After settling the bill together, the two of them caught a movie and had dinner before heading out into the evening streets — Yukinoshita Shizuku and Tsushima Kagami, walking side by side.
"Are you going back to your part-time job once school starts tomorrow?" Kagami asked, remembering that Shizuku had a shift job.
Shizuku tilted her face up toward him with a smile, fingers laced through his.
"Why — are you hoping I'll skip work and spend more time with you?"
"That's not it," Kagami said.
"Besides, I wait for you to finish your shift when you do work. Doesn't that count as time together?"
Shizuku gave a small nod.
"I suppose it does."
"Then why ask?"
Kagami glanced at her, then said, a little hesitantly:
"It's just — we have money now. There's no need to push yourself as hard as you did last semester."
"...Are you telling me to quit my part-time job?" Shizuku blinked at him. "How wonderfully old-fashioned of you."
She laughed and poked his cheek.
"Are you going to want a full-time housewife next?"
"That's not what I meant." Kagami gently moved her hand away.
"I just thought — maybe you could cut back on your hours a little, Shizuku. Earn just enough for your own spending money."
"You should leave yourself some time to actually enjoy being in school."
As the words left his mouth, he felt the pull on his hand go still. He turned around.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Shizuku said, shaking her head. She stepped around to face him with a smile.
"I just didn't think Kagami would ever think about things like that. For my sake."
"Isn't it completely normal for siblings to look out for each other?" Kagami smiled back.
Shizuku nodded, still smiling — but then her expression softened into something quieter.
"It's just... when you put it that way, I don't really know what I'd do with the extra time."
"I've gotten so used to going straight from school to the afternoon shift and then the evening shift."
"Don't laugh, but — I've never really had friends. Not at school, anyway."
"Nayotake is actually the only close friend I made, and that was through work."
"So if you suddenly tell me to cut back my hours... I genuinely don't know what I'd fill the time with. Study?"
She looked at him with a mildly lost expression.
Kagami was quiet for a moment. Now that he thought about it, he really had never seen Shizuku close to anyone at school. Outside of class, her life was work — and him. Asking her to upend a routine she had only just settled into, on a whim, was presumptuous of him.
He looked at her — seriously, this time.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think it through."
"Forget I said anything. Just live however feels right to you."
"Hey — don't go all grave and solemn on me all of a sudden."
Shizuku laughed at his suddenly earnest face, and reached up to nudge the corners of his mouth upward with her fingers.
"Your suggestion was good, actually. I'll think about cutting back a little."
"I really am tired, if I'm honest."
"But since you're the one who brought it up — you have to take responsibility and help me figure out what to do with all the free time."
Shizuku took his hand again, smiling up at him.
"So you'll take responsibility, won't you."
"I'll do my best," Kagami said with a laugh.
"...?"
"Wait — isn't that Kagami-senpai? And Shizuku-senpai?"
Both of them turned at the sound of the voice.
Not far away, a familiar silhouette was waving in their direction.
As they drew closer, Kagami peered at the girl in front of him and asked, uncertain:
"...Kikuri-kouhai?"
It was Hiroi Kikuri — who normally wore her hair in twin braids — but tonight she had it done in a single side braid draped over one shoulder. She was in a cherry-blossom pink evening gown and heels, and the expression on her face was equal parts relief and barely-contained panic.
"Oh thank goodness."
"What's with the outfit tonight?" Shizuku asked.
"Ah — it's a piano competition!"
Kikuri pointed behind her at the concert hall of the Shinjuku Cultural Center. Kagami and Shizuku both blinked in understanding.
"Kikuri-kouhai really is full of surprises," Shizuku remarked with genuine admiration. "She plays bass, and now she's entering competitions at this level on piano."
"Do your best and take first place," Kagami added quickly, offering his encouragement. "Don't let the nerves get to you."
"Ahaha, I'm nowhere near that good—"
"No wait, that's not what I needed to talk about!"
Kikuri snapped herself back on track, her expression turning urgent.
"Is there something you need our help with?"
She answered quickly:
"There's a show tonight in Shimokitazawa — Seika and the others are performing. I was supposed to make it in time, so I didn't tell Seika I had the piano competition today. But then the competition schedule got pushed back last minute."
"I'm trying to figure out how to get word to them, but I don't have any money on me, and I don't have the venue's contact number."
"Please — could you two go tell them for me? It'll have to be cancelled on short notice."
Kikuri looked like she was on the verge of tears, already convinced she was about to cause a massive scene. She pressed her palms together and bowed over and over in frantic apology.
"Alright, alright. Go focus on your competition."
"We'll head to the Livehouse right now and let Ijichi and the others know."
"Thank you so much!"
As it turned out, the Livehouse in question was the very same one Komoe-sensei had taken them to that first time. After saying their goodbyes to Hiroi Kikuri, the two of them boarded the subway and made their way to Shimokitazawa.
Inside the Livehouse, Ijichi Seika was pacing, her eyes fixed on PA-san as she walked back over.
"Well? Is Kikuri here yet?"
PA-san gave an apologetic smile and shook her head.
"Honestly — what is she doing?" Seika muttered. "Not even a single word. No idea if something happened on the way. I'm seriously worried!"
At that moment, PA-san's eyes lit up. She pointed toward the entrance to the main hall.
Seika assumed it was Kikuri — but when she looked, it was Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku walking in.
Once they spotted her and made their way over, Seika asked:
"What brings you two here?"
Kagami quickly explained the whole story — running into Hiroi Kikuri outside.
Seika listened. The tension in her shoulders eased, and she let out a slow breath.
"Honestly... a piano competition and she doesn't even mention it."
"Well — as long as she's fine, that's what matters."
She glanced toward the stage, where the current band was wrapping up their set, and was already moving to find the venue manager to apologize and cancel — when Kagami spoke up.
"I heard from Kikuri that her bass is stored here?"
Seika paused, then nodded.
"It's in the staff break room."
"Take me there."
In the staff break room, Tsushima Kagami had already strapped Hiroi Kikuri's bass guitar over his shoulder.
He looked at Ijichi Seika and PA-san.
"Do you have the full score?"
"I'll get it."
PA-san hurried off. Seika turned to Kagami, studying him.
"Are you planning to go on stage?"
"What else?"
"Kikuri-kouhai told me this show matters. So."
Kagami smiled.
"That's true, but..." Seika hesitated. "Can you even play bass?"
"Even if you can — going up there and sight-reading a piece you've never rehearsed with the band... that's not really possible, is it?"
Before Seika could finish the thought, a staff member appeared in the doorway to tell them their band was next — time to get ready.
PA-san returned at the same moment, full score in hand.
"Here, senpai."
"Thanks."
Kagami took the score and gave it a quick scan.
Then — quietly, without a word — he opened his system panel, navigated to his personal abilities list, found [Bass Performance] and [Sight-Reading], and allocated points to both.
He looked back at Seika and PA-san.
"I can manage."
"Who's taking lead vocals?"
"I will."
Kagami looked at Ijichi Seika and nodded.
"Then let's go."
____
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