Chapter 170

But Kita only let out a soft, puzzled hum.

"Um?"

"Did you have fun? And what are your thoughts on the future of the band?"

Kita glanced at Ishikawa Hayato, noticing his serious expression, and then gazed thoughtfully at the quiet path in front of her, where there weren't many people.

After a short while, she said.

"I'm so happy!"

Kita showed a bright smile.

"Although I don't know if there will be other troubles in the future, I think if we all stick together, we'll always find a way to solve them."

"Besides, we've already been scouted by record companies, haven't we? As a band, we have a long future ahead of us."

Ishikawa Hayato looked at her, and he could sense that beneath Kita's sunny smile and relaxed words, something seemed to be hidden.

He was quite surprised that even this straightforward person had started to harbor secrets.

But he immediately understood her thoughts.

Instead, he asked with a hint of wishful thinking.

"Kita, what's the matter of us becoming my girlfriends, that we discussed before? What's that going with your thinking?"

Kita heard him finally get down to business, his smile became sly and strange.

She said it flippantly.

"I haven't decided yet."

"So..."

Ishikawa Hayato's expression softened slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said...

"Well, I'm sorry, Ikuyo, I did something terrible."

Kita stopped and suppressed her smile, looking at him hesitantly.

"What's wrong, Hayato-kun?"

Ishikawa Hayato looked straight at her and said solemnly.

"Actually, I started talking to the other members of the band the day before my audition for this music festival, but I didn't tell you because I was worried it would affect your performance."

"What, is that all?"

Kita breathed a long sigh of relief, looking completely unconcerned, as if she had been prepared all along.

She quickened her pace, stood in front of Ishikawa Hayato, and looked at him as she walked backwards.

"I didn't expect Hayato-kun to be so honest about this. I thought you would deliberately hide it from me."

Kita wore a satisfied smile, and her relaxed demeanor dispelled the unease in the hearts of those watching her.

In comparison, the streetlights and building lights in summer appear much colder.

Before Ishikawa Hayato, Kita, slightly hunched over, pondered for a moment before a subtle, enigmatic smile gradually spreading across his face as he retreated in step with Ishikawa Hayato.

"So... is the person you're dating Gotou-san?"

Looking at her smiling face, Ishikawa Hayato was surprised; he had failed to see through her thoughts again.

Did I corrupt myself?

Although he was thinking about it, he didn't hesitate much before speaking.

It's cool.

Upon hearing this, Kita stood up straight in surprise, stopped in her tracks, and looked thoughtful, her hand loosely clenched and resting against her lower lip.

"It's Ryo-senpai."

As she spoke, her eyes became serious.

She usually wears a smile, and rarely shows any seriousness, but it's fleeting.

She suddenly put on a fake smile and said to Ishikawa Hayato.

"Hayato-kun, don't move."

Ishikawa Hayato obediently stopped, but Kita seemed to give him no time to think and quickly approached.

Her steps were quick and decisive.

He took a step forward, then stopped and rose up, pressing Ishikawa Hayato's shoulders down with both hands while simultaneously pushing him upward.

But just as their lips were about to touch, Ishikawa Hayato hugged her, interrupting her.

As she wavered and questioned her rejection, he knelt down, his lips lightly touching hers, while he held her back, preventing her from leaving.

But Kita had no intention of backing down. She blinked hesitantly for a moment, then quickly closed her eyes and relaxed her body.

In the darkness of the night, the two, lightly kissing, were all alone. In this night filled only with the long chirping of cicadas, the two, without any reference points, remained in this state for an unknown amount of time.

They didn't open their eyes, but quietly embraced each other, savoring this unique contact.

Kita pressed down slightly on Ishikawa Hayato's shoulders before releasing his grip.

On a cool night, the two silently gazed at each other on a quiet path.

Kita covered her lips, her face flushed as she looked at him.

Ishikawa Hayato pursed his lips slightly and looked at her with a faint smile.

A short while later, while Kita was still savoring their first kiss, Ishikawa Hayato looked at her small, slender hand that was lightly covering her lips and asked...

"Can we do it again? I'd like to go deeper."

"Huh!?"

Kita, whether he had realized what was happening or not, stared wide-eyed with a hint of panic, yet remained frozen in place, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't give her much time to think. He went straight up and pulled her hand away from her mouth, while crouching down to put his arm around her back.

The mint and blueberry ice creams, still lingering on my lips, exchanged their sweetness.

The exchange between the two went from uncertainty to sudden intensity.

