Chapter 94: Courtesy (Part 1)

"This is my room, make yourselves at home."

Ishikawa Hayato pushed open the door and walked in.

Nijika and Kita peeked inside, and after confirming everything was safe, they walked in with some surprise.

"Hayato-kun's room doesn't feel like a high school boy's room at all," Nijika said, looking around as she walked to the center of the room.

"Is this really Ishikawa-kun's room?" Kita asked, surprised.

To them, Ishikawa Hayato's room was unusually clean, with very few furnishings.

Starting from the window was a solid wood bed, a bedside table, and a corner desk extending from the bedside table to the corner.

On the desk was a laptop, and on the storage cabinet next to it were several gold medals and trophies, as well as two group photos—one of them being a group photo of their band.

Only the bottom shelf of the storage cabinet held a row of books, and judging by the titles on the spines, there seemed to be foreign books as well.

On the other side of the bed was a wardrobe, and on the adjacent wall hung a framed Chinese poem.

The sparse yet spacious and exquisitely arranged furnishings made the entire room feel elegant, with a rather good aesthetic.

After looking at the room, they looked at Ishikawa Hayato again with disbelief.

A private room can be said to be a reflection of one's inner self.

Before coming, they had prepared themselves for a room with manga scattered everywhere, walls covered with various swimsuit beauties, a desk filled with all sorts of perverted things, and even a wastebasket overflowing with strange items.

Facing their confusion, he said with certainty,

"Undoubtedly, this is my room. Please sit down wherever you like. I'll go get some drinks and snacks."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left the room, heading downstairs.

Suddenly, only the four of them, who were visiting the room for the first time, didn't know what to do, remained.

Ryo glanced at the three who seemed a bit uncomfortable.

She looked around carefully and said matter-of-factly,

"This must be a disguise. Just open any wardrobe, or look under the bed."

As Ryo spoke, she opened Ishikawa Hayato's wardrobe without treating herself as an outsider.

"Ryo-senpai!?" Kita exclaimed in surprise.

No sooner had Ryo opened the wardrobe than Nijika's hand chop arrived as expected.

Nijika said, angrily and blankly, "What are you doing rummaging through someone else's wardrobe?"

With a bump on her head, Ryo expressionlessly pulled out her phone.

"Take some photos to blackmail him. He has a lot of money in his pocket now."

She finished speaking, looked at the neatly arranged clothes and trousers inside, and the small cabinets below, losing her curiosity.

Nijika, meanwhile, slammed the wardrobe shut.

Ryo looked up, thought for a moment, then squatted by the bed and looked underneath.

Ignoring the even layer of dust, she said,

"There must be something under the bed... It seems that's been cleaned up too."

"That's enough!"

Nijika huffily pulled Ryo, making her stand up from the floor.

Kita watched this scene with a heavy heart.

She felt as if something had cracked a little inside her.

Unable to bear it, she shifted her gaze to the side.

At some point, Hitori, who had been standing stiffly, was now by the storage cabinet, looking at the two group photos in their frame stands.

She walked over, not disturbing Hitori, and looked at the other photo Ishikawa Hayato had displayed.

In that photo, Ishikawa Hayato was smiling brightly, embracing two stiff-faced, seemingly timid teenagers.

The background was at the school gate, and in the distance, many students could be seen lying on the ground.

Kita recognized the school name next to it and remembered that this was the junior high campus her friend had previously told her about in Ishikawa Hayato's past.

Her gaze then shifted to Hitori, who was wearing a tracksuit and intently staring at that photo.

She suddenly came back to her senses and looked towards Nijika, who was currently scolding Ryo.

Everyone else’s past seemed so exciting, except for hers.

Just as she felt a slight sense of loss, Ishikawa Hayato walked back in.

He carried a square table in one hand and balanced two large platters of drinks, cups, and snacks on his other arm, while holding four cushions in his hand.

He walked in with a calm expression.

Seeing him juggling all that, the four of them fell silent, staring at him in dumbfounded silence.

Ishikawa Hayato placed the table on the floor, then put all the drinks and snacks on it, saying with a smile,

“Let’s get started on the design.”

...

The seating order for the five was Ryo, Nijika, Hitori, Ishikawa Hayato, and Kita.

Ishikawa Hayato sat between Hitori and Kita.

Nijika, seeing that everyone except Ryo was drawing diligently, and already having a draft in mind, said, as if to lighten the atmosphere, “Hm, designing a logo T-shirt should be no problem. Everyone, feel free to get creative.”

