Chapter 290
"Okay~" / "Take a break."
At Nijika's suggestion, the group quickly lost their seriousness during practice and immediately became relaxed.
Ryo walked over and sat down on the bench next to her. Ikuyo took a chair from the side and asked Hitori for advice. Nijika didn't get up from the electronic drum chair, so she picked up a towel from the side and wiped her sweat.
Of all the musical instruments, drummers certainly have the hardest job.
Not only is it physically demanding and can damage your ears during practice, but the drum kit is also difficult to move and may even disappear from the stage.
However, now that Nijika is practicing with electronic drums, the workload isn't as heavy.
Today was a school day, and all five of them were wearing their school uniforms.
Nijika and Ryo's white short-sleeved shirts, Ikuyo and Hitori's khaki sailor uniforms, and their gray and blue pleated skirts all exude youthful energy.
Ishikawa Hayato watched as a bead of transparent, reflective sweat trickled down Nijika's fair neck and disappeared beneath her collar before speaking.
"Okay, I'll go get the drinks."
As if noticing his gaze, Nijika quickly wiped her neck and collarbone area, stood up, and said.
"Let me help too."
Ishikawa Hayato naturally didn't refuse, and even teased Nijika, who noticed his gaze but still followed him, before returning to the rehearsal room amidst her coquettish complaints.
When they returned, they saw Ikuyo still practicing and exchanged helpless glances.
Today, Ikuyo was going all out, incredibly excited, and her dazzling presence forced Hitori to wear sunglasses to get a glimpse of her.
In the end, it was Nijika who spoke up.
"Ikuyo-chan, the meeting is starting."
"What's the meeting about?"
Ikuyo stopped practicing and looked over in surprise.
Ishikawa Hayato knew that there was actually no meeting; it was just an excuse from Nijika to keep Ikuyo from overworking herself.
While Nijika was still thinking, Liang, who was sitting by the bench, spoke up.
"It's time to decide on the song list for the school festival."
"Playlist! Shall we decide now?"
Ikuyo called out happily, reminded Hitori, put down her guitar, and flew over joyfully like a butterfly, sitting down next to Liang, waiting for the conversation to officially begin.
What should we sing during the school festival?
Seeing her like this, Nijika glanced helplessly at Ishikawa Hayato, put the drink on the table, pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Liang.
"Ikuyo-chan has been like this all day."
Ishikawa Hayato could say with certainty that she had indeed been like this all day, and thinking about it reminded him of how Ikuyo looked when he saw her that morning.
She happily carried her guitar and ran from the corner of her house like a flashbang, so bright that passersby couldn't open their eyes.
Upon seeing him and Hitori, he greeted them with cheers and skipped over, startling Hitori into hiding behind him.
"Well, weren't we all happy when our families first agreed to our relationship?"
Ishikawa Hayato smiled and pulled up a chair to sit down.
Hitori also came over. Instead of sitting on the bench, she brought her own chair and sat down next to the table.
The five of them sat around a corner in the rehearsal room, chatting during intermission.
Ikuyo also saw through their intentions and naturally joined the conversation.
"But I'm still so envious of everyone else. I wish I didn't have to go home so soon. There's nowhere to practice at home, and it feels like everyone else is here while I'm left behind."
Liang then reached out his hand to her.
"The fee for providing cover is 1000 per instance."
Liang is good at business, Ikuyo called out to him without hesitation at that moment.
"So cheap! I'll buy 10 times!"
She even started taking money out of her pocket.
The scene looked very familiar to them.
"Hey! Don't make any improper deals within the band, Hayato-kun, you should talk to them too!"
Nijika quickly tugged at the only person who could solve the problem at its root.
As Ishikawa Hayato looked at the money in Ikuyo's hand, he was thinking...
Taking money from a girl seems quite interesting.
"Um, I can imitate Liang's voice, I only need 500."
He even changed his voice to Liang's and spoke to Ikuyo from behind.
It was no surprise that the four of them encountered various strange and somewhat abnormal techniques from Ishikawa Hayato.
Ikuyo's eyes lit up with admiration, while Liang, whose business had been interrupted, glared at her calmly.
Nijika pressed her head, feeling a headache coming on.
She wondered why her band was acting so strangely, and it turned out the problem lay in its very foundation.
Helpless, she took out her drumsticks and placed them on the table. The sound of solid wood placed on a wooden board was very powerful, and the scene immediately fell silent.
Then she said to Ikuyo.
"We're still students, you know. It's normal for Ikuyo-chan act like this. Besides, I don't come here every day."
Ishikawa Hayato, unafraid of death, blurted out an extra comment.
"Yes, I agree with that, but Nijika came last night."
