Chapter 118

"Haha, yes, I was really happy in the end."

Kita noticed that Hiroi Kikuri was looking at her, and responded accordingly.

Hiroi Kikuri seemed to sense her inner turmoil, and pointed her wine glass at Kita as if to say something.

"Kita- chan's 'Listen to me!' was so refreshing today! It really ignited the atmosphere in the venue."

"That's a bit..."

Kita have been fine if she hadn't thought about it, but now that she's thinking about it, she feels like she went too far, yelling at the audience.

Seeing that Kita was still not relaxed, Hiroi Kikuri, slightly drunk, reminded her.

"Hey, Kita- chan, let me teach you. Next time the atmosphere at a venue isn't getting warmed up, just..."

Kita heard Hiroi Kikuri say that, he looked at her seriously.

She knew that the silence before the performance had put a lot of pressure on them, and she had thought about it after going offstage, but couldn't find an answer.

At this point, with someone to guide her, she naturally hopes to learn some methods from the experienced person.

But what she saw was that Hiroi Kikuri was smiling, resting her elbow on the table, with her other four fingers tucked into her palm, and only her middle finger sticking straight up.

Kita was stunned for a moment, his head filled with question marks.

Hiroi Kikuri continued, "Oh, when Kita -chan sang that line, I wanted to see Kita make that gesture."

As she was speaking, she didn't notice a terrifying dark figure approaching from the side.

She didn't realize what was happening until her outstretched finger was grabbed, and she looked to the side.

Seika had just turned away from watching Bocchi and her sister order food when she expressionlessly grabbed Hiroi Kikuri's raised middle finger.

Instantly, Hiroi Kikuri was covered in cold sweat.

"Wait, wait... Senior, this is my food... Ouch, ouch, ouch!!"

"Kita, don't learn anything from this person; she's rotten to the core."

While holding Hiroi Kikuri's fingers as she continued to wail, Seika spoke to Kita.

Kita Kexiduo breathed a sigh of relief, Liang patted her on the shoulder and said something to her with a surprised expression.

"This person's performance style is quite good."

Although Liang didn't say it directly, her eyes clearly conveyed the message that 'it's worth learning'.

"Eh..." Kita let out a long sigh.

Once Liang started talking about something that interested her, she became very talkative.

"He sprayed alcohol on the guests, sang while completely drunk, and stomped on the audience's faces while cursing at them..."

Kita was completely dumbfounded, his eyes darting around.

"It's cold! It's cold! Stop talking! Stop talking! Senior, my hand, my hand is going to break!!"

A piercing scream came from Hiroi Kikuri nearby.

The lively celebration lasted for a long time. When everyone said that their enthusiasm for the festivities had waned, Nijika's gaze inadvertently swept over Ishikawa Hayato, and she stood up.

She said with a smile.

Excuse me.

He then stepped down from his seat.

Everyone else assumed she was just going to the restroom and didn't pay much attention.

After joking and laughing with the others for a bit and drinking a few beverages, Ishikawa Hayato also stood up and left his seat.

He walked around in a small circle towards the outside.

As soon as I stepped out of the store, a cool, damp breeze swept by, and then seemed to blow endlessly.

The streets were wet, and the streetlights looked like they were stuck in the reflections.

As his gaze shifted, he saw Nijika's ponytail and sleeves swaying in the wind.

She stood at the shop entrance, one hand gripping the other behind her back, her gaze fixed upwards.

At this moment, she made no attempt to hide it, revealing an expression of utter helplessness.

Upon hearing Ishikawa Hayato's footsteps, she let out a soft sigh, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Hayato-kun is indeed very perceptive."

102. Capture

Cicadas are a symbol of summer; they are small creatures that are annoying to hear but leave a lingering sense of nostalgia after they disappear.

They lie prone in the soil for years or even decades, and then emerge in the summer to witness the sunshine and rain.

Their tiny bodies adorned the entire summer.

But the long period of time did not give them robust bodies; they were too fragile, so fragile that after the typhoon, even the cicadas' chirping, which was ubiquitous in the city, completely disappeared.

The only sounds on the deserted streets were the whistling wind and the dripping of water from the eaves.

Ishikawa Hayato walked over to Nijika and stood next to Nijika, stepping on the wet ground.

The two stood very close, past the distance between friends, but Nijika did not step back.

"Because it was Nijika who called me."

Ishikawa Hayato became slightly more serious.

His reaction surprised Nijika. She turned her surprised gaze from the sky and looked at Ishikawa Hayato.

