Uh-oh.
The moment he saw the change in Ryo's eyes, Haru sensed something was off.
Ryo had already made it clear when they laid everything on the table: she wanted him to break things off with all the other girls. So of course she wouldn't be in a good mood seeing the stray cat snuggle up to him like that. What was truly unnerving, though, was that she didn't say a single word.
Yamada Ryo simply gave the cat a cold glance, then lowered her eyes and returned to her usual languid and elegant demeanor, as if that flicker of intensity had never existed at all.
But Haru knew full well that he hadn't imagined that look.
She was probably planning to settle this later.
Maybe she even guessed what he was thinking just from the way he looked at her. The next second, the corners of Ryo's lips curved into a faint, subtle smile. She leaned her cheek into her hand and nonchalantly glanced back in Raana's direction.
And without the slightest hesitation, she spoke with her tone carrying a subtle weight.
"So, she's one of your targets, too?"
Haru: ?
Whoa, hey now. That's really not something you just blurt out like that.
That seemingly innocuous question from Yamada Ryo would only make sense to someone in the know.
What she really meant, of course, was whether the stray cat was also one of Haru's "harem" candidates.
After their confrontation, Ryo had learned everything about the harem situation. She knew Haru liked multiple people at once. What shocked him now wasn't that she knew about Raana's infatuation, it was that she actually said it out loud.
It was like the word "tact" didn't even exist in this woman's vocabulary.
At least Haru had never seen her use it.
"One of the targets? What does that mean?"
Nijika tilted her head, looking puzzled. Her vivid ruby-red eyes were clearly filled with confusion. She looked over at Ryo for clarity, only to find the girl back in her composed, unreadable state.
Haru watched her switch faces faster than a Flying Thunder God jutsu and couldn't help the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"Ah! Nijika-senpai, come to think of it, shouldn't we get to the main topic now?"
Quick on her feet, Kita Ikuyo beamed with that sunny, youthful smile of hers and casually steered the conversation away.
She was one of the few who understood the weight behind Ryo's words, perhaps the only other person besides Haru. Kita didn't even have time to be surprised. Her instincts kicked in, and she immediately tried to deflect and smooth things over.
Because she knew what Yamada Ryo was like.
That strange, blunt personality of hers could absolutely drop something outrageous in front of everyone without blinking. It wouldn't be out of character at all.
Nijika merely arched one delicate eyebrow. Perceptive as she was, she immediately sensed the nervous energy behind Kita's smile, which led her to suspect that something was being kept from her.
Still, after a moment's thought, she chose not to press the issue. Instead, she smiled brightly and followed Kita's lead.
"Kita-chan is right! Since we're all here, I'd like to start with some good news."
"Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Minister of Social Media, Kita-chan, the band's blog has just surpassed fifty thousand followers!"
Clad in her pale green cardigan, Nijika raised a fair hand from her sleeve and flashed a radiant, full-energy smile. Everyone couldn't help but clap in response.
Kita, the angel herself, smiled modestly, but pride gleamed on her face. For a band that had only recently debuted, getting over fifty thousand followers was astonishing.
Especially considering blog followings were usually made up of real people. These were legitimate, valuable numbers.
The Tokyo Dome only held fifty-five thousand people. That meant Kessoku Band had already become a Tokyo Dome-sized band.
"The biggest boost came from that Summer Festival live. Even though we were newcomers, we performed alongside SIDEROS and held our own, maybe even surpassed expectations. That really drew attention to us!"
"We've come this far… which means we're already at the popularity level of pro bands!"
"At this rate, it won't be long before a record label invites us to make an album! Our video views are rising too, once Haru and Ryo write the new song, we can even shoot an MV..."
With her golden side ponytail swaying, Nijika put her hands on her hips and rocked side to side, unable to hide her overflowing excitement.
If she'd had cat ears, they'd probably be twitching with joy. Even Kita joined in, fired up about the band's future.
But Kazami Haru noticed that Yamada Ryo's eyes never left him.
The blue-haired girl tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and stared at him with those lazy, elegant golden eyes, half-lidded and unreadable, as if she was trying to see right through him.
Then her lips curled slightly. She mouthed something silently.
"..."
Haru squinted, trying to read her lips and caught one character.
