"Thump!"
The final drumbeat fell. Facing the dim underground Livehouse, the band—composed of a burly man, a gal, a silent type, a weakling, and a "gap" glasses girl—stood up and bowed.
It proved that a band cobbled together, even if individual skill levels were top-tier, still lacked the "band sense" and chemistry of a true group when performing.
But for Busujima Kyoko, it was enough that the audience was still enthusiastic! Regardless, one Live performance gave her "Bocchi" school life a bit more meaning.
...
"Bastard... what 'terrible bass,' it was clearly because... it hurts!!!"
In the dressing room, Busujima Sakurako gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath. She tossed the bass aside and went to sit on the sofa.
However, the moment her backside touched the cushion, a needle-like pain made her bad mood—already soured by the audience's comments—even worse!
She glared fiercely at the culprit, Miyazawa Yuu. If this bastard hadn't tricked her into the Pab cult a few days ago and then immediately turned around to launch a shameless sneak attack, she wouldn't be in this state!
To be honest, the red marks on her backside still hadn't faded today. Every night she had to hide in the toilet and apply safflower oil herself...
"It was clearly because Onee-chan's own skills weren't up to par! Watch out!"
Following behind and seeing the bass about to suffer, Kyoko saw "money flying away" symbols in her eyes and dove to catch it!
Unfortunately, wrestling had left her thighs too weak. Despite her best leap, she didn't catch the instrument, but she did hit the floor face-first, serving as a human cushion for the bass.
After a thud, Miyazawa Yuu walked in to see Kyoko—with a large bump on her head—flashing in front of him, waving the bass and crying frantically, as if she had suffered a monumental grievance.
"Yu-gege, I want to go to an Izakaya! Using the money from selling this bass!!!"
"Eh? I've noticed that with you, it's either eating here or eating there. When did you change your character setting?"
With a face full of exasperation, he pushed the little girl who had lunged into his arms away. Yu knew his "muscle monster" form wasn't great for entering buildings, so he had put on a coat to change his appearance.
If his clothes got dirty from her snot and tears, forget an Izakaya; even if he went to Ginza, he'd probably be treated like a protection-money collector the moment he entered!
"So mean! When you're hungry, you eat! What's wrong with that!"
"Yes, yes~ Good evening, everyone! The performance was great! Except for the bass~"
"Hey! You're definitely trying to pick a fight, aren't you!"
"Not at all~"
Clutching a liquor bottle, Hiroi Kikuri had already become well-acquainted with Sakurako over the last two days, so her words were particularly stinging. The latter's forehead veins bulged as she prepared to argue the logic with her!
However, just as the battle of Gal vs. Drunkard was about to start, a glint flashed in Kikuri's eyes. She seemingly accidentally gave the attacking Sakurako's backside a friendly pat.
"Slap!"
After what looked like a joke between sisters, the two teenage girls (whose combined age was nearing fifty) crossed paths. Hiroi Kikuri tapped her head with the mouth of her bottle, acting cute in her drunken stupor!
"I'm just telling the truth. Sakurako is so mean, actually trying to intimidate me~"
"Ugh—!"
A tingling sensation shot from the bottom up to her brain. Sakurako's body shook, her pupils dilated—Busujima Sakurako was out for the count!
Hiroi Kikuri! WIN!!!
"Don't go bullying the new member of our Pab club right off the bat, Kikuri..."
The better he got to know her, the more Miyazawa Yuu felt that Kikuri's drunkenness was absolutely not as crazy as it seemed. At the very least, her combat instincts were incredibly precise!
"So why are you here? It can't just be because you're interested in Sakurako's butt, right?"
"Of course not. It's actually the Manager. He asked if everyone who worked hard wanted to have a celebration party with the bands we know."
"Celebration party? Izakaya? We're going!!!"
Saliva practically sprayed out. Kyoko's eyes lit up, and without any hesitation, she accepted the drinking party in her capacity as captain. She seemed very interested in a free meal.
Miyazawa Yuu had no objection. Since it was a collective drinking party and someone was treating, it was for the best. He could have a good drink with Azusa-senpai and mention Miyuki's matter while he was at it.
"I'm fine with it. Is anyone else in a hurry?"
"No~" x6
"Yoshi! Then let's move! Follow me~ Follow me!"
Joyfully leading the newcomers, Hiroi Kikuri loved drinking together with everyone! It was a pity Seika and Pa-san often couldn't sync up with her schedule.
