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Chapter 299: Yamada-san Has Never Been Reliable
🕑 Added 2025-04-20 09:52:01 +0000 UTCMusit Rec: Staple Stable
...
Matsuzaka Satou awoke with a start.
Her breath trembled.
Her gaze drifted toward the ceiling—blank, empty, devoid of anything—
And yet, tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.
They wouldn't stop.
She didn't even know why.
But after spending so much time with Minami, she finally understood.
This emotion surging inside her—
It was grief.
And that grief, paired with the countless memories flickering through her mind—
Something else welled up in her chest.
Something she couldn't quite describe.
She walked to the window, reaching out.
Drawing back the curtains, she stared at the world beyond.
And in that moment—
A sudden, overwhelming impulse crashed over her.
She wanted to see him.
She wanted to see him, badly.
Right now.
To tell him everything in her heart.
It was an impulse.
A sudden, irrational impulse.
The old Matsuzaka Satou would have been confused by such an emotion.
But with the fragmented memories now surfacing in her mind—she understood exactly what this feeling meant.
"This is love."
Placing a hand over her chest, Matsuzaka Satou murmured softly.
Yes.
This was love.
Not possessive, not selfish—just a love that wished for Minami's happiness. For his happiness, and hers, and theirs.
She wanted to see Minami.
And she wanted to see the others from her dream—the ones beyond Kessoku Band.
This time, she wouldn't let it end in regret.
She wanted to journey with them.
The pink-haired girl pressed her palm against the glass window.
Gazing out at the scenery—
She made her silent wish.
And yet, she was not the only one feeling this way.
Somewhere else, another girl sat with a coffee cup in hand, unable to keep her mind at ease.
"Was that… really just a dream?"
Futaba Rio whispered, staring at the steam rising from her coffee.
This wasn't the first time she had experienced such a real dream.
In that dream, she—along with Minami, Nishikigi Chisato, and Inoue Takina—had gotten married.
At the time, Futaba Rio had brushed it off as nothing more than a dream.
It had felt vivid, yes. But dreams were just dreams.
She liked Minami, but she wasn't so delusional as to believe in a dream like that.
That was her scientific mindset—always rational, always logical.
But this time…
This time, the dream had shaken her.
Because it felt too real.
And in that dream, there had been someone else—
A pink-haired girl named Matsuzaka Satou.
Her image, her presence—engraved into Rio's mind like an unshakable memory.
Gently, Rio ran her fingers along the coffee cup.
The warmth against her fingertips grounded her, pulling her thoughts back to reality.
She took a slow sip, exhaling.
One person cannot simply imagine a stranger they have never seen before.
She had met Gotoh Hitori and the others from Kessoku Band at the Cultural Festival.
She had met Nishikigi Chisato and Inoue Takina while working at LycoReco.
That was why she could dream about them.
But Matsuzaka Satou?
She had never seen or heard of anyone by that name before.
And yet, her name and face were so clear in Rio's mind.
That wasn't scientific.
Unless…
"…Unless she really exists."
Rio murmured to herself.
Yes.
Unless Matsuzaka Satou truly exists somewhere in this world.
Unless, in some parallel universe, some alternate timeline, she really had loved Minami—
A love so deep that it transcended time itself.
Rio drained the last of her now-cool coffee.
She couldn't quite put into words what she was feeling.
Was it anticipation for the dream to be real?
Or was it something else?
Was it the thought of Minami marrying her—of her name being written into the family registery as 'Rio Shouji'?
The thought made her hand tighten around her cup.
This night was destined to be a restless one.
For those who had already confirmed their feelings, dreams were meaningless.
They could sleep peacefully.
But for Kita Ikuyo—
This night was a nightmare.
"W-why did I have that kind of embarrassing dream again?!"
At school, Kita Ikuyo was the brightest star, radiating confidence and warmth.
But right now—
Her usual cheerful demeanor was nowhere to be found.
Her entire face was burning red.
Especially when she remembered how, in the dream, she had been so aggressively forward as one of Minami's nine wives.
Her blush deepened.
Burying her face into her pillow, she let out a muffled scream.
"Aaaahhhhhh!!!"
