"Then next…"
After submitting the performance application and steadying her emotions, Nijika returned to continue the band meeting.
"Practicing is out of the question for now… so, what else do bands usually do—"
"Disband."Ryo cut in immediately.
"Ryo, don't talk nonsense!" Nijika snapped, still bitter over the horrible name they had just decided on for the band.
But when she glanced at the other two and saw that neither of them looked like they agreed with Ryo's remark, she relaxed a little.
Normally they didn't spend much time together outside of practice. Nijika thought this was a good chance to get to know everyone better.
But what should they do?
"How about… we take a group photo for the band?"
The suggestion came suddenly from Ishikawa Hayabusa.
"Great idea!"
Kita lit up instantly—kita'd up, really—and her sparkling eyes turned toward Ryo, drowning in a whirlpool of happy fantasies.
Her feelings for Ryo were an open secret; anyone could see it.
Nijika sighed, but then smiled. Even though she was the only "normal" person in this band, somehow this chaotic vibe felt like what being in a real band was supposed to be.
She raised her hand, the red ribbon tied to her wrist swaying slightly."OK. Let's go."
"Oh~"
As they walked down the main street, the unusual group—three girls and a boy—made Ishikawa Hayabusa feel as though he were the dazzling king of a harem.
He could even sense some couples glaring daggers at him, eyes practically shouting, "Go die, go die!"
"Kita-chan, you're in the same school and class as Hayabusa-kun, right?"
"Yes, such a coincidence!"
Nijika and Kita walked ahead, chatting, while Ishikawa and Ryo trailed behind them.
Watching the two in front laughing so freely, Hayabusa sneaked a glance at Ryo beside him.
Her expression was as calm as ever, her eyes—half hidden behind her bangs—focused straight ahead.
She wore a neutral black button-up shirt with black tapered pants, giving off a strong aura of independence while still looking tall and graceful.
Hayabusa thought for a moment. They were both strange people in their own ways, but… what could they even talk about?
He tossed out a casual topic."Ryo, where do you usually hang out?"
Hearing this from the front, Kita froze in place.
He actually asked a girl where she usually goes? This shameless guy!
Now that she thought about it, she was a little curious too. Hayabusa didn't seem all that close with them, so how long had he even been part of this band?
She quickly turned to Nijika."Ijichi-senpai, how did you meet Ishikawa-kun?"
Since it had only been a couple of days ago, Nijika remembered it perfectly."On Wednesday—Hayabusa-kun suddenly came to us and said he wanted to join."
"Wednesday… as in, this week?"
Kita's jaw dropped.
"Mm." Nijika nodded firmly.
Seeing Nijika's confirmation, Kita felt even more absurd about the whole thing. Just a few days of knowing each other, and he was already casually dropping honorifics? Not even calling her senpai?
This guy was definitely up to something!
Behind them, Hayabusa's voice floated over."Thrift shops? I've never been, but like Ryo, I prefer wandering around places without people."
Danger! Ryo-senpai is in danger!
She absolutely couldn't allow her to be lured in by this shady flirt!
"Oh? What kind of places?" Ryo asked.
"Wide open spaces," Hayabusa answered. "Like the seawall at the beach, or flat, empty fields."
"Doesn't that get boring?"
"Not at all. Relaxing in a vast, open place feels really good."
Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Hayabusa added,"You should come try it sometime."
Wha—what did he just say!?
That's way too fast!!
Kita's eyes glazed over, swirling with chaotic colors.
Relaxing together in an empty, isolated place—how could that possibly be allowed!?
I must protect Ryo-senpai!
Terrified she might actually agree, Kita frantically scanned their surroundings—shops, streets, walls, buildings, anything.
And then she spotted it.
"Over there! That wall looks nice!"
She hurriedly cut into the conversation, pointing toward a small house nearby decorated in a summery style.
Hayabusa blinked.
Oh, close call. His invitation had slipped out unconsciously. He used to bring people to places like that all the time—it was practically instinct by now.
The four of them changed course toward the building.
Ryo, Kita, and Hayabusa stood against the side wall, while Nijika stepped a few paces back to check the angle.
She framed them with her hands, thumbs and index fingers forming a rectangle."Kita-chan, great call—it's the perfect background."
"No, no, it was just luck…"
Kita hadn't expected the spot she picked in a panic to actually work. Hopefully Ijichi-senpai wasn't just saying that to keep the mood light, or else her guilt would only pile up more.
"Alright, I'll go ask if we can take pictures here."
Like a gust of wind, Nijika darted into the store, her golden ponytail bouncing behind her.
"I'll—" Kita started, but stopped as she remembered who was standing next to Ryo.
Hayabusa and Ryo were chatting about music.
Even ordinary conversation between them felt like a huge crisis. She couldn't pull away…
Kita Ikuyo wept inside.
Moments later, Nijika skipped back out with a bright smile."They said we can take as many pictures as we want."
