"You… can't tell me what it's about?"
The store remained awkwardly silent for a moment before Nijika finally spoke up, her voice tinged with confusion and uncertainty as she looked at Yamada Ryo.
Usually, Ryo had that aloof, unbothered vibe.
Even when something unexpected happened, like the band being on the verge of a live show crisis, she always managed to keep her cool.
But now…
Seeing her raise her voice slightly, shake her head at Aoki Kei, and even call him "Kei"… Nijika grew even more curious about that mysterious video they had mentioned.
On the other hand…
This kind of situation would be an absolute nightmare to explain, so Aoki Kei clearly wasn't planning on stepping in to help Ryo out.
He simply took a step back, still holding his guitar, giving her space to answer.
And Ryo…
She suddenly realized what she'd just blurted out might have sounded… off.
Faced with Nijika's questioning gaze, she hesitated—clearly unsure of how to explain.
Might as well bluff her way through it.
With that thought, she paused, then tried to play it cool.
"Ah… it's not that I can't say it… it's just nothing, really. Just an ordinary video. Nothing worth mentioning."
Her tone worked hard to return to its usual flat calm, like nothing had happened.
But Nijika wasn't buying it for a second.
She had seen Ryo's earlier reaction—no way she'd believe it was just a "normal" video.
Not after hearing those cryptic comments from the two of them.
Something about Ryo and Aoki-senpai… and a video?
Nijika took a quiet breath and blinked slowly.
Ever since that day she told Aoki, "You can just call me Nijika," she'd come to understand a lot more than she let on.
She might not be the most perceptive person in the world, but she definitely wasn't clueless about relationships.
She remembered when Kita suddenly started calling him "Kei-senpai."
She remembered the little glances Kita often stole when no one was watching.
She remembered how Ryo sometimes leaned on Aoki Kei in ways that seemed instinctive, unconscious.
And she remembered that day in the radio booth, when Ryo declared—almost like claiming territory—that she'd come up with his nickname first.
Nijika had noticed all of that.
But no one ever said anything aloud.
Could you even say something like that aloud?
Back when her sister had asked her if she had a crush, Nijika had asked herself the same thing—
Did she like Aoki Kei?
Yes, she did. There was no denying it.
But how much? What kind of "like" was it?
That part was still a bit of a blur.
But what about Kita and Ryo?
It had always seemed like Ryo and Aoki Kei had a connection—closer than anything Nijika had with him. And now, it seemed like Kita had gotten closer too.
Kessoku Band had come this far, and Aoki was deeply intertwined in their journey.
So what was she supposed to do, if she really did like him?
Could she just pretend she didn't?
If she brought those feelings into the open, what would happen to Kessoku Band?
To Aoki? She didn't know.
But even if she wanted to treat him like just a friend, to cut those feelings off—
To be honest, Nijika couldn't do it.
She'd sacrifice a lot for the band.
She could take on pressure and push herself for her dream. But at the end of the day.
People are selfish.
So if she was going to be a little selfish too...
Even if they weren't saying things outright…
After Ryo spoke, Nijika paused, then shifted her gaze toward Aoki Kei.
The meaning was clear, if Ryo wouldn't give her a real answer, then maybe he would.
Aoki Kei, who had been watching Ryo stumble through the situation, noticed Nijika's gaze land on him.
And so did Ryo, who quickly looked at him too, her eyes practically begging him not to say anything.
Aoki blinked, glancing to his right where Nijika stood, then to his left, where Ryo looked silently at him.
"..."
A moment of quiet.
One second, he'd been a bystander enjoying the show and the next, suddenly, he was the center of it.
How did it escalate like this?
Nijika seemed ready to speak again, hesitating a bit.
"Um, Aoki-senpai…"
But before she could finish, Aoki Kei cut in decisively, shutting down the conversation.
If he let her ask that question, he'd be facing something far messier than what Ryo just went through, he'd be the guy stuck in the middle of a love triangle in full crisis mode.
He was not about to let that happen.
"Anyway, you all go ahead and talk," he said quickly. "I'm going to get some practice in. Haven't played guitar in a while, feels like my fingers are out of shape."
He turned and briskly walked toward the rehearsal room, expertly dodging the incoming drama.
Nijika turned back toward Ryo, hesitated again, then set down her mop and rushed over, footsteps quick and determined.
"Ryo, really what's in that video?"
"I told you, it's just a normal video…"
Ryo glanced at Aoki Kei's retreating back, silently pleading for backup.
But sadly, he was already out of sight…
Later, in the rehearsal room, Aoki Kei practiced guitar for a while by himself, trying to clear his mind.
Eventually, his thoughts drifted to something else, his interest in joining the KL Animation Short Project.
He'd been looking into the rules more seriously lately.
Unlike the PVC original rock project from before, this one wasn't a typical submission contest.
For starters, it was open to all musicians.
But more importantly, there was a theme they had to compose around.
And due to the overwhelming number of applicants and to ensure the process was completely fair and transparent the KL project was using live audition scoring.
Every week, a group of twenty musicians would perform live, and a panel consisting of directors, music professionals, and KL staff would score them in real time.
The results would be determined based on those evaluations.
The benefit? It virtually eliminated any chance of favoritism or backdoor deals.
The downside? For Aoki Kei, it meant he'd have to physically show up and play live to participate—what a pain.
But if he wanted to get his name out there… that kind of hassle was probably unavoidable.
With those thoughts swirling in his head, he waited in the room until after the store had opened and customers had started coming in.
Eventually, he set down his guitar and came out to help around the store.
Since Kessoku Band had a solid fan base, the moment fans noticed Aoki Kei helping out, a crowd formed immediately—people asking for autographs, photos, the usual.
He dealt with it all the best he could.
————————————————————————
Then, around 8:30 p.m., once the last wave of customers had left and the place had been tidied up, Aoki Kei said goodbye to the others and headed out.
He stepped outside, climbed the stairs.
As he passed the vending machine he'd walked by a hundred times, a cool autumn breeze blew through.
Shivering a little, he pulled on the jacket he'd been carrying.
But just as he finished slipping it on, a voice called out behind him.
"Suki-san."
It was Ryo.