"Ryo's room really has a lot of instruments. Do you know how to use all of them?"
Hayato, upon entering the 16-year-old girl's room, naturally and boldly looked around.
Ryo turned to glance at him, then swept her eyes over her somewhat messy room. Seeing nothing inappropriate, she didn't pay it much mind and looked along with him.
She replied softly,
"Mm."
As Hayato said,
Ryo's room had various instruments on the walls and on shelves in the corners: violins, Guitars, basses, and even classical Guitars.
Each one was neatly arranged.
Her room was more suited to be called a music lover's room than a high school girl's room.
But the high school girl's vibe was also very evident.
Hayato looked at the small black tights tossed on the bedside, the white school uniform hanging on a hanger thrown on a chair, and the dark high-waisted pleated skirt casually draped over it.
The messy, unmade bed, and the dressing table piled with some cosmetics, hair clips, earrings, and studs.
Other than that, it wasn't too exaggeratedly messy, probably because Nijika also came over to take care of her.
Looking at all this, as if through synesthesia, Hayato also smelled a hint of a young girl's fragrance amidst the woody scent of the instruments.
Ryo walked to her computer desk, opened the computer, and sat down directly, showing no intention of hosting.
While waiting for it to boot up, she asked Hayato,
"Have you thought of all the lyrics?"
Hayato paused, then walked over helplessly.
"Are we really going to do this?"
"Of course."
A faint smile appeared on Ryo's face, her expression suggesting a desire to give Nijika an unforgettable surprise.
Hayato looked at her and chuckled.
"Alright then!"
Then, he closed his eyes, igniting the endless Pervert light in his heart. Immediately, inspiration erupted like a fountain.
In less than a few seconds, the man raised his head, revealing his brilliant gaze.
He said to Ryo without ceremony,
"Pen! Paper!"
Ryo had already taken out a blank notebook and a pen from the drawer and handed them to him decisively.
Hayato wasted no more words, picked up a nearby chair, sat down at the computer desk, and began writing lyrics at high speed.
Ryo watched him write with flourish, then leaned in to glance at the daunting words emerging from his pen, revealing an admiring look that this man was truly terrifying.
At the same time, she also felt inspiration emerging, opened the software, and quickly operated on the computer, rapidly grouping the melodies in her mind into tracks.
The creation was complete.
Hayato looked at the lyrics of "Take It All Off" under his pen and nodded with satisfaction.
He was sure that anyone who appreciated this song would probably need to make a police report.
Just as he stopped writing, Ryo's gaze flickered to his notebook and she asked,
"Finished?"
"A proud masterpiece!"
Hayato said without hesitation.
Ryo reached out and moved the notebook in front of her. She glanced at it, her eyes momentarily blank, then pulled out her phone.
Under the gaze of a Pervert next to her, she pressed '11'. Before she could press '0', she looked at Hayato next to her, who was smiling brightly.
The woman stared at Hayato for a while, swallowed, then silently put away her phone.
She raised her hand and swore very seriously,
"I value my life and will absolutely not do anything like calling the police."
"Very good."
Hayato smiled, his eyes narrowed like a fox.
With such impactful lyrics, Ryo's speed was also extremely fast. Keys and mouse were constantly clicked, and the arrangement software on the screen quickly presented the song's prototype.
Hayato looked at the busy Ryo, feeling a bit puzzled.
Indeed, seeing her deftly operating the computer, she clearly had a surge of inspiration. But no matter how good the melody was, if it accompanied his song, Nijika would most likely not allow it to be sung.
Not just Nijika, others would probably object too.
Why was she still working so hard?
After a long period of work, just as it was almost complete, Ryo's phone rang.
She ignored it, preparing to reach out and dismiss it, when her hand was caught by Hayato.
"It's Nijika's."
Hayato reminded her.
He guessed that Nijika knew he and Ryo were out and had arrived at Ryo's house.
If Nijika called at this time and was directly hung up on... then probably in the next moment, Nijika would sprint with all her might, appearing here as if by flash.
Ryo didn't take her eyes off the computer, directly answered the phone and held it to her ear. Her call was extremely short and decisive.
"Nijika."
"Oh, come on up."
