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Chapter 234: "It’s Not Like I Like You or Anything!"
🕑 Added 2025-03-30 05:59:44 +0000 UTCA livehouse doesn't host just one rock band and Shinjuku Folt, where Hiroi Kikuri, the boozy older sister figure, often frequented, was no exception.
As the lead singer and lead guitarist of another band stationed at Shinjuku Folt, Yoyoko Ohtsuki could proudly declare that her band was one of the top-tier groups among Shinjuku's youth scene, they even had the chops to hold solo performances.
She was also Hiroi Kikuri's number one fan, calling her "Kikuri-sis" in private. Naturally, she was deeply curious about everything Kikuri did.
So—
"Kikuri-sis has been acting super weird lately!"
Yoyoko gritted her teeth, grumbling to her bandmates:
"She doesn't even come to our gigs anymore! She's always sneaking off to watch that nobodies' band, Kessoku Band!"
"Huh? What's wrong with that?"
Asked Fuko Honjo , their rhythm guitarist, casting Yoyoko a confused glance.
"It's normal for Kikuri-senpai to have her own music preferences, right?"
"Yeah," chimed in Akubi Hasegawa, their masked drummer, scrolling on her phone:
"Besides, she's got terrible drinking habits. Every time she comes to our shows, she's wasted and causing a scene. The audience hates it."
She couldn't forget that one time Kikuri staggered into their gig drunk, threw up everywhere, and completely killed the crowd's mood.
"T-That's part of her charm! Why don't you guys get that?!"
Yoyoko tried to defend Kikuri, flustered at her bandmates' bluntness.
"...Yeah, no, we really don't get it."
"D-Don't talk back! I'm the leader here!"
Yoyoko puffed up like an angry kitten.
Her bandmates exchanged a look, they'd long since gotten used to her easily-flustered personality, and truthfully found it kind of adorable.
Seeing them fall silent, Yoyoko smiled smugly and slapped the table:
"Anyway! Kikuri-sis and our band have always been super close! And now she's distracted by some no-name group? Aren't you all embarrassed?!"
"...Uh, exactly how close are we with Kikuri-senpai again?"
Someone raised their hand.
"Hmph! You guys don't even know!"
Yoyoko boasted: "She often comes over to use my shower, okay?! And she borrows money all the time, I even buy her food!"
She flashed a finger, proudly stating this as evidence of a deep bond.
But...
Her bandmates stared.
She was being used like a personal ATM.
Bundled with shower access.
And yet Yoyoko was completely serious:
"Geez, how could anyone be as gentle and kind as Kikuri-sis?!"
"...Uh, just curious — how much has she borrowed from you?"
"Hmm? Not much. Like 150,000 yen last month."
YOU'RE BEING MILKED DRY!
Her bandmates froze.
150,000 yen?!
Plus showers and meals?
Everyone exchanged glances, grateful they weren't in Yoyoko's shoes.
Getting entangled with Kikuri sounded like a one-way ticket to bankruptcy.
"Anyway, we HAVE to investigate this. Who the heck is Kessoku Band? I need to know."
Yoyoko cleared her throat, straightened her posture then, as if contradicting herself, gave a fake laugh and waved it off:
"Eh, they're probably nobodies. No way their fanbase can beat ours, we're SIDEROS!"
That's right.
Not every band could compete with them.
In just one year, they'd earned serious respect among youth, with over 10,000 followers online as an indie heavy metal band.
Yoyoko's confidence stemmed from that.
And Kessoku Band?
Never heard of them.
Even the name sounded lame.
No way they were on par with SIDEROS!
"In the indie scene, fan count = power!"
Yoyoko declared.
"...She's spouting nonsense again," her bandmates sighed.
While fan count does matter, some amazing bands were still just starting out.
Thankfully, Akubi Hasegawa broke the awkwardness:
"I found Kessoku Band's info. They're on SNS too, like us."
"Let me see!"
Yoyoko snatched the phone, and everyone gathered around.
Then—
"Wait... aren't they just... a beauty and food influencer?!"
Looking at the screen full of makeup and food posts, Yoyoko Ohtsuki angrily threw Akubi Hasegawa's phone onto the couch.
"Is this Kessoku Band even taking their activities seriously?!"
Completely ignoring Akubi's startled "Ah, my phone!", Yoyoko was genuinely baffled.
Why would Kikuri Hiroi, her beloved "big sister" figure, be drawn to a band with barely 50 or 60 SNS followers?
And what the hell was up with Kessoku Band?
If they're calling themselves a rock band, they should act like one!
Why were their posts filled with makeup, filters, and food?
Could Kikuri Hiroi really prefer this "beauty foodie band" over their serious rock act SIDEROS?
Yoyoko couldn't understand it.
She even had the urge to start posting beauty and food content on SIDEROS's own social media tomorrow.
Just then, Yuyu Uchida piped up, as if making a discovery:
"Oh, Kessoku Band has a YouTube channel too."
