"I...I'm sorry! Please, Hayato-kun, punish me for agreeing to work part-time and then trying to escape with such a despicable method!"
Hayato finished showering and was leisurely leaning back in his chair in his room, casually resting his elbow on the armrest, holding his phone, and tilting his head to listen.
He heard Bocchi's voice, full of remorse, on the other end of the phone, and a mental image of her small figure performing a proper dogeza appeared in his mind.
The image of the cute, pink Bocchi weakly cowering and kneeling, just thinking about it felt a little adorable.
Thinking of the amusing scene, he smiled and said in a gentle voice,
"No, I was just worried if Bocchi did anything dangerous. If she didn't want to go, I would still want to hear Bocchi say no directly."
Bocchi: "Ah..."
She let out a soft gasp, then fell silent for a long time.
Hayato waited patiently for her hesitation and internal struggle.
Only after a short while did she say with certainty,
"I...I can do it."
Hayato smiled and touched the half-finished textbook on his desk, saying to her:
"Then a liar has to swallow a thousand needles."
As he spoke, he heard a sound like she was fearfully swallowing her saliva on the other end, and said playfully:
"Just kidding, but I'll still ask your uncle to keep an eye on Bocchi later. Don't do anything to harm yourself."
Bocchi responded with a low, long hum.
"Mm..."
Then, the waveform representing their conversation suddenly became stable, with only faint, low-frequency signals continuously transmitting something.
Something sweet and soft.
After a long while, Hayato listened to her faint breathing and said with a nervous, pursed-lip voice,
"Alright then, see you tomorrow."
"Mm, see you tomorrow."
...Meanwhile, near a high school not too far from Hayato's home.
Several young people, who were still at school for club activities despite it being a holiday, were walking leisurely down the road.
Among this group were energetic and lively athletic youths, gloomy and taciturn otaku youths, and a tall, casually dressed youth with a menacing aura that gave off a delinquent vibe.
They were combined in a way that was somewhat perplexing.
"Hane, you're already keeping up with everyone's training plan now."
"Mm, but I'm still a bit unaccustomed to being all sweaty."
"You're too out of shape, kid! Even if you're an otaku, get out and run!"
"Haha..."
Watching them being boisterous, one of the youths suddenly said with worry:
"Speaking of which... Hayabusa-aniki suddenly ran off to another school without a word. It's been a month, and there hasn't been much activity... it's not like him."
The delinquent-like youth laughed wildly: "Haven't we already heard news of him conquering that school?"
"Conquering... don't use such a delinquent term."
"I don't care, Big Brother is the best, invincible, a god!"
The previously worried youth shook his head.
"I'm just curious why Hayabusa-aniki suddenly ran off when everyone else is at schools nearby. I always feel like he has some plan..."
"That's right... wouldn't it be better to change the world with us... Daigo's school seems to be in a bad situation..."
"No rush, we'll go over when they need help."
At this moment, a boy who was lagging behind, looking at his phone, suddenly shouted,
"Everyone! Come look, isn't this Big Brother?"
Immediately, all the teenagers curiously gathered around, and the small phone screen was filled with their staring eyes.
On a stage, at the edge of the lights, a handsome, confident young man of their age was playing the keyboard with a brilliant smile.
Even with their limited musical knowledge, they could tell that the song wasn't played too well.
But... the music seemed to carry a sense of unrestrained freedom that allowed one to relax and let go.
However, their attention wasn't here, but rather fixed on the blurry figure of the young man at the edge of the lights.
After a while, the delinquent youth said with certainty:
"It's Big Brother."
"Mm..."
After confirming, the few of them felt something strange in their hearts and were speechless for a moment.
The melancholic youth also clicked on his phone to search.
He found a more complete version.
After Hayato finished introducing the Band members, his declarative voice rang out by the street:
"And now, the rock that breaks loneliness is about to begin."
The young man was stunned for a moment, then looked at the others, and in their vaguely understanding yet seemingly uncomprehending expressions, he said,
"So that's how it is."
...The next morning, Hayato, as usual, bid a 'gentle' farewell to his family, greeted every neighbor he knew along the way, and cheerfully hummed a song as he headed to school.
Near the school, he had pretty good luck today, spotting a girl with a Guitar on her back, wearing a pink tracksuit with a skirt over her pants.
He quickly walked over, getting closer before greeting her.
"Bocchi, good morning."
Bocchi, who had been slightly wary upon feeling someone approaching quickly, immediately relaxed upon hearing that voice.
She turned her head, looking at Hayato with uneasy azure eyes, and slightly nodded her head.
"Good morning, Hayato."
After her response, Hayato looked her up and down a few times, then said with relief,
"Looks like you haven't done anything foolish again."
When Hayato said that, Bocchi immediately thought of the foolish thing she had done yesterday and instantly panicked.
"Ah..."
She immediately wanted to apologize, but was too nervous to speak for a moment.
"Ah... ah ah..."
She waved her hands helplessly, but just for a moment, Hayato grabbed her wrist. He changed the subject and asked again,
"So, have you decided to work part-time?"
Seeing the slightly serious Hayato, Bocchi, influenced by his mood, quickly regained her composure. She lowered her head, following him at a pace that kept up with his steps.
She said weakly, with some hesitation yet also determination,
"Nijika... also comforted me this morning. I... I will try my best."
After her first 'vocalization' of the day, Bocchi's speech became much more natural.
After she finished speaking, she felt as if she had given all the credit to Nijika, and quickly turned to Hayato, even leaning forward as if on tiptoes, raising her voice.
"But I still have to thank Hayato a lot, it's all because of..."
She hadn't finished her sentence when her gaze met Hayato's, who had been watching her, and she became speechless.
Seeing Bocchi's sudden glance at him, then her sudden fearful evasion and lowered expression, Hayato teased,
"Bocchi is so cute."
Immediately, Bocchi buried her head even deeper.
On the other side, Kita, who had noticed the two and was about to greet them, saw this scene from afar and held back the shout that was on the tip of her tongue... By lunchtime.
Feeling that the Band was almost waiting for her alone, Kita, accustomed to responding to others, eagerly took out her phone and messaged her 'mentor'.
"Gotou-san, can you practice with me during lunch break?"
As she typed on Line, Hayato passed by her, saw the words on her phone screen, and sighed.
"Such youth."
Kita, feeling mocked by this guy, snorted lightly and turned her phone in another direction.
Hayato smiled and didn't stop, leisurely walking past her.
Kita's peripheral vision watched him until he left the classroom.
But at this moment, Bocchi, who seemed to have no social activities and remained in full standby mode at school, immediately replied.
"Kita-chan, can we practice in the storeroom? If you come, please don't bring anyone else, and don't let anyone find out."
Kita's expression immediately froze when she saw the Line message.
Bocchi was talking about practicing Guitar, right?
Why did it feel so dangerous?
She looked at the door again; Hayato was already gone. Then she turned back to her phone, hesitated, and replied,
"Okay..."
Just as she sent the message, a girl, whose footsteps were hushed as she quickly moved through the corridor, received a notification on her phone in her pocket.
She stopped in a panic, leaning against the wall, and looked left and right, observing her surroundings. The students passing by only looked at her curiously when she caught their eye. After confirming that no one was continuously staring at her, she changed to a more furtive movement and ran towards her safe haven.
After Kita sent the message, she heard the Line notification sound from outside the classroom. She immediately understood, her gaze fixed on the classroom window.
Soon, she saw Bocchi stealthily yet quickly running through the corridor.
Looking in the direction she left, Kita remembered the place where she had found Bocchi last time. At the same time, she wondered… which way did Hayato-kun go just now?