There were only about three weeks left before KL Studio's submission deadline for their open call project.
Technically, there was still enough time—but whether or not to avoid Imai Takashi was no longer a question worth considering.
If Kessoku Band wanted to perform I Once Thought About Ending It All perfectly, two weeks simply wouldn't cut it.
Even with three weeks, Aoki felt the time was still a little tight.
But with the deadline looming, there was nothing more he could do.
Still, three weeks would be enough for Kessoku Band to master the song to a high level.
They might not deliver a flawless performance, but given their current skill, they could absolutely reach something outstanding.
And now…
Aoki had already made up his mind about which song to choose.
All that was left was to tell the other members of Kessoku Band.
Normally, the girls of Kessoku Band would set aside time in the afternoon to practice at STARRY.
Aoki wasn't always around, but if he wanted to meet them, all he had to do was head to the livehouse in the afternoon.
Forming a plan in his head, Aoki mentally summoned the Love Obstruction Simulation Game, opened the points shop, and redeemed the sheet music for I Once Thought About Ending It All.
By now, it was already eleven o'clock.
He hadn't eaten lunch yet, so he stepped out and made his way to the convenience store…
He bought a cheap bento for lunch at the convenience store and ate it quickly.
After a short nap, he left his apartment at three in the afternoon and set off for STARRY.
Having just returned from Kyoto, he had brought back a pile of local specialties.
Since he would be seeing the girls later, he decided to bring them along.
A ten-minute train ride later, he arrived at Shimokitazawa Station—a place he hadn't visited in a while.
Exiting the station, he walked down the familiar street until STARRY came into view.
He pushed the door open, and immediately, a familiar voice reached his ears.
Lazy and a little nonchalant—it was the voice of the store manager, Ijichi Seika.
"Sorry, we're not open yet. Please come back after six."
No doubt, she hadn't even looked up before saying it.
"Good afternoon, Manager," Aoki replied, ignoring the brush-off.
His voice had a distinct clarity, with a cool undertone that left a strong impression.
Hearing it, Ijichi Seika froze for a moment behind the bar, then looked up.
Noticing it really was Aoki, she raised an eyebrow.
"Well, well. Look who's back. A rare guest," she said, a faint teasing note in her tone.
Aoki hesitated briefly but didn't take the bait. "Ah… yeah. I just got back from Kyoto and brought some local treats."
As he spoke, he walked over to the bar, pulling out part of the stash he'd brought. "These are matcha strawberry cakes—I thought they might suit your taste."
From what he remembered, Seika's tastes were similar to his own—fond of sweets, perhaps even more so than he was.
Her mood visibly brightened, though she still put on a show of denial.
"At my age… I'm not that into sweets. But, well, since you already bought them…"
Aoki didn't comment further and instead asked where Nijika and the others were.
When she told him they were in the recording room, he simply nodded, grabbed his things, and headed there.
Pushing the door open, he saw the girls practicing their previous song, 'If We Could Become a Constellation.'
The moment they noticed him, they all stopped playing.
"Good afternoon, Kei-senpai!" Kita greeted brightly.
"Yo," he replied, greeting Nijika, Bocchi, and Ryo in turn.
After that, he set down the bag he'd been carrying all the way.
"I brought some Kyoto souvenirs—matcha sweets, good luck sakura bells… Oh, and Kita, here's the enmusubi charm you wanted."
Since he'd bought a lot of sweets, he didn't bother dividing them up—better to let the girls choose for themselves.
They swarmed over immediately.
"Ah… it's the same sakura bell Nijika bought!"
"So many sweets!"
"Oh! Bocchi-chan, look—this little matcha dumpling is adorable!"
"B-being eaten would be so sad though…"
Bocchi stared at the dumpling, empathizing with its slime-like appearance.
While the others picked their treats, Aoki picked up his guitar, absentmindedly strumming a few notes as his thoughts drifted.
Once they were done, he finally spoke.
"It's been about a month since we last performed Fireworks. A few days ago, I got a message from director Nagano Masami—"
"KL Studio has produced a short animation, and they're looking for a theme song. They're holding a large-scale submission contest with a hefty prize…"
The girls quieted as soon as he began speaking.
After a brief pause, Nijika asked, "So… are we going to give it a shot?"
"Yeah," Aoki nodded.
"Huh?" Kita tilted her head. "Does the short have any specific theme requirements? And what's the deadline?"
"That's exactly the right question," he said. "The deadline's in three weeks. As for the theme…"
"The themes are: Look Toward a Better Future and Please Keep on Living."
He set his guitar aside, pulled out his phone, and opened LINE, sending a few files to the Kessoku Band group chat.
"As for the song… I've already written it. It's called I Once Thought About Ending It All."
"I Once Thought About Ending It All?" Nijika repeated, puzzled.
Ryo and Bocchi immediately pulled out their phones to check the group chat.
Kita, however—
When she heard the title, she froze for a moment.
After a brief hesitation, she opened the chat and clicked on the file Aoki had sent.
Lyrics and sheet music filled her vision.
She looked up at him again.
Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something—but in the end, no words came out.
Music was an art that resonated with the soul.
Kita had always believed that.
And among Kessoku Band, she was the only one who knew about Kei-senpai's family background.
Which is why… this song…
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