"Let me guess, more beauty and food videos?"
Yoyoko grumbled, but still peeked at the screen.
The Kessoku Band YouTube channel was minimalist.
Just the name: Kessoku Band, no profile picture, and only three videos posted.
Empty. Bare. Sparse.
"Hmph! is that it? Only three videos? How could they possibly match up to us, SIDEROS?"
She scoffed, her eyes casually scanning the subscriber count.
And then—
Gulp—
"S-Sixty thousand subscribers?!"
Yoyoko's mouth fell open, crimson eyes wide, as the sound of her swallowing hard echoed.
Sixty thousand subscribers!
Even Tokyo Dome, with its 55,000 seats, couldn't contain them all!
"S-Subscriber numbers don't mean everything! As musicians, we should settle this with our music!"
"...Didn't you say earlier, 'follower count equals band power', Ohtsuki-senpai?"
"S-Shut up! Look, they've got a live outdoor performance video — we'll know their true power once we hear it!"
Yoyoko was livid, wasn't 10,000 subscribers already considered amazing?
What was this Kessoku Band doing to get 60,000 subscribers with just three videos?
Was their content that good?
Unable to resist, she clicked on Kessoku Band's outdoor live performance.
And then—
"This song is insanely good!"
"So catchy!"
"Their sound is so polished, we don't stand a chance!"
"That guy on stage is ridiculously good-looking! What's his name? Minami Shouji?"
The members of SIDEROS were in shock.
It was just a solo guitar performance, yet it drew them into the music's world.
The first half was hauntingly oppressive, a plunge into loneliness and despair.
But the latter half exploded in passion, their hearts pounding with the rhythm.
All that oppressive despair was completely swept away in an instant!
It was just a simple guitar performance, yet it felt like it could reach directly into the hearts of its listeners.
Lamenting loneliness...
And then emerging from that loneliness.
"He's incredible... This guy, Minami Shouji."
As a fellow guitarist, Fuko Honjo fixed her gaze on Minami Shouji in the video, strumming with confident power.
She could tell—the video was likely shot on a smartphone or something similar, with only average resolution, and the ambient noise from the venue had been picked up due to the amateur recording.
Yet Minami's masterful technique, his seasoned stage presence, and a guitar sound that tugged at the heartstrings made her completely forget about the poor recording quality.
Perfect music makes up for any equipment shortcomings.
She felt this truth clearly.
"Yoyoko-senpai, what do you think?"
She turned her head, curiously looking at Yoyoko Ohtsuki.
"Hmm? Hmph... Nothing worth getting worked up about."
With arms crossed, Yoyoko's expression was unmoved under Fuko's gaze.
Even faced with such a formidable opponent, her face didn't betray a single flicker of emotion.
This made the rest of SIDEROS exchange glances and nod quietly.
Sure, their leader's obsession with Kikuri Hiroi might be questionable...
But when it came to music, her confidence was rock solid.
Even though all of them were shaken by Minami's performance, their leader remained composed—as if unbothered by such a powerful rival.
Despite that opponent's overwhelming strength.
Just as everyone was thinking this—
"Ugh, I'm bored. I'm going to the bathroom and then heading home. You guys should go home early too."
With a wave of her hand, Yoyoko Ohtsuki pushed the door open and left.
Watching her disappear down the hall, Yuyu Uchida, her long hair flowing behind her, sighed in admiration:
"Yoyoko-senpai really is the lead guitarist of SIDEROS. There's a reason she's our leader."
"Yeah." Akubi Hasegawa nodded. "Even as a drummer, just hearing that guy play gave me chills. That sound really struck something inside me… Maybe only Yoyoko-senpai could stay completely unfazed."
The members of SIDEROS chatted in the break room, praising Kessoku Band's power, while admiring Yoyoko's nerves of steel.
Meanwhile, at the center of their praise.
Yoyoko Ohtsuki had leaned against a wall, her expression beginning to change.
"What the hell?!"
"Is this guy even the same age as us?! How can he be this strong?!"
Her crimson eyes wide, she whipped out her phone, rewatching Minami Shouji's performance again and again.
As if she hadn't felt anything?
No way.
As the one often dubbed the "True Bocchi the Rock" of the series, Yoyoko didn't just feel something.
His performance hit her right in the heart.
She had felt it—the isolation at school, the loneliness of no one to talk to, no one to look at her, no one to acknowledge her.
Even in a crowd, she often felt stranded on an island...
And so Minami Shouji's "I Don't Want to Die Loneliness" wasn't just relatable—it was like it was made for her.
She loved it.
Loved it.
Absolutely loved it.
So much that, as soon as she left the break room, she immediately subscribed to Kessoku Band's YouTube channel.
She even felt a growing impulse...
To go to Shimokitazawa herself, just to watch them live.
"I-It's just reconnaissance! Know your enemy to win, right? I'm definitely NOT a fan of their music or anything like that!"
She muttered defensively, flipping through her schedule for tomorrow.
