Because he had the day off, Gotou Naoki was watching a movie at home with his wife and daughter when he received a call.
"Hello, is this Uncle Gotou? I'm Ishikawa Hayato. Sorry for calling so suddenly."
After receiving the call, Bocchi's father greeted his wife and daughter before leaving the room.
"No, Hayato-kun, did something happen to Hitori?"
Though he asked that, he did not sound too worried. After all, he could hear the calmness in Ishikawa Hayato's voice.
"No, Hitori has already gotten on the train home. What I'm worried about is that today, the other band members and I decided to work at a live house to earn funds for the band's activities."
Gotou Naoki cried out in surprise, "Work!?" Then he realized his voice was too loud and, as if he were objecting, hurriedly explained.
"I'm very much in favor of it, but can Hitori really do it?"
Ishikawa Hayato said, "I think Hitori should give it a try, and she agreed too. I just don't know if she really agreed, so I'm a little worried."
Ishikawa Hayato said, "If Hitori does anything strange, please let me know. I'm counting on you, Uncle."
Ishikawa Hayato said, "Oh, and aside from me, the rest of the band are girls around her age, so there's no need to worry."
Gotou Naoki said, "No, as long as Hayato-kun is there, I'm already relieved."
After hanging up, Gotou Naoki looked at his wife, who had come out of the living room with a worried expression. He calmed himself down, but still could not suppress his emotion as he said,
"Dear, Hitori has made some wonderful friends!!"
Then, he told Gotou Michiyo about his conversation with Ishikawa Hayato.
Gotou Michiyo revealed a pleasantly surprised smile.
"Wow, she sounds like such a wonderful kid!"
Assassin
"S-Sorry! Please punish me, Hayato-kun, for cowardly escaping at a time like this even though I promised I'd go work!"
After showering, Ishikawa Hayato leaned back leisurely in the chair in his room, casually resting an elbow on the armrest as he tilted his head and listened to his phone.
Hearing Bocchi's voice full of remorse from the other end, he pictured her tiny figure properly kneeling in a dogeza.
Just imagining pink and adorable Bocchi curled up weakly on her knees felt a little cute.
Picturing that amusing scene, he smiled and spoke gently.
"No, I was just worried that Bocchi might have done something dangerous. If you don't want to go, I'd still rather hear Bocchi say directly that you don't want to go."
Bocchi said, "Ah..."
She let out a soft cry, then fell silent for a long time.
Ishikawa Hayato waited without the slightest impatience for her hesitation and inner struggle.
Only after a little while did she finally say with certainty,
"I... can do it."
Ishikawa Hayato smiled and touched the textbook on the desk that he was only halfway through studying, then said to her,
"Then liars have to swallow a thousand needles."
As he spoke, he heard her seem to swallow nervously on the other end. Then he added in a teasing voice,
"Just kidding. Still, I'll ask your father to keep an eye on Bocchi afterward, so don't do anything to hurt yourself."
Bocchi gave a long, quiet response.
"Mm..."
Then the waveform representing the sounds exchanged between them suddenly settled down. Only tiny, low-frequency ripples continued to pass between them.
Something sweet and soft.
After a long while, Ishikawa Hayato listened to her faint breathing and said with pursed lips, his voice tense,
"Then, that's it. See you tomorrow."
"Mm, see you tomorrow."
Meanwhile, near a high school not too far from Ishikawa Hayato's home.
Several young men who had come to school for club activities despite being on break strolled slowly down the road.
Among them were a sunny, energetic athletic boy, a gloomy and taciturn otaku-type boy, and a tall young man dressed casually with the fierce look of a delinquent.
They had come together in a combination that was somewhat hard to understand.
"Ha, you can keep up with everyone's training plan now."
"Yeah, but I'm still not used to being covered in sweat."
"You're seriously lacking exercise. Even if you're an otaku, get running!"
"Haha..."
Watching them fool around, one of the young men suddenly said worriedly,
"By the way... Big Brother Hayato suddenly transferred to another school without saying a word. It's been a month, and there's been no major news... That doesn't seem like him."
The delinquent-looking young man laughed wildly. "Didn't we already hear that he conquered that school?"
"Conquered... Don't use such delinquent-sounding language."
"Don't care. Big Brother is the best, invincible, Tenjin!"
The young man who had been worried earlier shook his head.
"I just find it strange. Everyone's attending schools around here, so why did Big Brother Hayato suddenly leave? It feels like he has some kind of plan..."