"Once you're finished, they can also be sold as merchandise for our Band. Keep up the good work!"

Nijika, in a cute manner, cheered them on as if watching a play.

Ishikawa Hayato noticed Hitori holding a pen, her expression weak as she thought about something, yet seemed afraid to speak.

His gaze lingered for a moment, and Hitori noticed it, instantly showing a wary expression.

He smiled, indicating that he didn't mean it that way.

He then turned to Nijika and said,

"It feels like our band's merchandise is already overflowing. Nijika is so obsessed with making money."

Nijika, thinking she was being seen as someone who was greedy for money, said with some dissatisfaction, "Of course! band activities require a lot of funds. Hayato-kun, you don't think I'm just playing around, do you...?"

Ishikawa Hayato waved his hand.

"No, I didn't mean that. I just seem to recall seeing Nijika, after someone else's performance, timidly peering her head towards their merchandise stall, trying hard to get a good look."

Nijika, having been called out, stiffened, then said with embarrassment and annoyance, "Don't be noisy! I'm also thinking for the band."

After she finished speaking, she saw Ishikawa Hayato still smiling at her, and her gaze immediately turned into a disdainful cat-like stare.

"Hayato-kun~ Have you finished drawing?"

"Of course!"

Ishikawa Hayato picked up his sketchbook. "I've been drawing frantically for the past two days."

He held up the sketchbook, ready to display it. The other two also stopped drawing, and even Ryo, who was sitting ungracefully like a boy, continuously eating snacks, looked over.

Ishikawa Hayato, seeing everyone's attention on him, proudly began to turn the pages.

"First, the dress version."

Except for Hitori, the other three's gazes immediately showed disdain when they heard what he said.

But looking at how he had drawn even the front, side, and back views, as well as various accessories, even giving it a professional feel... the feeling of disdain grew stronger.

Noticing their dislike, Ishikawa Hayato continued to flip through, introducing each design as he did so.

"What about the maid outfit version?"

They shook their heads in unison.

"A pajama version?"

They were too lazy to even shake their heads.

"A long dress?"

"A yukata?"

"A bandage dress?"

"A bed sheet dress?"

Despite being repeatedly rejected, Ishikawa Hayato showed no sign of disappointment. He suddenly took a deep breath.

“Looks like it’s time for the main event.”

He then solemnly turned to the next page, his voice ringing out clearly.

"Swimsuits!"

The four looked at the four different styles of swimsuits Ishikawa Hayato had drawn and remained silent for a long time.

Just as Hitori was starting to break down from the continuous mental shock,

Nijika, smiling, took out tape from her backpack.

“I’ve got it. Hayato, could you use this to tape your mouth shut?”

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the tape in Nijika's hand, hesitated for a moment, then patted Hitori's shoulder to help her recover, and obediently walked over.

Nijika hadn't expected him to actually come over, and he even squatted in front of her with a look of righteousness mixed with grievance.

She looked at the boy's handsome yet inexplicably mischievous face, and couldn't help but think of his unapologetic actions towards everyone. Steeling her heart, she directly taped his mouth shut.

After he went back and sat down again, Nijika, her face flushed, complained,

"Honestly, those are all outfits you want us to wear, aren't they? They're definitely not suitable for performing on stage."

"You're right..."

Kita withdrew her gaze, sighed inexplicably, and was about to display the outfit she had finished drawing when...

Ishikawa Hayato tapped his notebook with a pen.

The three looked over again.

It read:

"I can find rock bands that have performed in these outfits before!"

Kita looked at the words, blinked dumbfounded, then looked to Nijika for confirmation.

Nijika awkwardly averted her gaze.

No answer was her answer.

After Ishikawa Hayato put down his sketchbook, Ryo, who had been eating snacks and slacking off, leaned over and took the sketchbook he had set down.

She sat back on her cushion, casually flipping through it.

Nijika was startled by this situation. She quickly assessed the band's dynamics.

Hitori could basically be considered Ishikawa Hayato's echo chamber. She would probably listen to whatever Ishikawa Hayato said. If Ryo also teamed up with Ishikawa Hayatoー

Those three votes would override her and Kita’s two votes.

The situation would then advance in an irreversible direction!

Nijika’s heart sank, and her mouth twitched as she quickly asked.

“Ryo… It couldn’t be…”

“No, just looking.”

Ryo turned another page, answering calmly.

Nijika immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Kita, holding the completed picture book, waited patiently for Ryo to turn the page before speaking.

“I’ve finished drawing!”