The first time Kita held a guitar, she hugged the one Ryo had lent her under everyone's gaze, touching its strings, which were much thinner than before, with a hesitant look on her face.
For a moment, she had no idea what to do. Though both had six strings, the different feel gave her an entirely different sensation.
Maybe I should forget it.
The moment those words surfaced in her mind, they felt incredibly familiar.
It was the decision she had regretted most lately.
Running away from Ijichi-senpai, Ryo-senpai, and Ishikawa-kun's band because she had not dared to explain herself was the thing she regretted most during this time.
Now that she was being asked to make a choice again, this time she...
She raised her head and looked across from her.
Behind the worried-looking Ijichi-senpai, Ishikawa Hayato—the unpleasant guy who had been teasing her constantly lately—was smiling at her.
There was no mockery in that smile.
Thinking of how he had just told her, "Very good, Kita, you've grown,"
she felt that if she backed down now, he would surely look down on her. And if she did not dare to play the guitar Ryo-senpai had lent her, Ryo-senpai would be disappointed too.
Hugging the guitar, she looked around at everyone and said firmly,
"Then let me give it a try."
After saying that, she inexplicably felt a sense of déjà vu. It seemed that not long ago, she had said something similar with the same confident expression.
Immediately, she started to panic.
Target
Kita Ikuyo understood that not everything could be done well just because one wanted to do it.
Although she had worked hard at practicing guitar on the bass and seriously studied online tutorials,
the two instruments, which looked fairly similar, were ultimately still different.
Besides, this was the first guitar she had ever held.
After barely playing a section she had often practiced before, she looked up at everyone worriedly and asked in a quiet, tentative voice,
"...How was it?"
Faced with her unease, Nijika looked at her in surprise and said,
"For a beginner, that was amazing!"
"Really?!" A smile appeared on Kita Ikuyo's face.
"Ah... yeah."
Bocchi also nodded weakly.
Indeed, she could tell that Kita had practiced hard, and for a beginner, being able to finish a section was already impressive.
But after saying that, she quickly glanced at Ryo and Ishikawa Hayato beside her.
Hayato would be fine... Though his kindness always came in roundabout ways, he definitely would not make someone sad.
But Ryo seemed like she would be very strict...
Yet contrary to what she expected,
Ryo said very objectively,
"You're still far from being able to perform, but..."
She paused, then smiled slightly as though satisfied.
"Not bad."
"Senpai! I'll practice hard! I absolutely won't disgrace the guitar you lent me!"
Kita shone brilliantly!
Ishikawa Hayato glanced at Bocchi, who was letting out a silent wail. Seeing that everyone else was satisfied with Kita, he sang a different tune.
"Ryo said you're still far from being ready to perform onstage."
But that level of cold water seemed unable to extinguish Kita Ikuyo's enthusiasm. Or rather, it only stirred her enthusiasm further.
With Ryo-senpai's approval just now, she already had one foot in the realm of invincibility!
She pointed at Ishikawa Hayato and said,
"Ishikawa-kun, I'll definitely catch up to you soon."
Ishikawa Hayato froze for a moment, then narrowed his eyes like a fox. "Oh? Want to bet something on it?"
"Kita-chan! Absolutely don't do that!"
Knowing just how perverted Ishikawa Hayato could be, Nijika desperately tried to stop her.
After that, the five of them simply continued using the practice room. They pulled over a few chairs, sat in a circle, and started discussing their plans going forward.
"Eh... Bocchi-chan is going to teach Kita-chan guitar? That's great."
Nijika's gaze shifted from the smiling Kita Ikuyo to Bocchi, who was hanging her head somewhat gloomily.
Seeing that even Bocchi nodded slightly in acceptance, she asked Bocchi,
"Bocchi-chan, won't it be too hard to juggle so much? Should we let Hayato-kun write the lyrics?"
Lyrics!
Bocchi was startled. She had forgotten all about it. After hearing about the date yesterday, she had completely thrown the matter to the back of her mind.
Wh-what should she do? Had they figured it out? Were they going to execute her?
Hayato, save me!
