"Bocchi, you've been doing really well lately."
Haru's sudden words yanked her out of her daydream.
"Eh? M-me?"
"Maybe it's because you've been performing in public more often, doing street shows and all. You're getting a lot more comfortable interacting with strangers. Just now, while working here, you handed drinks to customers without panicking."
"You've definitely grown a lot compared to how you were in the beginning."
There was more Haru didn't say, Bocchi's stage presence had been improving too.
As the so-called "Guitar Hero," her skill level had always surpassed that of typical amateur bands. But her social anxiety had made it hard to coordinate with others and show her full potential. Lately, though, she'd been performing with increasing brilliance during live shows, especially in solo guitar segments that captivated the entire audience.
"Your follower count as 'Guitar Hero' must be up to seventy or eighty thousand by now, right?"
"W-why would you know that?!"
"Come on, why wouldn't I?"
Haru rolled his eyes, sounding slightly annoyed as he answered the visibly shocked little snake.
Since stepping back from performing to become the band's manager, he had taken that role seriously. He kept track of the band's Twitter, their online presence, each member's personal accounts, merchandise, and overall operations, it all came under his responsibility.
"At this pace, you girls will reach professional band level very soon."
Ever since they began regular street performances to build a following, the band's online popularity had been steadily climbing.
Every now and then, talent agencies reached out with inquiries, but Haru, acting as their manager, turned them all away.
After all, the girls were still in high school. Even with him overseeing things, pushing them into the professional world too early would seriously impact their school life.
Of course, if all four of them suddenly dropped out, that would be a whole different story.
Hearing herself praised so generously, Hitori's eyes sparkled like stars. Pure joy bubbled up from the depths of her heart, and it felt like little red flowers were blooming right on top of her head. Only when acknowledged and praised by him did she feel this genuine happiness.
But soon, she remembered something.
"...It's not just 'you girls,' it's you too, Haru-san…!"
"If it weren't for you, I… I wouldn't have made it this far at all! I'm really, really grateful to you, Haru-san…"
Sudden outburst, a specialty of socially anxious people!
Gotoh-san quickly realized how loudly she'd just shouted. In the next second, steam seemed to puff out of her ears like a kettle, and her brain came to a screeching halt like a rusty gear. Hugging her head, she started letting out small groans of despair.
Haru stared at the pink-haired snake in front of him, a bit taken aback, then sighed in quiet reflection.
"If you're that grateful, Bocchi, don't you think you should… give me a little 'thank-you' gift?"
"Eh?"
Hitori froze.
The black-haired boy was smiling at her gently, his face so close she could study every little detail. Eventually, her gaze was drawn into those soft, glimmering black eyes.
And in that moment, it was as if she understood, just barely... what he was trying to say.
Thump. Thump. Thump…
Her heart began pounding wildly. Her brain went blank. Gotoh Hitori knew this was the perfect chance. All she had to do was ride the momentum and say what she felt.
Something this simple, even she could do it.
Say it. Just say it already!
Watching the girl turn beet red, on the verge of fainting, Haru could only sigh inwardly. After a silent pause, he smiled in quiet resignation.
The next moment, he gently tapped her smooth forehead with the edge of his hand, half-jokingly.
"At the very least, you could treat me to a decent meal or a bottle of orange juice?"
"Oh, and it has to be 100% pure juice. Otherwise, I won't drink it."
With that offhand remark, Haru casually waved to her, then walked back toward the front to resume work, leaving Miss Gotoh frozen in place, unable to respond.
A long pause followed.
Eventually, Hitori clutched her head and slammed it onto the counter, her eyes brimming with tears. Her frustration with herself had reached the boiling point.
It was just a simple confession, why… why couldn't she say it!?
"Ugh… My life is over. My future probably ended the moment I chickened out."
"I'll just keep working the same dull job every day, drink beer after work while lying on my bed, and every time I close my eyes I'll remember today's cowardice. Then I'll curl up on my pillow and cry in regret…"
"Right… once Haru-san marries Kita-chan and the others, will I have to give wedding money too? So many people are going to marry Haru… the dowry money my mom left me might all be gone. Oh, wait… not like I'm ever getting married anyway, so I guess the dowry's meaningless~"
Bocchi slumped over the bar counter, mumbling to herself as the light faded from her eyes.
Before she knew it, her petite body started melting like ice under a flame. In the blink of an eye, the pink-colored wild hammer snake had turned into a glossy, pastel-colored puddle, with only a yellow and blue plaid hair tie left in the center.
"Um, Hitori-chan?"
