Chapter 82: A Fork in the Road of Fate
[The dazzling version of you has officially become an idol in Hitori Gotoh's eyes.]
[As a result, she's become an even bigger nervous wreck whenever you're around.]
[Even with your Slippery Mindset, trying to maintain a conversation with her has become an exhausting chore.]
[Gradually, your patience begins to wear thin. You shift more of your attention to your side job as an author, though out of a sense of duty, you haven't abandoned the Alliance of Outcasts.]
[In fact, you've started to pick up the pace. Since you're privy to Hitori's secret online identity, a new idea has begun to take shape.]
"Yukinoshita-san, I think our plan for the Alliance is still a little too vague. We've managed to gather potential candidates, but we haven't actually thought about how they're supposed to help each other or, more importantly, how they're supposed to become friends."
"Look at Gotoh-san. It's been days, and has her social anxiety improved at all?"
"Nishimiya-san is doing fine—it's clear she actually likes this environment. But Gotoh-san's situation is looking grim. At this point, she's too scared to even look me in the eye."
Haruka laid out the problem directly, placing the burden of a solution on Yukino Yukinoshita.
Yukino furrowed her brows, her beautiful face clouded with thought.
With Haruka pointing it out so bluntly, she realized he was right. Normally, a successful project required a complete chain: an outline, an execution plan, specific milestones, and contingency measures for failure.
Their current plan was nothing more than a rough outline. The execution was fuzzy, the milestones were thin, and there wasn't a single backup plan in sight.
Haruka was right. This was her oversight.
Yukino pondered the situation carefully. "Gotoh-san likes the guitar. She's played before, and she's actually quite talented, though she has some significant hurdles. How exactly are we supposed to help her?"
"We should start by asking her if she'd be interested in forming a band."
"A band?" Yukino sounded genuinely surprised.
To be honest, she found it hard to imagine the gloomy, timid girl she knew standing on a stage in front of an audience.
"Exactly. Wasn't that the wish she made when she first came to the club?"
Yukino nodded, recalling the day they all met. "You're right. But that's a complicated process. As far as I know, the Light Music Club doesn't have anyone interested in rock. Finding members won't be easy. Besides, playing solo and playing in a band are two completely different skill sets."
As for Yukino herself, she didn't particularly appreciate loud, high-energy music, so her knowledge was limited. She certainly couldn't provide any technical guidance.
"I haven't studied it either," Haruka added. (In reality, he knew his stuff, but within the simulation, he had to 'discover' the talent first, just like with his academic skills.)
"So we're back to square one. When we recruit new members for the Alliance, we'll just have to keep an eye out for potential bandmates," Yukino said flatly.
"I guess that's all we can do."
Haruka already had a plan in mind. He had some memories of the series Bocchi the Rock!, but since this world was so radically different, there was no guarantee the original bandmates would be where they were supposed to be. He'd have to scour the student roster.
[You and Yukino Yukinoshita have refined the plan to provide more specialized help for the outcasts.]
[You find the names Nijika Ijichi and Ryo Yamada in the school records.]
[Out of a sense of pity for a certain social disaster, you decide to play matchmaker for them.]
[However, you discover a discrepancy. Nijika Ijichi's band exists, but for some reason, it's currently a band in name only. Aside from her, the only other member is Ryo Yamada. It's effectively just a hobbyist club.]
[You decide to investigate further.]
[But plans can't keep up with the whims of fate. While you were planning your next move, you were unaware that your own brilliance had triggered a change. Because this is Tokyo, a tiny coincidence has appeared—a fork in the road. A "wrong path" has opened up before Hitori Gotoh.]
At twilight.
Hitori Gotoh sat alone on a park swing, swaying back and forth.
She was in her usual "emo" phase. Haruka's dazzling performance yesterday had only intensified her longing. 'If only... if only I could be like that...'
Who wouldn't want to be like those "sunny" people—laughing loudly and living out their youth to the fullest?
Hitori pulled her guitar from her back, cradled it in her lap, and pulled out her phone to check the internet. Checking her videos was the only way she could find a bit of comfort these days.
As usual, the comment section was filled with praise.
Wait.
"Eh? Someone's inviting me to try out as a band's guitarist?"
"Band 'STEIVE' looking for a lead...?"
Looking at the invitation in her DMs, Hitori's face lit up with a tiny smile.
"...I've been following you for a while. Your skills are top-tier. Are you interested in taking things to the next level? Please reply within a week."
"Hehe... a band scout thinks I'm good." A genuine smile broke across her face.
And an invitation! A real band! This was everything she had ever dreamed of!
Should she try?
But as soon as she imagined standing on a stage with people staring at her, her skin began to crawl with goosebumps.
Maybe she should just forget it?
"Sigh... if only I were like Kasugano-kun, I wouldn't have to worry about this."
The thought of Haruka filled her with a sudden, restless irritation. She didn't want to stay here anymore. She tucked her phone away without replying, though she didn't delete the message either. Shouldering her guitar with a lonely slouch, she trudged away.
Seconds after she left, a lively girl with long yellow hair walked past the swing. If Hitori had stayed in her emo funk for just a few minutes longer, they would have met.
***
[After the exams, life returned to its usual rhythm. Your relationship with Hitori and the others is friendly, but there are no signs of romance on the horizon.]
[Meanwhile, Hitori continues to agonize over the invitation.]
The Service Club.
"Yukinoshita-san, let's go. The Principal is waiting."
"Mm."
Due to the upcoming Three-School League, Haruka, Yukino, and a few other top-tier students had to work on mock competition problems and get to know each other.
"You two work on your assignments. I'll be checking them tomorrow," Yukino said, casting an authoritative glance at Shoko and Hitori.
However, to her surprise, Hitori just stared back at her with a dazed, hollow expression. She didn't even try to hide.
Yukino frowned.
When she was tutoring her earlier, she'd felt like Hitori's mind was elsewhere. It seemed she was right.
'Whatever. I'll ask her when I get back.'
After Haruka and Yukino left, Hitori continued to stare at the door.
Her eyes were filled with a desperate longing.
The Three-School League.
The center of attention.
The image of Haruka standing in that assembly hall, bathed in light while the crowd roared with cheers and applause, was stuck on a loop in her mind.
Hitori pulled out her phone and looked at the DM from the band. Her resolve began to waver.
'Should I... give it a shot?'