Chapter 100

Bocchi was startled.

Ishikawa Hayato realized he had frightened her, so he quickly expressed his thoughts directly.

"Just say what you like and dislike. Using mind-reading is exhausting."

After he finished speaking, he continued to look up. Although he couldn't see Bocchi's face, he could sense that Bocchi was still thinking.

However, after a long while, he heard Bocchi's slow, firm, and solemn voice.

"I will agree with any idea Hayabusa has, because there is nothing I hate more than opposing Hayabusa."

Although Ishikawa Hayato was somewhat happy, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

Is this situation unavoidable?

He had no choice but to change his words.

"Bocchi, make a promise with me: from now on, you'll tell me everything you hate. If you don't, you're going against me."

"Eh~!" Bocchi exclaimed, looking troubled.

Ishikawa Hayato chuckled quietly, as if in triumph.

87. Running swiftly

If people could freely control their perceived time, making the time they feel happy seem slower and the time they experience torment and boredom seem faster.

That would probably make life much easier.

Bocchi was afraid of the passing of time. She had been sitting there for a while, on the lush grass and under the bright leaves.

She didn't know when it started, but she gradually came to love the vast, uninhabited natural world, apart from that small, enclosed space.

But this slight liking is insignificant compared to her fondness for the boy lying on her lap.

Now the person I love has shed their invincible armor and is resting against me.

It made her feel intensely needed, and that she was doing something for him; this feeling made her feel like she was in paradise.

She didn't want time to pass.

She was a little afraid that if the conversation stopped, Ishikawa Hayato would stand up.

Hearing how much he wanted her to be more herself, Bocchi finally asked the question that had been bothering her for a long time.

"Well, Hayabusa, I'm actually quite curious about what answer Hayabusa said he couldn't give me right now on the day of swimming lesson?"

She didn't understand why this small issue had to be kept in the open.

The boy lying on her lap remained motionless, perhaps worried that her hair was prickly to him.

He asked to confirm.

"Do you mean you want me to take swimming lessons?"

When Ishikawa Hayato saw Bocchi nod and shake his head, he looked at the blinding light above for a moment, then asked to confirm.

"Bocchi doesn't want to go to swimming lessons, does he?"

Bocchi hesitated for a long time before answering.

"Um."

Looking at the hemisphere above, Ishikawa Hayato couldn't help but recall what he had seen Bocchi in the locker room that day.

"The answer is that I don't want Bocchi to have swimming lessons; I want to be the only one who can see Bocchi's swimsuit."

Bocchi froze. She was already reluctant to go, and now that she understood what Ishikawa Hayato meant, she immediately regretted her stubbornness in going to class last time.

She said weakly, her voice trembling with grief.

"Hawk~ Please tell the teacher I'm never going to swim lessons again."

Ishikawa Hayato remained silent.

After school, in the rehearsal room at STARYY.

After rehearsing their new song "That Band" once, Nijika still couldn't help but marvel at Bocchi's performance.

From the day of the audition, Bocchi's playing level improved to a level close to that of Guitar Hero.

If you're a fan of Guitar Hero, you'll probably recognize him immediately, but if there are outsiders around, he'll just be the same ordinary Bocchi from before.

Even so, her transformation spurred the others to practice even harder, and within just one week, they could feel the difference in their music.

Besides Bocchi, even Ishikawa Hayato was like that; he seemed to have stopped pretending, and his skills improved rapidly.

He quickly approached Bocchi's level, that superb skill that gripped the heart with every note.

If Liang hadn't let him solo for a while, she wouldn't have noticed that he was already at a near-professional level.

As for the band's weaknesses, Kita is now at least not making any mistakes and can play a piece steadily.

They have the talent, and they have original songs.

Nijika felt that their time to soar to new heights was approaching.

During her break, she looked at the four people in the rehearsal room.

Kita was asking Bocchi for help with the parts she hadn't played well, Ryo was yawning while leaning against the wall with her bass, and Ishikawa Hayato was watching the two practicing.

Everything is fine, except for one thing.

Lately, Ryo seems to be deliberately being indifferent to Kita, but she doesn't know if it's just her imagination, since Ryo has always been like that.