A sweet and familiar voice called out beside her. Bocchi looked up and found herself face-to-face with Kita Ikuyo in a maid uniform.
"I just talked to Haru a moment ago. Bocchi-chan, are you feeling a little under the weather?"
"N-no, not at all."
Gotoh Hitori shook her head, pale as a ghost, giving a completely unconvincing answer.
She had only been tired from anxiety and lack of sleep earlier, but now she genuinely felt awful. Her whole body was unwell. Just looking at Kita Ikuyo made her stomach churn, because seeing her instantly reminded Hitori of her own tragic, hopeless future.
If she wasn't careful, she might break down crying in front of her.
Tears from back then, still not dry today.
Kita Ikuyo didn't fully understand what was going on with Hitori, but one look at her face gave her a pretty good idea. She hesitated, then asked gently:
"...Hitori-chan, is this about Haru?"
Bocchi's head shot up.
"W-why would you think that?!"
"Huh? Well, it's super obvious. I mean, you like Haru too, don't you?"
Kita smiled sweetly, eyes squinting with sunshine, as she spoke in the most casual tone, yet hit the bullseye without hesitation.
Gotoh never expected that her tightly guarded secret would be exposed so suddenly.
Her brain crashed like an old CPU. She stood frozen under Kita's gaze, unable to respond, her bright blue eyes trembling violently.
Seeing her rooted in place, Kita frowned a little.
"Wait, was I wrong?"
Bocchi opened her mouth like she wanted to say "no."
But in the end, she gave up and, with tearful eyes, whispered:
"...Yes. Yes, I do."
Kita blinked, then gave a soft little smile that seemed to say, I thought so.
But before she could say anything more, the wild snake of Shimokitazawa suddenly dropped into a full dogeza on the ground, trembling, forehead pressed to the floor.
"I-I have a little sister and a puppy to take care of…"
"Please have mercy on me!"
Kita Ikuyo: ??
Kita blinked in confusion, stunned for several seconds before she suddenly reacted and asked, "Hitori-chan, what are you even doing!? I'm not going to do anything to you!"
"...But aren't you Haru's girlfriend? If you suddenly find out that someone like me, this pathetic little snake was trying to stand on the same level as you, wouldn't you be super, super mad?"
Hitori raised her head just slightly, her whole body still shaking. Cold sweat beaded on Kita's forehead as she stared down at her.
Is that really how Bocchi sees me?
"I wouldn't be mad at all! And actually… I'm kind of happy, in a way!"
Kita looked a little troubled as she crouched down and gently helped Hitori sit up.
"Anyway! Hitori-chan, just tell me exactly what happened. Everything, from the beginning."
…
A moment later.
"So that's what happened. Haru basically gave you that kind of opening… and you hesitated at the last second?"
Kita Ikuyo nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Bocchi with a helpless expression.
Haru's words weren't just a hint, they were practically a full-blown confession. He was waiting for Hitori to take the first step, and yet Bocchi hadn't even been able to take that single step forward.
Now trembling again, Gotoh sat stiffly on her chair, nervously wringing her hands together and avoiding eye contact.
"B-because I was scared that Haru didn't actually mean it… that maybe I was just imagining it. So I… I didn't dare to say anything…"
Kita Ikuyo and Gotoh Hitori had been friends for a long time. They knew each other's personalities and habits inside and out. From Kita's perspective, it was no surprise Bocchi had backed down. Even she herself had been a bundle of nerves, hesitating and struggling before her own confession.
But now her thoughts had changed. If you like someone, you should summon the courage to tell them, plain and simple.
With that belief in mind, Kita carefully chose her words, then clenched her fists and encouraged her, "Hitori-chan, honestly, I think… if you're just willing to tell Haru directly, he'll definitely give you a proper answer. There's no need to worry so much!"
"Eh? But I remember Ryo-senpai already confessed several times… and she's so pretty, but even she hasn't succeeded. I don't think I stand a chance."
"That's not something I can pretend I didn't hear."
A flat voice spoke up from behind them, and the deadpan face of Yamada Ryo appeared without warning. Bocchi nearly jumped out of her skin like a frightened rabbit.
The horror of talking behind someone's back only to have them hear it, Bocchi scrambled to apologize while hiding behind Kita. And Kita, who had secretly started dating Haru behind everyone's back, especially behind Ryo's, was now just as panicked. But there was nowhere for her to hide.
"Haru's just stubborn. If he'd cooperate even a little, I could get him to say 'I love you' a hundred times in one night."
"Because I'm beautiful, and cute."
Ryo pressed her left hand to her chest and muttered calmly.
