"…Um… Miss… are we here at a bad time…?"
Inside live house STARRY.
Gotoh sat stiffly on a folding chair, knees pressed together, hands braced on his thighs, his expression gradually collapsing into confusion.
Beside him, Kita gently patted his back to calm him down. Her cute face held a hint of worry.
Ever since they'd followed that "big sister" with the bottle into the place, they'd realized the atmosphere was heavy—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everywhere they looked, they could see a blonde woman at the front desk—also blonde like the girl who'd just run out, but clearly older.
She held her forehead with one hand, fingers buried deep in her hair. They couldn't see her expression, only that her whole posture looked exhausted.
Like one of those painfully heavy adults in an izakaya—trying to drown reality in alcohol, unable to escape what they didn't want to face, head lowered in silence as if lighting a cigarette…
And beside her sat a black-haired woman around the same age, with a lip piercing under her mouth.
A closer look revealed multiple piercings on both ears, giving her a distinctly rock vibe. She was quietly soothing the blonde woman.
Anyone could tell.
A fierce argument had definitely just happened here.
And if Gotoh wasn't mistaken, those two gloomy, low-spirited women were probably staff…
In this situation, was he really going to ask them to book a practice room?
Just imagining it made Gotoh feel like his soul might float out through his mouth.
"Don't worry too much. Those sisters fight like this a lot lately… It's not the first or second time." The bottle-carrying "big sister"—Kikuri Hiroi—sighed softly.
Then she casually slung an arm around Gotoh's neck like she'd done it a thousand times before. Under Kita's shocked gaze, she leaned her slightly tipsy face in close—so close it was almost touching his.
"Man, Gotoh, you're exactly the same as always. When did we last meet? Let me think… half a year ago? It's been forever—did you miss me?"
"Um… Miss… alcohol breath…" Gotoh said weakly.
"Aww, don't be so picky—!"
Watching this completely drunk woman cling to Gotoh and tease him back and forth, Kita felt her entire world wobble.
And when she noticed Kikuri wasn't even properly dressed—just a thin green dress, with one shoulder strap slipping off—
Kita couldn't sit still anymore.
"Um, I'm so sorry—Gotoh-san isn't comfortable with people getting that close—"
Like an animal guarding its food, Kita quickly snatched the dazed Gotoh back from Kikuri's grip.
Kikuri made a curious "Oh?" and looked at Kita, who was glaring at her with full alertness.
"Hm… ah, I get it. You're Gotoh's student, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Kikuri Hiroi, the bassist who loves bass more than anyone in the world—and also Gotoh's big sister—"
"S-sister?!" Kita gasped, her voice shooting up.
She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, panicked, and looked toward the front desk—terrified she'd disturbed the two silent women.
When neither of them reacted, she finally breathed out in relief. She pressed her hands together toward them in silent apology, then looked back at Kikuri.
So this person is Gotoh-san's sister…?
His real sister, or a cousin? If the family name is different, it could be a cousin… though it could also be that she took her husband's name after marriage…
But Gotoh-san did call her "big sister"…
If she really is his sister, wasn't I incredibly rude just now?
But even if she's his sister, you can't cling to your brother like th-that…!
What do I do now? Say "Hello, Sister"? Or apologize first? I absolutely don't want to leave a bad impression on Gotoh-san's family—!
"Um… Kita," Gotoh regained his senses and quietly explained, "Big sis… she's a senior from my band days… She's not actually my sister."
Kita blinked.
A senior from his band…?
She looked at Kikuri again and realized Kikuri did look vaguely familiar. After digging through her memory, Kita made a sudden realization.
"Were you the bassist who performed with Gotoh-san half a year ago…? I heard about you from a friend."
"Huh? You watched me and Gotoh play?" Kikuri looked genuinely surprised, then grinned drunkenly. "Yep, that was me. I lent my band to Gotoh for that one time. Just once, but we all had fun."
As she spoke, Kikuri leaned in again, poking Gotoh's cheek with a teasing smile.
"We've got another show coming up soon. Gotoh, wanna be our guitarist again? Shima's told me more than once to drag you back."
"N-n-n-no, no, no, no, no, no, no—!" The instant he heard the word "show," Gotoh shook his head like a hurricane.
"Haha, I'm kidding!" Kikuri looked even happier, flashing a shark-like row of teeth. "Relax, I'm not gonna drag you onto the stage."
Kita watched Kikuri tease Gotoh again. This time, she didn't feel that earlier discomfort—she spoke seriously to Kikuri instead.
"Um, Big Sister!"
Kikuri turned, surprised that Kita was also calling her "Big Sister," just like Gotoh.
Then she saw Kita bow deeply, sincerely.
"Thank you so much for helping Gotoh-san before! From now on, I'll respect you as a senior too—just like Gotoh-san does!"
Kikuri froze for a second.
She looked at Gotoh, then at Kita—who seemed to practically radiate light—and muttered inwardly:
Where did Gotoh find a sunshine-on-legs like this? She's way too dazzling…
If Senpai had even one-tenth—no, one-hundredth—of this girl's power… she probably wouldn't still be single in her thirties.
Too bad Gotoh was in panic mode. He probably didn't hear any of that.
Because lines like "I don't really know you, but you helped someone important to me, so I want to thank you too"—even if you're saying them on purpose—hit hard in the best way.
Looks like Gotoh found a pretty great student.
That's… a bit reassuring.
"Alright, alright, no need to thank me." Kikuri waved lazily. "You two came here to practice guitar, yeah?"
She called out toward the blonde woman who'd sunk so low she was hugging a stuffed toy and burying her whole face in it.
