What kind of person was Ishikawa-kun, really?
Bocchi sat quietly, turning the thought over in her mind.
On the first day of school, when she had shown up in full band merchandise, hoping desperately to find companions, she could still remember the surprised look Ishikawa-kun had given her.
And she had run away.
Later, Ishikawa-kun sought her out again.
The first time they spoke face-to-face, she couldn't believe it—her very first "companion" turned out to be such a bright, handsome guy.
So she ran away again.
That time, he didn't find her.
But the next day, while she was hiding in the corner she had chosen as her safe space, he discovered her once more.
And that was when he invited her to join his band.
From then on, they started having lunch together every day.
Later, when she asked why he had been so persistent with her, he had said:"Gotou-san, you do want to change, don't you? You dressed like that on the first day because you wanted friends, because you wanted to start a band, right?"
So he had noticed right from the beginning.
From day one, he had reached out his hand to her without hesitation.
After she agreed, though, Ishikawa-kun revealed his so-called "true nature."
A weirdo.
Yet—even if he was odd at times, he had never done anything hateful.
On the contrary, he seemed free, unrestrained, genuinely happy.
Every day, his joy came from the heart.
And his happiness made her feel envious.
The gentle atmosphere he carried was something she had never experienced before.
During the days she didn't see him, eating lunch alone felt easier, calmer—but also colder.
Checking her burner account every night, wondering if there would be a message, had been its own kind of torment.
And then—
When he discovered her real account, she had been deeply embarrassed. Yet, at the same time... a little happy.
Because it meant she had mattered to him after all.
Later, when she finally brought her guitar to school, her heart had been full of unease.
Maybe that line he had said before had only been something casual. Maybe the reason he hadn't sought her out for so many days was because he was tired of her already, and didn't want to deal with her anymore.
That would've been the normal reaction, after all.
Even she thought of herself as troublesome.
But then the phone call came, and when she saw him deliberately withdrawing his hand from the staircase railing just to wave at her, she realized—he hadn't abandoned her.
And so she decided to try, to push herself a little, to polish her skills.
That was how she ended up temporarily joining Ishikawa-kun's band.
When she couldn't face the audience and hid inside a cardboard box, he had lied to her, saying:"Gotou-san, it's just the two of us right now. Play something cool for me, okay?"
And when she poured everything into her performance to prove herself...
The applause of the audience, together with his loud cheer, had burned into her memory as something unforgettable.
No matter where her life would go from there, she would always remember it: the echo of applause reverberating through the cardboard box, and his satisfied, exuberant shout.
And today...
He had actually said he was willing to support her.
Wasn't that basically...
Bocchi didn't even understand why she had agreed so quickly.
But thankfully...
Thankfully...
It turned out to be nothing more than a trick to make her get a part-time job.
"Bocchi-chan? Bocchi-chan?" Nijika's voice reached her.
Bocchi lifted her head toward the sound.
Nijika looked a little exasperated, but spoke casually, as if it wasn't a big deal."You didn't hear what we were just saying, did you?"
"Was it... about working here?"
Though she had been lost in thought, Bocchi had still been listening. She hadn't tuned the others out completely.
Nijika blinked in surprise, then smiled before continuing on about band matters.
Meanwhile, Bocchi snuck a glance to her left.
Ishikawa-kun was still listening happily to Nijika, looking cheerful as always, as though he hadn't even noticed her glance.
At last, Nijika spoke with the tone of someone wrapping things up."Then let's start working here from next week."
It sounded like things were about to conclude, but Ishikawa-kun raised his hand with a suggestion."Shall we practice a little now?"
"Yeah!" Nijika agreed brightly, nodding.
The group stood up, preparing to head for the rehearsal room.
Noticing that Kita hadn't brought her guitar, Ishikawa Hayabusa asked her:"By the way, how's your guitar practice going, Kita?"
