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V2 Chapter 7: For a Lifetime!
🕑 Added 2025-05-09 02:46:20 +0000 UTCChihaya Anon was very vain.
Of course, she would never admit it herself.
"Hmm~ What should I do…"
Lazily sprawled on the plush sofa in her upscale apartment, Chihaya Anon, fully relaxed, had on her slightly intellectual-looking black-framed glasses. Her fair little feet dangled in the air, gently swinging.
In front of her sat an expensive electric guitar, which had probably gone slightly out of tune from disuse.
Used by a high school girl, almost brand new!
"These days, the other girls in class are always talking about band stuff. I guess I need to start a band too, or I'll fall behind the trend~ But who should I ask to join?"
Chihaya Anon furrowed her brows in thought, absentmindedly twirling a cherry-pink strand of hair. In her mind appeared the image of Kazami Haru.
She wasn't opposed to starting a band with boys, especially not someone as handsome and easy on the eyes as Kazami Haru. Starting a band with him would instantly make them the center of attention in class.
That would satisfy her vanity big time!
Even though Tomori was a bit introverted and quirky, she was still a popular and cute mascot in class.
As long as she didn't fight her for the lead vocalist position, it would be perfect!
"Whatever, I'll just decide to invite those two first!"
"Oh right! Zuki-chan from class recommended I check out some live houses for band recruitments. The closest one, if I recall, was called… R, R something?"
"Rider?"
Chihaya Anon casually opened her tablet and searched for nearby live houses.
The first one to catch her eye was STARRY in the Shimokitazawa area—not too far, but apparently located underground?
Ugh~ It sounded like the atmosphere would be too gloomy. She preferred bright and trendy places.
"Ah, this is the one~"
RING!
The next day—
"Okay! Please join a band with me!"
Wasting no time after school, Chihaya Anon made her move. She pulled aside Tomori Takamatsu, who was getting ready to go home, and Kazami Haru, who was on his way to work, earnestly inviting them with wide eyes.
Kazami Haru wasn't surprised at all. Honestly, it would've been stranger if Anon hadn't taken the initiative.
Seeing her radiant face, Haru glanced at the uneasy-looking Tomori beside him and spoke slowly: "So, Chihaya-san, you want to start a band that lasts… a lifetime?"
"Exactly!—Wait, no, no… A lifetime? Isn't that a bit too much?!"
She had been intimidated by the term "a lifetime" before—why was that word coming up again now?!
Was it impossible to have a band if it wasn't meant to last forever?!
"Guh…"
Hearing that, Tomori lowered her head slightly, looking a bit disheartened.
Of course, Chihaya Anon noticed the change in her expression. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead.
Even so, she couldn't give up on forming a band. She quickly leaned closer to Tomori, flustered, and began explaining:
"A lifetime is really long! Don't you think it's kind of weird? If we really start a lifelong band, that means you and Kazami-kun will have to be together forever!"
"That's no joke!"
Chihaya Anon lightly grabbed Tomori's shoulders, trying to make her point convincingly.
"To be with Haru… forever?"
"Exactly, exactly! So that's why maybe—"
"I want to."
Chihaya Anon froze. Her beautiful light-gray eyes widened: "Eh?"
"I want to be with Haru. Forever."
At that moment, Kazami Haru also drew a sharp breath.
The instant Tomori looked up and met his gaze, her gaze like a timid little animal stunned him, like a psychic attack, knocking him out of his ability to think.
But in the next second, his strong rational mind brought him back to reality.
Phew, that was close. He had almost fallen for her charm again.
If he hadn't snapped out of it, he might have confessed right then and agreed to be with her for life.
"I always thought this, but Tomori, you're just too natural!"
Chihaya Anon felt her brain exploding. She shook Tomori by the shoulders frantically.
Thank goodness Tomori spoke so quietly and that they were in the back of the classroom—if any classmates had overheard that…
Things could have gotten very complicated!
"Why? I just want to…"
Before Tomori could say anything even more shocking, Chihaya Anon quickly covered her mouth.
"Okay, okay! Let's take a break from the 'forever' talk—how about we just do a small live first?! Just one live show to see how it goes?!"
"Li…ve?"
Seeing a flicker in Tomori's eyes, Chihaya Anon seized the opportunity.
"Yes, exactly!"
"Let's just start the band, do a live performance, and decide the next steps from there!"
"I… want to perform live. But—"
Tomori nervously glanced at Kazami Haru, looking a little sad.
She longed to return to the bright stage and perform music with everyone again. But whenever she thought of Haru collapsing in her "dream," fear gripped her heart.
It was all her fault.
Because she kept chasing her dream of performing at Budokan, Haru had pushed himself to the limit for her.
Kazami Haru noticed the unease on her face. He reached out, gently stroking her soft hair, and spoke softly:
"If you want to do a live show, then let's do it."
"Didn't we already promise each other?"
That single sentence instantly lit up the girl's eyes with joy.
Tomori turned to Chihaya Anon, staring at her so intensely that Anon instinctively let go of her.
"I want to do a live."
"Yay! So that means you're joining the band, right? In that case, Kazami-kun, please join too! I've already thought of the band name!"
Seeing Takamatsu Tomori finally relent and agree to join the band, no longer fixated on her "for life" promise, Chihaya Anon felt a surge of emotion, like she might burst into tears.
Her efforts had finally paid off!
For now, she'd use every trick in the book to sort out Tomori's issue, then leverage Tomori to pull in Kazami Haru, this gorgeous guy, and her ultra-popular, extroverted band would start taking shape!
"I promised to form a band with Tomori, so of course, I'm in."
"But let's think about the band name later…"
The thought of this pink-haired, tiger-toothed girl solemnly declaring "HaruAnon BanG" as a band name in a simulation made Haru have zero faith in Chihaya Anon's naming taste.
Still—
Kazami Haru noticed the subtle shift in Takamatsu Tomori's expression just now, and a faint guess began to form in her mind.