Her narcissistic declarations, things most people wouldn't dare say, rolled off her tongue with ease, all in that same bland and unaffected tone. She spoke shocking things without a trace of embarrassment.
Then she turned her gaze to Kita Ikuyo. The look in her eyes, cool and unreadable, made Kita's skin crawl.
Up until now, she had never admitted her feelings for Haru to anyone. But now, without telling a single member of their band, she had secretly started dating him. To Ryo, that wasn't just sneaky, it was unforgivable.
Feeling the weight of her guilt, Kita tried to change the subject and forced out her usual sweet smile. "Um… Ryo-senpai? Where's Nijika-senpai?"
"Nijika went out to buy something. Right now, it's just the three of us."
This is bad.
The band's emotional anchor and leader, Ijichi Nijika, wasn't here and the only person who could keep Ryo in check [Haru] wasn't here either. That meant right now, Yamada Ryo was completely unstoppable.
Bocchi and Kita's combined strength was like Krillin's. Meanwhile, Ryo's was like Frieza's. Against the mighty Ryo-sama, they couldn't make a single splash.
Quick, summon Nijika!
Fortunately, Ryo only gave Kita a cold glance before looking away without much interest.
"So what were you talking about? Did Bocchi confess to Haru and get rejected?"
"N-no, that's not it…"
Hitori quickly shook her head and repeated the story for Ryo.
After hearing it, Ryo simply nodded and responded in her usual flat tone, "I thought maybe you confessed and got turned down. But if you haven't confessed yet, then it's not really a problem. Bocchi just needs to go confess. Simple as that."
"Right, right! That's what I thought too!" Kita clapped her hands together, nodding repeatedly.
Now that both of them were pushing her to confess, Hitori slowly came back to herself. She lifted her head with difficulty and muttered, "B-but I'm not even cute… If I just go and confess to Haru out of nowhere, he'll definitely turn me down."
Kita blinked, then glanced at Ryo. and saw that even the cool beauty was watching her.
She got it now. They were all thinking the same thing.
"Ahem… Actually, I think you're really pretty, Hitori. If you just sweep your bangs aside and show your face, and muster a little 'courage,' that's all you need!"
Kita reached out and brushed back the long bangs that always covered Hitori's face, revealing her flawless features. The gloomy, timid aura was shattered in an instant by the pure visual shock of her beauty. What remained was the delicate charm of a soft, vulnerable girl.
Hitori's looks were stunning, breathtaking even compared to a professional idol like Mikado Uka, she wasn't lacking at all.
Ryo was silent for two seconds, then commented flatly:
"Just seduce him."
"Bocchi has… a power we don't."
She glanced down at Kita's chest with unmistakable intent. That dismissive look made Kita's face freeze. She reached up and touched her own chest, then glanced at the gentle curve visible beneath Bocchi's loose tracksuit.
Tears welled up in Kita's eyes. Full of grief and defeat, she lowered her head, but knowing she still had to help, she forced herself to speak, voice trembling:
"…I-I think Ryo-senpai has a point."
Why had she compared them? That was just asking to be hurt!
"Courage, Hitori!"
"Bocchi, seduction."
One girl red, one girl blue, standing at either side of her, their words pounding in Bocchi's ears. Strangely, it gave her a burst of courage. She raised her head and clenched her little pink fists. Her bright blue eyes trembled with emotion.
She couldn't just wait around like in the dream, hoping Haru would confess to her first!
She had to take the first step!
"I… I'll invite Haru! I'll try!"
Before, it had always been her little sister Futari who invited Haru for her. That was the only way she ever got time alone with him. But her happiness was something she had to seize with her own hands!
No matter how useless she was as the older sister, she couldn't let even this be something her younger sister looked down on her for!
And in the dream, she had even beaten the beautiful Togawa Sakiko!
Resolving herself, Hitori stood and walked toward the door, just as Haru walked in after finishing his flyer shift. Without thinking, she looked straight at him and spoke in a steady voice:
"Haru-san, there's something I want to show you."
"After work, would you… come to my house?"
Haru blinked, a bit surprised, then gave a calm answer.
"Sure, no problem."
The speed of that agreement stunned Kita Ikuyo, who had been watching from a distance. Every time she wanted to invite Haru out, she had agonized over it. Even now that they were dating, she barely had the courage to ask him to her house.
And yet Bocchi's invitation was accepted instantly?!
"Uwah, Ryo-senpai, did you see that…"
Kita turned to look at Ryo, only to find the cold beauty's face stiffened, her brows furrowed as she stared gloomily at Haru.
At that, Kita wisely shut her mouth.
Neither of them, it seemed, could beat Bocchi.