By the time Aoki returned to his apartment after dinner, it was already 5:20 p.m.
The sky hadn't fully darkened yet, but a soft red hue had begun to stretch across the horizon.
He'd grabbed a pork cutlet rice bowl from a nearby eatery.
It wasn't anything special in terms of flavor, but it was cheap and the service was fast—good enough.
With some time to spare after getting back, Aoki started tidying up his room, his thoughts inevitably drifting.
He hadn't continued the conversation with Nijika after getting off the train.
Her attitude had been a bit strange, but since she was asking for help with something he could handle, he really had no reason to turn her down.
They had agreed to meet the day after tomorrow—August 23rd, around 10 a.m., in front of the Shibuya music store Neiro.
That place was burned into his memory.
It was where he bought his very first guitar—personally picked out by Ryo-san.
Great tone, excellent value, and sleek design.
He had to admit, Ryo really knew her stuff when it came to instruments...
As he tied up the garbage bag, his thoughts wandered again.
Thinking about Ryo inevitably brought back the awkward memories from that day at her house.
Honestly, that incident had been gnawing at him for days.
Lately, they hadn't spoken at all—not even made eye contact.
Their interactions had become even more uncomfortable than when they'd first met.
'I seriously need to apologize properly.'
That thought had been sitting in his mind for a while now.
But when it came down to actually acting on it—walking up to her, initiating a proper apology, he couldn't help but hesitate.
It was such a weird situation, hard to explain, and he had no idea how to even approach Ryo anymore.
Her behavior was just... odd.
Even if she yelled at him, at least that would be better than this silence and eye-dodging nonsense.
It was frustrating.
He kept telling himself to let it play out naturally, but deep down he knew this wasn't something he could just ignore.
'Maybe I should just get it over with after helping out Nijika...'
Resolved, at least temporarily, Aoki finished wiping down the table and drew the curtains closed.
It was about 5:40 p.m.
Originally, this part of summer break was supposed to be when he'd start giving Kita intensive training—not just in vocals, but also guitar technique.
But earlier today, she had messaged him saying something had come up at home, and she needed to delay the start of their sessions until tomorrow.
It was short notice, but since it was a personal matter, and only a one-day delay, Aoki didn't ask too many questions.
He simply replied with a: "No problem."
Even so, he couldn't help feeling something was off.
Back before summer break started, he'd already noticed Kita seemed... distracted.
She had asked if they could pause their lunchtime guitar practices, citing scheduling issues.
At the time, he'd agreed without pushing for details.
Then about a week ago, during the group dinner—when he'd asked her to be the lead vocalist—she had hesitated again, saying something vague about not having enough time.
So yeah, something was definitely bothering her.
But whatever it was, it didn't seem like a major issue—at least not right now—so he pushed it to the back of his mind.
No point dwelling on questions with no answers. Better to focus on what's next.
Funny how summer break felt more hectic than the school term.
Between preparing for Uchiage Hanabi, having to carve out time to discuss contracts with Niijima Yusuke, and the near-daily band rehearsals, his schedule was packed.
Add in voice and guitar coaching for Kita, helping out Nijika the day after tomorrow, and still finding time to apologize to Ryo...
Then there was choosing tracks for Kessoku Band's album, and figuring out how to level up the band's skills in a short span—so they could truly impress listeners when Fireworks aired with a perfect rendition of Uchiage Hanabi.
Working a part-time job? Out of the question.
Even if he managed to find time, he wouldn't have the energy.
Still, despite the craziness, Aoki found himself feeling... fulfilled.
Compared to when he was juggling three part-time jobs a week just to get by, this felt like a breeze.
That said, his study time had definitely taken a hit.
He thought back to two months ago—before joining Kessoku Band.
Back then, he had all these goals mapped out.
It felt like forever ago, but when he really thought about it... it had only been two months.
With the curtains closed, the room had dimmed.
Still lost in thought, he flipped on the light and grabbed a book from his desk—a copy of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya that he hadn't touched since cramming for finals.
Drifting between summer plans and daydreams, he eventually opened the book and started reading again, trying to make use of the quiet evening.
By 9 p.m., his eyes were starting to sting.
He didn't force it—just closed the book, got ready for bed, and called it a night.
———————————————————————
The next day, August 22.
Aoki woke up early.
To clear his head, he went for a morning jog.
Then he spent the rest of the morning reading and listening to radio shows on his phone.
He had a bento lunch, practiced at the livehouse in the afternoon, and around 6 p.m., stayed behind to give Kita her rescheduled one-on-one training.
They wrapped up after about an hour—mostly because Kita's parents had called.
On the way back home, he grabbed some ramen for dinner.
Day two of summer break passed without incident.
Then came August 23rd.
At 7 a.m., while he was still brushing his teeth, Aoki got a message from Nijika.