"Senpai— I'm taking them to the practice room, okay? PA-san, can you open a room for us?"
The blonde woman didn't move at all.
It was obvious her mental state was awful.
But the black-haired woman—PA-san—gently flashed an OK sign and tossed a room key over.
Kikuri hopped and caught it, then tossed it to Kita.
"You can pay after you're done if you want. Go on in." Then she added, "Oh, right—Gotoh, after you practice, come drink with me. I feel bad about borrowing so much money from you before. This time I swear it's my treat. I absolutely won't forget my wallet and make you pay again."
Drink?
Borrowed money?
Forgot her wallet and made Gotoh-san pay…?
Kita's smile immediately stiffened at those keywords.
"…Um, Big Sister, Gotoh-san isn't even an adult yet… Isn't drinking kind of—"
"Relax, relax. I'm the only one drinking. Gotoh's having soft drinks. I won't do anything to your guitar teacher—!"
Saying "I won't do anything" in that frivolous tone somehow made it even scarier…!
Gotoh-san, your senior is not what I imagined… After practice, let's just go straight home, okay?
Don't go drinking with her!
You can't become the stereotype of a 'guitar guy'!
Kita turned to Gotoh and desperately tried to communicate with her eyes.
Unfortunately, Gotoh wasn't a Newtype. He couldn't establish telepathic understanding.
Hearing that Kikuri—who was usually broke as a lifestyle—was offering to treat him, he asked timidly,
"Um… really… you're treating?"
"Really, really."
"…You really brought your wallet?"
"Really, really." Kikuri actually pulled out a fat wallet and then made a dramatically heartbroken face. "Am I really that untrustworthy in your heart…?"
"Then… okay… thank you, Big Sister…" Gotoh decided to trust Kikuri one last time. She'd helped him before, after all—he couldn't bring himself to embarrass her.
But in Kita's eyes, his concession was a world-ending alarm siren.
It felt rude to think this, but she absolutely couldn't allow someone as easily fooled as Gotoh to go drinking alone with a sketchy-looking older woman!
"Um, Big Sister—please let me come too!"
Kikuri covered her grin and clacked over in her wooden sandals, leaning close to Kita's ear to tease softly.
"You say you wanna come eat too… but really, you just don't want Gotoh to be alone with me, right?"
Boom.
The words exploded in Kita's heart like a bomb.
That was exactly her intent—but when Kikuri said it out loud, it somehow sounded like something else entirely.
While Kita spiraled into chaos and didn't know how to respond, Gotoh walked over to her.
Just like Kita had led him into the instrument shop earlier, this time Gotoh took her wrist and gently pulled her behind him.
"Big Sister, I'm going to start teaching Kita guitar now. We'll be out in an hour, so please wait outside."
"Ehh—talk a bit more—" Kikuri whined.
"We can talk during dinner."
Gotoh tilted his head slightly, glancing at Kita behind him.
"Kita just bought her guitar today."
"She really likes it. Really, really likes it… so I'm sure she wants to start playing it as soon as possible."
And it seems like Kita has a curfew at home…
If we stay out too late, she might get scolded. Buying the guitar is already a big enough thing—I can't add more trouble for her…
"Anyway, I'm taking Kita to the practice room now. Please wait outside for a bit."
Under Kikuri's surprised—then gradually meaningful—gaze, Gotoh held Kita's wrist and led her toward the practice rooms inside.
After a moment, Gotoh belatedly realized…
He might have gotten carried away.
Counting the crosswalk earlier…
This was already the second time he'd held Kita's wrist.
"Ah…"
Gotoh's mind slowly turned blank.
He'd been able to speak so smoothly earlier because it was about guitars.
But this—holding her wrist—had nothing to do with guitars at all, which meant he naturally reverted to his original socially anxious state. His body went stiff.
He wanted to let go.
But he worried that suddenly releasing her like that would feel too deliberate—too awkward. Then they'd make eye contact, the air would turn painfully cringe, and their first guitar lesson—something that should be memorable—would end in failure and regret.
But if he didn't let go and kept holding her wrist the whole time, that wasn't right either.
What do I do?
What am I supposed to do right now?
Gotoh was sweating hard. In the end, he decided to gather his courage and turn to Kita.
Based on everything he knew about her so far…
Kita wasn't the kind of person who would hate him over some trivial thing.
In the first place, he shouldn't overthink this so much.
Kita genuinely treated him as a friend.
But because she was so bright and outgoing, he always felt a layer of distance between them—so he ended up obsessing over little things like this.
If he just imagined it differently, it was obvious.
If Kita were anyone else, he'd never dare hold their wrist.
Because it's Kita.
Because it's Kita—this girl who, in just a few days, had given him so much courage and so much confidence.
That was why he could step out of his cowardice and, without realizing it, do things that weren't like him.
The answer was that simple.
"…Um, Kita," Gotoh took a deep breath—
And realized she was already looking at him.
He reflexively avoided her gaze, but forced himself to look back again.
Just as he'd thought, there was no awkwardness or displeasure on her face. If anything, she looked completely normal.
"Gotoh-san, do you need the key?" Kita handed him the key Kikuri had tossed to her earlier. "Here. This is it."
And just like that, the "wrist-holding" pose dissolved naturally.
Gotoh stared at his now-empty hand and quietly exhaled in relief.
He thought:
Kita's personality is really… really nice.
She's like one of those perfect girls in a manga…
And somewhere Gotoh didn't notice—
Kita gently squeezed her own slender wrist.
As if reviewing a lesson… savoring the memory of something delicious…
She softly rubbed it once.
Twice…
And before she realized it—
A satisfied smile had already appeared on her face.
-------
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