Nijika briefly explained the performance targets to the others, who had no understanding of performances.
"Simply put, we need to sell a portion of the tickets ourselves. If our revenue exceeds the target, we get a share from the venue, but if it's not enough, we have to cover the difference ourselves."
Ryo-senpai's face took on a hint of gloom, and she said, with a look of not wanting to recall, "Simply put, it's very expensive at first."
Hearing what she said, Kita's face turned pale, and she silently felt her wallet.
Since she bought her Guitar, her available pocket money was already scarce, arguably at a critical point.
She could barely afford to hang out with friends anymore!
She had no choice but to get a part-time job, she silently decided.
She wasn't the only one feeling the hardship; Nijika was too.
She sighed and said, "Many of my friends came to yesterday's performance, so the tickets sold smoothly, but I don't know if they'll be willing to come next time…"
The more she spoke, the darker the future seemed, and she even lost the strength to sit up, swaying as if about to fall over.
Ryo-senpai, drawing on her past Band experience, judged, "Yesterday's performance was quite interesting."
"But the playing was a mess…" Nijika knew her friends were somewhat satisfied with their performance, but she also felt inexplicably unwilling.
After all, they couldn't always rely on Hayato-kun's performance to carry the show, and they were a Band, not a comedy duo.
Music was the main theme.
She didn't even have the confidence to invite her friends anymore.
"Um… I can also call my friends over. How many people do we need?" At this moment, a god-like voice sounded beside her.
The tone was like the confidence of Jesus offering fish and bread, saying, "Take as much as you want; this fish and bread are inexhaustible."
"Are you sure?!" Nijika perked up, looking at Kita.
"Yes! If I don't call them, they'll complain," Kita thought of the scene with a helpless smile, then held her phone, looking ready, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Nijika.
"How many people should I call?" Nijika was overwhelmed by this "normie" aura; it was a power of sunshine far beyond her own!
She cautiously reported the minimum number, "About 20 people will do."
"That's all? I understand." Kita indicated that this number was easy. She slightly raised the hand holding her phone, making a V-sign happily.
Kita!
An invisible light bloomed.
But the others had already started to adapt to this high concentration of spiritual light and were not too harmed.
However, Hayato turned to look at Bocchi-chan beside him; she had been looking shaky, self-pitying, and in pain even before this spiritual light began to burn.
He reached out and poked Bocchi-chan's cheek, which was almost turning to ash. She shivered, suddenly startled awake, and looked at Hayato fearfully.
Hayato smiled at her.
Nijika glanced at their actions, then continued happily, "But we also need to save up for other equipment fees and initial Band funds. For these expenses, let's get part-time jobs~!"
"Really! That's great!" Her response came from Kita, who was already planning to get a part-time job. Hearing Nijika suggest they all work together, she happily agreed, secretly glancing at Hayato.
But a sharp scream suddenly pierced the harmonious atmosphere.
"Part-time job?!" Bocchi-chan's voice startled everyone except Hayato.
It also made Nijika, who had suggested the part-time job, anxious. She carefully asked Bocchi-chan, whose expression was starting to distort, "Bocchi-chan… what's wrong?"
Bocchi-chan bowed her head deeply and didn't answer Nijika's question. After her body trembled for a while, she quickly picked up her shoulder bag and rummaged through it.
Then, she slowly held out a piggy bank.
The three girls looked at the jar with puzzled expressions.
Bocchi-chan, with tears welling in her eyes, said in a hushed, pleading voice.
"This is the money my mom saved for my wedding…"
"Take all of this, please… please don't make me work part-time."
After she finished, she bowed her head solemnly, her entire being exuding supplication, a sight that evoked pity.
Nijika froze for a moment, then quickly retorted.
"Are you taking us for demons?"
Across from Bocchi-chan, Ryo calmly extended her hand. "Thank you, I will accept it with due reverence…"
Kita watched in disbelief as Ryo actually reached out to take it.
But before her hand could touch the piggy bank, Nijika slapped it hard, producing a loud sound, and Ryo winced in pain, retracting her hand.
After stopping the wicked act, Nijika hastily waved her hands at Bocchi-chan, saying.
"We won't take it, we won't take it. We won't use such important money."
"That's right, how could such important money be used for anything else."
Hayato also strongly agreed with Nijika, but his hand also unceremoniously shot out towards Bocchi-chan's piggy bank.
"Let me take the money. If Bocchi-chan doesn't want to work part-time in the future, I'll support her."
Nijika was about to stand up and slap Hayato's wicked hand, but she froze when she heard those words.
"Huh?"
"Eh?" Kita also stared blankly at this sudden, strange development.
Bocchi-chan, with tears in her eyes, looked up and asked weakly.
"Really?"
Beneath her timid expression was a hint of fear of rejection, and some worry and anticipation for the future.
And from Hayato's perspective.
Bocchi-chan bravely mustered her courage and looked up, her eyes, hidden by her bangs, nervously checking his expression through her strands of hair.
Hayato replied.
"Really."
Hearing Hayato's reply, Bocchi-chan hurriedly pushed her chair back and stood up, walked to the side, and bowed very seriously yet a little awkwardly, saying.
"This… this humble girl is unworthy, please take good care of her."
Nijika, who had been watching the scene for a while, looked at the two with a conflicted expression. She always felt that Bocchi-chan was being deceived by Hayato.
She said to Hayato with some annoyance in her heart.
"Hayato-kun… it's too much to treat this as a joke."
"It's not a joke." Hayato reined in his smile, revealing some seriousness.
"Eh?"
Nijika and Kita were surprised.
Ryo also looked at him curiously.
"Bocchi-chan is interesting and cute, and she doesn't seem like she'd be much trouble to take care of."
As Hayato said this, he put the piggy bank down and pushed it back towards Bocchi-chan.
"But it's also good to save it for a while longer."
"Yes! I'll work hard!"
Bocchi-chan seemed not to mind at all that Hayato's words implied he was treating her like a pet. She raised her voice and said very seriously and earnestly.
Just as the others began to worry about the future relationship between these two.
They heard Hayato say to Bocchi-chan.
"Then, good luck with your part-time job."
Bocchi-chan's nascent happiness, her fleeting smile, froze, and then her entire being seemed to turn to stone, shattering in the cold wind.
Sure enough, it was like this!
But to deceive Bocchi-chan with such a marriage-like promise is too much!
Nijika was secretly angry in her heart.
But she inadvertently overlooked something she herself knew.
She knew that Hayato had high emotional intelligence and wouldn't do anything that would genuinely displease someone.
Nijika just watched with dissatisfaction as Hayato, with a soft, teasing smile, gazed at Bocchi-chan.