Despite it being their first time doing something like this, the two didn't mind each other's awkward reactions at all; instead, they gradually became intoxicated by it.

Sweetness can make people feel happy, but at this moment, that sweetness gradually transforms into a sweetness that numbs the brain.

An overly comfortable feeling gradually erodes rationality.

The two hands, which were originally holding wrists, gradually became interlocked, with the strong large hand grasping the small, white, and slender hand.

The interlocked hands gripped tighter and tighter, as if expressing their emotions.

Intense and profound memories are etched deep within.

The two, endlessly greedy for sweetness, would stop and then continue.

That time felt incredibly long, so long that they began to worry that dawn would break suddenly.

However, the reason for ending the meeting was not because of time, but because Ishikawa Hayato noticed that Kita's movements were somewhat weak, and he reluctantly stopped and separated them.

He looked at Kita; her expression was blank, her open eyes were misty, and her red lips were slightly parted.

Kita, then realized he was being watched. He jumped up and turned his back on her.

Her eyes held a hint of disbelief and satisfaction. She subtly wiped her lips, took a few moments to adjust her breathing, and only turned back when she felt herself gradually recovering.

Seeing Ishikawa Hayato's happy expression, she felt that she might have been lacking in thought again, and complained softly.

"I knew you'd push your luck..."

But after she finished speaking, she realized that her voice was incredibly soft and delicate, and she felt shy just listening to it.

She glanced at Ishikawa Hayato, who was still grinning foolishly, and puffed up her cheeks in anger.

But after only a short while, a night breeze blew by, Kita felt his body, which had been so warm, suddenly become a little cold.

She touched her arm slightly.

But Ishikawa Hayato, who had already regained his composure, came over and put his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him.

Feeling that the night breeze couldn't cool him down, Kita quickly suppressed his complaints.

The two paused for a moment, then silently began to walk along the deserted path.

141. Accommodation

Summer days and nights present completely opposite states, with the sweltering heat and the gentle evening breeze exchanging each other like a spinning coin.

At this moment, the cool night breeze blew away all the heat and noise.

It passed along the path lit by dim streetlights, and a faint sound of wind could be heard.

But along with it came a slow, reluctant footstep, and a lingering, enchanting feeling that even the night breeze couldn't dispel.

Two figures walked past the streetlights surrounded by moths.

Ishikawa Hayato held Kita; the girl's body was warmer and seemed softer than usual. Touching a corner of her slender waist, the sensation through her T-shirt stirred his desire.

She leaned against Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato clearly felt that her arm had just secretly reached towards his waist, but just as she was about to put it around him, she let go, whether out of shyness or for some other reason.

He didn't expose it.

They walked for an unknown amount of time in what was an excessively quiet environment for both of them.

After passing through one alley after another, they were getting closer and closer to the finish line, but Ishikawa Hayato still couldn't figure out what she was thinking.

He glanced at Kita beside him, whose gaze was slightly lowered, and couldn't help but ask.

"Why is it working again?"

His voice was very soft, as if he didn't want to break the comfortable and gentle atmosphere.

Kita in surprise, but she didn't hide anything; she just seemed a little annoyed.

"Because... Ryo-senpai is definitely different from me, she won't have any scruples. In that case, I'll go first."

She initially forbade kissing because she didn't want to go too far as a runaway, but now that another person has appeared who has no such scruples, she simply took the lead.

Ishikawa Hayato understood what she meant and hugged her tighter.

"... Should we still break up?"

Kita moment, but did not resist the physical contact. He just nodded slightly with some difficulty.

"Um..."

But she could also sense Ishikawa Hayato's reluctance. Looking up at his disappointed expression, she hesitated for a moment before offering some words of comfort.

"Don't do that. If I've thought it through, um..."

Her voice suddenly lost its liveliness, carrying a hint of reluctance.

"I'll be one of your four girlfriends."

Ishikawa Hayato hugged her happily, but as he stood up, he noticed a different-looking tall building and pointed to it.

"Since we're going first, how about the others also get a head start?"

Kita didn't even look at where he was pointing. Judging from his tone, she roughly knew what nonsense he was talking about. After he finished speaking, she stepped on his shoe, looked up, and glared at him with an angry expression that said, "Are you convinced yet?"

"Hayato-kun?"

Her eyes are very sharp when she's angry.

Ishikawa Hayato waved his hands repeatedly, begging for mercy.

Kita breathed a sigh of relief.

Although this decision was made, Kita did not formally propose breaking up.