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V2 Chapter 35: Thank You, Sakiko
🕑 Added 2025-05-12 01:11:02 +0000 UTCSo warm.
It was like being curled up in a fluffy winter blanket, comfortable and safe. Like sunlight on a chilly morning, warm but never blinding. A gentle heat that wrapped around her body, with the faint scent of flowers lingering in the air.
It felt like a dream—one where even someone like her, so shadowy and gloomy, stood in the middle of a brilliant sunflower field. Golden waves of blossoms glittering under the sun, rolling like glowing tides...
Gotoh Hitori had never felt so at peace.
Hmm? Was that a woman with short green hair and a parasol?
"Ah..."
Just as the dream was getting good, she woke up.
She slowly opened her drowsy eyes, still groggy.
Above her was a wide, cloudless blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds lazily drifting by. The scene was so peaceful it put her at ease.
Her body felt light, there was nothing to fear anymore.
"Oh, you're awake, Bocchi?"
That voice pulled her back. She turned her head and saw a handsome black-haired boy staring straight at her with calm eyes.
He was so close that her brain took a few seconds to catch up.
And then—
"Yaaaah!!"
With a scream louder than any she'd made all month, Gotoh Hitori shot upright and bolted like a startled rabbit, hopping away at full speed.
Sweat poured down her forehead in rivers.
W-where was she?
This looked like the streets of Shimokitazawa...
Wasn't she on the way to STARRY?
Then why was she here? And why was she that close to Haru? In a freaking bridal carry, no less?!
She'd been held?
By Haru, the cool rock guy who was exactly her type?!
She was mortified, but also secretly overjoyed. Her heart pounded, but instead of panic, she felt... happy?
And even a little sad that she'd left that warm embrace...
"You finally woke up, Gotoh-san."
A calm and familiar voice cut through her fantasy like a blade.
She turned, neck creaking stiffly, and saw Kita Ikuyo standing nearby, holding her black guitar case.
Her usual glowing face was clouded over, her eyes dim.
Kita Ikuyo was in maximum despair mode.
"Ki-Kita-san...?"
"I was holding your guitar the whole time, you know."
Kita's lips were tight, her usually starry eyes dim and cloudy. Her expression twisted with envy and disappointment. Her head even drooped slightly from sheer dejection.
"Th-thank you so much!"
Bocchi's whole body broke out in goosebumps.
Wait, does that mean Haru really carried her all this time? And Kita was just standing there, watching the whole thing?!
I'm doomed...
"You were only out for like five minutes. Any longer and I would've collapsed," Haru said, rubbing his sore arms. Good thing Bocchi was light, and that his endurance skill had leveled up after the last simulation.
"I'm so sorry!!!"
"I'm just a worthless bottom-feeding organism like a paramecium! I've committed an unforgivable sin by making you carry me! I'll cut my stomach open with a guitar as penance! Please don't break off our friendship!"
"If Haru cuts me off, my life will lose all meaning!!"
Realizing she had committed such a "sin," Gotoh Hitori instantly dropped into a flawless sliding dogeza.
Her kneeling motion was so smooth and practiced, it made people wonder just how many times she must've done it to get that good.
"That's fine, just treat me to some chocolate swirl bread from Yamabuki later."
"Eh? That's… all?"
Gotoh Hitori's expression remained stiff. After all, she'd just made the not-so-athletic Kazami Haru carry her the whole way, and all he wanted in return was a little pastry?
If it were Ryo-senpai instead, she probably would've demanded a full bridal dowry on the spot.
Still, why did Kita-san beside her look like she was about to cry...?
"Well, now that my hands are free, I should grab something to eat."
Kazami Haru quickly bought a batch of takoyaki from a nearby stall. The steaming hot balls were topped with generous flakes of seaweed and meat floss. The savory octopus aroma made a smile appear on his face.
If it weren't for the simulation reward from Sakiko-sensei, he wouldn't have dared to splurge like this.
Thank you, Sakiko.
You're the best.
"Kita, want some?"
"Really?!"
