Chapter 65: Before the Civil War, Unity Against External Forces
Let me ask you this: if the boy you like has a girlfriend with a weak personality, would you try to steal him away?
Ren didn't know about this, but he noticed that Yuno and the others were already trying to steal him away—it felt as if he had become the female lead in some drama.
Moreover, Yuno and the others were doing it with such restraint. It seemed perfectly normal to chat as LINE friends, and offering care under the guise of friendship was also completely acceptable.
Even if Ren knew they had ulterior motives, calling them out would only make them smile without explanation or backing down. They never did anything to make him feel resentful or uncomfortable.
He felt as though his boundaries were being gradually eroded—a sensation that felt both illusory and real.
He could refuse their interactions, but he couldn't stop them from gazing at him with affectionate eyes.
Over time, it was inevitable that his heart would be somewhat affected, and he began making subconscious comparisons.
"Bocchi-chan."
"Hmm?"
It was the last day before Kessoku Band's performance; a week had already passed.
Today was Friday. Ren had brought Hitori to his home, but since Hitori had to perform on stage tomorrow, he simply stayed by her side, practicing the guitar with her incessantly.
Gains come with losses. The long hours of practice and band activities had allowed Hitori's skills in this area to flourish. Making friends had even led to a breakthrough in her guitar playing—these were her rewards.
But what she lost in return was time with Ren. After they got together, the time they spent together had actually decreased significantly.
If that were all, it might have been manageable. Ren wasn't the type to demand his girlfriend's constant companionship. However, he couldn't help but notice that Yuno often sought him out to hang out whenever Hitori wasn't around.
What's more, Yuno had even informed Hitori about it, leaving him with nothing to say. If he objected, wouldn't it seem like he had something to hide?
Such an open scheme was almost impossible to counter, and difficult to resolve at that.
As they spent more time together, the starkly different personalities made Ren start to think something he never had before: being in a relationship with Hitori was actually quite exhausting.
He had to plan their dates, come up with topics for conversation, figure out how to help Hitori grow and become less socially anxious—even their online chats only happened when he initiated them, and to avoid misunderstandings, he had to be mindful of his boundaries with members of the opposite sex.
Ren had initially believed these were basic responsibilities of being in a relationship. But after experiencing how proactive Yuno and Satou had been lately, he began to wonder if that wasn't entirely true.
Perhaps Hitori's personality flaws were more significant than he had realized, and he had overlooked them initially due to the novelty of it all.
Now, with others to compare to, these shortcomings kept magnifying, to the point where they could influence his judgment.
But part of being in a relationship is learning to accept each other's flaws, and for now, everything was still within what Ren could bear.
He didn't continue with what he had intended to say after calling Hitori's name, and simply held her in his arms.
Now Hitori has many friends, and she no longer needs to worry about how to distribute the tickets for everyone to sell—she can just hand them over to Ren and the others.
The performance wouldn't start until evening, and the weather on Saturday wasn't great. The sky was overcast, looking like it was about to rain.
Unlike the last impromptu performance, this was Kessoku Band's first official show. If it rained, the number of attendees would drop sharply, which would be a heavy blow to any band performing on stage.
Just as Ren was considering what to do, he saw a laser-like beam in the distance shatter the dark clouds, allowing sunlight to shine down on the earth once more.
"Huh?"
Normally, artificial rainmaking or dispersing clouds wouldn't require laser weapons, right?
'System, what was that?'
Ren was certain he hadn't mistaken it—that was definitely some kind of laser weapon. But strangely, he seemed to be the only one who found it odd.
[Dragon Breath.]
The System cleared up Ren's confusion.
Oh, so it was Dragon Breath. He had thought it was something else.
'So this is what you call an ordinary world?'
Ren didn't even know where to begin complaining. Supernatural tools, Angels, and now Dragons had to be added to the mix. This "ordinary world" was far too extraordinary.
[It is an ordinary world. Dragons have ordinary lives too.]
'It can't be that they're here to kidnap a princess from the human world, right?'
If the System dared to say it, Ren dared to believe it. At least the weather had improved, so Hitori and the others wouldn't have to worry about no one showing up for the evening performance.
That evening, Ren and Anon set off together and arrived at Kessoku Band.
"This place really can't compare to RiNG. It seems my band is much more impressive than Bocchi-chan's, hehe~"
Anon had been to Kessoku Band a few times to seek guitar advice from Hitori. As she looked at the performance hall, she inexplicably grew a bit proud, since Kessoku Band and RiNG weren't on the same level—RiNG was far more upscale, and the number of people who went to watch performances there was much larger than at Kessoku Band.
"Could it just be that it's more convenient to perform here?"
"Good evening~ Ren."
"Good evening."
While Ren and Anon were chatting, Yuno and the others also arrived at Kessoku Band.
After exchanging greetings, Satou quickened her pace to claim the spot next to Ren but was playfully blocked by Yuno, who was smiling.
"Good evening, Ren-kun~"
As they were hindering each other, another person quietly made her way to Ren's side. Karen playfully patted his shoulder—she had come as Ikuyo's friend.
"Good evening to you too."
Ren nodded. Among all the girls he knew, Karen was the tallest, nearly 170 cm. In comparison, Anon, Hitori, and the others were all around 160 cm. Even though the difference was only a few centimeters, it made a noticeable gap.
Tall and curvaceous, she was an even more incredible girl than Hitori.
"By the way, everyone here has pink hair. I've been thinking about it—could it be that you, Ren-kun, have some special connection with pink-haired girls?"
After greeting him, Karen placed her hands behind her back and started chatting freely.
During this period, it wasn't just Yuno and the others who were active—she also took every opportunity to observe Ren, noticing that there were particularly many pink-haired beauties around him.
When they gathered together like this, they became even more eye-catching than the band members preparing to take the stage.
"Perhaps, I really like pink."
Ren also adored this color typically associated with tough guys, especially when it adorned beautiful girls.
"Does that preference include me~"
Karen playfully blinked, her expression both suggestive and mischievous. Before Ren could respond, she explained herself: "Just kidding."
Bitch!
Slut.
Yuno and Satou exchanged glances. Anon was Ren's childhood friend, while Hitori was his current girlfriend—neither of them were convenient to deal with, as it could easily cause misunderstandings with Ren.
But who did this Karen think she was? How dare she flirt with Ren right in front of them?
Asking for death!
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