Saying "it didn't stir up much buzz overnight" wasn't exactly accurate—but it was true that the view count didn't skyrocket until the following morning.
As mentioned before, Kessoku Band was riding a wave of popularity.
First, the collapse of Ges Band due to public backlash pushed Kessoku Band into the spotlight.
Many thought they would be buried under the controversy, but against all odds, suki-san turned things around with a single song.
Then came the collaboration with Fireworks, and their performance of "Uchiage Hanabi" completely solidified their reputation—earning them a flood of new fans.
Because of this, any topic related to suki-san or Kessoku Band carried instant heat.
Naturally, fan-edited clips of Kessoku Band's special live performance yesterday also rode that wave.
Most of the videos focused on the duet version of "Uchiage Hanabi", while others featured their live version of "Loser" or segments from the post-performance interview.
But curiously, the video that shot up to #1 on N-site's trending chart wasn't about any of those.
Its title was odd and gave no obvious hint it was related to Aoki Kei or Kessoku Band at all:
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[Short Edit: She looked at him, and then the fireworks bloomed.]
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Unlike most quick fan edits, this video was crafted more like a MAD-style tribute, with striking editing quality.
It was just two minutes long—but surprisingly polished.
As for the content…
The video began with a black screen, followed by the soft instrumental intro of Uchiage Hanabi, and a clear close-up of Kita Ikuyo singing onstage—likely filmed from one of the front rows, given the high resolution.
As the intro ended and the lyrics began, the video transitioned into a series of flashbacks.
First: a shot of Kita glancing warily toward host Fushimi Akiue during the interview.
Then: a brief moment of her stealing a glance at Aoki Kei when no one else seemed to notice.
Finally, the video returned to Kita performing onstage. As the chorus neared…
The scene softened for a moment—and right as Aoki Kei and Kita sang the line "With a pop, the light bursts forth"—
Kita turned her head and looked toward Aoki Kei.
...
The video was short, but it carried a powerful atmosphere.
The editing was exceptional—both the timing and effects were flawlessly executed.
It climbed to the top of N-site's trending chart. And by morning, the comment section was flooded.
Thanks to the introductions during the previous day's interview, viewers could now easily recognize all the band members. And what they had to say...
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[This was their first public performance. If this is how it starts, imagine what's coming next! Too good to not ship!]
[Did you see the way Kita-san looked at suki-san? That's not nothing. That's... dreamy teenage feelings!]
[This is what I'm here for! You could already sense something in that group selfie from the other day.
But hold on, on this video didn't even include the part where Nijika also glared at the host and kept sneaking glances at suki-san.
And then there's that other video where the bassist literally dragged suki-san off stage—hello?! This is a love triangle! A love triangle!!]
[C'mon, they just exchanged glances. That doesn't mean much. Holding hands like the bassist did before—that's real.]
[Blasphemy. Get outta here.]
[The editing is so damn good!]
[Not even a Kita fan, but her expressions are more shippable than either the bassist or Nijika. Fight me.]
[Guys, this is a band! Why are we all hyper-fixated on their glances and vibes?! ...But yeah, isn't there a radio broadcast coming up? I'm hyped.]
[Speaking of which, you can already send questions to the broadcast mailbox. With all this going on... we have to submit something about this.]
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The comments were all over the place.
If Aoki Kei were to see them, he'd probably wear the same bewildered look as an old man staring at his phone on the subway.
He wouldn't understand how fans were drawing so many wild conclusions from just a few fleeting expressions.
Luckily, Aoki remained completely unaware of all this.
He didn't use N-site regularly, so even though the video had exploded in popularity, he had no clue it existed.
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Meanwhile, he was focused on something else entirely—getting ready for school.
October 12th, 8:00 a.m.
Clear skies, though the air was brisk.
Some students, excited for the new term, welcomed the fine weather.
Others, dreading the return, probably wished it were raining.
Now that the break was over, Shuchiin Private High allowed students to wear long-sleeved jackets.
Wearing a lightweight autumn coat, Aoki Kei once again stepped onto the infamous uphill path—the one rumored to make girls' legs look thicker.
And just as expected—something unexpected happened.
As soon as he started climbing the hill, a familiar voice called out:
"Morning, Aoki."
It was Hikigaya Hachiman.
Yawning, Aoki turned toward the voice.
But what he saw wasn't quite what he expected.
Instead of the usual tired-eyed high schooler pushing a bike uphill, he was first met with the face of a lively younger girl, who looked a bit like Hikigaya—but way more energetic.
He blinked in surprise, then quickly pieced it together.
Hikigaya Komachi. Must be his little sister.
And sure enough, behind her was Hikigaya Hachiman, the one who'd actually called out but hadn't spoken since.
At the same time...
Komachi, who was walking opposite Aoki, had also stopped in her tracks.
She glanced at her brother, then back at Aoki, scanning him up and down as if to confirm something.
After several seconds, she turned to her brother and muttered in a half-whisper:
"Onii-chan… I think I'm hallucinating. I just saw suki-san, the internet celeb, standing right in front of me."
Hikigaya Hachiman twitched.
And Aoki Kei, who had very clearly heard everything—since the "whisper" wasn't particularly quiet—also twitched.
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