Kita Ikuyo instantly perked up, her earlier gloom forgotten. With her naturally cheerful nature, she bounced right back, her smile radiant, cheeks tinged with a soft blush.
"Um… I'm holding my guitar, so it's kinda hard…"
"H-Haru-san… c-could you feed me?"
Her face was a soft peach pink as she gently shifted her fingers around her guitar strap. The luster returned to her bright red hair, brought back to life by her sunny energy.
Haru didn't think too much of it and simply picked up the most loaded takoyaki with a skewer, holding it out to her lips.
Kita Ikuyo took small, dainty bites, practically glowing with bliss.
Heaven.
Gotoh Hitori breathed a subtle sigh of relief upon seeing Kita fully recover her spirits.
One crisis averted, at least.
...
Shimokitazawa, STARRY—
"Oh? So Bocchi fainted and Haru carried her all the way here?"
Yamada Ryo's flat, emotionless tone made Gotoh Hitori go pale with cold sweat.
This crisis was far from over!
She had completely forgotten the biggest threat, Ryo-san!
"Hmph…"
Yamada Ryo glanced toward Bocchi with unreadable golden eyes. A strange gleam flashed across them before she turned to Kazami Haru.
Suddenly, she placed a hand on her forehead, looking utterly drained.
"Ah… I fainted too."
Thunk.
With that, she closed her eyes and collapsed dramatically toward Haru.
Her deadpan voice and flat expression made the act so unconvincing that even Ijichi Nijika couldn't help but comment, "If you're going to fake it, at least try to be a little more believable!"
"Also, we're supposed to be here for a meeting and rehearsal, right? Haru-san isn't working today, so we need to make good use of the time!"
Nijika gave Ryo a light karate chop on the head with her hand, snapping her out of her performance.
"I don't need to work for a while. Tomori's band is just about finalized, so I should have more time to practice here and prep for the live."
"No more part-time job?"
Yamada Ryo latched onto that phrase immediately. She leaned in suspiciously and gave Haru a quick sniff.
Hmm. No trace of another girl's perfume.
Just shampoo. Did he change brands recently?
"So, you made money playing pachinko?"
"Lend me some."
Yamada Ryo held out both hands like a child asking for allowance.
Seeing that expression, Haru immediately remembered all the times she borrowed money, and never paid it back. Not to mention meals he'd covered. His forehead throbbed with suppressed rage.
In every sense.
"You haven't paid back what you owe me."
Ryo's lips curled up slightly in amusement. "Being too stingy with girls is why you'll stay single, Haru~"
Of course she had no intention of paying it back. Even if she had the money.
That debt was just another excuse to keep in contact.
"Then don't pay me back. Just marry me and call it even."
Haru threw the line out casually, but it made Ryo's eyes widen slightly.
Even Nijika flushed bright red, fumbling for a response.
"Okay, deal."
With no hesitation, Ryo began unbuttoning her collar like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The moment she did, Haru quickly reached out to stop her.
Even the normally composed Haru was dumbfounded by her decisiveness.
They were in a LiveHouse, after all?!
He might've been tempted—but no, just no.
"Haru, are you shy? Then—"
Before she could finish, Nijika's pigtails bounced forward as she shoved a soft bread roll directly into Ryo's mouth.
"STOP! STOP!!"
"Idiot Ryo! What are you even saying?! You can't just agree to Haru's joke and actually start undressing! Have some sense of personal boundaries!"
"And this is my LiveHouse, not a LoveHouse!"
Nijika was so flustered her ears turned red as she scolded her bandmate, face puffed in embarrassment.
But the blue-haired gremlin just kept chewing her bread like nothing had happened.
She had skipped lunch earlier, so a surprise snack was perfect.
Knowing that lecturing Ryo was futile, Nijika turned her frustration toward Haru.
"And you too, Haru-san! What kind of guy casually makes those kinds of dirty jokes?!"
How was I supposed to know she'd actually start undressing?!
Haru screamed inwardly.
He never imagined his ex-wife No. 1 would be this… aggressive.
"Ahaha~ Haru-san is a teenage boy, after all. A little innuendo now and then is perfectly normal!"
