"Not bad."
Hearing those words, the girls on stage smiled expectantly, their cheeks still flushed and glistening with sweat after the performance.
However, Ijichi Seika suddenly changed her tone.
"I'd like to praise you..."
Her calm gaze swept across the band as she said mercilessly,
"But the drummer—your shoulders are too tense."
"The two guitarists—you spend too much time looking down at your strings."
"The bassist—you're too absorbed in your own world."
Sitting with her arms folded, Seika calmly evaluated the band's performance.
As each criticism left her mouth...
The girls' expressions gradually darkened.
Could it be... we didn't meet the manager's standards?
"And the keyboard... the keyboard..."
When Seika looked at Bai Qiu, she suddenly fell silent.
The keyboardist...
Didn't really have any obvious problems.
For a moment, Seika found herself in an awkward position.
A faint blush appeared on her face as she turned her head away.
After thinking for quite a while, she took a sip of water before finally speaking.
"Ahem! I was just a little thirsty."
"..."
The members of Kessoku Band silently chose not to expose her obvious excuse.
Beside her, PA-san had been smiling with narrowed eyes the entire time.
Seika looked back at Bai Qiu.
Among everyone who had performed today, she was the most satisfied with him.
If only my own band back then had a keyboardist this capable...
...Forget it.
The past was better left alone.
Still, satisfied didn't mean perfect.
There was always room for improvement.
"The keyboard playing is good."
"But it's too elegant."
"Aren't you a rock band? This isn't a piano competition."
Bai Qiu nodded sincerely.
The skill he had mastered was classical piano.
Although he had been consciously trying to correct his style, traces of it still occasionally showed through.
As expected of an experienced musician like Ijichi Seika.
Tsundere personality aside...
Her eye for music was exceptionally sharp.
"But..."
"At least your band has its own identity."
Avoiding everyone's gaze, Seika delivered her final comment.
"Thank you for your advice."
Nijika lowered her head in disappointment.
Other than Bai Qiu, everyone had been criticized.
And judging from her sister's indifferent expression...
She didn't seem satisfied at all.
Hitori Gotoh was equally dejected.
Is this the end for Kessoku Band...?
After all the street performances she'd done with Bai Qiu recently, she'd finally started gaining confidence.
She had even played an impressive solo just now.
Yet somehow...
She still spent most of the performance staring down at her guitar strings.
Maybe...
It was because Bai Qiu wasn't standing beside her this time.
He had been behind her.
She couldn't see him.
Without him nearby...
She didn't feel safe.
Ryo remained silent, quietly staring at her bass.
"Come on, cheer up!"
"This means we passed!"
Bai Qiu quickly explained to the girls.
Seika was way too subtle.
If they passed, just say they passed!
"R-Really...?"
Nijika looked uncertainly toward Seika.
Still smiling with narrowed eyes, PA-san spoke up at just the right moment.
"I think that's exactly what she means."
"Seika already crossed 'Pending' off your application."
"So fast?!"
The girls froze.
Their disappointment slowly turned into surprise...
Then overwhelming joy.
Seika pouted.
"Wasn't I clear enough already?"
"Who could understand something that vague?!"
Nijika raised a drumstick and shouted at her sister.
"I knew we'd pass from the very beginning."
Ryo spoke calmly.
"Don't start acting smart after the fact."
"So great!"
"Gotoh-chan!"
"We passed!"
Overcome with excitement, Kita Ikuyo threw her arms around Hitori in a huge hug.
"W-We... passed..."
Just as Hitori was about to let out one of her goofy little laughs...
Her stomach suddenly churned violently.
Something surged upward.
A bitter taste filled her mouth.
She threw up.
She simply couldn't handle Kita's overwhelming enthusiasm.
"Before you leave, don't forget to clean everything up."
Seika reminded them.
Then she dragged PA-san away to take care of other work, leaving the rehearsal room to Kessoku Band.
Just then...
Kita pulled out her phone and waved it in front of Bai Qiu.
"Bai Qiu-kun, we saw the video!"
The screen displayed none other than Nyamu's viral performance clip.
"You're famous now."
"Everyone's asking which band you're from."
Kita's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
She couldn't wait to hear Bai Qiu explain what had happened.
