That evening.
At a small izakaya.
The entire Kessoku Band, Seika Ijichi, Kikuri Hiroi, and PA-san had gathered together.
Kessoku Band sat on one side, while the adults sat on the other.
For once, Seika Ijichi wasn't acting tsundere. She spoke frankly.
"Everyone worked hard at today's live. Order whatever you want—my treat."
"I love you, Senpai!"
Kikuri Hiroi excitedly pressed her face against Seika's shoulder.
Seika pushed her away.
"You're paying for your own food."
"Ehh… Senpai!"
"Then I'll have the avocado cream cheese skewers, and the Spanish omelet with Dutch-style spicy sauce."
Kita read out the fashionable dish names while taking photos with her phone.
Seika asked, "What about Bocchi?"
Hearing that, Bocchi decided to learn from Kita. Today's her was different—she wanted to be fashionable too.
"I-I'll have the Machu Picchu Ruins Mississippi River Grand Canyon Platter…"
"Oh? Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu…"
"Which page is that on? Is there even something like that?"
Bocchi instantly lost her nerve.
"S-Sorry, I said it wrong. I'll have fries."
"That's not just a little wrong."
At that moment—
Ryo suddenly said to Kita beside her, "By the way, Ikuyo, your guitar playing today was really good for a beginner."
"Ikuyo? Who's that?" Kikuri asked.
Bai Qiu joined in and praised Kita as well.
"Ikuyo, you also sang the last two songs really well."
A scheming grin appeared on Yamada Ryo's face.
Kita's smile froze instantly, and it looked like it was about to crack.
She glanced at Bai Qiu in horror.
"Why are you copying Ryo-senpai too, Bai Qiu-kun?!"
Bai Qiu answered immediately, as if he had prepared the excuse beforehand.
"Think about it—I call everyone by their first names. If I only called you 'Kita,' wouldn't that be unfair?"
Kita began muttering to herself.
"I don't know anyone with that name."
"Ahaha… who could possibly have a name like that?"
"That's your name, isn't it?" Seika looked at her strangely.
"Oh, so that's Kita-chan's real name," Kikuri added mercilessly.
Kita said in agony, "I've been avoiding talking about it this whole time… Ahaha… I hate this name."
"Huh? Why? Isn't it pretty cute?" Seika asked, genuinely confused.
Kita explained sadly, "Someone like the manager, whose name means 'Song of the Stars,' could never understand my pain."
"This name is basically a dad joke."
"When you say it, it sounds like: 'came, went.'"
"It's so stupid…"
"Ahaha… hahaha…"
Kita wore the same vacant grin Bocchi often had.
"So that expression is contagious," PA-san said with a squinting smile.
Kita soon lay down on the tatami, hugged her head, and began hypnotizing herself.
"My name is Kita… Kita…"
Ryo covered her mouth and laughed.
"A gloomy Kita is pretty entertaining."
"You really have a terrible personality," Seika said fairly.
While they were all fooling around—
Nijika quietly stood up, winked at Bai Qiu, and walked outside.
Bai Qiu thought to himself:
Nijika is suspicious that Bocchi is Guitar Hero.
A little later, he used the excuse of going to the restroom and left the izakaya as well.
The street was somewhat deserted, but peaceful.
After the heavy rain, the air carried the scent of wet soil.
Bai Qiu saw Nijika standing not far away.
He walked over.
The bright moonlight and the warm yellow streetlights fell on Nijika at the same time, and her yellow side ponytail swayed gently in the evening breeze.
Her back looked faintly lonely.
Hearing his footsteps, Nijika turned around and smiled with narrowed eyes.
"Qiu-kun, you came."
"I thought you wouldn't come out."
Bai Qiu chuckled softly.
"If Nijika calls me, of course I'll come."
He glanced at the MAX Coffee in her hand.
"Aren't you worried you won't be able to sleep tonight?"
Nijika shook her head, her ponytail swaying a little more.
"I don't want tonight to end so quickly."
"After all, it's a meaningful day."
With a gentle smile, she gestured toward the vending machine nearby.
"Do you want something to drink?"
Bai Qiu shook his head.
"There are still drinks inside."
"It's fine," Nijika said with a smile. "Inside, my sister is treating everyone. Right now, I'm treating you."
"After all, you were today's biggest hero, Qiu-kun."
"I see…"
Bai Qiu looked at the vending machine, thought for a moment, and pointed at a yellow drink.
"Then I'll have a bottle of mango juice. Thanks, Nijika."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
Seeing him actually choose something made Nijika happy.
But when she tried to buy the mango juice, she discovered an awkward problem.
She couldn't reach the button.
Bai Qiu stepped forward, selected the drink himself, and looked at her with a smile.
"There."
Nijika's cheeks turned red. She took out the drink and handed it to him.
"You didn't do that on purpose, did you?"
"Not at all."
"Really?" Nijika narrowed her eyes, but quickly smiled again. "I've learned one of your hobbies, Qiu-kun."
"Then Nijika has to tell me one of her hobbies too."
Nijika pretended to think.
"First, answer one question."
"Actually, I don't want to know your hobby for now."
"Bocchi-chan is Guitar Hero, right?"
Nijika asked directly, giving him no chance to escape.