What the hell?!
What the actual hell?!
Having one weird dream about marrying Minami was one thing.
She could justify that—maybe it was because he had tutored her, maybe it was because they shared the same love for music.
But this time?!
All nine of them marrying him?!
That was insane.
And even crazier—
She had never even met Futaba Rio or Matsuzaka Satou!
So why were they in her dream?
Kita groaned, rolling onto her side.
It felt like tiny little figures were running circles inside her head, screaming about how confusing this all was.
To be honest…
If Minami Shouji weren't already in a relationship with someone…
Then, given her personality, she'd probably approach him without hesitation, strike up a conversation, and naturally become his girlfriend.
But…
"That's Minami-senpai we're talking about! He's already dating Hitori-chan, Ryo-senpai, and Nijika-senpai at the same time!"
She let out a conflicted groan.
That's right.
Minami Shouji was already in a relationship with three members of the band simultaneously.
No matter how she looked at it, no matter how she thought about it, this wasn't normal.
And yet, despite that, she couldn't stop thinking about him—even when he was the kind of person who could juggle three relationships at once.
This was ridiculous!
Kita Ikuyo slowly pulled her face out of her pillow.
Not because her embarrassment had faded.
But because she could literally feel herself running out of oxygen, forcing her to lift her head.
"…Is there even a place for me?"
She couldn't help but murmur to herself.
Not just in reality.
Even in the memories of her dream—
Minami Shouji would eventually go on to marry not just those three, but eight other women as well.
Was there still a place for her by his side?
The answer to that question was difficult to find.
Kita Ikuyo pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer.
Tangled in uncertainty and turmoil—
She made a decision.
She would ask her most respected senpai, Yamada Ryo, about the dream lingering in her mind.
After all, in her eyes, Yamada Ryo was by far the most reliable person in the band. That ever-serious, expressionless face made her seem like the perfect person to consult.
Of course, more than anything, Kita wanted to ask—
If she really did try to step in,
What would the others in the band think of her?
With that thought, she slowly picked up her phone.
But when she saw the time displayed on the screen—2:46 AM—she hesitated again.
On one hand, she worried that Yamada Ryo might already be fast asleep and wouldn't see her message.
On the other, she feared hearing a response that completely shut down her hopes.
These conflicting emotions swirled together—
Mixing with the confusion already brewing inside her heart.
In the end—
She took a deep breath.
And summoned the courage she prided herself on as Shuka High's social butterfly, sending Yamada Ryo a message.
[Eek! Gotta be the most positive person: Ryo-senpai! Sorry for messaging so late, but if you see this, could you please reply? There's something really important I need to talk to you about.]
Her fingers danced across the screen.
Never before had the red-haired girl been this nervous while chatting with someone on LINE.
The moment she hit send—
She put her phone down.
Feeling restless, she stood up, deciding to get a glass of water to calm herself.
It was already so late at night.
There was a high chance Yamada Ryo wouldn't respond.
If that happened, she'd just have to take a deep breath, relax, and try again tomorrow.
But just as she set her phone down and got up to get some water—
Just as she sent the message, her phone chimed with a ding—a LINE notification.
"...Huh?"
Kita Ikuyo froze mid-step.
She stared at her phone screen in disbelief.
It was already past 2:30 AM.
How was it possible for Yamada Ryo to not only read but also reply instantly…?
And yet, the reality was right in front of her.
A new message from Yamada Ryo had appeared on the chat screen.
[Lone Bass Freak: Ikuyo? Have you made up your mind? Gonna marry Minami?]
"—Cough!?"
Kita Ikuyo choked on air, coughing violently.
If getting an instant reply was already surprising,
Then this message—so eerily on point, like Ryo had read her mind—
Completely threw her off balance.
And marriage?!
What was she even talking about?!
She and Minami-senpai weren't even in that kind of relationship!
They weren't even dating, and yet Ryo was already bringing up marriage—Kita couldn't control her emotions and immediately started typing a reply.
[Eek! Gotta be the most positive person: Ryo-senpai, it's really late! Stop saying weird things. I actually have something important I need to discuss with you.]
