Under warm ambient lighting—
By the glass wall reflecting Tokyo's night skyline—
A man who was terrible at socializing, his aura gloomy and withdrawn,
sat facing a bright, energetic girl who looked like she was radiating rainbow light from head to toe.
They sat across from each other, two trays on the table—both the classic hamburger combo set.
The man's face was blank. He looked calm and unshakable, like a cool, aloof type… but in truth, he'd already been completely crushed by the girl's "light," and he was internally panicking.
He didn't know when he was supposed to speak, and he didn't know whether it would be rude to start eating before she did.
So he could only silently pick up a napkin from the tray and fold it into origami cranes, pretending he was busy.
Meanwhile, the girl was completely at ease.
She didn't understand the man's worries. She thought he was holding off on eating to match her photo-taking, so she happily pulled out her phone and took a ton of pictures.
Sometimes she photographed the burger set like it was gourmet food; sometimes she turned on a beauty filter and took selfies.
When she noticed the man's hand ended up in one of the photos, she smiled even sweeter.
Like she'd just obtained a precious treasure, she tilted the phone up toward her lips and let out a light, happy laugh.
"I never imagined that one day I'd be able to eat with you, Goto-san… If my friends found out, they'd be so jealous."
The sudden topic made the named party—our social-anxious man—jump.
It felt like light and shadow flashed through his mind as he instantly came up with countless possible replies… and then rejected nearly all of them for one reason or another.
The girl sitting in front of him right now… was someone who had gifted him an incomparable treasure!
Calling her an angel wouldn't even be enough to praise her greatness.
Only a word as lofty as "god" could explain even one percent of her beauty.
He had to reply to every sentence with extreme care—perfectly, if possible!
The socially anxious man took a deep breath. In his blue eyes, an unshakable will glittered brilliantly.
He opened his mouth—
"I—I feel the same…!"
A single line—an exact, meme-level "me too."
The socially anxious man… no, Goto Doku, covered his face in embarrassment, utterly powerless before his tragically impoverished language system.
If only there were classes in this world that taught you how to talk to people…
I'd enroll with the greatest respect and the most sincere attitude, and study seriously.
"Huh?"
The girl, Kita Ikuyo—completely unaware that simply giving a gift had accidentally "captured" a social-anxiety monster—blinked.
"You feel the same too, Goto-san? Why? …Wait, do you actually know me?"
…N-no, I don't…
Sweat began to gather on Goto Doku's forehead.
He wasn't good with words, but he still had basic emotional intelligence. He knew he absolutely couldn't bluntly say "I don't know you"—that would be too direct and it would crush her expectation for nothing.
But if he didn't say that… what could he say?
And saying nothing would be even worse…
His brain started spinning again at full speed, but he still couldn't find a good line.
Cornered, he had no choice but to pray for divine inspiration—but the only "response" he got was that version of himself who could speak honestly in front of Bocchi.
Damn it.
At this point, there was only one thing left.
He had to force it out.
"Because… um… Kita-san is really pretty…"
Under the table, Goto Doku's hands were clenched so hard his fingers hurt—his thumb scraping relentlessly at the skin on the back of his other hand.
"Your makeup looks great, your fashion sense… is great too, and your nail color is really pretty… you're just… really pretty… so, um, I never thought I'd get to eat with someone as pretty and gentle as you… and I feel honored, and happy… and… yeah."
He… he said it…
He actually said something that embarrassing…
His nails were practically digging into his skin. He was terrible at complimenting people. In one sentence, he'd used the word "pretty" three times—his vocabulary was so poor it could compete with a middle schooler.
But aside from that, he genuinely couldn't think of anything else.
All he could do was hope Kita-san wouldn't find it unpleasant…
"…So that's how you see me, Goto-san?"
Ah…
I'm done…
I knew I'd be hated if I said it like that…
Goto Doku felt like he was about to collapse into a puddle of slime. He shut his eyes tight, preparing to accept his sentence.
"I'm… so happy! Thank you, Goto-san!"
"Honestly, I was worried I might've dressed up too much… You know, hair, makeup—doesn't it look kind of formal? But I'm really glad you like it. Really, truly!"
?
A question mark popped up in Goto Doku's mind.
Before he could react, Kita Ikuyo looked at him with eyes sparkling like starlight.
"Let's take a photo together, Goto-san!"
W-wait!
Why did the topic suddenly jump to taking a picture together?!
Kita-san, doesn't your mind move way too fast?!
Goto Doku was terrified of photos. He had an extremely severe camera phobia—ever since he was little, every time someone took a picture of him, he'd end up with cold dead-fish eyes. Even his eternally optimistic father had once fallen silent after seeing the results.
"Th-that is, I—" He tried to stop her, but his throat jammed at the worst possible moment. No sound came out.