"Bocchi-chan?"
Nijika asked in confusion as she watched Bocchi suddenly break out in a cold sweat.
But at that moment, Ishikawa Hayato suddenly started humming a song.
"Pure expectations lie right before my eyes, and I pursue them untamed~"
"Growing into a pervert~~ is just so..."
When Nijika heard the lyrics Hayato hummed at first, along with a tune she had never heard before, she was somewhat surprised by his creative ability. He was actually improvising just like that.
But the moment that last line came out, her eyes went blank.
The entire song's style changed in an instant.
Like a flower covered in contamination, it could no longer be appreciated.
Nijika covered her face in grief, looking as though she knew she had chosen the wrong person.
"I get it! Hayato-kun, shut up."
Ishikawa Hayato smiled and stopped singing, then asked Bocchi,
"Bocchi, what have you decided?"
Everyone's gaze returned to Bocchi, who had calmed down somewhat. She secretly raised her head, peered at them through her bangs, and said,
"Ah... I-it's... fine."
Hearing Bocchi's answer and noticing the slight change in her expression,
Nijika looked at Ishikawa Hayato, who was sitting there all sprawled out, and sighed inwardly.
For some reason, she was a little impressed by him. Whether it was Kita or Bocchi,
he seemed to see straight through their hearts and control the situation with ease.
He made talking with him feel relaxed and pleasant.
Hayato-kun really was amazing. He hadn't known Kita and Bocchi for that long, had he?
As she was thinking that, she suddenly saw Ishikawa Hayato flash her a dazzling smile and give her a thumbs-up.
Nijika:!!!
Could it be?!
No, no, impossible.
Watching Nijika space out, Ishikawa Hayato unceremoniously guided the conversation.
"Then our next step is writing our own songs. As for future performances, do we wait until Kita has practiced guitar enough to perform onstage?"
He asked Nijika.
Nijika quickly recovered from her distraction. She glanced at Kita and replied cheerfully,
"Of course. We're Kessoku Band."
"I'll work hard!" Kita nodded earnestly.
Ishikawa Hayato, however, teased Nijika,
"Even though you were so unwilling to use that band name before."
"Shut up!"
Nijika blushed. As she spoke, she looked at the culprit responsible for giving their band such a name.
Ryo's lips were curved upward, and sparkling stars still shone at the corners of her eyes.
She looked as though she was waiting for Nijika to praise her.
"I wasn't planning to praise you!"
Nijika shouted, driven mad by the combination of one teasing her and the other being Ryo.
Having reaffirmed their goal, they did not do their previous aimless practice that day. Instead, they gave the practice room to the band's two guitarists.
They let Bocchi focus on teaching Kita.
Nijika, Ryo, and Ishikawa Hayato left the practice room.
Following behind Ryo, Ishikawa Hayato watched Nijika's steps ahead, which seemed slightly slower than usual.
Testing the waters, he guessed at her thoughts in an ethereal voice.
"I'm so worried about Bocchi-chan..."
The instant he said it, Nijika's ahoge suddenly stood straight up. She stiffly turned around and looked at the two behind her.
Ryo expressionlessly pointed at Ishikawa Hayato, who had hidden behind her, and mercilessly sold out her teasing friend.
Seeing Ryo's reaction and realizing that Ishikawa Hayato had been the source of that voice, Nijika shouted in embarrassed irritation,
"Ishikawa-kun!"
After shouting, she puffed out her cheeks. Her bright red eyes, carrying both shyness and annoyance, glared fiercely at Ishikawa Hayato.
"Sorry, sorry."
Ishikawa Hayato smiled and repeatedly bowed in apology.
At the same time, he silently noted to himself that he could not tease Nijika like that.
He would have to use a different method.
In the end, only Ryo and Ishikawa Hayato remained.
The two looked at each other in silence.
As for Nijika, after Ishikawa Hayato teased her just now, she said that since Bocchi and Kita were doing individual practice, she would go practice on her own too. Today would be self-directed practice instead.
Then she quickly ran away.
She ran very fast and very urgently.
Before you continue