As dinnertime drew near, the five of them stepped out from the brightly lit underground space and left STARRY, ready to head home.
The dusky sky was dotted with faint stars, and on the streets carved out by tall buildings, the five parted ways.
Nijika grouped up with Ryo. She waved goodbye to the other three while also setting the plan for tomorrow.
"Then let's meet at one in the afternoon again tomorrow~""Mm, senpai, see you then~"
Kita raised her hand in a cheerful wave as well. She was grouped with Ishikawa Hayabusa and Bocchi.
And of course, when it came time to part, Ishikawa remained his usual free-spirited self. With that unrestrained grin, he blurted out in the most shameless tone:
"I really wanna go have dinner at Nijika's place."
Whether he was joking or serious was impossible to tell from his expression.
Nijika's smile froze as her hand stiffly lowered. She shot a quick glance toward Bocchi, trying not to make it obvious.
Bocchi, never comfortable with these sorts of street-corner goodbyes, mumbled softly, "See you tomorrow..." Her little head even bobbed once.
It wasn't clear if Nijika heard her, but from ten steps away she turned back with a dazzling smile and waved her small hand before quickly tugging Ryo away toward home.
Seeing her reaction, Ishikawa clicked his tongue. "Tch, Nijika's so stingy."
But neither of the girls with him agreed. Bocchi and Kita silently shifted a step farther from him.
He just laughed it off.
The three of them walked together down the streets of Shimokitazawa.
By now, vendors had already set up night stalls along the road, busily preparing ingredients. Early birds of the nightlife drifted about in small groups.
Among the crowd, the trio drew plenty of attention: a sunny high-school boy walking side by side with a cheerful, sparkling girl, while trailing behind them was a slouch-shouldered, pink-haired girl carrying her guitar case, looking as gloomy as her posture.
Bocchi could feel the stares. Bit by bit, she drifted farther from the other two, only to slow down out of fear.
Their voices, however, still reached her clearly.
"Did you really only start learning your instrument the day you joined the band, Ishikawa-kun...?""Kita, you're just too dumb."
Ishikawa shot the girl beside him a merciless jab, watching as her admiration dimmed into mild frustration.
"Come on, Ishikawa-kun, can't you be a little nicer..."
Kita's face shifted rapidly, her cute features reflecting every tiny emotion—lively, charming, undeniably adorable.
But Ishikawa cut her off coldly. "Nope."
"Your personality is terrible!" Kita pouted.
"Messing with you is just too fun," he grinned, unable to resist pushing further as her face flickered with emotions.
"Meanie..." she muttered, her cheeks flushed pink from the setting sun.
It was then Ishikawa noticed Bocchi's figure lagging far behind, nearly swallowed by the crowd.
She looked so small—head bowed, steps hesitant, like she could vanish at any moment.
He stopped in his tracks.
Kita followed his gaze, saw Bocchi's struggling figure, and understood at once. A familiar scene.
Her chest twisted with frustration—not at him helping Bocchi, but at the way his attitude swung hot and cold like this.
But maybe that was why... she stayed silent, curious to see how he'd act this time.
Bocchi's steps grew slower with each anxious thought. Ishikawa sighed, stepped toward her, and without hesitation seized her wrist.
"Let's go."
Ignoring her startled expression, he pulled her forward.
From behind came a timid little, "Ah... okay."
Kita blinked, startled by his sudden boldness. But then she smiled, quickened her pace in her loafers and puffy socks, and leaned her head forward from behind Ishikawa to reassure the girl now being dragged along.
"Gotou-san, don't be nervous, okay?"
Bocchi gave a tiny, frightened nod.
Watching Kita radiate such warmth, Ishikawa tilted his head thoughtfully before chiming in.
"Speaking of, Kita still can't play guitar, right? You could learn from Bocchi. Don't let her looks fool you—she's amazing. A hardcore death-metal guitarist."
Death metal!?
Of course Kita remembered that word. Ryo had practically lit up at the mention of it.
Eyes sparkling, she darted to Bocchi's side and grabbed her hand.
"Gotou-san, please guide me strictly as my senior in death metal!"
Ishikawa nearly lost it. He bit his lip and stomped the ground, shoulders trembling from laughter.
…
Being yanked along by Ishikawa left Bocchi both flustered and strangely happy—it was the first time he'd treated her so forcefully. But when his voice came, calm and casual as always—"Let's go."—she relaxed a little.
Even if being dragged by a sunny, handsome boy while another girl cheerfully chatted alongside made her feel even more conspicuous... at least the station wasn't far.
Eight minutes. Just eight minutes—that's 480 seconds. All she had to do was count to 480.
1, 2, 3, 4...
Then Ishikawa's words shattered her mental countdown.
"Since Kita still can't play guitar, she should learn from Bocchi."
