Chapter 191

Nijika only said it tentatively.

She didn't think Ishikawa Hayato would say it, since the two of them, who had obviously started dating, were inseparable from early in the morning, either on dates or having more in-depth conversations.

If you were to state the reason, it would simply be that he played with Hitori early in the morning, went too far, and then made up a lame excuse to brush off his teammates.

Ishikawa Hayato glanced back at Hitori, Hitori moment, her eyes darting around nervously, before finally nodding.

Nijika blinked at the two people's reactions, then was startled, and heard Ishikawa Hayato say something.

"Then let me explain."

Seeing that Hitori had agreed, Ishikawa Hayato pulled her around Nijika and, amidst the tension of the others, walked towards the table where they usually chatted.

It was Nijika who chickened out first; she quickly ran back and stood by the table, urgently trying to stop Ishikawa Hayato.

"Wait, wait! Stop! We'll talk about these things later. Let's rehearse and prepare for the CD recording later."

She wasn't sure if she was worried that Ishikawa Hayato might say something that would affect everyone's CD recording, or if she wasn't prepared to hear something that could upset her.

At the table, Kita, perhaps sharing the same thought as Nijika, was also eager to speak.

"That's right, nothing else matters for now, let's start practicing."

Liang looked at him with slight surprise, but quickly replaced it with a faint smile that also held a hint of admiration.

Ishikawa Hayato ignored them and spoke directly.

Actually, it's...

Nijika gripped the chair tightly in fear, Kita tried to cover her ears but stopped, clenching her fists.

Looking at the two of them, Ishikawa Hayato was unsure whether to feel happy or conflicted.

These two are quite awkward together.

But he said it in a very cheerful manner.

"Hitori and I rented a place in Shimokitazawa, so we won't have to take such a long train ride to get to Fanxing anymore. Plus, it has a rehearsal room, so we can practice at home with the sound system on when we don't have time for group practice!"

He finished speaking in one breath and happily gave a thumbs up.

That's it.

Although Ishikawa Hayato tells the truth, he has an exceptional ability to downplay his strengths.

"Eh..." Kita and Nijika were stunned for a long time upon hearing this news.

Nijika gradually realized that Ishikawa Hayato had been telling the truth!

Only Liang remained calm, observing their stunned expressions as if she were finding it amusing.

But Nijika paused for a moment, and then realized it.

"Isn't that the same as..."

She covered her mouth halfway through her sentence and changed what she was saying.

"There's nothing there. In that case, being late is forgivable. Now go practice!"

Seeing Nijika's reaction, Liang sighed and stood up, saying as if she was disappointed.

"Okay, don't overthink it, let's start practicing."

Because Ishikawa Hayato had been so open and honest, the others were less nervous. Although they were still curious about the two living together, they didn't overthink things.

After all, they had already sensed it; given their relationship, it wouldn't be unreasonable for them to take any step forward after starting to date.

Amidst this chaotic scene, the five entered the rehearsal room.

After a quick test of the drums, Nijika finished adjusting them and looked at the others who were setting up their instruments in preparation for practice.

Just three days ago, they all told everyone about their dream: to achieve their aspirations together through a band.

But now, Bocchi has taken a step in the direction of romance.

She had expected it, but when she actually witnessed it, she found that the impact on her was greater than she had anticipated.

She was also worried about how other people felt.

I'm also worried that they might not be able to focus on their performance anymore.

The test sounds quickly began, and after the piece to be practiced was determined, rehearsal music began to play.

Upon hearing the music, Nijika looked surprised, but then cheerfully started playing the drums.

She was so familiar with their music that she could detect the subtle changes in their skill level after a two-day break.

No one's skill level dropped; on the contrary, it seemed like they had taken the lessons learned from the music festival and collectively improved.

In the rehearsal room, which had been quiet for several days.

The boys and girls didn't let any extraneous thoughts disrupt their rhythm; they devoted themselves wholeheartedly to their increasingly exquisite performance.

Time passed second by second.

It was PA-san who interrupted their engrossed practice.

She had been asked to help by Nijika yesterday, and was even woken up by a phone call at noon today, but she didn't come over immediately. Instead, she took a nap as usual before coming to help with the recording.

She wasn't entirely unwilling, after all, Nijika had paid her to come and help.

The thought of seeing a group of young, energetic, and beautiful girls playing music with a handsome guy filled her with regret for her youth.

She didn't have such a wonderful youth like them, and the happiest times for someone like her, past her prime, were the nights when no one bothered her and the days when she couldn't sleep.

This blissful time was interrupted, and they were even called upon to help energetic young men and women—what torture this was!

Upon arriving at the Starry Night Plaza, seeing that the lobby was empty, she instinctively headed towards the rehearsal room.