Kita, who had been skipping ahead excitedly toward the rehearsal room, froze in panic. She stopped, turned around slowly, her eyes full of confusion."Uh... um..."
"Everyone already knows. Don't worry about it," Ryo said flatly, trying to comfort her.
But realizing the others had expectations for her, Kita lowered her head in embarrassment."I'm sorry, everyone... no matter how much I practice, I just can't play the guitar...""Whenever I try, it only makes this dull 'bong-bong' sound."
Ryo stiffened, stung as a bassist, and sighed."That's... a bass, isn't it."
Though she said it like a question, her tone was full of certainty.
"Pfft."
Ishikawa Hayabusa turned away, laughing.
He had known this moment would come, but seeing it with his own eyes was too much—he couldn't hold it in.
Trying to mask his grin, his handsome face twisting and twitching, he told them:"Kita... tomorrow, bring it in and we'll see. That'll clear it up."
Seeing Ishikawa Hayabusa's reaction, along with Ryo-senpai's words just now, Kita's heart sank.
But then, with his back to her, Ishikawa bit his lip, tilted his head toward the ceiling, and tried to comfort her:"Well, maybe it's just the tuning."
With that, he dashed quickly into the rehearsal room.
Nijika stared blankly after him, even hearing his half-suppressed, manic laughter through the door.
She turned seriously to the others."Everyone, if Ishikawa-kun bullies you, make sure to tell me."
But though she said that, she couldn't bring herself to look at Kita, whose eyes were already brimming with tears.
"Bocchi-chan, your guitar playing is amazing—so why does it sound so bad during practice?"
The four of them prepared their instruments, plugged into the amps, and chatted idly.
As for the fifth member...
Kita Ikuyo was crouched in the corner, muttering like she'd been possessed by Bocchi.
Among her endless murmurs, words like "Ishikawa," "guitar," and "definitely not a mistake" kept repeating over and over.
"Ah."
Faced with Nijika's question, Bocchi opened her mouth, but couldn't explain.
This time, Ishikawa Hayabusa stepped in for her."Bocchi usually practices alone, and she's never played in a band before. That's why she struggles to keep in sync. And she gets nervous around people she's not familiar with."
"Really?" Nijika didn't seem fully convinced, so she checked with Bocchi.
Bocchi stared blankly at Ishikawa Hayabusa, then, after a delayed pause, nodded faintly at Nijika.
Nijika's resentment toward Ishikawa grew even heavier. To trick Bocchi into believing something like that... was it intentional, or just careless?
"Ishikawa-kun~"
Noticing Nijika's reaction, Ishikawa clutched his chest dramatically with one hand, reached out toward her with the other, and called her name with teary eyes as though she had broken his heart.
But Nijika averted her gaze coldly."All right, let's start practice."
By evening, the girls stumbled out of the rehearsal room, completely exhausted, and stared with a mix of awe and disbelief at Ishikawa Hayabusa, who was humming cheerfully and practically skipping ahead.
How could he still be so energetic after an entire afternoon of practice?
Truly a pervert!
That same "pervert" exited the rehearsal room and spotted Hoshika, the manager, sitting by the counter, along with P.A.-san, who was sprawled lazily across the table playing with her phone.
With his usual flourish, Ishikawa Hayabusa raised a hand in greeting."Good morning, ladies~"
"Oh."
Hoshika gave them a brief glance before returning her eyes elsewhere.
But P.A.-san, seeing how worn out the group looked, smiled warmly."You've all been practicing really hard."
Hearing her praise, Ishikawa stepped onto a nearby chair and proudly declared:"Of course! As a pervert, every second I live must make me stronger—and more perverted—than the last!"
"Wipe that down." Hoshika's sharp glare cut him down instantly.
"Roger that!"
Completely unfazed by her harsh tone, Ishikawa snapped a salute and darted off to grab paper towels.
"Hayabusa-kun really is full of energy..." Nijika said, half admiringly.
Even Kita, still worn out, nodded with admiration."Yeah..."