After Aoki, one band went up. But his set had stolen the air; the crowd was subdued.
After they finished, STARRY saw people out and closed.
They didn't stay to practice. The girls headed home.
Still, before leaving, Bocchi, Ryō, and Kita didn't treat Nijika like a culprit—the heavy mood after the live had just been "we don't know how to comfort her."
With the air lighter, they left early.
Aoki packed his guitar, told the manager and Nijika he was heading out, and stepped into the night.
Outside, the last drizzles had stopped.
Clouds piled in the dark sky, only faint moonlight behind them.
He folded the umbrella he'd used twice today and ambled toward the station.
Maybe because of the rain, the streets were quiet, even early.
He slowed down on purpose, enjoying rain-washed Tokyo, and—
After a bit, passing that vending machine for the umpteenth time, he heard a familiar voice call from behind:
"Aoki-senpai—!"
Not loud, but in quiet Shimokitazawa it carried. He recognized it.
He stopped and turned. Nijika jogged over, splashing through puddles.
"What's up?" Aoki asked.
After his song, not much had been said between them. Only a quick goodbye when he left.
So he was a little puzzled.
Nijika reached him, drew a breath, waited a beat, and said,
"It just felt like… I should say something."
She added, "About this afternoon… thank you."
"It was just a song…" he began, but she cut him off.
"Our first live—the first real stage. Because of me, it fell apart. On stage and off, I really, really wanted to cry."
She looked up at him.
"I even had a moment where I wanted to quit—everyone's dreams are tied to the band, and our effort was inching us closer. Right when our first blossom was about to open—because of me…"
She broke off.
She stepped back half a pace, looked at the vending machine, fished out her wallet, and asked,
"Aoki-senpai, is orange soda okay?"
"Mm." He nodded.
"Okay—pineapple sounds good too… no, orange. Orange juice, or orange soda…"
She fed bills into the machine, muttering softly, and bought two.
She handed him one, popped the tab on hers.
She waited a little, then—skipping the earlier topic—asked,
"Aoki-senpai, 'So I Gave Up on Music' was great. Will you upload it to Yutube?"
"I will. Probably tomorrow or the day after," he said.
"Oh…" Nijika nodded.
Then she fell quiet. He wasn't sure what to say either. The night air flowed between them.
After a few seconds, mindful she still had a fever and the night breeze was cool, he asked,
"Ijichi—do you want to say anything else?"
She pressed the cold can to her cheek and thought.
"It feels like I want to say everything, but also like I can't say anything."
She looked at the street under the streetlight.
"Whether it's about the band, music, saying thank you, or about everyone's dream…"
She sniffed lightly, gaze on the empty street.
"If I talk now, I'll cry."
"Mm…"
She turned back. "Aoki-senpai, next time I'll give it everything, and I won't mess up again. All the way to the contest in two months…"
She drew a breath, then continued, "And then, in that contest, I'll give it everything and get a result."
Aoki paused.
Then, for once, he spoke at length:
"Whether PVC's project yields a result doesn't matter. I said this before—whether we fail or succeed, the most important thing is enjoying time together. And—everyone in Kessoku Band is someone you can lean on. You don't need to carry the load alone."
But Nijika shook her head.
"That's not it." The cold can on her cheek, she looked at him.
She didn't know his life story—only a little.
But she knew—
Facing the senpai who told her to enjoy music; who told her not to shoulder pressure alone; who sang that raw defiance when she was most lost— even if it made her cry, there were words she had to say.
She inhaled and flashed that full-of-life smile.
Looking at him, she declared:
"It's not about responsibility. It's just what I want."
"Even if you call me stubborn—"
The vending machine's colored lights lit her face; her eyes shone.
In a clear, serious voice, Ijichi Nijika said:
"I want to shoulder your dream and play in the band with everyone."
Aoki stared for a heartbeat.
He opened his mouth to respond—but a familiar electronic chime hit his ears first:
[You have obtained the heroine "Ijichi Nijika"'s first CG: "The Drummer Girl and the Dream She Wants to Bear."]
Shoulder my dream… with everyone…
Aoki fell silent.
-------
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