Although Bai Qiu was surprised, he had expected this.
He kept his expression calm and asked, "Guitar Hero? Why would you think that?"
Nijika looked at him seriously with her ruby-like eyes.
"You have to look at me while answering."
Bai Qiu met her gaze.
A faint blush flashed across Nijika's face. She looked a little shy, but she refused to back down.
Bai Qiu pretended to think.
"Bocchi has improved a lot, but that doesn't mean she's Guitar Hero."
"You should know something."
"Oh? Why do you think that?"
"Because among all of us, you're the one closest to Bocchi!"
Nijika explained.
"Unfortunately, I don't know either."
Bai Qiu played dumb.
Nijika pouted.
"You're still refusing to admit it. You're so sly."
"Well, if you won't admit it, I'll just ask Bocchi-chan directly."
Bai Qiu fell silent.
Nijika pressed her advantage.
"The identical guitar, and her abnormal playing lately—they're exactly like Guitar Hero."
Bai Qiu sighed.
Bocchi, I tried. This is a dead end. Nijika is just too perceptive.
Seeing his reaction, Nijika smiled proudly.
"You have nothing left to say now, right?"
"…Yeah. Bocchi is Guitar Hero," Bai Qiu admitted with a nod. "But she was afraid we'd be disappointed, so she didn't dare admit it. She wants to tell everyone after she can perform consistently."
Nijika nodded thoughtfully.
"That really sounds like Bocchi."
"So for now, let's keep it a secret for her," Bai Qiu said.
In truth, it probably wouldn't stay secret much longer.
Nijika nodded.
"Then what about you, Qiu-kun? You don't have some secret you're hiding from us too, do you?"
She tapped her chin and joked, "Like being a Keyboard Hero or something?"
"There's no such thing as a Keyboard Hero."
Bai Qiu twitched the corner of his mouth.
The title reminded him of internet keyboard warriors.
"Really?"
Nijika took two steps closer and looked up at him from a very close distance.
Bai Qiu nodded.
"But after today's live, I realized my skills have improved again. I'm probably about as good as Guitar Hero now."
"Huh?" Nijika looked surprised, then immediately said seriously, "Then I need to work harder too!"
"Take it slow," Bai Qiu comforted her.
"That won't do."
Nijika crossed her arms into an X.
Then she put her hands behind her back, turned slightly sideways, looked up at the stars, and said:
"Qiu-kun, let me tell you one of my secrets."
At first, Bai Qiu was curious, thinking she would reveal something ordinary.
But instead—
"When I was little, I didn't like music at all. I even hated it a little. Ever since my sister started playing in a band, she stopped playing with me."
"Later… after Mom passed away, my sister gave up her own band to take care of me. Back then, her band was already quite famous. She also took me to a live house, and that's when I started to love music."
"STARRY was built by my sister for my sake."
"Although she would definitely never admit that."
At this point, Nijika seemed to remember her tsundere sister and couldn't help laughing.
"So my dream is to carry my sister's dream too—to become a famous band, make STARRY famous, and bring lots and lots of customers to the live house."
Nijika spoke calmly about her childhood, while Bai Qiu listened quietly.
Hearing it from her directly, he could feel her loneliness and confusion.
"Qiu-kun, do you think we can debut?"
Bai Qiu slowly shook his head.
A trace of disappointment flashed through Nijika's eyes.
So even Qiu-kun doesn't believe in us.
That's true. Kessoku Band hasn't been together for very long. Maybe we're decent for a student band, but there are countless bands like this in Tokyo.
We're still far from debut level. Maybe I'm asking for too much.
However—
The next second, Bai Qiu said:
"Not just debut. We're going to perform at Budokan, Tokyo Dome, and even Kōhaku."
"Huh?"
Nijika looked stunned.
She had thought Bai Qiu was teasing her like Ryo.
I just told you all those honest feelings…
Nijika puffed out her cheeks.
"Hey… I'm asking seriously."
"I'm answering seriously too."
Nijika looked at him.
Bai Qiu's expression was calm, but his eyes were full of conviction.
She froze for a moment.
"Qiu-kun, don't joke around. That's way too unrealistic."
"No, we can definitely do it," Bai Qiu corrected her. "Even if I have to throw money at it until it happens."
"And you say you're not joking!"
…
This time, Bai Qiu patted his chest confidently.
"Haha! Don't worry. As long as everyone stays together, Kessoku Band will definitely become famous!"
Nijika smiled and nodded.
"Then I'll believe you!"
After a while—
"Let's go back."
"Yeah."
The two turned and started walking back.
Clang!
A sudden sound came from a nearby trash can—someone had stepped on an empty can.
Bocchi's entire body froze.
It's over! I've been discovered!
When she noticed Bai Qiu and Nijika had been gone for a long time, she came outside to check on them.
As a result, she overheard them talking about Guitar Hero. Fortunately, Bai Qiu had helped explain things.
But after that, she seemed to hear a lot of things she probably shouldn't have heard.
And now she had ruined such a nice atmosphere.
Bai Qiu and Nijika quickly walked over.
Looking at Bocchi muttering that she was guilty of terrible sins, the two exchanged a smile.
Bai Qiu flicked Bocchi's forehead.
"Bocchi-chan, it's time to return to reality."