Kita Ikuyo: "Ever since I heard Ryo-senpai's performance, I've been following her all the way until she left the band.
At school, after classes I'd secretly tail her from behind—no matter if she was going to the bathroom, eating, or the restroom—even the trash Ryo-senpai threw away, I'd pick it up and study it carefully…"
Gotoh Hitori looked utterly shocked [╭(°A°`)╮]
(This sounds way too familiar, history really does repeat itself in the creepiest ways, there are just so many pervy stalkers…)
"Later on, I heard she'd joined Kessoku Band, and they were recruiting, so I jumped in right away."
Gotoh Hitori [So this is what a sunny girl is like—her aggression is off the charts.]
"Because a band is like a second home. Whether it's practice or whatever, sometimes we spend more time here than at home. Everyone chasing dreams together, that feeling seems to go beyond friends, beyond friendship and even lovers—it's really something special."
Gotoh Hitori [I totally agree with that. After all, that's what I've been chasing this whole time, right?]
Kita Ikuyo finally voiced her true feelings: "So that's why I want to join Kessoku Band, to become Ryo-senpai's daughter and stay with her forever, closer than even friends."
Gotoh Hitori [Whoa!! Is Kita-san actually a really weird person?!]
(She's definitely a weird one, but she's a good person. A weird good person, I guess.)
"So what about you, Saiki-kun?"
[I never joined a band. Never even formed one before.]
"Your guitar skills are so good, you must practice really hard normally! Aren't you interested in joining a band?"
[Practice and effort are whatever. It's fine as a hobby to cultivate my feelings, but going all-in body and soul to join? Nah, pass.]
Kita Ikuyo: "What, what do you mean? You don't practice regularly?"
Saiki shook his head to indicate no.
"For real?"
Kita Ikuyo [I'm so jealous—my hands just can't play right no matter what. I really want to swap hands with Saiki.]
(That's a dangerous thought.)
Kita Ikuyo's eyes sparkled: "I want to see Saiki-kun play guitar!"
Gotoh Hitori: "Me too, it's been forever since I last saw it."
[What's so interesting about it?]
Gotoh Hitori suddenly pulled a guitar out of nowhere and handed it to Saiki: "Come on, play a bit!"
Saiki took the guitar with his hand, then set it down on the table.
[Okay, okay, next time.]
Kita Ikuyo picked up the guitar and handed it over again: "Come on, just once."
Saiki looked at the guitar in his hand, then at the two people staring at him with expectant eyes.
He also sensed a lot of events slowly gathering around. Saiki's hand lifted gently.
Kita Ikuyo: "Ooh! Is it starting?"
Gotoh Hitori: "Looks like it."
Under the shine of their expectant gazes, Saiki once again set the guitar down.
"Just play already!"
Ijichi Nijika saw the group still chatting leisurely and spoke up: "Hey!! Newbie, stop chatting and get to work properly!!"
Gotoh Hitori heard the manager's voice and immediately straightened up: "Y-Yes."
Kita Ikuyo: "Yes, Manager!"
Ijichi Nijika had bought two bags of stuff and walked in carrying them: "Big sis got everything."
"Mm, give one to the Saiki brat. Time to start working."
"Yes! Here you go, Kusuo-kun."
[Yare yare, perfect timing as always.]
Saiki took the two bags and headed into the back kitchen.
Kita Ikuyo stuck her cute little tongue out at Gotoh Hitori: "Sorry, sorry."
"I-It's fine. Let's just focus on work first."
"Mm."
...
"Good work today."
"Good work, everyone. Work's done for today."
Ijichi Seika: "The newbie did pretty well today, huh."
Kita Ikuyo: "Hehe."
Yamada Ryo: "I'm fine with anything. I slacked off properly!"
[Finally over.]
Ijichi Seika lightly tapped the bills in her hand and said: "I can see you've got potential. How about… how about you stop being part-time and become full-time? We'll pay you full-time wages. I'll just deduct it from Ryo since she doesn't work properly anyway."
[Don't say something that terrifying in such a flat tone.]
Kita Ikuyo walked over to Saiki's side and spoke quietly: "Saiki-kun, thank you. Today was really wonderful. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to apologize to Senpai."
[It's nothing. You decided to come anyway, and you…]
"Then I'll head out first. Thanks everyone today. Please keep up the band activities from now on. I'll support you all quietly from behind the scenes."
Kita Ikuyo felt the atmosphere here was especially comforting, then—she stood up and started to leave.
[Hey, wait.]
Kita Ikuyo stopped but didn't turn around:
"Saiki-kun, you don't need to persuade me."
Saiki stuck out his thumb and pointed sideways at the instrument bag next to him.
[I wasn't going to persuade you. You just forgot your stuff.]
...
"Ah, right, sorry sorry."
After Ijichi Seika finished speaking, she came back with an awkward laugh, picked up the guitar bag, then turned and gave a goodbye gesture.
"So thanks everyone today, I'll just…"
[Wait a sec.]
Kita Ikuyo: ...
Kita Ikuyo patted her pockets, then looked at Saiki in confusion and uncertainty: "Saiki-kun, I don't think I left anything else."
[You didn't leave anything. I just wanted to say—don't forget, you have to come to band activities too. Didn't you say you wanted to join?]
A flash of happiness crossed Kita Ikuyo's eyes, then dimmed again: "I can't. Didn't I say? I ran away before, I can't play guitar, and I let Senpai down!"
[Didn't you say this morning that if you apologized and got forgiven, you could join? As for guitar… Gotoh will teach you.]
[They've already forgiven you. I talked to them about it, they discussed it, and they said as long as you're willing, you can join the band. Didn't Gotoh tell you?]
Saiki patted Gotoh Hitori, who was still spectating.
Gotoh Hitori tensed up under the gaze: "I-I haven't told Kita-san yet. I was planning to after work, but who knew she'd suddenly leave? I hadn't even started…"
Kita Ikuyo hesitated: "Is this really okay?"
Ijichi Nijika: "What are you talking about? Kita, you're still hung up on it? Didn't Ryo and I already say we forgive you today? Right, Ryo?"
Yamada Ryo: "Mm. If you come help, it'd be a huge help. Practice room rent and stuff can be split evenly too."
"You could at least be a little more honest about it."
(She might already be as honest as she gets.)
Kita Ikuyo: "Do you guys really not worry at all? My guitar playing is seriously awful. Aren't you scared I'll slack off and drag everyone down?"
[You're really hardworking.]
Kita Ikuyo froze for a moment at Saiki's affirmation, then Saiki continued:
[The skin on your fingertips is really tough—that's calluses, right? It only gets like that after practicing for a really long time! Gotoh noticed it ages ago and told me, right Gotoh?]
Gotoh Hitori nodded: "When you helped bandage my wound today, I saw it!"
"As expected of Bocchi-chan—your observation skills are so sharp."
Ijichi Nijika hugged Gotoh Hitori from behind and patted her in praise.
Yamada Ryo also stepped up, rubbed her head, and teased: "Pat pat head, pat pat head, good girl!"
"Hehe!"
Gotoh Hitori showed a satisfied and proud expression: "Woof woof!"
(Don't actually turn into a dog!)
Gotoh Hitori [But looking at Saiki's expression and when I told him, I knew he'd figure it out the moment he looked. Even if I didn't say anything.]
Kita Ikuyo reached up to wipe her tears, breaking into a relieved, open smile (๑ºั╰╯ºั๑): "Thank you all!"