[Virgin]
Stiff. Everything stiffened.
You trash woman, you really don't know when to quit. Just wait till I deal with you later.
"Hmph."
Ryo's narrowed golden eyes glinted with amusement at the look on Haru's face. But her smile quickly vanished, returning to her usual detached calm as her mind replayed images from that festival live.
A flicker of something strange stirred behind her eyes.
The band meeting didn't last much longer. After Nijika shared a few more thoughts about the group's future, things began to wind down.
Since Haru had other matters to attend to, he left first. The ever-unpredictable stray cat simply followed him. That left the remaining four members of Kessoku Band behind at STARRY. With time to spare, Nijika had planned to take everyone to a nearby music store.
But then, out of nowhere, the usually quiet Ryo opened her mouth.
"Ikuyo… you like Haru, don't you?"
"Eh?"
Yamada Ryo, who usually joked around and never acted serious, suddenly dropped an emotional bomb, deadpan and without warning. The words froze Nijika in place before she could even respond.
She hadn't expected Ryo to be this blunt.
"Um…?"
Wait, you can just ask that out loud?
Even Hitori Gotoh, standing at the edge of the group, was stunned.
Sure, Bocchi had already picked up that everyone in the band liked Haru. But this kind of thing was supposed to stay unspoken. Even if everyone knew, no one was supposed to say it!
And if you had to bring it up, couldn't you at least do it more gently?
Why straight-up ask in front of everyone?!
"I…"
Kita Ikuyo was flustered, caught off guard. She still felt a trace of instinctive nervousness around Ryo-senpai.
Maybe she was thinking about how Ryo had just tested Haru earlier. That memory lingered, making her hesitate. But Ryo didn't say another word. She just stood there, completely serious.
This wasn't her usual self. This wasn't a joke. She was genuinely asking.
That made Kita look up at her earnestly.
So Ryo-senpai does know how Haru feels.
If this had been a month ago, Kita would've laughed it off and dodged the question somehow.
But she wasn't the same person anymore. Those feelings she'd bottled up for so long had been pushed to their limit. She and Haru had already confirmed how they felt about each other. She was no longer unsure.
"Ryo-senpai… if you're asking whether I like Haru—"
Kita Ikuyo drew a deep breath. Her face, usually full of sunshine, was now calm and serious. The change made Ryo frown slightly. Then Kita raised her eyes, ready to let everything out.
"My answer is: I do!"
"I've liked him for a long, long, long time!"
She'd always tried so hard to hide it from Ryo-senpai. But now, she answered with conviction. She'd liked Haru longer than anyone. Just being beside him gave her the strength to do anything.
Even something as simple as a pat on the head from him made her feel deeply, completely loved.
She used to be afraid, afraid that Kazami Haru wouldn't accept her, afraid that he no longer liked her, afraid that her eager, yearning heart would only make him uncomfortable, afraid that she wouldn't even be able to remain friends with him.
But now, at last, she had the courage to say everything she felt out loud.
Hiss...
Hitori Gotoh stared at Kita in shock, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.
Was this really the same Kita Ikuyo who only ever dared to harbor a secret crush, who could barely show affection in private? Now she was confidently answering Ryo's question face-to-face? This was practically a direct declaration of war against Yamada Ryo!
Wait, was this even the real Kita? Had someone swapped her out?
"I see. I like Haru too."
Ryo, watching Kita respond so directly, showed a hint of surprise in her eyes.
But for her, it was only a hint. No matter what Kita said, she had always intended to answer honestly herself.
"Hold on, Kita-chan… and Ryo too, can you both calm down a little?!"
Sensing the danger, Nijika hurried to intervene in a gentle voice, hoping to smooth things over before things escalated.
Two band members openly confessing feelings for the same person in the middle of a meeting, this was textbook material for "how to break up a band." Nijika couldn't just sit and let it happen.
"You don't need to worry, Nijika. Both Ikuyo and I are perfectly calm."
Ryo responded with her usual laid-back tone, glancing over at Nijika before turning her gaze back to Kita.
Meeting Kita's anxious eyes, Ryo continued at her own pace. "Ikuyo, you know who Haru likes now, don't you?"
