Chapter 33: Forming a Band

Ishikawa Hayato looked at Kita, who hadn’t brought her ‘guitar,’ and asked her.

“Speaking of which, how’s your guitar practice going, Kita?”

Kita, who had been excitedly walking towards the rehearsal room, suddenly panicked. She stopped, conflicted, slowly turned her head, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions.

“Um… um…”

“Everyone knows, don’t worry about it.”

Ryo-senpai calmly comforted her.

Realizing that everyone else had expectations of her, Kita lowered her head, embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, everyone… No matter how much I practice, I can’t play the guitar…”

“All that comes out are deep ‘boom boom’ sounds.”

Ryo paused, feeling hurt again as a bass player, and sighed.

“That’s a bass, isn’t it?”

Although she used an questioning tone, her words were full of certainty.

“Pfft.”

Ishikawa Hayato turned his back and laughed.

Although he had known this scene would happen, seeing it in person made it truly impossible to hold back.

But to laugh more happily, his handsome face was strained and even slightly twitching as he said to the others,

“Kita… you… tomorrow, bring it here for us to see, then we’ll know.”

Kita Ikuyo seeing Ishikawa Hayato like this, and hearing what Ryo had just said, immediately felt a bad premonition.

But at this moment, Ishikawa Hayato, with his back to her, bit his lip hard, looked up at the sky, and comforted her.

“Well, maybe it’s just a tuning problem.”

After he finished speaking, he quickened his pace and rushed into the practice room.

Nijika watched Ishikawa Hayato rush into the practice room blankly, and she could even hear Ishikawa Hayato’s insane laughter from the half-open door.

She turned around and earnestly instructed the others.

“Everyone, if Ishikawa-kun bullies you in the future, you must tell me.”

But as she said this, she didn’t dare to look at Kita, who already had tears in her eyes…

...

“Bocchi-chan is very good at guitar, why is she so bad during practice?”

The four of them were preparing to play, connecting the speakers and power, and chatting idly.

As for the one person left… Kita Ikuyo was squatting in the corner, muttering like Bocchi had possessed her.

Among her mutterings, the words Ishikawa, guitar, and definitely won’t buy the wrong one, she repeated countless times.

“Ah.”

Facing Nijika’s question, Bocchi opened her mouth, but didn’t know how to explain.

At this time, Ishikawa Hayato explained for her.

“Bocchi usually practices alone and has never joined a band, so she can’t coordinate, and she’s quite shy, she gets nervous when unfamiliar people are around her.”

“Is that so?”

Nijika was a little skeptical of Ishikawa Hayato, and she confirmed with Bocchi.

Bocchi stared blankly at Ishikawa Hayato, and after a few beats, she came back to her senses and nodded to Nijika.

Nijika’s resentment towards Ishikawa Hayato deepened in her heart. He actually tricked Bocchi like this.

She really didn’t know if he was doing this on purpose or not.

“Nijika~~”

After Ishikawa Hayato noticed Nijika’s reaction, as if he was hurt by her, he covered his chest with one hand, and stretched the other hand towards Nijika from afar, calling her name with tearful eyes.

Nijika deliberately turned away her gaze, feigning indifference.

“Then let’s start practicing.”

…

By evening, the girls emerged from the rehearsal room, utterly exhausted, and looking admiringly at Ishikawa Hayato, who was humming a song and skipping ahead of them.

He had practiced for most of the afternoon and was still so relaxed.

As expected of a pervert!

And after this pervert walked out of the rehearsal room, he saw Manager Seika sitting at the bar and Miss PA lazily slumped over a table, looking at her phone.

He generously raised his hand to greet the two.

“Good morning, ladies~”

“Oh.”

Seika glanced at them and then averted her gaze.

Miss PA, seeing the tired looks of the group, looked relieved.

“You practiced very hard.”

Hearing her admiring words, Ishikawa Hayato stepped on a nearby chair and said proudly,

“Of course, as a pervert, I must be stronger and more perverse every second than I was the previous second.”

“Clean it up for me.” Seika glared at him with sharp eyes.

“Understood!”

Ishikawa Hayato didn’t care about her fierce tone at all, saluted, and ran to the side to get paper.

“Hayato-kun is really energetic…”

Nijika looked at Ishikawa Hayato admiringly, and even Kita said respectfully,

“Yes…”

...

As dinnertime approached, the five emerged from the brightly lit underground space, leaving STARRY, ready to head home.

The twilight sky was dotted with stars, and the roads divided by tall buildings, the five parted ways.

Nijika and Ryo were a pair; she waved goodbye to the other three, and also scheduled their meeting for tomorrow.

