Chapter 14: Kessoku Band

The next day, Ishikawa Hayato sat on the train holding the synthesizer's instruction manual. He was leaning lazily against the train seat while reading.

He didn't have school today, so he was wearing a three-quarter sleeve jacket over a white t-shirt, with dark casual pants. His satchel bag was tossed beside his seat.

His simple, clean attire, paired with his handsome and gentle face, perfectly showcased his youthful charm.

Two JK students not far from his seat frequently glanced in his direction.

It could be said that his appearance was very deceptive.

Of course, to those who knew him, this slight deceptiveness was completely insignificant in the face of his strange personality.

After arriving at the station, Ishikawa Hayato stuffed his book into his satchel, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and walked directly towards STARRY.

He reached the shop door, pushed it, and found it unlocked.

He had arrived much earlier than the agreed time, yet Nijika was already there.

Walking into the brightly lit underground space, Ishikawa Hayato saw Nijika sitting on a chair, a smile of anticipation on her face, constantly looking in his direction.

“Good morning~”

As soon as Ishikawa Hayato entered, Nijika excitedly greeted him waving her hand, with her wrist adorned with a red ribbon swaying along. 

“Morning, Nijika.”

Ishikawa Hayato looked around. It seemed there was no one else.

“Are the others not here yet?”

“Ryo won’t be that punctual,” Nijika said with a smile.

After speaking, as if prepared for a long wait, she propped her chin on her hand, her beautiful red eyes looking directly at Ishikawa Hayato.

Wait, it’s just him and Nijika right now?

God, I’m thinking greedy thoughts right now.

Ishikawa Hayato walked down the stairs and sat opposite Nijika.

“Hayato-kun arrived very early. Oh, that’s right.” Nijika stood up and walked towards the bar. “What drink would Hayato-kun like?”

“Orange juice is fine.”

Ishikawa Hayato didn’t stand on ceremony. He had no reason to.

Speaking of which, if Ryo was usually late, then Nijika must have simply opened the door for him and Kita, and quite early at that.

He wondered how long she had been waiting.

His gaze lingered on Nijika, who was preparing drinks behind the bar. In no time, she finished two glasses of orange juice, wrote something on the bar counter, then walked over and placed the drinks in front of Ishikawa Hayato.

“Speaking of which, Hayato-kun is really amazing. You learned the keyboard so quickly.”

She sat back in her original seat, her voice filled with admiration.

Then, with a somewhat playful tone and a teasing expression, she said,

“Actually, you already knew how to play the piano before, didn’t you?”

Hearing her cute tone, Ishikawa Hayato couldn't help but smile.

“I don’t lie. This is the strength of a pervert.”

His unexpected words made Nijika pause, then she asked with interest,

“Why does Hayato-kun call himself a Pervert?”

Nijika didn’t believe that Ishikawa Hayato was someone who would engage in those terrible, lewd, or vulgar behaviors.

She had thought so ever since their street performance that day.

Ishikawa Hayato, who never lied, naturally answered honestly.

“Although it has several layers of meaning, the most fundamental one is to give myself courage, because as a pervert, I can…”

Before he finished speaking, the main door opened.

Kita Ikuyo walked down from the doorway. Seeing that two people were already inside, she apologized shyly.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“No, the agreed time hasn’t even arrived yet. Really, Kita-chan, you don’t have to act like it’s a date.”

Nijika greeted Kita Ikuyo and stood up at the same time.

“What drink would Kita-chan like?”

“Do you have yogurt here?”

After Kita Ikuyo walked down the stairs, she curiously approached the bar.

“We do,” Nijika said with pride.

Kita Ikuyo watched Nijika retrieve yogurt from the cabinet. She then glanced at the price list on the counter and began to take out money.

After Nijika brought out the drink, she saw the money on the table and immediately started arguing with Kita over it.

However, Ishikawa Hayato’s gaze remained on Kita Ikuyo’s continuously bent left hand.

After a long observation, he could confirm that three of her five slender fingers were wrapped with a band-aid.

What a shame, she didn’t give up.

Is this girl an idiot?

...

Ryo was late, just as Nijika had expected. As soon as she arrived, Nijika complained to her, but Kita Ikuyo didn’t mind Ryo’s lateness at all. Instead, she excitedly said, “Completely disregard of time, doing whatever she wants, so cool! As expected of Ryo-senpai, a true band girl!”

Her statement immediately startled Nijika, who was in the middle of scolding Ryo.

She looked back at Kita Ikuyo with an expression of disbelief.

Even her gentle, bright red eyes revealed the despair of questioning life.

Afterwards, the four sat around the table and began their Band meeting.

Nijika still remembered Kita’s hesitant expression from yesterday and eagerly asked,

“Kita-chan, is something bothering you?”

“That is…”

How could Kita Ikuyo say that she couldn’t play the Guitar at all, when Ijiichi-senpai had been so happy to hear that she could play the Guitar and was an experienced Guitarist?

Even Ryo-senpai was…

“Kita’s hand is injured, right?”

Ishikawa Hayato ‘gently’ found an excuse for her.

Although Kita immediately withdrew her hand as soon as Ishikawa Hayato spoke, Nijika still saw it.

“Ah, really?”

Nijika was startled.

Although she was a little puzzled as to why she hadn’t noticed Kita’s hand injury yesterday, Nijika quickly apologized for her carelessness.

She lowered her head, buried in her clasped hands.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice at all.”

Kita Ikuyo immediately felt relieved upon hearing this and silently thanked Ishikawa Hayato in her heart, but before her gratitude could be expressed,

“But the injury shouldn’t be too serious, it’ll be fine in about a week, and it won’t affect playing too much.”

