After handing the signatures to the student council and officially establishing the Light Music Club, Rinto started making preparations with the other members.
Thanks to Kawakami-sensei, their homeroom teacher and new club advisor, they successfully obtained permission to use the music room, along with access to the piano and electronic keyboard already in the classroom.
Sakiko was instantly overjoyed, happily dashing over and claiming the piano bench.
Seeing her eager expression, even the Yoshizawa sisters were stunned:
"Togawa-san, you can play piano, too? You're amazing! And it looks so natural."
"I recognize this song—it's The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, right?"
It was a famous piece, and Sumire clapped gently in admiration.
Being praised like this made Sakiko slightly embarrassed, but it was obvious she was delighted.
"Kasumi-san, Sumire-san, since we're classmates of the same year, would you mind if we became closer and addressed each other by our first names directly?"
...Classmates? Closer? (๑•﹏•)
The twins were momentarily dazed by Sakiko's strangely formal and old-fashioned language, only managing to nod vaguely in agreement.
Even though the sisters came from a high-class family themselves—with a father who was a High Court judge, their lineage clearly rooted in the upper levels of society—the education and etiquette Sakiko had received was clearly on another level.
Anyway, Rinto cheerfully took out his bass:
"I didn't expect things to go this smoothly, so I think we don't need to set specific goals for the club right away. Let's all just have fun doing whatever makes us happy."
"Sakiko likes playing the piano, so after school, you can always come here and relax. As for me, I'm just a beginner with the bass, so I need lots of practice too."
"So Bocchi-chan, don't push yourself either. You don't have to come every day—honestly, we're probably just holding you back. Just feel free to do whatever you like here, no pressure, okay?"
"Ah...y-yes, yes!"
Hearing Rinto's words, Bocchi opened as usual with a panicked "Ah" and tightly hugged her guitar in nervousness.
She was definitely relieved to hear that there were no immediate goals or expectations.
But of course, Bocchi, who always overthought everything, immediately had second thoughts:
But then...won't that completely erase my existence, or even my identity?
Rinto-senpai is just starting to learn bass, Togawa-san came here to play piano...
And the gorgeous twin idols don't even play instruments yet—they're purely here to flirt and date…
…That means I'll be isolated! No one here will need me at all!
Bocchi instantly panicked into a meltdown, her consciousness separating violently from her physical form.
Though she had been forcibly dragged into this club, to be honest, once the fear subsided, excitement was taking its place.
After all, the entire reason she'd brought her guitar to school was precisely because she hoped someone might talk to her and become her friend.
And even though she was still terrified of this playboy senpai, convinced that he'd surely do awful things like kidnap her, abuse her, ruin her life, turn her into a disposable rag until she developed Stockholm Syndrome and wanted nothing more than to stay forever as his pet—only to be thrown away when he got bored, tossed into an alley dumpster as dog food...
Even then, Bocchi didn't dare—and didn't want—to leave.
He was the first person in her life who'd ever given her a nickname, a truly kind and caring senpai…
…If you don't make your move now, when will you?!
This might be the only chance you ever get to make friends in your entire life, Bocchi!!
"Ah—i-i-if, if you don't mind, I could hewp you pway bawss (teach senpai to play bass)!" (' >ω<)
Since it had been so long since she last spoke loudly, Bocchi unsurprisingly lost control of her volume and bit her tongue hard.
Her voice came out like a desperate scream, startling the other girls, who couldn't even understand what she'd said.
Only Rinto noticed her trembling like a frightened animal and smiled warmly:
"You can teach me, Bocchi? Do you not only play guitar but bass too?"
"Ah… n-no, I've never really played bass before… But I heard many musical principles carry over… If you show me the textbook, maybe I can help explain some of the concepts or something…"
This was a lie.
Ever since middle school, when Gotoh Hitori desperately practiced guitar for six hours every day to finally make friends and become popular, she'd also obsessively read through textbooks for many other instruments.
Though she lacked the resources and conditions to actually learn piano, she'd prepared all this knowledge purely in the hope that someday she could use it to start conversations with potential friends.
So while she was too nervous to admit it openly, she actually had considerable confidence in being able to teach Rinto bass—at least as an assistant.
This was absolutely perfect.
Rinto immediately approached and took Bocchi's hand again: "Thanks so much, Bocchi—you're amazing!"
"You're truly my (our club's) treasure, I promise I'll cherish you properly!"
"(๑• - •)..."
Bocchi looked up at Rinto's dazzling, wholesome smile, and visibly drained of color once again, burning away into pure-white ash.
The Yoshizawa twins immediately cuddled her from both sides, affectionately protecting their new Bocchi-chan:
"Rinto-nii~! You can't unleash your full power like that on our precious Bocchi-chan! She's delicate; you need to savor her gently and let her get used to the environment first, okay?"
"Just like adopting a cat, you have to wait patiently until she adapts to the room's scent before you can pet her. You absolutely can't rush into doing her yet! Don't worry—you'll get to have your way eventually, Senpai, but for now, stay back!"
Rinto: "Ah, sorry… Wait, Sumire, what did you just say? Could you repeat that, please?"
There's no way my pure, sweet kouhai would say something that vulgar—absolutely impossible!
Convinced he must've misheard, Rinto obediently sat down in a corner, opening up the textbook Yamada Ryo-sensei had given him and began studying quietly on his own.
The Yoshizawa twins, meanwhile, were happily busying themselves molding the melted Bocchi like clay, squeezing her and playing around, clearly having the time of their lives—Rinto couldn't help but envy them a bit.
Sakiko had already burst into laughter, slumped over the piano and unable to stand, making Rinto want to poke her waist teasingly.
"…No matter how deep her grievances run, she's still just a teenage girl in the end, huh?"
Seeing Sakiko display such innocent, carefree joy befitting her age, Rinto smiled along happily, feeling completely satisfied.