"Although it's not the first time I've been here, Asakura-kun's home is still really empty."
Hiroi Kikuri walked into the house following Asakura while holding a pile of cardboard boxes: "Don't you have any furniture?"
"That..." Asakura said expressionlessly, "is no longer needed."
"Uwah, what a scary expression..."
Hiroi Kikuri made a 'frightened' face, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that there were actually many traces left behind in this home after furniture had been moved away.
In other words, this place wasn't this empty and unlike a residence from the start, but rather there was furniture before, which was moved away due to certain accidents?
The rock musician, who could barely still be called a young girl, pondered in her heart.
"Well, it's a good house nonetheless, it feels refreshing."
"Where exactly do you see that?" Asakura sighed. He had lived here for nearly two and a half years, and before meeting Gokou Ruri, to be honest, he didn't have many good memories. It would be more accurate to say that all the hardships of his life had been endured right here.
"Of course it's by comparison! Comparison creates beauty!" Hiroi Kikuri said without hesitation: "Compared to the house I rent, this place can already be considered a luxury mansion!"
"I'm starting to get a little curious about what kind of place you lived in before..."
"Building age 52 years, no bathroom, and legend has it there are ghosts..." The tipsy rock musician said as she squeezed out a few tears from the corners of her eyes, trying to arouse Asakura's sympathy.
"I remember your band is quite famous, and you seem to have a lot of live performances. Why are you short on money to this extent?"
Although he hadn't actively followed Hiroi Kikuri's band, he did know her after all, so Asakura would occasionally pay a bit of attention to her band's live schedule when he went to STARRY.
Though it wasn't a major debut and was still within the scope of an independent band, her band-which seemed to be called SICK HACK-had indeed moved beyond the bottom tier. They already had a considerable number of fans, their popularity was quite good, they had many live performances, and the tickets for every show sold well.
Asakura even felt that if Gotoh Hitori didn't use the [Song] to cheat, based purely on Kessoku Band's current true level, SICK HACK's level would be their future goal even after turning professional.
In short, the band Hiroi Kikuri was in should be the type that couldn't make a fortune all at once, but definitely wasn't short on small change. Among the bands performing at live houses, they could be considered upper-middle tier.
"Why indeed... actually, I'm also looking for the reason..."
As Hiroi Kikuri spoke, she picked up another carton of sake, skillfully inserted the straw, and began to drink.
That's the reason right there. Asakura looked at the boxed sake in her hand and thought to himself.
"I'm going to go wash up and sleep. You still remember where you slept before, right?" He didn't bother wasting words with her and said directly: "It's the guest bedroom over there."
"There's no bed there, only a futon, and the floor isn't even tatami, it's just ordinary wooden boards. It's rock-hard to sleep on..." Hiroi Kikuri sucked on her straw and said with a bitter face.
"Stop being noisy, you're either sleeping or you're not." Asakura crossed his arms and looked at her sideways.
"Actually, it's fine for us to share a bed, Asakura-san, I don't mind~" Hiroi Kikuri very naturally put her arm around Asakura's neck and said: "Let you properly experience a big sister's charm~"
"Forget it, even my teacher fits the word 'big sister' better than you." Asakura pulled her hand off his neck with disgust: "At least Hiratsuka-sensei smells good."
"I smell good too!" Hiroi Kikuri waved her fist indignantly in protest.
"You're talking nonsense with your eyes wide open..." Asakura mercilessly revealed the truth: "Even if I ignore the smell of alcohol on you, just that smell like a stray dog alone makes it impossible to call it fragrant."
"St-Stray dog?!" Hiroi Kikuri was heavily struck. She stretched out her arm, leaned in, and sniffed hard, but couldn't smell what Asakura described.
"When was the last time you took a bath?" Asakura asked.
"Be... no, it was yesterday..."
Asakura looked at her coldly with a look of utter disdain.
"Ugh, I can't help it, the place I rent doesn't have a bathroom at all!" Hiroi Kikuri said pitifully.
"Then how did you solve the bathing problem? A sento?"
"My funds aren't that abundant, so of course I go to other band members' houses to wash!" She counted on her fingers: "The day before yesterday was Shima-sama's house, the day before that was Eliza's house, yesterday I originally wanted to go to Seika-senpai's house but was kicked out, today is you..."
"The Dandelion Girl?"
"Eh?"
"No, it's nothing." Asakura shook his head: "It's my fault. No matter how the world turns, it's impossible for you to be a literary girl."
"Although I'm not very clear on it, I feel like you're saying something bad about me?"
"Alright, go take your bath!" Asakura said irritably.
"Having said that, I don't have a change of clothes..." Hiroi Kikuri scratched her head in thought for a moment, then revealed a sly smile: "Aha, I know, a boyfriend's shirt-"
"I have maid outfits at home." Asakura cut off her joke directly: "You can wear those."
"Why would a house that doesn't even have normal furniture have maid outfits? It's too strange even in terms of the order of daily necessities, right?"
Because she was too shocked, Hiroi Kikuri's expression looked as if even her drunkenness had slightly cleared: "Is a maid outfit that important of a thing to you, Asakura-san?"
"It's a staff uniform I had custom-made for the store employees." Asakura said: "Do I have to tell you about the fact that I own a dessert shop too?"
Hiroi Kikuri's eyes immediately lit up, and she rubbed her hands together like a fly: "Really?"
"Whether it's true or false..." Asakura narrowed his eyes, "I won't lend you any money."
"Ugh..."
Hiroi Kikuri walked toward the bathroom dejectedly, then she seemed to remember something and asked: "Wait a minute, does that mean Ms. Kawaragi...?"
"That's right, she is working in my shop." Asakura sized her up: "If you want to earn some pocket money, I'm not entirely against arranging a part-time job for you at the shop."
"No, no, forget it."
Clearly super broke, Hiroi Kikuri nonetheless shook her head desperately: "I feel like if I work, I lose!"
"What exactly are you competing with?"
"Mainly, my pride as a rock musician doesn't allow me to earn money by working honestly!"
"In short, apologize to the rock musicians of the whole world first!"
Note: "The Dandelion Girl" is a short sci-fi story written by American author Robert F. Young. Here, Asakura thought of the famous line from the book: "The day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday I saw a deer, and today you." That's right, it's the same line Kotomi Ichinose said to Tomoya in Clannad.