How could this happen—
Throat, why aren't you working?!
Is it because of Kita's "light"?!
"It's okay, Goto-san, you don't have to come over—I'll come to you! Honestly, I wanted to do this while I was taking photos earlier, but I was worried it might be rude… but now it seems like it's fine… Thank you, Goto-san!"
That's not what I meant—!!
Goto Doku watched in despair as Kita Ikuyo drew closer and closer, like a vampire desperately trying to escape sunlight.
But the sun was already upon him—so close it had reached his side.
With countless beams of "Kita light" hitting him point-blank, Goto Doku completely lost any will to resist.
All his social-anxiety cells were wiped out. Only raw instinct remained to operate his body.
He stiffly faced the camera and forced a smile, convinced his expression must look absolutely horrific.
Then suddenly, he smelled something fresh.
Not the faint perfume-like scent he'd noticed when they first met, but something like the "natural fragrance" novels and manga always described—something uniquely belonging to a girl.
He reflexively glanced sideways.
Kita-san was bent slightly toward him. Her bright, soft vermilion hair brushed his shoulder. And through the looseness of her outfit, his gaze couldn't help but follow the line down to the delicate collarbone beneath her knitted cardigan… and the smooth, snow-white skin.
She held the phone in one hand and made a cute peace sign with the other.
Click.
Without him even realizing it, the photo was already taken.
Kita Ikuyo looked at her "masterpiece" with satisfaction and delivered the highest praise a girl could give a photo:
"Hehe… it can be fixed!"
Then she turned the screen toward him.
"Look, Goto-san! I made you look super handsome! Can I save this photo?!"
"Ah… sure."
"Really?! Yay! I'll treasure it for the rest of my life!"
Kita Ikuyo happily returned to her seat.
Goto Doku was still spaced out. After a moment, he awkwardly turned his head aside, his ears burning.
And just like that, they finished dinner together.
Kita said she wanted to take a walk outside to help digest.
Goto Doku had no objections, so the two of them left the fast-food place together.
They wandered through streets and alleys, browsed quite a few small shops, and eventually walked to a quiet park. Only then did Goto Doku belatedly remember something.
He still hadn't said a single word to Kita about the guitar tutoring.
How did I forget something that important…?!
It was like he'd been struck by lightning. His whole body swayed.
He'd come out to talk about work, yet almost two hours had passed since they met—and he hadn't mentioned work once.
C-can I still bring it up now…?
But it feels so awkward to bring it up now…
Kita had been finding topics the whole way, talking about cheerful things… and then when it was his turn to start a topic, he'd talk about money and work…
Even aside from how abrupt it would feel, it might give her the impression that he only cared about money and didn't care about anything else…!
But if he didn't say anything and just went home, then this meal was basically a free dinner for nothing…!
Bocchi had looked depressed for a long time when he told her he wouldn't be home for dinner tonight—so even for Bocchi's sake, he had to say it.
And even if he didn't say it now, he'd still have to ask later. Rather than awkwardly messaging her afterward asking if she really wanted to learn guitar, it was better to ask her now while she was right beside him.
Okay. Do it. Open your mouth.
Goto Doku made his decision.
Maybe it was because he'd already been "exposed" to so much Kita light at the restaurant—this time, he didn't hesitate.
"K-Kita-san…!"
"Hm? What is it, Goto-san?"
"It's… about the guitar…!"
Goto Doku swallowed.
"I'm really sorry to bring it up so suddenly, but if I don't say it now, I'll lose my chance this time… Please forgive me."
"Ah—guitar…!"
Kita Ikuyo let out a rare little squeak, wearing an expression like she'd also forgotten something important.
Her eyes instantly turned flustered, and she grew embarrassed.
"I'm so sorry, Goto-san! I was the one who contacted you on my own, and I forgot something that important…! Th-then let's talk about it now! To be honest, I don't really understand this stuff, and I haven't even bought a guitar yet…"
"Anyway, let's talk about the fee first! What do you think is appropriate, Goto-san—5,000 yen an hour? I worked part-time all through high school, so I've got plenty of money. If it's not enough, I can ask my dad. Goto-san, don't hold back—quote whatever you want. Any amount is fine!"
…Why does that sound kind of weird…? Is it just me?
Also, 5,000 yen an hour is expensive…
If I taught Kita-san for twenty-four hours a day, wouldn't that mean 120,000 yen a day?
That's almost my monthly salary…
Tutoring is… insanely profitable…
Goto Doku's mouth twitched. He shook his head hard, throwing away the messy thoughts.
When it came to guitar, he wasn't nearly as nervous.
It was the one thing he knew better than anything else—his most familiar skill, and the thing he was best at. Only when it came to this did he show a truly serious expression.
