Looking at the whole Kessoku Band.
Perhaps only Kita had to worry about her family.
Back when she bought her guitar, she had done it behind her parents' backs and even took out a loan.
And she bought the wrong thing, ending up with a multi string bass.
If Ryo hadn't paid for her.
Kita might have been stuck paying more than twenty installments.
Why not ask her parents for money?
The reason was simple. In her family's eyes, Kita was just an ordinary kid. Her grades were above average, she liked fashionable things, had lots of friends, and was cheerful and optimistic.
If someone like her asked her parents for over a hundred thousand yen.
The chance of being rejected was extremely high.
Her parents also knew she was someone who liked things for only three minutes, someone who never thought about consequences.
Compared to that.
The others in Kessoku Band didn't have to worry about family problems at all.
Hitori's father had played rock when he was young. Something as expensive as a Gibson Black Card guitar, he would lend it to his daughter without question. He would never oppose her.
Ryo was the daughter of a family that owned a private hospital. Playing rock was just a hobby.
Nijika's sister had established the live house STARRY for her sake, so how could she possibly oppose Nijika chasing her dreams?
All in all.
Kita was the only one troubled in this way.
Still, getting caught by her parents wasn't the worst situation.
Because they hadn't clearly opposed her.
But they also didn't support her.
They simply thought of it as a child messing around. After all, Kita didn't have much patience.
They figured she would give up in half a year.
"That's basically what happened." After explaining, Kita looked toward Ryo.
She believed that as her senior in the band, and someone who had joined other bands before, Ryo-senpai might be able to give her advice.
"Ikuyo, what do you want to do?"
"I want to keep going."
Kita wanted to shine, truly shine.
Not the fake shine of a normie.
But something solid, like the gathering of countless stars, a glow that would make an audience cheer for her.
She was tired of her boring, ordinary life, living like a wooden doll with no soul. That was why she joined the band.
Kita didn't want to give up this hard won dream.
"That's good. Just keep things the way they are for now, Ikuyo."
"Okay, Ryo-senpai!"
"By the way…"
Ryo nodded. "Ikuyo, about the drinks you bought for me last time when we went out, can that money count as a friendship fee?"
"And aside from the friendship fee, I think our heart to heart talk just now requires a 1000 yen service charge. Thank you for your support."
Ryo-san held out her hand to Kita.
"Ryo-senpai, I, I'll give it to you right away. Is 1000 yen for a friendship fee really okay? Isn't that too little… I-I'll give you 5000 yen!"
Kita's face lit up. She quickly pulled out her wallet to pay, even wanting to give four times as much.
Being swindled by Ryo-senpai felt wonderful.
Witnessing this filthy transaction.
Nijika the little angel showed a devilish smile.
"Ryo, if you borrowed money, you need to pay it back."
Swept by that terrifying gaze.
Ryo immediately behaved herself.
She really had no money lately.
If not for having an extra meal ticket and being able to eat at Toru's place whenever she was hungry, Ryo-san might have turned into a little sheep again, grazing every day.
Toru treated her so well.
Every time she went for a free meal, she could eat fancy things like tuna, matsutake, and crab.
And she didn't have to pay.
Ryo showed a pitiful expression. "Then what about the friendship fee?"
Nijika gave her a glare. "Of course not."
It was bad enough she bullied Bocchi-chan nonstop.
Now she was extending her claws toward Kita-chan…
Ryo looked disappointed.
Nijika turned toward Hitori again. "Bocchi-chan, did this weird scummy bassist borrow money from you lately?"
"She, she borrowed two thousand yen."
"Ryo, once you get your paycheck, return it to Bocchi-chan."
"Yeah, I will."
Probably.
After all the teasing.
The heavy atmosphere had lightened a lot.
Maybe Ryo-san had been intentionally joking around, even making herself the target, just to keep the band's mood from sinking.
————
When summer vacation was nearly over.
More precisely.
Three days before the end.
Toru came to the live house STARRY with his summer homework.
Half an hour earlier.
Nijika had sent him a line message.
Nijika: Toru kun, come save Bocchi-chan, she's going to die. [crying.gif] (read)
Toru wondered what could have happened, and after looking into it.
He found it was not a small issue.
Hitori hadn't finished her summer homework. On top of that, Ryo also hadn't written a single word.
That rotten woman seemed completely ready to copy Nijika's homework on the last day of summer break.
His 2D wives had run into trouble.
Toru had nothing better to do anyway, so he came to the rescue.
Arriving in Shimokitazawa.
Walking into STARRY before he could even enjoy the air conditioning, Toru found someone lying on the floor.
More accurately, a puddle of a person.
Hitori was sprawled helplessly on the ground, her body trembling slightly as she muttered strange incantations, as if she was trying to rewind time back to the start of summer vacation.
With summer ending and homework unfinished.
Anyone would consider restarting life at that point.
"Hitori, are you okay?"
Toru showed a helpless expression, squatted down beside Bocchi-chan, and called to her softly.
In the simulator, she had been the adorable girl he had fallen for again and again, spending a whole lifetime together.
How could she look like this in reality?
Toru felt like he was browsing temu.
[Item: Gotoh Hitori]
[Origin: Japan]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Description: A young girl with pink hair. Can play guitar. Beautiful looks. Dear customers, buy now. Only 18888 yen. Buy one get one free. Buy one Gotoh Hitori, get one Gotoh Futari.]
Seller's display: Daring in love and hate. Studies hard. Could even get into the University of Tokyo for the boy she likes.
Buyer's display: Socially anxious wreck, hunched over with dark circles, stutters when talking to the boy she likes.
Toru bought her.
And got scammed.
…
"Hitori, running from reality won't help. School starts the day after tomorrow."
"I don't want to go to school."
Hitori whimpered, continuing her dead fish pose, and soon the floor had a small puddle of tears.
This girl didn't have many things in abundance, but water was one of them.
Toru had experienced it before. She really produced a lot. Enough to soak more than half the bedsheets. He had to keep a big stockpile at home just in case.
"All right, all right, get up."
Toru took her hand.
With his help.
Hitori slowly got up from the floor and prepared to face reality.
And so.
The last few days of Bocchi-chan's summer vacation.
Had no youth, no romance.
Only endless homework.
And the sound of cicadas outside.