As dinnertime approached, the five emerged from the brightly lit underground space, leaving Starry, ready to head home.
The twilight sky was dotted with Starry, and in the roads divided by tall buildings, the five parted ways.
Nijika and Ryo-senpai were a pair; she waved goodbye to the other three, and also scheduled their meeting for tomorrow.
"Then see you tomorrow at 1 PM again~"
"Mm, Ryo-senpai, see you then~"
Kita also raised her hand and waved.
She was with Hayato and Bocchi.
At this moment of farewell, Hayato was as free-spirited as ever; he said like a stalker,
"I really want to eat at Nijika's house."
As he spoke, his face was full of smiles, making it impossible to guess whether he was serious or not.
His words made Nijika's expression stiffen as she withdrew her hand, her gaze subtly shifting towards Bocchi.
Bocchi was very uncomfortable with such a street-side farewell scene; she said in a tiny voice,
"See you tomorrow…"
As she spoke, her little head nodded.
Whether she really heard or not, from more than ten steps away, Nijika returned a bright smile, waving her small hand.
Then she quickly pulled Ryo-senpai and hurried in the direction of her home.
Seeing Nijika's reaction, Hayato complained,
"Tsk, Nijika is so stingy."
But his words did not receive the approval of the two girls beside him.
Even Bocchi and Kita quietly moved a little further away from him.
But he smiled, not caring.
Then the three, whose paths coincided, walked side by side on the streets of Shimokitazawa.
At this time, some shopkeepers on the roadside had already set up night stalls, busily preparing various ingredients.
People who started their nightlife early were already wandering the streets.
Among the passing crowds, Hayato and the two girls were quite conspicuous.
Beside a sunny, outgoing pair of high school boy and girl, floated a pink-haired, hunched-over, head-down, Guitar-carrying gloomy girl.
Bocchi seemed to sense the strange gazes around her, gradually moved away from the two, and then slowed down her pace out of fear.
But the sound of the two's conversation still clearly reached her ears.
"Did Hayato-kun really only start learning instruments the day he joined the Band…?"
"It's Kita who's too stupid, isn't it?"
Hayato looked at the girl beside him, who was admiring yet a little disappointed, and retorted without much politeness.
"I say, Hayato-kun, can't you be a little gentler…?"
Kita's expression changed quickly; her cute face would reflect various subtle emotions.
There was a lively and nimble cuteness about her.
Even so, Hayato showed no mercy; he interrupted Kita and said,
"No!"
"Your personality is too terrible!" Kita complained petulantly.
"Because Kita is quite fun to tease."
Watching her show various emotions because of his words, Hayato couldn't help but continue to tease her.
Kita froze, her cheeks, slightly reddened by the setting sun, showed a hint of helplessness, and she grumbled,
"You're too mean."
At this moment, Hayato noticed that Bocchi's figure was almost out of sight beside them, and he looked back.
Bocchi was trembling and lagging a few steps behind them, her figure almost swept away by the crowd.
She was so small, with her head down, shuffling along, looking extremely pitiful.
He stopped.
Kita looked at him in confusion, then followed his gaze to Bocchi, and immediately understood the situation.
At this time again… She was displeased, but not with him helping Bocchi, only because of his inconsistent attitude.
However, precisely because of this… Kita didn't speak, just watched Bocchi approach nervously, not understanding why.
She wanted to understand this boy more, she wanted to know how he would act in various situations, so she didn't call out to Bocchi.
And Hayato, seeing Bocchi's steps slow down more and more due to confusion and unease, couldn't help but take a step towards her.
He directly grabbed her wrist.
"Let's go."
Hayato ignored her expression and directly pulled her forward.
Bocchi's soft reply came from behind him.
"Ah… Mm."
Kita looked at Hayato, who was suddenly so domineering, with a slight surprise.
But then she smiled, her small feet in loafers and bubble socks lightly tapping as she took two quick steps, leaned forward with her hands behind her back, and addressed Gotou-san, who was being pulled along beside Hayato.
"Gotou-san, there's no need to be nervous."
Gotou-san nodded timidly.
Hayato saw Kita-san showing kindness to Gotou-san and, after a moment's thought, reminded her, "Speaking of which, Kita-san, aren't you still not good at the Guitar? You could learn from Gotou-san. Don't let her appearance fool you; she's incredibly skilled at the Guitar, a true fan of death metal music."
Death metal!?
Kita-san, of course, remembered that term; it was the type of music Ryo-senpai enjoyed hearing.
She immediately rushed to the flustered Gotou-san and took her hand.
"Gotou-san, as a senior in death metal, please guide me strictly!"
Hayato almost couldn't hold back his laughter. He turned his head, bit his lip, and stomped his foot hard... When Hayato had pulled her along, Gotou-san was happy but also a little scared, because it was the first time Hayato had been so forceful with her.
But when she heard his usual tone, "Let's go."
She relaxed a little.
Although she felt even more conspicuous now, after all, it was a sunny handsome guy holding a gloomy girl's hand while chatting with another girl.
But it wouldn't take too long to get from here to the station.
An estimated 8 minutes, 8 minutes is 480 seconds; she just needed to count to 480.
1, 2, 3, 4... But suddenly, a sentence interrupted her mental counting.
"Kita-san, aren't you still not good at the Guitar? You could learn from Gotou-san."
Huh?
Wait.
No, no, no, absolutely not!
If he said that...
The next moment, with excited footsteps, Kita-san quickly appeared before her, staring at her with sparkling eyes.
"Gotou-san, as a senior in death metal, please guide me strictly!"