"Um, you don't need to be nervous, Kita-san. I'm actually just trying to ask you one question. We can talk about everything else slowly."
"One question?"
Kita tilted her head slightly.
Right now, Goto-san looked a bit like he had back then—standing on stage, the kind of presence that made everyone unable to look away.
"Yeah."
Goto Doku nodded, and also stopped walking.
A breeze swept through the park, lifting his heavy bangs. His gaze was calm, natural.
"I want to know… why do you want to learn guitar?"
Goto Doku asked.
"Because you gave me a very valuable gift, and you're a very gentle person. So I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want to take your money, then take no responsibility for actually teaching you guitar and leading you down a different road."
"If you're simply interested in guitar—if you just want to practice songs you like and relax—then there's no problem."
"But if you want to learn guitar because you want to form a band…"
"I hope you can think seriously about whether you truly want to do that."
As memories of his own past rose up, Goto Doku's eyes grew faintly tired.
He wasn't the kind of person who failed once, then used his own experience to deny an entire world out of spite.
He understood clearly: his band had failed because he'd been unlucky—because he never met people he could truly trust, people who shared the same direction. That failure left a scar in his heart.
So he wouldn't take it out on others. And he wouldn't deny others.
In fact, he believed good bands existed in this world.
It was just… they were rare—so rare they were like phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Most people who hang around rock music and play in bands have their own ideals.
Because of those ideals, they can peel themselves away from ordinary reality. And because each person has their own world, when one world collides with another, conflict naturally happens.
Where there's conflict, there has to be compromise.
A band is a good band if they can merge their ideals and move forward hand in hand.
If cracks appear and they gradually become strangers… that's the normal state for most bands.
"If you're sure you want to play in a band… I won't oppose you. On the contrary, I'll support you, and I'll do my best to help you find a good band."
"I don't know how much I can help, but as your guitar teacher—if I teach you how to play, then I won't just abandon you. That's what I wanted to tell you."
Even if it meant facing the psychological shadow he wanted to avoid most…
He still had to gather his courage and try to face it.
Because if you fail once and then never dare face it again, drowning forever in pain—people will only think you're being melodramatic.
Adults are those who dare to take responsibility and face their own shortcomings.
I… want to become an adult.
An adult who can shelter Bocchi from the wind and rain.
Someday, Bocchi would also come into contact with bands, just like he once did.
He couldn't deny her, couldn't stop her, just because he'd failed before. That would be pathetic.
If he really was Bocchi's other self—if he really was Bocchi's friend—
Then what he should do was help her, support her in doing what she wanted, and prevent her from suffering the same pain he did.
That was the right thing to do.
And he had to do it.
"So… could you tell me what you're thinking, Kita-san?"
Facing Goto Doku's gaze—slowly hardening into something resolute—
Kita Ikuyo realized he was serious.
Different from the Goto Doku she'd seen earlier—the one who couldn't meet her eyes, sometimes couldn't even speak clearly, and was kind of cute because of it.
The Goto Doku in front of her now—
Overlapped with the silhouette in her memory who had once stood in front of her.
Kita Ikuyo clenched her hand against her chest, gently closed her eyes, and prepared herself. After taking several deep breaths, she opened her eyes again.
Under silver moonlight drifting on the breeze, a pale strand of light settled in her clear pupils. The night wind tousled her carefully maintained hair.
Then—
She smiled, softly and gladly, and said:
"Because of you, Goto-san… that's why I wanted to pick up the guitar."
As if afraid he hadn't heard clearly, Kita repeated it again on purpose:
"I want to learn guitar because of you, Goto-san."
"…Huh?"
Just one sentence.
Only one sentence—
And Goto Doku instantly got knocked out of his serious mode and reverted into full social-anxiety form.
He blinked rapidly, trying desperately to confirm he hadn't misheard.
But no matter how he "checked the accounts" in his mind, his ears told him unmistakably: the girl named Kita Ikuyo really had said it.
She wants to practice guitar because of you.
"Ah… I… um… you…?"
"Pfft."
Kita Ikuyo covered her mouth and laughed softly.
Honestly, her ears were burning red too—but thankfully, the moonlight was hazy and the night was long.
The evidence that would embarrass her if exposed was safely hidden in her hair, impossible to see clearly.
"Sorry, sorry, Goto-san—I said something that could be misunderstood. I'm sorry. But I wasn't lying."
"I really am learning guitar because of you."
"And even if you hadn't asked, I would've told you myself… so you don't need to feel embarrassed, okay?"
Kita stood with the full moon behind her.
The stars above were brilliant, like they were quietly blessing her.
She placed her hand gently against her chest again, and with the softest voice, she told Goto Doku what she truly thought.
"To me, you're someone I admire, Goto-san."
"I really like how you look when you play guitar. I went to almost every performance with my friends."
