"Bad news! Bad news!" A girl in a bright yellow T-shirt with "STAFF" printed in black on the chest anxiously pushed open the backstage door and shouted at the other members:
"The band that was supposed to perform says they can't make it!"
"Are you serious?" The person in charge, holding the program, clutched their head and roared at the sky. The show was about to start, and the opening band, meant to get the crowd hyped, had bailed.
"Who can fill in for the band?"
A figure in pink track pants with a skirt layered over them emerged from the shadows. The confident glow she radiated even dispelled the darkness behind her, making the flustered staff gasp.
"You-you're!"
"I can't remember her name, but I think she's from the class next door…"
"I'm Gotoh." Hitori Gotoh coolly took off her sunglasses, her confident and determined smile possessing a special charm under the lights that drove people wild.
In a stadium that held tens of thousands, the crowd was roaring. The camera lights were like a constantly shining sea of stars in the night sky, all of them aimed at Hitori Gotoh, who stood in the spotlight wearing a Kessoku Band uniform, guitar in hand.
"The Great Gotoh!"
"You're a national treasure!"
"Gotoh! Gotoh!"
The clamorous cheers, which began as individuals expressing their own fervent thoughts, gradually transformed into a unified chant from people waving pink glow sticks.
As silver fireworks shot up from the stage, Hitori Gotoh rapidly strummed the guitar strings with her pick, bringing the atmosphere below to a climax.
"Excuse me, Miss Gotoh, what was your school life like before you became famous?"
The TV host, holding a black microphone, asked Hitori Gotoh, who was sitting on a sofa wearing a red T-shirt adorned with numerous zippers and chains.
"Actually…" Hitori Gotoh looked nostalgic, reminiscing about her youth: "Back in school, I was a gloomy girl who nobody paid much attention to."
"That's so surprising. Miss Gotoh looks so dazzling and confident now."
"That's all thanks to my husband. Without his support, I wouldn't have achieved what I have now." As Hitori Gotoh said this, her face beamed with a happy smile.
"That would be Mr. Jhin, right? Your husband is also quite incredible. In order to marry all the members of Kessoku Band at the same time, he even started a war to forcibly change the marriage laws."
The host's admiring tone made Hitori Gotoh beam. She decided to tell the story of her life before she was famous.
"Mhm, Jhin is the best. But it all started with the cultural festival back in my high school days."
"Oh! Rock superstar Miss Gotoh is going to reveal her life story for the first time!"
With the host's emphatic tone, all the cameras in the studio turned to focus on Hitori Gotoh.
"Back then…"
"Bocchi-chan! Wake up, school's out. Don't you have to go to STARRY?"
"Huh?" Hitori Gotoh was groggily woken by Jhin's gentle push. She stared blankly at Jhin's face for a moment, not yet fully awake from her wonderful dream, and whispered in confusion:
"Honey?"
Jhin's mouth opened in surprise. It was the first time he'd heard Hitori Gotoh call him that. If the time and place were more appropriate, he would have definitely wanted to have a deep conversation with her.
Hitori Gotoh came to her senses and realized she'd said the name she always wanted to say but never had the courage to. Along with the joy, she felt an even greater sense of shame.
Hitori Gotoh's fair little face went from light pink to a deep crimson. Then her body swelled up like a balloon being inflated by an automatic pump until it couldn't hold any more air and exploded with a "bang," scattering into pieces all over the floor.
Jhin patiently pieced the jigsaw puzzle of Hitori Gotoh's dozens of fragments back together. He pinched her limbs and cheeks to make sure no parts were missed that would make his fragrant, soft girlfriend any thinner, then lightly patted her little face.
"Bocchi-chan, time to come back to reality."
"Ah, okay…" The blush on Hitori Gotoh's face still hadn't faded. She crouched behind her desk, half her face showing. "I-I'll go to STARRY now."
"Be careful on your way. About the solo performance, if you're really not sure, maybe you could ask the manager. She's your senior, after all."
"Mhm."
Hitori Gotoh grabbed her guitar case, slung it on her back, and gripped the straps tightly. Her eyes were fixed on Jhin as she slowly lifted her legs, backing away step by step to the classroom door. She pulled the door open behind her, and with a turn, her pink hair and guitar case swung around as she fled as if taking flight.
That look! If I don't run now, I'll be eaten by the big bad wolf Jhin!
"So she noticed, huh? Should I go to STARRY today?" Jhin walked to the door and watched Hitori Gotoh's flustered back. The thought of going to STARRY was extinguished as soon as it appeared. "Never mind. Nijika strictly forbade any intimate contact between me and Bocchi-chan. I'll just go home."
Hitori Gotoh fled to STARRY. As soon as she entered the club, she automatically greeted Seika Ijichi: "Ah, hello, Manager."
Seika Ijichi watched as Hitori Gotoh skillfully brought over a gray trash can, stepped inside with both legs, and slowly squatted down, a large bead of sweat rolling down her face. "Shouldn't you be working? Why are you hiding in a trash can again?"
"Ah, um… actually, there's something I wanted to ask you, Manager."
"Oh? What is it?" Seika Ijichi put down her work, swiveled her chair to look at the Gotoh trash can. "Uh, Bocchi-chan, maybe you should get out of there before we talk."
"Okay…" Hitori Gotoh reluctantly climbed out of the trash can. She believed the confined space of the trash can helped her speak her mind better.
After hearing Hitori Gotoh's worries about the solo performance, Seika Ijichi leaned her right arm on the bar, her voice full of encouragement: "I think instead of worrying, you should be brave and give it a try. This is a once-in-a-lifetime stage of youth."
Hitori Gotoh, who had been looking down and fiddling with her nails, looked up in agreement upon hearing this: "Y-You're right."
After encouraging Hitori Gotoh, Seika Ijichi added irresponsibly, "Though I never really went to high school properly, so I'm just talking."
Hitori Gotoh froze, stiffly turning her neck to look at the sound engineer sister watching from the side. The woman smiled gently at her. "I'm a high school dropout."
I asked the wrong people… But is dropping out of high school really a rite of passage for band members!?
But I have Jhin as a boyfriend now, so I can't follow in my seniors' footsteps.
Although dropping out and following her seniors' path was alluring, Hitori Gotoh ultimately succumbed to her boyfriend's charms.
I'm sorry, rock seniors! Your junior can't continue to follow in your footsteps, because Jhin is just too amazing. He's gentle, considerate, handsome, knows how to cook, and is super rich. I just can't refuse him!
___
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