Nijika stopped her uncertain thoughts.

Seeing Kita play the part he hadn't been able to play smoothly with Kita, she gently clapped her hands to remind the others, and said...

"Everyone, are you free this Thursday?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Ishikawa Hayato said almost definitively.

"Street performance?"

"That's right!"

Ishikawa Hayato Nijika with satisfaction, then looked at the others with a gentle smile.

"Thursday?" Kita, holding his guitar, looked up slightly, thought for a moment, and then quickly smiled and said.

"Absolutely no problem."

"Hmm." Bocchi nodded. She was available around the clock and was rarely busy.

Ryomi and the others all agreed, and he gave instructions to Ishikawa Hayato.

"Falcon, prepare your strength."

"Even though the result is the same anyway, at least be a little more considerate and make me feel better."

Ishikawa Hayato didn't need to ask to know what Ryo meant. After he finished speaking, he saw Ryo reveal a smug smile that he would never change.

In the evening, after cleaning up, it was time to welcome guests.

Everyone went to their respective posts, but Ryo saw Ishikawa Hayato stop next to Kita and greeted him directly.

"Falcon, come to the front desk and help me."

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at her, then turned to look at Kita beside him, whose gaze was complicated. She looked slightly disappointed, but said nothing.

Liang didn't stop and went straight to the front desk.

She seemed to be radiating a low-pressure aura, as if to say, "If you don't do this, don't come looking for me again."

After she left, Kita glanced at Ishikawa Hayato, who hadn't moved, and asked...

"Ishikawa-kun, aren't we going over there?"

"She tells me to go over, so I go?"

After leaving those words with a smile, Ishikawa Hayato walked towards the front desk. Kita watched him walk away, feeling that something was off.

Perhaps because it's a weekday, the guests didn't arrive as early as they would on a weekend.

On weekends, people arrive early at the store to wait for the performance as soon as it opens.

Ishikawa Hayato has been here for over a month, and he's become familiar with the regulars. For some customers, coming here isn't just for the performances, but out of habit.

Even on days without performances, they would still come over, habitually order a drink, and watch the bands that were using the venue for rehearsals and auditions.

Thinking this, Ishikawa Hayato had already walked to the front desk.

He saw Liang with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall, offering him the seat at the front desk.

This scene looks familiar.

He suddenly remembered the time when the two of them had tried to increase the band's fame.

He sat down in the chair without ceremony and said.

"It hurts me to see you being bullied like this."

He knew that Liang wasn't really angry just now, but was just pretending.

It was obviously set up intentionally for Kita to see.

"Then why don't you keep your distance from Kita? She's not a good match for you and Bocchi."

A cold voice came from behind.

Ishikawa Hayato had excellent hearing; he didn't hear anything behind him, and she remained leaning back in the same position.

He didn't turn around, but glanced to the side. In the corner of his line of sight, Kita was secretly watching what was happening.

Then, the way she quickly looked away was incredibly cute.

He said.

"So these past few days, it's been like you've been deliberately interrupting my conversations with her, Kita has noticed it too."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Liang seemed to be forcing him to make a choice.

Ishikawa Hayato rested his chin on his hand.

He still didn't know what Liang was thinking when he did this.

Cat-like girls can sometimes have neurotic ideas, especially someone like her who's a bit wild.

He recalled that Ryo probably started to reject Kita after the day they went to his house together.

Ishikawa Hayato quickly understood. He turned around and asked Ryo.

"You don't think I'm planning to secretly date them one by one, do you?"

Liang looked down at him.

Ishikawa Hayato saw the answer in Ryou's eyes and said with a smile.

"Liang is so kind; she actually thought of me."

"I'm just worried you'll break up the band."

"Oh."

The two looked at each other, then Liang seemed to realize something and looked away as she spoke.

"I went on an adventure this weekend."

"Okay, we need to take safety precautions."

Liang looked at him with disdain and kicked the chair he was sitting in.

Thursday is fast approaching.

That day, they asked Seika for leave. Actually, it wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't asked for leave, since there were no performances at the store that day.