Kita didn't hide her gaze.
Before she ever met Goto Doku, she'd already decided:
If he really agreed to be her guitar teacher, she would tell him the reason she wanted him as a teacher.
After all, she'd skipped class at her university, raced all the way back to high school, contacted a bunch of people, finally reached the retired homeroom teacher, got Goto Doku's home address, then hurried over with fruit and gifts to meet his parents.
She'd made such a huge effort—she needed to give him a reasonable explanation.
Otherwise, if Goto Doku heard through some channel later how much trouble she'd gone through, it might cause a misunderstanding—he might think she had other motives.
Rather than being unable to explain later—
It was better to be clear from the start.
"Though… that was, at most, just a fan's admiration for an idol. And I know it sounds bad, but I have a lot of idols I like—I wouldn't go this far for just anyone… Ah—I'm not that kind of crazy fangirl! Goto-san, don't misunderstand! I'm just using it as an example—hehe…"
Kita cleared her throat tactically, then continued.
"Ahem… Let's get back on track, okay?"
"Maybe you don't remember, but you helped me once. When I was in danger, you stepped forward."
"And because of that, you became someone I wanted—no matter what—to be friends with."
Kita scratched her cheek with a finger, embarrassed.
"To be honest, I don't really understand guitar. And I'm not that interested in bands—there's no big dream of forming a band or anything."
"But I care about you, Goto-san. When I saw you say you wanted to teach people guitar… I thought that if I became your student, maybe we could get closer."
"That's why I'm here. That's why I want to learn guitar."
As she spoke, Kita stepped closer until she stood face-to-face with Goto Doku. Then she gave him a smile so radiant it could scatter every shadow in his heart.
"Thank you for giving me this chance, Goto-san!"
"For a long time, I've wanted to say thank you to you in person. Even if you don't remember what you did for me, that's fine—because my wish has already come true."
"You're standing right in front of me now, Goto-san!"
"I'll see you today. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll see you again in the future—"
"As long as I'm still holding a guitar, I'll definitely get to see you again, right? Just that simple reason… is enough to support me practicing guitar every day and every night."
"What do you think of that reason, Goto-san?"
Goto Doku stared blankly at Kita Ikuyo, overflowing with "girl energy."
His mind went completely white. Halfway through, he'd been utterly wiped out by her overpowering "Kita light," routed without mercy.
When she asked what he thought, he couldn't answer. His head was full of the image of her bathed in moonlight, gently pouring out her feelings to him.
Then, suddenly—
A ringtone echoed through the quiet park.
Kita blinked. It was her phone. When she checked, it was a call from her dad.
Eek!
Oh no!
She'd been so happy seeing Goto-san that she forgot the time—how was it already this late?!
She had to go back right now!
"Um—Goto-san! My dad's calling to make me come home! I'm really sorry… We'll talk about the guitar stuff on LINE later, okay? I'm going home now!!"
With that, Kita ran toward the station.
After about ten steps, she suddenly turned around again. Under the warm streetlamp glow, she cupped both hands around her mouth and shouted loudly:
"Goto-san, see you next time—!!"
"…Ah."
Goto Doku froze for a beat, then quickly waved back at her.
"N-next time—see you—!!"
The girl smiled brilliantly.
Full of youthful charm, she gradually ran farther away.
Maybe because the scene tugged at something in his memory—
Goto Doku suddenly remembered: when he first entered high school, he was so nervous he didn't dare go in. His social-anxiety aura was at maximum; he hid alone by the gate, waiting for fewer people before slipping inside.
But it was the opening festival. There were tons of people. He waited for ages and still couldn't find a moment.
Just when he didn't know what to do and could only look up at the cherry blossoms—
A girl walked up behind him, rose on her toes, and plucked a falling petal from his head.
"A cherry blossom fell on your head."
She said it like that.
Then left him with a bright, open smile—
and walked away.
Maybe because he'd been infected by her energy,
Goto Doku finally stepped forward and entered the high school campus.
He couldn't remember that girl's face anymore.
But her back—
was strangely similar to Kita-san's.
"…Must be my imagination."
Goto Doku shook his head.
Then he looked down at the time.
T-ten o'clock?!
Why is it so late?!
No—he had to go home immediately. If he stayed any longer, Bocchi would be terrified all alone at home!
In the opposite direction from Kita—
Goto Doku started running with all his strength.
And then, suddenly, he heard a voice again.
It was exactly the same as the voice he'd heard back in his first year of high school—when he'd watched that blonde girl turn and leave in the park.
Only this time—
he didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
Like a life that had drifted off course—
was finally turning back onto the right track.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (180 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (110 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (190 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (78 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (130 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (80 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (140 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (50 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (60 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (80 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (35 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (50 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (30 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it