But her eyes met his unintentionally, and his deep brown eyes gave her a sense of profound depth, so she quickly looked away.

"Hayato-kun's actions always surprise me."

She spoke as if she were making excuses for herself.

After gradually calming down, she found what she wanted to say.

Nijika smiled and asked Ishikawa Hayato beside her.

"Hayato-kun, you know that Bocchi-chan is Guitar Hero, right?"

"Yes, I knew from the beginning."

Ishikawa Hayato wasn't surprised at all that Nijika had discovered this.

Recently, Bocchi has demonstrated a remarkably high level of skill in both rehearsals and performances, so it's no surprise that he's been discovered.

"I see... So, from the beginning, Hayato-kun wanted to Bocchi-chan into the band."

Nijika's eyebrows curved slightly as she happily turned her head; her smile was sweeter than honey.

Looking at her beautiful and happy expression, Ishikawa Hayato couldn't resist teasing her.

He spoke with a calm expression, looking like he really had no other choice.

"I originally wanted to be an unsung hero, asking for nothing in return, but unfortunately, the astute and intelligent team leader saw through my plan."

He shook his head and sighed.

"Now I can't refuse any reward the team leader is going to give me."

Nijika stood there dumbfounded, blinking blankly.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"What do you want, Hayato-kun?"

Seeing that his wicked scheme had succeeded, Ishikawa Hayato couldn't help but reveal a smug smile on his face.

"Anything from Nijika is fine~ But it's not convenient right now, so a simple hug or saying 'I love Hayato-kun the most!' is acceptable to me."

After he finished speaking, he nodded with satisfaction at his own words.

"I'll go find PA-san; she'll definitely be willing to give Hayato-kun what he's hoping for."

Nijika's expression turned cold, and her words were as chilling as a biting wind.

However, she didn't move an inch.

Ishikawa Hayato gasped and fell silent instantly.

Nijika chuckled softly, but her expression darkened as she thought about the problems that followed.

But she maintained her unchanging voice.

"Speaking of which, Hayato-kun's purpose in joining the band probably wasn't to compose music, right? With Hayato-kun's talent, composing music shouldn't be too difficult for him."

"You haven't written a single song in all this time. Were you lying to me back then?"

Nijika looked up and met his gaze directly, confirming his thoughts.

"Falcon, what exactly is your reason for joining the band?"

Seeing Nijika's expression, Ishikawa Hayato knew she had misunderstood. He covered his face and pretended to cry.

"It feels so bad to be misunderstood by Nijika, my heart is aching."

Nijika's face hardened, and she spoke sternly.

"Hayato-kun, get serious!"

"Yes!"

Ishikawa Hayato instantly stood up straight, head held high and chest puffed out, his hands pressed against the seams of his trousers.

But soon, he gave Nijika a light smile.

"I feel a little embarrassed to explain it to anyone, Nijika, please don't tell anyone."

He looked away, embarrassed, and gazed at the sky.

"Um."

Nijika's voice carried a hint of amusement, as if to say, "You can actually be shy."

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at her quickly; her expression was gentle, as if she was prepared not to be surprised by anything she heard.

Gazing at the patches of dark clouds in the night sky, Ishikawa Hayato spoke slowly.

"It's a little embarrassing to be so frank at my age, but... to put it simply, I'm a very selfish person."

"I only care about the people around me, the people I can see, because if there are unhappy people around me, it makes me less happy."

"Then, for some inexplicable reason, I started helping some students, got involved in all sorts of things, and eventually found myself unable to extricate myself from them."

"So I'm thinking about how to solve it, how to solve it in a way that will make me happy and satisfied."

"Finally, I'd like to use everyone's music to resolve this."

"As a legendary band once said, they play for those who hide in the back row, knowing they don't belong."

"I'd also like to try using everyone's music."

"This is the goal of everything."

"I see..."

After listening attentively, Nijika sighed softly in realization, murmuring, "That's why I've just been watching."

After she finished speaking, she nodded, as if she had figured out the logic.

I also learned more about Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato waited a while before speaking.

"Although that was the reason at first, it's an undeniable fact that I've come to like everyone now."

"Loneliness can only be countered by loneliness. Kita find a sense of reality in her life, Ryo enjoys herself but is afraid of her loneliness, Bocchi's overthinking, timidity and clumsiness cause her loneliness, and Nijika, you carry an unspeakable heaviness, relying on Ryo for support."

"I love everyone very much, and I want to continue living like this with you all."

After he finished speaking, time slowly passed, and Nijika did not comment on his words.