She made sure to use polite language, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter, making it clear that Ryo couldn't just joke around as usual.
But the moment she hit send—
Ryo's reply came instantly.
[Lone Bass Freak: Oh? I thought you were here to ask how to join me, Bocchi, and Nijika in the 'Romantic Minami Shouji Alliance.' Guess not?]
"..." Kita Ikuyo.
No, hold on—
That name alone was already beyond weird.
And what did she mean by join them?!
She had never said anything about that!
She was about to type another reply when—
Ding!
Another message arrived.
[Lone Bass Freak: You're here because of that dream, aren't you? You want to ask if we'd accept you. I figured you'd contact me, so I stayed up to wait for you.]
Kita's fingers froze over the screen.
Her heart skipped a beat.
[Eek! Gotta be the most positive person: Ryo, you had that dream too?!]
Forgetting even to add "senpai," she sent the message in shock.
And once again, Yamada Ryo confirmed her suspicion.
[Lone Bass Freak: Yeah. I also had that dream where the nine of us all married Minami.]
[Lone Bass Freak: You're really torn up about this, aren't you?]
Of course.
Of course Ryo-senpai would get it!
She really was reliable!
Reading Ryo's words, Kita Ikuyo suddenly felt her confidence surge.
That sharp, all-knowing way Ryo spoke—
Made her feel like this consultation might actually help.
[Eek! Gotta be the most positive person: Then, what do you think, Ryo-senpai?]
Ryo's typing paused for a moment.
Then, her answer came.
[Lone Bass Freak: This isn't something you should be asking me. You should be asking yourself.]
A brief silence.
Then—
[Lone Bass Freak: Instead of asking for my opinion, why don't you ask yourself… do you like Minami?]
"Uh—"
Kita Ikuyo stiffened.
She had been waiting for Ryo's response, but—
Ryo didn't wait for her to process it before continuing.
[Lone Bass Freak: If you do, then there's no need to hesitate. Just do what you think is right. Asking me, Nijika, or Bocchi won't change anything—because liking someone is your right.]
"...My right?"
Kita Ikuyo stared at the message, deep in thought.
Did she like Minami Shouji?
That question wasn't hard to answer.
She knew very well.
She admired him—the way he constantly looked out for Kessoku Band, the way he protected them, supported them.
She did like him.
Then, by Yamada Ryo's logic—
She had the right to like Minami Shouji.
But—
[Lone Bass Freak: But your real struggle isn't about whether you like Minami, is it? It's about whether he likes you.]
The words popped up on the screen.
And with that single message—
Kita Ikuyo completely surrendered to Ryo's insight.
Tonight, Yamada Ryo was simply too reliable.
Even through a phone screen—
It felt like she could see straight into her heart.
Yeah…
Even if she liked Minami Shouji…
If, in the end, Minami Shouji didn't like her back—
Wouldn't the result be the same either way?
But since Yamada Ryo had brought up this topic, she probably had some kind of solution in mind, right?
Thinking this,
Kita Ikuyo stared at her phone screen.
Sure enough—
Another message from Yamada Ryo popped up.
[Lone Bass Freak: Ugh, I'm so sleepy. Let's just cut to the chase. I'll tell you exactly how to win over Minami's heart.]
It was happening.
Kita Ikuyo sat up straight, eyes locked on the screen.
[Lone Bass Freak: Listen carefully. If you really want to steal Minami's heart, then you absolutely must…]
…
Waiting.
A long, agonizing wait.
Kita Ikuyo widened her eyes, terrified of missing even a single word from her love mentor, Yamada Ryo.
However—
No reply came.
It was only then that Kita finally realized—
"Wait! WAIT! Ryo-senpai!"
Kita Ikuyo started frantically tapping her phone, her mouth hanging open.
"DON'T FALL ASLEEP HERE!! If you stop at this part, I won't be able to sleep all night!!"
She desperately called out to the person on the other end,
Even sending multiple messages and trying to call several times.
But—
It was pointless.
On the other side of the phone, Yamada Ryo had already collapsed onto her bed, her soft, steady breathing proof that she was deeply, completely asleep.
Miss Yamada had never, not once, been reliable.