Kita Ikuyo jumped in to cover for him, wearing her usual sunshine smile.
Though she herself had nearly blurted out, "Then let me marry you!" when she heard the line earlier.
But if she'd said that, it'd basically be a confession...
"We are a rock band."
"Ryo, don't agree with that!"
...
After a good deal of chaos, a huffing Nijika finally managed to settle everyone down.
Looking around at her bandmates, she sighed. It felt like she was a preschool teacher wrangling a bunch of problem children.
Exhausted, she muttered, "Alright, let's officially start our first band meeting!"
Clap, clap, clap...
Only Gotoh Hitori and Kita Ikuyo politely applauded. Haru kept an eye on Ryo from beside Bocchi, she was the only one who truly flustered him.
"Ahem. First item, our band name!"
Finally, two weeks into forming the band, they remembered this crucial detail.
Haru wasn't even surprised.
After all, MyGO still hadn't picked a name thanks to Anon. At least this band was thinking about it before their first live show.
Otherwise, they'd have to call themselves "Unnamed Band" on stage...
"Anyone got ideas?"
Captain Nijika smiled energetically, looking around.
Yamada Ryo raised her hand first like an elementary schooler, casually suggesting:
"King Crimson."
"Hey! Don't just throw in a jojo reference and skip the whole process!"
"Band names are important! What are we supposed to call ourselves on stage otherwise?!"
Following her lead, Kazami Haru raised his hand too.
"Montelli."
"Why does that sound like an Italian mafia name?! Can't anyone come up with something more youthful and normal?!"
Kita's suggestions were too trendy and mainstream, which Ryo didn't care for. Asking Bocchi to name the band would be a disaster.
Out of options, they finally settled on the self-deprecating joke name: "Kessoku Band."
...
"For social media stuff, I've been casually posting some photos," Nijika said. "But I think Kita-chan would be a better fit for that. She's more suited for it."
She gave Kita a trusting look. Compared to the unreliable Ryo and occasionally competent Haru, Kita was easily the most normal one here.
"Leave it to me! I've always been good at taking photos for Twitter! I'm super good with the camera!"
Kita's eyes sparkled with excitement. She had a great idea.
"Let's take some practice shots first~ Haru-san, smile!"
Before anyone could react, Kita snuggled up next to Haru, held up a peace sign, and snapped a picture with a beaming smile.
YES! A selfie with Haru!
GET! Daze!
This one's going on my lock screen!
"..."
Yamada Ryo, even though she saw what happened, couldn't stop it because she was too far away. She clicked her tongue quietly.
Tch. Sneaky little Ikuyo...
"Ahem, Bocchi-chan, let's take one too?"
To avoid being too obvious about wanting photos with Haru, Kita quickly turned and invited Bocchi for a picture too.
Though as soon as the camera pointed at her, Bocchi froze like a statue.
Still, as a certified extrovert, Kita was an amazing photographer. Despite Bocchi's stiffness, she managed to find the perfect angle and made her look great in the shot.
"Ta-da~ What do you think? Pretty good, right?"
"Oh! It's really well taken! Then I hereby appoint Kita-chan as our Social Media Minister!"
Among everyone present, perhaps only Nijika hadn't noticed anything off.
Clueless and cheerful, she kept chatting about band-related topics, unaware that while Kita Ikuyo had a sunny smile on her face, the corner of her eye was secretly watching Ryo's reaction.
Only when she confirmed that Ryo didn't seem bothered by her interaction with Haru did she finally breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Could it be that Ryo-senpai doesn't like Haru that much after all? If she did have to compete with Ryo-senpai for him, Kita didn't think she'd have much of a chance...
Just then, Nijika clapped her hands together, beaming brightly. "Since we're at it, how about we all meet up after school this Friday to shoot some band promo videos and photos? Haru and Bocchi haven't had a proper photoshoot yet!"
"I have plans this Friday, sorry."
Kazami Haru shook his head gently, drawing everyone's attention.
"Eh? You're working again?"
"No, I've already made an appointment with someone else to teach her guitar."
Her?
That single word instantly put Yamada Ryo on alert.
Who is "her"?
