No matter how long you hesitate, in the end, you still have to make a choice.
After Gotoh Hitori gave her earnest advice, Aoki Kei had already settled on his decision in his heart.
But before that, he still hadn't figured out when would be the right moment to face Kita, nor what kind of attitude he should have when he did.
On the night of November 7th—one week before the final submission deadline for the project—
After much thought and hesitation, Aoki ultimately decided to wait until the whole event was over before handling this matter seriously.
As for now…
Bocchi-chan's words had been helpful, yes, but they weren't enough to completely ease his mind, nor to stop him from worrying about his current situation.
Until he resolved the issue completely, his emotions would still pile up whenever he saw Kita, or whenever she messaged him on LINE.
So for the moment, he forced himself to focus on music practice, using it as a way to keep his mind from wandering.
And so, time continued to inch forward…
———————————————————————
Monday, Week 3 – November 8th
With six days left before the contest deadline, discussions about Kessoku Band and Takashi Imai were heating up online—more intense than ever.
The conversation had now split netizens into two camps:
The majority supported Takashi Imai to win.
Having been active for over a decade, his vocal skills and performance experience clearly outclassed Kessoku Band, who had only just entered the public eye.
Most people didn't particularly care who won, but they still leaned toward Imai, who had stood the test of time.
The smaller group, however, put their faith entirely in Kessoku Band.
In their view, the band may be new, but every song they'd released so far was a gem—proof enough of their talent.
While their two vocalists might not be world-class yet, they believed the band could win purely on the strength of their songwriting.
But such optimism was rare.
First, because Takashi Imai's own songwriting was nothing to scoff at.
And second, because Kessoku Band had only released fewer than ten songs—making them seem, in the eyes of others, less consistent and more unpredictable.
Either way, KL Corp's songwriting contest had gained a noticeable boost in publicity thanks to the buzz.
Of course, Aoki had noticed.
But it didn't affect him much—after all, there had even been gossip pieces about him in Bunshun before, and he hadn't cared then.
Compared to that, online chatter that wouldn't actually change the contest results was nothing.
[TL Note – Bunshun, Japan's most infamous tabloid magazine, is best known for covering celebrity romances and political scandals.]
That morning, after waking up, finishing his morning run, and eating breakfast, Aoki was just about to head to school when his phone rang.
The caller ID read: Niijima Yusuke.
Already guessing the reason for the call, Aoki answered without hesitation.
"Good morning, Niijima-san."
"Good morning, Aoki-san…" Niijima's voice sounded slightly uneasy.
After a brief pause, he continued, "Um, I noticed you didn't submit anything for KL Corp's contest yesterday… so that means you're planning to go head-to-head with Imai-san in the final round?"
As expected, he was calling specifically to ask about this.
"Yeah. Whether it's a direct showdown or not doesn't matter—as long as I submit in the end."
But Niijima still sounded worried.
"But if the results don't go your way… it might hurt your reputation. Honestly, Aoki-san, there's no real need for you to challenge him directly."
He wasn't sure if Aoki was confident about winning, but part of him feared that maybe Kei had read some online comments and made the decision on impulse.
Aoki could hear the concern behind his words, but explaining would be too much trouble—and probably unnecessary.
"I just wanted more time to practice, so I delayed my submission. Don't worry, Niijima-san, I've got this. And win or lose, it's fine—music has always had different levels of skill, after all."
"…"
Niijima opened his mouth to say something else, but after a moment's hesitation, he stayed silent.
At this point, with only a week left and one submission round remaining, it wasn't as if he could stop Aoki from participating.
"…Alright then. I understand, Aoki-san. Just… give it your best."
With a sigh, he gave his support.
After a few more brief words, the call ended.
Niijima might not believe Aoki had a strong chance of winning, but he also couldn't interfere with his choice.
All he could do now was cheer him on.
After hanging up, time was starting to run a bit short.
Aoki quickly left the house and made his way toward the station.
Though he'd said "winning or losing doesn't matter" and "skill levels vary," deep down, of course he wanted Kessoku Band to take first place.
He had full confidence in I Once Thought to End It All.
A song that could change a listener's perspective, give them motivation, and resonate deeply with their emotions—it was nothing short of a masterpiece.
But once a song reached a certain level of quality, much of how it was judged came down to feeling.
His track fit KL Corp's animated short film perfectly—but Takashi Imai's grasp of music theory was exceptional, and there was no telling if he might produce something that fit even better.
And then there was Imai's flawless guitar work and outstanding vocals…
By the time Kei reached the station, he'd just barely caught the train.
Squeezing inside, he stopped overthinking.
He had already done what he could.
From here on, he'd just let things take their course.