She put down her phone, then placed her hands back on the keyboard and mouse. In the next moment, afterimages flew across the keyboard and mouse, as if she was desperately trying to finish.
Inside her ultra-high-spec computer case, several fans screamed in terror.
In just under 10 seconds.
"Hoo."
She wiped her forehead and said to Hayato with a smile,
"Finished."
Hayato glanced at the progress bar exporting on the computer, then turned to her and said,
"So you're a Pervert too?"
His words were met with Ryo's cold gaze.
The rejected Hayato awkwardly rubbed his head and then asked his previous question.
"Ryo, why do you want to make this song? Others probably won't agree to sing it."
Ryo's gaze first rested on him, her golden eyes looking at him with complex emotions for a few seconds, then shifted to the rapidly exporting progress bar on the computer screen, and finally looked out the window.
She listened to the unseen birdsong and said,
"I once joined another Band, and I really liked their initial music."
Her voice carried a hint of gloom and a helpless tone devoid of joy or sorrow.
"But, to become famous, they worked incredibly hard, gradually writing songs to sell."
"I left the Band because I was tired of that."
Her gaze fell on the screen, and she said meaningfully,
"At least the very first music, I hope it comes from the heart."
Hayato looked at her melancholic and profound expression, understanding what she was thinking and worrying about.
He smiled, as if mocking her for being foolish.
Changing the somber atmosphere, he said cheerfully,
"Don't worry, Bocchi is easy to handle. Ryo, your perspective is still too narrow. Everyone in our Band is very special."
After he finished speaking, he looked at the computer screen, which showed that the audio had been exported.
He said to Ryo,
"But this song probably can't be sung. How about the two of us try singing it?"
Ryo had originally just looked up, quietly watching Hayato speak, but when she heard Hayato's last sentence, her expression changed.
"No singing!"
She refused flatly.
Hayato said to her with a smirk,
"Accomplices have the safest relationship, Ms. Ryo, do you understand?"
...Nijika walked into the yard and casually closed the gate.
She still trusted Hayato-kun very much. Although Hayato-kun loved to play pranks, he was very reliable.
But trust was one thing, and worry was another. Thinking of Hayato's usual remarks always made her feel uneasy.
Entering the villa, she skillfully took out slippers from the shoe cabinet and changed into them. The sound of the slippers hitting the ground quickly passed through the entrance hall, and the sound stopped in front of the metal grille on the side of the house.
She suddenly felt a little curious whether Hayato's free and easy demeanor would become restrained because of Ryo's family background.
Speaking of which, Ryo should still be taking someone home for the first time, besides her, right?
It couldn't be!
Ryo and Hayato-kun usually seemed to get along very well. Could it be that they had developed that kind of relationship at some point?!
Nijika suddenly got an idea and quickly walked towards Ryo's room.
When she reached the room, Nijika paused, and she told herself,
"Hmm, I'm just listening to see if they're in the middle of a lively conversation and if it's appropriate to interrupt right now. I'm definitely not thinking anything strange."
She nodded affirmately, her arms crossed, with such force that her dress swayed.
"Hmm!"
Then, the girl immediately showed a pair of sly, cat-like eyes, pressed herself against the door, and eavesdropped inside.
"Take off your clothes!"
Amidst the passionate music, Hayato sang out like a chant.
Nijika:???
What are these two doing?!
But she still suppressed her suddenly uneasy heart and continued to press against the door, listening to the sounds inside.
"Show your most primitive self, form wings from filth, and fly~"
Ryo's seemingly reluctant singing voice followed.
It's a song.
Nijika knew she had misunderstood earlier. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad she hadn't rushed in directly, or she would have been greatly embarrassed.
But why was Ryo's voice so reluctant?
It sounded like she was being held hostage.
Could Hayato-kun be forcing her to sing?
Nijika's expression turned serious. Even if it wasn't the case, just the fact that they were singing such a strange song meant she had to intervene.
With that thought, she pushed open the door without another word and walked in.
"Hayato-kun, Ryo, we're not going to sing this song…"
Nijika stood by the door, holding the doorknob. Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Hayato holding his phone, recording a video of Ryo, who looked pitifully wronged.
Nijika looked at the scene, her mind unable to process it, and she called out in a daze,
"What… what are you two doing?!"