Chapter Two: Live

"Sorry, Gotou-san. I just thought you and Guitar Hero looked really alike, and you both play guitar. I didn't expect you to react so strongly. I'm really sorry... Anyway, I'm your fan..."

"Ah, is this heaven...?"

"Oh, me-de-to, oh, me-de-to~" Two guitar-shaped little spirits flew around Ichiri! She could actually see Bocchi-chan's imaginary friends. How wonderful...

No!

Come back from your own world, Bocchi-chan--

After finally keeping Bocchi-chan in a stable three-state equilibrium, the two of them were at last able to communicate normally.

"Y-you're Guitar Hero, right?"

"Ah, yes."

"I'm your fan..."

"I-I-I-I'm honored!"

"I think the way you play guitar is really, really cool..." The word "cool" was softer than a mosquito's hum.

"Ehehehehehe..." She was about to melt again.

On her way home, Shiko hugged her smugly signed autograph and wore the silly grin of a shut-in otaku as she walked down the crowded street.

The next day at lunch, Ichiri once again spotted Shiko wandering around nearby.

"(How should I start talking to her...)" Shiko wanted to be friends with Bocchi, but she truly had no idea how to start a conversation. She had never done it in this life... and, as far as she could remember, not in her previous life either...

She felt an indistinct gaze coming from the stairwell.

"(Did she notice me...?)"

She quickly hid farther away.

Shiko hid beside the bulletin board. One of the notices was about to fall, so she hurriedly straightened it and pasted it back in place.

Then she saw the words on it: [Drama Club Recruitment...]

"Acting?" Inspiration struck Shiko.

Meanwhile, Ichiri was also overthinking things: "(Could she be trying to talk to me? Should I go talk to her first--no, no, if I'm just imagining things, I'd be better off committing seppuku...)"

Ichiri's little mental play:

Shiko-san would put on a surprised expression: "Oh my, I was just taking a casual walk. Who would have thought Gotou-san would think I wanted to talk to you?

How cute--"

"How cute--"

"How cute--"

Aaaaaah, I'm doomed, I'm doomed, I'm doomed--

"Hi, Ichiri! Come eat lunch with me!" Shiko believed that as long as she acted like a popular extrovert, she could do it! Just watch, she was a Stage Girl too! All right, make her eyes look a little more naturally vacant!

"Sorry, sorry, I'll disappear right away--" But the response she received was a shrill scream.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted--" Shiko's apology became even more sincere.

That day, echoing through the corner of the stairwell were not only the two girls' inexplicable apologies, but also Shiko's resolve to "never pretend to be an extrovert again"...

That night, Ichiri lay on the tatami, tossing and turning as she thought about what had happened during the day.

"(Wu-san has the aura of someone like me.)"

"(I want to be friends with her. But how do I do that?)"

Her mind went completely blank. She had no experience to draw on at all. Besides, the thought of taking the initiative to greet someone she barely knew made her throat tighten and her breathing grow difficult, even if that person was her fan. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt, until she rolled around on the floor--

Then she bumped into the cabinet with a thud.

At lunch, the two of them "happened" to meet again in the corner of the stairwell.

"(I really can't do it.)" Ichiri absolutely didn't dare speak first. She turned her head away, never daring to meet Shiko's eyes.

Fortunately, Shiko could just barely manage it.

"Um..."

Shiko's eyes darted around. After a long while, she finally worked up her courage. "Could... could you eat lunch with me?"

That familiar pressure came again, but this time it was accompanied by delight. "S-sure!"

Come on, Shiko! If you don't say it now, you'll never have the courage to bring it up again! Shiko clenched her fist. "There's one more thing!" Her voice was so loud that even she jumped.

"Yes?"

"Could I call you Ichiri?"

Shiko didn't dare look at the other girl's reaction. She waited in agony.

"(Please...)"

Then she heard an unexpected answer.

"Then, could I call you Shiko?" When she looked up, she found Ichiri's face bright red as well.

Shiko smiled. It had been a long time since she had smiled so freely.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you!"

Before they knew it, it was time to go home.

The Gotou household was just as harmonious as ever that day--Mom was preparing dinner, while Nili was playing with the dog, Jimmy Hen--until someone burst open the door with an ultra-loud bang, tossed out an "I'm home," and ran upstairs.

"Mom, Big Sis looks really happy today!" Gotou Nili watched as her sister rushed inside with a blissful expression, immediately slipped into her room, and pressed herself against the door. Even from outside, she could hear the sound of someone rolling around inside.

"Did something good happen?" Ichiri's father, mother, younger sister, and dog all gazed thoughtfully toward Ichiri's room.

"Did she make a friend?"

Ichiri had no idea how her family was reacting. She was simply immersed in her own little happiness. "(Should I send her a message to say hi? Is this what popular people usually do?)" After thinking for a long time, she opened her phone and sent Shiko: "See you tomorrow. Please take care of me from now on."

The message instantly became "Read."

"That fast?" Ichiri was delighted again, but after waiting for a long time, she still received no reply.

Worry began to rise. "(Could this also be...)"

"...normal?" Shiko held her phone and thought hard. After making friends, did ordinary people often greet each other on their phones? If so, how were they supposed to reply?

She looked up at the sky and turned into a statue.

The clouds rolled and drifted.

The last ray of sunset disappeared.

