The timing worked out, and after school, Riki headed to Ring with Akari and Anon. They had practice scheduled for today, too.
"Look, look! Doesn't that new dessert shop over there look amazing? Let's go try it!" Anon said excitedly, pointing at the shop.
"It does look really delicious," Akari agreed with a nod.
"Gotta say, it really does."
"Ugh, you're both just humoring me!" Anon said indignantly. She turned to Riki, curious. "Speaking of which, you're so impressive, Riki. Do you have a girlfriend?"
Akari looked at Riki, studying him.
"I do."
"Really? Who is she?!"
"I can't remember. I get a new one every quarter."
"Fictional characters don't count!" Anon crossed her arms in an X, then added, "What about someone like me?"
She hadn't thought much of it. She just found the topic fun, and Riki was a boy who was good at chatting, so he wouldn't take it seriously.
"Does Riki like Anon's type?" Akari suddenly asked in surprise.
Anon froze for a moment, then waved her hand with a laugh. "Akari-chan, we're just joking! Just joking. What's gotten into you?"
"No, I don't know either." Akari thought for a moment, then tilted her head, puzzled.
Riki walked into Ring's café with them. Rikki, who was working, looked up and saw him enter. As if remembering something, she suddenly blushed and handed him a cup of hot coffee. "This is for you."
"Thank you," Riki said.
He was about to take a sip when he noticed a note stuck to the cup. It was written in neat handwriting: Thanks for staying with me at the school festival yesterday.
Sose had been sitting at her table ever since Riki walked in. She watched him enter with Akari and Anon, then saw Rikki bring him coffee.
Everything should have been going more or less according to plan, but for some reason, she felt a little irritated.
Things were moving too quickly, completely beyond her control.
Especially after receiving the photo and message Anon had just sent her. Her mood had worsened, and she didn't even know why.
"That's enough, isn't it? Are you that happy just because you got coffee? Hurry up and come sit down," Sose said coolly, looking at Riki.
Don't overthink it. In the end... she didn't need Riki, either.
"Let's start preparing for next week's performance," Sose said with a composed smile.
Then they could resolve everything with this performance.
Rikki: Soyo, do you know what Riki likes?
"Rikki-chan, why don't you come sit down, too?" Sose smiled at Rikki behind the counter and said casually, "Come to think of it, you seem to have gotten closer to Riki-kun. Did something happen?"
Rikki froze for a moment. Remembering something, she blushed. "I just ran into him at the school festival and asked him to come up and perform with me."
Rikki-chan isn't good at lying. Judging by that expression, there must have been more to it.
Sose turned her prim smile toward Riki beside her. What had this disgrace to humanity done now?
Annoying.
Even though Sose's plan was to have Riki get along with them, she couldn't ignore how irritated she felt. She gave him a cool look.
Was this man really that good at making people like him?
What a despicable guy.
He was undoubtedly her least favorite type.
"Why are you calling me Riki-kun? Don't you usually call me Brother Riki?" Riki leaned closer and whispered in Sose's ear.
"Eek!"
Sose felt her ear grow hot and tingle. She yelped, then stared at Riki with a bright red face. "W-why are you getting so close?! I've never called you that before! We're not that close, are we?!"
That's irrelevant.
You've never called me Brother Riki, but we're not strangers, either, are we?
Riki was at a loss. Did he have some kind of holy divider following him around?
Sose, don't push it. Knock it off.
"I'm pretty curious about what the school festival at Tsukinomori, the school for rich young ladies, is like. Could you take me along next time?" Riki asked curiously. Let me see what the Celestial Dragons' school is like. I'll give it a thorough critique.
"There's no way you could get in..." Sose started, then suddenly thought of Rikki's expression earlier and paused. "If there's a chance, maybe."
Sose muttered under her breath about what a rude guy he was. Then she suddenly decided what to write in her diary that night: Miss Sose spoke kindly with Riki, but the thick-skinned fool Riki was so shy around Miss Sose that he stammered and looked utterly ridiculous. Miss Sose, however, was too noble to laugh at him.
Sose finally calmed down a little. When she looked up, she found Rikki, Anon, and Akari all watching her curiously.
"You and Riki seem pretty close, Soyo," Anon said, blinking.
"That's not true. Like everyone else, I've only met Riki-kun a few times," Sose replied in an even voice, smiling with the poise of a young lady. Under her guidance, their discussion soon got underway. Anon's guitar skills were still poor, which made Rikki furious.
"I told you I'm practicing! If you don't know anything about it, don't criticize me just because you play drums," Anon said, puffing out her cheeks.
"Huh? Isn't it because you haven't been practicing hard enough?" Rikki frowned.
"Rikki-chan, Anon has been trying hard, too," Sose said gently. "I'm sure she cares about the performance just as much."
Stirring up discord among the band members was also part of Sose's plan. After all, once Sakiko and Mutsumi joined later, it would be more convenient if Anon and Runa left on their own than if they had to kick them out.
—It was a great plan.
Riki was deeply impressed.
A little can of tea, crafted by a master.
Miss Sose really was a master of tea. Even sitting beside her, he could smell that strong green-tea scent.