Suddenly having so many drinking buddies was the greatest boost for her Happiness Spiral!
With the intent of drinking until they dropped, she trotted along and led Yu and the others to her usual Izakaya. Ignoring the manager and her own teammates, she slammed two two-liter bottles of sake onto the table.
"Please! Don't be shy with me, this is my home turf after all~"
"Kikuri, even if it's home turf, it should be mine, shouldn't it?"
Although he was long used to Kikuri's boisterousness, being ignored like that as the Manager made Yoshida Ginjirou smile as he gave her a light karate chop to the head.
Dragging the irresponsible senior, who was acting drunk in front of her juniors, behind him, he bowed gently in greeting.
"Sorry, Kikuri has caused you trouble. Hurry up and apologize to the kids! You're a bad influence!"
"S-sumimasen~"
She tapped her fingers together. Kikuri was surprisingly obedient for once. Miyazawa Yuu felt no emotional fluctuation—he actually wanted to laugh. Being hardened by the unreliable seniors of the Pab club, he had long ago adapted to this.
The only thing that puzzled him slightly were the two bottles on the table with Mt. Fuji on them. Was this stuff really alcohol? Why had he never seen it before?
"Um, what's this?"
"Emmm... it seems to be traditional sake. We've never drunk this type before, have we?"
"That goes without saying! Your Pab club has never touched anything with an alcohol content lower than 50%, right!"
"..."
Before they could say more, seeing the newcomers huddling around the sake bottles to critique them, Yoshida Ginjirou realized why they got along so well with Kikuri.
Pressing his brow and shaking his head, before the Pab quartet could reveal more shockers, he wordlessly dragged the little girls away.
How could such cute girls stay with these drunks? It was decided! In the future, he just wouldn't serve food to the drinking table. That would save on Livehouse expenses!
"That's right! It's sake. This Izakaya doesn't serve hard liquor, but after getting used to 'white liquor' (clear spirits), sake has its own unique flavor!"
"Oh? Then I'll have a cup first!"
Instantly intrigued by Kikuri's words, Hamaoka Azusa took the lead in pouring herself a cup. Her eyes lit up upon tasting it—it wasn't too pungent; the soft tones of sake were quite friendly to women!
While she still felt hard liquor had more kick, changing flavors once in a while was quite novel!
Especially since this low-alcohol drink wasn't easy to get drunk and make a fool of oneself on—perfect for drinking out in public!
"Yu, this is pretty good. How about introducing sake into the Pab club's drink list in the future?"
"Totally impossible. With the budget already almost exhausted by the consumption of the cheapest 'Spirytus,' the seniors would die of dehydration if we bought more expensive sake!"
Subjected to Azusa-senpai's "clingy request," Miyazawa Yuu, as a member of the Pab club who kept public and private matters separate, naturally gave her a dead-eyed, serious refusal under her sugar-coated bullets.
One had to know that as a large club full of drunks, the speed of membership fee consumption was startling!
The only result of introducing sake would be a rebellion by the seniors, who would then pour Spirytus on him and happily play a game of "lighting the sky lantern."
"Well~ fair enough..."
Recalling Tokita and Kotobuki's drinking habits, Azusa helplessly gave up on making things difficult for her little boyfriend. After all, she didn't want to experience the pain of widowhood in her early twenties.
"Thank you for your understanding~"
Grabbing the sake bottle directly, Yu felt very fortunate that while Azusa-senpai was a little devil, their affection as a couple could at least cancel out part of her teasing.
Seeing the sake was only about 20% alcohol, and having the idea of using something low-percentage to "rinse his mouth" after the performance, he tilted his head back and drained half the bottle as an appetizer.
However...
"Glug, glug, glug! Hiss... wait? The taste is weird?!"
Halfway through, a sweet-spicy taste surged from his throat to his brain. Yu frowned, feeling things weren't simple, and quickly pulled the bottle away from his mouth.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Doesn't Yu usually drink medical alcohol?"
"Don't slander me!"
Watched curiously by Kikuri, Yu had cold sweat running down while the sake was still in his mouth. But even knowing there was something wrong with the drink, he couldn't exactly take it back, could he? That would bring shame to the Pab club's name!
Helplessly, even though his head was already starting to get hazy, he still gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and forced the last sip of sake down his throat.
Except when he opened his eyes again, he found he suddenly had four girlfriends. Truly a cause for celebration!