Rubbing my still sleepy eyes, yawning, and with a heart full of complaints, I pushed open the door to the rehearsal room.

As the rehearsal room door opened, the steady, meticulous, and technically superb musical sounds emanated.

What caught her eye were their figures playing the music earnestly.

What greeted her was a growing sense of unity as she opened her heart to her teammates, and a determination not to be inferior to them in the performance.

Their ambition and hard work brought a troubled smile to her face.

It seems that everything about youth isn't so easy after all.

Although she didn't mean to interrupt, everyone else noticed her arrival in the rehearsal room because Ishikawa Hayato's gaze shifted.

Seeing that the others had stopped practicing, PA-san, who didn't want to be scolded for being late, leaned against the door. She put on a tired and pitiful expression and wiped away her tears.

"Sorry, it's really hard to get up during the day..."

Hearing her say that, Nijika looked up at the time in confusion and was surprised to find that they had been practicing for almost an hour.

Just as she was about to tell PA-san that it was okay and that they were having a great time practicing, Ishikawa Hayato turned the tables and said...

"Honestly, you made us wait for over an hour. PA-san, you need to focus on your work to make up for the time!"

Hello!!

She mentally screamed at this scumbag.

As if hearing her thoughts, Ishikawa Hayato turned around and smiled at her subtly.

PA-san didn't notice the two's private interaction; only the other members of the band noticed, but none of them said anything.

PA-san was deeply moved by what Ishikawa Hayato said. She wiped away her tears and nodded.

"This young man is so kind, I don't know how to repay him, all I can do is hug him..."

She started walking towards Ishikawa Hayato as she spoke.

Ishikawa Hayato's expression immediately changed upon provoking the great white shark.

"Please allow me to refuse!"

Nijika quickly added, "PA-san! Please be serious."

"Yes..."

PA-san sighed and walked away. Only after the door closed did Ishikawa Hayato breathe a sigh of relief.

After things quieted down, the girls couldn't help but laugh at him for his unusual cowardice. Ishikawa Hayato, being mocked by the group, also smiled and let out a long sigh.

With the support of their recent dedicated practice, the CD recording went very smoothly, and they achieved a satisfactory result within one or two takes.

If PA-san can refine it a bit more, they can make it into a CD and sell it.

But as Nijika finished recording and was looking at the files on PA-san's computer with excitement, she was suddenly patted on the shoulder.

She was startled and quickly turned around.

"Hayato-kun, what's wrong?"

Ishikawa Hayato leaned close to her and whispered.

"I think the recording went very well. We can release it on music platforms to expand its reach."

Nijika listened attentively and looked at him. Seeing that he didn't intend to talk to PA-san himself, she chuckled softly.

"I see."

Although their recording went very smoothly, several hours still passed afterward, and it was time for Fanxing to prepare for business.

The five of them didn't have time to dwell on the start of the demo production, and instead threw themselves into their hard work.

They hurriedly began cleaning and preparing for business.

Recently, not only Ishikawa Hayato and Kita, but even Hitori has become increasingly adept at working part-time.

No longer do they all need to work together; they've started taking shifts according to Nijika's arrangements.

But today is to celebrate the great success of the music festival performance after closing time, which is why all five of them will stay in the store.

Since they were all experienced workers, the preparations for opening the shop were completed very quickly. They started working much later than usual, but also finished preparing much earlier than usual, chatting there.

Apart from Nijika, the four of them stood by the bar, chatting during the brief break before the shop opened.

Kita leaned against the bar and asked, seemingly out of mere curiosity.

"Since you've started living together, you're officially dating, right?"

Hitori didn't answer, but instead glanced at Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato nodded. "Mm."

He added with considerable pride, "I've already met Hitori's parents, and we have Hitori permission to date."

Liang, who was leaning against the main chat area, glanced at Hitori, whose head was starting to smoke.

"Hitori..."

Kita glanced at Ishikawa Hayato Kita a complicated expression. Hearing him call Hitori by his name directly, she awkwardly stepped forward and then pulled back.

At this moment, Liang suddenly interrupted the conversation out of curiosity.

Which apartment?

Ishikawa Hayato looked Hitori and saw that she was just standing obediently beside him without any reaction, so he answered directly.

"XX Apartments."

"Oh." Liang indicated that she had remembered and took out her phone to check.

But Kita thinking back, Kita felt that the name of the apartment sounded familiar; it seemed that her friend had mentioned it before.

She remembered it quickly.

"Wait a minute, isn't that where rich people live?! Hayato-kun, are you kidding Ryo-senpai?!"

Ishikawa Hayato sighed, "When have I ever lied to anyone...?"

But his words were met with a simultaneous response from Kita and Ryo.

"Always."