Sose's expression darkened. She looked at Riki and said, "Why are you staring at me? You're the music adviser, too. Don't you have anything to say?"
The four beautiful girls at the table all looked at Riki. He decided it was time to say something encouraging before the performance.
"This performance is a rare opportunity, and it'll be the band's first show. Treat every attempt like it's your last, and don't be afraid of losing..." Riki said seriously. Then he realized the people in front of him weren't the weirdos from Haicheng University, but innocent high school girls just like him.
Haicheng University was to blame again.
Damn it, I can't take it anymore. I'm going to war with Haicheng University!
"Performing is a great way to understand what the other members are feeling through music. If you want to be a band together for the rest of your lives, then start now. No matter how the performance goes, I'll support you."
The four girls stared at Riki, stunned.
Akari gazed at him blankly, then nodded with determination. Rikki smiled. Anon happily called out, "Of course!"
Sose froze for a moment, biting her soft lip as she looked at Riki.
For a moment, her heart wavered.
But she couldn't. This band wasn't where she belonged. Only Crychic...
"Then let's go to the practice room," Sose said with a smile, pressing her hands together. "For next week's performance."
The practice room.
After another practice session, Anon and Rikki got into an argument again, just as expected.
Sose calmly smoothed the strings of her bass, then noticed Rikki standing beside her.
"Didn't you argue with Anon-chan?" Sose asked with a gentle smile.
"That girl won't listen no matter what I say. There's something I wanted to ask you, though." Rikki looked a little uneasy. "You seem pretty close to Riki. You're not dating him, are you?"
Sose froze for a moment, then managed to say, "O-of course not."
Rikki seemed relieved, which made Sose's expression grow even more complicated. She lowered her eyes slightly.
"Then do you know what he likes? I want to thank him for helping me before."
Sose smiled, casually rubbing her fingertips together. "Sorry, Rikki-chan. I don't know that, either."
I'm gonna eat a whole cow!
After practice, Riki said goodbye to Rinrin-senpai... no, wait, to Narita Michi, then decided to go and stuff himself with something delicious.
I almost called my senpai by the wrong name.
As soon as Riki stepped outside, he saw Sose standing by the entrance. She said, "I'm going to the shopping district."
"Have a nice trip," Riki said with a nod, turning to leave.
Sose's eye twitched. She took a deep breath and said, "I meant I want you to come with me."
This man was impossible. Couldn't he even understand a hint?
"But I'm going to get something to eat," Riki said hesitantly.
"I'll buy you dinner, all right?" Sose said irritably. "Hurry up!"
See? She was getting impatient again.
Once they reached the sidewalk, Sose finally calmed down. "The strap on my bass broke, so I need to buy a new one. Come with me."
Both basses and guitars needed straps to hang over the shoulder while playing. Since the strap was in direct contact with the body, it was especially important. It had to be practical, comfortable, and durable. Otherwise, if you just hung the instrument from a belt, your shoulder would be rubbed raw in two days.
Simply put, a bass strap was like underwear for a bass.
You could go without, but it was better to have one.
But Miss Sose clearly wasn't the type to go without.
Riki looked at Sose beside him.
"What?" Sose asked with a frown.
"Nothing."
What was wrong with him... Sose frowned and stopped in front of a music store in the shopping district. "This shop is run by an upperclassman. The goods are good quality and reasonably priced. I used to shop here, too. Come on in."
Vote, damn it!
Sose: You pervert!
EDOGAWA GAKKI.
A famous music shop in Edobashi, Bunkyo Ward. Girls who loved music at Haneoka, Hanasakigawa, and Tsukinomori were all regular customers.
"Yaho~ Soyo-chan, what are you looking to buy today? I can secretly give you a discount—just don't tell the manager!" said the shop assistant, Hanazono Tae, a cheerful girl with black hair.
"It's been a while, Tae-senpai. I'm here to buy a new strap," Sose said with a graceful smile. "The person beside me is a passerby I don't really know, but have gotten a little familiar with."
"Hello, I'm Passerby A," Riki introduced himself.
"Hello, A-san. What an unusual name," Tae exclaimed, looking at Riki. She sized up him and Sose, then blinked. "Are you two dating?"
"Absolutely not!" Sose said.
"No," Riki replied.
"Tae-senpai, we can pick one out ourselves," Sose said with a smile, pulling Riki over to the section with the straps.
As she looked over the straps, Sose said casually, "You seem to get along really well with Akari-chan and the others. When did you get so close?"
"Are we that close?" Riki thought for a moment.
"Doesn't it look like you're really close?" Sose said coolly.
"But I think we're closer. I've been to your house, and you've been to mine. We've even cooked for each other. Sure, your cooking wasn't as good as Sakiko's, but I'd say we're closer than that." Riki looked puzzled.
Sose froze for a moment, pressed her thin lips together, and turned away. "You didn't need to mention that Sakiko-chan is a better cook... Still, I didn't expect you to consider me a close friend. I have plenty of friends in Tsukinomori at your level. Unlike you."
"That's great, then."
Before you continue