As they approached the school gate, they ran into a few low-ranking members of the Service Club. Seeing them walking side-by-side, the girls immediately put on respectful attitudes and greeted them.
At the same time, their eyes couldn't help but drift towards Yumiko. Being an executive was great; you could get so close to the Boss's man.
They secretly resolved in their hearts to work hard and become executives themselves!
Yukino probably never imagined that her other half would become the motivation for her subordinates' ambitions.
Would the future Yukino come to regret that distant afternoon when she introduced Kanzaki Saku to the members of the Service Club?
"Brother-in-law, good morning! Sis Miura, morning!"
Yumiko just gave a cold "Mm," maintaining her image as an executive.
Kanzaki Saku, however, smiled, nodded, and replied gently, "You can just call me Saku."
This approachable demeanor of his left the junior members feeling overwhelmed by the favor, and they nodded repeatedly.
Seeing this, it seemed that the turmoil following the Service Club's defeat had truly been suppressed for the time being by Yukinoshita Yukino's iron fist. At least on the surface, order had been restored.
He parted ways with Miura Yumiko at the classroom door. Yumiko needed to report to the Service Club's headquarters first.
Kanzaki Saku entered the classroom alone. To avoid trouble, he kept his cognitive interference active; otherwise, these background girls would pester him until school let out.
At her desk, Gotoh Hitori was hugging her guitar, her fingers unconsciously plucking the strings, producing some out-of-tune noise.
Her head was bowed, seemingly immersed in her own musical world, but in reality, the corner of her eye had been locked on the classroom door ever since she sat down.
When Kanzaki Saku's figure appeared, her back straightened a little, and her strumming became smoother.
Immediately, a melody practiced countless times, tinged with a bit of showmanship, flowed from her fingertips.
The goal was obvious: to attract Kanzaki Saku.
Kanzaki Saku walked towards his own seat, which was directly in front of Gotoh Hitori's. He didn't sit down right away, but instead turned around, propped his elbow casually on her desk, and broke into a fresh smile,
"Good morning, Gotoh-san."
"!"
Gotoh Hitori almost hit a wrong note. Forcing herself to calm down, she stopped playing and put on what she thought was a cool, badass expression, deliberately looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, not looking directly at Kanzaki Saku.
"...Morning."
However, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her. Last night, Bocchi-chan had tossed and turned, her mind filled with Kanzaki Saku's face and Ijichi Nijika's invitation to join the band. She had barely slept a wink.
She spent the whole time fantasizing about joining the band, becoming a huge star, and Kanzaki Saku, captivated by her music, confessing his love to her.
"You always have your guitar with you, Gotoh-san. You must really love music." Kanzaki Saku's gaze fell on her guitar, his voice filled with sincere admiration.
Here it comes! Gotoh Hitori's eyes lit up. This was a scene she had rehearsed. Faced with a question from a heaven-sent pretty boy, she had to shock his soul with the coolest possible answer.
She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound deeper and more stable: "Rock and roll is my life! This guitar is my partner!"
After speaking, Bocchi-chan closed her eyes, her mouth twisted into a Nike swoosh, ready to receive Kanzaki Saku's adoration.
'Gotoh Hitori, you're so cool! Such a cool, rock-and-roll line will definitely make him see you in a new light and instantly capture his heart! Even if he's a god-tier pretty boy, he's yours for the taking!'
A normal person would think she was an idiot and just ignore her.
But Kanzaki Saku's plan was to play along with Gotoh Hitori. No matter how ridiculous she acted, he wouldn't laugh. Instead, he would praise her, putting her on a pedestal.
When Bocchi-chan's over-the-top behavior reached its peak, he would reverse her persona back.
This time, Kanzaki Saku wasn't just doing it for the sake of conquest; he simply wanted to see Bocchi-chan's expression then.
"That's amazing!" Kanzaki Saku said, putting on a perfectly cooperative expression of admiration.
"I don't know much about rock, but I feel like when you play the guitar, Gotoh-san, you're practically glowing."
"G-glowing?!" Gotoh Hitori was stunned by the direct compliment, her cheeks visibly flushing with blood.
She felt like she was about to lose her cool-girl persona. The little person inside her was already rolling on the floor in hysterics.
'He said I was glowing! He's definitely mesmerized by my rock-and-roll aura!'
"Yeah," Kanzaki Saku said, as if he hadn't noticed her beet-red face, continuing in the tone of a comedy straight man setting up a joke.
"That way you have of not caring what others think, completely losing yourself in the moment... it's really captivating. It makes me feel a bit moved, like I want to try learning an instrument and join a band to experience it myself."
Bocchi-chan, her head already spun by Kanzaki Saku's sweet talk, heard him mention bands and, eager to show off, blurted out.
"Hmph! A skilled guitarist like me is in high demand! Lots of bands are fighting over me!" She puffed out her large chest, her words ringing with conviction.
"After careful consideration, as of yesterday, I have officially joined an incredibly talented band!"
"You've officially joined an incredibly talented band?" Kanzaki Saku acted extremely surprised, as if he had heard of some amazing achievement.
"You're truly extraordinary, Gotoh-san, to be recognized by such an excellent band so quickly."
This unreserved affirmation fueled Bocchi-chan's arrogance even more.
Gotoh Hitori felt her chest swell with even more pride. Though her cheeks were still burning, a refreshing feeling of "being affirmed" washed through her entire body, making her feel as comfortable as if she'd just had a massage.
She nodded emphatically: "Yes! It's still a secret, so I can't reveal too much about the members, but they're all amazing! Our goal is to conquer every live house!"
Bocchi-chan was starting to boast uncontrollably. This was a skill that was guaranteed to activate when she got carried away in conversation.
"Conquer every live house... that's a grand ambition." Kanzaki Saku repeated softly, his tone holding not a hint of sarcasm, only pure admiration.
"So... for our band's first performance... d-do you want to come and listen?"
Even though the members weren't decided, they had no songs, and Bocchi-chan herself hadn't even officially joined the band, that didn't stop her from using the band's name to hit on Kanzaki Saku.
"The debut of a future superstar? How could I possibly miss it?"
Kanzaki Saku had been waiting for Bocchi-chan to invite him. Kessoku Band, huh? He was familiar with them! He had just 'helped out' the lead singer yesterday.
____
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