'Y-yeah…'
Little Bocchi also realized and sat back down somewhat embarrassed.
"Having someone you like is a good thing."
Kaito reached out and patted the girl's little head. The soft touch was a little addictive, "Go for it. No need to worry about any club matters."
'Ugh… so warm…'
The big hand on top of her head carried a gentle warmth, turning Gotou Hitori into a steam princess.
But she didn't show any sign of resisting. She quietly rubbed against it a bit, like a pink-haired puppy in love, and said in a small voice:
"U-um…"
"Kaito-kun, are you also interested in bands?"
"It's alright, I guess," Kaito withdrew his hand and picked up the manga on his lap again, which made Bocchi a little disappointed.
He thought for a moment and smiled, shaking his head, "But compared to modern guitars and basses, I actually prefer traditional instruments like the guzheng and konghou."
Back in the Courting Death Sect, there was an inner sect elder who played a fine guqin. It had the effect of calming the mind and expelling evil. He'd sometimes play at the martial arena, always drawing many disciples to watch.
When Kaito had just joined, he also joined the crowd a few times, but as an amateur, he couldn't understand any profound insights. Just thought the melody was indeed beautiful and refreshing.
"If you're interested in bands, then hey hey!", Even though Kita had been chatting with Miura Yumiko, she had actually been secretly paying attention to what was going on over here.
Seeing her chance to jump in, the red-haired girl raised her hand, speaking with great enthusiasm, "Kaito-kun, do you want to come with me and Bocchi-chan to the live house where we perform? It's super fun!"
Bocchi also looked over expectantly.
Though the little social phobic didn't dare invite him herself, Kita had already paved the way.
Summoning her courage, she quietly added, "The ticket money… I-I'll pay for it!"
"No need for the ticket money."
Bocchi-chan blinked her big eyes, pitifully staring at him. It was just too cute.
Kaito raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, "After all, I just made a lot recently."
"Besides, didn't you already give me your dowry money? Where would you have any spare cash?"
Last time, he got a piggy bank from little Bocchi. The scattered money inside totaled about 430,000 yen.
It might not sound like much, but for a student who hadn't become financially independent yet, it was practically her entire fortune.
Though Bocchi did make music online, since she didn't have her own bank card, the video revenue was collected by her dad. She didn't actually have much money in hand.
The piggy bank was already her entire savings. After giving it away, she could barely afford food, so she had no choice but to work at STARRY, the shop run by Nijika's family.
'Wait, what the heck is this about a dowry?'
Kita was stunned. Yumiko also froze.
The two of them looked at Bocchi in disbelief, 'She seems like the least aggressive one, but is that just a disguise?'
"I-it was just a token of thanks!", Bocchi's little face turned red under their strange gazes, and she shyly explained in a panic, "Because K-Kurmizaka-kun helped me a lot before, so… so…"
'That scared me,' Yumiko finally sighed in relief.
After all, she had experienced a supernatural event herself. With a bit of thought, she more or less understood what had happened behind the scenes.
Kita was still half skeptical, but she wasn't going to nitpick over this.
Time quickly passed and school was over.
Since Miura Yumiko had plans to go shopping with friends, she left first.
As for Kaito and the others, they got on a train heading to Shimokitazawa.
Speaking of the name Shimokitazawa, it's hard not to imagine some strange things.
But actually, this place was very popular among young people in Japan. The streets were full of fashion boutiques, secondhand clothing stores, and daily goods shops. Coffee and bars were naturally essential too. The band atmosphere was strong, and it even had the nickname of "music town."
All in all, it was a great place to relax and chill.
The live house where Bocchi and Kita performed was in a basement. Following the stairs down, the walls were covered in rock-style posters, and there was a neon sign that read "STARRY."
Right now, there was a long line at the entrance. Groups of people waiting to check in were mostly schoolgirls in uniform.
"Apparently a really popular all-girl band is performing tonight, so they drew a lot of fans. Even the tickets sold out fast~"
Kita's voice was bright, "But since we're staff, we don't need to line up… Ah! It's Ryou-senpai!"
She pointed with her small hand. At the check-in counter not far away sat a blue-haired girl with a blank expression, maintaining order in a bored manner.
Hearing her name, the girl named "Yamada Ryou" turned her head, just in time to meet Kita's eyes.
"Ah, so it's Kita," Though the tone was meant to express surprise, the way she said it felt like she was just reading lines.
She then looked toward the pink-haired girl beside her. Her golden eyes lit up slightly, "And Bocchi!"
"R-Ryou-senpai, good evening…"
Being stared at so intently, Bocchi didn't even dare lift her head. She nervously greeted her.
"Evening," Yamada Ryou slightly raised the corners of her mouth and skillfully stretched out a soft little hand, speaking seriously, "Bocchi-chan, lend me some rice!"
"Ah… uh uh uh…", Bocchi nervously pointed at her finger and whispered, "But I only have 4,000 yen on me…"
"That's fine, I don't mind!", Yamada Ryou's eyes sparkled, just about to push her luck further—
Smack!
"Ow!", Yamada Ryou held her head, pitifully looking at the blonde girl who had appeared beside her without anyone noticing.
"You little punk, cut it out already!", Ijichi Nijika pulled back her fist and gave her a glare, "Picking on Bocchi-chan the moment you meet her. Hurry up and pay back the money you borrowed last time before anything else!"
After disciplining her unreliable best friend, Nijika finally turned to look at Kita and Bocchi, flashing a radiant smile. "Can't let this idiot run wild. The shop's gonna be busy tonight… eh? Who's this beside you two?"
She finally noticed Kaito standing next to Bocchi. Her orange-red eyes blinked, and then she froze.
Yamada Ryou, who was still rubbing her head and muttering to herself, found it strange, 'Why did Nijika suddenly stop talking?'
Curious, she looked up.
And so, another stone statue appeared in the room.
.
.
.
[Five Minutes Later]
In a practice room deep within the live hall.
"I deeply apologize for the earlier rudeness! Please, Kaito-kun, don't take it to heart!", Shimokitazawa's Archangel bowed at a ninety-degree angle, her crisp voice laced with shame. To think she'd fangirl over a stranger at first sight, and in front of her friends too.
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