"Yeah... Wouldn't it be nice to change the world together with us... Things don't seem too good at Daigo's school either..."
"Let's not rush. We'll go over when they need our help."
At that moment, a boy walking at the back while looking at his phone suddenly shouted.
"Guys! Come look, isn't this Big Brother?"
At once, the whole group crowded around in curiosity, their pairs of eyes filling the tiny phone screen.
On a performance stage, at the edge of the lights, a handsome, confident boy their age was playing the keyboard with a brilliant smile.
Even with their shallow understanding of music, they could tell that the song was not performed particularly well.
But...
There was a carefree, liberating feeling in the music.
Yet that was not where their attention lay. They stared fixedly at the boy at the blurred edge of the lights.
After a while, the delinquent-looking young man said with certainty,
"That's Big Brother."
"Yeah..."
After confirming it, the group felt something strange in their hearts and could not speak for a moment.
The gloomy young man also opened a search on his phone.
He found a more complete version.
After Ishikawa Hayato finished introducing the band members, his voice rang out by the roadside like a declaration.
"Then, the rock that breaks loneliness is about to begin."
The young man froze for a moment, then looked at the others. Seeing their vaguely understanding yet still confused expressions, he said,
"So that's what it is."
Early the next morning, Ishikawa Hayato bid his family farewell as "gently" as ever. Along the way, he greeted every neighbor he knew and headed cheerfully to school while humming a song.
Near the school, he was quite lucky today. He spotted a guitar-carrying girl in a pink tracksuit, with a skirt worn over her pants.
He quickened his pace and only greeted her once he had gotten closer.
"Morning, Bocchi."
Bocchi had been slightly wary when she sensed someone rapidly approaching, but the moment she heard that voice, she relaxed.
She turned her head and looked at Ishikawa Hayato with uneasy blue eyes, giving a faint nod.
"Morning, Hayato."
After she responded, Ishikawa Hayato looked her over a few times and said in relief,
"Looks like you didn't keep doing anything stupid."
At Ishikawa Hayato's words, Bocchi immediately recalled the foolish thing she had done yesterday and panicked.
"Ah..."
She wanted to apologize right away, but she was too nervous to speak.
"Ah... ahh..."
She waved her hands helplessly, but after only a moment, Ishikawa Hayato grabbed her wrist and changed the subject as he asked again,
"So, you've decided to work?"
Seeing Ishikawa Hayato looking somewhat serious, Bocchi was swept along by his mood and quickly regained her composure. She lowered her head and followed him at a pace that would not leave her behind.
She said weakly, with some hesitation but also determination,
"Nijika... comforted me this morning too. I-I'll do my best."
After warming up her voice for the first time that day, Bocchi spoke much more naturally.
After saying that, though, she felt as if she had pushed all the credit onto Nijika. She hurriedly turned to Ishikawa Hayato, even rising onto her toes as if leaning toward him, and raised her voice.
"But I still need to thank Hayato more. It's all because..."
Before she could finish, however, she met the eyes of Ishikawa Hayato, who had been watching her all along, and suddenly found herself unable to speak.
Seeing Bocchi suddenly look at him, then suddenly avert her eyes in fear as her expression darkened, Ishikawa Hayato teased,
"Bocchi is really cute."
At once, Bocchi buried her head even deeper.
Elsewhere, Kita had noticed the two of them and intended to greet them, but when she saw this scene from afar, she swallowed the call that had reached her lips.
By lunchtime.
Feeling that nearly everyone in the band was waiting for her, Kita, who was used to responding to others, impatiently took out her phone and messaged her "mentor."
"Gotou-san, can you practice with me during lunch break?"
As she typed it into LINE, Ishikawa Hayato passed by her side and saw the words on her screen. He sighed.
"Youth really is something."
Feeling mocked by him, Kita gave a light snort and turned her phone away.
Ishikawa Hayato smiled without stopping, leisurely walking past her.
Until he left the classroom, Kita kept watching him from the corner of her eye.
But at that moment, Bocchi, who seemed to have no social activities whatsoever and remained on standby throughout the school day, immediately replied.
"Kita-chan, can we practice in the storage room? If you come, please don't bring anyone else, and don't let anyone find out."
Kita's expression immediately froze when she saw the LINE message.
Bocchi meant guitar practice, right?
Why did it feel so dangerous?
She glanced toward the door again. Ishikawa Hayato was already nowhere to be seen. Then, after turning back to her phone and hesitating, she replied,
"Okay..."
Before you continue