After the two groups left separately, Asakura also quickly ran from the teaching building to the auditorium.
"How are things?"
He even made a phone call on the way.
[A mess]
Amakusa Shino's somewhat weary voice came through the receiver.
"I can tell."
[If you're here to mock me, then you can laugh now.]
"Hahaha."
[You actually laughed, hey!]
"No more jokes, I need you to grant me access to the broadcast room… specifically, let me use the campus broadcast network."
[What do you want to do?]
"Amakusa Shino, what do you think is best at calming people's hearts?"
[Dirty jokes.]
Amakusa Shino answered without hesitation.
Asakura choked.
"That's only for you; it's an individual difference, don't apply it to all of humanity!"
[Reproduction isn't a natural instinct for humans… no, for all living beings! So dirty jokes are in line with the laws of nature, they are the ultimate truth!]
"The only difference between humans and beasts is the ability to control their instinctive desires."
[Isn't it making and using tools?]
"Recently, there seems to be research saying that some gorillas also make tools. As for using tools, let alone primates, even octopuses and dolphins can do it."
[I want to eat takoyaki.]
"I'll treat you after the school festival is over. Before that, get what I need ready."
[I already informed her right after you said that. You can contact her directly.]
"Thanks."
[So what can calm people's hearts? Could it be Se…]
"Music—" Asakura quickly interrupted the Student Council President whose mind was full of perverted thoughts, lest her astonishing wisdom utter something strange: "It's music!"
[…Oh, I see.]
He felt the other side's mood suddenly drop.
"Alright then, I'm hanging up."
Asakura was also somewhat helpless about the Student Council President's obvious fetish.
[Asakura.]
"What is it?"
[Although I don't know what you plan to do, I'm counting on you. Arigato.]
"Mm."
Asakura's lips curled slightly, adopting a confident tone: "Leave it to me."
Speaking of which, he suddenly remembered that Gotō Hitori seemed to have said something similar just now and couldn't help but smile.
Upon arriving at the practice room backstage of the auditorium, he found various musical instruments, mostly purchased by the school or public property left by previous seniors, usually provided for students who didn't bring their own instruments to perform on stage.
Asakura lightly snapped his fingers, and a seemingly expensive drum kit, a guitar, and a bass disintegrated into numerous small snakes. They quickly and orderly drilled into the ventilation ducts nearby, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
After doing all this, Asakura left the auditorium backstage and began to run towards the teaching building's rooftop, contacting the Student Council member stationed in the broadcast room according to the contact information provided by Amakusa Shino.
When he arrived at the rooftop, he saw the four people on the roof.
"The rooftop door is locked!"
Chihaya Anon said to Asakura, frustrated: "I don't know which teacher to ask for the key…"
"In an emergency, you do what's necessary."
Asakura glanced through the window, confirming that the small snakes had arrived on the rooftop through various interconnected pipes and reassembled into their respective instruments, then he reached out and swiped at the doorknob.
The poker card, enchanted with the magic of [Scale] and hidden in his palm, easily cut through the lock.
And so, the door, which had been tightly locked, suddenly opened.
"So cool! A Phantom Thief?!"
Ijichi Nijika said in surprise.
"This is just basic competence for a Soubu High School student."
Asakura said as he discreetly put away the poker card.
"No, there's no such thing."
Chihaya Anon, also a Soubu High School student, retorted with an embarrassed expression.
"Asakura-kun, let's form a Phantom Thief group for life!"
Yamada Ryo grabbed Asakura's hand and declared loudly.
Then Asakura gave her a flick on the forehead.
Gotō Hitori looked at the interactions between the others and Asakura with a hint of envy.
If only I could communicate with Asakura as normally as them... We're even boyfriend and girlfriend...
"Hitori."
Suddenly, Asakura's voice sounded in the girl's ear.
Gotō Hitori hastily looked up, meeting Asakura's concerned gaze: "Are you alright?"
"I'm, I'm fine!"
She shook her head vigorously, looking anything but fine.
"That's good. I'll be counting on you next."
"Huh? Me?"
Gotō Hitori subconsciously responded first, then had a sense of déjà vu, as if this scene had already happened.
Asakura didn't explain further, but led the group out the door and onto the rooftop.
"So this is the rooftop of the prestigious Soubu High School?"
Yamada Ryo commented profoundly, "Not bad."
"Why are you commenting like you're some expert..."
Ijichi Nijika complained helplessly.
"Why are there guitars and drum kits on the rooftop?"
Chihaya Anon said, somewhat startled, looking at the instruments that had inexplicably appeared in the corner.
"And a bass."
Yamada Ryo said with a profound expression.
"Ah, sorry..."
Chihaya Anon apologized, a little embarrassed.
"Judging by their preserved condition, it seems they haven't been left on the rooftop all this time."
Ijichi Nijika said after stepping forward to check the instruments' condition.
After all, if they had been left on the rooftop all this time, exposed to wind and rain, let alone being in such good condition now, it would be remarkable if they could even produce sound normally.
"Kessoku Band has a new song, right?"
Asakura asked.
"Mhm."
Ijichi Nijika nodded.
They planned to perform that at their next Live.
"Would you mind premiering it here first?"
Asakura said, "Of course, it's the version with lyrics."
"Kessoku Band doesn't have a lead vocalist, do they? Should I fill in?"
Chihaya Anon was eager to try.
"No, only Hitori can do it."
Asakura shook his head.
"Huh?"
Chihaya Anon, who had spent some time with the members of Kessoku Band, had already somewhat grasped Gotō Hitori's level of social anxiety, and couldn't help but be surprised by Asakura's judgment: "Wait a minute, Asakura, you and Gotō, she and the others..."
"Your reaction time is too slow, we've known each other for a long time."
Asakura nodded.
Just as Chihaya Anon was about to ask something else, someone else appeared at the rooftop entrance.
"Wow, they really did open the rooftop door lock..."
The blonde girl who had been in the broadcast room earlier laboriously carried the temporary broadcasting equipment to the rooftop: "Can I put this here?"
"Sorry, we'll be using it right away. Could I trouble you to operate it?"
Asakura asked her.
"The President said to assist you with everything..." the girl from the broadcast room mumbled, "Alright, I'll do my best."
"Then, let's get ready to start..." Asakura nodded, revealing a confident smile: "Kessoku Band's impromptu Live."