Eh? Wait. No, no, no. Absolutely not!
Sure enough, footsteps pattered excitedly, and Kita popped up in front of her, eyes shining.
"Gotou-san, please guide me strictly as my senior in death metal! I'm begging you!"
Refuse! Just refuse! Bocchi screamed inside. The last thing she wanted was to face Kita's sunshine smile every day—it would burn her like salt poured on a slug!
But after a long, trembling silence...
"Ah... okay."
She caved.
Her social anxiety was beyond saving.
"Yay!" Kita beamed and, almost without thinking, drifted to Bocchi's other side.
Bocchi: ??
…
Ishikawa noticed Bocchi inching closer and closer to him, practically glued to his side.
Her face was already twisting with visible discomfort—the fear of Kita's sudden closeness written all over her.
But she didn't even seem to realize she was leaning so heavily into him.
Ishikawa glanced at Kita, who looked awkward but tried not to show it. He decided not to snap Bocchi out of it—something told him the result would be terrifying.
So the three of them continued walking in that strange formation until they reached a crossroads. Kita peeled off toward her own way home, smiling as she waved.
"Ishikawa-kun, Gotou-san, see you tomorrow!"
Ishikawa smirked as he nodded. "Yeah, and don't try cramming tonight. You'll just hurt your hands. You're already enough of a klutz, no need to level that up."
At his words, Bocchi finally realized how close she was leaning against him.
"Ahhhhhh!!"
She jumped back with a scream—only for Ishikawa to press her shoulders and set her upright again.
While she flailed in panic, he simply patted her shoulder and nodded toward Kita, who was still waiting to leave.
Habit won over panic—Bocchi bowed slightly and mumbled, "Uh, see you tomorrow..."
"Mm." Kita smiled back, though she still pouted at Ishikawa. "And don't call me an idiot!"
With that, she spun around decisively, her skirt swishing as her light steps carried her quickly out of sight.
Now only Bocchi and Ishikawa remained, heading toward the station together.
Bit by bit, Bocchi started sneaking glances at him—more and more often as they walked.
"You're headed to the station, right, Bocchi?" he asked casually.
"Mm." She gave a shy nod.
"Then what's on your mind?" he pressed.
Surprised, she blurted the question that had been nagging her. "Um... Ishikawa-san, are you going to the station too?"
Even she was startled by how easily the question slipped out. She stole a sideways look at him.
"Yeah. My place isn't exactly close, you know," he replied, voice playful, almost like he was teasing her with a secret.
Eh?
Her eyes widened.
Then she started wondering—why would he go to a school so far from home? But after two seconds, she realized the conversation had died.
She looked up at him, wanting to ask—but the words stuck in her throat. Her head lowered again, silence settling between them.
They continued along the orange-red street bathed in sunset.
After a while, Ishikawa asked, "Doesn't commuting four hours a day wear you out, Bocchi? Ever thought about living closer?"
Living nearby?
The thought alone terrified her. She flailed her hands in panic. "N-no, no, I can't! Living alone is way too hard."
He didn't mind her reaction. His eyes glinted with amusement. "Well, I asked you two questions, so now you get to ask me one."
Ah, so he's treating me like a kid, she thought.
Still...
"Ishikawa-san... why did you choose to come to this high school?" she asked timidly.
"Of course—to fulfill my harem ambitions."
Clenching his fist, he stared dramatically into the distance, voice dead serious—until he broke into laughter halfway through.
Bocchi blinked, then couldn't help but smile. She didn't push further, though her curiosity about him only deepened.
As the station neared, they reached the point of parting. Ishikawa stopped. Bocchi, a couple of steps ahead, turned back, puzzled.
There she was: pink hair glowing faintly gold under the sunset, sports jacket matching her hair color, guitar on her back, clear blue eyes peeking nervously from behind her bangs.
Her posture was hunched as always, trying to hide herself, startled by even the slightest unexpected turn.
Ishikawa looked at her and asked, "Bocchi, how about we go on a date tomorrow morning?"
She froze, thought for a second, then answered, "Ah... sure... ehhh!?"
Her whole body went into panic mode.
But Ishikawa didn't give her time to recover. "So I'll take that as a yes. It's not really a date, anyway—just come with me to a place I go to often. If you're in, meet me at Iketora Station at 9 a.m. If not, just send me a message before then."
He tilted his head, grinning. "Got it memorized?"
Bocchi nodded stiffly.
Satisfied, Ishikawa smiled and strode past her toward the station.
"Then whether it's morning or afternoon—see you tomorrow."
Bocchi stood frozen, brain about to explode from the shock.
She stayed rooted in place for a long moment before fumbling out her phone to jot the details down. Only after more wavering thought did she finally shuffle off toward the station.