“Then see you tomorrow at 1 PM again~”

“Mm, Ryo-senpai, see you then~”

Kita also raised her hand and waved.

She was with Ishikawa Hayato and Bocchi.

At this moment of farewell, Ishikawa Hayato was as free-spirited as ever.

He said like a stalker, “I really want to eat at Nijika’s house.”

As he spoke, his face was full of smiles, making it impossible to guess whether he was serious or not.

His words made Nijika’s expression stiffen as she withdrew her hand, her gaze subtly shifting towards Bocchi.

Bocchi was very uncomfortable with such a street-side farewell scene.

She said in a tiny voice, “See you tomorrow…”

As she spoke, her little head nodded.

Whether she really heard or not, from more than ten steps away, Nijika returned a bright smile, waving her small hand.

Then she quickly pulled Ryo and hurried in the direction of her home.

Seeing Nijika’s reaction, Ishikawa Hayato complained,

“Tsk, Nijika is so stingy.”

But his words did not receive the approval of the two girls beside him.

Even Bocchi and Kita quietly moved a little further away from him.

But he smiled, not caring.

Then the three, whose paths coincided, walked side by side on the streets of Shimokitazawa.

At this time, some shopkeepers on the roadside had already set up night stalls, busily preparing various ingredients.

People who started their nightlife early were already wandering the streets.

Among the passing crowds, Ishikawa Hayato and the two girls were quite conspicuous.

Besides a sunny, outgoing pair of high schoolers was a pink-haired, guitar-carrying, hunched-over with her head down,  gloomy-looking girl drifting along.

Bocchi seemed to sense the strange gazes around her, gradually moved away from the two, and then slowed down her pace out of fear.

But the sound of conversations of the two beside her were still clearly reaching her ears.

“Did Ishikawa-kun really only start learning instruments the day he joined the band…?”

“It’s Kita who’s too stupid, isn’t it?”

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the girl beside him, who was admiring yet a little disappointed, and retorted without much politeness.

“I say, Ishikawa-kun, can’t you be a little gentler…?”

Kita Ikuyo’s expression changed quickly. Her cute face would reflect various subtle emotions.

There was a lively and nimble cuteness about her.

Even so, Ishikawa Hayato showed no mercy. He interrupted Kita and said,

“No!”

“Your personality is too terrible!” Kita complained petulantly.

“Because Kita is quite fun to tease.”

Watching her show various emotions because of his words, Ishikawa Hayato couldn’t help but continue to tease her.

Kita froze, her cheeks, slightly reddened by the setting sun, showed a hint of helplessness, and she grumbled,

“You’re too mean.”

At this moment, Ishikawa Hayato noticed that Bocchi’s figure was almost out of sight beside them, and he looked back.

Bocchi was trembling and lagging a few steps behind them, her figure almost swept away by the crowd.

She was so small with her head down, shuffling along looking extremely pitiful.

He stopped.

Kita looked at him in confusion, then followed his gaze to Bocchi, and immediately understood the situation.

And his actions once again…

She was displeased, but not with him helping Bocchi, only because of his inconsistent attitude.

However, precisely because of this… Kita didn’t speak, just watched Bocchi approach nervously, not understanding why.

She wanted to understand this boy more, she wanted to know how he would act in various situations, so she didn’t call out to Bocchi.

And Ishikawa Hayato, seeing Bocchi’s steps slow down more and more due to confusion and unease, couldn’t help but take a step towards her.

He directly grabbed her wrist.

“Let’s go.”

Ishikawa Hayato ignored her expression and directly pulled her forward.

Bocchi’s soft reply came from behind him.

“Ah… Mm.”

Kita looked at Ishikawa Hayato with slight surprise at his sudden domineering behavior.

But then she smiled, her small feet in loafers and bubble socks lightly tapping as she took two quick steps, leaned forward with her hands behind her back, and addressed Bocchi, who was being pulled along beside Ishikawa Hayato.

"Gotou-san, there's no need to be nervous."

Bocchi nodded timidly.

Ishikawa Hayato saw Kita showing kindness to Bocchi and, after a moment's thought, reminded her, "Speaking of which, Kita, aren't you still not good at the guitar? You could learn from Bocchi. Don't let her appearance fool you, she's incredibly skilled at the guitar, a true fan of death metal music."

Death metal!?

Kita, of course, remembered that term. It was the type of music Ryo enjoyed hearing.

She immediately rushed to the flustered Bocchi and took her hand.

"Gotou-san, as a senior in death metal, please guide me rigorously!"

Ishikawa Hayato almost couldn't hold back his laughter. He turned his head, bit his lip, and stomped his foot hard.