After they separated that day...
Just what exactly had happened between Bai Qiu and Nyamu?
Nijika hesitated before quietly saying,
"I... saw it too."
She looked as though she wanted to say something.
Everyone in that video was amazing.
Their performance level was clearly above Kessoku Band's current abilities.
The audience loved them.
Could Kessoku Band ever reach that level?
A sense of unease welled up inside Nijika.
After all...
It wasn't uncommon for band members to leave in pursuit of better opportunities.
Hitori also grew nervous.
She secretly glanced toward Bai Qiu.
Could it be... Bai Qiu-kun found a new band?
That guitarist in the video could play, sing, and dance...
I can't even play guitar properly...
It's all my fault...6д9
Ryo said nothing.
She simply stared thoughtfully at the bassist in the video.
She had watched it a few days earlier.
She had even left Nyamu a comment.
Smiling, Bai Qiu explained to Kita,
"Nyamu and I were just helping that band out as temporary support musicians."
"Sorry, but there's probably no interesting story behind it."
"Ehh... that's all?"
Kita looked visibly disappointed.
"What else were you expecting?"
Bai Qiu rolled his eyes.
Nijika and Bocchi quietly breathed sighs of relief.
So...
He had only been a support member.
"You abandoned us and gave your first live performance to another band."
Ryo suddenly remarked.
Bai Qiu smiled awkwardly.
"Is it really that serious?"
"Besides, Kessoku Band already had its first live long ago."
He was referring to the performance Nijika, Ryo, and Bocchi had given before Kita joined.
"I still have the recording on my phone."
"Huh? When did you record it?"
Nijika looked surprised.
That had been a disastrous performance.
Kita immediately became interested.
"I want to see it!"
"I want to watch Ryo-senpai perform!"
Bai Qiu handed her the phone.
The others gathered around as well.
Watching themselves perform from a third-person perspective...
The three of them found it almost unbearable.
Finally, Nijika smiled encouragingly.
"This time..."
"It'll be the complete five-member Kessoku Band."
"We'll definitely do great!"
Everyone nodded.
Then Nijika changed the subject.
"Let's talk about ticket sales."
"Our quota is twenty tickets."
"Split evenly, that's four tickets per person."
She pulled out a stack of tickets, explained the situation, and handed four to each member.
"T-Tickets?!"
Bocchi cried out.
"Yep."
"Since we're still an unknown band, we have to help sell part of the tickets ourselves."
Nijika smiled.
"You can sell them to your friends."
"That's what Ryo and I did last time."
As soon as she finished speaking...
Her expression suddenly changed.
...Wait.
Bocchi doesn't have any friends.
Clutching her tickets tightly, Bocchi's eyes began spinning.
Her brain completely froze.
Ehehehe...
The only friends I have... are my bandmates.
Meanwhile, Kita looked full of confidence.
"Leave it to me!"
"I'll definitely get my classmates to come!"
Holding his own four tickets, Bai Qiu also wore a troubled expression.
Seeing that, Nijika asked with concern,
"Don't tell me..."
"You can't sell yours either, Bai Qiu-kun?"
"No."
"I actually don't have enough tickets."
He sighed.
Just the members of the Light Music Club alone would already use up all four.
Not to mention...
He had promised to invite Nagasaki Soyo to watch their performance.
There was no way he was going back on that promise.
So Bai Qiu turned toward Bocchi.
"Bocchi."
"Can I buy one of your tickets?"
To Bocchi...
Those words sounded like heavenly music.
She nodded enthusiastically with both hands and feet.
After giving one ticket to Bai Qiu...
She still had three left.
Bai Qiu smiled.
"Why don't you sell them to those two fans of yours?"
"And that drunk lady?"
After several street performances...
Bocchi had already exchanged contact information with them.
Her eyes lit up.
That actually sounded like a good idea.
A moment ago...
She had even considered selling tickets to her dad, her mom, Futari, Jimihen, and even her grandmother.
Taking out her phone...
Bocchi immediately encountered a new obstacle.
She simply couldn't bring herself to ask.
How could she possibly ask people to spend money on her?
Bai Qiu chuckled softly.
This...
Was a step Bocchi had to take on her own.