Ishikawa Hayato’s heavy ‘backstab’ almost made Kita Ikuyo cough up blood.

He even added another stab, asking Nijika,

“When can you play? I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Mm…”

Nijika looked up at Kita with a troubled expression, but it also revealed a hint of eagerness, clearly having thought about wanting to perform on stage for a long time.

She was feeling both anticipation and conflicted.

“Let’s give it more time. We still need to practice together.”

Ryo, seeing how impatient the two of them were, finally couldn’t help but speak up to stop them.

She then instructed Kita Ikuyo,

“A performer’s hands are very important. You need to pay more attention to them.”

'Ryo-senpai told me to pay attention to my hands!!'

'From now on, these hands will be more precious than my life!'

“Mm, mm, mm!”

The hesitant look on Kita Ikuyo’s face completely disappeared, and she nodded excitedly again and again.

Seeing Kita Ikuyo’s expression, Nijika, who thought the problem was solved, breathed a sigh of relief and said to the others,

“Then I’ll go ask my sister.”

With that, she happily ran over to Seika, who was sitting at the counter.

Speaking of which, when Seika had arrived earlier, she had rushed down from outside, her face a mix of sleepy confusion and terrifying panic, scaring the three of them quite a bit.

But upon seeing the three sitting obediently in their seats, she disregarded her sweating appearance and walked to the bar with a stern face.

As for why she was like this, Ishikawa Hayato naturally knew full well.

This was his charm.

“Sister~”

Nijika cooed to her sister behind the bar, but said nothing else.

Seika, who was browsing a notebook, had already heard everything that was happening here. She casually opened her schedule to confirm, and said indifferently,

“Coincidentally, in two weeks, a warm-up band can’t make it due to special circumstances, so you guys can fill in.”

Hearing the seemingly dismissive tone, Nijika stomped her foot in annoyance.

“Sister, you’re too mean!”

But she also knew that her sister was just like that—a tsun-tsun-tsun-tsun-tsun-tsun-tsundere.

She then ignored her.

But the angry expression quickly vanished as she turned around, and she smiled, flashing a victorious ‘V’ sign to the others sitting at the table.

Hayato and Ryo smiled faintly, feeling that this nascent band had finally taken a small step forward, filled with joy.

But Kita Ikuyo’s eyes went black, and she almost fainted.

Two weeks… She clutched her throbbing chest.

From today onwards, she would be Sleepless Ikuyo.

That despicable Ishikawa Hayato, he must have known she couldn’t play the Guitar and deliberately used this method to drive her away, but she would never give in!

She couldn’t help but complain about Ishikawa Hayato, who had continuously stabbed her earlier.

“Speaking of which, what’s the name of your band?”

Before Nijika reached the table, Seika’s puzzled voice came from behind her.

At this moment.

The four members of the Band stared blankly at Seika, clearly caught in a loop by her question.

Then the three at the table looked at Nijika, and Nijika also retracted her gaze and looked at the three at the table.

The four looked at each other and blinked.

Nijika’s gaze appeared extremely innocent and bewildered.

Seika immediately understood the situation, then said in a helpless voice.

“You need to decide quickly…”

…The four of them sat at the table, Nijika hugged her chest, closed her eyes, and thought deeply.

“A band name, this is very important.”

“Anything will do.”

Ryo said this with her hands propping up her head, her eyes half-closed and looking sleepy. When they started discussing this topic, she already seemed uninterested, and now she looked even more like she was about to fall asleep.

Hearing this incomprehensible remark, Nijika excitedly retorted loudly.

“How can that be allowed!”

Ishikawa Hayato was a bit curious how the name Kessoku Band was chosen, and at the same time, he wondered if the Band name would change due to his appearance, a butterfly effect.

He secretly observed the others with interest.

Kita Ikuyo had regained her composure when discussing matters unrelated to performing. She tapped her chin, tilted her head slightly, and thought seriously.

Ryo, annoyed by Nijika's shouting, half-closed her eyes again and looked at the thoughtful expressions of the others around her.

Finding it very troublesome, her gaze searched all around, and finally, she saw a cable tie on an electric wire in a corner of the shop.

Instantly, her brain felt as if it had been electrified.

“Cable tie, Kessoku Band.”

Her eyes sparkled, and a hint of cunning triumph was on her face.

Nijika: ???

“Kessoku, meaning unity, right? Ryo-senpai is truly amazing!”

Kita Ikuyo, who mindlessly praised Ryo, immediately gave Ryo's suggestion full marks, a perfect score before the answer sheet.

“No, no, this is a pun, isn't it?”

Nijika quickly waved her hand, reminding Kita Ikuyo.

She didn't want the important band name to be decided after a pun.

“I see! It’s still a joke~ How amazing.”

Kita Ikuyo said to Nijika with a brilliant, sparkling smile.

Kita emitted a dazzling light as much as a magical girl.

Although they were both cheerful girls of a similar type, Nijika still couldn't resist Kita's sparkling energy.

“Kita-chan, stop it!”

Nijika wailed, struggling to block that power with her hands.

After enduring it, her clothes were disheveled, and with tears in her eyes, she turned her helpless gaze to Ishikawa Hayato, the only one who could stand by her side.

Looking at Nijika’s pitiful expression, Ishikawa Hayato opened his mouth several times but couldn't speak.

But as a Pervert, Ishikawa Hayato’s heart was as hard as iron; even Nijika’s pitiful expression wouldn't sway him.

Against his conscience, he said with a playful attitude.

“This name is pretty good.”

With the majority's pressure, even Nijika had to accept it.

Finally, she walked teary-eyed to her older sister, and with a sobbing voice, she said.

“Kessoku Band, I guess…”

Seika tightened her face, barely managing not to laugh out loud.