"Hayato-kun!"
After their antics, the five returned to their main topic.
Liang, unusually, took the initiative to speak and took out paper and pen to write.
"I've already decided on the playlist."
"From the moment Bocchi asked if I wanted to participate in the school festival performance, I was thinking that this is the school festival for the three of you, and you should be given more opportunities to perform."
"Therefore, the second and third pieces will include solos by Falcon and Bocchi."
The four of them looked over and saw that two of the three songs were new.
If I Could Become a Constellation
<Secret Base>
<Bathing in Light>
In fact, with Ikuyo's current ability, she could play the solo part well with more practice. However, as the lead vocalist, she is already dazzling enough, so Ryo didn't add a solo section for her.
Hearing that Ryo was thinking of them this way, Ikuyo, who didn't have a solo part, was also very happy. She looked at Ishikawa Hayato and Hitori with congratulations in her eyes.
However, noticing that most of the songs were new, she couldn't help but feel a little worried even with her current success.
"Wouldn't it be a bit daring to play a new song at the school festival?"
Nijika glanced at Ishikawa Hayato, leaned forward slightly, and said excitedly.
"That's good enough, go for it!"
"Actually, we could use some off-site promotions. The school venue is so big; we could notify the fans that we'll be performing at the school festival and that we'll be singing a new song."
Ishikawa Hayato reminded him.
There's no need to worry about privacy at all. The group was wearing school uniforms and walking around the stars, so fans already knew which school they were from.
"There's another trick to this?! I'll send the message right away!"
Still in a state of boundless excitement, Ikuyo immediately took out her phone and began announcing the news.
The four of them looked at her helplessly.
After practice, it was time to get a part-time job.
Yes, they went to Ishikawa Hayato's house specifically to practice and play together, and then went to Fanxing while they were working.
Fortunately, the transportation around Ishikawa Hayato's house is quite convenient, otherwise it would have been too tiring.
Today's workers are Nijika, Ryo, Ikuyo. Except for Ryo, the other two probably won't be back tonight.
Ishikawa Hayato tearfully bid them farewell at the entrance, carefully telling them to be careful on their journey, before returning to the living room with Hitori.
"Mmm, mmm, you're all I have Hitori."
As soon as they returned to the living room, Ishikawa Hayato picked up Hitori and started sniffing him vigorously.
Pink hair, a soft and shapely body—it's still so comfortable and reassuring to hold her.
"... I... I will always stay with Hayabusa."
This was the truth of her story, and that's precisely why it made her all the more pitiful.
Ishikawa Hayato kissed her on the cheek.
"It's nice to Hitori, but let's go practice."
He said this, but he couldn't bear to let go and still held Hitori tightly.
But Hitori was still a little flustered, thinking that she was not being cared about.
"Falcon...?"
Ishikawa Hayato inhaled the girl's sweet scent, and his hands began to wander.
He knew very well what choice was best for both of them.
"I also want to learn some knowledge from a few years in advance. Is it okay if I listen to Hitori music while I'm studying?"
"Good."
When Hitori is very happy, her bright blue eyes sparkle, and her fair cheeks have a lovely blush.
A while later, the two of them sat down in the rehearsal room with cushions.
Leaning against the wall, Hitori quickly observed Ishikawa Hayato's reactions and began practicing.
Instead of playing complex songs as usual, she chose quiet and soothing music to "practice".
Ishikawa Hayato was leisurely reading his books nearby.
As the beautiful guitar music played by the pretty girl played, the knowledge in the book seemed to flow into my brain automatically.
The time, which they both thoroughly enjoyed, passed quickly.
Ishikawa Hayato was the first to snap out of it. Although there were no reference points in the completely enclosed rehearsal room, his biological clock still managed to bring him back to his senses from studying.
He took out his phone and glanced at it, then was startled.
Time really flies when I'm with Hitori; it feels like more than six hours have passed in the blink of an eye.
"Hitori is almost back."
"Huh, eh?"
Hitori only took out his phone after hearing Ishikawa Hayato's words, glanced at the time, and gave a dumbfounded look.
Time seems to pass just as quickly for her.
After Liang came back, she went to take a shower with Hitori.
Although the group has shrunk from four to two, they have gradually gotten used to it and are now able to say things that they can't let Ishikawa Hayato know.
After taking a bath, I leaned against the wall, thoroughly enjoying the cool water.
She said this as she gradually came back to her senses from the comfort with her eyes closed.
"Have you chosen the synthesizer yet?"
"Ah..." The sudden conversation caught Ichiri off guard. She thought for Hitori and said.
"I've chosen... that one, Liang Sang. Isn't this one a bit too cheap...?"