Social Anxiety and the Rock of Loneliness

"A pervert's wallet is as nonexistent as their morals."

Ryo looked at the empty wallet, her professional smile vanishing instantly as she silently turned and walked into the room.

Ishikawa Hayato followed her.

"Huff... huff..."

After seeing Ryo's obviously luxurious house, Nijika's last bit of strength gave out, and she supported herself on her knees, desperately gasping for air.

But after only two seconds, her worried heart urged her to pick up her phone again.

She dialed Ryo's number.

The wait before the call connected was extremely long and agonizing.

She held the phone as she walked towards the mansion's gate, and by the time she reached the entrance, she was about to enter Ryo's house without announcing herself.

The call connected.

"Nijika," Ryo's slightly deep voice sounded a bit hoarse through the electronic processing.

Nijika felt relieved hearing her voice, but thinking that she had already come this far, she decided to see what the two of them were doing in private.

So she said to Ryo, "Ryo, I'm at your front door."

"Oh, come on up."

43. Pervert

"Ryo, you really have a lot of instruments in your room. Do you know how to use all of them?"

Ishikawa Hayato stepped into the 16-year-old high school girl's room and boldly looked around as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Ryo glanced back at him, then at her slightly messy room, and seeing nothing too embarrassing, she didn't mind and let him look.

She softly replied, "Yeah."

As Ishikawa Hayato said, Ryo's room had various instruments on the walls and shelves in the corners, including a violin, guitar, bass guitar, and even a classical guitar.

Each one was neatly arranged.

Her room was more like a music enthusiast's room than a high school girl's room.

But the high school girl vibe was also very obvious.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the small black stockings tossed on the bedside, the white school uniform on a hanger thrown on the chair, and the dark high-waisted pleated skirt casually draped over it.

The bedding was messy and unmade, and the dressing table was piled with cosmetics, hair clips, earrings, and studs.

Other than that, it wasn't too messy, probably because Nijika came over to take care of her sometimes.

Looking at all of this, as if through synesthesia, Ishikawa Hayato smelled a hint of youthful fragrance in the wood-scented air filled with instruments.

Ryo walked to the computer desk and turned on the computer.

Without any intention of entertaining him, she sat down directly and asked Ishikawa Hayato while waiting for the computer to boot up, "Are all the lyrics ready?"

Ishikawa Hayato was taken aback and reluctantly walked over.

"You're really going to do it."

"Of course."

A faint smile appeared on Ryo's face, her expression suggesting that she wanted to give Nijika an unforgettable surprise.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at her and chuckled.

"Alright then!"

Then, he closed his eyes, igniting the endless pervert light in his heart, and instantly, inspiration erupted like a fountain.

In less than a few seconds, the man raised his head, revealing his radiant gaze.

He said to Ryo without any politeness, "Pen! Paper!"

Ryo had already taken a blank notebook and pen from the drawer and handed them to him efficiently.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't waste any words, grabbed a nearby chair, sat down at the computer desk, and began writing lyrics at lightning speed.

Ryo watched him write with flair, and then peeked at the daunting words emerging from his pen, revealing a look of admiration for how terrifying this man was.

At the same time, she also felt inspiration emerging, opened the software, and quickly manipulated the computer, rapidly arranging the melodies in her mind into tracks.

The creation was complete.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the lyrics of the song Take It All Off and nodded in satisfaction.

He was certain that anyone who could appreciate this song was probably going to have to file a report at the police station.

As soon as he stopped writing, Ryo glanced at his notebook and asked, "Finished?"

"A masterpiece!"

Ishikawa Hayato said without hesitation.

Ryo reached out and moved the notebook in front of her, looked at it, her gaze froze for a moment, and then she took out her phone.

Under the gaze of the pervert beside her, she pressed 11, but before she could press 0.

She came back to her senses and looked to the side, Ishikawa Hayato was looking at her with a bright smile.

The woman met Ishikawa Hayato's gaze for a while, swallowed, and silently put away her phone.

She raised her hand and swore very seriously.

