"Ah! No, no!" Kita Ikuyo shook her head vigorously, tossing those terrible fantasies out of her mind.
Footsteps approached at that very moment. Kita was so scared she jumped directly into a pile of old cardboard boxes to hide, leaving only her eyes exposed to observe from the darkness.
Kanzaki Saku appeared first. His pace was unhurried, and his face looked even more exquisite under the light, causing Kita to involuntarily become captivated by it.
Immediately following him, another figure stumbled into view behind him—a pink-haired girl holding a guitar, wearing an expression that looked a bit silly.
It looked like they really were here to talk to her about the band. This actually frightened Kita more than the prospect of a threesome.
After all, in that sort of situation, once the mood hit, one could just cast aside all cares. But asking her to play in a band meant singing in front of a crowd; she felt that was even worse than a threesome.
Kita bit her lip and subconsciously shrank further into the shadows.
"Kita." However, Kanzaki Saku had already spotted her. "Have you been waiting long?"
"N-No!" Kita wormed her way out of her hiding spot, not daring to look him in the eye. "I just arrived a moment ago..."
Her gaze stole a peek at Bocchi-chan. Pink long hair, a great figure, holding a guitar that looked expensive—she was the sparkling, popular type.
Completely different from a sewer worm like herself.
Bocchi-chan was also carefully observing this "potential vocalist." Such... such a strong gloomy aura! This wasn't just ordinary introversion, was it? She was simply the incarnation of "loneliness"!
Could someone like this really stand on stage and sing to an audience? She'd probably faint the moment she opened her mouth!
But Kanzaki-san's recommendation shouldn't be wrong, right? Bocchi-chan shook her head and decided to believe in—or rather, not question—Kanzaki Saku's judgment.
"This is Gotoh Hitori, the guitarist," Kanzaki Saku introduced. "Gotoh-san, this is Kita Ikuyo, the vocalist I wanted to recommend to you."
Having her name called, Bocchi-chan immediately straightened her back and spoke with perfect articulation: "Hello! I am Gotoh Hitori, aiming to be a world-shaking Guitar Hero! A future rock superstar! Please treat me well!"
After speaking, she extended her hand toward Kita Ikuyo.
Kita shrank back slightly before carefully reaching out to shake it. "H-Hello... I am Kita... Ikuyo."
Her voice was so small it was almost inaudible, and then she fell silent.
An awkward silence spread among the three of them.
Sweat broke out on Bocchi-chan's forehead as her brain spun at high speed.
She stole a glance at Kanzaki Saku, sending a distress signal with her eyes: What should I say next? Is it too direct to just say 'Try singing a song'? Or should I ask what bands she likes first?
Kita, meanwhile, lowered her head and counted the dust on the ground to distract herself.
She could feel the scrutinizing gaze Gotoh Hitori was casting upon her. That gaze seemed to be judging whether she was qualified to be the band's vocalist. This feeling of being examined made her uncomfortable all over.
Just as both girls remained silent, Kanzaki Saku spoke up at the perfect moment.
"Kita, Gotoh's band is currently lacking a vocalist. I've heard your voice and think it has great potential, so I wanted to introduce you two. Of course, this is just to get to know each other; don't feel pressured."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the hands Kita was using to protect her chest, as well as the wallet in her hand.
"Besides, I won't let you make a wasted trip. If you are willing to give it a try, I can treat you to a meal afterward."
The "treat" Kanzaki Saku mentioned naturally referred to the matter of "assistance," and Kita clearly understood this, automatically translating it into some kind of ambiguous code.
Her face instantly began to turn a bit rosy, and her small hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the wallet containing the "Bean Juice Fund."
However, Gotoh Hitori, who was out of the loop regarding the situation, naturally couldn't understand the black slang between the two and thought Kanzaki Saku literally wanted to treat Kita to dinner.
"T-Treat... to a meal?!" Bocchi-chan's voice rose steeply. She looked at Kita, then looked at Kanzaki Saku.
This made her feel unbalanced. No, wait, on what grounds?!
This girl, who was as gloomy as a mushroom, could actually make Kanzaki-san actively offer to treat her to a meal?
She, Gotoh Hitori, the future Guitar Hero, hadn't even eaten a bento with Kanzaki-san! Although the main reason was that Kanzaki Saku was very busy every noon, and Bocchi-chan couldn't find him.
Coupled with the fact that Kanzaki Saku was so attentive to this Kita Ikuyo, actively recommending her... something was definitely fishy!
The socially clueless Bocchi felt uncomfortable in her heart, so naturally, she decided to find a soft persimmon to pinch.
"Ahem!" Bocchi-chan cleared her throat, making her expression look very serious.
"Um, Kanzaki-san, could you let me and Kita-san chat alone for a bit? After all, the vocalist is the face of the band, and also the soul!"
"I need to... er, get a deeper understanding of her... musical literacy! And her soul resonance with mine!"
She spoke quite high-soundingly, as if that were really the case.
Kanzaki Saku's eyebrows raised slightly, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. He nodded and cooperated fully by stepping back a few paces, leaning against the edge of an old desk that was still relatively intact, and making a "please go ahead" gesture.
"Of course, you guys chat. Mutual understanding between band members is indeed very important."
Having received permission, Bocchi-chan immediately turned to Kita:
"Kita-san, please come this way! Let's go over there to exchange musical concepts!"
She grabbed Kita's slender wrist without allowing any explanation. It looked enthusiastic, but in reality, it was out of jealousy.
Kita let out a soft "Ugh," like a cat being grabbed by the scruff of its neck, and was dragged involuntarily by Bocchi-chan to a spot a few meters away, behind a pile of tattered gymnastics mats.
This place happened to form a relatively hidden corner where Kanzaki Saku's figure could be faintly seen, but voices wouldn't be easily overheard if kept low.
As soon as they were out of Kanzaki Saku's line of sight, the smile on Bocchi-chan's face instantly collapsed. She put her hands on her hips, brought her pink head close, lowered her voice, and got straight to the point.
"Hey, Kita-san, tell me honestly—what exactly is your relationship with Kanzaki-san?"
"Eh?!" Kita was caught off guard by this direct hit. She shrank back, her back pressing against the cold mats.
"R-Relationship? It's... it's just as Kanzaki-san said... He introduced the band..."
"Cut it out!" Bocchi-chan curled her lip, not believing it at all. "Kanzaki-san has never been this proactive with me! You two knew each other before, didn't you? Is it the kind where you're especially close?"
Especially close? Which kind of close? The money transaction kind of close, or the physical exchange kind of close? Kita's face turned completely red with a "whoosh," looking as if she were about to steam.
Her eyes darted around in panic, simply daring not to look into Bocchi-chan's eyes.
"We... we... aren't especially close... just... met by chance..."
____
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