Social Anxiety and the Rock of Loneliness

"Hey."

Ijichi Seika, who had been watching from a distance, warned them in a tone that was far from friendly.

"Sis~ We'll be right back after we go see!"

Ijichi Nijika looked toward her sister, her voice carrying a mix of half-coaxing and half-stubbornness.

A moment later, as if she had caught some shift in Seika's calm expression, she said to the two of them.

"Let's go!"

Ishikawa Hayato noticed that Nijika had used the phrase 'go see' instead of the definite 'go buy.' This subtle gentleness—was this the Shimokitazawa angel?

A girl like her would definitely be a wonderful wife.

Yamada Ryo said nothing more and stood up as well.

"By the way, what does a band usually do day-to-day?"

Ishikawa Hayato asked curiously.

At that moment, the three of them were walking toward the used bookstore. Yamada Ryo was on the left, Ijichi Nijika in the middle, and Ishikawa Hayato on the right.

Even in Shimokitazawa, such a striking combination of handsome man and beautiful women was rare, successfully drawing quite a few stares.

"Hmm... make music, live shows, practice?"

Nijika tentatively offered a few answers, then laughed sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head, as if embarrassed by her own inexperience.

"Sorry, this is my first time in a band too, so I don't really know much about it. But Ryo's been in a band before, you know."

She slowed her pace so Hayato could directly see Yamada Ryo.

Ryo's answer was incredibly concise.

"There's only one goal: have fun."

Nijika was completely caught off guard by Ryo's response, standing there dumbfounded for a moment.

"Give me a serious answer!"

Her shout drew a wave of attention.

"That was a serious answer."

Ryo's tone was calm, as if she truly meant it. She explained.

"Music comes from playing around. Music made for work has no soul."

"Don't completely dismiss music producers!"

Nijika turned into a straight-man, firing off retorts without pause. Finally, she sighed and said to Hayato.

"Ryo's the type who can lie without batting an eye. Don't trust her too much."

"Yeah, but I feel like Ryo... can I just call you by your name?"

Hayato asked cautiously, glancing at Ryo beside Nijika.

"It's fine." Ryo replied without any concern at all.

"Yeah, I think Ryo's right. Music was born from entertainment in the first place. Making music without that mindset—that's the real wrong path!"

"Well said."

Ryo affirmed him with a look of full approval, wearing a proud, self-satisfied expression.

The two of them chimed in together, instantly forming a united front across the bewildered Nijika.

"Eh... eh... ehh~~"

Nijika stared blankly, turning her head left and right to look at them, suddenly feeling like the odd one out.

5. Division of Matters

After asking for Nijika's opinion, Hayato also started calling her by her first name.

Well, it probably wasn't really asking.

"Oh, come on, I've been calling you Hayato-kun all along."

That's what Nijika said.

At that moment, the two of them were helping Hayato search through a messy pile of books at a used bookstore in Shimokitazawa, looking for textbooks.

It was then that Hayato finally had a chance to take a closer look at them.

The girl crouching down, shifting through the spines of books in a box to check their titles, was Ijichi Nijika.

Her golden hair was tied to one side, with light, airy bangs in front, and she had gentle, lively red eyes.

At about a meter and a half tall, she looked extremely small while crouching, but her ever-present confident and gentle smile made her seem both petite and reassuringly dependable.

She appeared to be the kind of wonderfully gentle beauty, and from Hayato's actual interactions with her, that impression held true.

Beside her, casually pulling out books and then shoving them back in without a care, was a cool, aloof girl with dark blue hair, half of one eye hidden by her bangs, wearing an expression of indifferent disdain—Yamada Ryo.

She was slightly taller than Nijika—a small difference in height and a shift in demeanor created an almost opposite impression from Nijika.

Even wearing the same school uniform, the white shirt and black pleated skirt seemed weighed down by her rationality and silence.

This was a neutral beauty with firm self-awareness, someone who marched to her own beat.

"Guitar... bass... keyboard... electric piano... all mixed together."

Nijika said with a mild complaint.

"Found it."

Ryo's voice carried a hint of joy beneath its calm surface.

The other two quickly gathered around.

"Great—"

Nijika's cheerful voice cut off halfway. She stared at Ryo with dead-fish eyes.

In Ryo's hand was a magazine, and she said happily, "Sekitan Band's debut interview. Someone online was collecting..."

A moment later, Ishikawa Hayato watched Ryo, a small lump on her head, calmly searching for books with a composed expression.

So this was the drummer-bassist chemistry.

It inexplicably made him want to offer a blessing for a hundred years of harmony.

Ishikawa Hayato felt the silence was a bit uncomfortable. His hands kept moving, his gaze lingering on each book.

But he spoke up anyway.

"By the way, Nijika and Ryo are both really kind people. Even though it's our first meeting and you haven't officially let me join the band yet, you've already helped me so much."

"Because Hayato-kun doesn't seem like someone just messing around. You look serious about learning."

Nijika shifted her gaze from the book spines and added a bright smile.

Pervert Outburst Value 20%.

Ishikawa Hayato nodded silently.

"The band." From behind Nijika, Ryo's flat voice rang out.

Nijika looked back, then tilted her head in thought. Realizing something, her face went blank.

"I didn't tell Hayato-kun he could join the band?!"

"Not at all."

From further off, Ryo's voice chimed in.

"Geez, I really am something, ahahaha..."

Watching Nijika laugh awkwardly and foolishly, Ishikawa Hayato mentally added a trait to her: airhead.

But just as he thought that, Nijika's gaze sharpened. She sized up Ishikawa Hayato but didn't react further.

"Then Hayato-kun, welcome aboard."

She smiled and extended her hand.

Ishikawa Hayato smiled and shook her slightly rough little hand.

"An honor."

Right when the atmosphere was perfect, a calm voice shattered it all.

"Found it."

Ryo stretched out her arm, holding the book out from a distance.

He was a member of Kessoku Band!

Ishikawa Hayato wanted to play some BGM to set the mood.

La, lalala, lalalala~

Something like that, but he figured he should keep it normal for now.

The three headed to the station.

Ishikawa Hayato walked near the station without noticing and kept going straight, but Nijika called out.

"Hayato-kun, this way."

He turned, blinked at the station, then asked the two waiting in front.

"Shimokitazawa doesn't have a specialty store?"

"Nope, we need to take the train."

Ryo looked at her phone without raising her head.

Ishikawa Hayato had a bad feeling. Japan wasn't big, but it had plenty of towns, making it easy to feel like you could go from one city to another.

But precisely because of that, even though it didn't feel that far, going there and back took a very long time.

"Over there?"

He walked over to Ryo and asked.

"Shinjuku."

Ryo lifted her phone's map to show him.

Ishikawa Hayato calculated it—accompanying her to buy things, from leaving to returning would take nearly an hour and a half.

He found it hard to imagine someone spending this much time for a newly joined band member.

Ishikawa Hayato took a deep breath, not caring at all that they were in public, and bowed deeply as he spoke loudly.

"I will remember this debt for the rest of my life!"

Ryo put away her phone silently.

"Mm, I know. I'll make you pay it back."

Nijika was already used to Ryo's personality and could only sigh helplessly.

"We're going to miss the train."

Evening. Ishikawa Hayato walked home with a meter-long carry bag in his left hand and a box in his right.

While protecting the brand-new equipment that cost nearly a million yen, he pushed open the front door and stepped inside.

As he reached the genkan, Ishikawa Hibiki, hearing the noise at the entrance, came out.