"I cherish my life and will definitely not do anything like calling the police."

"Good."

Ishikawa Hayato smiled like a fox, narrowing his eyes.

With such impactful lyrics, Ryo's speed was also extremely fast, the keyboard and mouse were constantly clicked, and the music arrangement software on the screen quickly presented the prototype of the song.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the busy Ryo, feeling a little puzzled.

Indeed, seeing her operating the computer so neatly, she seemed to have a surge of inspiration, but no matter how good the music was, if it was paired with his song, Nijika most likely wouldn't allow it to be sung.

Not just Nijika, but others would also object, right?

Why is she still working so hard?

After being busy for a while, as it was nearing completion, Ryo's phone rang.

She ignored it and was about to reach out to turn it off when Ishikawa Hayato grabbed her hand.

"It's Nijika."

Ishikawa Hayato reminded her.

He guessed that Nijika must have found out that he and Ryo were out together and had arrived at Ryo's house.

If Nijika called at this time and she just hung up...

Then probably the next moment, Nijika would sprint at full speed with all her vitality, appearing here in a flash.

Ryo didn't take her eyes off the computer screen, she answered the phone directly and held it to her ear, her call was extremely short and straightforward.

"Nijika."

"Oh, come on up."

She put down her phone, then put her hands back on the keyboard and mouse, and the next moment, afterimages danced on the keyboard and mouse, as if her life depended on it.

Inside her super high-spec computer case, several fans emitted fearful cries.

In just under 10 seconds.

"Phew."

She wiped her forehead and smiled at Ishikawa Hayato.

"Finished."

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the progress bar exporting on the computer and turned to her.

"So you're a pervert too?"

His words earned him a cold stare from Ryo.

The scorned Ishikawa Hayato awkwardly scratched his head and asked the question he had just had.

"Why does Ryo want to make this song? The others probably won't agree to sing it, right?"

Ryo's gaze first lingered on him, her golden eyes looking at him with a complex expression for a few seconds, then turned to the progress bar that was exporting quickly on the computer screen, and finally looked out the window.

She listened to the birdsong that could only be heard but not seen and said.

"I used to be in another band, and I really liked their early music."

Her voice was a bit gloomy, and full of helpless resignation.

"But, in order to become famous, they worked very hard and gradually wrote songs in order to sell them."

"I was just tired of that, so I left the band."

Her gaze fell on the screen, and she said meaningfully.

"At least the earliest music, I hope it can be transmitted from the heart."

Ishikawa Hayato looked at her melancholy and deep appearance, understood what she was thinking and what she was worried about.

As if mocking her for being silly, he smiled.

He changed her low mood and said cheerfully.

"Don't worry, Bocchi is easy to handle. Ryo's vision is too shallow. Everyone in our band is special."

He finished speaking and looked at the audio that was displayed on the computer as having been exported.

He said to Ryo.

"But this song probably can't be sung. How about the two of us try singing it?"

Ryo had just been looking up and quietly watching Ishikawa Hayato speak, but when she heard Ishikawa Hayato's last sentence, her face changed.

"Not singing!"

She refused decisively.

Ishikawa Hayato smiled and said to her.

"Accomplices are the safest relationship, Ms. Yamada Ryo, do you understand?"

Nijika walked into the yard and casually closed the gate.

She still trusted Ishikawa Hayato very much. Although Hayato-kun loved to be mischievous, he was very reliable.

But trust was one thing, and worry was another. Thinking of Ishikawa Hayato's usual remarks, she always felt uneasy.

Entering the villa, she skillfully took out slippers from the shoe cabinet and put them on. The sound of the slippers colliding with the ground quickly passed through the entrance hall, and the sound stopped in front of the metal grille on the side of the house.

She was suddenly a little curious whether Ishikawa Hayato's free and easy appearance would become restrained because of Ryo's family background.

Speaking of which, Ryo should still be the first person she's brought home besides her, right?

Could it be!

Ryo and Hayato-kun usually seem to be having a good time talking. Could it be that they have that kind of relationship at some point!