The question stunned all three of them into silence.
Everyone had been secretly wondering about Haru's feelings. So when Ryo asked it aloud, even Nijika (who was trying to mediate) couldn't help but look over at Kita.
Feeling so many eyes on her, Kita furrowed her brows slightly. Her fiery red hair swayed as she clenched her small fists tightly by her sides.
She did know the answer… but she didn't know how to say it.
Because the truth was, Haru didn't just like one person.
"I… I don't know."
Perhaps expecting that answer, Ryo didn't so much as flinch.
"…Then let me tell you."
Ryo's golden eyes locked onto Kita's nervous expression. She pointed at herself without hesitation, then made a slow motion in the air with her finger before anyone could react.
"What does that mean?"
Nijika tilted her head, confused. She clearly had no idea what Ryo was trying to say.
Only Kita's expression shifted slightly. She suddenly realized what Ryo was about to reveal.
"Haru likes more than one person."
"Eh… Eh?!"
Nijika froze completely, the words crashing into her like a wave.
The sheer weight of the revelation stunned her into silence. Meanwhile, Bocchi, strangely enough, was handling it with surprising calm. Her gaze darted around awkwardly, unsure where to look.
Because she already knew.
Bocchi had already made a pact with Takamatsu Tomori, they were "comrades," after all. The plan from the beginning was to get Haru to date everyone. So Ryo's confession didn't shock her much.
What did surprise her was that Haru himself apparently actually agreed to the idea.
She thought it would take forever to get him to budge. But now?
Wait… that means she could go after him now, right?
Haru definitely liked her!
In her dreams, she was a legendary conqueror of hearts. If she just took a step forward now, she could totally win him over!
Of course, Yamada Ryo had no idea what kind of delusions Bocchi was lost in. She turned expressionlessly to Nijika, who still hadn't recovered, and for a brief moment, a flicker of emotion passed through her eyes.
Still, she pressed on, cool as ever.
"Nijika. You're one of Haru's harem targets too."
"Me?!"
Nijika's face turned bright red in an instant. She looked completely lost, covering her cheeks with both hands like a girl freshly fallen in love. Steam practically puffed out from the top of her head.
Even the most cheerful, energetic angel couldn't keep her composure now.
"N-no way! Haru wouldn't like me... You're just messing with me, right, Ryo?!"
But Ryo only shook her head.
Her response made Nijika's voice tremble. "B-but, that's just too much, right? I mean… this is too crazy!"
It was too sudden, too overwhelming.
Ryo had just declared that Haru liked more than one girl and wanted to date several of them at once.
Unlike the now-scattered-brained Nijika. Kita, who still managed to stay somewhat grounded, frowned and questioned Ryo.
"Ryo-senpai, is there a reason you're telling us this now? What are you planning to do?"
"I'm just letting you know. What you do with that information is up to you."
Ryo's pale golden eyes swept across the room. Having said everything she came to say, she let out a small yawn and glanced at the time as if suddenly remembering something.
"I've got other things to take care of, so I'll be leaving now."
With a casual wave, she turned and walked away, leaving the girls in stunned silence.
Nijika had no idea what to say anymore. She looked at Kita, still frowning in deep thought, and Bocchi, who seemed strangely spaced out.
This was way too much to take in.
But she was the leader of Kessoku Band. In a moment like this, she had to take responsibility. Drawing in a breath, she forced a gentle smile and spoke with as much warmth as she could muster.
"Anyway, why don't we all just go home and get some rest for now?"
Even though her mind was more chaotic than anyone's, she couldn't let it show.
"You're right. In that case, Nijika-senpai… Bocchi and I will head out too."
Kita let out a long, conflicted sigh. She had never expected things to blow up like this.
She still had no idea what Ryo's intentions really were. What was she supposed to do now?
Once Kita and Bocchi had disappeared up the STARRY staircase, Nijika quietly closed the front door behind them.
Then, finally, she let out a long, deep sigh.
Her body slumped slightly as she leaned against the door.
Her vivid, ruby-red eyes seemed to gaze through the walls up at the sky. Even the little golden dorito on her head trembled slightly.
Her mind was still in total disarray.
"What am I going to do?"
She whispered the words, her heart pounding in her chest.