A dozen seconds before Nijika pushed open the door.
Inside Ryo's room.
Ryo heard Hayato's threatening tone and saw his smiling face.
The taciturn, somewhat cool girl leaned back in her office chair. She crossed her legs, and her loose pants vaguely revealed the curves of her legs.
"Shouldn't accomplices control each other's weaknesses?"
At this moment, the sixteen-year-old girl already possessed some of the taciturn, aloof, and arrogant aura of a future mature woman.
"Oh, then what will Ryo do?"
Hayato sat back in his chair, curiously looking at the girl he still couldn't quite figure out.
Ryo leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her body slightly hunched. She wore a gentle smile, happily spinning her office chair slightly.
"Nijika will be up soon, if we do this…"
...Back to the present.
"What… what are you two doing?!"
Hearing Nijika's voice, Ryo looked at Nijika with teary eyes, appearing as if she had been bullied by Hayato.
"Nijika…"
She reached out to Nijika with a choked sob.
Nijika rushed over, turning to shield Ryo with her own body.
"Hayato-kun, don't bully Ryo!"
She cried out in annoyance.
"Well, Ryo was willing too."
Hayato smiled, seemingly unconcerned about making Nijika angry. He poked his head out and smiled at Ryo, who was behind Nijika.
Ryo glanced at Nijika, whose gaze had turned to her, and showed an expression that said, "What are you talking about?"
After Nijika looked away, as if sensing something was amiss, she looked at Hayato with a puzzled expression.
Meanwhile, Ryo secretly gave Hayato a faint smile.
Seeing Ryo's triumphant smile, Hayato was helpless.
Why did this fellow come up with this trick? It was as if she wanted Nijika to dislike him.
Could this still be considered controlling each other's weaknesses?
He stood up, not wanting to delve deeper into it here, and walked towards Nijika with a beaming smile.
"Eh, Hayato-kun, what are you doing?!"
Nijika, who had been in a protective stance, immediately cowered as Hayato approached, showing some fear and backing away.
"It's nothing bad."
Hayato smiled slyly, his eyes narrowing.
He quickly approached Nijika, placed his hands on her shoulders, and, amidst her flustered expression, pushed her towards the computer.
"Come listen to the song we made."
Nijika's expression relaxed a little upon hearing that. She grumbled,
"You're trying to gloss over it, aren't you?… Fine, but if the song is too weird, I won't agree to sing it, okay?"
But she still obediently let Hayato push her into the office chair and took the headphones he offered.
Watching Nijika put on the headphones, Hayato put on an adorably awkward smile in front of her and said,
"Nijika is truly an angel~"
Nijika's gaze turned much colder, and she sighed.
"Hayato-kun, are you taking me for a fool?"
Although she said that, she had an expression that showed she didn't intend to pursue the matter further, and she put on the headphones.
After watching Nijika click play on the song on the computer, Hayato smiled and gave a thumbs-up to Ryo, who inexplicably had a sighing expression behind him, showing a "mission accomplished" smile.
"Nijika is so easy to deal with…"
Ryo said this, but didn't notice Nijika's ears twitching slightly.
Hayato noticed that Nijika wasn't fully focused on the headphones, but he didn't say anything.
He wore a relaxed expression, as if his task was complete, and said to Ryo with a smile,
"So, from today on, we are accomplices."
"Mm."
Ryo nodded calmly. She looked at the man in front of her.
And then, she gradually understood the deeper meaning of his actions… "Let's make the Band strange together. Don't just run away inexplicably disappointed one day, okay?"
"You're younger than me, but you sure are bold to say that."
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Accomplice Sis."
Secretly adjusting the headphone volume, Nijika listened to their calm and harmonious conversation behind her, and she completely relaxed.
Afterward, she stopped caring what the two were saying, listened to the song, and picked up the timed lyrics on the table to glance at them.
But only for a moment.
Nijika's gaze froze, then she blinked several times in disbelief.
Behind her, the two noticed her movement and looked at her curiously.
Nijika suddenly took off her headphones and stood up abruptly, her face tense as if she couldn't bear it anymore, her fists clenched, and she shouted with full force,
"Seal this song away!!"
Hayato, mischievously, feigned a pitiful expression and pleaded loudly,
"No!"
Nijika, who usually compromised a bit, now firmly shouted without giving an inch,
"It absolutely must be sealed! Kessoku Band is not a Band that sings such songs!"
"Pfft."
Ryo watched Hayato, who clearly knew the song couldn't be sung but deliberately teased Nijika and kept pleading, and she let out a small laugh.
Just then, Nijika's pocket rang. She stopped arguing and took out her phone in surprise.
Hayato also stopped his playful teasing at the opportune moment.
Nijika looked at the caller ID, puzzled, "Sister?"
It was then that she suddenly remembered she hadn't replied to the two messages her sister had sent. She was about to quickly answer when
Hayato suddenly grabbed her hand, preventing her from answering the call.
Nijika looked at him, utterly bewildered.
Hayato pulled her arm and led her to the window, looking out from a discreet angle.
They saw a breathless Seika standing at Ryo's doorstep, her phone pressed to her ear, listening intently and anxiously.
Ryo, who had also quietly made her way over, showed an amused smile upon seeing Seika.
"Truly sisters."
Nijika froze, then stomped her foot hard as if furious.
"You two have such terrible personalities!"
...Finally, the group walked back to STARRY together.
However, Seika walked ahead like a lone wolf, while Hayato, Nijika, and Ryo walked behind.
Remembering Seika's astonished expression when they came out earlier, and how her face instantly flushed, then she pretended nothing was wrong and turned to walk away with a tsundere act,
Hayato couldn't stop smiling.
Meanwhile, the two girls beside him looked at the guy, full of mischievous ideas, with expressions of disdain.
Soon, Hayato had an idea.
He didn't give Nijika a chance to stop him, and with Ryo's amused smile, he skipped lightly forward.
He skipped to a stop beside Seika, his hands clasped behind his head, and leaned forward, looking at Seika's expressionless face.
He teased, "Oh, so the Manager is a sis-con? Well, with a cute sister like Nijika, it's only natural to be a sis-con."
"Even though I have a sister too, that girl is too silly, so I can't be a sis-con."
"Of course, with a sister as cute as Nijika, you'd worry about her wherever she goes."
"Especially since you're already a sis-con, right?"
"Sis-con." He looked up as if savoring the word, chewing on it in his mind with a dreamy expression.
He sighed, "How nice."
The two people behind them didn't hear Hayato's deliberately lowered voice.
They could only see Hayato saying something to Seika with a punchable expression, and as he spoke...
Seika first quickened her pace for two steps, but after failing to shake him off, she stopped.
She stood still, clenching her fists, her entire body trembling.
Finally, she let out a furious roar.
"Go die!!"
Then, as if going berserk, she charged at Hayato, and the two of them sprinted down the roads of Shimokitazawa, quickly disappearing from Nijika and Ryo-senpai's sight.
Nijika stared blankly at her sister's enraged state, a sight she had never witnessed before, unable to look away for a long time.
"What an incredible man."
Ryo-senpai said admiringly, while also deciding to ask Hayato later what exactly he had said to make Seika, who usually only spoke a few harsh words but had a very good temper, so angry.