At last, Ichiri received a reply: "Yeah, see you tomorrow~"

"Ehehe, ehehehe~"

"Big Sis, dinner's ready--" Nili's voice came from downstairs.

"Coming, coming~" Ichiri went downstairs, her heart full of joy. When she saw the food on the table, she stopped.

"Why are we eating red bean rice?"

Shiko put down her chopsticks, finished the last bite of her cheap takeout, and returned to her desk.

She looked at the music textbook spread open on the desk and opened another can of coffee. "All right, for Ichiri's dream, I'll work a little harder!"

At the desk, dozens of Guitar Hero's autographs covered the entire wall.

Note 1: Reference: Adachi and Shimamura, Volume 3, Chapter 5

Chapter Two: Live

"I'm full... Haaah..."

Eating lunch in the corner of the stairwell had already become a routine for Ichiri and Shiko. Compared with the classroom, this place was a little dustier, but it was quiet and undisturbed. The dusty environment was also very suitable for people like them... That was Ichiri's opinion.

Shiko moved her chopsticks a little sluggishly.

Ichiri looked worriedly at Shiko's dark circles. "Did you stay up late again last night?"

"More or less... I didn't die suddenly, and I successfully survived another day..." Shiko had slumped into a heap against the wall. "Guess what for..." She pulled out her phone, dragged her finger across the screen a few times, and sent Ichiri a file.

Ichiri looked at it. It was sheet music.

"I finished writing it yesterday." Shiko's voice was hazy, but her pride was clear. "I want to write original songs for Guitar Hero someday, so I started learning. How is it, for a first attempt?"

"(This is for me...)" Ichiri's lashes fluttered slightly. She wanted to tell Shiko not to stay up late for this anymore, but...

Her words were clumsy and unable to convey what she meant.

But she had another way. She put down her lunch box and picked up the guitar beside her. It wasn't plugged in, which was perfect; her playing wouldn't disturb anyone else.

Her hands moved on their own.

Passionate notes rang out in the empty corner of the stairwell. The composition was somewhat rough, but Ichiri's practiced technique and improvised flourishes covered that up.

She couldn't let Shiko's feelings go unanswered.

Shiko leaned against the wall and listened with her eyes closed, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifting into a slight smile.

This was only the beginning... One day, with my songs...

The music stopped. When Ichiri came back to herself and looked up, she found that Shiko was sleeping soundly.

Ichiri didn't wake Shiko until lunch break was over.

Then Shiko slept through another class.

"Ahh--I'm alive again~" Shiko sighed when school ended.

"..." Ichiri remained silent. The two of them were not very talkative to begin with, and they didn't say another word all the way there.

At the park, where they were about to part, Ichiri still caught Shiko by the hem of her clothes. "Um, I think you should get some rest from now on... Well, I mean..."

Shiko stopped, resting one hand against her forehead. Her voice was lofty and inscrutable. "Fear not. I have inherited the legacy of Moon Immortal Wangshu..."

"Shiko." Ichiri's expression was more serious than ever before.

"...All right." Shiko returned to her "=w=" expression.

She still felt there was a lot she needed to practice, but she was happy to receive Ichiri's concern. She would relax this weekend first.

Now, to plan her weekend: takeout for all three meals, sleep until noon, and catch up on some anime...

When she turned around, a flyer floated through the air and smacked Shiko in the face.

Oh no. It felt like a quest had come knocking.

She tore it off and took a look. Indeed, it felt like a massive DLC, and the quest reward was something she couldn't refuse.

It was a flyer for CiRCLE.

CiRCLE was one of the main locations in the Bang Dream world, a place where several girl bands often gathered. It felt extremely familiar and welcoming to Shiko. She had always wanted to find a chance to visit, but she didn't dare go alone, so the plan had remained on hold. Now, the opportunity was right in front of her. All she had to do was--seize it!

Shiko grabbed Ichiri.

"Huh?"

"Please, could you go listen to a live show with me for the rest of our lives--I mean, together?" Shiko rarely asked anyone for anything, and even though Ichiri was her friend, she was so nervous that she nearly misspoke.

"Why did you ask me?"

"Because I don't dare go alone, of course!" Shiko's eyes were full of sincerity. "Look, if you go alone, nothing feels comfortable. You always feel like people are pointing at you and saying things like, 'Why did she come by herself?' But it's different when there are two people!

"When there are two people, it just looks like two good friends going out together on the weekend! It's completely normal behavior. It's the behavior of popular people! You want to go too, right? You want to form a band, don't you? Come take a look~ Come take a look~" She was certain Ichiri would agree. After all, Ichiri was a gloomy introvert who couldn't refuse people.

Ichiri's face had already turned ashen. "O-okay..."

"(Shiko is wearing a dazzling smile like a popular extrovert!)"

The weekend.

In front of CiRCLE.

CiRCLE stood along the street, with a large outdoor café in front. There were still few customers at this time. Through the glass doors, one could glimpse the bright, warm atmosphere inside. The whole shop was decorated in warm colors, with spotless walls and floors. The pendant lights were shaped like stars, giving the place an air of mystery. Musical instruments and band merchandise hung all around the counter, while posters were stuck to the windows. It lacked the coldness peculiar to commercial districts and instead had a cozy, home-like warmth.

But for someone with social anxiety, it was still a forbidden zone.