Yamada Ryo looked at Ijichi Nijika: "Then what about you?"
Ijichi Nijika paused for a moment, then tossed the die again. Just as it was about to land on bungee jumping, it jumped to "meeting targets": "Next up is the topic of targets."
"Avoiding the question, huh?"
(This is just trying to squeak by with cuteness, isn't it?)
Gotou Hitori: "What does 'targets' mean?"
Ijichi Nijika explained:
"Yesterday's performance was arranged by the venue. Performance halls set quotas for bands to guarantee customer flow."
"Any profit exceeding the quota gets split between the venue and the band. If the number of customers attracted falls short of the quota, the band has to cover the difference themselves."
When this topic came up, Yamada Ryo turned ashen gray: "In other words, before we get famous, expenses are going to be huge."
[Looks like they've already lost a lot of money before.]
"Yesterday's show had quite a few of my friends come, so we actually met the quota."
"But the quality of that performance isn't something people will come back for a second time."
Ijichi Nijika drooped dejectedly: "Ryo doesn't have friends, and Bocchi-chan..."
"Kusuo-kun, do you want to call your friends to come listen?"
Saiki ate a slice of orange and took a sip of Yor milk.
[I could call some classmates to help you out, but if the quality stays bad, they still won't come a second time.]
Ijichi Nijika: "That's true. But we'll get better with practice and familiarity. The important thing right now is that one performance in the short term costs tens of thousands of yen. To meet the quota before then, our equipment is falling apart. Let's work hard at part-time jobs!"
Saiki clapped his hands.
[Oh, good luck. I'll cheer you on. But for part-time jobs, I suggest you all do it together. That way you can look out for each other. It's better, after all...]
Saiki glanced at Gotou Hitori, who was still dazed and hadn't reacted yet, just saying "oh."
(This should be fine... probably.)
Gotou Hitori finally reacted with a loud scream ヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!: "Part-time job!!!"
Yamada Ryo: "The loudest she's spoken today."
"What's wrong, Bocchi-chan?" Ijichi Nijika asked, looking at Gotou Hitori.
Yamada Ryo hid behind Saiki, clutching his clothes tightly, face changing rapidly in tension
"Absolutely not. I can't do it. I don't want to work. I'm scared of society. I don't want a part-time job."
[Isn't your reaction a bit extreme? Think about your future—what are you going to do? Getting used to it a little early would be good for you.]
Gotou Hitori couldn't even listen to Saiki's words anymore. She silently took out a piggy bank and placed it in the middle of the table.
Ijichi Nijika looked completely confused: "A piggy bank..."
Gotou Hitori silently shed tears as she explained: "Ah~ This... this is the money my mom saved for my wedding. Please take it and use it. Buy whatever you need—just please don't make me work..."
[Calm down, Gotou. This money really shouldn't be used like that.]
Ijichi Nijika waved her hands to refuse: "Do you think we're demons or something?"
Yamada Ryo waved her hand in thanks and reached toward the piggy bank: "Thank you. I won't use it carelessly..."
[Hey...]
Ijichi Nijika slapped Yamada Ryo's hand away: "We can't use it! We can't use something this important so casually..."
Gotou Hitori was still trembling nervously, gripping Saiki's clothes tighter and tighter like she wanted to tear them apart: "I don't want to work, because..."
In Gotou Hitori's mind, a scene appeared of her working as a cashier at a convenience store, doing the most basic and simple tasks. A customer handed her an item, and she incoherently stammered: "Tana ya tanada hida ya tarama datta to..."
Then someone recorded it and uploaded it online. It got tens of millions of views, and she was dragged to court.
In the news footage, a still-incoherent Gotou Hitori stood in the defendant's box while the judge above declared: "The defendant Gotou Hitori has been awarded the 'Making Customers Uncomfortable Prize.' The court sentences the defendant to death. Execution to follow."
The scene ended...
Gotou Hitori: "In the end, I'll definitely end up like this."
[Extremely abstract, yet somehow very vivid.]
"Bocchi-chan, Bocchi-chan..."
Saiki poked Gotou Hitori's cheek, then lightly slapped her forehead. Gotou Hitori immediately snapped back to reality.
[So Gotou, why don't you all just work part-time together? Go to the same place.]
Gotou Hitori finally let go of Saiki's clothes and released her grip: "Mm, even in an unfamiliar place, even if someone comes with me, when I see strangers I'll still..."
Ijichi Nijika jumped in and shook Gotou Hitori's head: "So just listen to me first! How about the three of us work part-time at this shop? You're already familiar with this place, right? It won't feel strange."
Yamada Ryo: "In this warm, homey, harmonious space."
[A pretty good suggestion.]
Gotou Hitori: "Eh!!"
Yamada Ryo and Ijichi Nijika both leaned in closer toward Gotou Hitori, who was still mentally resisting in her last stand: "So, what do you think..."
Gotou Hitori looked at Saiki, silently pleading for rescue [I don't want to work, I don't want to work, Saiki...]
[Yare yare daze, looks like the milk's gone. I'll go order a few more cups. You guys keep chatting.]
Saiki got up and left.
Gotou Hitori [Saiki!!!]
"So, what do you think? Consider it."
Gotou Hitori looked at the two kind people still asking her. In her heart she chanted [Reject it quickly, reject it quickly, reject it quickly.]
Then she spoke: "I'll do my best."
(Alright! As expected, social anxiety makes it impossible to refuse. This is your training, Gotou.)
...
Saiki came back carrying the drinks and asked knowingly [So, how did the discussion go?]
Yamada Ryo gave a thumbs-up: "Completely no problem."
Saiki looked at Gotou Hitori, who had a face that said "I volunteered for this."
[Really? That's good then.]
Ijichi Nijika: "So Kusuo-kun, do you want to come work part-time with us too?"
A spark flashed in Gotou Hitori's eyes. She struck the exact same inviting pose that Ijichi Nijika and Yamada Ryo had used earlier, staring at Saiki with the so-called pressure.
"Come on, Saiki-kun, what do you think? Consider it..."
[I refuse.]
Gotou Hitori: "I-Is that so? Haha." [See? Why can other people say 'no' so clearly, but you can't? Gotou, you're really...]
Ijichi Nijika: "Oh? That's a shame..."
[But I'll come patronize your shop often. It's usually pretty quiet here. It would just be even better if you had coffee jelly and cake. Even though you call it a café.]
Ijichi Nijika: "It's not purely a café, but if you want to eat something, I can make it. I can talk to my sister about adding it to the menu."
[If it's too much trouble, forget it.]
Ijichi Nijika: "It won't be. How could it? I just hope Kusuo-kun will come more often and give us some suggestions or whatever. After all, you're part of this band too..."
[Yare yare daze. Letting someone who does absolutely nothing join the band—is that really okay? Even if it's a weird band.]
Yamada Ryo (´∇ﾉ｀*)ノ: "What weird band? Sorry about that."
Ijichi Nijika: "Hey, what are you so happy about? No matter how I hear it, it doesn't sound like you're complimenting us..."
......