"I beg you!"
Refuse! Hurry and refuse!
She didn't want to see Kita-san's sunny smile every day; she would be purified!
Just like a slug sprinkled with salt!
But after a long struggle... "Ah... okay."
She finally agreed.
At the same time, she realized that her social anxiety was beyond saving.
"That's great."
Kita smiled happily, then casually walked to Gotou-san's other side.
Gotou-san:??
...Hayato gradually felt Gotou-san continuously leaning towards him. He glanced at the girl beside him, who was a head shorter than him.
Beside him, Gotou-san's facial features were already starting to distort; it was clear she felt fear towards Kita-san, who had suddenly moved closer.
However, she probably hadn't noticed that she was almost leaning entirely on Hayato.
Hayato looked helplessly at the awkward Kita-san beside Gotou-san. He decided not to call Gotou-san back to her senses.
He always felt that if he called Gotou-san back to her senses at that moment, there would be a terrifying reaction.
The three continued on in this strange state for a while.
At a fork in the road, Kita-san walked in a different direction, facing the two and waving with a smile.
"Hayato-kun, Gotou-san, see you tomorrow."
Hayato nodded, then, with a mischievous smile, reminded Kita-san.
"Oh, by the way, don't try to cram tonight and injure your hand. Kita-san's level of foolishness is already high enough; don't increase it any further."
At that moment, hearing Hayato's voice, Gotou-san dazedly turned her head and saw Hayato incredibly close beside her.
"Ah ah ah ah!!"
As soon as she shrieked and jumped up, Hayato pressed her shoulders to make her stand straight.
Then, while she was flustered, Hayato patted her shoulder and gestured towards Kita-san, who was about to leave.
Long-standing social habits still made her bow slightly to Kita-san and say goodbye properly.
"Ah, see you tomorrow..."
"Mhm," Kita-san responded with a smile, then complained to Hayato.
"Don't call me an idiot!"
After she finished speaking, as if leaving no room for argument, she quickly turned around, her small feet in her swaying short skirt stepping lightly on the ground, gracefully disappearing from sight.
Only Gotou-san and Hayato, who were going the same way, remained.
The two continued walking towards the station.
However, gradually, Gotou-san kept stealing glances at Hayato, and the frequency of these glances steadily increased.
"Gotou-san, are you going to the station?"
Hayato noticed and asked casually.
"Mhm," Gotou-san nodded slightly, a little awkwardly.
"So, is there something Gotou-san is concerned about?"
Hayato posed the question.
Gotou-san was surprised for a moment, then asked, "Um, is Ishikawa-kun also going to the station?"
She herself wondered why she could ask her question so easily, secretly tilting her head to look at Hayato.
"Yes, my home isn't actually very close."
Hayato said to Gotou-san with a smile in his voice, with a hint of playful teasing, as if to say, 'You didn't expect that, did you?'
Eh?
Gotou-san's surprised eyes widened slightly.
Then she began to ponder why Hayato would go to a high school far from home.
But after thinking for a moment, she suddenly realized the conversation had stopped.
She looked up at Hayato, but the words she had wanted to ask wouldn't come out. She then lowered her head, falling silent.
The two continued to stroll along the road, which was bathed in the orange-red glow of the setting sun.
However, it wasn't long before Hayato asked, "Gotou-san, isn't commuting four hours every day very hard? Aren't you planning to live nearby?"
Live nearby?
Gotou-san felt terrified just thinking about it and frantically refused repeatedly.
"No, no, no, I can't do it. Living alone is too difficult."
Hayato didn't mind her panicked appearance; instead, his eyes were full of amusement as he said, "Well, I've asked Gotou-san two questions, so Gotou-san can also ask me any questions you like."
Ah, he's treating me like a child, isn't he?
Gotou-san thought.
But still... "Ishikawa-kun... why did you come to this high school?"
She asked curiously.
"To achieve my harem ambitions, of course."
Hayato clenched his fist, looked into the distance, his tone serious, his face earnest, but halfway through, he couldn't help but laugh.
Gotou-san paused, then the corners of her mouth curved slightly.
But she didn't continue to ask, only grew a little more curious in her heart.
As the station grew closer, it was time for the two to part ways.
At this moment, Hayato stopped. Gotou-san walked two more steps, then paused, turning back in confusion.
Hayato looked at the girl wearing a cute tracksuit the same color as her hair, carrying a Guitar, with clear, emerald eyes under her bangs showing a hint of bewilderment.
Her pink long hair was tinged yellow by the setting sun, and her body was slightly hunched from a long habit of trying to hide herself, even showing a slight panic due to a small, unexpected situation.
Ishikawa-kun asked her, "Gotou-san, how about we go on a date tomorrow morning?"
Gotou-san paused, then replied as if thinking, "Ah... okay... Eh, eh, eh!?"
But then she became flustered and panicked again.
However, Hayato didn't give her time to recover and directly said, "Then for now, that's a 'yes.' It's not really a date; it's just accompanying me to a place I often go."
"If you're going, meet at Ike-Tora Station at 9 AM tomorrow. If not, just send me a message before then."
After he finished speaking, he asked Gotou-san, "Did you remember clearly?"
Seeing Gotou-san nod, Hayato smiled, quickly passed her, and walked towards the station.
"Well, whether it's morning or afternoon, see you tomorrow."
Gotou-san felt the situation was too unexpected; her whole being was about to explode.
She stood bewildered in place for a long time, then took out her phone to make a note of it.
She stood there thinking for a good while longer before finally walking hesitantly towards the station.