Chapter 302

"Damn it, I want to learn guitar from that Cool Senpai too!"

After she finished speaking, she ran out noisily, Hitori by a terrified scream outside, as if she had been contaminated with some indescribable filth. "Eee-ya!!"

The pleading voice of the Oyama Nekoneko.

"Cool Senpai! Please teach me guitar!"

She probably grabbed Hitori's hand suddenly.

At the same time, Ishikawa Hayato's voice rang out. "Hey, don't bully Hitori!"

"I'm sorry!" Oyama Nekoneko apologized loudly, then added, "Oh, you're here too, Broke Senpai? How about you give Hinata-san some training as well?"

Hearing this voice from behind the bar, Hinata Etsuko's eyes lit up and she ran out.

"Ryo-senpai ~"

Nijika started to get a headache. Why were all the people in the band so strange? The whole venue was incredibly noisy.

However, the five members who came from the new band actually quite liked this Sprout Band.

After all, they saw themselves and their companions reflected in each other to some extent, and the workers who took over from them did a good job, at least much more honest than they had been back then.

Even Amamiya Yuki, who seems very timid, does a great job selling drinks and providing hospitality.

This made Nijika feel very reassured.

When Ishikawa Hayato suggested that she stop working and focus on the band, she hesitated for a long time.

At that time, not only Ishikawa Hayato, but even her sister advised her that it was okay without her, so she temporarily put it aside.

However, I just heard her sister shout "Give Nijika back!" It seems she was just being arrogant and stubborn back then.

In the now quiet reception area, Nijika continued speaking to Amamiya Yuki.

"Is that so? Don't hesitate to ask if you need help. Yuki-chan is quiet, just like Bocchi-chan, which is worrying."

Amamiya Yuki pondered briefly, then slowly nodded, and after thinking for a moment, spoke.

"The shop's affairs are probably fine, but... Ijichi-senpai, the drum set..."

Nijika smiled gently.

Well, there really wasn't that much to do in the shop, and the girls were quite clever; they learned quickly.

However, there's a lot to learn about musical instruments.

"Let's go to the rehearsal room and practice for a while."

After Nijika finished speaking, she saw that the other person's expression showed some restraint in their excitement.

As she stepped out from behind the counter, Nijika glanced at the noisy group of people beside her.

Her older sister sat at the table, sulking, looking at her laptop, while PA-san and Hiroi Kikuri sat next to her, playing on their phones.

On the younger side, Ishikawa Hayato shielded Hitori under his arm like a chick, Hitori very happy, pressing against his chest; in fact, saying he was very happy was not quite accurate.

That was an expression that seemed to suggest he was so overjoyed he was starting to get confused, and was even harboring mischievous thoughts.

Seeing Hitori like this, Nijika was thinking to herself.

Do they like Ishikawa Hayato more? Probably not. She likes him very much too, but she can't express her feelings as directly and intimately as they do.

Publicly displaying affection is too difficult for her; she can only hope for some unexpected surprises.

When buying musical instruments, Ishikawa Hayato would see her lonely and pull her over, or he would hold her like he did last night, and she would be very happy.

Thinking about it this way, Nijika realized that they had quite a few intimate acts between them, but she inexplicably felt that they hadn't really come together.

Ryo's gaze remained fixed on that spot, looking at Oyama Nekoneko and Hinata Etsuko with a disdainful expression. Clearly, the two, whose relationship had been further strained and exacerbated by Ikuyo, were unbearably annoyed.

Even Ikuyo couldn't handle those two.

One is a sporty girl with no sense of boundaries and a loud, boisterous voice; the other is someone who usually calmly controls the atmosphere within the band, but occasionally transforms into a crazed fan and harasses them.

By the way, Hinata Etsuko became a fan of the Kessoku Band during the music festival, and she recently showed them the 20 complete sets of Kessoku Band she bought.

Everything from mini-albums to T-shirts to hoodies, endbands, badges, and more.

When Nijika did the math and tallied up how much she had spent there, she was immediately shocked. She tried to ingratiate herself by asking if she needed a back massage, but she failed because Ishikawa Hayato took her away as soon as she opened her mouth.

As they walked toward the rehearsal room, Nijika spoke to the group of people who were making a ruckus.

"I'll take Yuki-chan to practice for a while."

Upon hearing the sound, Ishikawa Hayato quickly looked at the two women and then glanced at the clock in the shop.

"The shop will be opening soon, don't forget the time while practicing."

"Yes."

Nijika chuckled softly.

On the other side, Ryo, unable to bear the noise any longer, took the two to practice. At that moment, Ishikawa Hayato remembered something, turned around and asked Hiroi Kikuri, who was sobering up on the table.

"Hiroi, is it true that you invited us to perform as guests at Shinjuku Folt on the 24th?"

"Yes~ Yuyuko misses you guys a lot."

Hiroi Kikuri was lying on the table, raised her hand and waved.

Ishikawa Hayato felt that the "thinking" she was referring to was different from the ordinary meaning of "thinking".

"Hmm... it seems there really is such a thing."

After confirming, Ishikawa Hayato pondered for a moment, then glanced at Ryo, who had stopped, and continued, with a playful attitude, "But let's ask Shima-san anyway."

"Don't ask Shima anymore, my words are effective!"

Hiroi Kikuri turned weakly to the side and cried out in despair.

