Chapter 42: Goal

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at Bocchi-chan, who was letting out a silent wail. Seeing that everyone else was satisfied with Kita, he chimed in with a contrary opinion.

"Ryo said you're still a long way from being able to perform on stage."

But it seemed his remark couldn't extinguish Kita Ikuyo's enthusiasm, or rather, it ignited it even further.

Coupled with Ryo's affirmation just now, she was already halfway into an invincible state!

She pointed at Ishikawa Hayato and told him.

"Ishikawa-kun, I will definitely catch up to you quickly."

Ishikawa Hayato was startled, then narrowed his eyes like a fox. "Oh, do you want to bet on something?"

"Kita-chan! Absolutely not!"

Nijika, knowing how much of a pervert Ishikawa Hayato was, desperately tried to stop her.

...

Afterward, the five of them simply continued to occupy the rehearsal room, pulling over some chairs from the side to sit together and discuss their future plans.

"Eh... Bocchi-chan teaching Kita-chan guitar, that's great."

Nijika's gaze shifted from the smiling Kita Ikuyo to Bocchi-chan, who was looking down a bit gloomily.

She saw that even Bocchi-chan nodded slightly in acceptance, then asked Bocchi-chan.

"Bocchi-chan, won't it be too much to juggle all this? Should we let Hayato-kun write the lyrics?"

'Lyrics!'

Bocchi-chan was startled. She had forgotten. She had completely put that matter out of her mind yesterday when she heard about the date.

'Wh... what to do? Was she found out? Was she going to be executed?'

'Hayato-kun, help!'

"Bocchi-chan?"

Nijika looked at Bocchi-chan, who suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, and asked in confusion.

But at this moment, Ishikawa Hayato suddenly hummed a song.

"Pure anticipation is right before my eyes,  I chase them without restraint~"

"Growing into a pervert~~ It's so..."

Hearing the lyrics Ishikawa Hayato hummed earlier, which were also unfamiliar tunes, Nijika was a bit surprised by his creative ability, that he could improvise like that.

But as soon as the latter phrase came out, her eyes glazed over.

The entire tone of the lyrics had changed in an instant.

It was like a flower covered in pollutants, no longer enjoyable.

Nijika covered her face in sorrow, a look of realizing she had chosen the wrong person.

"I get it! Hayato-kun, shut your mouth."

Ishikawa Hayato smiled, stopped singing, and then asked Bocchi-chan.

"Bocchi-chan, what do you think?"

Everyone's gaze returned to the calmer Bocchi-chan. She secretly looked up, glancing at them through her bangs, and said.

"Ah... it's... it's fine."

Hearing Bocchi-chan's reply and noticing the slight change in her expression.

Nijika looked at Ishikawa Hayato, who was sitting casually, and sighed inwardly.

Somehow, she admired him a little.

Whether it was how he helped Kita-chan or Bocchi-chan.

It was as if he could see right into their hearts, easily controlling the situation.

It felt relaxing and pleasant when talking with him.

Hayato-kun is really amazing. He hasn't known Kita and Bocchi-chan for very long, has he?

As she was thinking, she suddenly saw Ishikawa Hayato give her a sparkling thumbs-up with a beaming smile.

Nijika: !!!

'Could it be!?'

'No, no, no, impossible.'

Ishikawa Hayato looked at Nijika's stunned expression, then unceremoniously guided the conversation.

"Then, the next step is to create our own songs. As for the performance afterward, should we wait until Kita practices the guitar until she's ready for the stage?"

He asked Nijika.

Nijika quickly snapped out of her daze. She glanced at Kita, and with a cheerful tone, she replied,

"Of course, we are Kessoku Band after all."

"I will work hard!" Kita nodded seriously.

Ishikawa Hayato then teased Nijika.

"You were so reluctant about that band name before."

"Shut up!"

Nijika's face turned red. As she spoke, she looked at the culprit who made their band name this way.

Ryo was seen with her mouth curved, and sparkling stars in the corners of her eyes.

She looked like she was waiting for praise.

"I wasn't planning to praise you!"

Nijika shouted in exasperation at the two with their teasing and smugness... 

Having reconfirmed their goal, they didn't do the aimless practice they had before today. Instead, they gave the rehearsal room space to the two guitarists in the band.

Letting Bocchi-chan focus on teaching Kita, Nijika, Ryo, and Ishikawa Hayato walked out of the rehearsal room.

Ishikawa Hayato followed behind Ryo, watching Nijika's footsteps in front of them, which seemed a little slower than usual.

He tentatively, with a ethereal voice, guessed her inner thoughts.

"I'm so worried about Bocchi-chan..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ahoge(cowlick) on Nijika's head suddenly stood up straight.

She stiffly turned around and looked at the two behind her.

Ryo, expressionless, pointed at Ishikawa Hayato, who was hiding behind her, unceremoniously betraying her mischievous friend.

And seeing Ryo's reaction, knowing that the voice just now came from Ishikawa Hayato, Nijika shouted in embarrassment and anger.

"Ishikawa-kun!"

After shouting, she puffed out her cheeks, her bright red eyes glaring at Ishikawa Hayato with a mix of shyness and annoyance.

"Sorry, sorry."

Ishikawa Hayato smiled and repeatedly bowed in apology.

At the same time, he also silently made a mental note that Nijika couldn't be teased like this.

He had to find another way...

Finally, only Ryo and Ishikawa Hayato remained.

The two looked at each other in silence.

As for Nijika, after being teased by Ishikawa Hayato, she declared that since Bocchi-chan and Kita were practicing individually, she would also go practice herself, and today would be self-practice.

Then she quickly ran away.

She ran very fast and very urgently.

“Nijika ran away,” Ryo calmly explained to Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato couldn't tell if Ryo's tone was one of displeasure or simply a statement.

He casually asked, “What about you, Ryo?”

Ryo looked at Ishikawa Hayato and said,

“I just got an idea from your song. Come to my place.”

“Alright,” Ishikawa Hayato nodded.

At the same time, he began to wonder how Nijika would react once the song was actually finished.

“Then let's go.” Ryo turned around and led the way out.

The calm conversation between the two made Seika, who had been eavesdropping at the bar, widen her eyes and turn her head in horror to look at them.

But the two completely ignored her and walked out of STARRY, one after the other.

Seika paused, then quickly sent a message to Nijika.