No! Stop!
"W-what is it...?"
Gotou Hitori's expression collapsed again, but Ishikawa Hayato could vaguely read a plea on her face: Please don't do this.
Ishikawa Hayato realized he seemed to have made her overly nervous and reined in his teasing mood.
"Actually, I saw Gotou-san carrying a guitar yesterday... My band happens to be short a guitarist right now. Would you like to join, Gotou-san? Other than me, they're all girls."
A band... a band!
Gotou Hitori raised her head. Someone actually wanted to invite her!?
This wasn't a dream, was it?
She secretly glanced at Ishikawa Hayato, then looked away again.
He looked like a nice person. He was a little scary, but maybe she should just agree...
"I'll think about it."
After saying that, Gotou Hitori lowered her head.
I want to die...
What was she saying...?
But Gotou Hitori understood it herself.
She wanted to join a band, but getting to know people in her current state was far too difficult. Just thinking about greeting several strangers made her feel unable to take a step forward.
"Okay. If you decide to come, just find me."
Ishikawa Hayato looked at Gotou Hitori, who was already shorter than him and now had her head lowered, looking wilted and dispirited. He held back the hand that wanted to reach out and touch her, leaving her with one final remark.
"So Gotou-san always eats here. It's a little gloomy, but it's pretty nice. I can come find you here again, right?"
After seeing Gotou Hitori give a tiny nod, Ishikawa Hayato smiled, casually waved, and returned to his classroom.
Watching him leave, Gotou Hitori clearly realized one thing.
It was going to be harder to run away now...
Gotou Hitori's eyes immediately became as hopeless as those of a dead fish.
After the day's classes ended, Ishikawa Hayato carried thirty-five kilograms of gear as he considered how to naturally reveal in front of the others that he was a pervert.
Being a pervert wasn't easy either.
Troubled by this, the pervert headed toward Starry.
As he walked down streets warmed by sunlight, the world radiated beautiful, gentle warmth. Every sound around him was youthful and lively. This was a wonderful time he would never forget in his life.
Amid all this, Ishikawa Hayato noticed that the students around him seemed even more animated in their conversations than before.
As he idly observed his surroundings, his phone chimed with a LINE notification.
He took out his phone and looked at it.
It was from Ryo.
"Are you coming today?"
Ishikawa Hayato displayed astonishing typing speed and replied like lightning.
"You'll see me at Starry's entrance in four minutes and twelve seconds."
Perhaps Ryo hadn't expected him to reply so quickly, or perhaps she was surprised by his response. A few seconds later, she replied.
"No need to rush. Don't wear yourself out."
A-an-an angel!
After being moved, a question surfaced in Ishikawa Hayato's heart. Was Ryo really such a considerate person?
With a head full of question marks, he hurried toward Starry.
Ishikawa Hayato knew he shouldn't have been touched so soon.
"It's time for you to repay your debt."
Dressed in casual clothes, Ryo had a bass on her back and held an amplifier as she spoke to Ishikawa Hayato.
The clock turned back to more than ten minutes earlier.
When Ishikawa Hayato arrived at Starry, he found that only Nijika's older sister—the manager—was busy behind the counter. The other two girls were nowhere to be seen.
Strange. Ryo had acted like she was urging him to come.
He placed the keyboard on a table and asked Nijika's sister, Ijichi Seika.
"Manager, have Nijika and Ryo not arrived yet?"
Ijichi Seika, who was busy working, glanced at him. She didn't seem to care much for this male who was getting close to her younger sister.
"They'll be late today."
She offered no further explanation, turning away with a rag to clean the equipment. Only then did she casually add.
"How's the practice going?"
Practice?
Naturally, Ishikawa Hayato knew Seika wasn't asking about his school grades. She could only mean the keyboard.
As a pervert, how could he lack confidence in himself?
"I'm very satisfied."
Even as a beginner, he didn't show the slightest bit of modesty as he proudly declared it.
Ijichi Seika froze for a moment at that answer, then turned back with an odd smile and a hint of mockery.
"Oh? Then show me."
Ishikawa Hayato took a breath and puffed out his chest.
This is exactly what I was waiting for!
No, wait, there was only one person. He couldn't stun the entire audience.
He wouldn't be able to show off coolly and enjoy the sight of everyone staring in disbelief.
But Ishikawa Hayato would never back down here and let Ijichi Seika look down on him. Even if there was no one around, he would drag over plankton to listen to his performance.
"Then excuse me while I borrow the venue."
He politely greeted her instead, then unzipped the keyboard bag, picked up the keyboard, and climbed onto the stage.