Time passed by, Nijika watched Amamiya Yuki practice the drums with a nostalgic expression. She only had her sister's friend teach her at the beginning, and after that she practiced on her own.

She wasn't particularly talented; even after eight or nine years of practice, she could only be considered decent. Fortunately, she had a solid foundation, and with her hard work over the past six months, she managed to keep up with some of the monsters in the band.

Calling her friend and boyfriend monsters seemed a bit inappropriate, Nijika chuckled to herself.

However, they are really amazing. Ikuyo learned to play a practical guitar in half a year, while Ishikawa Hayato, Hitori, and Ryo are like the band's iron triangle, stabilizing the band.

As she was thinking, Nijika noticed that Amamiya Yuki's movements were unconsciously distorted again, and quickly reminded her.

"Yuki-chan, you're using too much force and your body is stiff. Relax a bit."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Amamiya Yuki tried to adjust it, but the more she tried, the more chaotic it became.

Regaining composure in a state of panic is difficult, even for ordinary people, let alone those with social anxiety or a more fragile psyche.

When some people get confused, they don't even know what's right anymore. There are relatively few socially awkward people like Hitori who can stand up at crucial moments.

"Ah, eh..."

In her panic, Nijika grabbed her hand and said something to her.

"Don't be nervous, just try again if you can't find it."

"Hmm..." Amamiya Yuki sighed and started again.

Watching Amamiya Yuki start again, Nijika recalled the scene when Ishikawa Hayato called for a restart after their official performance failed. She was probably even more flustered than Amamiya Yuki back then.

Nijika couldn't help but smile nostalgically.

When it comes to teaching others, Nijika is very patient and focused, and even Liang and the other two members of the Snow Cat Love Band are drawn into her focused atmosphere.

Until one sound.

"Oh no! The shop opening time is already so late! Broke Senpai sorry, I have to go now, Annie, Hinata, Hinata-san up!"

After glancing at the clock, Oyama Nekoneko suddenly stood up with a shout. She politely apologized to Liang first, then hurriedly called her bandmates back to their posts.

"Huh?! It's already this late?!"

Hinata Etsuko stood up in surprise and ran outside with Oyama Nekoneko.

Amamiya Yuki did the same; after getting up, she politely apologized to Nijika before quickly chasing after the two.

Nijika was also surprised that they had unknowingly overdone their practice, and was also very worried about the situation outside. She quickly walked past Liang, who was leisurely packing up her guitar and bass, and followed them out.

Unlike the nervous group, there wasn't a single storm outside.

There were quite a few customers chatting inside, but several others were gathered at the bar, talking to people inside.

Ishikawa Hayato and Ikuyo were standing behind the bar greeting customers. Nijika didn't see Hitori, so he must be at the front desk.

As for the three members of the Snow Cat Love Band who rushed over, they seemed to have been rejected and failed to return to their posts, standing one by one at the bar entrance.

Moreover, Seika, who was standing at the exit of the bar, also said...

"It's alright, these guys used to take days off all the time anyway, it's about time they filled in for free."

"Hey! We used to get no pay for taking time off!"

"Ishikawa Hayato said with dissatisfaction."

When dealing with Ishikawa Hayato, Seika was extremely rude.

"You're not short of money now."

Ishikawa Hayato feigned helplessness, sighed, and said nothing more.

Looking at the calm and peaceful scene, Nijika finally realized that the store could operate just as well without anyone.

As she glanced around, Ishikawa Hayato noticed her and waved to her.

Nijika put her hands behind her back, swayed slightly, and responded with a happy smile.

A while later, the other two members of the Snow Cat Love Band watched the performance outside, while Amamiya Yuki, still upset about her recent defeat, Nijika to continue practicing with her in the rehearsal room.

After practicing several times, I finally managed to get a fairly good grasp of one of the more difficult techniques.

Nijika offered her heartfelt congratulations.

"That's great, Yuki-chan! With a little more practice, you can type 'Will Never Forget' too!"

Amamiya Yuki, whose face was still beaming with joy, was suddenly startled.

"Ijichi-senpai, how did you know...?"

"No matter what, he was practicing a short section of our piece right in front of me. It would be strange if I didn't notice."

Nijika sighed and smiled. She thought the other person already knew, but it turned out they really hadn't thought about it at all.

Amamiya Yuki is a bit slow-witted too.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Amamiya Yuki stood up and quickly apologized.

"It's alright, it's alright." Seeing her anxious look, Nijika quickly waved her hand. "It's actually quite nice that someone is using our music to practice."

Amamiya Yuki breathed a sigh of relief, slowly sat down, and looked at Nijika with a hint of longing in her eyes.

She didn't continue practicing, but instead thought for a moment and asked a question.

"Does Ijichi-senpai like Ishikawa-senpai?"

"Huh? Why so suddenly..."

Nijika blushed and hurriedly called out because of her words, but then noticed the other person's sudden tense expression. She took a breath, calmed herself down, and then smiled and affirmed.

"Yes."

It would be difficult for those who know them to hide their relationship, and they have no intention of doing so.

However, when Nijika answered, she noticed something strange.

"That Ishikawa-senpai... he's such a jerk, he has absolutely no taste..."

Although he was definitely a jerk, Nijika frowned when she heard others talking badly about her boyfriend. However, she felt that Amamiya Yuki wasn't the type to gossip behind people's backs, so she asked again.

"Why?"

"Huh?" Amamiya Yuki paused for a moment before cautiously answering Nijika's question.