In Tokyo, around 9 PM.
Nijika lay on her bed, wide awake and feeling just a little bored. With nothing better to do, she idly scrolled through her phone.
For who-knows-what time now, she tapped once again on that PV from the vinyl record label about a rock band project, letting it play while she stared at the screen in a daze.
The video was halfway through when her phone suddenly buzzed.
A message.
She opened LINE to see two new messages from Kita Ikuyo:
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[Kita Kita]: Nijika-senpai, Ryo-senpai and Aoki-senpai seem really close. Do you know if there's something going on between them?
I'm super curious! If it's something you can't talk about, that's okay. Thank you, Nijika-senpai!
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Reading the messages snapped Nijika right out of her idle thoughts.
"Really close"?"Something going on"?
She read Kita's texts again, more carefully this time, but still found them… vague.
No—more than vague, they were suspicious.
Was Kita implying that Ryo and Aoki had some kind of secret relationship? Like... romantic?
Nijika frowned slightly.
'But that's probably me overthinking it. There's no way Ryo and Aoki-senpai are involved romantically… right?'
Still, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
She hovered her fingers over her phone screen, typing and deleting several different drafts:
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[Kita-chan, by 'something going on,' do you mean… romantically? (deleted)
[Kita-chan, what do you mean by 'really close'? Like how close, exactly? (deleted)
[I'm not too sure myself. When you say they're close… do you mean in a dating kind of way? (deleted)
[Wait—are they dating?! (deleted)
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She hesitated over and over, writing and rewriting, but in the end… didn't send anything.
The question lingered in her mind. Why had Kita brought this up so suddenly? It bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
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Meanwhile, on the other side…
Kita Ikuyo stared at the "read" notification on LINE.
It had been five minutes, and Nijika still hadn't replied.
She was just about to type out a cautious "Nijika-senpai, are you still there?" when suddenly Nijika finally responded:
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[Nijika-senpai]: I'm not really sure either… but Kita-chan, what exactly do you mean by 'something going on'?
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Deleting her half-typed question, Kita paused for a moment to gather her thoughts.
Then she replied:
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[You don't know either? I mean like… Ryo-senpai and Aoki-senpai could be dating.
Or maybe they're not, but they're flirting, or just super close friends… something like that.
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Dating? Flirting? Super close friends?
Nijika blinked, stunned.
She had never considered that possibility—never even imagined it.
That her long-time friend might have something like that going on with Aoki Kei… and without her knowing?
But then again…
'Maybe Kita's just misreading things. After all, she barely knows Ryo… or Aoki-senpai.'
So Nijika quickly typed another message:
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[Maybe it's just a misunderstanding? I just can't imagine Ryo and Aoki-senpai being like that… ]
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A few seconds after hitting send, Kita responded again:
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[Kita Kita]: It's not a misunderstanding! Aoki-senpai invited Ryo-senpai out to eat the other day.
And right before we went to the live house, the two of them were saying some really weird things.
And today, Aoki-senpai called Ryo-senpai by her first name, and she didn't even mind!
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"..."
Nijika went quiet, staring at the message. A strange feeling stirred inside her.
Now that she thought about it…
Ryo had been the one to come up with "Suki-san" as Aoki's YouTube name. And she'd even helped him pick out a guitar before.
And now, Kita was adding more details that… kind of did sound like something.
Nijika shook her head quickly, trying to dismiss the thoughts.
'Stop overthinking. Even if Ryo is into Aoki-senpai, that's not a bad thing.'
'He's a good guy. Maybe he could help her chill out a bit.'
But… she also worried that he might spoil Ryo too much.
Gripping her phone a little tighter without realizing, Nijika tried to brush away the strange feeling in her chest.
She was just about to type out a reply to Kita—when another message came in:
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[Kita Kita]: If Nijika-senpai doesn't know either… then how about this: let's form a Love Detective Squad!
Next time, we can investigate Ryo-senpai and Aoki-senpai together!
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"..."
Nijika's first instinct was to say no.
This wasn't the kind of thing she usually got involved in.
But the strange curiosity brewing in her chest… and that little ache she couldn't explain… were pulling her in.
After a moment of hesitation, she made her choice.
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[Okay, Kita-chan. ]
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With a slightly guilty look on her face—part hesitation, part mischief—Nijika hit send.
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Meanwhile Aoki Kei and Yamada Ryou were completely unaware of what had just happened.
And so, amidst all the misunderstandings, Aoki Kei's weekend passed peacefully.
When Monday comes, it was back to the usual school routine.
He had a weird lunch—some kind of mapo tofu rice bowl hybrid.
In the afternoon, since the teacher was going over things he already knew, Aoki spent the entire class reviewing French vocabulary.
Eventually, the final bell rang.
It was only Monday, so there was no reason to waste thirty chilly, soul-sapping minutes in that icy dungeon known as the Service Club.
He packed up his guitar and books and headed out, planning to take the train straight to STARRY.
But then— Just two steps into the hallway, he ran straight into Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Oh! Aoki, just the person I was hoping to see. Come on, I need a hand."
Hiratsuka-sensei spotted him immediately.
Her tone was that familiar "I didn't need your help, but since you're here, I'm dragging you in anyway" kind of casual coercion.
After badmouthing her just last week, Aoki Kei still felt a bit awkward facing his beloved Shizuka-sensei.
So he instinctively took a step back, shouldered his guitar, and tried a polite escape:
"Uh, Hiratsuka-sensei, I've got something I need to do after this…"
But there was no fooling her. She could see straight through him.
That "something" was obviously a paper-thin excuse.
Hiratsuka gave him a very sweet smile—the kind that sends chills down your spine and said, "Aoki... you know, I haven't even brought up what you said last week yet. But if you help me out today... maybe I'll let it slide."
If the genders were reversed, everything about her tone would scream creepy middle-aged scumbag teacher.
Thankfully, Hiratsuka Shizuka was still a dazzling beauty, even closing in on 30.
Aoki really wanted to snap back with something like, "Even if you're desperate, Sensei, hitting on minors is still very much illegal", but considering he still hadn't atoned for last week's "sins," he kept that thought internal.
With a silent sigh, he nodded his agreement.
Hiratsuka's face lit up with a strange, radiant "that's my good boy" smile—part nurturing, part terrifying—and she led him off toward the faculty office.
And that's where he saw Hikigaya Hachiman standing stiffly beside Hiratsuka's desk.
'Oh, a fellow soldier in this war,' Aoki thought, shooting him a look that roughly translated to: 'We suffer together, comrade.'
Hikigaya, thanks to his ever-deadpan eyes, seemed to reply: 'What did she get you for?'
Aoki interpreted that as a deeply personal question, likely tinged with judgment.
Just as he was about to continue this silent exchange, Hiratsuka clapped her hands together and declared:
"It's not too troublesome, but... well, it's still kind of annoying. Anyway! Aoki, you're in charge of escorting Hikigaya."
Aoki blinked.
And Hikigaya froze.
He stared at Aoki in utter betrayal.
The "we're in this together" vibe vanished instantly.
Aoki could practically read his expression now:
"You traitor! You're with her then!!"
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