[Friday in Shinjuku. Night.]
This sleepless city gathered countless rock lovers.
Inside a live hall called FOLT.
The waiting room.
"Kitahara-kun, I'm really sorry to trouble you. I didn't expect Hiroi to hand something like this over to you."
Iwashita Shima bowed slightly.
Toru had been asked by their vocalist to go on stage and play bass for the band…
Although she knew that Toru was close to Hiroi Kikuri, this kind of troublesome request could easily hurt relationships.
"It's fine. Shima nee-san, you do not need to be so formal. I have helped Shimizu nee-san go on stage a few times before, so I am very familiar with the band's style… I am already used to it."
Toru waved his hand and continued lowering his head to adjust the bass in his hands.
He needed to play in his best condition. That was his responsibility to the audience.
In SICK HACK's arrangements, the presence of the bassist was extremely strong. On top of that, Hiroi Kikuri's stage style was not that easy to imitate…
However, Toru had no intention of copying her move for move. He had a stage style that belonged to him alone.
"Are you really okay?"
Ohtsuki Yoyoko rested a hand on Toru's shoulder, speaking carefully, word by word.
She did not understand why Hiroi Kikuri dared to let Toru go on stage. If the performance went badly, the reputation SICK HACK had built up over so long might plummet overnight.
Temporarily replacing both the vocalist and the bassist…
Was Hiroi nee-san not being way too bold?
Because she had never heard Toru play bass seriously, Yoyoko felt uneasy.
She had heard him play guitar before.
But guitar and bass were very different…
"Just trust me. You might not believe it, but in my previous life, my friends called me the God of Bass."
"Pfft… God of Bass? So you were that chuuni type? Hahaha~"
Ohtsuki Yoyoko bent forward, clutching her stomach as she giggled nonstop.
…
Half an hour later.
Ohtsuki Yoyoko stood below the stage, unable to laugh anymore.
This was bad.
This guy actually had real skill.
Playing the fool while hiding his strength. She really had not seen that coming.
At the same time.
The live house welcomed two new guests.
"Why did we come here?"
The black haired girl wore a luxurious kimono, completely out of place with the atmosphere inside the venue.
"To listen to some rock music and relax…"
"Then you should be listening to gentle sleep inducing music, not rock."
Renka's reply was rather blunt. "You just want to see your lover, right?"
She had checked beforehand. This place was one of the rare habitats of a mythical creature—
Kitahara A Dream.
Kagarino Kirie said no with her mouth, but her body was unexpectedly honest…
"Do not worry about that…"
"The performance is starting, Renka. Let's go in."
They pushed open the door.
The moment they stepped inside, the two of them felt as if they had entered a strange new world—
A dim stage, bizarre neon lights flickering all around, a dreamy and surreal atmosphere. The customers were shaking their heads and bodies like they were on drugs…
Kirie stood frozen in place.
"Renka, did we come to the wrong place?"
"Probably…?"
After exchanging a glance.
The two beautiful girls moved toward a corner—
There were as many customers today as there was trash. They did not want to squeeze in, and they also disliked being touched by unfamiliar men.
However, unexpectedly, there were more female customers this time, and the atmosphere was no different from an underground idol concert—
"AAAAAaaaa!!!! Lord Kitahara!! So handsome!!"
Strange screams similar to Bocchi chan rang out nonstop.
"Kitahara darling, step on me, step on me, step on me!! Step on my face hard!!"
There were quite a few who had completely lost it.
"Ahhhhh!! Kitahara darling, hurry up and smash me with your bass!!"
Masochists were everywhere.
Ah.
She had almost forgotten. Toru was a huge star with a massive number of fanatical female fans.
No wonder tickets for this show were so hard to get.
…
After listening for more than ten minutes.
In the corner.
Kagarino Kirie trembled violently and said in an almost wailing voice, "Ren-Renka, let's go, let's leave."
This place was terrifying.
If these fans found out that in the simulation world, she had drained their idol hundreds of times, she would definitely be beaten to death.
"No. I want to keep listening."
In Renka's amber colored eyes, a hint of interest appeared.
She had a feeling.
Something big was coming.
"You… huh?"
Very quickly, Kagarino Kirie also sensed something strange in the atmosphere.
The frenzied rhythm slowed down.
The drums stopped.
The guitarist put down the pick.
The fans who had been cheering in front stopped calling out.
The venue gradually fell silent.
In an instant, the massive hall was left with only the monotonous sound of the bass being played…
An ethereal singing voice twisted and flowed.
Desolation, pain, sorrow. Kirie heard an indescribable grief within it.
This was not even late night Cloud Music depression hour yet. Was this not a bit too early to be this gloomy?
What was even more frightening was—
The atmosphere around them gradually grew oppressive.
Everyone's hearts felt as if they were being gripped by a giant hand, their heartbeats moving in sync with the rhythm of that terrifying man at the front of the stage.
The sound of waves slowly surfaced in their ears.
A handsome sea siren lay upon the reef, using his song to lure her.
Her consciousness slipped into another world.
Rainy weather.
A girl who had lost hope in life and longed for death came to the seaside.
Despite knowing the danger, she slowly moved toward the waves. One step, two steps. Seawater passed her ankles, her knees, her thighs. The cold pierced to the bone. Her lower body submerged and went numb. Then her waist. Seawater flooded into her mouth, pouring in endlessly until her entire body was submerged.
Unable to breathe, her body slowly sank beneath the surface. The sea grew farther and farther away, and the surrounding light was devoured by darkness.
It was as if she had personally experienced jumping into the sea to commit suicide.
"Huff, huff…"
The sounds of heavy breathing around the stage grew more frantic. Many people clutched their chests, gasping for air, yet still unable to take in enough oxygen.
Painful, heavy, their vision becoming blurred.
Life hovered on the edge of death…
So comfortable.
But so painful.
Under the overlap of pleasure and pain, the customers could not help but let out low moans.
A few minutes later.
Just as everyone was about to pass out from how good it felt, the sound of the bass stopped abruptly…
Yes, it stopped just like that.
After a brief silence.
Many female customers had dazed eyes and an unusual flush on their faces as they stared blankly at Toru.
Why stop at a time like this?
…We want more.
It is not enough. Use more force, go deeper, deeper into the mind.
It is far from enough. You still have not filled us, our emptiness inside.
Stopping here…
That is too cruel~
The customers squeezed their thighs together. Many of them squatted down on the floor, savoring the lingering sensation.
On stage, Toru took it all in and felt thoroughly satisfied.
"That concludes the bass solo 'Under the Sea.' Thank you all for listening."
Toru grinned mischievously, in an excellent mood.
The edge stopping challenge was a great success!
He kept smiling…
Until, through the sea of people, he saw a familiar figure.
Toru could no longer smile.
…
Damn it.
While doing an edge stopping challenge at a live house, he accidentally ran into his white haired loli ex girlfriend.
What should he do?
Waiting for answers online, kind of urgent.