitar cover with tab) easy version)
Zzzzzzzt…
His pick brushed the strings, releasing a deep, mellow tone that filled the studio. The intro was warm but tinged with melancholy, and it instantly gave everyone goosebumps.
A powerful, low-tempo melody—uniquely emotional, but unfamiliar.
"An original?"
Ryo's flat but slightly unsure voice echoed everyone's unspoken thoughts.
But Haru didn't pay attention to their reactions. His calm eyes were locked into the music.
His fingers danced across the frets, the pick shifting to the higher, sharper strings. The once-melancholy tune began to rise—slowly, then passionately.
A wounded bird, born weak in a nest, hiding beneath another's wings…
But all birds, and people, must grow up.
Eventually, protection vanishes. Left alone, the bird must unfurl its wings and take flight from the wisteria tree toward the blue sky.
The one once protected… becomes the protector.
"Huh?"
The melody suddenly shifted, sharp and restrained yet intense.
It only lasted a few seconds, but Ryo froze mid-listen, her expression stunned.
That short phrase… sounded familiar.
For a moment, she felt her soul become a string on that guitar, plucked gently by Haru's clean, precise pick.
That warmth, that sadness, it stirred something deep inside her.
And then the song ended.
Huff…
Haru slowly put down the pick. He'd gotten a little too immersed, his left fingers were sore and raw from the solo.
Yet somehow, merging motifs from other songs halfway through felt completely seamless.
"That was amazing! Haru-san, you were so cool!"
Clap clap clap!
Kita Ikuyo was the first to cheer, eyes wide in awe as she clapped so hard her hands turned red. But she didn't stop.
It was her first time seeing Haru so focused, so cool.
A little embarrassed to admit it, but…
She was totally smitten.
Heart pounding with admiration and nerves, she rushed up to him the moment he finished, not holding back her excitement in the slightest.
Sadly, she still didn't know much about music, and after struggling for a while, all she could come up with was a simple, "So amazing."
"I know, right?! Is this an original? The melody's so good~ and it sounds super nice!"
"Totally, right?! Haru-san is amazing!"
Nijika and Kita began chirping excitedly, crowding around Kazami Haru, throwing compliments his way like confetti. Even someone as thick-skinned as him was starting to feel a little embarrassed by the non-stop praise from two pretty girls.
Uh-oh, this might be more charm than he can handle.
Maybe… when Nijika confesses later, he should just say yes?
Then get married, and name their kid Kazami Reimu.
Meanwhile, Bocchi was the only one on-site frozen solid, as if she'd turned to stone.
She suddenly remembered she was also the band's "lyricist." Back then, after getting just a few compliments from Kita and Nijika, she had gotten all giddy and confidently taken on the important job. But now, hearing a melody of this quality…
Her brain completely short-circuited.
I'm doomed. What kind of lyrics could even match this kind of song?
Hitori Gotoh, cannot move.JPG
"Haru, what's this song called?"
Unable to wait any longer, Ryo Yamada quickened her steps and walked over to ask.
She was desperate to hear the name of this original song straight from him.
Even though the first part of the melody was unfamiliar, that brief guitar solo toward the end—it struck a deep chord in her, stirring up feelings of nostalgia that she couldn't ignore.
Kazami Haru hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke slowly.
"I've only written this part so far, but for now… let's call it Wisteria Bird, okay?"
That's right, Wisteria Bird.
A brilliant piece of original music he had once created in a simulation with Takamatsu Tomori. It was undeniably an outstanding composition.
Even though he hadn't chosen the full song sheet as a reward in that simulation, just a fragment of the melody stuck with him. He'd remembered it and immediately wrote out the rest of the tune.
Truth be told, Kazami Haru might just be a natural-born composer and besides, Wisteria Bird was something his simulated self had created.
Since the whole piece was still just a collection of incomplete parts, Haru, caught up in the moment while playing, had even mixed in a small rhythm section from Blooming Blue Snowflower.
Oddly enough, the fusion didn't feel out of place.
"…Seika, what do you think?"
The PA-san leaned on the mixing console, gently touching her earlobe while her fingers began tapping the tabletop unconsciously.
That one question was enough to make Seika Ijichi tighten her folded arms slightly.
"I wonder how he is on the keyboard."
The PA-san immediately understood what she meant.
It was Seika Ijichi's way of acknowledging Kazami Haru's talent. As far as amateur bands go, his guitar skills were more than solid.
And that song, original or not—the quality was insanely high.
If he could even play a decent keyboard, then "genius" might not be enough to describe him.
Meanwhile, Ikuyo Kita, standing next to Haru, hesitated for a moment—clearly debating whether to seize the opportunity.
The thought of Haru being alone with Anon made her feel a little jealous.
After all, Chihaya Anon was a sneaky pink-haired flirt who always got close to Haru like they were already best friends.
Even if it was just a guitar practice… what if things escalated?!
Ikuyo Kita couldn't just let another girl get close to Kazami Haru. She finally made up her mind and stepped forward: "Haru-san! Um… would it be okay if I learned guitar with you too?"
Nijika blinked in surprise and asked, "Huh? But Kita-chan, aren't you already learning from Bocchi?"
"Well, I do feel bad always bothering Gotoh-san… She gives up so much of her free time to teach me, and it really wears her out…"
And that was the truth. Kita had been relying on Bocchi to teach her guitar, and Bocchi had never asked for anything in return, which only made Kita feel even more guilty.
Bocchi already had the heavy responsibility of writing lyrics for the band, and on top of that, she had to split her focus to teach her.
If Haru could take on that role now, it would definitely lighten Bocchi's load.
But more importantly, this was a great chance to get closer to Haru-san!
Of course, Hitori Gotoh understood exactly what Kita was thinking. She even noticed the girl winking at her like crazy, so Bocchi gave a hurried nod in return.
And that's when she remembered, Ryo Yamada hadn't said anything yet.
Crap, Ryo-san will definitely not going to let Kita get close to Haru-san.
As an accomplice, Bocchi would be seen as a nail in the blue-haired bass demon's side, probably doomed to be stuffed in a cement barrel and dumped in Tokyo Bay!
That kind of early-death future was way too terrifying!
"…"
Surprisingly, though, Ryo Yamada didn't try to stop her.
It turned out, this new girl Haru had mentioned earlier had already put Ryo on alert. A girl who could get alone time with Kazami Haru? That was not something in her "memories."
Sure, she was wary of Kita too, but compared to an unknown rival, Ikuyo was the lesser evil. At least Ryo was confident she wouldn't lose to her.
Plus, they were classmates. Maybe she could keep that mysterious girl in check.
"I see. Of course, as long as the payment is MAX Coffee—"
"I'll handle all of it! I'll take responsibility for Haru-san!"
Seeing that he agreed, Kita's face lit up in pure joy. She immediately leaned in with words that sounded way more romantic than they should've, making Haru instinctively take a step back.
"I'll work super hard and support you, Haru-san! Please let me take care of you!"
With a stiff smile, Nijika couldn't help but comment, "Kita-chan? That's kind of… too much…"
Even she could see the dynamics in this band now.
Bocchi was too socially anxious to make anything clear, but Kita clearly had a thing for Haru-san and her best friend Ryo definitely had… complicated feelings too.
What a tangled mess. Is this what being in a rock band is like?
Now Nijika was seriously worried.
If things exploded and both sides wouldn't back down, whose side was she supposed to take?