"Then let's hurry and take one!"
Kita rushed to interrupt the two again.
No matter how guilty she felt, she had no regrets. Ishikawa Hayabusa absolutely did not deserve Ryo-senpai!
Even if she had to get kicked to death by a horse, she would stop him!
Watching Kita desperately wedge herself between them, Hayabusa only found it amusing.
In fact, he could tell Ryo was in on the fun too.
The two of them, equally mischievous, silently teamed up to tease Kita—chatting casually while sneaking glances at her ever-changing expressions.
But when it was time for business, Hayabusa didn't fool around.
He carried over the tripod he'd been holding, set it down in the empty space."How about this spot?" he asked.
Nijika mounted the camera, checking the frame on the display."Move a little more to the left… OK."
Once the angle was set, they began the cycle of setting timers, posing, snapping photos, and checking results.
But when things started to get repetitive, Hayabusa decided to spice it up.
Just as the timer counted down and Nijika struck her pose, a sudden gust of wind rushed past her.
Instinctively, she turned her head—only to lock eyes with Hayabusa, who was upside down above her.
She hadn't even processed what was happening before dread hit her gut.
Click.
The camera snapped.
No one bothered to look at it at first. Instead, the three girls stared dumbly at Hayabusa, who had just landed back on the ground.
Flashing a peace sign, he grinned like a smug pervert, then walked over to retrieve the camera.
The girls crowded in, their faces full of question marks.
And then they saw it.
In the picture, the girls' gazes were all slightly shifted away from the camera.
So that shot was ruined.
But what shocked them most was the boy, appearing upside down beside the posing girls, as though he had been edited in afterward—his body rigidly inverted, staring straight into Nijika's eyes.
The whole thing gave off an absurd, uncanny vibe.
"Ishikawa-kun…" Nijika deliberately used his surname, feigning anger.
"Come on, isn't normal posing boring? A shot like this is way more fun…"
Hayabusa forced a smile, trying to butter her up.
His ridiculousness made Nijika both angry and amused, though she still kept a stern face.
After a few days together, she'd realized he loved pulling stunts like this. If she didn't call him out, he'd just escalate more and more.
And knowing his carefree personality, he clearly didn't care about being scolded by girls.
So she didn't hold back either.
"…It's kind of scary," Kita admitted, "but actually pretty unique."
She then looked at Ryo.
Ryo seemed to like it, but after thinking for a moment, shook her head."It's interesting, but it doesn't fit our band's style."
"Guh…"
Shot down again, Hayabusa collapsed to the ground with a defeated look.
The three girls watched him with a mix of amusement and helplessness.
"Come on, get up. We still have more to take." Nijika planted her hands on her hips and scolded him.
After several more shots, once they felt satisfied, Hayabusa's phone rang.
He glanced at the girls reviewing the pictures, then stepped aside to answer.
"Brother… do you still remember?"
Holding the phone away, he checked the time.
Then, in a calm voice, he replied,"I've been waiting half a day. Where are you?"
"Liar…" sighed the voice on the other end, heavy with melancholy. "I'll send you my location."
Hayabusa didn't even check the message. He simply hung up, then returned to the three still debating which photo to use as their promo shot.
"Sorry, I'll have to head out first. There's something I must accomplish—even if it costs me my life."
"…Eh?" Nijika looked up, dumbfounded by his strange declaration.
"You'll be okay, right…?" she asked anxiously. For some reason, she felt he wasn't joking.
"No problem."
He nodded gravely, pulled out his phone to confirm the address, then dropped into a runner's stance.
Before the three could react—
Whoosh!
He shot off like a whirlwind, disappearing from their sight at an unbelievable speed.
A few minutes later, with Hayabusa gone, the three girls had nothing left to do. They decided to stop by Starry once more before splitting up.
Just then, Kita's phone buzzed—it was a new post from someone she followed on Instagram. Curious, she pulled it out.
Who would be posting now? She only followed a handful of people, and as far as she knew, none of them had anything special going on today.
Lighting up the screen, she saw the name.
…Ishikawa Hayabusa.
She groaned inwardly. She had forgotten to put him in her restricted list when they'd followed each other earlier.
Still, curiosity got the better of her. Why had he run off so suddenly?
Opening the post, she froze.
In the picture, Hayabusa sat at a dessert café with a girl. It was the new place she had just visited with her friends a few days ago.
The girl held the camera on a selfie stick, smiling so radiantly she seemed to overflow with happiness.
Across from her sat Hayabusa, chin propped on one hand, gazing her way with a resigned expression.
Hayabusa… has a girlfriend!?
Kita's heart leapt in joy—until she noticed the caption.
"Eating sweets at the new café with my little sister."
Her excitement crashed instantly.
She had been ready to rush this photo to Ryo-senpai. Now, she could only droop her head in disappointment.