Ijichi Seika quickly went to turn on the stage power, deliberately and mischievously neglecting to tell him to go up from backstage.
After setting up the various stage equipment, she sat in a chair, propped her face on one hand against the table, and watched from afar as Ishikawa Hayato ran around the stage in confusion.
"The spare amplifier is the one on the left. Yes, just plug it in directly."
After fumbling around and completely exposing how little he knew in front of someone else, Ishikawa Hayato didn't feel the slightest embarrassment.
Still looking composed, he said to Ijichi Seika.
"Next, I'll play a piano piece. I spent some time practicing it yesterday, and it's currently the best I can do. Please listen to The Street Where the Wind Resides."
Ijichi Seika nodded indifferently. She was curious how well a beginner could play, as well as when that proud expression of his would finally break.
Seeing her only listener nod, Ishikawa Hayato closed his eyes and adjusted his state of mind. His long fingers gently settled on the keyboard, whose tone had already been set, and it produced the clear sound of a piano.
The sound of a breeze strolling drifted from the amplifier, floating through the black, rock-and-roll atmosphere of the live house.
This was a song Ishikawa Hayato had loved in the past. He had listened to it countless times, so as soon as he learned to play, he chose it without hesitation.
Though the performance wasn't smooth, and the wind birthed by the keyboard stumbled several times on its stroll, it didn't care at all. It never looked back and simply kept moving forward.
Nor did Ishikawa Hayato show any hesitation, worry, or uncertainty over even the smallest mistake. Instead, he seemed remarkably calm, as though the song was meant to be played this way.
Below the stage, Ijichi Seika sat up straight in earnest.
Music could convey emotions, and live performances especially revealed some of the performer's emotions and thoughts.
Even a somewhat stumbling performance could do the same.
At first, hearing him play, she was surprised.
After all, even this level required one or two months of practice. But then she remembered that he had a younger sister who played piano at home. Perhaps his family had an excellent musical environment, so she let it go.
But later, she noticed how incredibly resolute his performance was. Even when he made mistakes, he never hesitated.
That determination didn't seem to come from long-term performance training. It came from an exceptionally firm and powerful heart.
This guy's heart was abnormally strong!
After finishing, Ishikawa Hayato smiled and took a bow. Then, before Ijichi Seika could stop him, he unplugged the amplifier.
"Wait!"
"Huh?" Ishikawa Hayato's hand didn't stop, and he blankly pulled out the plug.
Boom!!
A thunderous sound exploded right in front of Ishikawa Hayato.
By the time Ijichi Nijika arrived, what she saw was Ishikawa Hayato sitting on a table in Starry's backstage area, covering his ears with an unlucky expression, while her sister stood behind the counter with the corners of her mouth twitching as she held back laughter.
What had happened between these two?
But Nijika didn't think much of it. She walked over with a smile and greeted him.
"Hayato-kun, are you ready?"
Ishikawa Hayato, whose ears were still ringing, raised his head and looked at the two girls, now dressed in casual clothes, with a puzzled expression.
"For what?"
Seeing Ishikawa Hayato's confusion, Nijika froze for a moment and turned to look at Ryo behind her. But Ryo calmly walked past her and placed the amplifier in front of Ishikawa Hayato.
"It's time for you to repay your debt."
Ishikawa Hayato: ???
Seeing that Ishikawa Hayato had no idea what was going on, along with Ryo's incredibly smug expression, Nijika roughly guessed what had happened.
She also understood why Ryo had volunteered to notify Ishikawa Hayato.
"Hayato-kun, show me the message Ryo just sent you."
Ishikawa Hayato cooperatively took out his phone, but Ryo, wearing a serious expression, pressed down his hand.
"No."
Hearing Ryo say that and seeing the amplifier on the floor, he immediately understood the situation as well.
Yeah, he had been treated as free labor—and lured over under false pretenses, at that.
Nijika narrowed her eyes at Ryo, putting on a fierce expression, but Ryo wasn't afraid at all. In the end, Nijika drooped her head, clearly unable to do anything about Ryo.
She didn't say anything more to Ryo. Seeing that Ishikawa Hayato still didn't understand the situation, she quickly explained.
"Today, we wanted Hayato-kun to see our performance and learn what a band does, so Ryo and I are planning to do a street performance. Hayato-kun, come watch too."
"Hayato carries the luggage," Ryo added.
"I'll carry my own things!"
Nijika wouldn't indulge Ryo. She quickly stepped forward, picked up the amplifier, and angrily shoved it back into Ryo's hands.
They were putting on a performance specifically for him.
Nijika, my wife!!!
Before you continue