"Thank you, big sis."
Gotoh Shin recognized the woman in front of him at once. She was Ijichi Seika—Nijika's older sister, and the owner of this very venue, the live house STARRY.
At this moment, the distance between them was dangerously close. So close, in fact, that Shin could see her eyelashes trembling ever so slightly.
Her chest was far fuller than he had imagined. Right now, he was pressed against her, held within her arms, close enough to vividly feel her warmth and presence.
[Intimate contact with a female detected. Constitution enhanced. Copying related skills…]
[Acquired skill: "Music Knowledge (Lv. 1)"]
He hadn't expected his cheat ability to activate this easily.
Then again, thinking about it carefully, it had already triggered several times before, and each time his constitution was supposedly strengthening.
Yet just now, he'd still been swept along by the crowd like dead weight.
So… was his constitution really improving? It felt a bit questionable.
Ijichi Seika had once been in a band herself—possibly a drummer, or maybe a guitarist. Shin wasn't entirely sure.
The skill labeled "Music Knowledge" sounded simple, but in reality it covered a very broad range. What stood out most was musical discernment—the ability to judge someone's level and potential.
After becoming a live house manager, Seika had naturally become familiar with all kinds of instruments.
After all, if you're scheduling bands to perform on your stage, a lack of critical judgment would be unthinkable.
Good bands needed to be nurtured and prioritized. Bands that lacked ability couldn't just be allowed on stage. There was always a threshold—even if the band belonged to her own little sister, they still had to meet a certain standard.
Strange new knowledge flooded into Shin's mind, deepening his understanding of music.
At the same time, the bonuses from this skill could also stack onto guitar-related techniques.
While Shin was lost in thought, pondering the nature of his cheat ability, Seika was carefully observing the boy in front of her.
When she'd pulled him over earlier, she hadn't thought much of it. But now that she was really looking, she realized—
He was actually pretty handsome.
There was a bright, sunlit aura about him. That gentle, softly radiant presence felt strangely familiar to her.
…Huh?
Wasn't this just like her little sister?
Yes. This boy reminded her strongly of Nijika.
His build was slender, but when she held him, she could feel a faint firmness beneath—muscle. Surprisingly solid. Not bad at all.
A faint, clean scent drifted from him, like carbonated soda mixed with floral notes. Her heartbeat sped up before she realized it.
"Oi. How long are you planning on staying like this?"
Seika felt a bit embarrassed, but she forced her expression to stay composed.
"Hehe. But you're the one hugging me, big sis."
Shin smiled as he spoke. His voice was gentle, like a breeze brushing across her face—calming, effortless, and disarming.
"Tch."
Only then did Seika snap back to reality. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him without her noticing, and one hand had even started to slide lower unconsciously.
"Ah—s-sorry! Ahem, that was an accident."
She quickly let go, her gaze darting away. Her face flushed red, almost like she'd been caught in reverse. It was… unexpectedly cute.
"It's fine. If you hadn't pulled me out, I probably would've been swallowed by the crowd."
"The atmosphere here is amazing. The audience is enthusiastic, and the bands are really solid."
Shin narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly not bothered by what had just happened.
"Mm-hmm? You like this place? My shop?"
Being praised for a venue she'd built with her own hands naturally made Seika feel pleased.
And on top of that, this boy was sweetly calling her "big sis." That alone filled her with an unreasonable sense of satisfaction.
So Shin leaned on his newly acquired "Music Knowledge" skill and chatted with her.
He calmly analyzed what made the band on stage impressive, pointed out where they fell short, and even offered suggestions for improvement.
Considering that Gotoh Hitori—"Bocchi"—might join Kessoku Band later, and that Nijika, the drummer, was Seika's sister, Shin figured it wouldn't hurt to build a good relationship with the manager.
At first, Seika listened casually. But the more she listened, the more she found herself nodding along.
"Your perspective matches mine exactly."
She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. It was strange—she felt an unexpected sense of resonance with this boy, like they were on the same wavelength.
"Say… would you be interested in working part-time here?"
She placed a hand on Shin's shoulder, her refined, beautiful face suddenly leaning closer.
Her nose twitched slightly, as if she were unconsciously catching the faint scent lingering around him.
…It really was intoxicating.
Her gaze lingered on his pale, slender neck, then drifted downward, catching the elegant line of his collarbone.
A strange, restless impulse stirred in her chest—an awareness she quickly suppressed.
She admitted it to herself: she'd been a bit pent-up lately.
But really, it wasn't her fault. This boy was just… dangerously sweet, enough to make her legs feel weak for a moment.
Of course, she was only letting her thoughts wander. She would never actually do anything.
Still, recalling that brief moment of closeness made her heart subtly restless.
"I'll give you top-tier pay," she said. "And, well… a good-looking kid like you would definitely attract more customers."
"There could even be commissions involved. What do you think?"
Seika extended the invitation.
Without realizing it, the distance between them had shrunk again.
It was a strange feeling. There was something about this boy that naturally drew people in, making them want to get closer.
"So you're the owner, big sis. But I think I'll pass on the part-time job."
Shin had no intention of putting himself on display.
"Eh? Is that so… That's a shame."
Seika sighed lightly, wearing a helpless expression.
"I came here to look for a band—see if anyone's recruiting."
"If things go well, I'll probably be coming here often anyway. Helping out once in a while should be fine."
If Hitori was going to be active here long-term, he'd definitely be tagging along.
Helping with odd jobs now and then wasn't a problem.
"You're joining a band?"
Seika raised an eyebrow, reassessing the boy in front of her.
Someone this clean and pure… tossed into the adult world of bands? She couldn't help imagining him being overwhelmed.
No. Absolutely not.
Just thinking about it made her uneasy.
But after adjusting her train of thought, a better idea quickly formed.
"Well, that's perfect timing. My sister's putting together a band right now—they're short on members. Want to check it out?"
She made the suggestion casually.
Shin nodded, then shook his head.
"I'll take a look. But to be clear—it's not me joining. It's a friend of mine…"
He explained everything carefully. Everything he was doing was for Bocchi's sake.
The shop manager nodded in understanding.
And under her guidance, backstage at STARRY, Gotoh Shin finally came face-to-face with two girls—one with blue hair, and one with bright yellow.